Absolutely loved this gem of a book. The narrator was engaging and I easily got lost in the story. Would highly recommend!

The Raven and the Dove is a story that covers the age old story of arranged marriages but with a new twist. There were unexpected turns in the plot in a very imaginative world. I really enjoyed this story and am awaiting the second installment to be available in audio.

The Raven and the Dove by Kaitlyn Davis was a fast paced YA fantasy Tristan and Isolde retelling. Lyana is a Princess who is wanting to get out and experience more in her life. The upcoming trial where she will pick from a number of princes from the neighboring kingdoms is her chance to do things her way. She meets Rafe who is the half brother of the Prince Lysander. When he is attacked by a dragon, Lyana saves him and they form a connection.

Rafe and his brother decide to have Rafe pose as the prince in the upcoming courtship trials. There he meets Lyana again who has her sights set on him. After choosing him as her mate, she realizes the mistake she made.

The Raven and the Dove was a fantasy romance book with forbidden romance, great chemistry and banter between Lyana and Rafe, and a great brotherly relationship. The story was a fast paced and I ended up listening to the whole thing in a day. The author's writing was very well done and easy to read. The characters were well done and while not overly deep, you still found yourself rooting for them. The characters were really easy to fall for and even with misunderstandings and betrayals, you want them to all get back together.. The world building was done well without being too intense. The magic was also not very detailed and very limited to just a few characters. These elements make this an excellent book for those who may not be big fantasy readers. I would highly recommend if you are looking for a nice fantasy romance adventure.

The cover of this book is what initially drew me to it! I enjoyed the way this story started off, I did not expect the switch-a-roo what happened with Xander and Rafe. I like that it was revealed towards the beginning because it was a great set up for Lyana later on when choosing her mate. I am a sucker for a love triangle! I do think that my favorite character was Xander as he is so sweet and deserving of love despite what he thinks. I believe that other folks with disabilities would feel the same way. Con for me what there felt like there was so much happening at times that it was hard to keep up! But the cliffhanger definitely makes me want to know what happens next! I

I would read the entire saga if it is as well narrated as this book. I usually have conflicts to get hooked on love triangles but the narration made it go through those parts and keep me hooked on the other aspects and characters in the plot
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With this book I really understand audio book lovers, there is so much passion and feelings in the narrator that one ends up trapped in the story
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The Raven and the Dove is a retelling of Isolde, and if you are not familiar with the story this book might make you want to read it
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The world of birds as royal houses and the courtship games between the sons of the main houses was one of the best parts of the story, although the end leaves me wanting to jump to the next book
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love, betrayal, magic, princes and kings fighting to keep the peace or change the established order to unleash a higher power and fulfill an ancient prophecy...a sure page turner or speed sound elevator
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Thanks to Kaitlyn Davis for give me a copy of this Beautiful audio book in exchange for my honest and voluntary opinion

The Raven and the Dove by Kaitlyn Davis was a back title i wanted to read but never got the chance so i was so excited when i saw it on netgalley and let's just say this title did not disappoint. I enjoyed every moment of this title.

Oh wow, I honestly am unsure what else to say. I loved listening to The Raven and the Dove this week.

Content Warnings for this book:
Blood, Fire, Fire Injury, Injury/Injury Detail, Gore, Panic Attacks, Child Death, Death, Self Harm, Death of a Parent,

I have been seeking out books either written by people of color or books about main characters who are people of color. Having Lyana be black and not just passively was so freaking amazing to read. I can imagine that the representation is important to those who also have her features.
Her skin tone wasn't a passing feature, it was talked about in a variety of ways and her hair was mentioned often. There were ways that the author made the differences of her race in personal care to the pasty white people a reality. The descriptions of her hair and the care it takes. These are things we rarely see in fantasy media outside of things written by black authors and it was so amazing to see.
I soooo hope that black readers resonate with her character and the aspects that get brought into the book.

The representation of disability was also amazing. To see that it has an impact on his life while also learning to trust that others will not think less of him for his disability. To me, it seemed like he was very aware of where his limits were and in an attempt to do the best for his people that he could, he makes choices that are a direct result of his disability and the limits that it puts on him in regards to other peoples expectations of him.
While he might not think it limits him, there are some things that just are accessible to him. Which to me, speaks more about a world that is not accessible instead of a person that is incapable. Do I think he would have needed a stand-in if they had let it be known to the world and they had accommodated his disability? No... do I see that this a way to speak on the social and structured/environmental aspects of disability.

And this was on TOP OF the world building that was gorgeous! The information we needed to know didn't feel forced onto us, instead given to us in ways that felt natural and pertinent at the time. Letting us fill in the gaps where needed and providing us with the tools to understand what is going on both on the floating islands and on the surface below the mist.
It drew me in and makes me want to know how the world got to where it is. What happened? What is changing? How will our characters play a role in the potential changes that could happen?

I loved that she was a female main character who could 1000% hold her own but wasn't a typical bad-ass young woman. She has fears and faults that impact her and more depth to her than just her skill.

Getting to see the perspectives of Rafe, Xander, and Cassie made for a book with a lot of depth and complexity that drew me in so fast. They all *feel* young in their actions which is something that I think is so important to a book about young adults in their late teens. They can know what the right choice is but still make the dumb one because it is what their impulse tells them to do. And then they have to figure out how to navigate the fallout of those choices.

The magic system.... oh gosh... the magic system. I am so curious!!!! There is a VERY high chance that I will be reading the next book in July in order to get my answers to how this system works! We learn so much in this book and it is described so well while also leaving us wanting to understand more.
That is on top of the fact that Davis did an amazing job of getting me invested in the well-being of these characters. I want to know what happens next and I want to know how they handle the situations that they have found themselves in.

I read this book with my ears and I never really struggled with understanding and following a change in perspective. The characters all have a different flow and feel to their portions of the story so I was able to quickly adapt and get my mind wrapped around the person's mind that we had switched to.
I personally love multiple-perspective books and am always concerned that it will get lost in the audio but that was not the case with this book.

***I was provided a copy of this book via NetGalley. This review is my honest opinion and thoughts about what I read.***

Book 1 of the the series. A retelling of the story of Tristan and Isolde. Im a sucker for romance and was excited when i got an arc copy for this beautiful book. The cover is stunning so my expectations were quite high to begin with. Beautifully written and the avian worlds sound absolutely spectacular. I would have liked more of a back story of Cassi as i was confused about where her loyalties lay and why she made the decisions she made. I guess ill have to read the other books to find out.
The love triangle was beautifully explored and to be honest I’m not sure which of the two brothers i prefer. They both sounds amazing and they are both going through their own personal traumas. Will definitely recommend

I loved the romance and the characters with their own different stories ,specially Rafe. it made me wish i had Lyana's beautiful feathered wings too.

Interesting!

A princess longing to be free...
On the dawn of her courtship trials, Princess Lyana Aethionus knows she should be focused on winning her perfect mate, yet her thoughts wander to the open sky waiting at the edge of her floating kingdom. One final adventure calls. Upon fleeing the palace, the last thing she expects to find is a raven prince locked in a death match with a dragon.

A bastard aching to belong...
Reviled son of a dead king, Rafe would do anything for his beloved half-brother, Prince Lysander Taetanus, including posing as him in the upcoming courtship trials. When a dragon interrupts their secret exchange, he orders his studious sibling to run. After suffering a fatal blow, Rafe is saved by a beautiful dove who possesses forbidden magic, just like him.

Fate brought them together, now destiny will tear them apart...
Unknown to the world above, on the foggy sea ten thousand feet below, a young king fights a forgotten war. He believes Lyana is the queen prophesied to save the world, and with the help of his favored spy, hidden deep in the highest ranks of the dove royal house, he will stop at nothing to have her.


I'll be honest: I started with having the lowest expectations in this universe on The Raven And The Dove. I didn't really know what to expect.

First, I thank Netgalley, Katlyn Davis, and the publisher for providing me with the audiobook in exchange for a candid review. Thank you very much.

The Raven and the Dove is the first volume of The Raven And The Dove series, a fantasy series created by Katlyn Davis.

They recommend it to lovers of Acotar. Well, I do not entirely agree. I think it's more suitable for those who love Leigh Bardugo's books.
Yes, of course, the romance is sometimes reminiscent of that of Acotar but it does not have great similarities with this saga that I loved so much.

I found worldbuilding easy to understand and well described and the characters are all well characterized. In general, I can say that I enjoyed listening to the audiobook of The Raven And the Dove, especially thanks to the harmonious voices of the narrators. However, there were some aspects that made me turn up my nose a bit. Here are some examples:
- dragons that appear ONLY when Rafe is around.
- the mating issue ( Super Cringeee )
- The Romance.

This last point, the Romance failed miserably. I don't know... In my opinion, it should have been reworded better.

But that won't stop me from moving forward with the saga. Something tells me that in the next volumes it will improve a lot!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publishers for a copy of this audiobook. I really enjoyed the world and the magic in this book. I liked the characters a lot.

3.5 stars.

I was fascinated by the world and magic within this avian-inspired fantasy! I don't love the characters - the relationships felt rushed, which made them hard for me to fully believe. Because of that, the conflicts that came up felt more annoying than anything else. I could definitely see myself returning to this series though because the world-building was great. And can we just take a minute to appreciate the art on the cover?

3.5/5

Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.

I felt very lucky that this was my first book I was able to read to review on netgalley.

Firstly, the narration. I do speed up my audiobooks, so I don't tend to notice odd breaths, or noises, or anything like that. What I do notice is when a narrator takes my attention away from the story, and this did not have this issue. I think that the narration was great. Easily listenable and understandable, and did not take away from the experience of the audiobook.

Now for the book itself. I was absolutely enthralled by this world. The wings, the different tribes, the religious undertones, the magic, I loved every little piece I was given of the world building. In fact I wanted there to be more of it.

I also loved the characters. I loved the diversity in the characters and different tribes. Lyanna was fun and quirky and I enjoyed her so much. I also loved how principled Rafe was and how much he was obviously warring with himself over liking Lyanna. I also really enjoyed Lysander. He and Lyanna were so obviously wrong for each other but they were trying so hard, and I felt so bad for him, especially because he was so self-conscious about his disability.

Honestly my least favorite part of this book was Cassie and her storyline. I felt like it lost a lot of tension with the early reveal, I really hated the confusing ending, which kind of came out of nowhere (specifically in terms of Rafe and Lysander's fates) and I honestly didn't know how to feel about Cassie for the entire book.

An ending really makes or breaks a book for me, and this one wasn't my favorite. I am interested to see where it goes, however.

The Raven and the Dove” by Kaitlyn Davis is an avian inspired YA fantasy retelling of Tristan and Isolde. The story is about a princess on the eve of her courtship trials who longs to be free and Rafe, the much hated bastard brother of the Prince of Ravens, who just wants to belong. Lyana finds the Prince of the Ravens battling a dragon on his own and saves his life. Rafe is impersonating his brother because he has a much better chance at being successful in the courtship trials. Meanwhile Lyana’s best friend, an orphan owl, has secrets and obligations of which no one is aware. This story unfolds as Princes and Princesses compete in order to ,have their best chance at an arranged mating. What no one knows is that there is a prophecy that may be about Lyana and many are waiting to see if things foretold will come to pass.

I listened to this story on audiobook and really enjoyed it.it is a clean story which would be appropriate for younger teens for whom simple references to men and women in bed together without description is acceptable. They’re are multiple narrators in the story, but it is easy to follow the story as it passes primarily between Lyana, Cassie, Rafe, and his brother Lysander. The narrator was easy to listen to, and the audiobook was an enjoyable way to read the story. I really enjoyed the characters and the world that the author created, and since the book ended in a cliffhanger, I am hoping to have an opportunity to read the next title in the series, The Hunter and the Mage. I definitely recommend this romantic fantasy story to all those who enjoy a clean YA fantasy. I am voluntarily leaving this honest review after listening to an advanced complementary copy of this audiobook thanks to Kaitlyn Davis, Netgalley, and the Independent Book Publishers Association.

I really enjoyed this narrator and the 2x speed was easy to hear still. She had great inflection and pacing.

This take of Tristan and Isolde seemed pretty obvious to me (as an adult), but I appreciated it's fresh spin on the classic tale. Lyana, Rafe, and Lysander create an interesting love triangle, magic is feared, and friendships are mere smokescreens.

Davis's story moves at a nice pace, and the characters' individual traits shine through well. It's a simple story, told well.

Overall: 4 stars

I'll tell my students about: language, magic, death, mental health/trauma, violence

**Thank you to NetGalley and Kaitlyn Davis for the free ALC. All opinions expressed are my own.**

This had such a unique concept, and I l0ved how the world was complex enough to be interesting but also easy to enter into. I loved the characters and the romance. And the narration was excellent!

This was a very interesting and, to me at least, different concept. I really enjoyed the audiobook narrator, also. I recently became fascinated by birds, so I enjoyed that aspect of this book, the people having bird like traits. It was fast paced and an overall fun, easy and very emotional read.

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„love is when you find a piece of yourself in someone else, a piece you never knew was missing, but without which you‘d be broken.“

first of all i have to say that it's not a bad book but i'm not in the right mood for it and before i finish reading the book and give it a bad review i’ll stop and start at another time.

Kaitlyn Davis spins us a fantasy retelling of Tristan and Isolde featuring avian characters in a world that would appeal to fans of the Grishaverse and Sarah J. Maas.

We are plunged into a world divided into seven floating kingdoms, each ruled by a race of avians, and a water world below the mist populated by humans on floating cities. The seven kingdoms have been at peace ever since they rose into the sky whilst the world below fights a chronic war.

The avians populating the floating isles attribute their fortune to a pantheon of gods said to have raised the kingdoms from the earth into the sky as a means of saving their people from a vengeful god below. As a reward for their devotion, the people are gifted with wings upon their birth. Magic is said to be reserved for the gods and anyone found to posses magic is swiftly sacrificed.

Back on earth, humans are confined to massive ship-cities, fighting dragons said to be sent by the wrathful fire god. They largely live in darkness thanks to the shadows cast by the floating isles. Magic wielders are revered members of society down here. Magic is the best defense the people below have against a brutal environment.

Lyana, dove princess of the House of Peace, yearns for adventure but is bound by her duties to her people. This doesn't stop her from slipping away at any given opportunity to explore her world and marvel at its beauty. She knows what she wants and she fights hard to get it. She possesses forbidden magic, a secret only shared with her loyal friend Cassi, yet risks her life to save a stranger.
Lyana was my favourite character. She was well fleshed-out and her child-like wonder and desire to explore her world is a refreshing take on a heroine. She is able to love her world while accepting that there are flaws, and leading the best life she can. Gone are the days where broody heroines dominated the pages!

Rafe is your typical dark and surly love interest. There's not much going on with his character to differentiate him from other fantasy love interests. As the bastard son of a dead king and the sole survivor of the event that killed his parents, he is distrusted by his kingdom. His only friend is his half-brother. Together, they protect the secret of Rafe's magic lest he be beheaded as a heretic.
Even though we have chapters that follow Rafe and give us a peek into his psyche, I don't feel like I ever really got to know him. We get his backstory and it explains some of his motives, but other than that his personality was "surly love interest that FMC is inexplicably infatuated with".

Cassi is Lyana's closest friend. She's an orphaned owl in a world of doves. Loyal to a fault and busy catering to the whims of those she sees as her leaders, she doesn't have much time to spend on herself.
Cassi was meant to be a deep and complex character with an angsty backstory, but it just turned out flat. There was a lot of telling and not enough showing. She's also more of a vessel for us to see what's going on in the lives of side-characters than a fully fleshed-out character herself. I really think that removing her chapters completely would have made the twists at the end mote shocking.

Xander is the raven crown prince of the House of Whispers. He's a lover, not a fighter. Being born without his right hand allowed him to spend his life in the pursuit of knowledge rather than honing his fighting skills. He loves his people and embraces his role as the future ruler of his kingdom.
Xander's disability wasn't made his whole personality but it did play an important role in his character development. He's very sweet and by far the character I identify with the most. I'm very excited to see where his character goes.

I'm eager to see where Davis takes this story. There's a massive world filled with well-established cultures to explore. I'm particularly intrigued by Malek, the king below. We don't know him very well and it's difficult to discern his precise motives. In this first installment we've only gotten to know him through the eyes of one of his devoted followers suggesting that all the information we have on him is heavily biased.

I really hope we see the development of Cassi and Rafe's characters in future installments. As of now their chapters just feel like filler content unfortunately.

I just wanted to point out that the winged people are not angels and there doesn't seem to be any Christian themes in the story. He author explicitly describes them as "avians" and never once as angels. I'm not an expert on religion, so I may be wrong, but I wasn't getting any preachy vibes.

Great first book in the series in a re-telling of Tristan & Isolde. The first half of the book concentrates on world building and Lyana's journey of the Royal match trials. This book contains forbidden magic, dragons, floating worlds, unknown worlds and mysterious mist. I feel like it's a lot to take in and would recommend reading the book either first or alongside listening to the audio book as I found I repeated a lot just to understand the world building.
Overall, a great start and skilful writing especially given the complex world building and morally grey characters. I just wish I knew about cliff hanger endings!