ARC review – The Raven and the Dove by Kaitlyn Davis

Title: The Raven and the Dove

Author: Kaitlyn Davis

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Four fates collide in this avian-inspired, epic fantasy retelling of Tristan and Isolde perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Sabaa Tahir, and Leigh Bardugo!
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. Three shocking betrayals. Two star-crossed lovers. One unforgettable journey. If you like fierce heroines, brooding heroes, forbidden romance, and action-packed magical adventures with twists you’ll never see coming, don’t miss The Raven and the Dove!

Expected publication: March 9th 2020 by Amazon Digital Services LLC 

Rating: 4/ 5 stars

This is how you write a fairytale retelling ladies and gentlemen.

Raven and Dove is about star-crossed lovers, trials, courtship, brotherhood, fate, betrayal and A PROPHECY. If you are interested in all those themes you will be happily served with this book.

Plot In a land where crown princes and princesses from seven different houses have to be mated, the fate of Lyana Aethionus, crown princess collides with the fate of Lysander “Xander” Taethionus and his almost-identical bastard step-brother Rafe. However what is at stake is bigger than a simple love triangle….I liked the fact that the story stayed true to Tristan and Isolde while also being original. While all of these elements can seem a little overwhelming I can guarantee you that the plot was captivating and unique. I liked how there were several plot twists and betrayals and that the story is not only centered on Lyana but that there is a broader (and darker) picture with the prophecy and King Malek.

There’s also the fact that one of the character is disabled and I liked how that was treated in the story because the message is that your disability does not diminish you and it certainly does not define you.

Writing style I highly enjoyed the attention to details, whether it was in the world-building, descriptions or in the dialogues. They are what made the world-building well-developed and well-researched and mostly, believable. The story had a good pace and nothing felt rushed even though there were many elements to take in for the reader. I love how the theme of deceit is woven throughout the story and how the plot unfolds as an enigma with clues and foreshadowing distilled throughout the book.

The setting of this book was truly beautiful and I could almost see vividly the landscapes at times. The origins and history in the book were so clever and interesting; I loved that!

Characters I loved the multiple POVs; it was wonderfully done. I feel like we really heard each of the characters’s voice through their POV and what made them all stand out.  I have to say that Rafe’s POV was my favourite.

I liked how Lyana was headstrong and confident! She was not your typical princess and she was the perfect female main character.

The romance I liked how the author took subtle elements of Tristan and Isolde such as the star-crossed lovers trope and how well it fit the story. The courtship trials were very exciting to read about and I liked how fate came into play. I loved Lyana’s interaction with the two brothers and how we saw how different her relationship with both of them was.

Ending I am happy to observe that the book ended well enough and it made me want to read the second book ASAP!!

Overall review: this book was a breath of fresh air and I cannot wait for the world to read this gem! Honorable mention to the fact that Lyana is a dark-skinned character! That was so refreshing to read about. It was subtly hinted at, and changed nothing to the story but I really loved that.

I would like to thank Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book. 

I would like to let you know that the author is hosting a pre-order giveaway! (US-only, unfortunately…)

Everyone who pre-orders an ebook will receive an exclusive double-sided art print (one side with character art by Salome Totladze and the other with the world map). Everyone who orders a print edition (hardcover or paperback) will receive the same double-sided print, plus a bookmark and a signed book plate/sticker to attach to their copy!

More details about the pre-order give away can be found here: https://www.kaitlyndavisbooks.com/p/p…

Thank you for stopping by! Karla xx