*I received this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions, ideas, and comments are my own.

I really enjoyed this fast-paced fantasy novel! The world concept is nothing I've ever read before and I really enjoyed every single bit of it. I was not expecting to like this book, but I was blown away at how much I enjoyed it.

Character:
Was there a character in this book I didn't like? There was one. The king below the mist. Without giving too much away he thinks he's doing the right thing, but he doesn't go about doing it in a very good way. What he does at the end of the book made me upset. Other than this king all the other characters were extremely likable. Even the overbearing mother of the raven prince. It was very easy to see bits of myself in each of them and that's what made me like them so much. Yes, they have wings, but I could relate to every single one of them.

World:
I have never read a book like this before. The concept of floating isles where the inhabitants fuse with birds is something else. It's an entirely original idea and I'm here for it.

Plot:
I wasn't sure entirely where the plot was going the whole time, but I try to read books without guessing the plot. I love letting the author lead me on the journey and experience everything at the same moment the character does. That being said, some of it was predictable for me, but not much. Much of the plot is disclosed throughout the book but the details are left out which makes it easy to read.

Writing Style:
I really enjoyed Kaitlyn's writing style. I loved all the life she gave the characters. It was so refreshing.

Enjoyment:
I enjoyed this book immensely and I can't wait for the next book in the series. I definitely recommend this book.

Rating:
I gave this book a 4.4/5 star rating based on my personal rating scale. ( )

A new take on Tristan & Isolde (Iseult)



Initially, I adored the concept behind this book, and the mating trials gave it an interesting spin that wasn’t so much sexist as the original, “I’m going to win the woman for the bride,” premise. So, I thoroughly enjoy that the world is not quite as female-oppressive as the original tale.

I adore how the choice in mate is made–even though it doesn’t work out great for the characters in whole.

The villain/anti-hero in this tale took a larger role than I was anticipating. I liked Cassie, but I’m a little reserved on the full arc because it extends beyond this book.

The love-story side of this fell apart in the middle, but I liked how it started coming back together through the healing powers Lyanna and Rafe are beginning to better understand. When it began to sag, I almost dropped my rating to 3*, but the excitement of the twist at the end brought it back up to 4.

Yes, this is a cliffhanger, but it’s also a good place to break into the next book. Since this one is already 502 pages, that’s probably good.

I, unfortunately, have other books in the way before I can complete this story, but I do look forward to the next in series.

Read my full ratings & review here: https://susanstradiotto.com/the-raven-and-the-dove/ ( )

This wonderfully complex world featuring different birds (humans with wings) was beautifully detailed and reminded me of Sarah J Maas in the different houses and beautiful descriptions. It’s time for the young princes and princess of the kingdoms to be matched and mated, for the first-borns to get to stay in their kingdoms and choose partners from other kingdoms, and for the second- and third-borns to be picked and leave home forever.

This tale follows the story of several young royals, a second-born princess with a rebellious streak and a secret, dangerous gift. A first-born son who loves someone he shouldn’t. A spy. A king with two sons—one who is legitimate and has a disability his people might see as a weakness, the other illegitimate and unable to claim the throne. It’s a delightfully twisty setup, and as everyone comes together for the matching, and things get complicated by dragons (because, of course), things get even more fun! I was completely entranced by this book, the forbidden love story, loved the complicated arcs of so many characters. I reached the end and was so glad there would be a book two!

Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.
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I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

I cannot stop thinking about this book! Once I reached certain point, there was no stopping. I had to know how this story would end, and if my lovebirds would be okay. I have no idea how similar this book is to Tristan and Isolde, because for the life of me, I cannot remember that tale. I'm sure I could Google it, but what's the point? The Raven and the Dove was better than it could ever hope to be! (No offense to Tristan and Isolde fans, I just really loved this book!) ;)

My one teeny, tiny complaint would be the cliffhanger. I knew it was coming, I braced for it to happen, but I still felt frustrated when the story concluded. I wanted to know how people felt, what they were thinking, what might potentially happen in the next book! Instead we're left with a lot of questions and only promised answers. Our main characters are left in less-than-stellar situations, and my heart is still breaking for them. Why do authors have to be so cruel to their creations??

The Raven and the Dove was an intense read! I understood why people did bad things, and even felt like I would do something similar in their situations. I didn't know how to separate my feelings of love, hate and sympathy, since all three could be applied equally. They're flawed characters, and they're struggling with problems only the reader knows about. They don't always make the best decisions, but that just made me like them more. Did I wish they'd done things differently? Sure. However, I felt like this story was told in exactly the right way. I'm emotional, conflicted, in love with fictional winged people, and so ready for the next installment in this series. I'm willing to (mostly) overlook the cliffhanger, because it was a really good one. It answered enough to leave me feeling mollified, but not enough to completely satisfy.

There were a lot of unexpected twists and turns that kept me on my toes, and my mind eager for more information. I really enjoyed experiencing the world Davis created, and I look forward to revisiting it in the future. I'm also a sucker for prophesies, and love seeing how they play out over time! The prophesies always happen, but rarely in the way I think they will (similar to Percy Jackson and the Olympians and Gregor the Overlander).

Have I convinced you yet? No?

1. There's magic that has solid, believable rules. It's applied in ways both foreign and familiar.
2. There are people with wings and birdlike mannerisms that follow traditions so old, no one can remember why they're done. Although, the trials and ceremonies were beautifully rendered.
3. There's a mysterious mist that layers the land below (no one knows what's down there), and dragons rise from its depths. They spew flames and leave chaos in their wake.
4. There are ancient gods, even older wars, and relationships more complicated than a Rubik's Cube.

Now you're dying to read it, right?? If you enjoy fantasies or retellings (or just really great books), The Raven and the Dove is definitely worth checking out! (★★★★⋆)

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