“The Raven and the Dove is an epic fantasy adventure that is truly meant for the reader who wants to live within the pages of a book.”

Review by Rayleigh Setser

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.

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!

Release Date: 3/9/2020

Genre: Young Adult | Fantasy Romance

Pages: 512

I received this audiobook for free from the author via NetGalley. All comments and opinions are entirely my own and this review is voluntary.

“If anyone could bring color to a house of black, it was she."

The Raven and the Dove is an epic adventure that is truly meant for the reader who wants to live within the pages of a book. I listened to this audiobook over the course of two and half months, enjoying and savoring absolutely everything about it. It's a longer book than what is normal for YA (at 500+ pages) but I wouldn't want a single page taken out. It's an EPIC, HIGH fantasy novel, so expect intricate world building, thoughtful conversations between characters, many parts in the plot, and just, basically, a whole new world meant for exploration.

When I read fantasy, I love the details and this book was, without a doubt, full of details. The writing brought me into the pages and I can vividly describe to you every scene. Every tender moment and every time I felt my heart shatter. There are four points of view, and again, I wouldn't change it. I loved Lyana, Rafe, Xander, and Cassi. Their constant determination to chase their dreams and do what they believed was right, even though there were bigger things happening around them, was inspiring and so, so relatable. Each of their personalities were different and fun to read about, while also providing us with parts of the story that were literally unique to only them. 

Other things I'd like to mention are tropes. Now, I'm not a fan (in general) of the love triangle trope because it often encourages or allows cheating and lies in romance, and as a rule, I don't believe a healthy romance can be built around such characteristics, so I typically avoid that trope altogether. However, this love triangle makes painful sense and I cannot tell you how many times I would pause the book and just look at the cover and whisper, "Oh my gosh, I'm so proud of you guys", because as teenagers in this situation, I was impressed by how they handled everything. Granted, they also made mistakes and more than paid for those with their consequences, but as a whole, I can say that this trope was as well done as you could expect from such a messy situation and with teenagers as the characters. I loved it.

Cliffhangers. If you don't like cliffhangers, buy the entire series first, because this one will rip your heart from your chest and fling it OVER the cliff. Literally (if you've read the book, you understand my trauma). I couldn't breathe through the last 5 chapters. I don't think I'll ever recover. It's fine.

Overall, I cannot wait to continue this series and highly recommend it to fans of high fantasy. 

Content Ratings:

7. Very strong action/gore (gore is described to the reader with the intention of producing a mental image).

4. A bit more moderate content (fade to black / no on-page sex).

4. Frequent mild cursing.

Other Trigger/Content Notices:

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