Magically Vivid and Romantic | Blog Tour + Review: The Raven and the Dove by Kaitlyn Davis

6:30 AM

The Raven and the Dove is more than just a beautiful cover. It's a beautiful read. It's incredibly magical. And it's a definite can't-miss.


The Raven and the Dove (The Raven and the Dove #1)

by Kaitlyn Davis
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Release Date: March 9th 2020
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Retellings
 photo addtogoodreadssmall_zpsa2a6cf28.png

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!

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!
  • Magically infused
  • Retelling
  • Diverse
  • Swoon-worthy
  • Excellent leads
  • Fate works in mysterious ways
  • Gorgeous cover
The Raven and the Dove by Kaitlyn Davis
Rating: ★★★★★         

As always, a copy of this book was provided by the authors in exchange for my honest review. This does not effect my opinion in any way. 

I'm sure approximately nobody is shocked that I positively adored The Raven and the Dove. But, I adored this book with every fiber of my being. It's continuing on with the fact that, so far, 2020's been consistently giving us so many fantastic YA fantasy novels. Kaitlyn Davis wows with this one. The Raven and the Dove is a completely engrossing tale that proves to be impossible to put down; I loved every page and cannot wait for the next installment.

When it comes to fantasy, in particular retellings, I'm very keen on many things. I like a specific kind of strength. A little angst. A lot of action. Some banter. A solid romance or connection of any kind. In many ways, The Raven and the Dove encompassed a lot of my favourite YA tropes. (In other ways, I felt a little underwhelmed, but nothing that made the novel less than enthralling.)

There is a lot of good to be noted in this beautifully crafted Tristan and Isolde retelling. Mostly, what readers need to know, is that this book is truly a blast. I had so much fun reading it and bounced around through emotions from start to finish. You don't need to know much about the original story it's re-imagining, but you might want to become acquainted with the general idea. The story, regardless, feels familiar and new all at once.

For me, this was a serious hit. The perfect start to a new and compelling series. It hooks you from the start, never loosens its hold, and leaves you on an achingly brutal "I need to know what happens next" end note. As I flipped through the pages, I felt that breathless type of exhilaration that doesn't always come about in books--so much was happening, the prose took on this addictive quality to it.

The Raven and the Dove's biggest strengths lay not merely in the romance, but in the characters themselves and the worldbuilding that Kaitlyn Davis ran with. I loved each of the characters. No, really. LITERALLY. All. Of. Them. I loved the settings. The magic. The world itself. Learning about it was like a dream.

And, most importantly, Davis writes each in a way that makes me devour it in seemingly no time at all. While the romance of The Raven and the Dove won't always work for its audience, the striking ways in which everything else is written in this story is its real pulse. Davis has a way with her words and it's so, so magical.

The Raven and the Dove is the type of book you start in the daylight and suddenly you've spent the whole day reading. It kind of reminded me of those YA novels of previous eras--it had that electricity to it that reminds you why we read to begin with. The Raven and the Dove is deliriously beautiful, intriguing and will surely attract a loyal fanbase.
"--he often found himself searching the gloomy expanse for one small crack, one tear in the cloudy folds, one glimpse of the sky. But it wasn't in search of the sun. It was in search of salvation. In search of her." 

"What did it look like?" 

"Fire and fury," she said, not sure how else to describe the dragon. "Like a star that had fallen from the sky and gained wings. When it roared, I swear the clouds trembled.

"The moment she had seen the silver glow of his unblemished skin, the second she had spotted the ring dangling from his neck, the instant she had met those impossibly deep eyes, she had known exactly what she was going to do. Because he already know her grave secret, which meant she would have nothing to hide She could be herself. And that was all she'd ever wanted in a mate--someone who saw the real girl beneath the princess and accepted her." 

"Sometimes her soul had wings. Sometimes she flew without them." 

"I'm going to let it go, he finished silently. I'm going to let you have this secret, because I know you wouldn't keep it from me if it wasn't important to you.

"Playing the heir means you don't have the privilege of a break." 

"How fast things can change. How, in the blink of an eye, someone you thought was your best friend can become a person you hardly recognize, can't even stand to look at or talk to. How fragile unbreakable bonds can truly be." 

"We're the casualties of a war we have no choice but to win."




Kaitlyn Davis, a bestselling author with over a quarter of a million books sold, writes young adult fantasy novels under the name Kaitlyn Davis and contemporary romance novels under the name Kay Marie. Publisher's Weekly has said, "Davis writes with confidence and poise," while USA Today has recommended her work as "must-read romance."

To learn more about her contemporary romance novels, visit her Goodreads author page for Kay Marie here: https://www.goodreads.com/Kay_Marie

Always blessed with an overactive imagination, Kaitlyn has been writing ever since she picked up her first crayon and is overjoyed to share her work with the world. When she's not daydreaming, typing stories, or getting lost in fictional worlds, Kaitlyn can be found playing fetch with her puppy, watching a little too much television, or spending time with her family. If you have any questions for her--about her books, about scheduling an event, or just in general--you may contact her at: KaitlynDavisBooks@gmail.com

Sign up for Kaitlyn's newsletter to stay up-to-date with all of her new releases and more! http://bit.ly/AuthorNewsletter

Blog Tour: 

March 9th


March 10th

NovelKnight - Guest Post
The.magicalpages - Review + Favourite Quotes
Colby Wilkens - Review
Bibliomedico - Review + Favourite Quotes
Lauren's Boookshelf - Review + Playlist

March 11th

biblioxytocin - Review + Favourite Quotes
Confessions of a YA Reader - Promotional Post
Ya It’s Lit - Review + Favourite Quotes
Hooked on Bookz - Review
Starlight Reads - Review + Favourite Quotes

March 12th

The Reading Life - Guest Post
Foals, Fiction & Filigree - Review + Favourite Quotes
Chanda Reads - Review
Booked J - Review + Playlist + Favourite Quotes
indelible ink inscribes - Review + Favourite Quotes

March 13th

L.M. Durand - Review
Phannie the ginger bookworm - Review + Favourite Quotes
Book Briefs - Review
The Shelf Life Chronicles - Review + Favourite Quotes
Annej Reads - Review + Favourite Quotes

March 14th

Bookish Looks - Guest Post
A Court of Coffee and Books - Review + Favourite Quotes
Your Words My Ink  - Review + Dream Cast
Morgan Vega - Review + Favourite Quotes
Sometimes Leelynn Reads - Review + Dream Cast + Playlist

March 15th

Kait Plus Books - Interview
Moonlight Rendezvous - Review + Favourite Quotes
Dazzled by Books - Review
The Reading Corner for All - Review + Playlist + Favourite Quotes
Instagram Tour:


Find me on Instagram and/or Twitter.

You Might Also Like

0 comments

Translate