Princess Lyana Aethionus should be focused on winning a mate but her thoughts wander to the open sky and the edge of her floating kingdom. Adventure calls and when she heeds it she finds a raven prince locked in a death match with a dragon. A match that may just change the course of her future.
Rafe is reviled among his people but he will do anything for his half-brother including posing as him in the courtship trials. When they are attacked by a dragon he sacrifices himself to protect his brother. However, after a fatal blow, Rafe is saved by a dove who possesses the same forbidden magic.
In the world below a king fights a forgotten war and with help from a favored spy hidden in the dove royal house, he sets into motion a plan that will change the world. I received this book from NetGalley and all opinions are my own. The Raven and the Dove will be released on March 9, 2020.
I am left with a tumult of emotions after finishing this book. My emotions vary from anger to sadness to excitement. I cannot wait for the next book in the series which will sadly not be coming out for a while. This book took me on a phenomenal journey that will have a lasting imprint for months to come.
The characters were wonderful. Lyana, the main character was a princess fighting to leap outside the constraints of royalty. She longed for adventure and new places in a world that was set on placing her in a cage. Her character was relatable and I enjoyed how she fought to do something good with her magic despite the chance of discovery and death.
The other characters were just as excellently written. They made a diverse cast of characters with painful pasts. However, the love triangle was slightly annoying because it was in a partial state of existence and I was so angry and annoyed with Cassi. Cassi was Lyana’s best friend who spoiler alert, turned out to be a spy and willing to do anything for a savage king who wanted nothing but to fulfill a prophecy that I guarantee you has nothing to do with him. I am so angry with her because of what she did to Rafe. Also, has anyone noticed that Rafe is a popular prince name in ya novels?
The world-building was stunning. The author created a world where islands filled with flying people lived in the sky while war and chaos raged below an impenetrable mist. Dragons soaked the sky with the fires of their rage and magic that could heal and destroy swirled around the author’s creation. I loved it despite the lack of explanation of the magic and how everything fits together. I assume with time the author will build that up and eventually everything will fit together. I loved the world-building and find that it is unique.
I would recommend reading this book. The rest of the series is planned and comes out in 2020 through 2021 and I could not be more excited. I need to know what happens to the characters and how it all shakes out. And if you love ya fantasy this book is for you.
Write your Destiny 