The Raven and the Dove

 “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 in 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.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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