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platzapus's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
If you like hearing people’s drama , soap operas, telenovellas, or anything like them I think you’ll like this book.
I don’t want to say too much, but there are kingdoms of bird people (the doves, the ravens, the owls, etc) and there’s trials that the princes and princesses compete in to get to pick who they marry.
Twists happen and drama ensues. I’m wanting to read the next books to see where this all goes.
I don’t want to say too much, but there are kingdoms of bird people (the doves, the ravens, the owls, etc) and there’s trials that the princes and princesses compete in to get to pick who they marry.
Twists happen and drama ensues. I’m wanting to read the next books to see where this all goes.
sndmaldo's review against another edition
5.0
I saw this being recommended to fans of Sarah J Maas and decided to give it a go without expecting much. Man, was I wrong.
I wasn’t ready for such a complex, fast-paced, character-driven work of art.
I’m OBSESSED!
I loved every single POV, every conflict, tangled relationship, unexpected development... I can’t praise this enough. How this isn’t more popular is beyond me.
One thing I absolutely loved were the “villains” in this book. And I’m using quotation marks because rationally I understand they are evil mf but my heart is screaming “my babies!!” So there’s that. Kudos for crafting such complex, relatable Bad Guys. I couldn’t be more in love.
I’m still weeping over Rafe. In general. And specially about his last scenes in the book. I’m DYING to know what happens to him next.
Not to be dramatic or anything, but I’ll never be happy again if Rafe doesn’t get his [redacted] back.
This book gifted me with an incredible main female character.
I loved how Lyana knew what she wanted and fought for it no matter what, without shame or any self doubt. I’m looking at you, trial’s closing ceremony. Talk about badass! She knew what (who) she wanted and she said, fuck it I’mma getting myself that boi. Mad respect.
Rafe and Lyana are my new addiction. The tension between them, the longing... THE ANGST! Oh man, their will-they-wont-they dynamic was everything I ask for in life.
I loved that they finally gave in to their emotions and attraction but I think I’d have loved it even more if they had waited. Only because I’m a gluttony for angst.
My only complain was the use of the miscommunication trope between them and Xander. Things would’ve been so much more easier if any of the three had used their words. It was just silly. But I’m willing to ignore the silliness in favor of everything else. Fingers crossed things change in the next book.
I loved the relationship between Xander and Rafe. Brothers with the world literally against the idea of them loving each other, unable to not care for one another. It was the perfect mix of adoration and resentment that creates such a captivating dynamic. I need them to get things fixed in next books or I’ll cry.
I wasn’t expecting to care about Xander as much as I ended up doing. He was so wholesome and pure and giving, it was impossible not to love him.
I’m torn in half when it comes to Cassi. Because WHAT SHE DID, but also MY BABY DESERVES A REDEMPTION ARC! I actually loved her immensely and found her character to be one of the most complex and interesting to explore in future books.
And now I have to wait two months to read the next book and I can’t stop thinking about that ending... that last scene... and I’m like
You know a book is good when you are feeling so many emotions you no longer can create coherent thoughts lol
I wasn’t ready for such a complex, fast-paced, character-driven work of art.
I’m OBSESSED!
I loved every single POV, every conflict, tangled relationship, unexpected development... I can’t praise this enough. How this isn’t more popular is beyond me.
One thing I absolutely loved were the “villains” in this book. And I’m using quotation marks because rationally I understand they are evil mf but my heart is screaming “my babies!!” So there’s that. Kudos for crafting such complex, relatable Bad Guys. I couldn’t be more in love.
I’m still weeping over Rafe. In general. And specially about his last scenes in the book. I’m DYING to know what happens to him next.
Not to be dramatic or anything, but I’ll never be happy again if Rafe doesn’t get his [redacted] back.
This book gifted me with an incredible main female character.
I loved how Lyana knew what she wanted and fought for it no matter what, without shame or any self doubt. I’m looking at you, trial’s closing ceremony. Talk about badass! She knew what (who) she wanted and she said, fuck it I’mma getting myself that boi. Mad respect.
Rafe and Lyana are my new addiction. The tension between them, the longing... THE ANGST! Oh man, their will-they-wont-they dynamic was everything I ask for in life.
I loved that they finally gave in to their emotions and attraction but I think I’d have loved it even more if they had waited. Only because I’m a gluttony for angst.
My only complain was the use of the miscommunication trope between them and Xander. Things would’ve been so much more easier if any of the three had used their words. It was just silly. But I’m willing to ignore the silliness in favor of everything else. Fingers crossed things change in the next book.
I loved the relationship between Xander and Rafe. Brothers with the world literally against the idea of them loving each other, unable to not care for one another. It was the perfect mix of adoration and resentment that creates such a captivating dynamic. I need them to get things fixed in next books or I’ll cry.
I wasn’t expecting to care about Xander as much as I ended up doing. He was so wholesome and pure and giving, it was impossible not to love him.
I’m torn in half when it comes to Cassi. Because WHAT SHE DID, but also MY BABY DESERVES A REDEMPTION ARC! I actually loved her immensely and found her character to be one of the most complex and interesting to explore in future books.
And now I have to wait two months to read the next book and I can’t stop thinking about that ending... that last scene... and I’m like
You know a book is good when you are feeling so many emotions you no longer can create coherent thoughts lol
dean_reviews's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Oh wow, I honestly am unsure what else to say. I loved listening to The Raven and the Dove this week.
Content Warnings for this book:
Blood, Fire, Fire Injury, Injury/Injury Detail, Gore, Panic Attacks, Child Death, Death, Self Harm, Death of a Parent
I have been seeking out books either written by people of color or books about main characters who are people of color. Having Lyana be black and not just passively was so freaking amazing to read. I can imagine that the representation is important to those who also have her features.
Her skin tone wasn't a passing feature, it was talked about in a variety of ways and her hair was mentioned often. There were ways that the author made the differences of her race in personal care to the pasty white people a reality. The descriptions of her hair and the care it takes. These are things we rarely see in fantasy media outside of things written by black authors and it was so amazing to see.
I soooo hope that black readers resonate with her character and the aspects that get brought into the book.
The representation of disability was also amazing. To see that it has an impact on his life while also learning to trust that others will not think less of him for his disability. To me, it seemed like he was very aware of where his limits were and in an attempt to do the best for his people that he could, he makes choices that are a direct result of his disability and the limits that it puts on him in regards to other peoples expectations of him.
While he might not think it limits him, there are some things that just are accessible to him. Which to me, speaks more about a world that is not accessible instead of a person that is incapable. Do I think he would have needed a stand-in if they had let it be known to the world and they had accommodated his disability? No... do I see that this a way to speak on the social and structured/environmental aspects of disability.
And this was on TOP OF the world building that was gorgeous! The information we needed to know didn't feel forced onto us, instead given to us in ways that felt natural and pertinent at the time. Letting us fill in the gaps where needed and providing us with the tools to understand what is going on both on the floating islands and on the surface below the mist.
It drew me in and makes me want to know how the world got to where it is. What happened? What is changing? How will our characters play a role in the potential changes that could happen?
I loved that she was a female main character who could 1000% hold her own but wasn't a typical bad-ass young woman. She has fears and faults that impact her and more depth to her than just her skill.
Getting to see the perspectives of Rafe, Xander, and Cassie made for a book with a lot of depth and complexity that drew me in so fast. They all *feel* young in their actions which is something that I think is so important to a book about young adults in their late teens. They can know what the right choice is but still make the dumb one because it is what their impulse tells them to do. And then they have to figure out how to navigate the fallout of those choices.
The magic system.... oh gosh... the magic system. I am so curious!!!! There is a VERY high chance that I will be reading the next book in July in order to get my answers to how this system works! We learn so much in this book and it is described so well while also leaving us wanting to understand more.
That is on top of the fact that Davis did an amazing job of getting me invested in the well-being of these characters. I want to know what happens next and I want to know how they handle the situations that they have found themselves in.
I read this book with my ears and I never really struggled with understanding and following a change in perspective. The characters all have a different flow and feel to their portions of the story so I was able to quickly adapt and get my mind wrapped around the person's mind that we had switched to.
I personally love multiple-perspective books and am always concerned that it will get lost in the audio but that was not the case with this book.
***I was provided a copy of this book via NetGalley. This review is my honest opinion and thoughts about what I read.***
Content Warnings for this book:
I have been seeking out books either written by people of color or books about main characters who are people of color. Having Lyana be black and not just passively was so freaking amazing to read. I can imagine that the representation is important to those who also have her features.
Her skin tone wasn't a passing feature, it was talked about in a variety of ways and her hair was mentioned often. There were ways that the author made the differences of her race in personal care to the pasty white people a reality. The descriptions of her hair and the care it takes. These are things we rarely see in fantasy media outside of things written by black authors and it was so amazing to see.
I soooo hope that black readers resonate with her character and the aspects that get brought into the book.
The representation of disability was also amazing. To see that it has an impact on his life while also learning to trust that others will not think less of him for his disability. To me, it seemed like he was very aware of where his limits were and in an attempt to do the best for his people that he could, he makes choices that are a direct result of his disability and the limits that it puts on him in regards to other peoples expectations of him.
While he might not think it limits him, there are some things that just are accessible to him. Which to me, speaks more about a world that is not accessible instead of a person that is incapable. Do I think he would have needed a stand-in if they had let it be known to the world and they had accommodated his disability? No... do I see that this a way to speak on the social and structured/environmental aspects of disability.
And this was on TOP OF the world building that was gorgeous! The information we needed to know didn't feel forced onto us, instead given to us in ways that felt natural and pertinent at the time. Letting us fill in the gaps where needed and providing us with the tools to understand what is going on both on the floating islands and on the surface below the mist.
It drew me in and makes me want to know how the world got to where it is. What happened? What is changing? How will our characters play a role in the potential changes that could happen?
I loved that she was a female main character who could 1000% hold her own but wasn't a typical bad-ass young woman. She has fears and faults that impact her and more depth to her than just her skill.
Getting to see the perspectives of Rafe, Xander, and Cassie made for a book with a lot of depth and complexity that drew me in so fast. They all *feel* young in their actions which is something that I think is so important to a book about young adults in their late teens. They can know what the right choice is but still make the dumb one because it is what their impulse tells them to do. And then they have to figure out how to navigate the fallout of those choices.
The magic system.... oh gosh... the magic system. I am so curious!!!! There is a VERY high chance that I will be reading the next book in July in order to get my answers to how this system works! We learn so much in this book and it is described so well while also leaving us wanting to understand more.
That is on top of the fact that Davis did an amazing job of getting me invested in the well-being of these characters. I want to know what happens next and I want to know how they handle the situations that they have found themselves in.
I read this book with my ears and I never really struggled with understanding and following a change in perspective. The characters all have a different flow and feel to their portions of the story so I was able to quickly adapt and get my mind wrapped around the person's mind that we had switched to.
I personally love multiple-perspective books and am always concerned that it will get lost in the audio but that was not the case with this book.
***I was provided a copy of this book via NetGalley. This review is my honest opinion and thoughts about what I read.***
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Blood, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Child death, and Body horror
Moderate: Classism, Grief, Infidelity, Medical content, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Torture
amobrien's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I was fascinated by the world and magic within this avian-inspired fantasy! I don't love the characters - the relationships felt rushed, which made them hard for me to fully believe. Because of that, the conflicts that came up felt more annoying than anything else. I could definitely see myself returning to this series though because the world-building was great. And can we just take a minute to appreciate the art on the cover?
Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.
Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.
menollyruth's review against another edition
4.0
I was absolutely enthralled by this world. The wings, the different tribes, the religious undertones, the magic, I loved every little piece I was given of the world building. In fact I wanted there to be more of it. I also loved our characters. I loved the diversity in the characters and different tribes. Lyanna was fun and quirky and I enjoyed her so much. I also loved how principled Rafe was and how much he was obviously warring with himself over liking Lyanna. I also really enjoyed Lysander. He and Lyanna were so obviously wrong for each other but they were trying so hard, and I felt so bad for him, especially because he was so self-conscious about his disability. Honestly my least favorite part of this book was Cassie and her storyline. I felt like it lost a lot of tension with the early reveal, I really hated the confusing ending, which kind of came out of nowhere (specifically in terms of Rafe and Lysander's fates) and I honestly didn't know how to feel about Cassie for the entire book. An ending really makes or breaks a book for me, and this one wasn't my favorite. I am interested to see where it goes, however.
readingcaffeinated's review against another edition
4.0
Absolutely ADORED this read!
It was everything I hoped for and more from an aviary inspired novel.
Check out my full review here https://readingcaffienated.com/?p=1109
It was everything I hoped for and more from an aviary inspired novel.
Check out my full review here https://readingcaffienated.com/?p=1109
readingcaffeinated's review against another edition
4.0
I've always wondered what life with wings would be like. To live in the clouds, free as a bird. This book encaptured my dreams so vividly, I absolutely felt like I lived there.
Fall in love with sulking bastards, over enthusiastic princesses hungry for adventure and a best friend with a crazy secret. Davis creates colorful characters that will leave you hungering for more story, more adventure and more romance. This book has everything - star crossed lovers, epic dragon battles and mystery kings with hidden agendas. Go on this epic journey with these unforgettable characters.
The writing captures from page one. I blazed through this book and will definitely be rereading this a few times. Colorful and descriptive language use will help submerge yourself in this story wholeheartedly. This unique narrative will find its place among the must reads for 2020 quickly.
Full review on my blog https://readingcaffienated.com/?p=1109
Fall in love with sulking bastards, over enthusiastic princesses hungry for adventure and a best friend with a crazy secret. Davis creates colorful characters that will leave you hungering for more story, more adventure and more romance. This book has everything - star crossed lovers, epic dragon battles and mystery kings with hidden agendas. Go on this epic journey with these unforgettable characters.
The writing captures from page one. I blazed through this book and will definitely be rereading this a few times. Colorful and descriptive language use will help submerge yourself in this story wholeheartedly. This unique narrative will find its place among the must reads for 2020 quickly.
Full review on my blog https://readingcaffienated.com/?p=1109
milkteajeon's review against another edition
77% as of 04/04/20: long story short i haven’t touched this in 8 months and it’s definitely way past time to take it off my currently-reading shelf. i was so excited for this book so i don’t know why i never managed to finish it but here are some notes from when i was reading it:
- ngl the way lyana had her sigh set on rafe and the way he could absolutely nothing about it is just precious
-
- ngl the way lyana had her sigh set on rafe and the way he could absolutely nothing about it is just precious
-
Spoiler
i cannot stand cassi. i get that her actions are a result of her loyalty to her cause but it’s difficult to remember that when you spend most of the book not knowing what this cause is while simultaneously witnessing her break the trust of her closest friend time and time againaya_neela's review against another edition
3.0
This was such an interesting story!
I really enjoyed the setting and the world. I had to suspend my disbelief a couple of times with the way the politics and magic worked but it was honestly very creative.
I think my one of my biggest gripes was the characters of Lyana and Rafe. I could not get on board with their insta-love because there weren’t enough quiet moments between the two to fully enrich their love story.
Which made the betrayal even worse to stomach at the end because I just did not buy the relationship at all.
That is not to justify the cheating but empathy towards their situation by giving their relationship more substance was needed.
I kept thinking to myself “wow, you are both disgusting and incredibly selfish.”
Which brings me to Lyana.
I will commend the author for writing an unconventional fairytale princess. Lyana is solely driven by passion and curiosity as well as her wants and needs.
For the most part, although annoying, I could get behind her actions. In fact her bratty nature paired with her age made sense.
But the way she would whine and panic after she would do something dumb (ie: losing her fiance’s ring in her lover’s bedroom) I honestly could not stand her nonsense.
Also as much as I adored Xander, everything that happened could have been resolved had he been honest from the beginning.
Honestly….you send your brother to woo a mate for you and one liked him therefore she wants to be with him. WHAT DID YOU EXPECT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN?!
And Cassie…oh my goodness Cassie what have you done.
What does it say about me that I still liked her more than Lyana.
Really cool concepts we explored in this and I am looking forward to the next installment.
cozy_faerie's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It was more violent than I was expecting and maybe that has to do with the fact that I was invested in these characters. But it was cool to see the world building and how each kingdom interacted with each other.