Review: The Raven King - Maggie Stiefvater

For years, Gansey has been on a quest to find a lost king. One by one, he's drawn others into his mission: Ronan, who steals from dreams; Adam, whose life is no longer his own; Noah, whose life is no longer a life; and Blue, who loves Gansey . . . and is certain she is destined to kill him.

Nothing dead is to be trusted.

Now the endgame has begun.

Nothing living is safe.

Dreams and nightmares are converging. Love and loss are inseparable. And the quest refuses to be pinned to a path.

The Raven Cycle:
The Raven Boys
The Dream Thieves
Blue Lily, Lily Blue
The Raven King

Visit Maggie Stiefvater's website for more information

Review:
It's been a couple of weeks since I finished The Raven King and I'm still struggling to come up with the words to review it. If I had to sum it up in one word then I'd probably have to say forgettable. In fact it was so forgettable that I just had to skim the last 80 pages to try and remind myself how it ended. I loved the first two books in this series but have to admit that I was so disillusioned by Blue Lily, Lily Blue that it took me a year to get around to picking up this final instalment. I'm not sure if the length of time between books contributed to my lack of excitement or if it was just a case of this series and me not being compatible but it was hard work reading this book.

In my opinion there were too many new character POVs introduced in the last book and that continued into this one, we spend too much time finding out about all these minor characters who don't really have any important roll to play in the story and that gives us less time to spend with the characters I actually cared about. We get some brilliant Ronan and Adam moments but not enough of them. We see a little of Blue's family but nowhere near as much as I wanted to. And the romance between Blue and Gansey just kind of stalled out here, what happened to all the shy glances and hand holding and, you know, actual romance? If it was in here I must have missed it when I was busy skimming past all the boring bits about Mr Gray and Piper and Laumonier and Henry and Seondeok and however many others I've forgotten about. Even at the end when we could have got a nice, emotional moment with them theres a third wheel sharing their page time.

I don't think this was a terrible book but I honestly don't think this series lived up to its potential. I do seem to be in the minority again though because most of my friends loved this book so take my opinion with a pinch of salt and don't let me put you off reading it for yourself.

Source: Purchased

Other reviews of this book:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Review: Blue Lily, Lily Blue - Maggie Stiefvater

For the first time in her life, Blue Sargent has found a place where she feels at home. The Raven Boys have taken her in as one of their own and she is sure that this is where she belongs.

But certainties can unravel.

Visions can mislead.

And friends can betray.

The trick with found things is how easily they can be lost . . .

The Raven Cycle:
The Raven Boys
The Dream Thieves
Blue Lily, Lily Blue
The Raven King

Visit Maggie Stiefvater's website for more information

Review:
After loving the first two books in this series I had very high hopes for Blue Lily, Lily Blue and I'm afraid it just didn't live up to them. There is no doubting that Maggie Stiefvater is a wonderful writer, she has a beautiful style and her stories are always captivating but this book just didn't grip me as much as the previous two. In fact, I'd have to say I was bored for the majority of it and it was one of those books that was very easy to put down even part way through a chapter and then I pretty much had to talk myself into picking it back up again. That's something I NEVER expected to be able to say about a book written by Maggie. I do seem to be in the minority on this one though, nearly all of my friends rated it 5 stars and I'm still really looking forward to seeing how everything ties together in The Raven King so don't let me put you off trying this for yourself if you enjoyed the first two books.

There were certainly some brilliant moments scattered into the story, I absolutely adored Gansey and Blue's relationship for one thing, they are just so incredibly sweet together and I love the sly little touches and looks they give each other when nobody is watching. I also really enjoy the friendship between Ronan and Adam. The women of Blue's family always steal every scene they appear in but I definitely found myself missing Maura in this instalment, she's always been Blue's anchor and now Blue is lost and adrift without her which was sad to see. The Gray Man is a character who continues to surprise me and I love the way he looks out for Blue and the others while Maura can't.

Unfortunately I think the story focused on too many new plot threads and lost track of some of the things I'm invested in, I wanted to see more of Noah, more Ronan (especially more of him with his brothers - I STILL don't get why he has such a problem with Declan!) and more of Adam too. Adam actually started making great progress in trying to figure out the balance between accepting help from friends versus feeling like he's a charity case and there was a brilliant scene between him and his father but it just kind of fizzed out and went nowhere. They went to the effort of bringing Gansey's mentor over from England but then he seemed to have absolutely nothing helpful to add to the story, really he could have achieved everything he did via telephone conversations and I didn't see the point of them dragging him around on the hunt for Glendower with them.

There were a lot of new characters, some of whom I didn't feel had much to add to the story and others who may have more important roles to play in book 4. I actually feel like a lot of the things that didn't make much sense or felt just like filler in this book will probably all become so much more clear when I pick up The Raven King, I trust that Maggie Stiefvater has a plan and I'm sure I'll end up being blown away by her clever plotting but at this point in time I feel really indifferent to Blue Lily, Lily Blue. It could have been a brilliant book but it was just okay and that's not what I expect from this author.

Source: Purchased

Other reviews of this book:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Review: The Dream Thieves - Maggie Stiefvater

The second installment in the all-new series from the masterful, #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater!

Now that the ley lines around Cabeswater have been woken, nothing for Ronan, Gansey, Blue, and Adam will be the same. Ronan, for one, is falling more and more deeply into his dreams, and his dreams are intruding more and more into waking life. Meanwhile, some very sinister people are looking for some of the same pieces of the Cabeswater puzzle that Gansey is after . . .

The Raven Cycle:
The Raven Boys
The Dream Thieves
Blue Lily, Lily Blue
The Raven King

Visit Maggie Stiefvater's website for more information

Review:
I loved The Raven Boys so I was really looking forward to reading this book, all my friends seem to have enjoyed this one even more so I had very high expectations going in and unfortunately The Dream Thieves just didn't quite live up to them. Not to say this isn't a good book but, for me, it just didn't quite reach the heights I've come to expect from Maggie Stiefvater. It's beautifully written but I found the first half (or two thirds if I'm being really honest) were very slow, when I put the book down I felt very little impulse to pick it back up and in fact I went away and read at least 2 other books when I should have been focusing on this one. That final third of the story makes up for the slow beginning though, when the pace picks up the story starts getting REALLY exciting and I was left feeling desperate to make a start on Blue Lily, Lily Blue.

I said before that The Raven Boys was a very character driven novel and that is definitely the case here too so I'm not quite sure why it didn't work as well for me this time around. I loved getting to find out so much more about Ronan and his background, he is definitely the focus of the story and I really enjoyed learning about the dream world he visits and the way he is able to bring items back with him when he wakes up. I also enjoyed the interactions between Ronan and his younger brother Matthew but I was really hoping to get to the bottom of the resentment between him and his older brother Declan, hopefully we'll find that out in a later book because it's quite frustrating at the moment. Ronan is still holding onto a lot of anger towards his father but we do get to see a sweeter, more caring side to him occasionally which was really nice.

I liked Adam in the first book but I'll admit he got on my nerves for a lot of this one, he does make some important changes towards the end but for a lot of the story he is just so angry and bitter towards his friends and there were a few moments that I worried he might actually harm Blue or one of the others. I'm glad he seems to be turning things around now but he's kind of lost me a little for now and it's going to take him a while to redeem himself fully. Noah has a much smaller role in this story but he is incredibly insightful when we do see him and there was a moment between him and Blue that completely broke my heart because it was so beautiful.

It's hard to know what to say about Gansey, he's just obsessed with his goal of finding Cabeswater as ever and with the power of the ley line fluctuating drastically that is becoming more challenging. I really love the sweet romance that is starting to develop between him and Blue, something all the more bittersweet because she knows that she can't kiss her true love or he'll die. Blue is probably my favourite character though, I love that she's not afraid to be herself, she knows that she's different but has no inclination to try and mould her personality to fit in with those around her. I think her upbringing has a huge amount to do with that and I just love all of the women of 300 Fox Way. The relationship between Blue and her mother is brilliant and they're such close friends as well as mother and daughter which reminds me a lot of my relationship with my own mum (although my mum isn't a psychic LOL).

The women of this series definitely steal the show, there is always some amusement to be had when you visit Blue's family and I love the way they're constantly testing each other's abilities and surprising visitors with their insider knowledge. It's just so nice to read about a houseful of women who are all living together, supporting each other and actually acting like friends. In too many stories they put a bunch of girls together just to watch them rip each other apart so I'm all about the sisterhood in these books. Another wonderful addition to the story was the Gray Man, I honestly wasn't sure what to expect from him at first, especially since he introduces himself as a hit man, but I loved his interactions with Blue and her family and I hope we see a lot more of him in the next two books.

It's really hard to rate this story because although it wasn't my favourite book by Maggie Stiefvater even on a bad day her writing far outshines many other authors. There is certainly something captivating about these characters and I love that she's come up with such a unique concept for the series. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing where these friends go from this point forwards and I have very high hopes that this series will become a firm favourite.

Source: Purchased

Other reviews of this book:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Review: The Raven Boys - Maggie Stiefvater

Blue has spent the majority of her sixteen years being told that if she kisses her true love, he will die. When Blue meets Gansey’s spirit on the corpse road she knows there is only one reason why – either he is her true love or she has killed him.

Determined to find out the truth, Blue becomes involved with the Raven Boys, four boys from the local private school (lead by Gansey) who are on a quest to discover Glendower – a lost ancient Welsh King who is buried somewhere along the Virginia ley line. Whoever finds him will be granted a supernatural favour.

Never before has Blue felt such magic around her. But is Gansey her true love? She can’t imagine a time she would feel like that, and she is adamant not to be the reason for his death. Where will fate lead them?

The Raven Cycle:
The Raven Boys
The Dream Thieves
Blue Lily, Lily Blue
The Raven King

Visit Maggie Stiefvater's website for more information

Review:
I'm a massive fan of Maggie Stiefvater but, for possibly the first time ever, I actually managed to hold off on starting a much anticipated series until just before the release of the final book. No year long wait between each new instalment can only be a bonus, especially when it means I can read the whole series over the space of a couple of months (I'm reading with a group of friends & we're reading one book every 2 weeks otherwise I'd probably have devoured the entire series in one massive long binge). I didn't have any doubts that I would love this story because I already know how beautifully Maggie writes but I went in knowing pretty much nothing about the story or what to expect from it.

The Raven Boys is very much a character driven story and it has such wonderful characters at the wheel that you'll be hooked in no time. Blue was my personal favourite, as the only non-psychic in her family she has been raised to believe in the paranormal but she's never seen it for herself. Blue is smart, independent and she follows her own path even if that means she never quite manages to fit in amongst her peers. She is also living with a dire prediction over her head, one that means if she ever kisses her true love he will die so that obviously makes even the idea of dating just a little bit difficult. While Blue never doubts the abilities her mother and the other women they share their home with she is desperate to experience some kind of magic for herself so it's no surprise that she's drawn to Gansey and his band of adventurers.

Gansey, Adam, Ronan and Noah are all Raven Boys, known as such because their school crest is a Raven. Aglionby is a boys school for the wealthy elite (as well as the occasional scholarship student) it's the kind of school that gives students the best education money can buy and almost guaranteed acceptance into the most prestigious colleges out there. Each of the boys is attending the school for different reasons and they all undoubtedly bring their own baggage to the party but Gansey is the central character that the other boys seem to revolve around. He is the glue that holds them all together and it is his obsession to find the Ley lines, along with something he believes has been hidden along them. The others aren't so interested in the Ley lines for themselves but want to help Gansey achieve his goals.

I loved all four of the boys in different ways, Gansey can be pretty hopeless in social situations because he is so stuck inside his own head that he is often oblivious to what is going on around him but he has a strange kind of magnetism and he's the kind of guy that people would follow anywhere. Adam is probably the most normal of the bunch but he is dealing with a very difficult situation at home that is quite heartbreaking to read about. He wants to deal with things on his own terms and I do respect him for that but at the same time it was frustrating to watch him constantly refuse the help he desperately needed and that his friends were willing to offer. He has a bit of a chip on his shoulder as far as money goes and even though I could understand where it was coming from it did get a bit irritating to read about. Ronan is the brooding mysterious one with an anger problem, at first glance he's the boy your parents warned you to stay away from but that's probably what makes him so fascinating. I want to dig deeper and uncover his secrets and we've already had a glimpse that he's not quite as tough as he pretends to be. Noah spends most of his time in the background but the others rely on him to help keep the peace. I don't want to say too much about him but he was the character who surprised me the most and I just want to climb into the book and hug him!

It's not surprising that Blue is drawn to the boys and their quest is something she is in a unique position to help them with thanks to her family abilities. She also knows things about them that they are completely unaware of and there are things she is determined to stop from happening. This isn't a fast paced story, instead it's one that takes time to fully develop the various characters, but that doesn't mean nothing happens. In fact there are some brilliantly vivid and creepy scenes and we're only just beginning to scratch the surface of the mystery surrounding the Ley lines. I can't wait to see where their investigation takes them next and events at the end of the story have definitely set things up for future instalments.

Source: Received from Scholastic in exchange for an honest review

Other reviews of this book:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle: