The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater

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"Depending on where you began the story, it was a story about the women of 300 Fox Way..."

GOD DAMN. This finale was just...majestic. I don't know how else to put it. It was written with such care and such beauty.

I figured, to start off this review, I would talk about the relationship I've had with this series, because I feel--compared to most other people who have read this--I have a more fluid and complicated history. I wasn't impressed by The Raven Boys. I thought it was interesting, but it was mostly boring until the last 150 pages. It was a three star read for me. And then I didn't pick up the next one for a while. I wasn't 100% sure I was going to continue--even though the first one ended so wonderfully. But the sequel showed up at the used bookstore I worked at, and I decided to take the plunge.

OH MY GOD, The Dream Thieves blew my mind up. I had low expectations, but still! It was a piece of art, and I fell in love with the characters and the story. Especially, Ronan. He is, and will probably always be, my favorite character in this story--though it is hard to choose between them all. And Blue Lily, Lily Blue was solid, but felt a little bit like filler.

So I basically had really different opinions of each of the books, which isn't normal for me, and isn't normal for most of the people who read this story. And again, I don't feel as attached to this series as so many others do. But the way this story ended...I couldn't ask for a better conclusion. And I think it will be a rare thing if I ever read a finale as well executed as this one.

Nothing living is safe. Nothing dead is to be trusted.

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

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


Gansey: Destined for greatness? Maybe. I think he is more destined to be with Blue and the boys, living his life, than he truly is to change the world. But he is great to them, and he is great to me--to all of the readers. He has a passion, a determination, an obsession so unfathomable.
Adam: I've had a very polarizing view of Adam, which sprouted from my fear that he was going to kill them all in some way. But he's vulnerable and strong at the same time, and he uses both of these things to help his friends, and to help himself.
Ronan: I could write paragraphs, books, sonnets, slam poems, about how complicated, beautiful, angry and unique this boy is. I don't think I'll ever read a character like him again in my life, which I will cherish and hate at the same time.
Blue: Her spirit, her mind, her soul are a work of art. She wants too much and not enough at the same time. She wants love and power and peace, and she will get them all; she has them all when she's with her boys.


All of them together make the story. The magic, the paranormal, Cabeswater, the dreams, the danger--none of that matters. It's about these characters and their relationship, friendship that matter.

But I need to take a second to talk about the romantic relationships. Because my shipper heart exploded about a thousand times. Particularly, between Ronan and Adam. I have been shipping these two since The Dream Thieves and it finally came to be. And it was hot as hell. My heart was thumping and thumping during their scenes, and I may have squealed when they finally kissed. It was just too much to handle--in the best way possible. Blue and Gansey were inevitable (and adorable), but there was a twinkle in the back of my head that said these two may not come to fruition. Thank god Maggie Stiefvater was looking out for us.


The writing made this book. Without the perfectly written sentences, the excellently crafted paragraphs, the parallel chapter beginnings, the skillfully integrated humor, this novel wouldn't be the masterpiece it is.
“Gansey.” A pause. “That’s all there is.”



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