Hello readers! I hope you’ve had happy holidays and have entered the New Year fresh and with some zest. But if you didn’t, that’s cool too. I hope my review can take your mind off of things for a bit. I finally finished the Raven cycles series, and the last book was interesting and exciting, but I do have some questions.
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Previously, in the Raven cycles, Blue frees her mother and her biological father from an underground cave. Piper goes on a quest to wake the third sleeper. Mr. Grey momentarily stops her, but in the end, she is assisted by Neeve, who aids her in waking the third sleeper.
Summary:
Gansey knew all along that he is going to die, so he gets his affairs in order even though he also hopes Glendower will save him. Ronan has given up on school and is more concerned with realizing his dream life of living on his family farm. Adam tries to keep up with Cabeswater, and Blue tries to get through to her father, but he remains determined to hide away in her family home.
All that changes when Piper awakens the third sleeper, who is no man at all, but a demon intent on destroying the magic from Henrietta. On that night, Blue and the Raven boys all experience something horrific that ultimately propels them to search for Glendower once and for all.
Thoughts:
I’m happy Ronan and Adam finally got together, but I wish the rest of the series had a better built up to it. What I mean is, they were friends until the last book when they both started to voice their attraction. It seemed a little rush, especially on Adam’s end. I’m more convinced that Ronan’s known of his feelings for Adam the whole series but decided not to act on them because he had a lot going on. Adam, on the other hand, I imagined slowly started to realize his feelings after his messy breakup with Blue.
“His feelings for Adam were an oil spill; he’d let them overflow and now there wasn’t a damn place in the ocean that wouldn’t catch fire if he dropped a match”
The Raven King MAggie Stievater
All in all, I think it might have been a better conclusion to their romance if they suddenly realized they were in love all along. Nevertheless, the Ronan and Adam romantic quotes are beautiful, and I thought the pair had more chemistry than Blue and Gansey.
EEK I said what I said.
I also enjoyed the surprise of an additional Raven boy in Henry. Henry has been keeping quiet since Blue Lily when he saw Orphan girl hanging out Gansey’s trunk. Originally, I thought he would turn out to be another antagonist, but I loved his scenes with the gang and the bond he formed with Gansey and Blue.
That aside, I didn’t feel like this novel ever dwelled or had a dull moment. It was action-packed, and I was hardly bored. I was worried that Blue and the boys were putting too much hope on Glendower to resolve all their problems. It was a bit too much deus ex machina, and I didn’t want that for this series. However, I did like the conclusion to the mystery in the end.
Okay, now a slight spoiler, but not really because we’ve all know from the beginning that Gansey is supposed to die.
I was a bit disappointed during Gansey’s death scene. I honestly did not understand what was happening or how Noah saved him. Did Noah cease to exist? If he did, do the rest of them know? Will they mourn their former friend?
I will say though, that Gansey decided to die by Blue’s kiss was gothic af. I loved it.
“How do I know I love her? Because I can sleep after I talk to her. Why?”
The Raven King maggie stievater
Now for somethings that I didn’t think were important but I also have questions about.
- Blue’s father
Blue’s father doesn’t do anything in this novel but hide away from his problems. I love to see myself in novels, but I don’t understand why he needed to be in this one. After Blue frees him, he avoids her, and the one conversation he has with Blue is to inform her that she’s the same tree species as him and the trees in Cabeswater. What does it mean?
I thought this plot point was going to lead Blue to save Gansey with her new super genetics, but I’m pretty sure Blue isn’t the reason Gansey survived.
- Matthew Lynch
After Matthew goes with Declan to D.C, we never see him again. After the demon decides to unmake Cabeswater, we learn that Declan calls Ronan because something is wrong with Matthew, but we never find out what. Assuming that Matthew was suffering the same fate as Aurora Lynch, can we assume he is okay?
I honestly do not know, but I’m assuming he is fine.
Final thoughts on the Raven Cycles series, I think these novels are entertaining and engaging. If you’re looking for a paranormal story with some mystery and romance, check them out.
If you would like to purchase any of the novels in the raven cycles series check out my links below.
If you want to shop some of my other favorite novels check out my bookshop store front. Proceeds from bookshop go to helping independent bookstores.
“Adam smiled cheerily. Ronan would start wars and burn cities for that true, elastic and amiable.”
the raven King maggie stievater
That’s all I have for now until my next post I’ll be living in libros,
Gaby
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