The Raven King

3.5 stars

The thing is, Maggie Stiefvater's writing style doesn't always work for me. It is so lyrical and circular at times, so I have to be in the right state of mind to read her books and honestly even then they can be hit or miss, much like how I feel with Laini Taylor's books.

Shiver I disliked, The Scorpio Races on audio I enjoyed, The Raven Boys series? seems to fall right in the middle. There are moments and characters I really really liked, but it did feel like the beginning of every book in the series dragged for me, only to pick up at the end where mostly everything happens.
I still enjoyed reading the series, following the characters, and seeing the plot come to its end.

Ronan and Mr. Gray are totally my favorite characters :)

I will probably read more by this author, but I'm not dying to read more. I will, though, be recommending this series to others who like fantasy in contemporary settings and like this type of writing.

This took me the longest to read of all the other books in the series. I felt like it had the least action, the author added more unnecessary characters that did little to further the story, and it had a somewhat unsatisfactory ending that was too easy for it having had a 4 book lead-up. Overall, the series was a bit of a disappointment as many friends had enjoyed it but I was left wanting.
The plot is all over the place in each of these books and nothing ever gets more believable or remotely explained. The author likes to add a bunch of new characters each book that do nothing for the plot and/or are killed off in the next book anyway, as well as killing actually good characters with little fanfare or reason. With the confusing plot points and undeveloped characters, it doesn't get any easier to follow - you have to read it moment to moment without getting the big picture of what's happening and why. The whole point this series revolves around - the finding of Owain Glynd??r (Glendower) - was a total wash. The highlight of these books are the likeable main characters - namely Adam, Ronan, and Noah - but all display some low-key racism and classism, especially with the introduction of Henry into their group (who is of mixed Asian descent). I'm impartial to both Blue and Gansey, arguably the main of the main characters, as they each have personality traits that annoy me and are given to some typical YA cliches that are eyeroll-inducing.

I'm done ripping this to shreds. I read them all to finish so they stay at “just ok” in my rating but I can't see reading any more from this author.

MA-RA-VI-LLO-SO Un viaje alucinante. Si que es verdad que hay cosas un poco raras, pero mira me da igual porque es maravilloso (lo sé me repito) el amor que da y que transmite. No creo que haya abrazado un libro tanto en mi vida.

I didn't want this story to end and I prolonged finishing for months. Like the best stories, I'm sad that there is no more.

it's over and I'm not okay

2.5

I've enjoyed these books quite a bit. The story is so original, the characters are likable and none of them annoy me (often I find that an issue when I read Ya fiction for some reason). I really appreciate the history/fantasy aspects and Maggie Stiefvater has an excellent style of writing. Very glad I picked up these books.

3 things I am very happy about (in no particular order):

- Finally being able to go through trc related tags without worries of spoiling myself.
- 3 is DEFINITELY always better ;)
- This action packed and emotional af roller coaster ride from the beginning to end of this wonderful series. I totally wish I had read them sooner (especially after finding out Maggie Stiefvater was in town a few months ago for her book tour - alas). Looking back from the first book to the last, my favorite thing about the series was watching the characters grow. No just individual growth but also growing as a group. I'm a sucker for found family themes so this was obviously a treat for me. Seeing the impact that these characters had on each other and how they all helped each other become who they are in the end was honestly lovely. FOUND FAMILY FTW!

I am now definitely a fan of Maggie Stiefvater's writing and I would totally recommend this series to others. Better late than never!

3,5 stars.

Ok I have some things to say. I loved the first 80 % of the book. It was interesting, weird (the good kind) and captivating. But then it went downhill: I don't see why this is a so “awesome” ending. This was weak, too nice, too frustrating..... I would have liked some deaths for different characters since I either didn't care for the dead or it was obvious that they would die at some point.
The epilogue was also frustrating and too focused on a small amount of the beloved cast of the book. That made the book quiet unsatisfied for me till the point that it bugs me even days after I finished reading this book. I felt empty.... and betrayed by an bad ending.

[This review is for entire series]

Just reread the series, and upping my review to five stars. It's definitely not for everyone–there's a lot of mysticism, fate, impossibilities, leaps of faith, and stretching of the imagination. If you're not into that, this book isn't for you.

I really enjoy the relationships between our main characters and felt like I knew them by the end. There are lots of elements of the story I would change, some irrelevant, some misleading, but overall, I want Gansey and the gang to be successful, and I enjoyed my time with them. I'd love to revisit them in the future, in a follow up story or just a another rereading.

aaaah i just finished my reread and i am so happy, i think i liked the books more this time around, maybe it was nostalgia, i missed all the characters so much. even tho i still think the ending could've been better, this will always be one of my favorite series, and ronan one of my favorite characters of all time

Mmmmhm

I've completed another series this year. This is number 4.

In terms of the actual book, I'm honestly super disappointed. It is no secret this series has had its ups and downs with me. However, after finishing Blue Lily, Lily Blue, I really thought we had turned a corner. I know I'm in the minority here, but this book just left me so unsatisfied. There was all this buildup leading to the end and now I feel wholly unsatisfied.

I still really love these characters and Maggie's writing, but this plot is still all over the place for me. Yes, Maggie did a great job tying everything together that we have been slowly unraveling throughout the entire series. However, at some point there is a finite number of directions and strings you can add to the story without getting into a tangled mess. This book definitely teetered over into the tangled mess arena for me.

I feel like this is such a negative review for a book that was mostly enjoyable. But my thoughts are conflicted. I loved what happened with our characters and other characters that we go to know more about. But in terms of the story, this book was a regression after Blue Lily, Lily Blue.

The final book of this series is a classic case of “maybe the real treasure is the friends we made along the way” because it sure isn't that mess of an ending

I love theses characters. I want real life friends like them. The ending was a little rushed and I felt that there were a lot of unanswered questions. What happened with their long standing quest they have been in from the beginning?