Reviews: Blue Lily, Lily Blue and The Raven King

Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater
Series: The Raven Cycle #3
Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal
Published by Scholastic on October 21st 2014
Also by this author: The Raven Boys, The Dream Thieves, Call Down the Hawk
Format: Audiobook (391 pages) • Source: Hoopla
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There is danger in dreaming. But there is even more danger in waking up.

Blue Sargent has found things. For the first time in her life, she has friends she can trust, a group to which she can belong. The Raven Boys have taken her in as one of their own. Their problems have become hers, and her problems have become theirs.

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

Friends can betray.
Mothers can disappear.
Visions can mislead.
Certainties can unravel

Despite the fact that this book ended up with the same rating as the first two, it’s definitely my favorite of the bunch. This is absolutely a series that gets better and more interesting with each installment. I spent most of the first two books confused and then completely enamored because of the ending. This book was actually opposite: I loved the entire thing, but was confused towards the end instead. I loved reading the Recaptains for the other books as I read, but this one didn’t exist when I read it 🙁 Regardless, I went surfing around Tumblr to get myself ~IN~ this fandom, now that spoilers aren’t an issue. It was a lot of fun and definitely helped clear up some questions!

I don’t exactly know what to say about this series – or this book in particular – that hasn’t already been said by SO many trusted friends and reviewers. Some highlights?

• Blue + Gansey FEEEELZZZ
• Ronan + Adam (even though I don’t really like Adam)
• Piper – what an interesting, weird character
• Persephone 🙁
• Some questions being answered or at least kind of explored View Spoiler »Blue’s father! Hi! « Hide Spoiler
• THE ENDING CLIFFHANGER WHAT EVENNNNnnnnnNNn

The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater
Series: The Raven Cycle #4
Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal
Published by Scholastic on April 26th 2016
Also by this author: The Raven Boys, The Dream Thieves, Call Down the Hawk
Format: Audio/eBook (400 pages) • Source: Purchased, Audible
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The fourth and final installment in the spellbinding series from the irrepressible, #1 New York Times bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater.

All her life, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love's death. She doesn't believe in true love and never thought this would be a problem, but as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.

In a starred review for Blue Lily, Lily Blue, Kirkus Reviews declared: "Expect this truly one-of-a-kind series to come to a thundering close."

I am overwhelmed. I felt overwhelmed through every single page of this final book. I don’t even know if there are other words to describe how I felt. I cannot think of a time in recent memory where I’ve been so emotionally involved in every single character – their feelings, actions, futures.. everything. I just felt things so down to my core. When I started this series, I didn’t think I’d reach that point ever. It was somewhat meh to me for the first book, a little better for the second, and quite a bit better for the third. Each book and its story piled on top of each other until the weight was too much and crushed me. Morgan’s spoiler-free review really out this best for me: “Everyone was just…. more in this book. That’s the best way to put it. There is a sense of urgency and dread that isn’t lost on anyone and it makes the emotions stand out in technicolor.” 

It took me a little while to decide on a rating. Should I deduct a little because I’m still fairly confused about what the heck happens in these books 80% of the time? Or should I just leave it at five starts because of the feels? I guess sometimes books don’t have to make a lot of sense for you to like them. If they fill you with EVERYTHING you could hope to feel while reading a story – including a touch of confusion – they can still be considered favorites.

Overall, I am so so happy I decided to read this series. There aren’t real words to describe how I felt while reading this final story, except for that I’m so glad I did it. Still overwhelmed.

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