The third installment in the mesmerizing series from the irrepressible, #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater.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 … found things, though, is how easily they can be lost.Friends can betray.Mothers can disappear.Visions can mislead.Certainties can unravel.In a starred review, THE BULLETIN called THE DREAM THIEVES, the previous book in The Raven Cycle, “a complex web of magical intrigue and heart-stopping action.” Now, with BLUE LILY, LILY BLUE, the web becomes even more complex, snaring readers at every turn.Praise for THE DREAM THIEVES:* “Richly written and filled with figurative language . . . this story of secrets and dreams, of brothers and of all-too-real magic is an absolute marvel of imagination and an irresistible invitation to wonder.” — BOOKLIST, starred review* “Mind-blowingly spectacular . . . Stiefvater’s careful exploration of class and wealth and their limitations and opportunities astounds with its sensitivity and sophistication. The pace is electric, the prose marvelously sure-footed and strong, but it’s the complicated characters . . . that meld magic and reality into an engrossing, believable whole.” — KIRKUS REVIEWS, starred review* “A paranormal thriller . . . this installment [is] more tense and foreboding than its predecessor — and every bit as gripping.” — PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, starred review* “A complex web of magical intrigue and heartstopping action.” — THE BULLETIN, starred review* “Readers who want a moody chill and appreciate an atmospheric turn of phrase will want to spend more time in Henrietta.” — SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, starred reviewPraise for THE RAVEN BOYS:”Stiefvater is a master storyteller.” — USA TODAY”A dizzying paranormal romance tinged with murder and Welsh mythology.” — THE LOS ANGELES TIMES* “Simultaneously complex and simple, compulsively readable, marvelously wrought.” — KIRKUS REVIEWS, starred review* “A tour de force . . . such a memorable read.” — PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, starred review* “One unexpected and wonderful surprise after another . . . a marvel of imagination.” — BOOKLIST, starred review* “THE RAVEN BOYS is an incredibly rich and unique tale, a supernatural thriller of a different flavor. . . . Fans have been salivating for Stiefvater’s next release and THE RAVEN BOYS delivers.” — SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, starred review”Equal parts thriller and mystery, with a measured dash of romance sprinkled on top . . . Maggie has woven such a unique, intriguing narrative that I struggled for comparisons.” — MTV.comA PUBLISHERS WEEKLY Best Book of the YearTHE BULLETIN OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S BOOKS 2012 Blue Ribbons list
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So after seeing all the hype over Maggie Stiefvater’s The Raven Cycle Series have to say I’m hooked! Currently halfway through Blue Lily, Lily Blue the third book in the series and the Glendower mystery has me truly enthralled.
This is the third book in the Raven Cycle series, and the best so far. With its corpse roads, well-drawn characters, psychic mediums, and slow-burn romance, I was never not going to love this series. But in this book, Stiefvater really knocks it out of the park. The mix of dark fantasy, gorgeous writing, and tenuous love here is so delicious. And there are no dull moments: the action starts on the first page, with the characters’ quest to find and resurrect the ancient King Glendower so that he may grant them a wish growing more crucial as stakes increase and villains multiple.
The group of five teens at the heart of the story are back–Blue, a girl in a house full of powerful mediums, and the so-called Raven Boys Gansey, Ronan, Adam, and Noah. All come into their own in this book. Their ties with each other are also only growing stronger and more emotional. Despite fears of a prophecy about her first love dying, Blue’s falling for the privileged, driven Gansey, and it’s obvious he’s already fallen for her. A fragile bond between two of the other boys also develops in strange and welcome ways as they combine their growing supernatural powers.
Even as the series tunnels toward a conclusion, new characters and mysteries are introduced. Stiefvater does an amazing job of turning tropes on their heads, from love triangles to trophy wives. Between these twists and the evolving mysteries, you can’t help but turn the pages to see how it all unravels.
The third book in this series, it left me on the edge of my seat desperately engrossed and needing to know what happens next. So much happened in this book. The quest took a dozen steps forward even as the personal relationships slowly shuffled forward snd then back and then forward again. We lost characters we had grown to love. Found new friends along the way. And if we looked in just the right place, caught a glimpse of the future on the horizon. I am immediately diving into the final book now without pause or hesitation and hope it manages to do the impossible and wrap all of this up nearly and efficiently while giving me the small moments that fill me with big emotions. Here we go…
– Actual rating: 4.5/5 –
I enjoyed this book MUCH more than the second. More happened. It was more active and it brings the first and second book together beautifully. This book has the feelings of the first book, with a touch of the second, and I prefer it this way. We are back to focusing on the quest to find Glendower, and the group is back to being the main focus, rather than just one character.
I think this book has set the stage well for the last book. It allows for the next book to tie the strings of what we have learned, what has occurred, and the characters themselves from books 1-3 together. It is definitely allowing for everything to come to a beautiful close, and I hope the next book delivers. I can see the end with a perfect bow on top, and I have high expectations for it.
This book was great, and I loved getting to look into the characters more. The ending totally took me by surprise. I did not see the twist. I can’t believe what happened. It’s crazy!!! and I definitely without a doubt recommend reading this book.
I don’t know how each book in this series manages to out do the last, but somehow Maggie keeps pulling this off. Between the character development, the intricate plot, and the deeply poetic prose, this book entertains in every facet. I have not been this enthralled by a book series in years. I’d write more, but I’m off to dive into the Raven King
This review MAY contain spoilers.
Another Maggie Stiefvater book leaving me wanting more more more. I breezed through this book in record time. I couldn’t get enough. I desperately wanted to know what was going to happen next and what was holding all the pieces of this story together. I think that is what I like best about Stiefvater’s writing. There are strange happenings and dialogue sprinkled throughout her books that make zero sense until their importance is revealed. And they are so strange and out of place that you HAVE to know what the frack is going on. It makes you devour her stories. And I also love how preposterous some of the happenings are. I mean, if my mom fell in love with a hit man and no one that I knew thought anything of it? That’s not really the norm. And I love this series all the more for it. It shatters my expectations on so many levels.
This brings me to the plot. I love the way that there are so many mysteries embedded into the plot. As mentioned above, there can be so much going on that you don’t know about, but you know the general direction the story is taking. If there is anything that disappoints me more in a book, it is a predictable plot. Stiefvater’s books never suffer from this. Her books, this one included, are packed with little twists and turns. Her books are definitely a journey and not a destination, which is really what all fantasy readers strive for when reading a book. (I think, anyway. At least, I do.) I think that the concept behind the plot of this series is one of a kind. I haven’t read anything that compares in the slightest. Not only is the premise unique, but the storytelling is unparalleled.
The character growth is spectacular. I loved seeing the characters become closer and watching them through their struggles. They are already so different from the characters in the first book of this series. I can’t wait to see how much more they grow in the final book. I love these characters so much! They give me all the feels. Their chemistry is one of the best things about this series, for me. The universe is pushing them all together, and I am perpetually on the edge of my seat doing all that I can to please the gods in order to get the outcome that I want most. Again, the feels. Even the side characters mesh into all this feely nonsense. I adore them all!
The books in this series stay with you long after you’ve finished the last pages. They really do imprint on your heart, which says so much about Stiefvater’s magical storytelling. I wholeheartedly recommend this book, this series, and her writing as a whole. I will immediately be starting The Raven King, the last book in this series. And after that, I can’t wait to read Stiefvater’s backlog. When it comes to the hype about her books, listen. Her books really are magical.
Great series!
Another good edition to the series. As usual i fell in love with some of the characters haha
This is book 3 in the Raven Cycle series, and it continues to build nicely upon the previous novels. It had some surprises and heartache that were unexpected. The world of Blue Sargeant and the Raven boys keeps the reader coming back for more. Although this book didn’t engage me quite as much as the first two, it was still a worthwhile read. The best part of this series is the characters. They are complex, and each has a story to tell in their own right. The interactions and dialogue between the characters are fabulous.