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The Raven King (The Raven Cycle, #4)

Maggie Stiefvater

Start date: April 1, 2022

Finish date: April 30, 2022

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What Members Thought

Apr 06, 2017 Emma rated it liked it

Shelves: ya, fantasy

This had the writing quality I always expect from Maggie Stiefveter and yet I must confess myself slightly - disappointed is too strong- but dissatisfied maybe - with the final book in the series, the only one I haven't awarded the full 5 stars. It felt unresolved in some ways...
Still. A 5 star series and Ronan for Best in Show! ...more

48 likes · Like · see review

Mar 12, 2016 Ivory rated it it was amazing

Shelves: home-library

Wow!! Definitely a series I will reread in the future! This series will be among the classics.

9 likes · Like · see review

Sep 25, 2016 Dr. Andy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: changed-my-life, queer-rep-gay, disabled-or-chronically-ill-author, queer-rep-bisexual, reread, read-2016, read-2019, disability-rep-deaf-hard-of-hearing

I am so so glad I reread the Raven King before Call Down the Hawk. Mainly because I didn't really remember any of this book. I thought I remembered how it ended and omg I was so damn wrong.

This whole series is so hard to review, because I LOVE everything about it. This series is utter perfection. The characters I so desperately love, a whimsical magic system, the adventure of Glendower's hunt, the relationships between everything and the gods damned narrator who actually possessed my soul.

“ ...more

7 likes · Like · see review

Nov 28, 2020 Saar The Book owl rated it liked it

Shelves: ya-to-read, series-read-along-2020

Well, the series came to an end with this last book and what can I say? I'm dissapointed by it. I had the feeling that this book was going to be the epic end of the series, well, that thought gave me a cold shower.
From the start of the books we were on a hunt with Gansey, Blue, Adam and Ronan for the Raven King. They searched for hem so long and needed to find him. Further in the series it was explained why and that was that. I thought that was going to be the big plot: finding Glendower. It was ...more

5 likes · Like · see review

Jun 21, 2016 Melany rated it liked it

Shelves: 2016, own, 2018, 2023, own-physical, own-kindle

So a lot of my thoughts have stayed the same from the last time I read this. This book is a massive disappointment. It finds a way to both feel too long and not long enough, and I hate to harp but a lot of that feeling revolves around Henry.

Before I get to my more complicated take on Henry I want to talk about the other things wrong with this book. The problem around Glendower and the solution felt lazy and rushed. Everything around Piper and Lamouiers was lazy and rushed. The only villain that So a lot of my thoughts have stayed the same from the last time I read this. This book is a massive disappointment. It finds a way to both feel too long and not long enough, and I hate to harp but a lot of that feeling revolves around Henry.

Before I get to my more complicated take on Henry I want to talk about the other things wrong with this book. The problem around Glendower and the solution felt lazy and rushed. Everything around Piper and Lamouiers was lazy and rushed. The only villain that felt anywhere near impactful was Nevee (view spoiler). I have changed my stance on Adam and Ronan once again and I feel that this time around it also felt lazy and rushed. They had a lot of potential but did not give the time.

And while we're speaking about about characters with a lot of potential but did not give the time; Henry. So my thoughts on Henry have changed. While I still feel his addition did take away from other characters and that felt rushed and forced into every scene he was in, this time around I felt like it was waste to leave him for the last book. I think if he was introduced in one of the early books and given time to develop both as a character and in his relationship with Blue and the boys he could be a great addition to the story (view spoiler). I think I have softened on him so much because he highlights one of the major flaws of these books is that Blue has no friends other than the boys and it would have been nice if Henry could have been her friend.

I will say I was hoping that I would enjoy this book better on this reread and I still ended up disappointed.

Previous Review
(view spoiler)[ I'm not really sure how I feel about this book, but what I do know is that I found it very disappointing this time around.

I'm going to start with the things I liked. I liked the progression of Gansey and Blue's relationship, I really love them this time around, they would have been perfect if not for the intrusion of Henry (I'll get to him later). I did enjoy Ronan's and Adam's relationship more in the book. It felt more natural because of Adam's confusion and doubt. There were no confessions of love it was two confused boys acting on confusing feelings so that made it flow with the story so much better. Especially when considering there were always a hint of Ronan's feelings for Adam but there were no hints for Adam having any for Ronan so the confusion match with the recurring idea that the person that knows Adam the least is himself worked really well. Almost in spite of the ending, I felt it fit. I felt that it was a good way to wrap it up (for the most part) while still leaving the magic in the world.

Now to what I didn't like. I really hated Henry and as the story went on I hated him more and more. He feels so unnecessary, forced, and worse of all he was forced into scenes that he; didn't belong in, and two he would magically have insight that he shouldn't have. The connection he had with Gansey felt so forced. I don't understand why there were so many scenes that it would have made so much more sense if it was Ronan, Adam, or Blue with Gansey Henry was forced in acting like an ass and generally felt out of place in the entire story. And the fact that Blue could get along with him and not the others didn't make sense he was worse about money and had a more "rich mindset" than even Gansey. I don't really understand the point or purpose of making Henry this ill-fitting third wheel to Blue and Gansey's relationship. I don't see how it makes any sense for Henry to be tagging along on Blue and Gansey's break year advantage, the first time they are really going to explore their relationship alone he unnecessarily tags along. Also, why is it ok for Henry to make grand gestures like offering to take her to Venezuela but if Gansey did even after they were dating he would lose his head? It made no sense and so much had to be forced for him to be even in the story. I think Herny could have been a good character but he was forced in so ungracefully and all development between him and the others (of which there was none between him and Adam and Ronan) was rushed, forced, and unnatural. Hm being in scenes he didn't belong in nearly ruined the book for me.

Some other things I didn't like (because it wasn't just Henry) were that the Grayman had to be forced out of their lives like that it felt like a really lazy choice to make the ending more "bittersweet". Especially when considering that the Lamouiers were such an underwhelming villain that the choice felt even more unnecessary. And honestly, the whole Piper and the evil magical black market storyline was awful. It was just so dumb in comparison to the demon and the real problem and it was badly handled. And while I don't want to blame all the things I didn't like about this book on Henry it is hard for me to believe that he was either added to the story to make this part work or more likely this was added to make him have a "point"

Rereading this series made me realize that it really is one of my favorites and it was much better on reread (excluding this book which was worse) but this ending was very disappointing because it added this that really didn't need to be added and focused on things that it shouldn't have (and that was Henry in both cases sorry)

I know I'm going to reread this in the future hopefully, it will be better next time. (hide spoiler)]
...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Jul 25, 2016 Jamie (TheRebelliousReader) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, fantastic-heroine, look-at-the-pretty-cover, paranormal, from-my-shelf, great-side-characters, 5-stars, young-adult, all-of-the-feels, fantastic-hero

5 stars. This was a really great ending to this series, but what am I suppose to do with my life now that’s it done?? I don’t know how to move on from this series or these characters because I am so obsessed.

I will say that The Dream Thieves is STILL my favorite of the series but this was still such a fantastic ending. Where the third one was angst, this one was a lot darker and creepier than the others which I loved.

The character development was fantastic and the relationships between them is ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Jul 02, 2016 Iman the Bookwitch rated it liked it

Shelves: cover-lust, finished-series, lgbt

How do you say 'anticlimactic' in Latin?
This is one of those novels that ended in more questions than it began with, and not in a good way. ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Jun 21, 2019 Ashy Khaira rated it it was amazing

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

1 like · Like · see review

Oct 25, 2016 kia rated it really liked it

FIRST OF ALL. Ronan and Adam nearly killed me with their adorableness. Ronan's feelings toward Adam is so pure and beautifull. This book showed how gentle Ronan Lynch is. I was literally squealing like crazy. They are so precious, I love them so much.

And second of all, I don't like how the story always coming up with a bunch of new character in every book, and then just make them die in the next one. Well not literally all of them but. It made the dead characters are so useless and weak. Althoug ...more

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