The Raven King (The Raven Cycle #4) by Maggie Stiefvater - Restarting April 13th 2023

[Amy]

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.

[Jena]

I want thks book SOO bad but my closet barnes and noble doesnt have it and no stores in my state for half price books have it either-_-

[Amy]

@Jena, it isn't released until the 26th of April. Try again then. :)

[C.P.]

I'll be getting this on release day, so I might try and join in the discussion. So excited!

[prag ♻]

Damn, you're so lucky. I'm pretty sure my copy won't arrive before the 28th. The excitement is killing me!? I just want Adam and Ronan. Please. Now.

[C.P.]

Still, the 28th isn't so bad.

[prag ♻]

Yep, and I might even get some art from Stiefvater's society6 store! I've been hounding my parents about it, so... *crosses fingers*

[C.P.]

Oooh, very cool.

[Amy]

Feyde wrote: "Damn, you're so lucky. I'm pretty sure my copy won't arrive before the 28th. The excitement is killing me!? I just want Adam and Ronan. Please. Now."

Ha, Adam and Ronan are my least favourite raven boys! I like Noah and Gansey the best. I'll be getting it late too so don't worry. I'm a little apprehensive to read it though, I really want everything to have a happy ending haha

[C.P.]

Ronan is my favorite. :)

[Ritu]

Ohh yes i will be joining in for this too ❤

[Eesh]

Starting early because I couldn't wait.

Prologue
(view spoiler)[Holy Crap! He knows! (hide spoiler)]

[Amy]

My copy hasn't even been dispatched yet, hope it's good so far Quirks!

[C.P.]

I should get mine today. If not I'll be quite upset.

[prag ♻]

Quirks wrote: "Starting early because I couldn't wait.

Prologue
[spoilers removed]"

Of course he does. Stiefvater has been killing me with her twitter updates, I'm not kidding. I'm just going to hope for the best.

I just finished the rose and the dagger, so I'll start this soon. I'm really hoping it lives up to my expectations.

[Eesh]

It's going good, if slightly uneventful.

Chapter 17
(view spoiler)[Does it bother anyone else how Blue is so judgemental and prone to exploding for silly reasons? Because it bothers me. (hide spoiler)]

[Cristal (Professional Book Procrastinator)]

Even though i pre-ordered mine months ago, it won't ship out till today. I'm supposed to get it Thursday.

[Eesh]

I got an ebook. So no waiting for me.

Chapter 19
(view spoiler)[During book 1, if someone had told me I would ship Ronan and Adam, I would've launghed in their face. Now, not so much. (hide spoiler)]

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥]

I pre-ordered mine but I just got a message from Amazon saying they don't have a time because it's sold out. Hello, that's why you pre-order so they make sure everyone gets it!

[Cristal (Professional Book Procrastinator)]

Melissa wrote: "I pre-ordered mine but I just got a message from Amazon saying they don't have a time because it's sold out. Hello, that's why you pre-order so they make sure everyone gets it!"

Exactly!

[C.P.]

When I per-ordered mine it told me I would receive it on release day, now it's saying there is a delay and won't tell me when I'll receive it. Ugh. It's making me mad!

[C.P.]

Now it says it won't be here for at least a month...I think I'll just cancel the order and buy it in the store.

[Eesh]

Chapter 27
(view spoiler)[Things have gotten quite serious. I honestly didn't expect something like that to happen to Blue. (hide spoiler)]

[Eesh]

Chapter 33
(view spoiler)[Ship! Ship! SHIP! (hide spoiler)]

[prag ♻]

Finally starting! So excited ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[prag ♻]

7%
(view spoiler)[
'all of the time he'd spent here alone or with Adam, dreaming and scheming.

YASSSSSSSSSSS SUBTLE HINTS? I KNOW PYNCH IS CANON, BUT ACTUALLY READING ABOUT THEM THINKING OF EACH OTHER? I. WILL. DIE. (hide spoiler)]

[prag ♻]

12%
(view spoiler)[Oh, I love Ronan so very much. (hide spoiler)]

[prag ♻]

Quirks wrote: "I got an ebook. So no waiting for me.

Chapter 19
[spoilers removed]"


(view spoiler)[Same. Right now, I just need them to happen. Now.

And if Adam knew Ronans feelings for him why the shit was he so fixated on Blue and her lips? GAHHH this is killing me why cant I read faster!? (hide spoiler)]

[Eesh]

Chapter 41
(view spoiler)[First time I ever rooted for Gwenllian. Blue's dad is a spineless pest. (hide spoiler)]

[prag ♻]

Quirks wrote: "Chapter 27
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[I'm not sure I understand-was it Piper and/or her demon possessing Noah? (hide spoiler)]

31%
(view spoiler)[I don't like Declan OR Henry Cheng their parts are almost boring can we just go back to Cabeswater, bluesey and Pynch please? (hide spoiler)]

[prag ♻]

Quirks wrote: "Chapter 33
[spoilers removed]"


(view spoiler)[I need help breathing shit what have you done t o me (hide spoiler)]

[prag ♻]

61%
(view spoiler)[RONAN AND ADAM ARE PRECIOUS. THEY'RE SOMETHING TO BE ADMIRED. LOVED. I'M SO GIDDY, JUST LIKE GANSEY, DRUNK WITH HAPPINESS FROM BARNS. (hide spoiler)]

[Eesh]

Feyde wrote: "Quirks wrote: "Chapter 27
[spoilers removed]"

[spoilers removed]

31%
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[It's just the demon. Piper's too dumb. (hide spoiler)]

[Eesh]

Chapter 49
(view spoiler)[Oh wow, Gansey's about to die. Equal parts excited, we've been waiting for a long time, and devastated. (hide spoiler)]

[prag ♻]

Quirks wrote: "Chapter 49
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[This part wasn't really fun, sort of mechanical somehow. I'd thought Henry would betray them, I'm glad he didn't. (hide spoiler)]

[Edit~A]

I'm going to read this soon :)

[Emily]

I'm interested to hear what you guys think of this! Sorry I didn't join you in reading along, I couldn't wait.

Here's what I thought (don't read till you finish): https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Or tl;dr: (view spoiler)[Some of it was fantastic (PYNCH!), but I thought the last third was really rushed. And there were SO MANY questions left unanswered. So I'm definitely somewhat dissatisfied. Happy with what we got, but I needed the book to be longer. (I'm most keenly dissatisfied with Gansey and Blue's romance, I feel they were overlooked. The one kiss we got was lackluster, IMO. And can they kiss now or not?) I also felt that this book wasn't as magical and fantastical as the previous books. (hide spoiler)]

[prag ♻]

Emily wrote: "I'm interested to hear what you guys think of this! Sorry I didn't join you in reading along, I couldn't wait.

Here's what I thought (don't read till you finish): https://www.goodreads.com/review..."

OK I completely agree with everything you said- (view spoiler)[Pynch was amazing and bluesey not so much, but it was still a 5 star for me because I don't know, there's like a magic in Maggie's stories she's just so good at it (hide spoiler)]

[Emily]

Yeah, I get that. I'm actually restarting it (audiobook this time- the audiobooks of this series are great and make for fabulous rereads), (view spoiler)[hoping that it's more satisfying to me after some thought and rereading (well, listening). I have a few issues with what we did get, but for the most part really enjoyed the scenes she wrote. It would make a good installment in the series if there was going to be one more book. But there isn't, so the lack of closure pains me. I still rated it 4 stars though, and I'm a tough rater, but was too disappointed to rate it higher than that. (hide spoiler)]

[Cristal (Professional Book Procrastinator)]

I just started this today...

[Emily]

So for those of you who have finished it/as you guys finish?
What was your favorite part?
Any favorite lines?
Who's everyone's favorite character?
What did you think of (view spoiler)[Henry (hide spoiler)]? How about Stiefvater's decision to (major spoiler, do not click till you finish!)(view spoiler)[have Glendower be dead? (hide spoiler)]

To answer my own questions:
(view spoiler)[All the Pynch parts, of course, being the obvious answer. I also enjoyed the toga party- it was the only part that really felt like Gansey and Blue.
The line that comes to mind: "The ocean burned."
I really don't think I can pick just one! But if you put a gun to my head, maybe Blue?
I didn't really get that attached to Henry for some reason. I felt like he was kind of a weird addition to put in in the last book.
I understand her choice and wasn't completely surprised. I don't know how it could have played out well if all of a sudden there was this magical Welsh king around. But it did take a lot of the magic and wonder out of this installment, I feel. (hide spoiler)]

So something else that I didn't put in my review (I should add it): (view spoiler)[It really bugs me that the others let Gansey sacrifice himself. It seems pretty selfish. They're all supposed to care about Gansey so much, and yet they let him do that? :/ (hide spoiler)]

[prag ♻]

Emily wrote: "So for those of you who have finished it/as you guys finish?
What was your favorite part?
Any favorite lines?
Who's everyone's favorite character?
What did you think of [spoilers removed]? How abou..."


Alright. Here goes (Favorite part):
(view spoiler)[PYNCH PYNCH PYNCH THEY'RE SO CUTE. I SWEAR I STOPPED BREATHING WHEN-
1. Ronan's POV, in school, he asks Adam what he's doing after, Adam replies working with a dreamer and Ronan says 'school had considerably improved' in his head
2. Ronan leaned over and kissed him
3. He was pretty sure he had been Ronan's first kiss. Like yess yes yes yes yes
4. Adam and Gansey talking,
Adam: Ronan kissed me
Gansey:
Gansey:
Gansey: ...
Adam: I kissed him back
Gansey: Jesus Christ
5. All of chapter 33 basically
6. All of chapter 39 too kmn
7. Ronan: Adam?
Adam: *kisses him*
Ronan: when adam kissed him it was every windows rolled down goosebumps on skin drive
8. Bluesey toga moment (it was ok even though I hate gansey)
9. Ronan in his head - *he had a choice between hurting Adam and dying. And that wasn't a choice at all*
10. Ronan crying when Aurora died and Adam sleeping in the car saying yell if you need me
11. Adams first chapter
12. Blue and Ronan's whole relationship is just so goddamn beautiful the way they bump fists and hips and goes Sargent, you asshole THEY GIVE ME LIFE (hide spoiler)]

[prag ♻]

Favorite character- Ronan DUH HE'S SO CUTE AND AHHHHHHHHHH I JUST LOVE HIM SO MUCH AND (view spoiler)[NOT TO MENTION HE'S PERF FOR ADAM (hide spoiler)]

[prag ♻]

What do I think of (view spoiler)[Henry? Random uneccessary character creating rifts between pynch and bluesey it hurt so much in the epilogue blue and gansey were with stupid henry and adam and pynch were together he's probably the one I relate to most though I would definitely want to be friends with the Raven boys and Blue so mixed feelings but I didn't want him there (hide spoiler)]

[prag ♻]

The last bit- (view spoiler)[I agree 100% they just went along wth even after Ronan was the only one who was actually broke when he died which makes sense Gansey was his best friend they've known each other for years since when they were both young and happy+he did so much for him+Ronan is just the deepest most amazing character every (hide spoiler)]

[prag ♻]

Amy wrote: "Feyde wrote: "Damn, you're so lucky. I'm pretty sure my copy won't arrive before the 28th. The excitement is killing me!? I just want Adam and Ronan. Please. Now."

Ha, Adam and Ronan are my least ..."

@Amy, did you get your copy yet?

[Cristal (Professional Book Procrastinator)]

Chapter 13....24%. This one is slow going for me for some reason.

(view spoiler)[I am disappointed that Piper is not dead, but curious as to what she is up to now. I'm even more curious as to what this new dark figure is going to do and if it is the sleeper that was woken at the end of Blue Lily, Lily Blue. My heart is breaking for Blue... (hide spoiler)]

[Emily]

I love Ronan too, Feyde! And I agree that (view spoiler)[he and Adam are so right for each other. I bet they will have some pretty explosive fights on occasion, though, given they both have tempers. But I think they will also make up quickly after any fights. I love Bluesey a ton as well (that scene in Dream Thieves where they are falling for each other and pretend to kiss- love it!), but after this book, Pynch has beat them out. I have never read fanfic before and don't want it to mess with my views of books- and yet, in the case of this series, I'm tempted. Espescially about Pynch. (hide spoiler)]

[prag ♻]

Emily wrote: "I love Ronan too, Feyde! And I agree that [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[I'm not sure if there would be any good Pynch fanfics right now, this fandom is, unfortunately, much too small. Tell me if you find anything good, please!

I do need a fix for my Pynch obsession. I don't know what it is with me and canon gay couples, but I just ship malec, snowbaz and pynch so hard. (hide spoiler)]

[Emily]

I love all of those ships a ton as well! And when reading Six of Crows, (view spoiler)[the budding gay romance was my favorite of the three romances there as well. I never used to get why straight women (such as myself) would read lots of M/M romance novels (don't get me wrong, I always thought the existence of those books was great, just didn't understand the appeal for women like me), but now I get it. (hide spoiler)]