The Raven King - Buddy Read

[[deleted user]]

Okay so I read some spoilers for this book and it does not get any better. It actually gets worse. But I'll start reading when you finish Blue Lily, Lily Blue and we can hopefully finish this in maybe two days. I don't even wanna read Call Down the Hawk anymore. I want to ban Stiefvater from my shelves for good. Her books are permitted to come into my room as library books because then I have no choice but to give those back.

[[deleted user]]

A tip: skim-read most of Blue Lily, Lily Blue. Literally nothing happens. The plot is jammed into the book like Stiefvater realised she needed one, but didn't do anything to make it believable or interesting. Also her writing is nauseatingly flowery like girl grabbing a purple crayon and drawing on your already purple prose won't turn this shit into anything pretty. It's just purple shit.

[Maiko-chan [|]]

I have a copy of her book All the Crooked Saints and after the Blue Lily mess (what was the point of the lily part? It made no sense to me.) I want to take it off my tbr. After this book if it doesn't work for me I'm not reading anything else by Stiefvater. I just can't.

[Maiko-chan [|]]

I'm going out to get food. I'll start this shit show after. If you want to read further than 100 pages please do.

[[deleted user]]

If you haven't read Stiefvater's Shiver series, don't. It's just as bad, if not worse, as this one. But like the main dude is way older than the main girl and I believe either he or his friend attacked her and then he just kinda stuck around for years until she grew into a teenager and not a little girl and was like in love with her the whole time. Typical YA bullshit.

Also there was no point. Just like there's no point in a lot of the bullshit that happened.

And! I read on a post - I'll try to find it - that Henry Cheng's first appearance in the book as making a rape joke and such is actually a racist take because is apparently how Asians are introduced into books - and that was written from someone who is Asian, so they would know. Also apparently there's a joke in this book that goes something like this: "He's half-Asian" "Which half?" and like...man. Man oh man.

[Maiko-chan [|]]

I read the first book in that series in high school and liked it but I won't go back after this.
This series is making me want to steer clear of books and stick to fanfic right now.

Yeah I already got that from it with his character and the name. It's a very uninspired name, much like Blue's.

Also: "Piper Greenmantle had shot Jesse Dittley dead at its entrance."
That might've been the death glossed over you were talking about and not Persephone's? I honestly skipped everything with his character and most scenes with the Greenmantles.

[[deleted user]]

Wait Jesse Dittley died? When was that?? Also, what a lazy death. Is that the whole description of it? Give us deets. Shot in the head? Chest? How much blood? At least make it interesting ahah.

Also I'm reading a fanfic right now. I made a lot of progress adding read dates to books, so now I'm rewarding myself. Maybe I'll properly start TRK tonight.

There is a fucking plane continuously strafing over my town like matey go and do your flight exercises somewhere else you're being annoying.

[Maiko-chan [|]]

Like I said I have no idea.
No that's a quote from The Raven King.

I'll reward myself after this book with lots of fic.

[Maiko-chan [|]]

I was sorta into this but then Blue had to be a bitch to Adam for calling her out on her behavior and now I'm in ch15 and I just want to skip everything.

[[deleted user]]

I mean, this is the Blue that instead of respecting Calla's desire to do her work, picked up a bunch of receipts and threw them into her face. And the one that almost killed Adam by slicing him too deep with a switchblade and blamed him. We really ought to be used to her shitbag behaviour but instead we're always surprised.

Maybe take a break and pick up a fanfic? A long one. I'm reading a Destiel Cyberpunk-ish fanfic. It's really good and there are no asshole characters in it except for the ones who are supposed to be assholes.

[Maiko-chan [|]]

I wanted to get 30% in (kindle edition) and now am 31% in at ch17. Stopping there to try and get some sleep now that it's 11pm.

Enjoy your fic. Does that mean you're holding off on starting this till you finish that?

[[deleted user]]

I finished the fanfic. Now to resume the fuckery.

[[deleted user]]

Didn't refresh the page before I made my comment so I didn't see yours. Yeah, that's what I was doing. I'll catch up to you shortly. Or tomorrow. Depends on when I sleep; it's only 10:16PM right now.

How bad is it?

[Maiko-chan [|]]

It was fine until Blue made her appearance and got angry at Adam for calling her out on shit she's done and doing and for generally not being a good friend to him. Oh and the villain chapter was dumb of course. So typical.

[Maiko-chan [|]]

Ch19 and Stiefvater remembers Adam's court case with his dad and that we never got the results.

[Maiko-chan [|]]

Apart from these bad bads there's a fair amount of pynch focus, cuz last book means more actual relationship focus and development.

[Maiko-chan [|]]

Ch32 happened and was a Blue chapter and somehow didn't make me want to wring her neck and claw out someone's eyes, mine or hers idk. If only Blue had been self aware before this moment she'd be likable, but even her calling herself (internally, sadly) both a "condescending brat" and "hypocrite" is too little too late. Still, it's nice to have a Blue perspective chapter with her acknowledging those facts and the line "She felt she had some self-examination to do later."

[Maiko-chan [|]]

If the last book was pretty much all Blue focus this one is all plot and pynch

[Maiko-chan [|]]

"While Blue had grown up learning the principles of internal energy and getting told bedtime stories, Henry Cheng had grown up contemplating how far he would go to protect his mother's secrets under duress." (ch38)

Who the fuck is this Blue imposter and why is she suddenly gaining character growth and clarity? Why is this revelation attributed to a completely secondary character largely only showing up in the last book and not, say, when she should have had this understanding for Adam?

[Maiko-chan [|]]

Wtf ch38 and Blue actually did something brave (though not extraordinary since Mr Gray would've protected her if needed) and useful, helping others in a way that didn't cause harm. I'm shocked. But Adam wasn't there, so I guess less surprised than I'd otherwise be.

[[deleted user]]

Oops, I need to catch up really bad ahah. I was gonna read this morning but then one of my favourite reactors on YouTube put out their reaction to episodes 1-6 of the second half of Attack on Titan season 3 and I leapt on that shit.

But don't slow don't on my account. Keep going.

And yeah, Blue does seem to do brave shit when people aren't around. Makes it all less believable so she can keep her reputation as a cunt.

[[deleted user]]

"But because Gansey was too cowardly to tell Adam about falling in love with her, she had to stand there with her sadness by herself."

I mean, YOU could do it Blue! Nothing is stopping you! I'm not even sure Gansey knows Adam used to have a crush on her and they were almost a thing, so why would he say shit?

Does Stiefvater have an editor? Like goddamn.

[Maiko-chan [|]]

Nah Gansey knows they were, that's why he doesn't want to say anything to Adam for fear of hurting him and or causing a fight.

[Maiko-chan [|]]

Sounds fun! Do you mind linking me to that youtuber?

No Ik it won't take you much time to catch up and finish. This one has been the best so far imo. I'm on ch54 now, have been reading all day. A little distracted by also rewatching Supernatural (just finished s2 again) and a bit of Pokemon Go, but otherwise I have not wanted to stop reading this book.

[[deleted user]]

The YouTuber: https://www.youtube.com/user/Friendsh...

Also, honestly? I've been skimming. Not much since I stopped last night on page 54 and I'm on 90 now, but I just really don't care anymore. I've had enough.

Ooh how's the rewatch going?

[Maiko-chan [|]]

I think I'm liking it better after getting some sleep and time away from book 3. Could also, a little, be that you read fanfic that was a good one, with ship you love, and was way more interesting to you. I'd imagine wanting to just go back to that instead.

Definitely skim the Piper parts, they don't matter, she kills Gwen-girl's (idk how to spell her name) mom via demon but that's it.

[Maiko-chan [|]]

Is Shingeki the reaction series you rec starting on watching?

[[deleted user]]

Yeah. I'm not sure if all of his videos for the series have been put back up; he got hit a few months ago with copyright claims. But I definitely recommend starting with his reactions to those. He gets a bit into it and yells a little, but it's nice to watch someone be enthusiastic. He also has reactions for Fullmetal Alchemist that I recommend too.

Also yeah. I've gone onto reading a different fanfic. Maybe I shouldn't have moved onto fanfics before finishing this series that seems to have brought me down. BUT. I'm glad you're enjoying yourself!

Why is Piper even in the series? Like. I don't recall her being interesting or being "plot relevant" (for what little plot there is).

[Maiko-chan [|]]

She wasn't really. But now she is. That's how all the villains are in this series.

Another SPN fic or different series?

I mean it's the first few seasons which were the best. Rewatch is fun. (Sorry, I'm tired, keep thinking I've seen and responded to each section)

Paused to do PokeGo and maaaaaaaan is the game not fun to play when your cell connection errors you out of the game repeatedly. Though I guess that makes it more exciting getting back in and staying in for however long.

[Maiko-chan [|]]

Just realized. I've been reading this book today with Vinland Saga's OP songs (mostly op2) on constant loop.
That might be adding to my enjoyment I think.

[[deleted user]]

Vinland Saga's OPs are pretty brilliant. Do you think you'll be rating this book higher than the others?

It was another Supernatural fic, just finished it. I tend to read long fics in less than a day if I'm not doing anything. Which is frustrating sometimes because then I gotta find something else to read.

Yeah, they were. Seasons 4 and 5 are my favourite from the early era. But I think once Sera Gamble took over in seasons 6 and 7 the show took time to recover from that. I've watched up to season 12 and I need to get back into it because it's in its final season, but seasons 8-12 were good regardless once the travesty of seasons 6 and 7 got dealt with. We all know that the leviathans - very poorly handled - were just nudged back to the corner they came from and had a sheet thrown over them so we wouldn't noticed. The leviathans could have been great if the showrunner had handled shit the way she was supposed to.

I hope Pokemon Go works normally soon! It keeps telling me it's raining but it's fucking not raining. It's cloudy. We had a light sprinkle two nights ago and that was that. What Australia wouldn't give for a nationwide downpour.

[Maiko-chan [|]]

Ugh nvm. Enjoyment killed. All of them at the end being like 'I didn't think it would end like this; I always knew it would end like this; I can't think, I keep waiting for something more' like gee way to tell the reader exactly how to feel because you think the reader is so simpleminded and can't think for themselves, or Stiefvater just couldn't process not getting to prolong this series even more? Must be why there's now the Ronan-centric series.

And of course in the veeery end we get Adam confronting his dad and it feels so f'ing forced and I'm bored bored bored

[[deleted user]]

I thought you said "Adam comforting his dad" and I was gonna

R A G E


Yeah but the Ronan-centric story didn't come until three years after this one ended, so maybe Stiefvater was like "okay fuck I can't do this anymore" and then Netflix got the rights for the tv show and she was like $$$$$$$

[Maiko-chan [|]]

Both the OPs are SO GOOD?? I'm in love with them.

Ugh no. I wish I could rate it higher but I can't. The majority of it felt like a 4, though the early Blue parts and villain perspective chapters brought it down. But the last 10-ish% (however long that is) brought it lower again. And sure I'm tired and it's late but wooooow it went from being the book I wished the whole series had been to like. Wtf even is this? That's the end? That's worse than the Harry Potter epilogue we collectively ignore.

Always on the quest. I feel like I do nothing but stockpile material to get to and never do since I'm so slow at getting through even one.

Indeed! The leviathans were a cool concept. I wanted them explored more.

It won't. It's just my shitty iPhone and poor service connection dropping the game all the time.
If you tap the weather button up top right and then the ! circle you can report a weather issue, either not accurate or accurate but not up to date.

LOL THANK GOD THAT WASN'T THE CASE. I'd rage too.

I want to believe that but the very end acts like a set up for more with Ronan slipping into a dream.

Also that whole ending section was very anticlimactic. Which is Stiefvater's style for important moments.

[[deleted user]]

"Adam expected to see gasoline and gravel in his eyes"

I fucking hate it when people do this. Fire? Sure. Good metaphor or whatever, I can see that. Gasoline and gravel? This is as bad as when authors use "velvety/leathery voice"

[Maiko-chan [|]]

Just think, the reward for getting however far through this is the next episode of Vinland Saga in several hours!
Oh god my heart. Askeladd!!!!

[[deleted user]]

Jesus fucking Christ, already???? I've been reading and doing my read dates I completely forgot to catch the fuck up. Shit. I thought I had more time.

[Maiko-chan [|]]

Oh no!!!!!! I'm sorry! Uh yeah according to https://horriblesubs.info/release-sch... it'll be in about 9 hours. So yeah already nearly here. But that might be to your favor, last ep was a cliffhanger of course and FEELS will be next ep it seems.

I'm. Not prepared