Reviews with content warning for Gun violence - Wo das Dunkel schläft

It finally happened! This book got me and I really ended up having a good time finishing off this series in general. This was sort of a challenge I set myself (I believe at the end of 2019) where I wanted to read a series. I am a not-so-notorious-though-perhaps-very-loud series hater. I have been since middle school. The scourge of YA series that were so popular during that time (Hunger Games, The Maze Runner, Divergent, etc) really started to put me off reading because it felt very commercial without much substance.
With some age and time, I have gotten over this hate and I was really hungry for a YA around that time anyway (I can't remember but I believe I'd just finished something dark and adult and was in need of a change in pace). I'm probably very late to the train on these books, but I was suddenly hearing about them everywhere and I decided to try them. I remember seeing Stiefvater's work when I was in school but I think it was only the Shiver series, and I'm afraid I've yet to get into werewolf books.
This series has been fun. I'll admit, there isn't a single book in the series that I outright hated and Stiefvater does a really good job of making them all significant in some way or another. That being said. I was super sick of reading them and they are not as fulfilling as a standalone book where I can get that connection and the magical reading moment where the book speaks directly to me and changes me as a person in some fundamental way. I think series books might just not do this as much for me. They're basically a prolonged book so the time it takes to get to life-changing places takes longer. I really like the tone of these stories. I didn't overly love the characters at first but they've grown on me and I did enjoy the story/adventure they go on so that helped.
The Raven King in particular had some of the best moments in character development. I think the shifts in POV and the way Stiefvater unwound events and opened chapters in this story were purposeful and almost expert-level at points. I did not expect where things went, and while that's not a requirement for me, it was enjoyable to continually be surprised. And, the magical moment finally happened in this book! I can't remember (plus it'd be spoilers) what it was in particular but I know it was something Blue-related and I just felt I finally got her and her motives and perspective and could say, 'yes, this makes sense to me and I love it.' I was very happy once I got there and the rest of the book was a breeze from then on.
These books take a little while for me to get going with them. This is something I think might be with most series that you sort of get more of a roller coaster effect than a single slow build and then drop. The starts of each book felt long but once they get momentum they get going pretty darn fast. They're fun, fairly quick, and easy to read, and definitely great fantasy with familiar elements but funky enough to be something all their own as well. Another part I loved with these books, completely unexpected, was that people knew these books and would share things about them with me. I don't know if it's the YA-ness or their general popularity, but these books are better known than most of what I usually read. I got lots of little sweet tidbits from other students and strangers: stuff about their experiences reading these and I treasure those the most!

Content Warnings

irlchaosdemon's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

claudiamacpherson's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I was honestly surprised by how much I enjoyed this series. While I love fantasy, I don't always like modern settings with it, but in these books it really worked. I also tend to avoid books with darker and more violent scenes, but I thought Stiefvater did a good job using them without making them overly graphic. I thought Stiefvater created a really interesting system of magic and power that was unique but also very tied into old superstitions and traditions. The main reason I loved these books though, was the characters. Ronan's aggressiveness and Adam's pride were frustrating to me at first, but both of them grew on me a lot throughout the series. On the other hand, I loved Blue and Gansey from the very beginning: Blue's kindness as well as her bluntness, and Gansey's confidence, unswerving loyalty, and generosity. For me, these books weren't really about the plot (although that was interesting too) as much as seeing what the characters would do next.

I loved everything about the ending with the small exception that the Glendower "find" was pretty anticlimactic, especially given that it has been a huge part of the story and the characters' lives.

Happy ending meter (no specific spoilers, just my judgement of how happy the ending is because I always wish someone would tell me that before I read books):

Happy! I honestly really loved this ending. It was anticlimactic in a way and maybe a bit predictable (which I don't mind!), but it still felt right for the story.

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