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ruinedlanguage's review against another edition
4.0
I don’t know if this was a particularly good book. I don’t think it even read like the final book in the series. I didn’t enjoy myself till page 256.
Certainly, if there was some world where I hadn’t read The Raven Cycle and instead chose to start my Stiefvater experience with this trilogy I may not even have liked it. Maybe it’s just the nostalgia speaking, the knowledge that this story, these characters are over.
But I’m so happy? I feel like for me this was pure fantasy wish fulfillment. You get to know more about Niall and Mor, you get more Adam, and you get an epilogue that might be the happiest thing Stiefvater’s ever written.
I’m happy because I got everything I wanted and not because this book was satisfying, but it’s literally the last day before a whole new year and I feel optimistic and brilliant and so I’m just going to roll with it.
[SPOILERS]
so unbelievably grateful Declan is alive. So unhappy with whatever nonsense plot Nathan felt like and Carmen’s whole conclusion. TRC felt like whether or not you liked the ending (I hated it) the principe characters all at least had satisfactory arcs- Noah’s was brutal but still poetic- there wasn’t that same sense of resolution here.
Certainly, if there was some world where I hadn’t read The Raven Cycle and instead chose to start my Stiefvater experience with this trilogy I may not even have liked it. Maybe it’s just the nostalgia speaking, the knowledge that this story, these characters are over.
But I’m so happy? I feel like for me this was pure fantasy wish fulfillment. You get to know more about Niall and Mor, you get more Adam, and you get an epilogue that might be the happiest thing Stiefvater’s ever written.
I’m happy because I got everything I wanted and not because this book was satisfying, but it’s literally the last day before a whole new year and I feel optimistic and brilliant and so I’m just going to roll with it.
[SPOILERS]
so unbelievably grateful Declan is alive. So unhappy with whatever nonsense plot Nathan felt like and Carmen’s whole conclusion. TRC felt like whether or not you liked the ending (I hated it) the principe characters all at least had satisfactory arcs- Noah’s was brutal but still poetic- there wasn’t that same sense of resolution here.
bislanda's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
sophwest's review against another edition
3.5
So we all agree maggie is a creative genuis right? Like her mind works differently to ours. And yet.
I might be to blame for this rating but also, I think the writing in this world excels when it's fully in the world asking non stop questions. As soon as it starts answering them, I'm tapped out unfortunately. Also I hated the epilogue lol sorry.
The start though was soo heart rending and all the declan Ronan baby lynch boys stuff was obvi magical. The whole Lynch family back story honestly.
Could write an essay on the use of repetition in this series and book specifically though. Very clever if overused device.
In my perfect world I get all the manuscripts for all 7 books and get to cut em up into two seperate stories in the same universe. Dream thieves as book one of the dreamer quartet. Let Blues story shine, let ronans story shine, they don't need to be squashed together the way the og 4 books do!!! But anyway *that's just my opinion* meme
I might be to blame for this rating but also, I think the writing in this world excels when it's fully in the world asking non stop questions. As soon as it starts answering them, I'm tapped out unfortunately. Also I hated the epilogue lol sorry.
The start though was soo heart rending and all the declan Ronan baby lynch boys stuff was obvi magical. The whole Lynch family back story honestly.
Could write an essay on the use of repetition in this series and book specifically though. Very clever if overused device.
In my perfect world I get all the manuscripts for all 7 books and get to cut em up into two seperate stories in the same universe. Dream thieves as book one of the dreamer quartet. Let Blues story shine, let ronans story shine, they don't need to be squashed together the way the og 4 books do!!! But anyway *that's just my opinion* meme
zoiejanelle's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
this entire series felt like a continuation of The Dream Thieves, specifically the line “why do you hate you? i don’t.”
this book was about being split between two worlds and not belonging in either, and how you get to choose who you are—no matter what you’re made of or where you came from. this book asks what does it mean to be human? this book is about family and grief and the lies we tell ourselves. this book is about discovering who we are, what we want, and why we do the things we do. it’s about the pursuit of future and present, and leaving the past in the past.
i’m not going to lie, this shit was fucking bonkers. from start to finish i was on the edge of my seat, dazed and confused—but also thrilled! while other reviewers were disappointed in the focus on other characters that were not Ronan, i was pleased. i am, unfortunately, clinically obsessed with Declan Lynch and would do anything for that dumb idiot. i loved having him in the spotlight, not to mention the extra Hennessy, Jordan, and Carmen chapters.
because Maggie Stiefvater is who she is, there were a lot of dropped plot points or questions unanswered, (like what is the voice? where did the Lace go? what is on the other side in the dream world? is nightwash no longer a thing?) but that’s okay. it’s the characters and the magic that makes her books so damn compelling.
the epilogue was so sweet. i cried, but we knew i would. the end of Jordan and Declan’s arc was just perfect. the ending scene with Ronan and Adam was precious. the hints of Hennessy and Carmen had me swooning. the OPAL MENTION!!! normally i am not a fan of time skips (especially for epilogues) but Maggie has said that this is the end of this story and she won’t be returning to this world, so i really appreciated the wrap up. it’s nice to see that the teenagers i fell in love with got their happy endings.
overall, i’m very glad i read these books. they did not hit in the same way TRC did, but they were still extremely moving and important to me. i will never love characters the way i love Ronan Lynch and Adam Parrish. (and now Deklo!)
this book was about being split between two worlds and not belonging in either, and how you get to choose who you are—no matter what you’re made of or where you came from. this book asks what does it mean to be human? this book is about family and grief and the lies we tell ourselves. this book is about discovering who we are, what we want, and why we do the things we do. it’s about the pursuit of future and present, and leaving the past in the past.
i’m not going to lie, this shit was fucking bonkers. from start to finish i was on the edge of my seat, dazed and confused—but also thrilled! while other reviewers were disappointed in the focus on other characters that were not Ronan, i was pleased. i am, unfortunately, clinically obsessed with Declan Lynch and would do anything for that dumb idiot. i loved having him in the spotlight, not to mention the extra Hennessy, Jordan, and Carmen chapters.
because Maggie Stiefvater is who she is, there were a lot of dropped plot points or questions unanswered, (like what is the voice? where did the Lace go? what is on the other side in the dream world? is nightwash no longer a thing?) but that’s okay. it’s the characters and the magic that makes her books so damn compelling.
the epilogue was so sweet. i cried, but we knew i would. the end of Jordan and Declan’s arc was just perfect. the ending scene with Ronan and Adam was precious. the hints of Hennessy and Carmen had me swooning. the OPAL MENTION!!! normally i am not a fan of time skips (especially for epilogues) but Maggie has said that this is the end of this story and she won’t be returning to this world, so i really appreciated the wrap up. it’s nice to see that the teenagers i fell in love with got their happy endings.
overall, i’m very glad i read these books. they did not hit in the same way TRC did, but they were still extremely moving and important to me. i will never love characters the way i love Ronan Lynch and Adam Parrish. (and now Deklo!)
che1sea_'s review against another edition
5.0
“There was a strange sort of magic to being a person holding another person after not being held by someone for a long time. There was another strange sort of magic to understanding you’d been using words and silence the wrong way for a long time.”
My rating is entirely biased—I cried pretty much the whole way through and the epilogue was a spiritual healing.
My rating is entirely biased—I cried pretty much the whole way through and the epilogue was a spiritual healing.
abbys's review
3.0
Greywaren felt rushed and disjointed when compared to Call Down The Hawk and Mister Impossible but Gansey made a surprise appearance and there was a happy ending for Ronan and Adam so that balances it out. A nice end to the trilogy.
elliphant's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
momotack's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Solid but this trilogy as a whole will never be TRC to me, not its fault. That being said Maggie continues to be excellent at character and world and mixed at plots - the characters are so gorgeously crafted but the finale didn't feel like it really gave everything a chance to come to fruition and Matthew especially felt a bit short changed. The antagonist kind of came from nowhere and I wasn't invested enough in Farooq Lane as a main character for her brother to be the Big Bad (she was an amazing character and I loved her arc and writing just didn't feel like she was in the right place within the series to end up in this plotline). Gansey rocking up again at the end made me weep of course. Maggie still has the most to say abut suicide and trauma and it is excellent. These books still come out at the right point for me. Reading Declan and Hennesseys POVs made me feel seen in the Ganseys always did. I will miss everyone so deeply. So deeply. Copying some of my chats with Fish below bc I was right
Bc genuinely I think if you picked this up without having read trc it would still be confusing (ronan like: yeah I've done this before. Nbd) and if you have read it, it feels weirdly disconnected
I think q lot of it comes down to: either do a new series or a sequel but like. Semi-sequels are really hard unless your characters and world are very 2d and yiur plots are very strong which is not the mstief way
Hennessey and ronan at least I do feel had a very well crafted plot at a relationship so there's that. And ditto declan and farooq Lane, but just not necessarily enough to justify the Nathan reveal
Felt almost like there was a missing scene between Bryde and Matthew in the table and Bryde at the final battle. Bc like. I was sure they were going spmewhere with the ronan is human AND inhuman and those parts do not have to contradict and also the Bryde (ronans angriest and least human creation) and Matthew (ronans sweetest and most human creation) being paired together
Bc genuinely I think if you picked this up without having read trc it would still be confusing (ronan like: yeah I've done this before. Nbd) and if you have read it, it feels weirdly disconnected
I think q lot of it comes down to: either do a new series or a sequel but like. Semi-sequels are really hard unless your characters and world are very 2d and yiur plots are very strong which is not the mstief way
Hennessey and ronan at least I do feel had a very well crafted plot at a relationship so there's that. And ditto declan and farooq Lane, but just not necessarily enough to justify the Nathan reveal
Felt almost like there was a missing scene between Bryde and Matthew in the table and Bryde at the final battle. Bc like. I was sure they were going spmewhere with the ronan is human AND inhuman and those parts do not have to contradict and also the Bryde (ronans angriest and least human creation) and Matthew (ronans sweetest and most human creation) being paired together
natt_alie's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75