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catbrigand's review against another edition
3.0
I don't know, man. This is going to be a hard one for me to review, but I'll give it a try. First, the anticipation for this book was so huge for me, like it likely was for everyone else waiting for it. I read the first two books several months before BLLB came out, and while I really liked those two books and was glad BLLB came out, but I didn't have this rabid anticipation when BLLB came out and in fact it was out for like two months before I got around to it. This book, though. The only reason it took me SO long to get to it is because I'm a grad student and I had exams. My favorite secret to life is lowered expectations, because when I don't have sky-high expectations, I'm not going to be as disappointed. So, in fairness to this book, the chance that I would be disappointed by something was relatively high because my expectations were very high.
There were a lot of things I liked about this book. I liked finally hearing about the assembly of the amazing family of women that raised Blue. I liked the role played by Gwenllian. I liked the resolution of the problems between the Lynch brothers. There was one thing that I liked best of all, and it's hidden in this here spoiler:
There were a lot of things I didn't like. But it's not in a trivial "had high and unrealistic hopes and am irritated by small things" way. Well, one of them. And that was that if I had to read "depending on where you start, the story was about x" one more time, I was going to cast my book into the sea. Another thing, which was less trivial, was that there are a lot of new things in this book--new characters, new plot points, new tangents--many of which were not wrapped up and most of which probably could have been left out, or at the very least, reworked to involve more of the major characters. What I disliked most about this book was how far away I felt it moved from the core of the Raven Boys and Blue but especially the women of 300 Fox Way. I feel like if Stiefvater was set on the direction that this book took, and clearly she was, because she wrote it, it could have been introduced much earlier. Like...instead of 300 pages of Kavinsky and Ronan verbal hate-sex in The Dream Thieves.
The thing I disliked the most as a matter of plot point is below this spoiler, so stop now if you're not into that.
I remember reading Stiefvater's blog post when the book was released and she said that her goal was for readers to say "I want" without knowing what they want afterward. I do know what I want. I want this book to be different. I don't know how, but I do know that much.
There were a lot of things I liked about this book. I liked finally hearing about the assembly of the amazing family of women that raised Blue. I liked the role played by Gwenllian. I liked the resolution of the problems between the Lynch brothers. There was one thing that I liked best of all, and it's hidden in this here spoiler:
Spoiler
I LIKED NOAH CZERNY. Noah. My king. My half-soul. My dude. My favorite raven boy. It broke me to realize, as the others did, that the Noah they knew was an echo, not a complete Noah, and that they may not have even been friends with the complete Noah. So much of what made their Noah was the quiet and subdued lack of energy, when full-Noah was so much more frenetic. The fact that Noah is the one who gave Gansey his life, deliberately set him on the path to find Glendower so that Gansey would find Noah and the others, knew all along how this would play out, gave me life. He deserved so much more and it kills me that nobody ever knew what or how it happened.There were a lot of things I didn't like. But it's not in a trivial "had high and unrealistic hopes and am irritated by small things" way. Well, one of them. And that was that if I had to read "depending on where you start, the story was about x" one more time, I was going to cast my book into the sea. Another thing, which was less trivial, was that there are a lot of new things in this book--new characters, new plot points, new tangents--many of which were not wrapped up and most of which probably could have been left out, or at the very least, reworked to involve more of the major characters. What I disliked most about this book was how far away I felt it moved from the core of the Raven Boys and Blue but especially the women of 300 Fox Way. I feel like if Stiefvater was set on the direction that this book took, and clearly she was, because she wrote it, it could have been introduced much earlier. Like...instead of 300 pages of Kavinsky and Ronan verbal hate-sex in The Dream Thieves.
The thing I disliked the most as a matter of plot point is below this spoiler, so stop now if you're not into that.
Spoiler
The climax of this book is singularly unsatisfying. I don't mind that Glendower turned out to be a pile of nothing, although a little explanation would have been nice, i.e, what was Artemus' and Gwenllian's deal if it turns out Glendower has been dead all this time. It didn't actually surprise me that much, because if Glendower had actually been sleeping, then the book would have been too tidy for my liking. What I disliked was the introduction of these demon wasp thing, and I don't even understand how it came to fruition or how Gansey's sacrifice killed it. If we're going to go with demons who can corrupt the world it would have been cooler if it turned out Glendower was evil and stuff.I remember reading Stiefvater's blog post when the book was released and she said that her goal was for readers to say "I want" without knowing what they want afterward. I do know what I want. I want this book to be different. I don't know how, but I do know that much.
steganogasaurus's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
emil1499's review against another edition
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? No
4.75
bungadinding's review against another edition
3.0
3,5 bintang.
Fix, series ini yang paling bikin aku book-hangover dan gagal move on sepanjang setengah tahun ini :')) Tadinya bintangnya kubuletin ke atas, tapi setelah pikir panjang kuturunin jadi 3. Kayak yang pernah aku bilang, dari series ini aku paliiinggg suka sama karakter-karakternya. Gansey, Blue, Ronan, Adam, Noah, Henry, semuanya masih nyantol di kokoroku lama setelah bukunya kelar. Juga suka banget sama gaya nulisnya yang cantik, ekspresif, quotable di sana-sini. Sejujurnya mulai buku ketiga aku mulai care sama plot besarnya juga, tentang pencarian Glendower, dimana di buku-buku awal aku masih ngerasa pencarian ini rasa konyol dan lebih suka merhatiin perkembangan karakter2nya aja.
Di buku pamungkas ini, awalnya aku excited buat mengungkap semua misteri yang tersisa. Suspense building-nya bagus di awal-awal, pacingnya cepet dan seru dan bikin nggak sabar sampai ke ending.
Terus ternyata endingnya.... gitu doang. Agak kecewa karena ternyata ekspektasi terlalu tinggi ._.
........yha.
Tadinya aku berharap juga series ini lebih banyak menggarap mitos2 lama Skotlandia, nggak cuma selintas-selintas aja. But maybe I was asking too much. Bab terakhir yang nyeritain nasib Adam, sebetulnya aku akan senang banget kalau bagian itu ditaruh di buku-buku awal. Sayangnya di sini, bab sebelumnya masih yang heboh-heboh fantasi, bab terakhirnya langsung loncat ke masalah realistisnya Adam dan keluarganya. Bukannya aku udah nggak care sama Adam tapi kerasa jomplang banget.... Kayak buku ini ke-split identitasnya, maunya jadi novel fantasi apa realistic YA sih sebenernya :|
Kalau seriesnya keseluruhan boleh lah kukasih bintang 4. Tetep recommended buat dibaca. Bacalah, naksirlah dan fangirlinglah sama Gansey Adam Ronan Noah Henry Blue :"3
Fix, series ini yang paling bikin aku book-hangover dan gagal move on sepanjang setengah tahun ini :')) Tadinya bintangnya kubuletin ke atas, tapi setelah pikir panjang kuturunin jadi 3. Kayak yang pernah aku bilang, dari series ini aku paliiinggg suka sama karakter-karakternya. Gansey, Blue, Ronan, Adam, Noah, Henry, semuanya masih nyantol di kokoroku lama setelah bukunya kelar. Juga suka banget sama gaya nulisnya yang cantik, ekspresif, quotable di sana-sini. Sejujurnya mulai buku ketiga aku mulai care sama plot besarnya juga, tentang pencarian Glendower, dimana di buku-buku awal aku masih ngerasa pencarian ini rasa konyol dan lebih suka merhatiin perkembangan karakter2nya aja.
Di buku pamungkas ini, awalnya aku excited buat mengungkap semua misteri yang tersisa. Suspense building-nya bagus di awal-awal, pacingnya cepet dan seru dan bikin nggak sabar sampai ke ending.
Terus ternyata endingnya.... gitu doang. Agak kecewa karena ternyata ekspektasi terlalu tinggi ._.
Spoiler
Tadinya aku mengharap kalau Gansey dkk itu ternyata reinkarnasi dari Glendower and his knights, atau semacamnya. Tadinya aku berharap kalau kutukan ciumannya Blue nggak se...harfiah itu. Minimal ada backstory-nya, lah. Lha ternyata beneran cuma cium, trus mati.........yha.
Tadinya aku berharap juga series ini lebih banyak menggarap mitos2 lama Skotlandia, nggak cuma selintas-selintas aja. But maybe I was asking too much. Bab terakhir yang nyeritain nasib Adam, sebetulnya aku akan senang banget kalau bagian itu ditaruh di buku-buku awal. Sayangnya di sini, bab sebelumnya masih yang heboh-heboh fantasi, bab terakhirnya langsung loncat ke masalah realistisnya Adam dan keluarganya. Bukannya aku udah nggak care sama Adam tapi kerasa jomplang banget.... Kayak buku ini ke-split identitasnya, maunya jadi novel fantasi apa realistic YA sih sebenernya :|
Kalau seriesnya keseluruhan boleh lah kukasih bintang 4. Tetep recommended buat dibaca. Bacalah, naksirlah dan fangirlinglah sama Gansey Adam Ronan Noah Henry Blue :"3
rychelereads's review against another edition
3.0
Maggie Stiefvater proved that her specialty is making readers hungry for a climax, wantonly so, in developing this beguiling and intricately woven storyline.
From the very first sentence of book one in this Raven Cycle,
"Blue Sargent had forgotten how many times she’d been told that she would kill her true love,"
readers are filled with questions upon questions, many moments of speculation, fear of the unknown, and an increasingly fed desire to continue on this path towards certain death. And the climb is absolutely brilliant. The story, writing, and details of this series can be described as the perfect balance between whimsical discovery and certain foreboding circumstances - YA fantasy literature at its best.
Previous to the ending, here are the many great things I'd gleaned from this magnificent journey:
Life is certain until there is death; death is certain unless it is a dream; and dreams are certain, unless they are not. The only thing keeping you from attaining certainty of self, is the will to follow an uncertain path to find it. For me, The Raven Cycle was a coming of age story, that was more like a coming of self; A call to action and a warning for pursuing your dreams and bringing them to reality.
And when you're just you, flesh, blood, dreamer, aiming for the sky above you, and "that's all there is;" that is enough.
And yet, all this praise, but only 3 stars?
I often find that when it comes to series in this genre, magnificent as they are, climbing and reaching for a climax that you see coming, anticipate so wantonly, and then have bitter sweet or at the very least strong feelings for when it finally arrives, they tend to end in a fit of cliche.
Either everything is happily ever after, or everything is happily ever after, for every single main character. So when the raven cycle promised me death, ominous feelings, grief, answers to my questions, and oddities of REASONABLE quality, I felt an emptiness with the loose ends of this book.
The fact of the matter is that none of the books in the Raven Cycle, including The Raven King are ever deserving of the label, "bad," under any circumstance. However, the promises that this all too bizarre yet reasonable world come to pass in ways that are so trivial compared to the rest.
In a word, unsatisfying.
From the very first sentence of book one in this Raven Cycle,
"Blue Sargent had forgotten how many times she’d been told that she would kill her true love,"
readers are filled with questions upon questions, many moments of speculation, fear of the unknown, and an increasingly fed desire to continue on this path towards certain death. And the climb is absolutely brilliant. The story, writing, and details of this series can be described as the perfect balance between whimsical discovery and certain foreboding circumstances - YA fantasy literature at its best.
Previous to the ending, here are the many great things I'd gleaned from this magnificent journey:
Life is certain until there is death; death is certain unless it is a dream; and dreams are certain, unless they are not. The only thing keeping you from attaining certainty of self, is the will to follow an uncertain path to find it. For me, The Raven Cycle was a coming of age story, that was more like a coming of self; A call to action and a warning for pursuing your dreams and bringing them to reality.
And when you're just you, flesh, blood, dreamer, aiming for the sky above you, and "that's all there is;" that is enough.
And yet, all this praise, but only 3 stars?
I often find that when it comes to series in this genre, magnificent as they are, climbing and reaching for a climax that you see coming, anticipate so wantonly, and then have bitter sweet or at the very least strong feelings for when it finally arrives, they tend to end in a fit of cliche.
Either everything is happily ever after, or everything is happily ever after, for every single main character. So when the raven cycle promised me death, ominous feelings, grief, answers to my questions, and oddities of REASONABLE quality, I felt an emptiness with the loose ends of this book.
The fact of the matter is that none of the books in the Raven Cycle, including The Raven King are ever deserving of the label, "bad," under any circumstance. However, the promises that this all too bizarre yet reasonable world come to pass in ways that are so trivial compared to the rest.
In a word, unsatisfying.
trenchcoat_moss's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
esw_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-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
5.0
cheriii_16's review against another edition
5.0
oh my godd what an ending. I absolutely loved this book, it was the perfect conclusion to the series. out of all four of them this one was definitely my favorite. it gave me horror vibes and at times it was kinda scary lol. those creepy scenes (adam and his eye, noah getting possessed, and adam and ronan when they were dreaming) were my favorites. my heart was beating and I got so nervous when reading. it was amazing.
the plot throughout the books have all been complicated to understand and this one was no different. so much was happening at the same time that it kinda overwhelmed me in a good. i always had something to look forward with all the plots lines. it also came together so neatly, like godd.
piper got a demon that was going to like unmake the forest every time she used it? i think. that fact that she turned to be like the final antagonist was so intriguing. her as a character was so interesting.
we get a bunch of answers in this book. blues’ father being from glendower’s time? and him and blue being tree people? (this was so confused lol). glendower’s tomb was found and he was a pile of bones (which also confused me) gansey whole death scene was so never wracking and noah sacrificing himself and erasing himself from time? for him was heart breaking. (im pretty sure it was noah who told gansey about glendower when he first died, so if i did understand that correctly then it was an amazing ending). neeves death was also sad
the plot throughout the books have all been complicated to understand and this one was no different. so much was happening at the same time that it kinda overwhelmed me in a good. i always had something to look forward with all the plots lines. it also came together so neatly, like godd.
piper got a demon that was going to like unmake the forest every time she used it? i think. that fact that she turned to be like the final antagonist was so intriguing. her as a character was so interesting.
we get a bunch of answers in this book. blues’ father being from glendower’s time? and him and blue being tree people? (this was so confused lol). glendower’s tomb was found and he was a pile of bones (which also confused me) gansey whole death scene was so never wracking and noah sacrificing himself and erasing himself from time? for him was heart breaking. (im pretty sure it was noah who told gansey about glendower when he first died, so if i did understand that correctly then it was an amazing ending). neeves death was also sad