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friendly_neighborhood_grandma's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
3.5
This book was very good at the start. Kinda predictable but idc. I did not understand anything that happened at the last quarter of the book. It was very confusing and too fast to understand, a little forced...I think that I really like the ending. Simple, hopeful, free)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Suicide, Body horror, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Death of parent, Grief, Self harm, Confinement, Kidnapping, Drug abuse, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Vomit and Panic attacks/disorders
abbsgabs's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
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
4.75
This series is amazing and I love all of the characters, they're all well thought out and unique and they have such a strong bond. The series is full of adventure and it keeps you engaged. My only complaint is that if you think too hard about some things, they don't make much sense and are just explained away by "magic". But I don't even care, that's how good these books are.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
wallflovver's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
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
there was so much i forgot about this book from my first time reading, it felt so excitingly new to me!
raven king truly does feel like a great end to this series that i adore, filled with magical realism and characters im sooo attached to
my heart was torn open by the last few chapters, despite knowing what to expect lol
"he slid quietly from time"
raven king truly does feel like a great end to this series that i adore, filled with magical realism and characters im sooo attached to
my heart was torn open by the last few chapters, despite knowing what to expect lol
"he slid quietly from time"
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Body horror, Grief, Death of parent, Gore, Gun violence, and Blood
sreddous's review
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content warnings: some body horror/mentions of medical procedures, some racist language.
I think the plot gets a bit too lost too often in all the deeply-descriptive writing and the tasks of all the many characters -- I had to kind of sit back and try to remind myself of all the plot threads and the characters that we've met so far. I had to ask myself, "Oh, if [character] hadn't been here, could the plot have been much different?" And that's what I think stops this book from being a super amazing all-time favorite 5-star for me personally -- this is a complicated plot with a TON of characters and a TON of powers that ended... pretty quickly and cleanly, and I'm not totally sure how I feel about it. I don't want to call it anticlimactic, but I think my takeaway is, I'm trying to MAKE myself remember the important roles all the previous books' characters contributed, and I wish it was a little more clear.
Still. At the end of the day, holy cow, do I love this descriptive writing. I LOVE the way this author describes landscapes and ESPECIALLY people.
And this book is, in fact, satisfying. I really like all the relationships that are portrayed here. I like all the friendships. I....... dddddon't love the racist jokes they used with Henry, but overall I do believe their friendship with him. The dialogue is natural and believable and the difficult decisions really do carry a lot of heartbreaking weight. The action scenes are snappy and violent and efficient.
Overall, this series is really something, and this is a satisfying way to wrap up. Because even if I feel a bit lost sometimes about the bigger picture ways that everyone contributed, I don't think that any plot threads were actually left hanging. And, man, I've never seen anything like Maggie Stiefvater's descriptive writing. Among my all-time favorites, and it's why I consistently want to give her stuff 5 stars.
I think the plot gets a bit too lost too often in all the deeply-descriptive writing and the tasks of all the many characters -- I had to kind of sit back and try to remind myself of all the plot threads and the characters that we've met so far. I had to ask myself, "Oh, if [character] hadn't been here, could the plot have been much different?" And that's what I think stops this book from being a super amazing all-time favorite 5-star for me personally -- this is a complicated plot with a TON of characters and a TON of powers that ended... pretty quickly and cleanly, and I'm not totally sure how I feel about it. I don't want to call it anticlimactic, but I think my takeaway is, I'm trying to MAKE myself remember the important roles all the previous books' characters contributed, and I wish it was a little more clear.
Still. At the end of the day, holy cow, do I love this descriptive writing. I LOVE the way this author describes landscapes and ESPECIALLY people.
And this book is, in fact, satisfying. I really like all the relationships that are portrayed here. I like all the friendships. I....... dddddon't love the racist jokes they used with Henry, but overall I do believe their friendship with him. The dialogue is natural and believable and the difficult decisions really do carry a lot of heartbreaking weight. The action scenes are snappy and violent and efficient.
Overall, this series is really something, and this is a satisfying way to wrap up. Because even if I feel a bit lost sometimes about the bigger picture ways that everyone contributed, I don't think that any plot threads were actually left hanging. And, man, I've never seen anything like Maggie Stiefvater's descriptive writing. Among my all-time favorites, and it's why I consistently want to give her stuff 5 stars.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror
Minor: Racial slurs
edonnel's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
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
5.0
THE RAVEN KING is EXACTLY what I wanted for the conclusion to this series. If you're looking for a good comparison, this series is the better, book version of Stranger Things. I am a sucker for found family and this series has delivered without fail, even though the end of this book nearly tore my heart out. If you're a fan of the urban gothic or southern cryptids, this series is a must read, just make sure you start with the first book or you'll be very confused. I would love a series with a young Maura someday, I need more Calla and the 300 Fox Way gang screen time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Gore
This book contains no graphic sex or sexual abuse but there is a lot of nightmare content- mostly surrounding dreamed or imagined gore but some of the bloody stuff is very real and very descriptive. If you could handle the Netflix show Stranger Things, this is comparable to the gore in that show.ladytabletop's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
4.25
Disappointed in the resolve of the big mystery, but overall enjoyed it. This one leans heavily into body horror.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, and Panic attacks/disorders
queer_bookwyrm's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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? No
5.0
5 ⭐ CW: body horror, violence, death, descriptions of blood, swarming insects
"It struck him as a Gansey or Blue impulse, and as he held that tiny, heroic spark in his mind, he realized that is was only because he believed he had saved himself that he could imagine saving someone else."
The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater is the fourth and final book in The Raven Cycle. First I just want to say that this series has caused me emotional damage and I will never be the same 🤣😭. This was a great conclusion and I appreciated the short story, Opal, includes at the end (p.s. that broke me too).
We are back with the Gangsey trying to figure out what to do now that Artemus is with them but uncommunicative. Ronan accidently takes Orphan Girl out of his dream during a particularly bad nightmare, but it turns out what is happening in Ronan's Dreams is also happening to Cabeswater. Remember Piper and Neeve? Yeah those fuckers went and woke the third sleeper, who turned out to be a demon that wants to unmake everything.
This book was a whirlwind! So much happens to each of the Gangsey and I cried a few times. Maggie's writing is immersive and atmospheric, it makes you feel like you're there. There was a moment that Gansey was anxious and holding his breath and I found myself doing the same. I was STRESSED. Maggie also has a wonderful way of writing villains with the perfect balance of sinister and ridiculous.
Ronan's undying devotion to Gansey will never let me be okay. Somehow Gansey ends up becoming a father figure to the broken, orphaned Ronan. This just gave me so many feelings. I'm looking forward to having Maggie rip my heart out again with The Dreamer trilogy 😆.
"It struck him as a Gansey or Blue impulse, and as he held that tiny, heroic spark in his mind, he realized that is was only because he believed he had saved himself that he could imagine saving someone else."
The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater is the fourth and final book in The Raven Cycle. First I just want to say that this series has caused me emotional damage and I will never be the same 🤣😭. This was a great conclusion and I appreciated the short story, Opal, includes at the end (p.s. that broke me too).
We are back with the Gangsey trying to figure out what to do now that Artemus is with them but uncommunicative. Ronan accidently takes Orphan Girl out of his dream during a particularly bad nightmare, but it turns out what is happening in Ronan's Dreams is also happening to Cabeswater. Remember Piper and Neeve? Yeah those fuckers went and woke the third sleeper, who turned out to be a demon that wants to unmake everything.
This book was a whirlwind! So much happens to each of the Gangsey and I cried a few times. Maggie's writing is immersive and atmospheric, it makes you feel like you're there. There was a moment that Gansey was anxious and holding his breath and I found myself doing the same. I was STRESSED. Maggie also has a wonderful way of writing villains with the perfect balance of sinister and ridiculous.
Ronan's undying devotion to Gansey will never let me be okay. Somehow Gansey ends up becoming a father figure to the broken, orphaned Ronan. This just gave me so many feelings. I'm looking forward to having Maggie rip my heart out again with The Dreamer trilogy 😆.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Blood
jenarae'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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Body horror, Blood, Gore, Grief, and Gun violence
Moderate: Violence, Animal death, Child abuse, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, and Kidnapping
maryjames's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, and Gore
onefineelephant's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
9/10. Loved the addition of Henry even though I wasn't sure I was going to. Was satisfied with the ending. Glad that the sets of couples got together. I am continually impressed how the author can do things that I would have never guessed would happen yet feel so right. Great book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Gun violence, Gore, Grief, Murder, and Violence