Lily Blue (The Raven Cycle), Blue Lily

I would love to know how the story ends! Fun read, same interesting characters. Feels a little "drawn out" at times, but I'm sure all the new characters will play their role. Getting a little far-fetched, but I have already agreed to suspend my belief for Ms. Stiefvater in this series so I'm ready to just go with it.

LOVED the first too books-the elevated, eye popping prose BUT this installment felt like NOTHING new was happening. SOO boring which is such a disappointment because I really wanted to see how everything eded but i just can't bring myself to finish this.Takes too long to get to the point.

My favorite of the Raven Cycle books! I think this is one of Maggie Stiefvater's best books-- particularly at setting tone/mood and showing not telling. Love the way she describes things.

I totally think Maggie is playing a joke on her readers with this mysterious Squash song!

It is definitely better written than The Dream thieves, and more thought through. But I found it repeptitive. In a way that A LOT of character's "quirks" were mentioned over and over and over again, as if Maggie thought it would take as much time to read the book as it took to write it and that we would forget that Blue is bad-tempered and Gansey is kingly and princeling and generally the most amazing-est person and friend and the next missiah. ~Sigh
But I liked it though.

PS before anyone jumps on that I wrote the review on the first day the book was released - I read it already a week ago - I got an ARC.

After struggling with Will Patton’s narration for the past two installments, I decided to switch to reading in the hopes that my opinion of this series would improve because as ill-suited as he’s been for the Raven Boys’ POVs, I simply couldn’t handle the idea of him as the voice of Blue. Sadly, the swap-out did very little to boost my original assessment of THE RAVEN CYCLE; I felt that this was the weakest book so far. New threads get added, and yet it seemed as though the story went nowhere, and there were a couple of things that just didn’t jive.

BLUE LILY, LILY BLUE was primarily about Gansey & Blue; their maturing feelings for each other, Sargent’s inability to come to terms with her mother’s absence & what the end of high school means for her group of friends, and of course, Richard’s never-ending quest for Glendower. Stiefvater flies Mr. Malory, Gansey’s mentor, in from the UK to help the kids with research, but his presence seemed kinda unnecessary, and what the heck was up with the dog? This novel’s purpose was obviously to set-up the final installment, or more to the point, filler.

Ronan & Adam were off doing their own thing trying to frame Greenmantle for crimes that he didn’t commit by working some Graywaren mojo because they have no evidence of the real reason why they want him behind bars. The villain was a bit of an oddball, but it was his wife, Piper, who raised my hackles. She goes from complaining about missing her book club to finding a key Glendower clue in under a week. I mean… who is this woman? How did she even know about the Welsh King? And, more importantly, how did she stumble upon such a huge discovery?

After Noah’s shocking revelation in THE RAVEN BOYS he seems to have become almost irrelevant which begs the question—why bother with him in the first place?—and I didn’t really get how Gwenllian was pertinent to the plot either. Adam showed the most forward mouvement by facing his social status hang-ups, and acknowledging that accepting help doesn’t necessarily equate to charity. One of the secondaries dies which again, came off as pointless. The only thing that’s keeping me going is the feeling that a light bulb will go on after I read THE RAVEN KING.

BLUE LILY, LILY BLUE was an exercise in futility, like a dog chasing its tail.

The gang consisting of the four peculiar raven boys and Blue have spent a lot of time looking for their sleeping king. They haven‘t found him yet but insted they have found other magical things, but horrors and danger have never been far off though.
Now they aren‘t just looking for their king, but also Blue‘s mother after she disappears into the mysterious caves under Henrietta. But while looking they must be careful not to stumble upon and waking the wrong sleeper, their king turns out to be one of three.
And to top it all of Greenmantle has arrived in town and he is not pleased to have been denied the price he sent the Gray Man looking for.

I did enjoy this book, but it is rather slow at times in my oppinion. And the plot was split up a bit to much between the different problems the gang had to face, so I never felt the threat of them proparly since we were always wondering/worrying about a different topick without being able to focus properly on one. Atleast that was something I had a problem with.
But like I said I did enjoy this book though, it has good characters and interesting supernatural elements that I do like.

Blue Lily, Lily Blue is the third book in the Raven Cycle series. The series started off slowly, but the second book was a huge improvement over the first. I chose to listen to the series via audiobook, which is different from the way I normally read books. The third was not quite as good as the second, but it still managed to be engaging and I finished it in two days. Of course, it would be best if you had read the first two books in the series before diving into this review.

Blue and her Raven Boys are drawing ever closer to the secret of the Raven King. It was nice to see continued main character development in this novel as it's important for me to connect with the characters when reading. I do wish that there had been more development of some of the supporting characters. There were events that occurred during this book that I feel would have had a stronger impact had readers developed more of a connection to the side characters. That being said, some of my favourite characters in this series are not the leads. They steal the scenes and make the story more enjoyable. (If you're curious, Chainsaw is probably my favourite character.)

The third book continues the trend of the inclusion of one side story and character that inevitably weaves its way into the narrative and plot. As I felt in the first book, this was the least enjoyable aspect of the plot. At times these scenes plodded along and slowed down the narrative, perhaps their importance will be seen further down the road but in this novel at least, I felt that this entire character's more prominent feature in the story was unnecessary. There should have been another way to set the final chapter's events in motion without them.

I am now completely invested in the story, although I still feel that things in the world and magic system have not been adequately explained. I've come to care about what happens to (some of) these characters and can't wait to find out what happens in the conclusion of this series.

Wow..Just wow !!!
The plot just keeps getting thicker.. the magic keeps getting intriguing.. the characters keep getting multi-dimensional.. And I keep getting happier !!!

So, this book...Let me summarize the mind-fucking mess in this book in the author's own words..

School was imminent,love was in the air, and Blue's mother had vanished on some mysterious personal quest more than a month before, leaving behind her newly acquired assassin beau.

To add to this we have other people trespassing the leyline in search of the Greywaren, we have sleepers who have been sleeping for centuries waiting to be awakened, we learn something new about Blue, we lose someone whom we had come to adore, we gain someone who is a tad bit annoying yet cute with all the singing.. oh my..

I beyond loved it !! I love how each character comes into their own, each showing strength and courage in frightening situations.
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Who was this person who could dream a dream into a concrete shape? No wonder Aglionby bored Ronan.
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And something else : friendship of the unshakeble kind. Friendship you could swear on. That could be busted nearly to breaking and come back stronger than before. Adam held out his right hand, and Gansey clasped it in a handshake, like they were men, because they were men
***********************************
Oh!! Shoot !! Sigh..My boys are growing up !!

I was touched by so many scenes in this book. Gansey and Blue were so adorable and heart-breaking at the same time, I loved the banter and understanding between Adam and Ronan, I loved the ruthlessness with which Adam and Ronan drove Greenmantle away, I loved how Gansey's voice and command have so much power, I've come to like Mr.Grey and his fatherly feeling for Blue,I even loved Jessie Dittley..

Has the third sleeper been awakened ???

Can't wait to start the final book of the series.. This was my last book in 2017 and such a memorable one at that !!

This book was a little frustrating. The writer writes beautifully, but not always cohesively. Sometimes I wasn't sure what was going on - like I'd been jumped around. In one part the poor boy is taking his abusive father to court. He's very torn about it and the father tells him the community will believe him because he's upstanding and a hard worker, not a whiney, spoiled kid. Then the trial begins and surprisingly his friends, whom he didn't even tell he was taking his abusive father to court, show up as his witnesses and the judge allows them in even though the doors had been closed - one of the rich boys knows the judge well. That's the end of the trial scene - no trial. I guess we're supposed to assume he won - but not another word was mentioned. I was listening to unabridged CD and had to check and see if I'd skipped one it was so abruptly over. The reader on this is wonderful. I will read the next one. The characters are wonderful and the story compelling. My only complaint is the chunks left out or jumps from one scene to the next abruptly.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

*Breathes heavily* Oh my god, it’s happening. BOOK THREE. IT’S GOIN’ DOWN. I’M FREAKING OUT. I’m in so deep now. A book series hasn’t excited me this much since The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare. These Raven Cycle reviews are quickly becoming less constructive and more of just me fangirling for several paragraphs, so I’m apologizing now. Remember my first review of The Raven Boys when I said it was just a “fun listen?” I was so cute. So naive. It was a simpler time.

THE REHASH *Series spoilers ahead*
In this third installment of The Raven Cycle, our favorite characters are a little more scattered than before, both literally and metaphorically. Maura Sargent, for example, is deep underground in a freaking cave tunnel while Blue and her psychic family desperately search for clues about her disappearance. When they come up empty handed, everyone is feeling the stress and emotions run high at 300 Fox Way.

Meanwhile, Gansey and Adam have made amends from their explosive fight in the last novel, but their niceties are only on the surface. Gansey is falling for Blue fast despite his efforts to fight it. As the leader, he doesn’t want to show favoritism and definitely doesn’t want to hurt Adam, but his heart has other ideas. Similarly, Blue is head over heels for Gansey and the misery of knowing his impending doom is really starting to kick in. With that and her missing mother, Blue has definitely had better days. Adam is busy working (as usual) and learning to communicate better with Cabeswater with the help of Persephone, while Ronan tries to find a way to keep dream things alive on their own. Not only would this help Ronan’s mother, but he also wants to cover his bases in case anything ever happens to him in the future. With Adam and Gansey still (kind of) on the outs, and Blue and Gansey’s secret sort-of relationship, Ronan and Adam get pushed together a little more—growing closer than they were before. All the while, poor Noah is slowly going off the wall and Blue is even forced to shut off her energy from him to avoid disaster.

As all this goes on, the Aglionby boys get a new Latin teacher who is none other than Colin Greenmantle—the Gray Man’s brother and former pissed off employer. After not getting the Graywaren like he wanted in Dream Thieves, Colin and his annoyingly basic wife Piper decide to move in and do a little digging. Once the Gray Man knows they’re in town, he confronts his brother to try and get him to leave, but it only ends with Colin threatening to kill everyone Mr. Gray loves if he doesn’t produce the Graywaren soon. With Ronan’s dreaming abilities, Adam’s smarts, and Mr. Gray’s muscle, they come up with a plan to drive them out of town, but not before Piper starts sniffing around the ley line…

None of this drama puts a halt on the search for Glendower or Maura, and the raven gang starts exploring the caves of Cabeswater to find them. When they hit a dead end, it’s obvious that they need another entrance to the underground tunnels, which is how they meet Jesse Dittley. He’s a man who happens to have a house right next to a cursed cave and it’s the missing puzzle piece—the very thing they needed to get inside the underground tunnels with Maura and the “three sleepers.” The whole book, Blue’s psychic family warns them about these “three sleepers” who are underground for them to find and wake. Or NOT wake… "“Also, rabbits, remember there’s more than one sleeper,” Calla pointed out. “Three of them. One is for you to wake, and one is for you to not wake.”

Well y'all, guess who gets WOKE.

THE GOOD
Everything that we love about the first two novels returns for the third installment and at this point in my devotion, a good review was pretty much guaranteed. The slow build of the Blusey (I’m part of the fandom now, so get ready for the lingo) relationship is soooooo good and I love watching their little stolen moments. I also felt the tiny shift between Ronan and Adam and I am TOTALLY HERE FOR IT. Those two are my favorite characters and seeing them together is like double the happiness for me. Both romances are subdued and take a back seat to the Glendower adventure—an aspect I really love about this series. There’s no need to overstate or dramatize their relationships and I think that somehow adds to the magic of it.

And speaking of magic, despite this being categorized as a fantasy and one of the minor characters having hooves for feet, it feels real. I feel like I could drive five hours north to Henrietta, find the psychic hotline in the phonebook (those still exist right?), or look up Aglionby academy online. Even though Ronan is pulling magical stuff out of thin air, Adam can speak to a forest, and Gansey is ordering around giant herds of magical elk, the emotions are so vivid I can taste them. Stiefvater’s writing is beautiful and somehow manages to make the impossible seem possible.

Oh! And of course, Will Patton is amazing and rules the world.

THE UGLY
The only negative thing I have to say about this third installment is that it felt transitional to me. Despite being part of the same series, both The Raven Boys and The Dream Thieves had unique stories that stand out in my mind separately. This one, however, seemed to lean more on it’s predecessor in terms of plot and was just one giant build up to The Raven King. Don’t get me wrong, this is an amazing book and I still loved every second. I just know that in the future when I think of Blue Lily, Lily Blue, I’m probably going to mush it together with The Raven King. It’s like when I think of the Mortal Instrument series by Cassandra Clare and the fourth and fifth books (City of Lost Angels and City of Lost Souls) sort of blur into one giant novel. Know what I mean? No? I’m talking to myself now?? Okay moving on…

FINAL WORD
YES. DO IT. SO GOOD. NO TIME TO TALK, GOTTA GO READ RAVEN KING.

These books just get better and better, although this one did make me sad with a couple of deaths. But, that is the way it goes right. There are also some new characters in the book. My favorite being Jesse Dittley he is hilarious and he's sweet too. Here's a little excerpt of Jesse, he yells when he talks.

Excerpt:
She stood on the slanted porch with fourteen empty milk jugs and ten cats and knocked. It took a long time for the door to open, and when it did, a puff of cigarette smoke came out with it.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU?"
She peered up at the man. He peered down at her. He must have been close to seven feet tall and was wearing the largest wife-beater that she'd ever seen (and she'd seem a lot). His face was mild, if surprised; the booming, Blue decided, was from chest capacity and not from malice. He stared at her shirt, which she had made from ribbons and soda can tabs, and then at her face.
"Excited to meet you, is what I am." She peered past him into the house. She saw more recliners than she'd ever seen in her life (and she'd seen a lot). Nothing hinted where she might have heard his name before. "Are you Jesse Dittley?"
"I AM JESSE DITTLEY. DID YOU EVER EAT YOUR GREENS?"
It was true that Blue was just shy of five feet and it was also true that she hadn't eaten her greens, but she'd done the research and she didn't think the two were related. She said, "I lost the genetic roll of the dice."
"DAMN STRAIGHT."

End Excerpt.

Isn't he great. Anyway, the gang is all back and still looking for Glendower, but they find something else while looking for him. I won't say what it is but I look forward to finding out what this means. I had so much fun with the characters once again and I can't wait for the next book, which is a couple of weeks away! Yay!

I’ve been a big fan of author Maggie Stiefvater ever since I read her Wolves of Mercy Falls novels. Her Raven Boys have been characters who have always managed to be trapped in the back of my mind. The storyline that makes up her Raven Cycle novels is one filled with the supernatural and adventure. Blue Lily, Lily Blue takes place exactly where The Dream Thieves left off as Blue and the Raven Boys delve deeper into their pursuit of Glendower.

As a new figure enters Aglionby, it’s made evident to both the Raven Boys and Blue that as a the school year begins again, things will never be the same. With Blue’s mother still missing, it becomes increasingly difficult to track her down while also focusing on the undefined relationship between both she and Gansey. One that could most likely end in Gansey’s death. As Blue and the Raven Boys uncover new information, they begin to question all that they have. Betrayal lurks nearer than they know. And Glendower is closer to them now than ever before.

Right off the bat, what I loved most about Blue Lily, Lily Blue was finally getting to see more Gansey/Blue moments. I’ve shipped these two together ever since reading The Raven Boys. The forbidden flare to their relationship is expanded on and (more importantly) the will they won’t they tension grows. Readers who are big fans of the Blue/Gansey dynamic and who are dying to find out if Gansey will make it out of the series unscathed will die while reading Blue Lily, Lily Blue. Not to mention there are more Ronan/Adam interactions that left me feeling completely elated. Love those two.

By far, Blue Lily, Lily Blue is the best novel in the series. The entire story is fast-paced and leaves readers wondering what will happen next. More supernatural elements are implemented into the story and the plot most definitely thickens. A new antagonist is thrown into the mix in the form of Greenmantle. However the question behind who the real antagonist of the story is isn’t answered until the novel reaches its climax—and leaves us with an ending that has readers hanging off the edge of their seats. Greenmantle is a force to be reckoned with and his history and interactions with the Grey Man are intriguing beyond all belief.

As always, Stiefvater’s prose in the Raven Cycle novels is heavy with descriptions. In the past novels I found that typically it slowed down the pacing of the novel and left my attention wavering. While there were still instances of that in Blue Lily, Lily Blue I will say that the way that the novel is written has gotten better. It got me invested in the story. It made me emotional. It left me flipping pages desperately to find out what’s happening next to Blue and our Raven Boys.

And that ending! A series of cliff-hangers that are certainly going to keep me waiting for more. I think everyone who has read Blue Lily, Lily Blue can agree that whatever comes next for Blue and the Raven Boys is definitely not going to be good. I feel that the series story is finally unfolding and preparing readers for another epic installment that will blow our expectations away. I would recommend the Raven Cycle novels to readers who are fans of the supernatural, readers who are fans of Stiefvater’s previous novels, and to readers who are looking for a world that you can drown in.

I loved the first two books of the Raven Boys series and so I was so excited to get the third. And Blue Lily, Lily Blue did not disappoint!! It was just as good as the rest. I love the way Maggie Stievfater writes and was so excited to be back in Henrietta Virginia once again. This book seems to pick up right where The Dream Thieves left off but with a few new issues, mainly Maura is missing, and Colin Greenmantle is in town. But Gansey, Blue, Adam, and Ronan feel closer then ever to finding their sleeping King, although they have been warned by the women in the Sargent household that there is a sleeper they must not wake. But Blue also has to learn things about herself and confront her own issues now that her mother isn’t there to help her. I loved this book and can’t wait to read the last one, although I will be sad to be at the end of the story. So far I have loved the journey with Gansey, Blue, Adam and Ronan, and I have loved learning the way that they each think and see life. They each see it in vastly different ways but it all seems true at the same time. I also like how I can tell that there is a romance starting, but not in a forced way. It seems more natural then in any other books that I have read. When I first started this series I did not like the characters, I didn’t understand how they could not say anything but say everything at the same time or how they all see things in different ways and those perspectives are all true as well. But I couldn’t stop thinking about the first book for about a year and so I finally picked up the second book and loved it and then immediately read this one. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes the supernatural or magic.

I think that writing reviews for this series gets harder and harder the deeper in I get. This book was so fantastic. Seriously, what took me so long to get into this series?!

Just like in the previous two books, this book is told in multiple points of view. You get the points of view of Blue and the Raven Boys, Blue's family, and the villain. I loved it all. While I did really enjoy getting to know Ronan more in the second book, I'm glad this one was more even again with seeing what's going on with everyone else.

So, in the last book, Maura left, only leaving behind a note saying, "Glendower is underground, so am I." Or something along those lines. So in this book, obviously everyone is worried about her and looking out for her. Also, the group gets SO much closer to finding Glendower, I bet they can almost TASTE IT! Oh, I want to know how this goes.

So, somewhere in the first book I started to really dislike Adam. I kinda hated him in The Dream Thieves. And in this book, I'm happy to say, he FINALLY grew on me. I didn't want to dislike him. I wanted to like ALL the Raven Boys. And now I finally do! I loved that he finally got mostly over his... thing... about everything anyone gives him being charity or out of pity. He seemed more accepting of letting others help him, not necessarily in ways dealing with $$. But yes. I am SO pleased that Adam evened out after the balancing thing that Persephone did with him.

Ronan... I don't know what I can say to add on to what we all got to learn about him in The Dream Thieves. I feel like you get to see a little bit more of him past his purposeful-asshole-exterior. I like getting to see deeper into Ronan just because he tries so hard to be such an ass.

Originally, when I first got into this series, one of the only things I knew about it was about Pynch. Not really anything specific, I guess, but just that they might be a thing. I have been waiting and waiting to see this come about, but I just haven't seen what I was expecting to see yet!

Like, everyone on Tumblr raved about Pynch from what I saw when I was still there. I was expecting a full on ROMANCE here, but I haven't seen that yet and I'm mildly disappointed. I love that their relationship seemed to get stronger in this book, but it's still not what I'm expecting. The closest that I felt I got to what I was expecting was when Adam mentioned something about being able to tell Ronan might have a crush on him.

I guess I have one more book to see if my expectations come about.

Now, on to my favorites, Gansey and Blue. Ahhhhh. I love them so much. I loved that in this book, you got to see a little bit moreso past Gansey's well-put-together exterior. You see a bit of doubt and fear on his part for several reasons and, I don't know. Just seeing him as not being SO perfect, made him so much more human!

With Blue, you get to see how she deals with the feelings of anger, sadness, and betrayal she has after her mom runs off. I think she seems to deal with them pretty well. Other than that, she felt to me like the same sassy, awesome, quirky girl as in the rest of the series and I LOVE her.

I love love LOVE the romance between Gansey and Blue. I love their late night phone conversations. I love their almost kisses. I love their general relationship. I love the semi-forbiddenness of their romance. I want more of this.

Noah in this book, as usual, isn't terribly present. He's in and out, but something seemed different about him in this one. His behavior was more volatile. I liked the scene with him in the counselor's office at Blue's school. I enjoyed the chaos he caused. I thought it was because the counselor was kind of crapping on Blue's dreams and he felt bad for her, but also at the same time, I'm not really sure. Hopefully in the next book, I will get my Noah fix!

Unlike the first two books, this one didn't seem to start off as slowly. More things seemed to be going on, rather than building up. The villain in this book surprised me because he was generally kind of a weenie. I thought he would be more imposing and kinda scary.

Death isn't something new to this series, but the death in this book is a lot more personal than in the previous books. It feels like the series is kind of building up the deaths to prepare you for what could be Gansey's imminent death.

Overall, the writing was on point as usual, the stakes are getting higher, the romance sweeter, and the characters more lovable. This series is so amazing and I'm going to pick up the final book just as soon as I publish this review.

Stiefvater weaves the supernatural, with mystery and adventure among a group of diverse and sometimes gifted teens. The story explores the nature of teen friendship, change and regret. She knows teens and depicts them as they are and how they want to be, with complex personalities, unique dreams, motivations and blinders.

This story, book three in the Raven King Series, has a complex caste of characters with multiple motivations and plot lines to track. That made it hard for me to engage at first. If I’d read the series it would be easier. The plot lines entangled me as more pieces were added and little resolved, but by mid book I was in the rhythm.

The group of high school students, some with supernatural powers, lead a duo life away from school. Most have magical powers they use to attempt to bring back a dead king who they believe will grant them the wish of bringing their friend, Noah, back to life. If they waken the wrong person, evil will be released on the world. There are adventures galore with ghosts, visions, killers and magic .

The story doesn’t lack for subplots. Besides finding the king, Lily’s quest to find her mother (who may have been killed or gone to find the king herself) takes Lily to another dimension. Her friends, the Raven boys, confront each other at every turn. Each has their motives. Greenmantle and Piper throw a kink in the works as the gangsters who undermine the teens quest to find the king. The story explores the idea of energy ley lines around Earth where magic is strong and universes intersect.

The friendships depicted among this odd group of teens taps into our feelings of isolation, loneliness and the misfit in all of us.

Title: Blue Lily, Lily Blue

Author: Maggie Stiefvater

Age Group: Teen/Young Adult

Genre: Fantasy

Series: The Raven Cycle, book three

Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

I borrowed this from my local library and reviewed it.

Yes! YES! This is what I'm talking about, now we're cooking with gas! God, Maggie Stiefvater. Why didn't I give you a chance earlier? I worship at your feet woman! I'm dying from all the FEELS! God, someone kill me. I'm so scared for The Raven King. Someone want to come hold me while I finish the series? 'Cuz I am freaking out here. FREAKING OUT. Okay, so, in all seriousness, guys: Blue Lily, Lily Blue knocked it out of the park. This book is probably my favorite of the whole series now. If I wasn't invested before, now I am, people. It's been such a long time since I've felt this intensely about a book series.

Blue Lily, Lily Blue picks up where The Dream Thieves left off, swiveling the reader from inside Ronan's head and back onto the main focus of the entire series: The epic, all-consuming quest for Glendower. This book pulls absolutely no punches--Stiefvater grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go, not until the final page. (And trust me, if I didn't have The Raven King waiting for me on my table right now, I would be screaming. And or ripping my hair out in panic...)

I won't mince words here: I loved it. Every dark, freaky, magical, emotional moment. And Stiefvater more than delivers: magic, secrets, dark twists and turns, and more than enough humor to keep me laughing out loud through the whole of the novel--even during the darker, more somber parts. God, I loved it so much that I devoured more than half of the book the day I started it, and I literally had to force myself to close it, to save some of it for later so it wouldn't be over so quickly. (Don't you love it when a book does that to you? Me too!) I don't want to say much about the plot; I don't want to give it away for the people out there who haven't read it. All I know is that Stiefvater's magical prose has seduced me entirely, and I am wholly and unapologetically under the spell that The Raven Cycle has cast over hundreds, if not millions, of readers! I can't wait for The Raven King! The bottom line: The third book in the bestselling, blockbuster Raven Cycle, Blue Lily, Lily Blue is one of my favorite books ever! Absolutely stunning! (If you haven't read it yet, just do it. As soon as you can!) Next on deck: The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater!

This one I enjoyed a lot more than the second installment of this quartet, and it is (so far) my favorite book in the series. It had everything that I loved about Book#1, and more. The characters stayed as lovable as ever (Adam redeemed himself in my eyes - finally! ) and Steifvater is just a class act when it comes to character development, which really is one of the best things about this series.

However, I must say, that at this point (after reading 3 books out of 4) I am wondering why this series is promoted as a romance. There is so little of the romance that it doesn't justify it being marketed as one. If there is anything that stands out about this series, it's the wonderful friendships that develop and unfold (which is really amazing to watch, and a big part of why I love this series so much).

But while we are talking about the romance (or its non-existence) - I must say that though this series doesn't need the romance (it does well without it too), the readers are conditioned to expect one. And while this book has a lot more of Blue and Gansey than the earlier two, it's not enough. See, I understand slow-burn (heck I have ranted about insta-love so many times!) but this is not even moving at a snail's pace. After 1300ish pages, I think it's about time to crank up the heat on that 'true love' the author promised.

Also, I must mention that Steifvater has a very peculiar way of handling her 'villians' - I never know what to do with them! Hate them? Love them? Empathize with them? And many times these threads involving the villians are very anti-climatic, which can be very frustrating. But of-course these are just petty complaints if you compare it to the amazingness (newly coined word) of this series.

This book especially was a total page turner, and I can't even count the amount of life-things I have procrastinated to read this one; sleep was just a minor causality.

As of now, my mind is full of this chant

“Rex Corvus, parate Regis Corvi."

"The Raven King, make way for The Raven King."

*Rolls out (Hand Stitched) Red Carpet for The Raven King*
(For the uninitiated: The Raven King is the final book of this series)

For more reviews and bookish chit chat visit - SHANAYA TALES DOT COM.

This review can be found on my blog, Reader Rayna, as well as Goodreads.

As this is a sequel, there may be spoilers!

Trying to get my thoughts together for this one is proving to be a serious challenge right now. I loved it - truly - but I don't know if it was worthy of five stars? I think I'm still digesting it.

This third book was so vastly different from the last, but at the same time not that I feel like I may have missed something or I didn't let it soak in. Maybe Cabeswater is affecting me, too?

The plot in this story grew and flowed continuously from the second book, following Adam, Gansey, Ronan, Blue, and Noah as they continue their search for Glendower, but there's so much going on behind the scenes with Maura's disappearance, with threats from outside sources, with Cabeswater wanting to speak to them with urgency, and with three sleepers: one to wake, one not to wake, and on in between.

I think that the concept for this series is fantastic and I loved how it was delivered in this book. Each of the characters continued to play their major roles and were learning more and more about themselves and each other, even when they felt that they didn't know anything about one another.

Blue, I think, is really coming out of her shell and showing the boys that she's capable of so much more than what she seems, and I think that she learns that about herself as well in this book. She does have a bit of an anger problem still (which I still don't know how/where it stems from in situations?), and they reflect on the others around her, and either the boys understand and diffuse the situation, or sometimes things escalate too far. I felt that she really tried to take the initiative a lot more in multiple ways in this novel, from seeking out trying to find out where Glendower is, to the budding romance between her and Gansey, to trying to save her mother. There's so much more beneath the surface of her and I love her for that. Blue really got a handle on her powers in this book in many instances and I thought that that showed great progression for her.

Gansey had a lot more inner turmoil when it came to Blue and I think a lot of his walls were let down around her, which made him much less uniform and polite and more wild and young. He felt more genuine in those moments, which I highly appreciated. He tries his best in many situations in this book to remember his stance in his relationships, for sure, but I think we also learn a few things about him that may not have been present in the past books: he does have fears. I was surprised when I read these parts, but when I did they felt so real and genuine that I couldn't help but feel for him. I think he, like Blue, is really coming out of his shell and showing many different facets of himself and who he is.

Adam grows the most out of anyone given the situation he thrust himself into, but also because of what happens around him and how he can't ignore it. Cabeswater calls to him in many ways and when he ignores it, it doesn't end well for him. I think that he definitely grows in this book as he learns more about his powers, himself, and what kinds of things he can do with and through Cabeswater. He's stronger than he lets himself on to be, and though it may not be totally evident, it is seen in small pieces in different situations such as when he scrys, or when he faces his father at the courthouse (by the way, did he win that case?).

Ronan is Ronan, though and through, and I wish we had perspectives from him in this book. He was in a lot of scenes, don't get me wrong, but he didn't directly have any sort of chapter from his perspective alone. I will say, though, that I feel like he's getting to be a little softer? As in, he may still be his kind of jerkish self, but he's also showing more care for his friends (and that little bit of feelings for a certain someone, though nothing's been spoken aloud). He's vengeful, but doesn't act on it; he's protective over his friends and Chainsaw; and he knows his limitations. I just love him, honestly.

Noah, though present in this book, didn't have as much presence as the last book. There was a lot going on with him in this book, though, that was caused from the ley lines and the powers around Henrietta. A lot of times it was kind of creepy what was happening to him, and a bit unsettling, but eventually things became a bit more steady for him and how he acted.

The romance is there, it is. And that one scene was so intense and intimate and oh man, I just wish they could kiss, but death is imminent, and ahhhhh. It makes me sad, but also happy?

The overall plot of the three sleepers was an interesting take in this book and I think it was part anti-climatic and part brilliant because the one who was in between seemed like the anti-climactic bit, while the one who was to be awake was kind of really entertaining, and then the one who's not supposed to wake? Oh man, I'm interested to see how that plays out in the last book. It's definitely going to lead up to it.

This book definitely had a lot going on and though my brain is still trying to wrap around it, I can say that I really enjoyed it, but I wouldn't say it's my favorite. I do still think that it has a lot of story behind it and a lot that was learned and lot that will unfurl in the last book, though.

I rate this book 4/5 stars and highly recommend it.

After loving the first two books in this series I had very high hopes for Blue Lily, Lily Blue and I'm afraid it just didn't live up to them. There is no doubting that Maggie Stiefvater is a wonderful writer, she has a beautiful style and her stories are always captivating but this book just didn't grip me as much as the previous two. In fact, I'd have to say I was bored for the majority of it and it was one of those books that was very easy to put down even part way through a chapter and then I pretty much had to talk myself into picking it back up again. That's something I NEVER expected to be able to say about a book written by Maggie. I do seem to be in the minority on this one though, nearly all of my friends rated it 5 stars and I'm still really looking forward to seeing how everything ties together in The Raven King so don't let me put you off trying this for yourself if you enjoyed the first two books.

There were certainly some brilliant moments scattered into the story, I absolutely adored Gansey and Blue's relationship for one thing, they are just so incredibly sweet together and I love the sly little touches and looks they give each other when nobody is watching. I also really enjoy the friendship between Ronan and Adam. The women of Blue's family always steal every scene they appear in but I definitely found myself missing Maura in this instalment, she's always been Blue's anchor and now Blue is lost and adrift without her which was sad to see. The Gray Man is a character who continues to surprise me and I love the way he looks out for Blue and the others while Maura can't.

Unfortunately I think the story focused on too many new plot threads and lost track of some of the things I'm invested in, I wanted to see more of Noah, more Ronan (especially more of him with his brothers - I STILL don't get why he has such a problem with Declan!) and more of Adam too. Adam actually started making great progress in trying to figure out the balance between accepting help from friends versus feeling like he's a charity case and there was a brilliant scene between him and his father but it just kind of fizzed out and went nowhere. They went to the effort of bringing Gansey's mentor over from England but then he seemed to have absolutely nothing helpful to add to the story, really he could have achieved everything he did via telephone conversations and I didn't see the point of them dragging him around on the hunt for Glendower with them.

There were a lot of new characters, some of whom I didn't feel had much to add to the story and others who may have more important roles to play in book 4. I actually feel like a lot of the things that didn't make much sense or felt just like filler in this book will probably all become so much more clear when I pick up The Raven King, I trust that Maggie Stiefvater has a plan and I'm sure I'll end up being blown away by her clever plotting but at this point in time I feel really indifferent to Blue Lily, Lily Blue. It could have been a brilliant book but it was just okay and that's not what I expect from this author.

With a mesmerizing writing style and characters I wish I knew, this third book in The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater enchanted me just as much as the first two. I thought Blue Lily, Lily Blue was the last book of a trilogy until I got to its final pages and it became clear there is still more story to come, a very happy discovery.

I have a special fondness for non-magical characters in magical stories so I was thrilled to find that a lot of this book revolves around Blue, a relatively normal teenager in an all-female family of eccentric psychic women. Blue lives in the small town Virginia and almost against her will has become close friends with a disparate coterie of four boys (one wealthy, one poor, one plagued by living nightmares, and one dead) from the ritzy private school she’s spent most of her life distaining. Their quest to find and wake an ancient Welsh king continues, but other things keep getting in the way. Gansey’s hosting a fusty British ley line expert, Adam’s got his violent father to deal with, Ronan’s trying to protect his younger brother, Noah’s having a hard time staying corporal, and Blue’s mother is off on some kind of adventure of her own, maybe to locate the father Blue’s never seen, leaving Blue to wonder if it’s time to start worrying about her.

Stiefvater manages to make me believe that all her wonderful characters with strange abilities (like manifesting objects out of dreams or communicating with forces of primeval magic) are flesh and blood real--even Noah who’s dead and wavers in and out of existence feels authentic. It’s an immersive, bewitching story and I’m very glad it’s not over.

It is no secret that I have a love-hate relationship with this series. I love the writing and the characters, but I've always felt very "meh" about the story and plot. I've just never connected with the story and the direction Maggie Stiefvater takes the story.

Blue Lily, Lily Blue started out the same way as the previous two. I loved reading about these characters I've come to love, but I had not interest in their quest and the story. For me this series is a character driven story. I'm reading this series to get to know them and "interact with them". I love the sass, the teasing, and the ease of Blue, Gansey, Adam, Noah, and Ronan's eclectic relationships. They are this misshapen conglomerate of people that work so well together. While they may not always see eye-to-eye, we know they rely on each other.

This series takes place over a very short time span and in this installment the summer is ending and school is beginning. I really wish we had gotten more scenes of Blue and the boys at their respective schools. Aglionby has always fascinated me and I really wish we could have seen more.

This book took a really interesting turn about 300 pages in (rough 100 pages remaining). I started to become really attached to their quest and what they were trying to do. It took almost 3 books but I'm now fully invested in this series. It is about more than just the characters now. I also want to follow them on this quest to Glendower.

This book had a lot of heartache. There were so much sadness and I'm now even more scared of what is to come in The Raven King. I'm also very glad I already have The Raven King in my possession, because the ending of Blue Lily, Lily Blue is not something you want to sit on having to wait to see what happens next.

This is a super long review, but basically for me this was the book that made me fall in love with this story completely. I still would not consider this a favorite series like many others do, but I know understand the unconditional love people have for this series. I get the devotion to both the characters and the story. It just took me a while longer to get the story part.

This book is the physical manifestation of perfection.

This is a once in a lifetime series.

This book's magic fills all my dark places with light.

This series reminded me why I fell in love with reading.

This series is the best thing I've read since Harry Potter and The Name of the Wind.

It's always hard for me to write reviews for books that become my favorites. Hopefully those above five lines will help, or maybe they won't. Either way, no amount of words I have can do justice for this masterpiece. You, yourself, should just give this series a chance and see if it puts you under the spell it has placed upon me.

“Humans were so circular; they lived the same slow cycles of joy and misery over and over, never learning. Every lesson in the universe had to be taught billions of times, and it never stuck.

Maybe it was good that the world forgot every lesson, every good and bad memory, every triumph and failure, all of it dying with each generation. Perhaps this cultural amnesia spared them all. Perhaps if they remembered everything, hope would die instead.”

This book really explores a lot of different individualities, and I can't praise Maggie Stiefvater enough. These are the kind of books that YA needs; different stories that are unique, while the characters are different races, different sexualities, with different family dynamics. This book even portrays feminism beautifully, because at this point Blue is just my spirit animal.

“Everything jumbled against everything else in just a few chaotic moments.
Fingers in hair, hands cupping necks, mouths dragged on cheeks and chins in dangerous proximity.
They stopped, noses mashed against each other in the strange way that closeness required.
She could feel his breath in her mouth.”

Blue and Gansey's relationship guts me with every line. Blue's pain resonates with me, and just rips my heart out over and over again. Luckily, I have masochistic tendencies and ask for more.

I know I've been gushing about diversity and romance, but this book also has a lot of plot to its story. Blue's mom, Maura, is missing and Blue, Mr.Grey, and everyone else, is in a desperate search to get her back.

Adam and Ronan get more in touch with Cabeswater and start discovering not themselves but each other. *swoons forever*

This book also reintroduces a somewhat new villain, Colin Greenmantle, and his wife Piper. Only this new character will make a much unexpected twist that you won't see coming.

The gang finds another cave entrance, but finds someone much different than their sleeping Welsh King.

The anticipation for The Raven King is going to kill me. I keep thinking about and rereading the first chapter of The Raven Boys and I find myself being haunted knowing that I'm going to reread that scene next month in a very different perspective. I don't think there is anything I can do to physically or emotional prepare myself, and mostly my heart, for reading the The Raven King. I'm just going to relish in the heartbreak, while trying to remember that I will forever love this series.

“He left bloody fingerprints on the rock, but there was something satisfying about that.
I was here. I exist. I’m alive, because I bleed.”

Blue Lily, Lily Blue, the third book in Maggie Stiefvater’s The Raven Cycle series, is quite the whirlwind of plot twists, surprises, deaths, and intrigue.

So much was going on in this third installment that I am not even sure where or how to begin this review, so I’ll start with my favorite part: Malory’s abhorrence of American-made tea. It’s true that Americans cannot make a proper cup of tea. In fact, the way we make tea is absolutely criminal. Heating a mug of water in the microwave and then dropping a tea bag into it is not in any way, shape, or form an acceptable means of making tea. It’s no wonder Malory was so appalled.

Kind of how I am appalled by Steifvater’s English use of Glendower. Owain Glyndwr was a Welsh prince, a man who spent his life fighting the English. He’s probably turning over in his sleepy grave at every use of the English spelling of his name. Seriously, use the Welsh and correct spelling. Anything else is just disrespectful!

In BLLB, the characters find themselves questioning who they are, how well they really know themselves, and how well they know their friends. It’s an interesting study on how Cabeswater has changed them all into someone they don’t recognize while simultaneously coming to better understand the persons they have morphed into. This is especially true of Adam, who can feel the ley line thrumming through his veins. He’s coming to understand the power and the danger of the deal he made with Cabeswater, and he’s discovered a part of himself that is dark and cunning and ruthless. He has a moment where he finally comprehends that he is not the poor boy from the wrong side of the trailer park. It was a moment that I’ve been waiting for it, and in typical Stiefvater fashion, it was succinct and perfect:

"For so long he’d wanted Gansey to see him as an equal, but it was possible that all this time, the only person who needed to see that was Adam. Now he could see that it wasn’t charity Gansey was offering. It was just truth."

There were so many personal discoveries like that throughout the book (don’t worry, I won’t spoil any more of them), which is what I loved so much about this book. While the whole group is on a journey to discover Glydwr (see, proper name usage), each individual is on a journey to discover him or herself, and Stiefvater fed us these little clues and tidbits throughout, but never gave away the whole person. I can honestly say that after finishing BLLB, I still have absolutely no idea what to expect in the next book, and I am rather glad because I enjoy being completely gobsmacked at developments I never saw coming!

The only thing I can say is that I will be surprised if this story can be finished in a mere four books, and if it takes more than that I will be delighted because I’m not ready to let go of these incredible characters or Cabeswater or Henrietta.

Blue Lily, Lily Blue was amazing of course. This is the third book in the Raven Cycle and this time around Blue and her boys have to deal with a missing mother, new characters show-up, Greenmantle becomes a bigger pain, a shocking death, a secret no one saw coming and so much more.

Maggie's writing is so powerful it just pulls you in the story and it is a complicated complex story that would take anyone forever to unwind. The voices of the characters stay consistently theirs, even as the situation changes and the characters grow. I believe it's hard to keep that quality in a story as complex as this one.

I love the strangeness of the Raven Cycle and how all this magic is lying about in the middle of everyday life. Maggie continues to infuse magic with everyday life and she does it so well you can't help but believe in it. Our main characters grow a lot in this book and we see them confront a side of themselves that we didn't and maybe even they didn't, know was there.

The Grey Man and Piper Greenmantle are two of my favorite no main characters. They have this finesse about them. The Grey Man is a hitman and we have no idea what his real name is he just goes by Grey Man or Mr. Grey. He is calm and fits in so well with the magical women of 300 Foxway even with Maura gone, which is wondrous. Then there is Piper, she is weird and I'm not sure if it's in the good way or bad way and in most situation it changes. She has a certain way about her, you can tell that she doesn't care about anything unless it's what she cares about in that moment and she doesn't care about what anyone cares about or what they think. I think that is the closest I can get to describing her.

Blue Lily, Lily Blue was so good, I expect nothing less from the Raven Cycle. I love this series and it should be on everyone's must read list. I cannot wait to find out the epic conclusion to the Raven Cycle, The Raven King will not disappoint however it my cause tears (I can only hope not...save Gansey).

"Adam was beginning to realize that he hadn't known Ronan at all. Or rather, he had known part of him and assumed it was all of him."

While I recognize that this is one of the very few book series where I actually enjoy spinning through multiple POVs and find them all necessary to the story (the exception being here with Greenmantle, what a bore), this one didn't quite delve far enough into the thoughts, feelings, and angst/desires of its three leading players (poor Noah, never a turn with the pen). Don't get me wrong, I still really liked it and the development of the characters and the overall story arc make for a fantastic gathering of words. I will most certainly read the next and final book, The Raven King, but this one lacked a bit of charm [compared to the previous two] and seemed fashioned more to be a springboard into the grand finale.

This is the third book in The Raven Cycle series.

Blue Lily, Lily Blue took me way longer to read for some strange reason I could not get into the story as much as I did with the other two books. I felt as though some moments dragged on near the beginning and nothing happened for the first half of the book. Near the end it was beginning to get good and it ended in the best possible way, setting up a perfect fourth book in the series. Seriously, my mind was blown in every possible way, what an ending.

Like the other books Blue Lily, Lily Blue switches point of views from the main characters. Most of which was from the point of view of Adam and Blue. Sometimes when there’s different points of views in books it takes away from the story, this is not what happened in the story. I think it added to it. Maggie Stiefvater knows how to write different types of characters, each with their own background, interests and personalities. Something that is definitely hard to write, but she does it perfectly.

Another thing Maggie Stiefvater does is combine our world with another magical entity/world known as Cabeswater. The way she writes both the enchanted world, our world, and how they transition between one and the other is brilliant, it’s done so perfectly it’s simple amazing.

If you want to read a book with a magical, yet almost realistic, world and characters with their own human characteristics than The Raven Cycle is the book for you.

Possibly the best narration I've ever heard because each character is easily discernible by the narrator's choice of accent, tone and speed. The story informs the way he announces each of the chapters--if the character in question feels tense or anxious, then narration reflects that emotion, etc... Best of all, the narrator "does" female voices really well ( not a given with most male narrators)! It doesn't sound like he is trying to constrict his vocal cords to reach a higher pitch, which many male narrators do to act out the female roles. Instead he softens his voice for Blue without losing any of her headstrong personality and works absolute magic with Persephone and Calla.

The fabulous story is perfectly narrated and I would recommend anyone listen to the books in this series because the narration adds to the experience. The audiobook gives you Gansey's Old Virginia Money accent as well as Adam's Poor Country Boy accent, emphasizing the boys' vastly different origins.

Blue Lily, Lily Blue was another great addition to The Raven Cycle! It was an amazing novel filled with fantasy, magic and adventure!

Picking up after the events in Dream Thieves, Blue and her friends are getting closer to finding Glendower while they also try to find Maura. Adam learns more about his powers and his connection to Cabeswater.

I truly like Blue, Ronan, Adam, Gansey and Noah. They are a really tight knit group of friends! Calla and Persephone are there for Blue and even Mr. Gray. I really loved the plot, the narrative and how the novel was written in such a way that draws readers in for hours!

I love where the series is headed and can't wait for the final installment of The Raven Cycle!

I think this is so far my favorite book (Haven’t finished the series), in this one I felt a lot more connected with the characters, I got to know Blue a little better and I really liked that because so far I wasn’t really invested in her journey with Adam and the way Miss Stiefvater writes their scenes together is just poetry, you can feel the tension and the desire to touch, kiss and to be close and the desperation and anger at not being able too.

Adam’s character also grows a lot in this book, at least in my perspective. Before I just saw him as this really annoying guy and now I saw a different side of him, one that I actually liked.

Ronan as always so perfect in his apocalyptic way and Gansey as endearing as ever.

I did miss Noah, it seemed like we didn’t get enough of him.

At the end we had some pretty interesting developments so I’m going straight to The Raven King.

I think the best way to do this is to break the book down by what I was expecting vs. what I got.

MORE MAURA AND HER MYSTERY

The last book ended with Blue’s mom, Maura, disappearing underground in search of Glendower. I expected the hunt for Maura to be the focus of this book, since Maura is important and also finding Maura would also likely help Blue and her boys find Glendower also. Well, I was right and I was wrong. Shockingly, BLLB picks up a full month after The Dream Thieves with Maura still nowhere to be seen.

However, she does get to be a pretty big part of the action. Blue, understandably, is worried sick about her mother and also angry in a teenagery way (that is to say, sullen but justified) about how much of her life her mother has missed. The boys do what they can to support her and run down clues for Cabeswater and Glendower, and Maura herself is given multiple POV scenes.

I just wish I understood how it all worked. Maura has been underground for a month. A MONTH. I know time works differently in Cabeswater, but surely she must get a little hungry? Thirsty? Tired? Where does she pee? Where does she sleep?

BLUE-RAVEN FEELS

The Raven Boys and Blue. Blue and her boys. No matter what’s going on in this series with the villains and the families and Aglionby and Glendower, this book will always be about Blue and her boys for me. After getting into Ronan’s head in the last book, I was all geared up for some achingly wonderful bromances between all five characters. Specifically, I WANT BRONAN! Blue has fascinated and broken Adam (not her fault; he has a lot of issues), become BFFs with Noah, and maybe started something more with Gansey, but Ronan’s been the solitary holdout. My one wish was to see some quality Blue-Ronan interaction.

Thankfully, Ms. Stiefvater does give us a little. (Three Bronan moments to be precise, if I’m reading my status updates correctly.) There’s also a completely fabulous quote that will be down in my Favorite Quotes section. Mostly, though, Ronan’s narrow scope of interactions is focused squarely on Adam. Let’s just say that those of you still wrestling with a spoilery inkling from the previous book need to let it go. It’s canon. Also, while I will ALWAYS want more Gansey/Blue moments, they have truly made finger-touching hot in this book.

My one wish in this area is that the narrative wouldn’t pull back from moments of intense emotion. It’s one thing to TELL me that such-and-such characters were deeply troubled/worried/afraid for/because of X. It’s quite another to let me into their interiors and feel it for myself.

GENERAL FEELS

Outside of the snarl of connections that is Blue and her boys, I also want general feels. Can this book make me care about the secondary and tertiary characters that will float through? What about Blue’s family? Will they make me feel all wobbly? And what about Blue and the boys themselves, independent of their interactions with each other?

Yes. All of the above, yes. Gansey had the bulk of my concern, since this book gets him one book closer to the final book, a.k.a. ONE BOOK CLOSER TO HIS DEATH. And Gansey himself seems to feel his shortening lifespan. Even as Adam learns to control the power Cabeswater gave him, Gansey struggles with his own fate. His end is drawing near, and it creeps like a shadow over his tombstone, rotting his mind and drawing his focus. It’s sad and scary stuff, guys. Speaking of sad and scary, can I just tuck Noah into my pocket until the series is done? MY POOR BABY.

We also get to see some of the sillier side of Ronan (heehee) AND I got some Gray Man feels! Gray Man! Of all people! Yes, I like him now, even if I still think his relationship with Maura is shoddy. In addition, we get to make a friend in a new character, the loud but well-meaning Jesse Dittley. Some might find him annoying, but I like him.

SHOCK!

One thing this series is good at is a good old-fashioned twist. Whether chucked like a grenade or slyly slipped between the lines, we’ve certainly had our worlds rocked over the last few books. (Czerny? Butternut? Gansey at the cemetery? Ronan’s mom? Radam?) I was definitely bracing myself for some 8.5-level earthquakes in this book, easily. And hallelujah, we got some!

Not that I can tell you what they are, of course. And not that all of them are bombshells that further the plot, per se, but they’re worthy of the multiple exclamation points I wasted in my note. And that ending, holy cow! If you want to keep track during your own reading experience, there were at least five times where my heart stopped beating and/or I looked like this minion.

THE PROMISES TO COME TRUE

To me, a book’s description is a promise made to readers. This is what the book’s going to be about, this is what will happen. And I must say that BLLB’s description had me plenty worried. Unraveled certainties? Misleading visions? Disappearing mothers? (Okay, that one I get.) BETRAYING FRIENDS?! What found things would be lost, book, tell me! No, don’t tell me, I’m too scared to look.

But… I don’t feel like this book fulfilled all of its promises. I was ready for the Arthurian parallels to kick into high gear, for the loss and heartache and betrayal and tension to really kick it into high gear! But nope. Like I’ve said, the shock and feels are all still there, but I don’t feel that what I was given matched the cover copy entirely. (Which isn’t the author’s fault, but that doesn’t make the disappointment ease any.)

A PROGRESSION

Most of all, I expected this third book to fit into the framework of the overall narrative. TRB set up Blue and her boys, the hunt for Glendower, the dynamics of Henrietta and Aglionby, and the existence of Cabeswater. We also got into the heads of Blue, Gansey, and Adam. TDT expanded our view into Ronan’s head and introduced the concept of a Greywaren and the power of the ley lines.

BLLB… well, I’m not sure what it did. It introduced us to the three sleepers in Cabeswater—one to be woken, one to be left alone, and one that could go either way. It also ushered in the concept of Mab Darogan. (To what end? who knows.)

But… I don’t know. Far more than the other two stories, this book felt jumbled to me. There were a bunch of weird, abrupt time jumps in the narrative that were difficult for me to follow. Some of that may be due to the formatting in my ARC, but it made for a very disorienting reading experience. By the end, the tone of the prose was wearing on my nerves. It was too unrelentingly flip and cavalier, and I desperately wanted a change of tone. If this were a trilogy, BLLB would be the dreaded middle book for me. It’s not that it was bad or that the ride wasn’t fun, but that it didn’t feel like a concrete story. I missed the plot arc. I felt like we were given a bunch of disjointed information that wasn’t properly strung into the body of the narrative, nor were we given enough closure to make this book in and of itself (apart from the overarching plot of the series) worthwhile.

This is the downside, I think, with binge-reading a series. By stringing all three stories together in quick succession, I noticed the reappearing holes. For instance, in every single book, there is at least one character who appears, serves no narrative purpose, and then disappears forever. In TRB, it’s Declan’s girlfriend Ashley. In TDT, it’s Orphan Girl. And in BLLB, it’s Henry Cheng. What’s the point? Why are these people here? Since the series isn’t over, I’m holding out hope that they’ll suddenly reappear and do something useful in the final book, but it’s these flaws and others that pushing the hype train forward full throttle.

I want… I want more. I want better. I want this series to be worth the time, promotion, and emotion I’ve put into it. And while BLLB has many, MANY excellent qualities (see the above points), I’m worried about the finale. Still, despite my worry, you better believe that I’m going to fight tooth and claw for a copy and hold my breath while I discover the fate of my precious little characters.

Points Added For: All my boys, Blue, Orla, Calla, Jesse, FEELS, SWOONS, BRONAN, mysteries, a heck of an ending (as always).

Points Subtracted For: Feeling like the plot got lost somewhere, the random floater characters, Piper, the narrative pulling away from feels, disjointedness, Gwenllian, failing to fulfill certain promises, weird time/place jumps.

Good For Fans Of: The Raven Cycle series, magical realism, romances AND bromances, flip tone, the South.

Notes For Parents: Language, death, murder. (Too busy writing ?!?! to remember to note this stuff. Sorry.)

Blue Lily, Lily Blue is one of those books that I love so much it’s hard for me to even discuss with any sort of coherence, but I will try — for you. Here’s a strange sort of secret: I started out as a Maggie Stiefvater fan years and years ago; however, I was a fan of her, long before I had even read one of her books. I devoured her blog, I deeply admired her artistic endeavors, and I giggled at her sense of humor expressed at author events and online.

It’s taken me a long, long time to become a true and profound fan of her writing, and I think that has made me appreciate this book all the more.

Blue Lily, Lily Blue is the penultimate Maggie Stiefvater book (although I have yet to read The Scorpio Races, so my judgement may be skewed — sue me). The entire book — from the title, to the plot, to the dialogue, to the subtle and tremulous threads of everything weaving throughout it — is so completely MAGGIE, and so completely RAVEN BOYS, that it just about filled me to bursting.

It’s the kind of thing that I don’t think you can truly appreciate until you’ve read first The Raven Boys and then The Dream Thieves and let them sink down into your bones. It’s no secret that up until this book, I was not a huge fan of Gansey or Adam, and that perhaps I didn’t really understand the sort of co-dependent web entangling the Boys and Blue. But now, oh… NOW.

In the first two books, Stiefvater threaded her needles and she pierced one through each of the Boys, through each of the women at 300 Fox Way, through The Gray Man, and she began weaving a tapestry so intricate that I couldn’t really understand it and why it was going to look good in the end. In Blue Lily, Lily Blue, these threads have begun to tighten, to pull themselves closer together and form the kind of ridiculous rainbow that only she can create.

Look, this book is magic. This book is beauty and humor and love and cleverness and terror. It is wonderful.

I'm not sure if I ever have the words needed to accurately describe how Maggie Stiefvater's books make me feel. I am in love with this series. Blue, Adam, Gansey, Ronan, Noah, Mr. Grey, Calla, Maura, and Persephone are all such beautifully flawed people. Beautifully. Flawed. Every last one of them.

Blue Lily, Lily Blue is fueled with tension. Everyone is trying to find someone, everyone needs something, everyone is just a little bit lost. The book is tense. tense with new love, tense with old love, and tense with the knowledge that there is more to this world than what one normally sees.

Maggie Stiefvater has done it again with another shining installment in The Raven Boys series.

Read it. Read it now!

It seems that the more complicated this story gets, the better it becomes. It seems like so much happened in such a short time. Are they any closer to Glendower though? It's hard to say. People are showing up and people are leaving. School continues as normal, but they all find it hard to want to go back to normal after such a summer together. Sometimes all together and sometimes in smaller groups, they continue their searching and find some interesting things. The end gets pretty crazy and then it ends rather ominously.

Malory has joined us for this book, only really, he doesn't actually have much of a role in anything. I don't think his presence would have mattered either way. But he was interesting guy to have around. Much to the chagrin of the boys, Greenmantle has come to Henrietta himself in search of the greywaren. He is not above threatening the people this group loves, or the group itself. His web is a complicated and vast thing, but Adam comes up with a plan to get rid of him with the help of Ronan and Mr. Grey. It's a pretty messed up plan considering it came from Adam, but these boys sure are willing to do anything to protect each other. And his wife is completely nuts.

Adam is further exploring his connection with Cabeswater and trying to repair the lines it asks him to. He also finds out one of Blue's secrets and is determined to prevent it from happening. His court date with father also happens here, which was kind of made into a little big deal, but then we don't actually get to know the outcome of it so that was annoying. But overall he is becoming more accepting of himself and is finally realizing things for they way they truly are.

Ronan is still Ronan. He has also been working hard on a personal mission after discovering something pretty shocking about his brother. Unfortunately, he hasn't been successful at it. It was neat to see his dream creature was still around and following him. Kind of makes you wonder where it goes that it hasn't been seen by people...

Gansey is awash with conflicting emotions about things that are happening sometimes. Like he wants to find Glendower but the closer they get, the more he doesn't want it to end. He's excited that Malory has come to visit and together with Blue they find a cave that they have been looking for. But they certainly were not expecting what they find inside of it.

Blue's world has gone crazy when her mother left and they have had no luck in finding her. But as if that's not enough, another tragedy is thrown her way. She does learn something new about herself though and it comes in handy at the end.

Some of my favorite parts were the stolen moments that Blue and Gansey would have. They were so sweet and it only makes it more sad that they don't want to come out about it.

Why did I want to read this book?

Because the Raven Cycle series is one series I almost missed reading and now I get to read Book 3. I can’t get enough of Blue and her Aglionby boys.

What worked for me?

I can’t say this often enough. But for me, Maggie Stiefvater is a master storyteller. I bow down to her genius. She obviously loves her craft as much as her fans do and this third book is like a gift from the alter of Maggie. lol :) I loved everything about it: to the plot twists, the new characters, the discoveries, the building up of so many emotions. It was reader’s heaven.

I’ll basically leave this review spoiler-free and lacking of plot information because it’s so much better to read it by yourselves. Trust me. Let’s just say that the stakes are getting higher and higher. The motivations of each person in finding Glendower, the Welsh King, become clearer, others more sinister, and the rest, just positively swoon-worthy and epic-feels-inducer. The friendship between and among Blue and her Aglionby boys are given such stark relief, some of the scenes make me want to applaud because the weight of it in my heart is so powerfully awesome.

What did not work for me?

Where the hell is Book 4? lol :)

My over-all take on it?

This was my favorite book out of the three so far, more particularly because of **(BluSey)** but also because of the awesome friendship that is portrayed here. I want more. And I can’t believe it’ll be months before book 4 becomes available.

The Raven Cycle takes fortune telling for granted. A principal character is a ghost. A group of private school boys are searching for an ancient king who lives in a magical realm situated on a line of power. If you accept these little details it's not a bad tale. It does require a fair dose of imagination and a great deal of suspension of disbelief. Oh, and we learned in book one that one of the boys will die before the year is out and Blue has been hearing as long as she can remember that if she kisses her true love he will die.

There's Richard Gansley III who lives in the converted factory he owns.
Noah Czerny, the ghost who lives in a room there.
Another Roommate, Ronan Lynch who has a younger brother Matthew and an older, Declan. Ronan has a pet Raven and in book 2 we learned he can dream things into existence—his father in fact dreamed his mother into existence.
Adam Parrish, the victim of child abuse who lives in rooms above a parsonage. A townie he lacks the other's financial resources.

“The students kept coming in. Adam kept watching. He was good at this part, the observing of others. It was himself that he couldn't seem to study or understand. How he despised them, how he wanted to be them.” (p. 63)

And Blue Sargent who lives with her Mother Maura, her Aunt and several other relatives and friends who make their living as psychics.

Book three tends to drag, it just hasn't grabbed my interest quite the same as books one and two. The private school boys have a sense of entitlement. It is taken for granted that what they want they'll get. When Gansley joins Adam before the judge the two are practically on a first name basis. The results are so foregone they aren't even mentioned.

Books are similar to songs. Or maybe they are songs. (Squash one squash two squash three and on and on and on...) Each one casts out a tune that may sing to some and not to others. Some may know all the lyrics and others may only know the song in theory.

This book, this series in particular, is a song that reverberates down to my very core. Each character is a part of the song that I'm completely in tune to. It makes me think, "I hope everyone has a book or series that does this to them, because it's a foreign but enchanting experience."

And the series isn't even over yet! *shudders* *covers mouth to hold in the sobs*

This book was quiet in some ways that the last book, The Dream Thieves, definitely wasn't. But in that quiet very powerful things began to happen.

So much is changing for these characters and in this world and its all spinning so fast that it looks like slow motion. Maggie is such a gifted author. The way this story is spun is fascinating and hypnotizing and far beyond what most authors hope to accomplish. It is, quite simply put, a masterpiece.

Blue Lily, Lily Blue is one of those amazing, torturous reads that caused massive book slump after I read it. Even now – a month after reading it – I am having such a hard time putting my thoughts into words. Sigh. This is going to be a really short review.
2 Strong Reasons to pick up Blue Lily, Lily Blue

Stiefvater is a magical word wizard and somehow manages to make me fall in love with her world and her characters every time I pick up her books. How in the world is she so talented at sneaking in those twists when I’m least expecting it? She’s been doing it for three books and I haven’t been able to predict them yet!
The characters are just so hard to resist! Ronan is still as dark and mysterious as ever and Adam is… well, Adam. Determined to keep the peace and not be such a dick. Gansey and Blue are having a difficult time resisting their extremely forbidden attraction to each other and it it’s so heartbreaking to watch. *sob* Poor kids. Mr. Grey’s boss has shown up and is as determined as ever to get his hands on the Greywaren – with or without Mr. Grey’s help. Maura has gone on a search for Blue’s father and no one has been able to find her. So much is going on (as usual for Blue and the Raven Boys) and the adventure is more dangerous than ever.

Blue Lily, Lily Blue is basically a magical, bizarre, wonderful train-wreck that you do not want to miss out on!

The first time I read Blue Lily, Lily Blue, I was struck by how different it is from the previous installments in the series. I loved it, but I didn't know if the different was good different or bad. The second time I read this book, I discovered so many little things that escaped me the first time around. However, even after reading Blue Lily, Lily Blue twice, I cannot help but feel that it all still eludes me a little. What I'm trying to relay here is that I feel a bit lost when it comes to Blue Lily, Lily Blue. As if I cannot completely grasp what Stiefvater has done with it and with that being said, comes the thing about themes.

Just like with The Raven Boys and The Dream Thieves, Blue Lily, Lily Blue highlights themes that contrast and compliment each other throughout the book. Mirrors and knowability. Every character in the book ask themselves the same question about knowing themselves and others around them at least once. Moreover, there are many instances where Stiefvater puts two characters in a similar situation and let their choices be the thing that differentiates between them. This was also a theme in The Dream Thieves, but in Blue Lily, Lily Blue, it turned in on itself. And mirrors because knowing yourself are you really are is the biggest task of all.

Blue Lily, Lily Blue starts with an urgency that comes with knowing that the end is near but not quite so. Thus, the plot seems to move forward with a certain resignation; as if the characters have accepted that last resorts cannot be ignored anymore, that this is what they've been after the whole time and now it's too late to do anything but move forward.

There's Richard Gansey who cannot help but feel that the end of his hunt for Glendower is near. He's constantly worried about others getting to wake Glendower first and gets cold-feet about the aftermath of waking Glendower. It's been a universally acknowledged fact that Gansey likes to put others at ease as much as he can. However, as his restlessness rises and his feelings for Blue deepens, he starts to relay his real emotions and opens himself up to relying on others more and more. It's interesting and a little bit of a relief to finally see Gansey falter, second-guess himself and just be more real, in a way.

There's Adam Parrish who's having a hard time exclusively being the hands and eyes of Cabeswater. As Persephone helps him in giving only what he bargained for to Cabeswater, Adam cannot help but think of himself as someone who's unknowable. He still have a lot of issues to deal with, the least of which is not letting Robert Parrish get to him anymore. He still adheres to his idealism firmly, but he slowly comes to a realization that he's been the one who's been holding himself back. That his assumptions about others have more to do about him than Gansey or Blue or Ronan. Thus, he quietly gains more confidence to finally deal with his hangups about poverty, friendship, and being Adam Parrish.

There's Ronan Lynch who is still a snake, but with less poison than before. He continues to grow even more as he accepts himself as a Greywaren and shows a caring side of himself that was buried under a mountain of rage before. Ronan knows that things could get uglier and he wants to be prepared. His primary emotion is still anger, but it's the anger that everyone now knows naturally comes with being Ronan Lynch. But he's much less strung up than before and still the most precious of all.

There's Blue who's put under a microscope as senior year of high school rolls around and Maura Sargent is still underground. It's really something to see Blue struggle with the realization that college may be out of question for her. Her need to have something more or be something more gets further tangled up as Gwenllian comes into the picture. Moreover, Blue is really starting to fall in love with Gansey which is just so beautifully sad to witness.

There's more to Noah Czerny than anyone can ever know. As he deals with his issues about being alive or staying dead, he constantly flits in and out of their lives. Also, it's insinuated that Noah is more aware of everything around him than he ever lets on and that's something that kind of scares me a little. Mainly because time is circular and Noah might be aware of how it all ends...

Overall, the relationship dynamics between the five main characters get even more layered and branch out in this installment. Gansey and Blue try to hold themselves back from a potential doom while, Adam and Ronan open up to each other and see more of each other. Moreover, the relationship of Blue and the Gray Man, and Blue and Ronan are two bright little spots. More, please.

Blue Lily, Lily Blue also takes a deeper look at the dynamics of the women of 300 Fox Way; mainly Calla, Persephone and Maura. Their friendship is exactly how I want the friendship of Blue and her raven boys to be like in the future. As far as secondary and tertiary characters go, Gwenllian's crazy is the kind of crazy that I can only be amused by and Piper Greenmantle absolutely won me over with her quirky bluntness. Jesse Dittley is a ridiculously endearing addition to The Raven Cycle, thumbs up for Roger Malory annoying the hell out of Ronan and oh, definitely looking forward to seeing more of Henry Cheng in The Raven King.

So while The Dream Thieves is my favorite of the series, Blue Lily, Lily Blue is the most Stiefvater of the three. It takes a long look at each of the characters and their relationships with each other just as it all comes to a close. The end is nigh and the heart is so full.

This book was... not what I expected. I loved the first 2 books of this series, but this one was definitely lacking something. I’m not even sure what, maybe a plot? I don’t feel like anything really happened until the end, and then I remembered why I love this series so much and will read the next one. This book is very character driven, and while I love these characters, especially Gansey, I needed some sort of plot to stay interested.

That being said, this is still one of my favorite series. I listened to the audio of the book, and it was amazing. The narrator really brought the characters to life.

Even though I haven't always loved Maggie Stiefvater's books, I'm continuing to love this series! Blue Lily, Lily Blue deals with some of the crazy (awesome) things that ended the previous book in this series. Originally I thought this was meant to be the ending, until I realized that there was going to be a fourth book. Don't expect any loose ends to be tied up in this installment! Instead, the mystery deepens. So much that I NEED to know what's going to happen next!

While Blue is undoubtedly the least interesting character to me in these books (which is disappointing because they suffer from a distinct lack of female characters and so far she's just been worried about love interests) the boys hold up and became even more lovable to me. I don't understand why Ronan, Noah, and even Gansey have already developed and grown as characters. Blue shows a little more potential in this third book, with me hoping that she'll become a greater part of finding this ancient king when we finally get to the last book of the series.

She's been my favorite complaint thus far; the rest, I love. I love the intense scenes where I have no idea if my favorite characters are going to live or die. I love the magic that occurs in this world and how it works. I love that I can never fully anticipate what's going to happen next and how that keeps me hooked until the very last page.

I'll definitely be recommending these books, though I can't wait to see how this is all going to be wrapped up in the conclusion coming out later this year. Fingers crossed that it'll be something unforgettable!

While The Dream Thieves felt like a scorching detour from the search for Glendower, in Blue Lily. Lily Blue, Blue and the Raven Boys have returned to the quest in earnest. As the title indicates Blue is the central figure of this narrative, as the story reveals more of her supernatural ability. Adam is the Magician, Ronan is the Dream Thief, and Blue is a mirror.

The search for her mother and the search for Glendower have more connections than geography. As with the others, Blue's past, present and future intertwine with the fate of ley line and Cabeswater. More twists, more frightening flights of fancy and more deaths.

I raced through this book, breathless and eager to get to the finale, The Raven King.

Every single time I indulge in a Maggie Stiefvater novel, I find myself content to linger among her words. There’s a special sort of satisfaction derived from reading one, savoring the twisty, fascinating combinations of plot and enjoying the time you spend with her colorful, memorable characters. Blue Lily, Lily Blue, the third novel of The Raven Cycle, is easily another feather in Stiefvater’s writer hat. Written with her signature wordiness and humor, Blue Lily, Lily Blue takes readers one step closer to the final act of the tale of Blue Sargent and her Raven Boys.

Every novel in The Raven Cycle takes readers one step closer to the end of it all. Will Blue’s vision of Gansey’s death come to pass? Will Adam ever learn everything about his connection to Cabeswater? What will become of Ronan’s ability as a Greywaren? Will Noah be stuck forever? Will they find Glendower? These questions, and many more, twist around and around in Blue Lily, Lily Blue. If there’s one thing Stiefvater is skilled at, it’s leading her readers on a merry chase as she drops bits and pieces that fit together at the end with a surprising cohesiveness.

What more can I say about Blue Lily, Lily Blue that I haven’t said previously about this series? The characters are alive, garish and flawed and passionate and real, and each one of the main gang needs a much needed hug or word of encouragement. Their relationships are developed perfectly, from friendship, to something a little more than friendship (note: I may or may not have swooned over the tiniest of gestures), to familial bonds. And Stiefvater moves each player around on her perfectly set stage, bringing to life this tale with every movement of choice.

It’s so easy to slip back to Henrietta, so easy to get caught up with Blue and the Raven Boys, so easy to fall back in love with The Raven Cycle. Stiefvater has, again, managed to craft a complex, fascinating read that fits perfectly in with its predecessors. Blue Lily, Lily Blue is a solidly written third installment for the cycle, one that fills in the blanks but also leaves room for the gigantic sweeping climax that readers know is on the way – and I can’t wait to see what Stiefvater pulls out of her hat for that!

So far this is my favorite book of the Raven Cycle. It was so good. I love the characters and I love the world.

Blue wants her mother back. All she knows is that her mother is underground. Her mother abandoned her before the start of Blue’s senior year. She is upset and worried, all at the same time.

Gansey wants to find Glendower. That has been his goal from the beginning. Now he is getting closer to that goal. The question becomes, “What do we do next?” They are so close and the clues are all leading underground.

Adam wants to be able to make his own choices. However, he gave up that bit in the ritual to awaken Cabeswater. Now he needs to learn how to communicate with the forest. He needs to understand what Cabeswater wants him to do.

Ronan would do anything for Gansey. Also, he would do anything for his younger brother. He is devoted in his own way. He isn’t like everyone else and he is more okay with that in this book. Ronan is more … almost nice to Blue and the others. It might just be me but it seems like some of his hostility is gone.

The Raven Boys and Blue go to some pretty interesting places. They learn more about Cabeswater. They learn more about Glendower. They learn more about Blue.

This review first appeared at Orandi et Legendi(http://catholicamanda.com/review-blue-lily-lily-blue/).

The Raven Cycle is unequivocally my favorite series. Maggie Stiefvater never fails to disappoint, and as much as I hate waiting, she certainly makes it worth it. I cannot believe how much I've fallen in love with these characters. Blue Sargent and Richard Gansey are characters that I genuinely think are going to stick with me for a very long time. This book in particular showcases how fiercely Gansey cares for his friends, Blue's family cares for her, etc, though it's certainly a theme that's present throughout the entire series.

I don't think there's anything about this writing that I don't like. The prose is beautiful, the storyline is always evolving and taking you to new places, and the mystery is interwoven with so much more that just leaves you with the feeling that this book is so real. It amazes me how a book full of magic time-bending forests, people and objects literally pulled out of dreams, and a mystery focused on a buried king who's been sleeping for hundreds of years can still seem so real. But that's one of Stiefvater's many talents - she knows that there's more to a great story than just a little magic and mystery. Her characters are teenagers; they go to school, they argue, they worry. They're not constantly focused on romance, but they're still human - it's there. (I'm not going to start talking about Blue and Gansey, because I'd be writing for days. But Maggie Stiefvater knows how to hit me. She knows just how to make it hurt. AND I LOVE IT.)

Whereas The Dream Thieves was a lot more about the characters and getting inside the deeper parts of their minds, Blue Lily, Lily Blue was more about finally getting down to the mystery that's been brewing since book one. I appreciated the fact that we finally got some answers. What I appreciate even more is the fact that there's still another book left - I don't think I want it to end.

In short: this series is still going strong. Blue Lily, Lily Blue was a fantastic addition that stayed true to the characters we've already fallen in love with while finally revealing some long-awaited answers. Absolutely 5 stars.

I could not put this third installment of The Raven Cycle down. Maggie Stiefvater’s writing is just so amazing to me and unique. I know I’ve said it in my other reviews but it keeps being true. Her characters and story continue to astound me.

I am so in love with these characters. They are real and raw. Blue and Gansey feel so perfect together. I know that a lot of readers can’t stand Blue, but I really like her. I just want them to have a happy ending, although we all know that may not be the case. Also, can Ronan and Adam kiss already?! I just want them together so badly.

For the most part this novel was told from the POV of Blue. The boys and her are still on the quest to find Glendower, although in this novel the search feels heightened.

I can’t wait to see what is in store for these characters in the final novel, The Raven King.

I have been waiting on this book for what feels like ages now! After re-reading the first two in The Raven Cycle, I dived right in. I enjoyed this one, but I feel like I got a bit too confused too often to give it five stars. However, I did enjoy the new characters and am very excited for the next installment. Can it be released yet?

This installment picks up pretty quick after The Dream Thieves. The Raven Boys and Blue have gathered together to find her mother. I feel like this installment went quicker than the previous two. There was more action and more things happening with less reflection. As many loose ends were tied up, more tangents started. It's interesting to see how things come together and when they do-what new things start up.

Gansey isn't in this installment nearly as much as he has been in previous ones. When he was present, he played such a vital role in the happenings. They are getting so close to his end goal it's crazy! It was also interesting to see what each of the boys and Blue's favors would be if they are the ones to wake Glendower.

Adam is beginning to understand his role much better. He also gets pretty good at it. He starts to let go of his issues with Gansey and charity. He starts to see Gansey and others' reasoning behind helping him out. He matures quite a bit in this one. I enjoyed it and I'm curious to know where he goes in the next one-what's next for him and all that.

Ronan is also not as present, but he still plays a vital role. He finally gets closer to Adam. They finally get along (for the most part). It was nice seeing that progression. He starts to understand and respect his power which is nice. I feel like he may be sad about Kavinsky which is nice to see-he has deeper feelings then is typically shown. What he shared about Matthew was also pretty crazy.

Blue is definitely more present in this installment than in The Dream Thieves. She has to deal with a lot at the house on Fox Way-her mom, Persephone, and Gwenllian. I see her figuring out who she is more now than before. She starts to find her footing in this band of boys. I also feel very bad for her with everything that happened. I can see a bad spiral happening at some point in the future (but I could be wrong).

I don't want to reveal too much so I'm going to sum up the other characters and happenings briefly:

→ I wish we learned more about Persephone. There was a moment in The Dream Thieves about who she is or could be and I don't think it was entirely explained.
→ I am curious about Jesse and why he always seems to be yelling. He seems so lovable at the same time.
→ I wonder if Malory will have any significance at all in the future. He seemed pretty random in this story and not necessarily important.
→Piper was quite surprising. I feel like she will have a bigger role in the next installment. Greenmantle was a bit of a let down, but I am curious about his impact in the next as well.
→I love how involved Mr. Grey has become! I really liked him in The Dream Thieves and can't wait to see his involvement in the next.
→Chapter 26-heartbreaking / heart-wrenching / absolutely adorable / so sad / oh the feels!

The main downer to this installment is how confused I kept getting. I feel like there may have been TOO MUCH going on at once. There are some things I'm still not very clear on. Either way, I'm still excited for the next one. I can't believe it'll be like a year from now. Sad day.

As always, I must mention: Maggie Stiefvater could write about anything and I'd read it. Her prose is perfection - honest, if I could pick one person to narrate my life, it would be her. With every book she writes, my heart swells because I know there are more words she's strung together to make beauty in the world.

And this stunning prose? Well, it makes up one of those plots that always keeps you guessing. With most books I read, I can at least pretend to know what's going to happen next but this series is so smart and so ahead of me at all times that I can never tell what unbelievable curve ball is coming next. I honestly read these books much slower than I do any other book because every word is vital. Every fact is important. Any bit might come up later. I have to be so ready, so on my game that there can be no skimming or flipping ahead because these books are meant to be read in order, word by word, beautiful moment by beautiful moment.

After all this, it must go without saying that the characters in this series are some of the best characters I've ever read. Blue, Gansey, Adam, Ronan, Noah, and all the rest are being the most perfect/flawed characters of all time. I know them all so well. And, yeah, sometimes there are moments when I think my brain forgets what their end goal is (Blue's mom is missing? We're still looking for Glendower? There are three sleepers? Adam's a hot mess? Ronan's getting his shiz together? Gansey and Blue are making me cry every minute? Noah is on the fritz?), but I think that's somehow reflective of the fact that they, the character in question, have forgotten what their end goal is and why they're doing all these crazy things they're doing. They're so lost and confused in their own journey and the fact that I can feel that makes me dizzy with the spectacular that is this series.

But it's not just the prose, the plot and the characters that makes this book. It's also about how the characters interact. Every conversation has so much meaning. No word is wasted. Things may go unsaid but then there are these charged looks that covey the words (Maggie Stiefvater is the master of the charged look). I mean, I can barely go a page without some interaction making my want to cry or swoon or love everything. The unquestionable, unstoppable love these people of fiction have for each other is so strong and tangible it's like they're real.

So, basically, if you love mysterious mythological books with twisty turns, beautiful prose, paranormal behavior, realistic characters who are beyond fleshed out and totally loyal and in love with each other, or having extreme emotional responses to a book, The Raven Cycle is definitely the series for you and you should be speed-reading your way to Blue Lily, Lily Blue so all may live in the delicious agony of waiting for the fourth and final book in the series (out next Fall, I pray daily).

I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that The Raven Cycle is one of the strangest series I’ve ever read. It combines complex interpersonal dynamics(of both friends and family), mythology, and paranormal aspects. To evaluate each of these aspects individually would make this a very long review indeed, so I’ll stick more with my general impressions than anything to in-depth.

I found both The Raven Boys and The Dream Thieves to be really good books, but Blue Lily, Lily Blue takes it to another level. For the first time, I felt truly invested in the fate of these characters. Everything was so layered and complex and my emotions got involved. There were so many scenes that affected me on a very basic level. Stiefvater is always good at writing characters that seem real, but the characters in Blue Lily, Lily Blue even more so than normal. I was always invested in Blue and Gansey, and to some extent Ronan, but Blue Lily, Lily Blue made me care about everyone. I anticipated every scene and cheered for the characters when things went their way and choked on sobs when it didn’t.

However, perhaps the biggest thing about Blue Lily, Lily Blue is the new view of the world that Stiefvater gives us. There’s always been a tenuous connection between Blue’s family and Gansey’s quest, but in this book everything just becomes more connected and complex. Blue Lily, Lily Blue is that moment when the camera angle widens and you realize what you’ve been seeing all along is only a part of the whole. This happens not only with the plot, but also with the characters. One of my favorite aspects of Blue Lily, Lily Blue was this theme that ran underneath about “knowing” people. Almost all of the characters struggle with this in some way–with wondering if they really know their friends or if they even know themselves. A few quotes that go to highlight this:

“It seemed impossible for all of Ronan to exist in one person. Adam was beginning to realize that he hadn’t known Ronan at all. Or rather, he had known part of him and assumed it was all of him.”

“Gansey thought of how strange it was to know these two young men so well and yet to not know them at all.”

Of course, because this book is written by Maggie Stiefvater there’s no easy answer to the knowing or unknowing of someone else. However, as the characters continue to explore this idea, it all feels so heartfelt. There’s so much going on under the surface of Blue Lily, Lily Blue that it would be difficult to make a list of it all, but the relationship between Blue and her Raven boys continues to deepen and grow.

There’s also a ton going on plot-wise as well. The first two books in this series felt filled to the brim, but Blue Lily, Lily Blue is dense. This is not a quick read, though it never feels slow or lifeless. Stiefvater’s prose has a very dreamy, airy quality to it, but the plot is thick and twisted and at times made me think I needed to diagram out what was happening. Blue Lily, Lily Blue was filled with enough twists and turns that it began to feel uncommon for my jaw to hit the floor. For the first time in this series, Blue Lily, Lily Blue kept me guessing from beginning to end.

Blue and our Raven boys continue their quest, and relationships are still complicated by curses and feelings all around. Unlike The Dream Thieves, this does not micro-focus on one particular character, zooming back out to let us view everyone as a whole.

In terms of plot, this one didn’t feel as tight as the other installments, or more likely I was wanting more to happen. Some of this might be that if there’s a “middle” book for this series, this is it. Stiefvater has to connect what she’s set up in the first two books, and prepare us as readers for the conclusion. I was just expecting more forward momentum than this. Big things still happened in our characters lives, they just didn’t feel as big next to all the things packed into the first two books. This is not to diminish anything; Stiefvater has many things at work here. And she’s great at subtly so there’s a lot that will prove important in the future I’m sure. This series still packs a punch and the momentum is still moving steadily forward, it just feels slightly different than the others. For one, the plot heavily played with the Gray Man’s boss, and this felt like a distraction to me. I just wasn’t as interested in that plot line. That doesn’t mean it isn’t important.

Also there’s a moment where Adam learns about street harassment and why it’s not okay. This is obviously the most important scene in the book.

Despite this, as usual, it’s Stiefvater’s brilliant character work that really shines here. I just want to see these characters doing things. There is also some create character growth from Adam. I was worried about him. Now I’m still worried about him, but he’s in a better mental place. I loved that there were a few scenes were we got to see more of the dynamic between Blue and Ronan. Stiefvater plays our heartstrings in terms of the romantic business at play, but she never lets us forget, or belittles, that this is a story about friends.

The plot and relationships offer a strong potential for angst in this novel. Stiefvater gives us a chance to feel these feelings, but never dwells on them. Characters get to feel angry, upset, worried sick, but they soldier on. And they do it with a sense of humor that should never be underestimated. The banter in these books makes them as good as they are. A sense of humor is imperative. Like with romance novels, it’s no use taking oneself too seriously, or at least, that’s not what I’m attracted to in my fiction.

I must admit, I’m a little afraid to come to the end of this series. Not because I’m worried about the ending, I trust Stiefvater on that. She’s got the chops, and I know she’s going to produce the best ending for her story. Rather, there has been all this mythology and anticipation building up to finding Glendower, and like Gansey at certain parts of this book, I just can’t imagine it all coming to an end. I don’t want to let these characters go. I would read many books of them just doing mundane, ordinary things as long as they were talking to each other.

Once again I surface from a haze of mandatory rereading of each and every one of my favorite parts in the previous two novels in the Raven Cycle to write this review of the third and latest installment. I finished Blue Lily, Lily Blue and lay awake in bed, staring at the ceiling, seeing nothing but the quicksilver leaves of Cabeswater, hearing nothing but Adam's soft drawl over the tune of Ronan's inappropriate Irish jigs, and tasting nothing but mint on my tongue. It's a heady experience giving yourself over to one of Maggie's novels and not a decision to be taken lightly. Knowing that she persists in ending each book on a teaser (of sorts), I prepared myself for the worst (though I know she's really saving that for the fourth and final book). And, as ever, as the whole thing crashes to its temporary conclusion, some threads are flung far and wide even as others (the core ones) tighten their hold, both on each other and on me.

Warning: this is the third book in a quartet. I shall attempt to minimize the spoilers. But not at the expense of THE FEELINGS. As Ronan might say, Vos admonitos.

Given her druthers, Blue Sargent would eat yogurt for every meal. She would grow a handful of inches taller. And she would spend each and every day with the boys. And while her mother disapproves of at least two of those three choices, her mother is not around anymore. To put too fine a point on it, Maura has up and disappeared. And the women of 300 Fox Way are at a loss as to know exactly what to do to fetch her back. And so Blue eats her yogurt. And she bemoans her diminutive height. And she spends as many and as much of her days as possible hunting with Gansey, Ronan, Adam, and Noah. And all the while she quietly tries to will her mother back before the nameless evil that threatens to awaken does just that. Meanwhile, Adam is holding tightly to every shred of sanity and temper he possesses in order to mend his fences with Gansey, continue to heal Cabeswater as needed, and come to terms with his role in the group and in the grander scheme of the search for Glendower. And in many respects his work is rewarded with greater clarity on several fronts. Ronan Lynch continues to live with every one of his secrets (and to be keeper of a not insignificant portion of my heart). And Noah . . . vacillates . . . as only Noah can. To say nothing of the Gray Man's adopted quest, Calla's fiercely protective eye, Persephone's training of Adam, and Gansey's sometime mentor calling for tea. More threads are added to the weft with every step of this penultimate tale.

***

"You can be just friends with people, you know," Orla said. "I think it's crazy how you're in love with all those raven boys."

Orla wasn't wrong, of course. But what she didn't realize about Blue and her boys was that they were all in love with one another. She was no less obsessed with them than they were with her, or one another, analyzing every conversation and gesture, drawing out every joke into a longer and longer running gag, spending each moment either with one another or thinking about when next they would be with one another. Blue was perfectly aware that it was possible to have a friendship that wasn't all-encompassing, that wasn't blinding, deafening, maddening, quickening. It was just that now that she'd had this kind, she didn't want the other.

***

In the words of Whitman, "We were together. I forget the rest." This is precisely how I feel whenever I sit back down with Blue and her Raven Boys. Okay. We're together now. Everything else can fall away. I love how, despite Maura's absence, everyone felt less alone to me in this one than they did in the last. In Blue Lily, Lily Blue, three books in, they genuinely have each other. Even more importantly, they acknowledge that they have each other and just how much that means. Sometimes, in the case of Ronan, they acknowledge it in remorseless and epithetical Latin. Sometimes, in the case of Adam, in the minutest acceptance of an unexpected kindness. And sometimes, in the case of Gansey and Blue, only in the most glancing and breath-holding of looks or moments, drifting along the tenuous line of a telephone. But acknowledge it and rely upon it they do. And that seemingly simple step goes miles and miles to shoring up a few of this reader's myriad anxieties. The trust and surety that previously extended unilaterally here and there within the group expand in this volume to each relationship, in every combination. They find themselves reaching out, across status and gender and ley lines. And, as a result, Gansey (who has arguably been the most alone of all these kids who have been so very alone) is no longer quite so internally isolated. And the same goes for each of the magnificent individuals he has gathered around him. With all dark things looming ahead of them, this one change felt vastly important to me. And dark things do loom ahead. So dark at times it is difficult not to flinch. But there is always the glorious light to match the darkness—the lightning humor in Gansey's eyes, in Ronan's laugh, and on Blue's tongue.

***

Sometimes, Gansey forgot how much he liked school and how good he was at it. But he couldn't forget it on mornings like this one—fall fog rising out of the fields and lifting in front of the mountains, the Pig running cool and loud, Ronan climbing out of the passenger seat and knocking knuckles on the roof with teeth flashing, dewy grass misting the black toes of his shoes, bag slung over his blazer, narrow-eyed Adam bumping fists as they met on the sidewalk, boys around them laughing and calling to one another, making space for the three of them because this had been a thing for so long: Gansey-Lynch-Parrish.

***

This thing. Oh, this thing. The three of them. The five of them. The quest for the sleeping king. It's just that I love them, you know? I love that we get the sure sense they were going on before us and that they will continue on without us after the fourth book comes to a close. As for that close, we shall not speak of it. For I am full to the brim of fears and awful premonitions. As such, I plan on tucking myself away at 300 Fox Way until next October. Just to be safe. Safe as life.

The story concept for this series is great. I like the magic of it and I really like the characters, and figuring out how they are all intertwined. The problem is the elitist, conceded author. There is so much that happened where you think "Wait, what? What just happened? And you can read it 100 times and you can go back to Wikipedia and try to remember the parts from the earlier books that you also didn't understand...but you are just lost...and the author is too conceited to help you. To add another sentence or a small reminder.
Also, she goes so out of her way to write single 'well crafted' or 'metaphorical' sentences... that the story as a whole suffers. I will read the last book, just because I have to figure out how Gansey dies....but this one in particular was horribly written.

The Raven Cycle series is very different from The Wolves of Mercy Falls. If you go into this series expecting the same Maggie Stiefvater from The Wolves of Mercy Falls then I think you’re going to be disappointed. It’s not that The Raven Cycle isn’t as good. It’s just different. I said in my review of The Dream Thieves that her writing is still lyrical and poetic, but in a way that you have to think about more than the previous series. On top of that, any romance in this series takes a back seat to the adventure that these characters are on.

As a matter of fact, let me just take a minute to say that I actually like how slowly the relationship has been building and how things are still in a very early stage. Blue’s been told that she’ll kill her true love if she kisses him, and that’s kept things on a very PG level for her on all relationship fronts. Yet, we know that Gansey’s on the list from The Raven Boys which means he’ll be dead before the year is over. Blue started off the series having a short relationship with Adam, but in the second book, things started transitioning from Adam to Gansey. And I’m much more excited about that. But because Blue and Adam had a short “thing,” Blue and Gansey have been keeping whatever is building between them on the DL. All of this is really just background stuff. Like I said, the adventure takes more of a center stage—at least so far. I’m hoping the next book (and last?) will really amp up the relationship.

Speaking of the adventure, we know that Gansey and his crew have been searching for Glendower for a long time. And well, they’re really close. Adam’s all connected to Cabeswater now. He made a deal at the end of The Dream Thieves to be the eyes, ears, and hands for Cabeswater. He’s been working with Persephone to restore the ley lines that have been disconnected in some places. Maura, Blue’s mom, has gone missing. She’s searching the undergrown caves. Truthfully, I kind of forgot what she was searching for. Whoops! This is definitely one of those series that I have a hard time remember everything that happened from book to book. I mean there is an entire year in between each release. Mr. Gray (The Gray Man) lied to his employer about the object he was hunting which turns out to be a person and not an object at all (Ronan), but his employer doesn’t believe him. So that amps up the risk for the entire group. Oh and we finally find out what Blue is. We know that she’s not a psychic like every other woman in her family, but we know that she amplifies power as well. I really liked the explanation for what she is.

A lot happens, but yet I also felt like the story wasn’t moved along all that much at the same time from where things ended with The Dream Thieves. I can see why some Maggie Stiefvater fans don’t connect to this series as much as her other books. While I’ve enjoyed the series, I have found that each book in this series has taken me longer to read than I would like. And I think because the relationship progresses so slowly and takes a backseat to the rest of the events, some readers might not be connecting.

My favorite quotes:
-“Maybe I dreamt you,” [Ronan] said. “Thanks for the straight teeth, then,” Adam replied.

-Casually, out of view of Ronan, making sure Adam was still sleeping, Gansey dangeled his hand between the driver’s seat and the door. Palm up, fingers stretched back to Blue. This was not allowed. …

-The only casualty was his pulse.

-Ronan was always saying that he never lied, but he wore a liar’s face.

-The phone went quiet. It was never enough, but it was something.

-What a lie unknowable was. The only person who didn’t know Adam was himself.

-He who does a thing by the agency of another does it himself.

-But it felt real to her heart, even if her head knew better.

Blue Lily, Lily Blue gets 4 Stars from me. I can’t wait to see how everything finishes. I believe the next book is the last planned in the series. I feel like there’s still a lot that has to happen in that book. Have you read Blue Lily, Lily Blue? What did you think? Let me know!

For more book reviews, check out Somewhere Only We Know - http://sandyfarmer.blogspot.com.

SQUASH ONE, SQUASH TWO (sorry I am tormented by not being able to actually listen to this song)

Somebody on Twitter, I think it was Gillian, referred to this book as Blue Feels, Feels Blue and yes yes very much agree. THIS BOOK PUNCHED ME RIGHT IN THE FEELS YOU GUYS. Days later I am still reeling from the sheer emotion it pulled out of me (THIS IS NOT AN EASY THING TO DO. I have a cold black heart). Somewhere in the midst of reading Dream Thieves I became emotionally invested in these characters in a way I haven't felt since Harry Potter (or that vampire series none of us want to admit we loved). The kind of deep attachment that lets me know I will be haunted and wishing for more from them for years and years after their story concludes. Blue Lily, Lily Blue only served to solidify those feelings in the best way possible. Everything about this book was sheer perfection.

The writing is gloriously beautiful and just speaks to my soul. There is really no other way to describe how perfect and engrossing it is. Maggie Stiefvater's prose is just utterly masterful. And the plot? The plot is insane. SO. MUCH. HAPPENS. I obviously can't go into specifics without spoiling it but SERIOUSLY I JUST. HOWWWWWWW???? HOW DOES ANYONE'S MIND CREATE SUCH A WONDERFULLY DETAILED STORY AND JUST KEEP MAKING THINGS EVEN MORE EXCITING AND TERRIFYING AND JUST. I honestly have no idea what to expect from book 4. I have lots of theories (most of them the wild conjectures brought on by an insane mind) but really just no idea how it's all going to end and that is both terrifying and exhilarating.

As wonderful and creative the writing and plot are, the characters are everything. I cannot talk about them enough. They have taken over my life. I am pretty sure they are all me and the BFF have talked about via text for the last week. Seriously. My phone even autocorrects Gansey and Ronan's names to all caps. Even the mere mention of Ronan anywhere causes me to go into a rabid frenzy of glorious feels and capslock. He is my everything. Of course to say that Ronan is my favorite is only to mean that if he were to suddenly die in the final book I would be 0.000000000000001% more saddened than I would be if Blue, Noah, Gansey or Adam were to die. (GANSEY IS NOT DYING OKAY I DON'T CARE WHAT STIEFVATER SAID I REFUSE TO ACCEPT SUCH A REALITY). These characters are just so REAL. Even the secondary characters are gloriously developed and full of spark and personality. Calla is just a treasure. AND JESSE AND THE GREY MAN AND MAURA AND PERSEPHONE. I just can't with this series and these characters. THEY ARE LIFE.

My favorite part about the characterization in <strong>Blue Lily, Lily Blue</strong> is how much these characters grow in this book, and how we see that growth through the way the other characters observe this, especially Blue and Gansey & Adam and Ronan. We see the best and worst of these characters through the lenses of their friends eyes. Really, Nikki put it so much better than me when she said in her review:

"One thing I love about all of them is that we learn about them through each others’ eyes  — not our own eyes, not really from some third-person describing them to us, but we learn the most telling things about them as they learn about each other."

The friendship these five characters share is just so perfect you guys. They have the kind of bond amongst them that everyone dreams of having with another person. I think Ronan broke my feels the most when he says

"...Do you understand? If they die, I die, too."

BECAUSE IT'S JUST SO ACCURATE. (also if any of them die I will die too okay shhhhh I am not being melodramatic). Of course the paragraph that starts out with "But what she didn't realize about Blue and her boys was that they were all in love with one another." is also great and perfect and probably my favorite paragraph in the entire series. These five characters share such a glorious all-encompassing friendship that it becomes as consuming for the reader as it is for them. Even the tiny insignificant moments involving Ronan and Blue, Noah and Gansey, or Adam and whoever had me falling apart with the glory of their love for each other. WE CAN'T EVEN TALK ABOUT RONAN AND GANSEY BECAUSE UGH MY FEELS AND THEY ARE THE CUTEST BFFs OF ALL THE BFFs.

AND MY SHIPS OMG YOU GUYS MY SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIPS. They each have so many great moments together and I JUST. I CAN'T WITH THE CAN'T AND THE FEEELS AND IF I DON'T GET FACE SMOOSHING IN BOOK 4 I WILL DIE FROM DROWNING IN MY OWN TEARS. I can't say anything too specific about them because SPOILERS but lets just say all my favorite moments involve late night phone calls, undrinkable teas, Pig and mint leaves and mountain drives and hands on knees and secret plots and The Barns and casual looks filled with practiced disinterest that is incomplete and shopping carts and churches and JUST MY FEELS CANNOT HANDLE HOW MUCH I NEED THESE SHIPS TO SAIL.

This book made me laugh and cry and scream OMG literally out loud and frantically text Nikki incessantly about all of the feels. GUYS THIS BOOK EVEN MADE ME FINALLY LOVE ADAM. He is finally starting to get it and grow up and now I just want to hug him. ALSO NEED MORE NOAH OKAY. These books never have enough Noah. So basically if you love gorgeous prose, amazingly developed characters, and shippy feels this book/series is for you.

Wow. Blue Lily, Lily Blue is several steps up from the boringness that was The Dream Thieves! I was so nervous going into this one, but I loved it! This series went back to what I loved about it: the mysterious, magical hunt for Glendower! There’s still plenty of character development goodness, but the plot is once again moving forward, full-throttle! School has started back up for Blue and her Raven Boys, but that doesn’t mean they’re giving up on their quest. Not only are they still trying to wake the lost king, but they need to find Blue’s mother. There’s also the matter of Gansey’s imminent demise weighing on Blue’s mind. On top of that, there’s someone new in town with nefarious plans.

Blue Lily, Lily Blue was crazy, in a great way. There are so many new discoveries and a lot of tension! And kissing! And death! And creepy 600 year old women who talk in song! I don’t even know where to start, since so much happens, but at the same time I don’t want to spoil anything! I suppose I can start with Ronan, since he’s my favorite. There wasn’t nearly enough of him, but what there was, I loved! He had some quiet, sweet moments that really showed how he cares about his fellow Raven Boys. Then there’s a quite disturbing scene of him using his ability to help Adam with this insane plan that he has. Kind of nightmare inducing. Literally (at least for Ronan). I need more Ronan!

Blue and Gansey. What can I say about these two? They’re killing me! They have a lot of scenes together in Blue Lily, Lily Blue and each one was more heartbreaking than the last! I want to smush their lips together because AAHHH! But then I want to keep them apart because of that whole kissing curse thing. And I want Blue to TELL HIM! But then I don’t, because I don’t want a sad Gansey. But then again, at least he’d be prepared, and they can get on with the kissing. But…no! This one scene in his car nearly killed me! This romance is so sad and wonderful, but I don’t know! How will it end?! Or really, how will it ever start?!

Adam and Noah were around, too, and did interesting stuff, but nothing I really feel like mentioning, because I’d rather talk about these new characters: Piper and Gwenllian. We’re introduced to Greenmantle, the mastermind behind Ronan’s father’s murder, but I didn’t really care. At least, not until his wife Piper freaking loses her mind. That woman is disturbed and I couldn’t get enough! Then the epilogue! Nooo! What are you doing, woman!!! Then Blue and the boys find Gwenllian and she certainly makes their lives much more interesting. And by interesting I mean hectic. I adored her, even if she’s totally off her rocker.

So, I pretty much loved Blue Lily, Lily Blue and nearly chucked my Kindle across the room when I got the low battery warning at 96%! I mean, come on! Stuff was happening! There was danger! I wasn’t sure who was going to survive that, since I can’t be sure that anyone is safe! What’s behind that door?! Will Blue and Gansey ever kiss?! Will Adam spill secrets?! What is happening to Noah?! RONAN! Where is the next book?!

*Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley for review. No compensation was offered or accepted.

Will Patton is AMAZING. Listening to him read this book swept me into another world. He absolutely mastered the characters, and there were plenty of new, quirky characters to master. I highly recommend listening to this book, though use of the F-bomb is considerable, so be careful when listening without headphones.

The story. . . also amazing. Stiefvater's writing is top rate with descriptions that allow readers to fully form images. The core characters are back, and each of them continues to evolve -- as do the relationships between them. There are some terrific new characters added, and with the help of Will Patton's portrayals, each of them is firmly etched in my mind. More adults are introduced, which brought more adult subject matter, but nothing's graphic. As I felt with the first book, the introduction of adults - realistically portrayed adults with faults and all -- makes the book have a broader appeal than to just young adult audiences.

This is definitely a bridge book in many ways, and it takes real focus to keep up with the multiple points of view and storylines. There were more than a few times where I had to go back a minute or two because I'd missed something. Don't miss the finer points, or you may miss some major foreshadowing for book four.

As mentioned above, there is a liberal dose of profanity, as well as graphic violence, and sexual references and situations, so gentle readers beware. If you like this review, read more on my blog kristinehallways.blogspot.com

Review originally posted on The Book Addict's Guide (blog)

I actually had to wait a while after I finished BLUE LILY, LILY BLUE before I could form coherent thoughts (well, coherent enough to start actually writing a review). I waited until Nikki was reading so I could re-live the book through her because HOW was I supposed to write a review about this book? I really loved THE RAVEN BOYS and I fell in love with THE DREAM THIEVES, but absolutely everything in BLUE LILY, LILY BLUE was really stepped up a notch. My feels SKYROCKTED for just about every character and I was absolutely blown away by the things that went down in this book.

The character development for this book is out of this world. I absolutely love getting to know these characters more and more with each book I read in this series and of course, BLUE LILY, LILY BLUE was no exception to that. I think one of my favorite things is how complicated the relationship is amongst the friend group of Blue, Gansey, Adam, Ronan, and Noah — that sounds like it’d be a negative thing, but it’s really not. It’s complicated because they really all are such a tight knit group that it’s like they become one entity. They always have each other’s backs, no matter the situation. They have such strong feelings for each other that they become so reliant on each person in the group and I love witnessing those bonds of friendship grown and strengthen with each book, and I’m so glad Nikki screen-capped this to me as she was reading because I had temporarily forgotten about it! (There is actually WAY more to that paragraph that adds to the LOVE but it’s long and you should read it for yourself :D)

Blue was perfectly aware that it was possible to have a friendship that wasn’t all-encompassing, that wasn’t blinding, deafening, maddening quickening. It was just that now that she’d had this kind, she didn’t want any other.

BLUE LILY, LILY BLUE sure had its share of “OMG moments” too. The book is chock full of FEELS of all kinds — rage, excitement, fear, passion, suspense, confusion, love. I was basically on an emotion-high the whole book. I loved how many new ideas were introduced as well as how elements from book one are still being built up. Maggie Stiefvater is excellent at prolonging suspense and maintaining mystery and as much as I’m DYING for answers, I’m still loving the fact that I don’t know everything yet. Maggie is also fantastic at “atmospheric writing” (is that a thing or did I just make that term up? I’m sure there’s a real term. Someone correct me!) — she has a knack for describing characters and emotions and situations without having to directly spell everything out. She creates a mood and a setting that takes the characters and the reader where they need to be and I just love being able to feel the book.

The mythology, fantasy, and paranormal aspects of the story all get a great boost in this book too. There were hints in book one, explanations in book two, and EVENTS in book three. The explorations — both literally and figuratively — of these supernatural players really drive the plot forward in BLUE LILY, LILY BLUE, leading to some answers but even more questions too. Their presence floored me in many ways at many times and I cannot wait to see the reactions from readers as they discover them along with the characters!

Overall, BLUE LILY, LILY BLUE was absolutely a homerun for me. I absolutely loved every second of it and I already want to re-read it. I’ll probably have to re-read the whole series so far before book four comes out (to refresh my memory and just to enjoy them all again, especially knowing what I now know) and I am a ball of nerves until I get to read the next book! The wait will be long but no doubt worth it!

I wasn’t holding my breath for this approval to come through NetGalley yet I still choked on it when it did. And then screamed a little. Luckily I was home alone although my animals are still weary of me. Consider this review spoiler free.

Book 3 in The Raven Cycle puts Gansey, Ronan, Adam, (Noah), Blue, Calla, Persephone and the rest back on the path to finding Glendower and, of course, there’s still a hefty pile of poop to wade through in order to get to this mythical man. Stiefvater takes us on this journey by pulling on our heart pieces and tap-dancing on ours souls in the process. And she does it subtly, with little nuance phrases that come in passing and are really such little things but the punch they pack continually took my breath away for how much they meant. One that still sticks in my mind is Gansey sticking his fingers between the car seats and Blue grabbing on to them. Maybe because that action holds special meaning for me, or not. But it hit my heart and has obviously left an impression.

The kids are certainly on a path less traveled and even with Gansey’s British buddy there helping them along they’re still stumbling over tree roots and rocks and falling into precipices. They’re battered and torn from the inside out and they all have pieces of themselves chipped away as the story plows on. No one is safe and everyone’s mind and body (and psyche) are at risk of being battered and torn asunder and you can’t help but gasp along the way.

The magic in this real world of ours is growing exponentially and it excited me to watch Ronan especially get more and more of a handle on what he can do. He still has his edge but he’s allowed rational thought to poke through, allowing him to get a more intelligent (less belligerent) grasp on what he’s capable of. His problem-solving skills are growing. Adam is King of the Ley Line (or at least project manager of its repairs) and he has to saddle both fixing its failures and dealing with his failure father and it’s proving a hard balance to strike for him. But he wouldn’t be Adam without having MORE to handle than just this unreality. This is his book, after all. We are required to see him struggling in his own spotlight. Gansey is Gansey, ever questing after Glendower, after Blue, and trying to keep his own fears in check in the process. Blue is Blue, trying to balance a real world she’s still trying to grasp on to with thin strands and drowning herself in the Glendower quest with “her boys.” This is partly her book too and she tries to reign her mom back in, her spotlight to save someone she loved while Adam pushes his family away. The dichotomy of these two characters meeting in the middle, sharing a common goal while struggling with opposite issues threads the book together. And Noah is a ghost. That hasn’t changed, except he may be more ghost-like in BLUE LILY, LILY BLUE.

Stiefvater throws in a curve ball that may or may not peg you in your face. She shakes these characters’ world like throttling a sapling and I think she may laugh a little while doing it. Any semblance of safety for these characters is gone. Any sense that they’re immune from bad things happening directly to them is shattered. This book is where the quest becomes really real and really dangerous and starts to transcend the Raven Boys and the women of 300 Fox Way. It is MORE and it doesn’t think the world of everyone. And it’ll leave you wanting at the end, feigning the final installment to The Raven Cycle that is so incredibly far away that I may as well start my own search for Glendower because I just might find him sooner.

5

The search for Glendower has almost come to fruition when it seems that Cabeswater is finally willing to give up its most prized secret. But the Welsh king isn’t the only one Blue and her Raven Boys are searching for. Blue’s mother, Maura, has disappeared, leaving behind an enigmatic note. As the search continues each member of the group is faced with their own challenges and many of their relationships become strained. Prophecies abound, warning the group that their quest will lead them into danger and Blue struggles with the knowledge that one of their deaths has already been foretold.

Before I started reading Blue Lily, Lily Blue, I understood there was a possibility that I wouldn’t be able to articulate how I felt about it because I’ve become so emotionally invested in these characters that at times it even seems fanatical to me. So please bear with me as I try not to gush too much over this series.

Maggie Stiefvater’s Blue Lily, Lily Blue, the third book in The Raven Cycle series, brings our characters on the cusp of discovery while also moving relationship forward and some a little backward. If I had to describe the relationships in this series in one word, it would be “complicated.” This isn’t because there is unnecessary romantic entanglements or petty jealousy, this is because the characters in this series are so well-developed that tension and contrition are a given. Richard Campbell Gansey III is, by birth and personality, their leader. He propels the group forward in their search for Glendower. He’s the glue that keeps them all together, his enthusiasm a driving-force. They listen to him, trust him, and in those moments when he seems less than godlike, they are rattled. Gansey means the world to a lot of characters and I’m not sure they know who they would be without him.

Adam Parrish has gone from a boy desperate for prestige, never allowing himself to accept handouts even when saying no results in pain, to a boy who gave himself over to Cabeswater and is just discovering that he isn’t as powerless as thought he was. Ronan Lynch is contemptuous on his good days, but at the same time you see just how much the people around him mean to him. He’s willing to go to great lengths to protect the ones he loves. Both of these characters are far more dangerous and a lot more powerful than I’ve ever given them credit for, and I’m not sure if this is a good thing.

Blue Sargent, like Adam, does not come from a family of wealth. The difference between the two is Adam has always been determined to achieve affluence while Blue has accepted her economical limitations. But in Blue Lily, Lily Blue we see a different Blue emerge. She wants more than what her circumstances would allow, and this desire has spilled over into her relationship with Gansey. And if you haven’t read the first two books, I suggest you stop reading now. In The Raven Boys and The Dream Thieves, it seemed that Blue sort of accepted that though it was going to hurt, Gansey’s death was still going to happen. In this book Blue is no longer satisfied with what fate has in store and wants desperately to believe destiny can be changed because no one wants to lose Gansey.

There are so many other characters I could discuss and that is the beauty of Maggie Stiefvater’s writing. She has found a way to write characters that are essentially doomed by a variety of circumstances–by their social standing, their own desires, their destinies, their own natures, their hearts, their relationships–and made each inexplicably real to the reader that I find myself hoping for a happily-ever-after that Stiefvater has never promised. Yet I still keep reading and hoping. The Raven Cycle series is very much focused on its characters: how they relate to each other, how their perceptions of one another impact their lives, and how these perceptions are either false or incomplete. I am continuously amazed by the depth Stiefvater is able to infuse into these characters and now I will be suffering for another year waiting for the fourth and final book.

Maggie Stiefvater recently stated that she reads reviews, and takes into account the reader feedback she finds there. I don't think Maggie would lie about such things, and choose to believe that I might just get lucky enough for her to read my review- so I'm going to draft this one as if I'm speaking directly to her.

Maggie, after three volumes in this series, you have some serious 'splainin' to do in the conclusion next year. I have more questions with each additional book, and few are getting answered as the story progresses. I may have to go find a fansite where it would be safe to post a bunch of my burning questions to discuss possible explanations with other fans. Whether I do or not, I am certain that I will be re-reading the series before volume 4 is released, so I don't miss anything due to the time-delay of waiting for each additional book.

I'm impressed with the unusually large number of characters in this YA series, and that they are all wonderfully distinct and seemingly purposeful voices. Ronan and Adam could easily have run together, as could Maura/Calla/Persephone- but they don't. I must confess that there are a few that I'm still unclear about their purpose- see the above paragraph about unanswered questions- but I trust that it will all come together. I'm mainly concerned here with Mr. Grey and his rat of a former employer, and Gansey's visitor from across the pond. As for the character who returned near the end of this one- I knew that person would return, but not like that! Nicely done!

There is a scene near the end - the one with the major discovery- that spawns a ton of questions. Lots of details fall through the sieve, I suspect in search of good pacing. For me, the result was that I went back to re-read it twice, looking for explanations. Maybe it was silly of me, not just accepting that Cabeswater/Glendower are capable of some weird stuff that just isn't going to be logical. I just had a hard time letting go of it, when I've read this far thinking that answers will be found in the next chapter.

Thank you for bringing this book back to the original setting. I didn't particularly enjoy the scenes away from Aglionby and the surrounding territory in the last book; that was a little disorienting. I'm sure you had good reasons for letting us see Gansey and Adam interact away from school, but I missed the group being together. I'm glad to have them back- though I am terribly worried about Noah, and hope that things will turn out okay for him.

I LOVED that Adam was able to finally accept his friends’ kindness as pure friendship rather than charity. Finally. I LOVED that Gansey and Ronan showed up for him when he is most in need. I LOVED that Blue paid part of a fee on one of their adventures together, and he was able to let her. Though it seems that this is primarily Blue's book, these developments with Adam were my favorite part.

Maggie, thanks so much for being such a magnificent storyteller. Thanks for spinning weird adventure tales where the good guy still gets rewarded and the bad guys get their just desserts. Thanks for doing your own thing rather than trying to carve out your share of the current trends. Thanks for continuing to interact with fans online. Keep those books coming- many of us have already determined that we'll be with you to the end.

Ohhh, Maggie Stiefvater's books hurt so good. And even as we feel closer and closer to the end, the series is taking some awesome twists and turns, farther into the mythology of Glendower and Cabeswater, farther into the deep connection Blue, her family, and her raven boys have to the sleeping king. It's nothing but fantastic, too. While Blue Lily, Lily Blue may not be quite as wonderful as The Dream Thieves (that would have been just spectacular), it's still a great entry into one of my favorite series.

As I likely said in my reviews of the other books in this series, Maggie's writing style is so well suited to a story like this. She manages to make the mundane into something extraordinary. The book has an otherworldly feel, even in the least magical moments. In addition, she weaves a fantastical story--that of an ancient, sleeping king and one young man's search for him--into one of friendship and family so completely that the two could never been separate.

If you've read this far into the series, it's likely you're just as hooked as I am. We're left at the end of Blue Lily, Lily Blue with just as many questions as before, but we know those answers are coming. I know I also fear coming to the end, though, because the biggest questions--those of who will live and who will die--will soon be answered. And it's going to hurt.

Though Blue Lily, Lily Blue isn't quite the in-depth and revelatory character study that was The Dream Thieves, it moves the Raven Cycle to its tipping point. But, if you love this series, you'll love this book--it's that simple.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

More secrets are revealed, we learn further about each of the boys, Blue is in for some big surprises, and the plot actually moves forward rather than stalling in this third installment of the Raven Cycle. Although not the last in the series, this is a quick read with plenty of action and Stiefvater's welcome nuanced writing.

Story: Blue's mother has gone and the group needs to track her down. Adam's pact with Cabeswater, Gansey's connections, Blue's abilities, and Ronan's dreams will all strengthen and sometimes frighteningly fail as Mr. Grey's employer comes to town to track down his missing assassin. Cabeswater is getting urgent and all feel that they are running out of time as they descent into the depths of the caves to find the Welsh King's body.

New characters are introduced in this book and they are as distinct and fascinating as the mainstays. There are so many threads being woven into this giant web surrounding Blue and Gansey and I love reading each new book to see what spider is going to step into the web this time.

As the name implies, this book is really about Blue's revelations about her family (as the Dream Thieves was about Ronan's). About three quarters of the way through the book it becomes obvious that Blue wasn't an outside person just helping the boys find Glendower. Rather, she was always a part of the overall story even before she met the boys.

The heart of this book is the puzzle of the three sleepers - one that should not be awakened, one that must be awakened, and a third between. Who the sleepers are - and aren't - will be a puzzle the group has to solve.

While Gansey had book 1, Ronan book 2, and Blue book 3, Adam's story unfolds slowly throughout. There is some resolution for him here but clearly he is as intricately bound as everyone else. Each of the characters has a very personal stake in the mystery - I will be very curious to see how everything unfolds in book 4 and if it will be more of Adam's story.

What draws me is, always, Stiefvater's beautiful writing. Without having to resort to flowery prose, she gives characters layers and nuances, quirks and foibles, strengths and weaknesses. At any one given time, we can both love and hate a character in a very engaging manner or laugh out loud at the droll humor of one of Blue's frustrating relatives. But the urban fantasy world building is also superb; Stiefvater creates a moody, atmospheric, and very dense story that never falls to cliche.

In all, a one-sitting read and I eagerly await the next in the series. Reviewed from an ARC.

Blue Lily, Lily Blue is the third installment in the four-book Raven Cycle. That is a tough spot; a lot of pressure for a book. Readers’ expectations are high. We yearn for answers to burning questions. Crave sneaky and clever clues to help us unravel the mysteries shrouding Henrietta, VA. Those secrets resonating from Cabeswater, while rushing through the veins of the kaleidoscopic cast of characters must be uncovered.

Does Ms. Stiefvater deliver? I’ll use a line from the book. My “… heart exploded with furious joy.”

Adam Parrish takes center stage, in the off-to-the-side, circumspect manner we’ve come to know. As his understanding of Cabeswater’s demands develops, his eyes and mind awaken simultaneously. Comprehension clicks neatly. Adam’s self-discovery journey is only somewhat satisfying; bigger, deeper, genuinely important questions abound.

Ronan reveals even more of his true self in his almost-impatient, half-expectant, mildly frustrated style. It only made this reader love him more. While Noah is a bit less….definitive, his astute observations and rarely shared wisdom are instrumental in revealing a fundamental realization. Barely repressed affections between Blue and Gansey flicker between (sigh) oh-so-sweet and tear-jerking, achingly sad.

Mr. Gray, the Kinks-rocking hit man introduced in Dream Thieves, maintains his mystifying allure as Ms. Stiefvater sprinkles bread crumbs of history through the escapade and unveils his emotion-less boss. The brilliant (yet dotty) Malory, along with The Dog, enriched this harrowing quest with their very presence. The unapologetically abrupt, wickedly honest statements that Malory spouts in an off-hand, unaffected way are positively delightful.

The wonderfully wacky women of Fox Way continue to offer cryptic advice and mixed signals. While it would seem that these ladies encompass every color in the rainbow, Ms. Stiefvater surprises with a brand new, equally eccentric female that fits, but definitely doesn’t blend, right in. Jesse, “Jesse The Giant” (as I affectionately think of him), pleases me enormously. His booming voice, gargantuan physique and deliberate consideration are pleasingly apt for a solid woodsman. The indifferent, generally bored, Piper provides balance in a tome packed with personality. We know not to let the expanding cast intimidate us. Ms. Stiefvater gives…..and she (gleefully) takes away. After all, her Secret to Supremacy has been revealed: tears of from true fans.

This review was written for Buried Under Books by jv poore.

Blue hasn't looked back since taking up the strange quest that has consumed four Raven Boys. Since then Gansey, Adam, Noah, and even Ronan, have amazingly become her best friends. What first seemed like disparate priorities and an absurd alliance has since blossomed into the strongest friendship Blue has ever known.

Their friendship isn't the only thing to have changed since the search started.

Some bonds have strengthened while others have threatened to break. Dreams have offered as much wonder as terror.

And family, it turns out, can mean all kinds of things.

But as Blue, Gansey, Adam, Ronan and Noah come closer and closer to the end of their search all of them have to wonder what will come next. With so much to gain from finding what they are seeking, none of them--maybe especially Blue--has thought hard enough about how much there is to lose in Blue Lily, Lily Blue (2014) by Maggie Stiefvater.

Blue Lily, Lily Blue is the third book in Stiefvater's widely acclaimed Raven Boys Cycle. It is preceded by The Raven Boys and The Dream Thieves. Although this book is the third in a four book series it works surprisingly well on its own with references to key events in previous books and a larger focus on both old and new characters.

This story picks up about a month after the events of The Dream Thieves.

Stiefvater offers another atmospheric fantasy filled with wry humor and unforgettable characters ranging from the protagonists readers have come to love to antagonists who are indecently likable. Lyrical, spirited prose moves along this character-driven story as we learn more about all of the major (and even some of the minor) players in this tale.

New problems--and losses--ensure that Blue Lily, Lily Blue will stand on its own merit outside of the (many) strengths of the Raven Boys Cycle. This installment also continues to keep the ongoing plot of the series fresh and exciting as nothing in this story is quite what readers will expect.

Blue Lily, Lily Blue also reaffirms the ties between these unlikely friends and the strength that can be found in such powerful bonds. While all of the characters grapple with what they know and do not know, both about themselves and their search, this novel cleverly celebrates the hidden depths to be found in all of their relationships.

This book goes in unexpected directions and circles back to events from the first book in a seamless manner that highlights how carefully this cycle is plotted. While Blue Lily, Lily Blue necessarily leaves unanswered questions it is a satisfying novel that strikes just the right chord between forward plot development and closure for this installment.

Possible Pairings: Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan, Clarity by Kim Harrington, Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones, Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough, The Shadow Society by Marie Rutkoski, Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin, Pivot Point by Kasie West, The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

*This book was acquired for review from the publisher*

Ever since I finished this book, I've been discussing it with fellow fans. It's been a little hard since the book wasn't out yet and we had to keep the discussion quiet, so as not to spoil new developments for others.

But that is my number one reaction to this book, and this series as a whole. I need to talk about it. I need to pour over the details and make crazy theories about what I think is going to happen next. I ponder each detail: Is that a clue? A red herring? Just a bit of flavor? It's hard to believe that there is only one book to go.

The Raven Cycle has a notably slow, meandering pace. BLUE LILY, LILY BLUE picks up the pace. I thought that it didn't go so fast as to be jarring compared to the previous two books, but one person I talked to thought it moved a hair to quick in the beginning. It's very clear that things are getting serious. One of Blue's greatest secrets is revealed (to some people), there are deaths, and the book ends with one very shocking revelation.

BLUE LILY, LILY BLUE adds several characters to the already crowded ensemble. My favorite was Piper, wife to the apparent villain of the story. (He comes on strong, but finishes weak.) The banter between Piper and Greenmantle is hilarious, a wonderfully conscienceless counterpoint to the banter between the raven boys and Blue. There is still time to develop the existing characters further. This is really Blue's book, with a strong assist from Adam. I particularly liked the focus on Blue's abilities and finding ways to be more than just a battery. I also liked that it seems like Blue and Gansey's budding relationship might not explode into irrevocable drama with Adam. Maybe Maggie Stiefvater could pull it off, but I am afraid of standard teen drama bogging the final book down.

So far, however, this series hasn't let me down yet. I am in love with the characters, the tone, the unexplained magic of it all. Okay, one development in particular strikes me as coming out of the blue, but I enjoyed it enough to roll with it. (Plus, it led to an adorable scene of Ronan and Adam racing shopping carts in a parking lot. Those boys.) I can't wait for the inevitable doom that is sure to come with the end of the cycle, because I have enjoyed the lead up so much.

“…three sleepers –light, dark and in between. The knowledge that Artemus was underground. The certainty that no one was coming out of those caverns unless fetched. The realization that Blue and her friends were part of something huger, something vast and stretching and slowly waking — “

In Blue Lily, Lily Blue, the third in an anticipated four installments, things are beginning to culminate in the most unlikeliest of ways for Blue and the boys. Blue’s mother, Maura, has been gone for the last several months on a mysterious personal quest that she informed no one about, leaving behind a cryptic note which states far too simply “Glendower is underground. So am I.” In their continued search for Glendower, the three sleepers and now also for Blue’s mother, the group discovers that there won’t likely be an easy solution to this chaos they’ve immersed themselves in.

“Queens and kings
Kings and queens
Blue lily, lily blue
Crowns and birds
Swords and things
Blue lily, lily blue”

This series continues to be truly amazing. I admit, I wasn’t sold on it at first because it was really quite strange and the concept of the story is not an easy one to wrap your head around. “So, basically, this ancient Welsh King managed to get himself buried in Virginia of all places because of this mysterious ley line that runs through the town and some prep school boys and their friend Blue are all trying to hunt him down because the one who wakens him gets a wish. Yeah, kind of like a genie, I guess.” Strange, right? I thought so. But wow, so incredibly original, utterly convincing, compulsively readable and possessing a most impressive depth to the whole magical tale. It’s a very convoluted series with various different storylines all playing at once but Maggie Stiefvater is an absolute pro at making everything clear and vivid. This entire series is such an intense experience, I’m so very anxious to see how all the pieces fall in the final installment.

I'm going to be honest, parts of the synopsis are a bit misleading in my opinion. Anyway... I really enjoyed this book. All of the characters are unique and fascinating as usual, even the villains. Stiefvater's writing is captivating, and the plot is intriguing. I'm really getting curious about this Glendower thing. At first, I was more interested in the characters and how they were growing than I was with the plot itself, but this novel really made the mystery of Glendower stand out. I can't wait to read the next book.

Blue and company evolve organically in this installment of the series. Adam grows a lot and faces a lot of his past. I really admire him for some of the things he does, and he's been my least favorite character in the past. I enjoyed seeing more of Mr. Gray; he's an interesting guy. Gansey is infuriating at some points, both he and Blue are, and I wanted to smack both of them several times. I want so much for those two to get together, but I have no idea what's going to happen with it. I also enjoyed some of the new characters, such as Jessie. He was unique, and I loved how Stiefvater made his larger-than-life personality so obvious. I'm glad we finally get to meet Malory, and I really enjoyed the Dog, too.

The plot is complex and had me hooked from the beginning. As I stated, I'm getting really curious about Glendower. I'm also curious to see what happens with the mess that the end of this book left. Stiefvater left quite a few things unanswered, and I really want to know what happened with some events in the novel. I'm not sure if she left them out on purpose to say that they weren't important or if she's prolonging the mystery until the next novel. She also has a cliffhanger ending, which I hate, but it isn't written in a way that really taunts the reader. I appreciate that, at least. The writing is superb, as I've come to expect from Stiefvater. The pacing and world-building are perfect.

Overall, I'd recommend this book and series to anyone who is looking for something intriguing and unique in the paranormal YA genre. You won't be disappointed.

For some unimaginable reason I thought Blue Lily, Lily Blue was the last book in the Raven Cycle series and even though I am thrilled that we will get yet another beautiful written, beautiful imaginative story, I would be lying if I didn't say I am somewhat sad at the same time that all of my questions weren't answered in this installment. I was looking forward to seeing where it would end and of course seriously hoping for some lip on lip action for Blue.

Having said all of that though, this wasn't a disappointment, not in the least. Steifvater once again stuns us with her beautiful imagery and prose. With her ability to lead us down one path only to put a huge fork in the road and make us all confused again about the direction we are going in.

I love her riddles, the sneaky foreshadowing and most of all, I love Blue and her Raven boys and the craziness that is 300 Fox Way.

Better characters, more fierce determined, driven characters, would be hard pressed to find. I love their camaraderie, their willingness to help each other even when they can't stand one another. Their tenacity, their friendship and I love the crazy quest that is constantly changing and growing and becoming something so much more than finding a sleeping king.

Stievfater never ceases to amaze me with her ability to weave a story. A story whos answers only lead to more questions and mystery and you are okay with that because the darn thing is so compelling that you don't even care. You are completely sucked into it and nothing even matter anymore except that they find what they are looking for and yes, that poor Blue gets that kiss she so sorely deserves.

Who will die? Who will survive and who will forever be changed, maybe even for the worst? One thing is for sure, it is going to be great no matter what happens and once again Stievfater will sweep us into the story and make everything else obsolete in the process.

And that ending? It only makes me more anxious for the next book, maybe even more so than any of the others have been capable of doing thus far.

First Impressions

I enjoyed the first two books, and from what I'd heard, Blue Lily is where the action really picks up. This book did not disappoint! While the first two books were majorly focused on character development, Blue Lily cranks out the action. People have disappeared, and the stakes are raised. From the beginning of the novel, I knew this would be the best one yet!

Characters

In the previous two books, I really disliked Adam, but he's finally starting to grow on me. Because of the large amount of characters, there are a million different ships. I've shipped many characters with many other characters, but almost immediately, I shipped Adam and Ronan! From the beginning, I've shipped Gansey and Blue, and this book finally brings that somewhere. As readers know, Blue cannot kiss her true love. The romance in this book is much less than other YA novels, but because it is at a steady state, small things like hand-holding are super romantic and make the reader swoon. Blue is as amazing as always, and I really like seeing her develop. Gansey also really comes into himself in this book. Up to this point, he's been fairly naive, but Gansey starts to see the world.

Writing

The writing in these books are amazing. Maggie Stiefvater has a talent for portraying a story beautifully and weaving words together to create a masterpiece. She manages to suck in the reader with ease, and doesn't let go even after the book has ended. I'm still stuck in that world, and can't wait to read the final book next year!

World-Building

Most of the world-building has been done up to this point. Readers get to see more of the ley line though. A new character is introduced, and in doing so, we see more of their world than we've seen up to this point. I really like the world of this novel and can't wait for more.

Blue Lily, Lily Blue has really curved my feelings for this series. The first book, The Raven Boys, was pretty good. I liked it but seemed to be sitting in the minority because I wasn’t initially BLOW AWAY. The second installment, The Dream Thieves, was so much more entertaining and I adored it. I have a soft spot for Ronan, so there is that.

THIS BOOK. *sigh* Was it the Gansy and Blue scenes? (PROBABLY) The tremendous growth from Adam? The countless secrets that are uncovered and plot points brought to light? Maggie’s ability to have me root for a serial killer? All of these? I DON’T KNOW. I just know that I have undoubtedly fallen in love with his series.

I have always been a fan of Maggie’s writing, regardless of the overall punch of emotions from the books. Her books are so imaginative, unique and unpredictable. You never know what is going to happen, and once you figure something out, another mystery is formed. Her ability to keep on my toes and guessing is just one of the many things that keeps me coming back to her books.

Another thing about her writing – she is a master at cliffhangers. If you thought that the previous two books had a cliffhanger? THINK AGAIN.

All the characters in this series are so remarkably unique. Even the secondary characters are so well-developed and fleshed out. I can’t name very many books with so many characters and POVs that keep me so entertained and done so well. Their relationships are complicated too – but in a good way. Especially between Gansy, Adam, Ronan and Blue. Gansy & Blue. Gosh, those two together give me all the feels.

Overall -

I loved it. Blue Lily, Lily Blue is the best book in this series so far. I am definitely hooked. I highly recommend this series.