Book review: The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater

The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater
Series: The Raven Cycle #4
Rating: ★★★★★
Links: Amazon • TBD • Goodreads
Publication Date: April 26, 2016
Source: Borrowed from my library

All her life, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love’s death. She doesn’t believe in true love and never thought this would be a problem, but as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

As usual, my thoughts about a Raven Cycle book are all over the place. My totally spoiler-filled thoughts (which are, also as usual, filled with lots of exclamation points and caps) are under the jump.

131 thoughts I had while reading The Raven King:

1. Excuse me? RICHARD CAMPBELL GANSEY III KNEW ALL THIS TIME THAT HE WAS GOING TO DIE???
2. And he didn’t say anything???
3. Where the hell is Ronan?!
4. Blue wants to have carnal knowledge of Gansey someday? Excuse me?
5. ADAM
6. What’s happening?
7. POOR ADAM!
8. Can I help you?
9. Can I save you?
10. Why do you always need to be saved?
11. Can I please just keep you safe?
12. He’s yelling for Cabeswater and nothing is happening!!!
13. I think Cabeswater is helping?
14. Is Cabeswater helping?
15. What’s happening?
16. Private school boys wearing various pieces of fabric as clothing sounds like something you’d be into these days.
17. OH SHIT, she’s going to a party with Gansey and Adam is NOT OKAY
18. OH SHIT, Adam’s like THE TRUTH IS IMPORTANT
19. *pointed glare*
20. OH SHIT, what is the truth about you two
21. OH SHIT, he’s so calm
22. (Don’t think I’m missing that Adam keeps bringing up RONAN in this conversation about BLUE AND GANSEY.)
23. OH SHIT, he came to ask Blue how to save Gansey and found out that Blue and Gansey are dating
24. OH SHIT, you didn’t think it was relevant that the boy who’s going to die in the next year is dating the girl whose kiss will kill her true love
25. OH SHIT, THEY AREN’T CALM ANYMORE!!!
26. Why does everybody’s eye hurt?!?!?
27. Why is Noah dying though?
28. This is all making me very sad, I mean I know he’s already dead but still!!!
29. But why are they having a legit toga party
30. OH MY GOD RONAN LOVES ADAM
31. OH MY GODDDDDDDDD
32. OHHHHHHH MYYYYYYYYY GODDDDDDDDDD
33. BLUE AND GANSEY ARE NAKED TOGETHER?
34. WHAT
35. WHY DID WE CHANGE TO SOME RANDOM KIDS I HAVE TO KNOW WHAT’S HAPPENING
36. I thought you would be hairier
37. Sorry to disappoint
38. IT’S NO LONGER PLAY????
39. THEIR BELLIES ARE PRESSED CLOSE TOGETHER???
40. GOOD LORD HOW MANY SHIPS CAN I HAVE THERE’S ADAM AND RONAN AND BLUE AND GANSEY I CAN’T
41. Adam is so close to him
42. Adam is so close to him
43. Adam is so close to him
44. Ronan wanted to lie?
45. Ronan never wants to lie!
46. RONAN DON’T LIE TELL HIM THE WHOLE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH
47. Orphan Girl?
48. RONAN?
49. RONANNNNNNNN?????????
50. Why is it always 6:21 what’s going on
51. IT WAS ACID
52. WHAT THE HELL
53. ORPHAN BOY 😭
54. Adam Parrish had saved their lives
55. Why is Orphan Girl kissing Adam
56. Ronan should be kissing Adam
57. Why is Orla screaming
58. What the hell is happening
59. What the hell is going on with Noah
60. GANSEY IS WARMTH AND MINT
61. I don’t give one single shit about Colin Greenmantle.
62. *heavy sigh* Gansey is confessing their love
63. “Gross,” Ronan said, cleverly reducing the tension
64. Adam is the only oxygen in Ronan’s universe!!!!!!!!
65. Help it’s happening my ship is sailing
66. Adam is in Ronan’s childhood bedroom
67. HE HAS BAGPIPES?
68. Poor Adam
69. OH SHIT, they’re on a mattress
70. OH SHIT OH SHIT OH SHIT
71. Ronan just sat next to him and kissed him.
72. Ronan just sat next to him and kissed him.
73. RONAN JUST SAT NEXT TO HIM AND KISSED HIM!!!!!!!!!
74. THEY KISSED AGAIN ADAM FELT IT IN MORE THAN HIS LIPS
75. HE’S TOO FULL OF WHITE FUZZY LIGHT TO MAKE ANY SORT OF LOGICAL CONNECTIONS!!!!!!!!!
76. Why did Ronan just leave?
77. OH MY GOD
78. RONAN FELT THAT HE HAD CAUGHT MAGIC WITHOUT DOING ANYTHING!!!!
79. “I can see a hooved girl you dreamed up eating styrofoam in the hall.”
80. “Whatever, I dreamt Cabeswater.”
81. “I did dream Matthew.”
82. “FOR GOD’S SAKE,” GANSEY SAID.
83. HOW ARE YOU ALL SO NONCHALANT ABOUT THIS
84. OH JEEZ.
85. “Do you LOVE her?”
86. “Yes,” Gansey answered plainly.
87. RONAN KISSED ME, ADAM SAID IMMEDIATELY.
88. I ALSO KISSED HIM.
89. Jesus, Gansey said. Christ.
90. OH MY GOD THE ONLY THING GANSEY SAYS IS DON’T BREAK HIM
91. What’s happening with the Gray Man?
92. Blue’s dad is a tree?
93. Blue is a tree???
94. GANSEY DON’T BE DUMB
95. GANSEY DON’T
96. GANSEY PLEASE
97. I SWEAR TO GOD GANSEY IF YOU SACRIFICE YOURSELF I’M GOING TO KILL YOU
98. Gansey what are you doing
99. It’s been a long time since I was confused by this series but I’m confused
100. What’s with the hornets
101. Honestly, where did Henry even come from
102. I mean he’s fine I guess but why is he here
103. Glendower… well… I figured.
104. Gansey’s crying
105. OH MY GOD LET ME HUG YOU
106. NO GANSEY NO
107. “NO” SAID RONAN “I DIDN’T JUST COME GET YOU OUT OF THIS HOLE FOR YOU TO DIE ON PURPOSE”
108. THANKS RONAN
109. Gansey kind of wants to live
110. “I think you’re getting KING confused with MARTYR”
111. NO GANSEY
112. NO
113. THANK YOU ADAM
114. Nothing says you have to stay dead
115. Adam’s attacking Ronan?
116. Adam’s trying to kill Ronan?
117. What is happening
118. OH MY GOD WHY IS ADAM POSSESSED
119. oh shit
120. This kid can’t catch a break
121. Why is this happening? I don’t like it
122. LET’S NOT GET CARRIED AWAY JUST BECAUSE YOU TRIED TO KILL SOMEONE
123. Laumonier just shot Piper?
124. GANSEY IS PREPARING TO DIE AND HE ASKED BLUE TO KISS HIM
125. BE MAGICIANS
126. Oh Adam
127. I wish you had better parents
128. THEY WERE FREE FREE FREE
129. Blue and Gansey and Henry on an all-American road trip
130. HE CALLS HER OPAL NOW
131. They had future adventures waiting for them on the ley line!

I can’t believe this series is over! I loved it so much and I understand now why it’s such a big thing in the YA and book blogging community. I can’t wait to read more from Maggie Stiefvater — if the rest of her work is half as good as The Raven Cycle, I’ll be happy.