The Raven King was the ultimate ending to the The Raven Cycle. I am so sad to see this series end but Maggie Stiefvater wrote a final book that makes me happy to be a reader.

The Raven King begins almost exactly where the Blue Lily, Lily Blue ends and quickly picks up pace pushing you to its inevitable ending.

About ‘The Raven King’

Nothing living is safe. Nothing dead is to be trusted.

For years, Gansey has been on a quest to find a lost king. One by one, he’s drawn others into this quest: Ronan, who steals from dreams; Adam, whose life is no longer his own; Noah, whose life is no longer a lie; and Blue, who loves Gansey…and is certain she is destined to kill him.

Now the endgame has begun. Dreams and nightmares are converging. Love and loss are inseparable. And the quest refuses to be pinned to a path.

‘The Raven King’ book review

Some will say the story is about Glendower, others will say it is about Blue and Gansey, but really it is about friendship and the power of knowing who you are in the world. This particular world is filled with a dreamer, a magician, a house full of psychics, a king, and a girl who can never kiss her true love for fear of killing him. If that doesn’t sound exciting enough add in a poet assassin and a dream forest filled with impossible creatures. The Raven King weaves these unlikely elements into a gorgeous conclusion.

As I was reading The Raven King I was struck by how beautiful the writing was. Stiefvater strings the simplest, and sometimes the not so simplest, words together to create to most beautiful lines. Her descriptions of Ronan and Gansey make them feel alive as the words conjure images of these boys. Her description of places is much the same. Cabeswater becomes a living, breathing place as she describes it.

One of the reasons I love this book is because of Stiefvater’s ability to not only write beautifully but create a story that is wholly unique. From the prologue to the epilogue there were moments I did not see coming and some I did but wish didn’t have to happen (Gansey should never, ever put on an Aglionby sweater). The mythology was different from the typical supernatural fare and the multiple elements made the story feel fresh. Even though this was the final book, the characters still had room to grow and a few newcomers were introduced.

Ronan definitely had one of my favorite arcs throughout not only the series, but this novel. Besides Gansey and Blue, he is the character I most loved. Ronan is an integral part of the story because he has so much related to his dreams. There is also a budding romance for Ronan that I didn’t see coming but really liked how it played out. The romance felt so natural between these two characters and the moments were soft and subtle without the excessive questioning that can sometimes arise when same sex characters are together.

Overall, The Raven King brings The Raven Cycle to a satisfying conclusion that readers will be happy with. I think sometimes there is so much pressure put on a final novel that readers are let down, that is not the case with The Raven King. The story feels complete, and yet the door was left open just the tiniest bit.

The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater is available now from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and your local independent bookstore.