{"id":30378,"date":"2016-06-03T18:27:39","date_gmt":"2016-06-03T22:27:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=30378"},"modified":"2016-06-03T18:27:39","modified_gmt":"2016-06-03T22:27:39","slug":"review-of-the-raven-king-by-maggie-stiefvater","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=30378","title":{"rendered":"Review of The Raven King, by Maggie Stiefvater"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"raven_king_large\"<\/a>The Raven King<\/p>\n

Book IV of The Raven Cycle<\/em><\/p>\n

by Maggie Stiefvater<\/p>\n

Scholastic Press, New York, 2016. 439 pages.<\/p>\n

This is a grand and ambitious cycle of books. Maggie Stiefvater\u2019s writing is lyrical and evocative. The story is unlike anything I\u2019ve ever read — ley lines running under Virginia, a family of psychics, a girl who magnifies the magical gifts of others, a man who\u2019s part tree, a rich private high school student searching for a long dead Welsh king who will grant wishes, another boy who can dream things up \u2013 and make them real. And then there\u2019s the curse that if Blue kisses her true love, he will die. And the blooming romance between Blue and Gansey, that rich kid searching for the long-dead king.<\/p>\n

I liked the voice in which the book is written. I like the way the author focuses on different characters by turns, starting new chapters with the words, \u201cDepending on where you began the story, it was about\u2026\u201d about many, many different characters.<\/p>\n

All that said \u2013 and I certainly was going to read every word of this book after reading the earlier three volumes \u2013 this is not my favorite kind of fantasy. I like fantasy books where the magic makes logical sense to me, operates by rules. The magic in this book seems much more nebulous and hard to follow.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also a whole lot of darkness here, along with gory death.<\/p>\n

And yet the author pulled off a satisfying conclusion. Well, maybe it was a slight let-down. Since I didn\u2019t fully understand how the magic worked, I was a little befuddled by how all the plot threads wrapped up \u2013 but mostly satisfied.<\/p>\n

And did I mention the wonderful writing? Yes, the story\u2019s dark. Yes, it\u2019s confusing in spots, but you will be pulled along into this world and into the lives of these characters, flawed but lovable, muddling through, trying to make sense themselves of some powerful magic.<\/p>\n

This series isn\u2019t one I\u2019ll necessarily ever read again \u2013 but I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent with it.<\/p>\n

maggiestiefvater.com<\/a>
\nthisisteen.com<\/a>
\nscholastic.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Buy from Amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Find this review on Sonderbooks<\/a> at: www.sonderbooks.com\/Teens\/raven_king.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.<\/p>\n

Source: This review is based on a library book from Fairfax County Public Library.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.<\/p>\n

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