Blue Lily, Lily Blue

Book 3 of the Raven Cycle

By: Maggie Stiefvater

Narrated by: Will Patton

Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

The third installment in the mesmerizing series from the irrepressible, number one New York Times best-selling author Maggie Stiefvater.

Blue Sargent has found things. For the first time in her life, she has friends she can trust, a group to which she can belong. The Raven Boys have taken her in as one of their own. Their problems have become hers, and her problems have become theirs.

The trick with found things, though, is how easily they can be lost.

Friends can betray.

Mothers can disappear.

Visions can mislead.

Certainties can unravel.

©2014 Maggie Stiefvater (P)2014 Scholastic Inc.

Maggie is a Beautiful Writer

This is book 3 of 4 and feels like a book 2 of a trilogy. The writing (as always) is superb. We find out a little more about Blue and the boys as Adam faces off with his father, and Gansey and Blue go spelunking to further their quest and search for Moira. Ronin is in the background since we heard more of his story in Dream Thieves. The women of this novel were mere window dressing and I was left wanting more details and stories about Blue's past than what was offered.

Not unhappy I spent my credit and eagerly await the final installment. I will read or listen to whatever this woman writes. She's one of the good guys in YA.

Footnote:
Why do I bother??? Will Patton is a fine narrator for adult fiction, but not suited for YA. At this point with 3 books in the cycle in his pocket, why would he be replaced? For the future reference...please know his voice is creepy for teen fiction. The women he voiced sounded like cartoon witches from the 70's and (again repeating myself) his NY accent from book 2 was unmistakable for Yogi Bear. Why, editors, producers, executives, why?

Book 4 hopefully

This book 3 was just as great as 1&2. However I don't think that it would stand alone. It did enhance my appreciation of the first 2.

Grateful they continued with Mr. Patton as narrator.

Will Patton is one of my favorite narrators!

Where does Blue Lily, Lily Blue rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is the third in the Raven Cycle series and all of them are fantastic. Will Patton really brings life to each character. I look forward to each new book in the series because of his fantastic narration. Maggie Stiefvater is a great author and she weaves a really fun and mysterious tale.

Please stop the singing!

Since I read this series back to back without time to write individual reviews, I'm summing up the whole series in one review. Lazy? Guilty as charged.

Book 1 - 3 stars. It was different and though set in real time, easily drifted into fantasy time.

Book 2 - 3 stars. Possibly the one I enjoyed most in the series. The concept of a dream thief was fascinating. Plus, loved the action.

Book 3 - 2 stars. What happened? New characters were overwhelming. Something I overlooked in the other books - dialogues that left things unsaid as well as confusing dream sequences - really irritated me in this one.

Book 4 - 2 stars (maybe 1.5). This could have been a trilogy in my opinion. This last in the series dragged. Again, why are all these new characters not fundamental to the tale of the foursome? I was hoping for lots of action to resolve the story but it lacked for me, regretfully.

Narration - 5 star across the board!

Last book blah

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The story just seemed to lose itself and did not really fit in with the first two books, which were very good.

What about Will Patton’s performance did you like?

Will Pattson did a great job on the performance.

Was Blue Lily, Lily Blue worth the listening time?

It was ok, I usually love all her books, this was my least favorite.

Stale Lily, Stalled Lily

What did you like best about Blue Lily, Lily Blue? What did you like least?

The Raven Cycle has been broken into several books and the story could have been told in two. There are many redundancies and circular themes that get old after a while. I was hoping it would fare better than the second book, but I just felt like the story dragged on in a creepy, unsatisfying sort of way.

What could Maggie Stiefvater have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Cut to the chase a little sooner. It felt like things were dragged on to make room for another book, not because it enriched the story.

Which scene was your favorite?

The scene between Adam and Ronin, when Ronin shows Adam his dream creature.

Was Blue Lily, Lily Blue worth the listening time?

If it had been cut in half, then yes, but it seemed to drag on.

This multi-headed Hydra needs some cutting!

Would you try another book from Maggie Stiefvater and/or Will Patton?

Absolutely! I thought this series was much improved with his narration.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Too far-fetched even given the premise of the series.

Which character – as performed by Will Patton – was your favorite?

He does a great job with all of them and sometimes the best voicing wasn't my favorite character but I liked the growl of Ronan Lynch and the quiet voice of Persephone.

Do you think Blue Lily, Lily Blue needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Well it HAS to really, she left so many openings that need closing. There were too many characters in this 3rd book and too little story to carry them.

Any additional comments?

This book was a bit disappointing for me, not enough Gansey and it didn't need Mallory or the crazy witch. I wanted the Persephone/ Adam story to enlarge and Maura's part in this book didn't seem to fit in well. You can sort of see what Stiefvater is lining up for the 4th book but what tortuous a way to get there. Despite all this whining, I do like this series and have fingers crossed that the 4th will be as good as the first and second.

We Shall Be Kings! 😱

But not in this story . . .
Though having much climactic potential the weakest by far of the thus far trilogy.
I bookmarked and noted the point in the story at which my interest stirred---Chapter 13.
Far too slow in developing, I believe a lack of the editors pen let the author become entranced with the flavor and sound of her own words.
Development becomes better after the hours of listening Chapter 13 represents and some really interesting characters are introduced and developed nicely--but then things go adrift again as the author struggles to bring the threads of characters and plots into some semblance of enjoyable fabric.
Narration is excellent and, of course, if you are at all engaged in this series and its characters you will have to read this third installment.
Still--a let down--and I hope for better from Ms Stiefvater in her next story in this series. Clearly "Blue Lily, Lily Blue" is not an ending but an interlude. 😱

Mind blowing imaginative! Expertly narrated!

It’s hard to guess what’s coming next at every turn. I can’t believe how the characters keep evolving and maturing even after three books!!!. Maggie Stiefvater understands human nature - broken and whole, mysterious and obvious, selfish and sacrificial...we are all most of these things at once and often none of them at all. But we are all extraordinary and complex in our making. This is what makes her characters so real. The setting is vivid and imaginative. I swear I could smell the story at times and sometimes I forgot where I was because I was so engrossed in Henrietta. The storytelling was so immersive you sometimes have to come up for air. Thank you
Maggie and Will! While I love YA, I think this serious would also have strong appeal for Stephen King and Dean Koontz fans.

M. Stiefvater is a new favorite author

I am three books in and have been loving it, turning my horrible commute into the great escape. I am new to the work of this author and I am in awe of her storyrelling. I feel like Noah, a ghost watching my friends, these magical characters , come alive, in full, in my imagination. It''s been a grand adventure! I am so looking forward to book 4 and her other works. 5 star story telling. The audio book voices were also worthy of a 5 star rating.

Like the story, growing to hate the narrator

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I like the writing and I like the suspense that Maggie Stiefvater generates but there are times where a whole lot of nothing seems to be happening just to make the book a little longer.

How could the performance have been better?

If the narrator had studied the British accents. The professor's accent was a vague 1950's stereotype and whereas I don't think anyone knows what a medieval Welsh accent sounds like I don't think it sounds like the Spanish born cat trying to do an Irish accent that the narrator seems to have invented.

loved it, so exciting

love the narrator, he creates the suspense, I'm really enjoying the series and can't wait for the next one :D

Amazing!

Yes yes yes. Just gets better and better. Love Maggie’s writing style, it’s so complex and intriguing but at the same time flows effortlessly. I listened to this book performed by Will Patton and it’s absolutely fantastic. P. S. The bonus music at the end is amazing.

Third one had fire in it's belly.

Really enjoyed this one, the reader made an effort with all the different voices, I found some amusing.
The music is definitely been lovely where put in too.

I’m going to hate it when this series ends!

A refreshingly different and exciting series. Miss it at your own peril! Another great performance from Will Patton, whose measured and clear reading brings this wonderful tale to life.

Less interesting than the previous

Although the romance became more tense in this book, overall the plot was less strong. It almost feels like it was unnecessarily long, like it didnt need to be a whole book. But the writing was great like always so it was enjoyable. I just felt less attached with the plot. The characters were wonderful. I love these kids. I'm starting the last book right away!

A unique read but not my favourite of the series

a unique read. loved the different voices of the characters by the narrator. found some parts difficult to get through and had to go back again to fully grasp what the author was trying
to say. will definitely read the final book!

Every Book Is Better Than The Last!

I hadn't known Maggie Stiefvater before this series but oh WOW she is a great author. In addition to this you have, in my opinion, the best narrator in the business, Will Patton. He even makes the credits sound ominous and exciting!

This series of books is one that stands out because the story and narration get progressively better. The first was brilliant and I was hooked. The second even better, so can it get even better? HELL YES! One character stand out from the superb list to choose from: Jessie Dittley (spelling may be wrong, sorry Jessie), Superbly voiced by Will.

I'm probably repeating myself from earlier reviews, but these stories are so so good.

Very best regards,

Karl

Great book but...

I enjoyed this book as much as the others. It's beautifully written and the characters are engaging. The author has an amazing imagination and the story feels well researched and therefore authentic. The only "negative" for me is the bit at the end where the characters make a foolish decision that I just don't think they would have made under the circumstances. Of course, it leaves options open for the next book in the series.

this was a good book

This was a good book I loves the mystery of it and I can't wait to she what happens next in the storyline.