The Raven King

The Raven Cycle, Book 4

By: Maggie Stiefvater

Narrated by: Will Patton

Length: 11 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's Summary

The fourth and final installment in the spellbinding series from irrepressible, number-one New York Times best-selling author Maggie Stiefvater.

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.

In a starred review for Blue Lily, Lily Blue, Kirkus Reviews declared: "Expect this truly one-of-a-kind series to come to a thundering close."

©2016 Maggie Stiefvater (P)2016 Scholastic Inc.

Critic Reviews

"Male or female, young or old, human or not, [narrator Will] Patton perfectly captures each character's voice and personality, maintaining the consistency of the series. He's a master at creating suspense, conveying action, and helping the listener feel the full weight of love and sorrow... This don't-miss performance rounds out an excellent young adult series with crossover appeal for older listeners." ( AudioFile)

Once in a Lifetime Series

“He was a book, and he was holding his final pages, and he wanted to get to the end to find out how it went, and he didn't want it to be over.”

This is truly a once in a lifetime series. If Harry Potter was my childhood, The Raven Cycle was my 20's. This series was perfect for me, and I don't think anyone could break the spell that this series and these characters have cast upon me.

“They were both hungry animals, but Adam had been starving for far longer.”

“Depending on where you began the story, it was about..." unconditional love and the power it can evoke. This book is the type of book that makes me want to be a better person. It makes me want to be more appreciative of my friends and family. It makes me so thankful that I have a love for reading and that it was instilled in me from a young age. It makes me feel so blessed that I'm able to read and able to read books like this. I'm eternally grateful to Maggie Stiefvater and her words that somehow penetrated my heart and built this perfect story.

I'm writing this review in actual tears, because this story is so beautiful and means so much to me. I probably sound really incoherent and this review is ending up just like my Shiver review, where I'm just fangirling, but sometimes while reading this series I felt like Maggie Stiefvater was writing this solely for me. Like she somehow got inside my heart and wrote my soul down on paper. I really don't have any words that I can string together to do a review for The Raven King justice; I'll just say that it changed me forever, I'm eternally grateful to have had this reading experience, and that I'll never forget it. Thank you, Maggie Stiefvater.

Blue, Gansey, Adam, and Ronan all have a piece of my heart that I will never get back. In return, they will stay with me forever.

“He closed his eyes and he began to dream.”

Stupendous

The writing is beautiful Will Patton's voice , timing and expression of each character exquisite. The series has been a delight and although it is a young adult fiction this 52-year-old has been enthralled. I hope there are more to come

5 Star Series

The final installment of The Raven Cycle that was worth waiting for. There is a richness of detail that is each character; the values of friendship & sacrifice that are woven in several layers throughout; and the magic that is life and creation. These books are not for emotionally limited characters who revel in a vision of dystopian society; rather they are for those who dare to dream of, and reach for, more. Will Patton is absolutely perfect is narrator for the series: the differentiation of characters, the communication of emotion, even the levels of southern accent. 5star all the way.

Final book of the best series I've read in years

Would you listen to The Raven King again? Why?

yes, I've already listened to it multiple times. I am a huge fan of Will Patton's narration, and I feel like no one else could have captured the mood of these books the way he did.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Gansey. He is the heart of all of it.

Which scene was your favorite?

I honestly cannot pick one, the whole thing was magical and I was so caught up that I wanted to live in that world!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

many moments, interactions between Ronan and Blue, Henry and Gansey, Gansey and Ronan, Blue and Mr. Gray, Calla and Maura, Ronan and his brothers, I could go on and on.

Any additional comments?

Maggie Stiefvater is an amazing writer, these books made me feel so many things, I was so spellbound by this world, but I also felt connections to almost every single character. It's been awhile since I have been able to completely lose myself in a story. I want more!

Great ending

Such a great ending to a wonderful series. I loved the characters especially Ronan. The narrator is fantastic; he is one of my favorites.

beautiful, fierce, wondrous, and painful...

...but most of all, beautiful. The fantastic story of The Raven Cycle is at its most brilliant in this, the fourth installment of the series. Thank you Maggie Stiefvader for creating such magic in a world whose magic is hidden in plain sight. Thank you to Will Patton for so vividly and passionately bringing it to life.

Stunning finish

This book delivers all that the series promises and more. Maggie's characters are different and real. The story is stunning.

One of the most amazing series

I can't believe it's over!! Let's start it all over again! Okay, so I don't have the time to do that but honestly I cannot get enough of this series. I mean THESE CHARACTERS. They've fallen so deeply in love with each other and have such an all encompassing friendship and I've fallen so deeply in love with all of them.
Obviously I had so many feelings about starting THE RAVEN KING and finishing The Raven Cycle. I'm sad that it's over and that we won't have any more books with these amazing characters and this fascinating story but I know I'll have many, many more re-reads in my future.
I was actually kind of worried about how the book would end. Not like I didn't have faith in Maggie but you know, when one of your favorite series is coming to a close and you have no idea what's in store, it's a nerve-wracking situation. Especially when the author promises a beloved main character is going to die. I honestly started crying long before anything even happened because I was just so emotionally involved. I also cried during an especially freaky part because A) I was home alone and B) I'm a super chicken. This is why I don't do horror but I had the gang with me as I was listening (LISTENING makes it infinitely creepier, by the way) so as always, I felt comforted.
THE AUDIO! I did my re-reads of the first three books on audio to prepare for my RAVEN KING read and as I started reading my print copies (yes copies with an S. I bought Kindle so I could start on release day and then added audio and THANK GOODNESS because as I started reading my print copies) I just heard Will Patton's voice in my head and HAD to listen to the audio. I listened in the car, I listened at home, I listened for the last three, four, or five hours because I was going to switch to my hardcover but just couldn't stop listening. You'd think it odd to have a middle-aged/older man narrating a young adult novel but I just loved his voicing. Aside from voices, he really just lends an overall FEEL to the book, emphasizing words, singing Gwenllian's songs, spitting malice in Lynches and demons, and adding character to the book itself. I couldn't not listen to this audio and maybe I'll go back and read in print in one of my re-reads but I HAD to have that characterization and bring this book to life even more.
My heart is so full of love for these books and you'd think I was insane if you weren't a book person (you might anyway) but I just have a very special place in my heart for these books and this crew. I wish their stories could go on forever and I'm sad that they can't but also happy that I know it won't get dragged out longer than it should. Maybe someday we can convince Maggie to write an adult Raven Cycle series and we can have hearts full of new Henrietta magic once again. Or maybe I do as the magic of the series does and just relive these moments again and again.

Absolutely beautiful!

I have loved this entire series, but this is absolutely my favorite of the series. Maggie's lyrical content use of language truly shines through. Action, plot, and character are all masterly crafted to reach a satisfying conclusion to the series with just enough window open for the possibility of future extensions of the story without feeling like we are left hanging. Like having the door loosely closed rather than slammed shut. Fans of the series and Stiefvater in general will not be disappointed!

I am bereaved

I am bereaved not by the ending of this book, but by the ending of the series. Maggie Stiefvater is an amazing writer and her character development is unmatched, especially for a YA series.

One of my favorite lines of the book was about Declan

"He'd learned that lies were only dangerous if you sometimes told the truth."

For me, this book was about Ronan. His heartbreak, his past, his future, his family, and his secrets. No matter where you begin the story, this series is about Ronan Lynch.

There are plenty of revelations in this final installment, but none of them are very shocking (I say that as a good thing?). Perhaps best said by Stiefvater:

"He felt as if he was being told a secret that he’d already been told before. He couldn’t tell if this was because Cabeswater itself had possibly already whispered this truth to them on one of their walks there, or if it was merely that the weight of evidence was already so conclusive that his subconscious had accepted ownership of the secret before the parcel had been officially delivered."

This is how the revelations and twists in the story felt once you heard them. I spent the whole time I listened to this book wondering how they were going to end this plot point or that plot point, but once it was revealed it felt like that was the only answer there ever could have been.

My one criticism of the book is that so much happened in the last hour or hour and a half that it felt hurried, whereas the rest of the book did not.

I thoroughly enjoyed the newly fleshed out character of Henry Cheng. He was perfectly voiced by Patton. I wanted more out of the orphan girl's character though, who felt like a deeper character, it was just never revealed why.

An Epic Ending!

swallowed the book in no time and I simply love it!

Will Patton is, as always, amazing, bringing a life to the story and characters that is hard to be without. ❤

Fantastic!

Magical, intense, exciting, touching. Powerful female and male characters and together, a beautiful team.

Keep them dreaming!

There is so much I can tell you about this book but I do rather you read and discover them for yourselves.
I have been exhausted by the dystopian and urban fantasy clap trap being churned out by the book industry lately. Faddish zombies, sexy wolves, trendy witches , Princess stories thinly masked. Well here is something really different!
Read it and enjoy!

Amazing!!!

It is a must! Simple amazing!!! The narrator is fantastic and gets everything perfect!

Love these books!

Underwhelming

I found the narrative of this final book of the series unsatisfying. It felt a bit rushed, all the action happened in the last couple of chapters. The epilogue felt too short and the way the problems were resolved was rushed and illogical. I'm sad that some deaths made no sense. And I'm not convinced with many of the explanations we got for most of the main plot points in the series.

However, I love the writing of all of these books and I also loved the characters tremendously. I wish there was another novel that would just show them in their casual lives. And the romance was so brief and undeveloped. I am referish to Ronan's romance as well.

I am just annoyed by the ending I think. In comparison to the previous book this ending felt less poetic and memorable.

I would all in all recommend this book series to anyone interested in atmospheric stories with great characters. Despite all of my complaints I did end up enjoying each book. I'm glad I've met these characters and I will cherish them. They will have a special place in my heart ❣

Incredible

This is such an amazing finale and the voice actor was outstanding. If you haven't read this yet, what are you doing??

It's not was I thought

I thought the book was ok, I struggle to finish it though.
I find the narrator good, I thought the material he had to work with was a bit dry.
I did purchase all 4 books, and found as I near the end of the series The Story kind of just flopped. a lot of build up no hype, very disappointed

I love these books

I can't wait for Ronans books I hope they are just as good as this.

A strange and wonderful finale

If possible, the final book in this series is even stranger than the four previous books. It wraps up the various storylines in a relatively satisfying manner, allowing for the overarching sense of oddness and wonder that the series is blessed with. This wasn't my favourite of the four books, but I enjoyed it and am happy with how it ended. Stiefvater's writing style is really recognisable and fun, her characters are all flawed and lovely, and her world building is incredibly creative.

Loved it!

It was creepy and mesmerising in all the right places, the narrator had me spellbound! I could not stop listening! I would highly recommend!