Title: The Raven BoysAuthor: Maggie Stiefvater
ISBN: 978-1-407134-61-1
Pages: 454
Series: Raven Cycle #1
Type: Young Adult Paranormal
Source: Purchased
Goodreads
Even if Blue hadn't been told that her true love would die if she kissed him, she would still stay away from the boys from Aglionby school. Known as the Raven Boys, the students there are generally privileged and trouble. But this year things will change for Blue as she is drawn into the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys. This is the year she discovers magic truly exists. And this is the year she will find her true love.
This is the first book in the new Raven Cycle series and one I was eager to start as Maggie Stiefvater is one of my all time favourite authors. I love the beautiful lyrical nature of her writing style and so I knew I would enjoy this book when I picked it up. The writing here has a deliciously gothic feel and the reader is thrown right in at the deep end as Blue spends St. Mark's Eve in a graveyard collecting the names of those who are to die in the coming year.
It did take me a while to get into the storyline as a large cast of characters are introduced fairly quickly. Blue's family consists of her mother Maura and aunt Neeve as well as Orla, Calla and Persephone, while the Raven Boys consist of Gansey, Adam, Ronan and Noah. That said the concept of the book pulled me through and once I was hooked I stayed glued to the page throughout. This is the first in a series so setting up the cast is to be expected.
The basic premise of the story is that Blue will kill her true love if she kisses him, but The Raven Boys soon shows there is a lot more happening in the small town of Henrietta. Gansey is on a quest to find a lost king and soon we are drawn into a world of ley lines and magic. The storyline is brilliantly crafted with tension that builds gradually throughout leading to some shocking twists and turns. Being told from different perspectives, including that of a past seeker really adds depth to the storyline.
Blue is a great lead character, although it took me a while to get used to her name. She is the only normal one in her family and she prides her self on her independence and self-reliance. The last thing she wants is to get involved with a Raven Boy and the last thing the Raven Boys want is to get involved with a family as strange as hers. Gansey is desperately seeking the lost Glendower and each of the Raven Boys accompany him for different reasons, but it is Adam's desperate quest to escape his family and stand alone that really caught my attention.
The romance has an interesting twist to it as Blue first falls for Adam, although it quickly becomes clear that Gansey is the true love she is destined to kiss and kill. This isn't a love triangle though as Blue likes Adam and is horrified by the possibility that Gansey is in her future.
All in all this was a great read and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
Plot: 9/10
Characters: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Enjoyment: 9/10
Cover: 10/10
Overall: 48/50
Posts
This book seems really interesting. I haven't read the Shiver trilogy because it doesn't seem like my kind of thing, but I did read the first chapter and I have to admit the writing was very beautiful, so maybe I'll give this book a try instead.
ReplyDeleteThis is definitely different to Shiver. It is more focused on the Raven Boys and their quest than the romance. Her writing is gorgeous!
DeleteThanks for stopping by :)
Enjoyed your review! Haven't read anything by Maggie, but have heard good things about her writing. I have this one in my TBR stack, so will keep in mind your heads up about the large cast of characters introduced at the beginning. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteMy Saturday Situation
I love her writing style - it's really gorgeous and lyrical. If you stick with it through all the intros, this is a great read.
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Yay! I'm so glad you enjoyed this one. It was very different from the usual and the writing was gorgeous, as well as the well-developed characters. Incredible review!
ReplyDelete~Keertana @ Ivy Book Bindings
Thank you Keertana! I love Maggie's books and was thrilled when I heard this is the first of four :)
DeleteThanks for stopping by :)
Sounds good, I really hope it's better than The Shiver, some how I didn't enjoy that book!
ReplyDeleteIt's different to Shiver, but the writing style is still the same which can be good or bad depending on your perspective. I really enjoyed both so I'm not the best judge.
DeleteThanks for stopping by :)