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A review by k_winchester
The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I've been trying to think of how possibly to review this for a day after finishing and I still really don't even know. 😅
On one hand, it was the gorgeous, lyrical, super unique style of the other books, which I really love. So many phrases are just gorgeously done. I didn't know where this book, or series really, was going to go - I mean, yes, a few certain Big Plot Things that have been set out from the beginning were sure to come to a head or conclusion here, and I was dying to find out how it may or may not go down. I really enjoyed reading this pretty well whole through, and the added story about Opal at the end was really sweet, kinda (but appropriately) weird and reminded me A LOT of Patrick Rothfuss's little book about Auri. And I did get pretty emotional when a certain character went down.
But on the other hand I feel like on the whole, it created more questions than answered or resolved much of anything. I feel like there was virtually no resolution - or very very VERY little, and even that was mostly glossed over. It's really hard to feel much satisfaction when there's been a very specific build up of a couple things in particular that just ended/happened in basically an instant in the last 12 pages, the end. Even within that super abruptness there was some stuff I really liked, but there just feels like there's soooo much stuff left majorly unresolved. :/
I ultimately rated it pretty high because it was beautiful and unique like the other books, and I really enjoyed reading pretty much all of it. But it's complicated because of the huuuge pile of questions and unresolved-just-about-everything. 😅
On one hand, it was the gorgeous, lyrical, super unique style of the other books, which I really love. So many phrases are just gorgeously done. I didn't know where this book, or series really, was going to go - I mean, yes, a few certain Big Plot Things that have been set out from the beginning were sure to come to a head or conclusion here, and I was dying to find out how it may or may not go down. I really enjoyed reading this pretty well whole through, and the added story about Opal at the end was really sweet, kinda (but appropriately) weird and reminded me A LOT of Patrick Rothfuss's little book about Auri. And I did get pretty emotional when a certain character went down.
But on the other hand I feel like on the whole, it created more questions than answered or resolved much of anything. I feel like there was virtually no resolution - or very very VERY little, and even that was mostly glossed over. It's really hard to feel much satisfaction when there's been a very specific build up of a couple things in particular that just ended/happened in basically an instant in the last 12 pages, the end. Even within that super abruptness there was some stuff I really liked, but there just feels like there's soooo much stuff left majorly unresolved. :/
I ultimately rated it pretty high because it was beautiful and unique like the other books, and I really enjoyed reading pretty much all of it. But it's complicated because of the huuuge pile of questions and unresolved-just-about-everything. 😅
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Blood