We went into Blue Lily, Lily Blue all happy. You see, for once we were ahead of the game, we didn’t start reading the series until a few months before the last one was set to come out: no reader-hell for us where we’re stuck on a cliff hanger for a year or more while we wait for the next one to come out. Not us, we had smarts. Too bad neither of us bothered to check Goodreads. There is a 4th one.
We could be a lot more disappointed. Despite our initial surprise that the series was not wrapping up, the bright side is that it means we get more of the Raven Cycle. Honestly, we’re coming out on top with this one.
We recently met Miss Stiefvater when she came to Toronto, and as she was signing my book (I think contractually obligated to make small talk) and she asked me which one has been my favorite so far. I couldn’t come up with a good answer for her, 1. because holy crap Maggie Stiefvater is talking to me and 2. I had never considered picking a favorite before, mainly because these books don’t feel like they’re telling a story from beginning, middle, to end: they just are. The books always maintain their dream-like feel, soft, floaty, and natural, and so well done that if you mashed them into one anthology and failed to point out where one starts and one ends, you’d never notice.
Characters are developing, and that’s another wonderful things to see. It’s a slow thing and it manages to catch you when you least expect it, but the my babies are growing up! The Blue-Gansey not-relationship is progress, almost to unbearable levels of not-relationshipping, and its so bitter sweet it hurts. And the new characters take little time making you love them just as much as you love the old ones.
I could go on about these books for longer than I feel comfortable admitting, but if you haven’t discovered the wonder that is The Raven Cycle we recommend you read it. Do what you have to, just get your hands on a copy.
