*Spoiler Free*
I was so late to the The Raven Cycle party, not for any other reason than that I heard “rich all-boys boarding school” and tuned out. But I’m very glad I gave this series a chance because I was very pleasantly surprised.
There are 4 books in The Raven Cycle series:
My ratings
The Raven Boys
The Dream Thieves
Blue Lily, Lily Blue
The Raven King
Initial Thoughts
I guess for a long time I wasn’t really interested in this series because I was tired of the mean ‘rich boy loves poor meek girl’ trope and misjudged this series to contain many of those elements. And if we’re being honest, the cover of the first book wasn’t the most inviting either. So all in all, going into the first book, I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did and I definitely didn’t expect to want to continue the rest of the series.
What I liked
The Characters: I adored the characters in this series. They were all so fun and unique in their own ways. Even though they were sometimes unlikable and didn’t always make the best choices and decisions, it was so easy to fall in love with every character and get invested in their stories and adventures, even the ‘villains’. Many characters surprised me in this series. Especially Blue, she wasn’t what I was expecting at all and I love her for it.
The Magic: It wasn’t hard to suspend my disbelieve while reading this series. The magical system was imaginative and well thought out. I like how it all made sense and tied into every aspect of the story and the characters themselves. A few times I found my self confused and a little apprehensive toward some magical parts of the story because of how I didn’t like the way the magic fit but it never took away from the story in it’s entirety. I also really appreciated how explored the notion of what entails being a psychic was and the diverse representation of the many types of psychics.
The Romance: Though we all kind of expected the end romantic pairing, it was still so much fun and such a beautiful journey to experience. I’m not a fan of instant love; I love me a good slow burn transition into romance and that is one of the reasons I really liked this series. I appreciated the twist and turns and the real mess of the emotions as it made the romance more realistic. And omg, the romance subplots between other side characters made my heart melt too!
What I Didn’t like
Too Long: This was an action packed series which I thoroughly enjoyed but there were a few times that it just felt too dragged on. Particularly in books 2 and 4; The Dream Thieves and The Raven King. While the content of this story justifies requiring 4 book, I personally feel that the books didn’t need to be as long as they were. The Raven King for example, my least favorite of all the books, could have been told in 100 pages less than it was without sacrificing any elements of the story that makes this series what it is. The length of it just made it feel dragged-on in many parts.
Disappointing Ending: The last book in this series was my least favorite for many reasons but one major reason is the ending. Honestly, after the adventure of 3 great books, it would be pretty tough to conclude this series in a more satisfying way than it ended and because of that, I don’t take the disappointment to heart. Though the ending wasn’t particularly the worst, The Raven King did leave much to be desired and in a tiny way, it affects the experience of the entire series.
Solely-for-plot-driving characters: There wasn’t many of these at all in this book. Just the one towards the end that still doesn’t tickle my fancy. Whoever has read this series knows exactly who I’m talking about. This character in question was introduced relatively towards the end for the sole purpose, I believe, of steering the story in the direction that would give the satisfying gift wrapped ending with the bow on top. I didn’t particularly hate this character, they were actually kind of interesting, their presence just unnerved me because of how frequent it became all of a sudden.
Final verdict
Averaging my ratings for all the books, the entire Raven Cycle series ends up being 3.5 stars
If you’re looking to tag along with a group of close friends on a series of really interesting adventures, The Raven Cycle is for you! With four compelling 400-page books, this series should definitely keep you occupied; especially during these self-isolation times. There’s mystery, intrigue, magic, and a sprinkle of romance; what else could one want?
Stay safe guys!
Haliyah 
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