Blue Lily Lily Blue

Maggie Stiefvater continues The Raven Cycle series with BLUE LILY, LILY BLUE, and if you loved the previous books, you are in for a big treat with this one. The third book in the series fully establishes this as a fantasy story. The contemporary elements are mostly gone, and the magic, the psychic powers, and the mystical elements of the world fully take over. However, the character relationships still drive the main story.

The book opens with Blue being worried about her missing mother, Maura. No one is sure where she went and no one knows when or if she will return. The raven boys and Blue continue to search for King Owen Glendower while also searching for Maura. They come across a mysterious cave that is said to be cursed and it leads them to the most dangerous part of their adventure yet.

Adam is one of the most dynamic characters in the series, and he changes a lot in this book. Not only does he finally learn to control his newfound magical abilities, he also opens up to his friends and becomes less stubborn. His relationship with Ronan is especially notable as the two get along very well in this installment of the series.

Blue takes the lead in this story and is expanded upon greatly. She comes face-to-face with the realization that she really does have a crush on Gansey. However, she knows that might cause friend group drama, so she tries hard to keep it a secret. She also begins to think hard about her future and how things might change as she and the boys continue to get older.

This series gets more and more mystical with each subsequent book. You might not think the story could get much stranger after THE DREAM THIEVES, but it actually does by ten fold in this book. Some of the magical elements are confusing or unclear, but Stiefvater crafts the story in such a way that you go along with it and actually enjoy the mystery of it all. The characters are just as confused as the reader, and not in a way that will make you want to stop reading. This is a risky move for a writer to pull, but it works out for The Raven Cycle because it adds to how enjoyable the series is. It’s unlike anything you’ll ever read and will keep you craving more. We can all be thankful that there is one more book in the series.