Name: rain's review of Blue Lily, Lily Blue (the Raven Cycle, Book 3) by Maggie Stiefvater
Item: Blue Lily, Lily Blue (the Raven Cycle, Book 3)
Rating: 5
Author: rain

Maggie Stiefvater

The third installment in the captivating series from the irrepressible, #1 New York Times bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater, in paperback. Blue Sargent has found things. For the first time in her life, she has friends she can trust, a group to which she can belong. The Raven Boys have taken her in as one of their own. Their problems have become hers, and her problems have become theirs. The trick with found things, though, is how easily they can be lost. Friends can betray. Mothers can disappear. Visions can mislead. Certainties can unravel. In a starred review, The Bulletin called The Dream Thieves, the previous book in The Raven Cycle, "a complex web of magical intrigue and heart-stopping action." Now, withBlue Lily, Lily Blue, the web becomes even more complex, snaring readers at every turn.

Blue Lily, Lily Blue (the Raven Cycle, Book 3)

Blue Sargent has found things. For the first time in her life, she has friends she can trust, a group to which she can belong. The Raven Boys have taken her in as one of their own. Their problems have become hers, and her problems have become theirs. The trick with found things, though, is how easily they can be lost.

Blue Lily, Lily Blue

that's what you get for dating a catholic

rain

But the church didn’t feel empty. It was claustrophobic with the scent of incense, vases of foreign lilies, reams of white cloth, the broken gaze of a sorrowing Christ. It bled with stories Adam didn’t know, rituals he would never do, connections he would never share. It was dense with a humming sort of history that made him feel light-headed.

“Ah! Are you afraid?” she jeered. “Did you hear that I’m a witch? I have three breasts! I have a tail, and horns! I am a giant down below. Oh, I’d be afraid of me, too, young knight. I could get you pregnant! Run! Run!”

“You want to see what I’ve been working on?” Ronan asked. All casual.

this is the greatest thing that ever happened to me

As they moved through the old barn, Adam felt Ronan’s eyes glance off him and away, his disinterest practiced but incomplete. Adam wondered if anyone else noticed. Part of him wished they did and immediately felt bad, because it was vanity, really: See, Adam Parrish is wantable, worthy of a crush, not just by anyone, someone like Ronan, who could want Gansey or anyone else and chose Adam for his hungry eyes. 

"You can be just friends with people, you know,” Orla said. “I think it’s crazy how you’re in love with all those raven boys.” Orla wasn’t wrong, of course. But what she didn’t realize about Blue and her boys was that they were all in love with one another. She was no less obsessed with them than they were with her, or one another, analyzing every conversation and gesture, drawing out every joke into a longer and longer running gag, spending each moment either with one another or thinking about when next they would be with one another. Blue was perfectly aware that it was possible to have a friendship that wasn’t all-encompassing, that wasn’t blinding, deafening, maddening, quickening. It was just that now that she’d had this kind, she didn’t want the other.

Nala

“SHE WAS ALL RIGHT,” Jesse assured him.

“My head knew that,” Gansey said. “But the rest of me didn’t.”

High Fidelity

“Don’t tell the others,” Gansey said.

“I’m dead,” Noah replied. “Not stupid.”

I don’t know the first thing about how to be that person again.”

Noah put the clay in Gansey’s hands. “That’s exactly how I feel about the idea of being alive again.”

Casually, out of view of Ronan, making sure Adam was still sleeping, Gansey dangled his hand between the driver’s seat and the door. Palm up, fingers stretched back to Blue.

He knew it was not allowed, by rules he himself had set. He would not permit himself to play favorites between Adam and Ronan; he and Blue couldn’t play favorites in this way, either. She would not see the gesture, anyway. She would ignore it if she did. His heart hummed.

He pinched her fingers lightly, just for a moment, and then he withdrew his hand and put it back on the wheel. His chest felt warm.

Moira

Do you understand? If they die, I die, too.

"The secondary line we're looking for today is n- curses!" He had tripped over the Dog. [...] "Hand me that pencil." Malory took the pencil from Adam and marked something on the map. "Go sit in the car!"

'Excuse me?' Adam asked, polite and shocked.

Blue leaned back as her heart vacated her chest cavity. Of course it was impossible. It had been impossible before she arrived and would continue being impossible forever. It was just that spending time with Gansey and the others had made her think that the impossible might be more possible than she'd thought before.

There is nothing like paperwork to make a man feel oppressed.

He said it in the most offhanded way, like it was nothing to have thrown on a new belt, but once upon a not-very-long time ago, Richard Gansey III had only one automotive skill: calling a tow truck.

Mornings like this were made for memories.

But what she didn't realize about Blue and her boys was that they were all in love with one another. She was no less obsessed with them than they were with her, or one another, analyzing every conversation and gesture, drawing out every joke into a longer and longer running gag, spending each moment either with one another or thinking about when they would next be with one another. Blue was perfectly aware that it was possible to have a friendship that wasn't all-encompassing, that wasn't blinding, deafening, maddening, quickening. It was just that now she'd had this kind, she didn't want the other.

I was here. I exist. I'm alive, because I bleed.

Earlier that year, when Blue had first met the boys, there had been a moment when she had been suddenly struck by how she was being drawn into their lives. Now she realized that she had never been drawn in. She had been there all along...They were not creating a mess. They were just slowly illuminating the shape of it.

Maybe it was good that the world forgot every lesson, every good and bad memory, every triumph and failure, all of it dying with each generation. Perhaps this cultural amnesia spared them all. Perhaps if they remembered everything, hope would die instead.

She wasn't afraid yet. It took a lot to terrify someone who played in time and space like a bathtub.

Bea 

Rhiannon Ellery

i can't even tell if this was a good read it's just that i am so in love with the characters that i simply don't care anymore where they take me

(3.75) This was definitely better than the last book. I felt more invested in the plot and am all for it for Gansey's and Blue's impending romance. Ahh! I have only one more book left until I finish the series. Hopefully, it is as good as the first one.

Ronan's crush on Adam is my favorite thing in this book, I loved every bit of their interactions. My hearts really broken by Persephones death it was something I didn't expect at all the 300 Fox way ladies all seemed invincible even to death. Gansey and Ronan showing up for up for Adam's court case was the most beautiful thing because they knew that he needed them  even when Adam didn't, so the not having to ask thing was really special I love them all. 

Louis Norton

The third book in the mesmerizing RAVEN CYCLE quartet from bestselling author, Maggie Stiefvater. Fans of the SHIVER trilogy will love this new quartet!

Maria

2.75/3 
This wasn’t as disappointing as I remembered it to be, but it still very much felt like a filler book. Some general thoughts:
- this applies to all the other books as well but the ending is just so anticlimactic? it builds up and then we’re just told what happens and it doesn’t feel as impactful as it should 
- all the new characters feel very flat and two-dimensional to me and I wish they’d been developed more 
- might just be me but I feel like the plot got so tangled that it just became too confusing. I’m all for plots developing to be more complicated than we first anticipated but this one seems to have no general direction, and I’m saying this as someone who’s reading this for a second time. Just adding new characters for the sake of overcomplicating the already complex plot is well... not great.
- then again, I think the gangsey has always been the central point of this story and in terms of developing them and their relationships with one another this was well done and I love them all very much. 
Overall an enjoyable read, but could have been handled a lot better in my opinion.

Christine

britt

i slightly feel as though this book was just a tad more filler than i wanted it to be, but in no way was it bad. it just wasn’t as good as the first two. i still love this book and this series. ronan is still my little worstie. also! nothing against adam but i lowkey never want his pov. love pookie though, but personally i feel like i care more for the others’ povs.

so much happened towards the end my brain was struggling to comprehend it all. it’s nice to see adam not constantly suffering but she made blue suffer instead😭 i cant believe maggie did that to Persephone but the worst part is that they didn’t even elaborate on what happened?? like why did that happen to her of all people why why why😭😭😭😭 she helped adam and this was what she got in return? also i love ronan he’s perfect and funny and amazing and apparently also competes in Irish music competitions.. scared to continue reading in case anything happens to gansey... if anything bad happens to him i’m killing someone fr. love u blue love u calla also i like the gray man now

chloe rae

This was BY FAR my favorite book of the series so far. Guys. I'm SO OBSESSED WITH THESE CHARACTERS. My goodness. They are just the greatest thing. Their friendship and love towards each other is just so refreshing and sweet and I'm in love with them, all of them. Not sure whats coming next but I'm excited for this conclusion!

Mel 

I just love this series so much and it improves with each book! 
The friendships/relationships in this book are amazing. I love love all the scenes between Gansey and Blue. I also love the scenes with Ronan/Adam. 
Negatives - I didn’t care for Greenmantle’s perspective at all

catalina

me enamoré de esta saga.
y amo demasiado a adam, period.

Annika Arguemore

The writing was a bit off at some parts. There wasn't consistency to some of it. A thing would happen and then another thing would happen abruptly. It was like there wasn't any transition. It kind of disrupted the flow.

It dragged as well most of the time. Like, there was a lot of unnecessary information I could have done without.

The world of Blue and Gansey was still a nice place to be in, though. Also, Adam's character development has come along nicely. Just as nice as Ronan's character development in The Dream Thieves.

Syahla Aurel

Queens and kings Kings and queens Blue lily, lily blue Crowns and birds Swords and things Blue lily, lily blue.

There was a lot going on in this book, and it's rather surprising to read plot twist after plot twist. I'm hoping that the final book in this series will clear things out.

honour

in my mind this is a 5 stars i’m literally in love with every character. HOWEVER, the plot was meh it was a little bit underwhelming and some parts made no sense like *

*Greenmattle who ended up being a coward when at first he was written as this mysterious badass character which i’m pretty disappointed with, also the adam-cabeswater plot made no sense etc.. Other than this, i really liked Ronan character development. I really hope there’s  a good ending regarding the romance between Blue and Gordon. I literally don’t care whether they kind glendower or not anymore i’ll just read the 4th book bcs at this point i feel like the characters are my friends and i love them <3

kenza 

in my mind this is a 5 stars i’m literally in love with every character. HOWEVER, the plot was meh it was a little bit underwhelming and some parts made no sense like *SPOILER!*Greenmattle who ended up being a coward when at first he was written as this mysterious badass character which i’m pretty disappointed with, also the adam-cabeswater plot made no sense etc.. Other than this, i really liked Ronan character development. I really hope there’s  a good ending regarding the romance between Blue and Gordon. I literally don’t care whether they kind glendower or not anymore i’ll just read the 4th book bcs at this point i feel like the characters are my friends and i love them <3

chloé

i wish i was good with words to explain how much i like this book

Melissa Palmer

Book #44 Read in 2015
Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater (YA)

This is the third, and I think final, book in a young adult paranormal series. Gansey, Blue and crew are very close to finding the ley line and the mystical person that will be able to grant them a favor. Blue is mostly concerned about finding her missing mother and avoiding Gansey's death. This book bogged down a bit for me in the middle but overall it was a good read. This series definitely needs to be read in order as each installment picks up right where the previous one left off. 

http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com

underwhelming compared to the the dream thieves, but still enjoyable. i loved that blue had more focus in this installment however, because she was the only reason i started this series, and she's still my favorite part. and adam's somewhat graduated from his incelitis, so there's another plus. stiefvater's writing is ethereal as always, but the plot did fall a bit flat for me.

3.75

Elliot

sin exagerar es de los mejores libros que he leído 💘💘💘

I think the entire time of the book, I wasn't as entranced for excited to read it. It's just slowly starting to feel so conventional and not boring, but just not an exciting book that makes you carry on reading it. But, it's still a 3, which to me  is a good rating, because god there are so many plot twists and just certain features in this book that just makes it so special. 

STILL GOING TO CONTINUE AND END THIS SERIES WITH THE FOURTH BOOK 💗

surtified™

I think the entire time of the book, I wasn't as entranced for excited to read it. It's just slowly starting to feel so conventional and not boring, but just not an exciting book that makes you carry on reading it. But, it's still a 3, which to me  is a good rating, because god there are so many plot twists and just certain features in this book that just makes it so special. 

STILL GOING TO CONTINUE AND END THIS SERIES WITH THE FOURTH BOOK 💗

fiona

I loved this book (and am loving the series in general) so so much. I love the main characters deeply and their dynamics (Blue calling them "her boys" UGH). I also am 100% here for the ships. I LOVE THE SHIPS. The slowburn. The yearning. So good. The audiobook is an absolute delight to listen to, Will Patton has ingrained each character's voice into my head so I literally can not hear them in any other way. And the music was a vibe at the beginning/end. I was thoroughly entertained by Gwenllian's singing and loved the way the audiobook did her lmao sometimes she sounded like Jar Jar Binks and Smeagol and it was so hilarious to me. Not a five star because it wasn't like GROUNDBREAKING but I thoroughly enjoyed. So excited for the next one!!!

Briar's Reviews

Blue Lily, Lily Blue was an intriguing novel.

It's my own fault that I didn't enjoy this book as much as I could have. It has been YEARS (and I mean, literally years - probably five?) since I've read the first two books in this series (The Raven Boys and The Dream Theives) so I don't remember much of what this series is all about. But, I really love Maggie Stiefvater so I wanted to continue on with this series! It's safe to say that I was REALLY lost about what was going on.

What I got out of this book was: witches, fantastic friendships, parental drama, ghosts and death, and a giant cave. 

I really enjoy Gansey in this series even though I'm not quite sure about what his character is supposed to be. He's not the love interest, he's not the typical best friend side character and he has no typical trope about him. I love that aspect of these characters (Maggie is great at not making a typical trope-filled book) but I'm still just so unsure. I love him, but... I need to know what happens in this last book to see how it all plays out.

Noah the ghost interests me too. What was going on with him and Blue? He's still her energy but he is also acting very strange. Something is up with these ley lines! I want to know more. I'm too analytical for books like this - I need to know everything now.

The plot itself just confused me. The screaming man, the man they found in the cave, the lady at the end... Don't stop this series if you intend to keep reading it. That's my biggest suggestion. Reading other reviewers' reviews helped a lot but I really should have re-read the series to make sure I knew what was going on. It's a real shame too, because Maggie has a beautiful writing style and her prose is to die for! She's fabulous. 

I did binge this book in one sitting. Since I forgot most of what happened in the previous books, I knew that if I put it down I would never pick it back up. The binging was okay, but I'd rather have read it in bits and pieces. 

My biggest praise is the cover. My gosh, all of the covers for this series fall into the realm of absolutely beautiful! 

Overall, this book is marvelous but didn't hit high with me. Hopefully one day I will be able to jump back into this whole series and mass read the entire set. Maggie is such a good writer but it's a shame that we had to wait for her books. That's what really did me in - waiting for books to come out and then not being able to afford them so I had to wait until I could. One day Maggie! One day I will read this excellence in full and understand the whole darn thing!

Three out of five stars!

Rhiannon Ellery &
Blue Lily, Lily Blue (the Raven Cycle, Book 3) by Maggie Stiefvater

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Blue Lily, Lily Blue (the Raven Cycle, Book 3) by Maggie Stiefvater