Blue Lily, Lily Blue

Book 4 hopefully

This book 3 was just as great as 1&2. However I don't think that it would stand alone. It did enhance my appreciation of the first 2.

Grateful they continued with Mr. Patton as narrator.

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Last book blah

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The story just seemed to lose itself and did not really fit in with the first two books, which were very good.

What about Will Patton’s performance did you like?

Will Pattson did a great job on the performance.

Was Blue Lily, Lily Blue worth the listening time?

It was ok, I usually love all her books, this was my least favorite.

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Will Patton is one of my favorite narrators!

Where does Blue Lily, Lily Blue rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is the third in the Raven Cycle series and all of them are fantastic. Will Patton really brings life to each character. I look forward to each new book in the series because of his fantastic narration. Maggie Stiefvater is a great author and she weaves a really fun and mysterious tale.

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Please stop the singing!

Since I read this series back to back without time to write individual reviews, I'm summing up the whole series in one review. Lazy? Guilty as charged.

Book 1 - 3 stars. It was different and though set in real time, easily drifted into fantasy time.

Book 2 - 3 stars. Possibly the one I enjoyed most in the series. The concept of a dream thief was fascinating. Plus, loved the action.

Book 3 - 2 stars. What happened? New characters were overwhelming. Something I overlooked in the other books - dialogues that left things unsaid as well as confusing dream sequences - really irritated me in this one.

Book 4 - 2 stars (maybe 1.5). This could have been a trilogy in my opinion. This last in the series dragged. Again, why are all these new characters not fundamental to the tale of the foursome? I was hoping for lots of action to resolve the story but it lacked for me, regretfully.

Narration - 5 star across the board!

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This multi-headed Hydra needs some cutting!

Would you try another book from Maggie Stiefvater and/or Will Patton?

Absolutely! I thought this series was much improved with his narration.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Too far-fetched even given the premise of the series.

Which character – as performed by Will Patton – was your favorite?

He does a great job with all of them and sometimes the best voicing wasn't my favorite character but I liked the growl of Ronan Lynch and the quiet voice of Persephone.

Do you think Blue Lily, Lily Blue needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Well it HAS to really, she left so many openings that need closing. There were too many characters in this 3rd book and too little story to carry them.

Any additional comments?

This book was a bit disappointing for me, not enough Gansey and it didn't need Mallory or the crazy witch. I wanted the Persephone/ Adam story to enlarge and Maura's part in this book didn't seem to fit in well. You can sort of see what Stiefvater is lining up for the 4th book but what tortuous a way to get there. Despite all this whining, I do like this series and have fingers crossed that the 4th will be as good as the first and second.

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Maggie is a Beautiful Writer

This is book 3 of 4 and feels like a book 2 of a trilogy. The writing (as always) is superb. We find out a little more about Blue and the boys as Adam faces off with his father, and Gansey and Blue go spelunking to further their quest and search for Moira. Ronin is in the background since we heard more of his story in Dream Thieves. The women of this novel were mere window dressing and I was left wanting more details and stories about Blue's past than what was offered.

Not unhappy I spent my credit and eagerly await the final installment. I will read or listen to whatever this woman writes. She's one of the good guys in YA.

Footnote:
Why do I bother??? Will Patton is a fine narrator for adult fiction, but not suited for YA. At this point with 3 books in the cycle in his pocket, why would he be replaced? For the future reference...please know his voice is creepy for teen fiction. The women he voiced sounded like cartoon witches from the 70's and (again repeating myself) his NY accent from book 2 was unmistakable for Yogi Bear. Why, editors, producers, executives, why?

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We Shall Be Kings! 😱

But not in this story . . .
Though having much climactic potential the weakest by far of the thus far trilogy.
I bookmarked and noted the point in the story at which my interest stirred---Chapter 13.
Far too slow in developing, I believe a lack of the editors pen let the author become entranced with the flavor and sound of her own words.
Development becomes better after the hours of listening Chapter 13 represents and some really interesting characters are introduced and developed nicely--but then things go adrift again as the author struggles to bring the threads of characters and plots into some semblance of enjoyable fabric.
Narration is excellent and, of course, if you are at all engaged in this series and its characters you will have to read this third installment.
Still--a let down--and I hope for better from Ms Stiefvater in her next story in this series. Clearly "Blue Lily, Lily Blue" is not an ending but an interlude. 😱

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M. Stiefvater is a new favorite author

I am three books in and have been loving it, turning my horrible commute into the great escape. I am new to the work of this author and I am in awe of her storyrelling. I feel like Noah, a ghost watching my friends, these magical characters , come alive, in full, in my imagination. It''s been a grand adventure! I am so looking forward to book 4 and her other works. 5 star story telling. The audio book voices were also worthy of a 5 star rating.

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Great Characters, But Plot Flounders A Bit

3.5 stars overall

If you love a good plot to go with your characters, Blue Lily, Lily Blue might disappoint. As I mentioned in my review of The Dream Thieves, the plot has taken a back seat to the characters. What started as a fairly interesting plot has been reduced to flailing in the wind with these last two books. Stiefvater’s villains also continue to be a point of contention with me. Greenmantle, the antagonist from the last book, makes a personal appearance in this book, but this time he brings his mustache twirling wife along for the ride. However, just as with the first two books, there’s still not much compelling about these villains despite this extended look at Greenmantle. Even the other characters seem to barely spare Greenmantle and his wife more than an exasperated sigh for their troubles. They add no substance to an already sputtering plot that is really starting to become redundant in a droning way.

If you don’t mind a thin plot and love characters, then this will definitely be a treat, as characters continues to be Stiefvater’s strength and is obviously what she enjoys writing. This continues to explore the characters that we have come to know and love and their relationship with each other. I loved how the relationship between Blue and the Raven Boys is described as them all being in love with one another.

"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."

Adam learns to listen to Cabeswater’s needs, reconciling himself with the strange nature of its mutterings and manifestations, while coming to terms with his own feelings of inferiority and learning that his friendships are absolute and lasting. Blue discovers that she is so much more than an amplifier for other people’s “magic.” While the full extent of this isn’t explored in this book, it leaves open so many possibilities for her in the next book and beyond. Ronan continues to be Ronan, but we learn more about his dream things including a reveal about someone in his own life that he pulled from his dreams. Gansey seemed to have the least amount of development other than to start showing more frayed ends around that cultured, privileged perfection he tries so hard to show the world.

Other characters in this series continue to pop in and amuse readers such as the always acerbic Calla, and there’s an introduction of a new character that I suppose will be important in the next book, even if I felt his introduction at this points felt a bit forced. (I like the character, but it’s hard to see him fitting in the story at this point.) This book also begins to set the groundwork for what will come after their search for Glendower. They’re preparing to graduate and they’re thinking about what they want to do with their lives. There is disappointment and yearning in these moments as befitting to kids their age. This prods the readers to start thinking of the future (and the end of this story) for this group.

Will Patton returns as the narrator for this book, and even with my mixed feelings of his narration, this series wouldn’t be the same without his voice.

I think Blue Lily, Lily Blue tries to be more than it really is. Part of the synopsis says, “Friends can betray. Mothers can disappear. Visions can mislead. Certainties can unravel.” A mother certainly did disappear, but the rest of this doesn’t really seem to come to fruition. I can see it happening for some of those things, but it’s so murky. The plot is just not strong enough to really strongly support most of those claims. It’s not a bad book by any means, and there are plenty of revelations that come to light in this book along with a heartbreaking moment near the end. However, this book seemed more ambitious than anything. There was much going on with the characters, but it doesn’t really move forward much in terms of story.

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Stale Lily, Stalled Lily

What did you like best about Blue Lily, Lily Blue? What did you like least?

The Raven Cycle has been broken into several books and the story could have been told in two. There are many redundancies and circular themes that get old after a while. I was hoping it would fare better than the second book, but I just felt like the story dragged on in a creepy, unsatisfying sort of way.

What could Maggie Stiefvater have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Cut to the chase a little sooner. It felt like things were dragged on to make room for another book, not because it enriched the story.

Which scene was your favorite?

The scene between Adam and Ronin, when Ronin shows Adam his dream creature.

Was Blue Lily, Lily Blue worth the listening time?

If it had been cut in half, then yes, but it seemed to drag on.

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