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Blue Lily, Lily Blue (The Raven Cycle, Book 3)
Unavailable
Blue Lily, Lily Blue (The Raven Cycle, Book 3)
Unavailable
Blue Lily, Lily Blue (The Raven Cycle, Book 3)
Audiobook10 hours

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

Written by Maggie Stiefvater

Narrated by Will Patton

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

4.5/5

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Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

The third installment in the mesmerizing series from the irrepressible, number one New York Times best-selling author Maggie Stiefvater.

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.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateJan 1, 2014
ISBN9780545727570
Unavailable
Blue Lily, Lily Blue (The Raven Cycle, Book 3)
Author

Maggie Stiefvater

After a tumultuous past as a history major, calligraphy instructor, wedding musician, technical editor, and equestrian artist, Maggie Stiefvater is now a full-time writer and New York Times bestselling author of the Shiver trilogy, The Scorpio Races, and The Raven Boys. Her debut series, the Books of Faerie, is published by Flux. Maggie lives in the middle of nowhere, Virginia, with her charmingly straight-laced husband, two kids, four neurotic dogs, and a 1973 Camaro named Loki. Follow her on Twitter at @mstiefvater, and visit her online at www.maggiestiefvater.com.

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Rating: 4.384277092468389 out of 5 stars
4.5/5

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  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Blue Lily, Lily Blue is the third installment in Maggie Stiefvater's popular quartet, The Raven Cycle, which has been on my reading list since 2014. The previous books, The Raven Boys and The Dream Thieves, were great reads in my opinion. The Raven Cycle is one of those series' where I love the characters, the general premise, the fairytale elements which is seamlessly combined with modern day living, but for some reason Blue Lily, Lily Blue felt like the weakest of the three books. Now, don't get me wrong, it's still an amazingly well-written book and the ending made me yearn for The Raven King (the last book in the quartet), but Blue Lily, Lily Blue lacked that same magic that made me fall in love with The Raven Boys and The Dream Thieves. That being said, the story is developing quite nicely, and Blue Lily, Lily Blue sets the pace for the finale novel.

    I can't help saying that I wished for more Gansey/Blue moments, as well as some Adam/Ronan moments, but then I missed Noah a lot, too. I mean, he was kind of missing in this book. The Gray Man, one of my favourite characters, also didn't appear as much. Basically, it just feels as if the balance was a tad off as far as the characters are concerned.

    Of course, in a series you are bound to get one book that's not as strong as the others, unless you've sold your firstborn to Rumpelstiltskin, I suppose.

    All in all, I have to admit that maybe I wasn't in the right mood to read Blue Lily, Lily Blue. Yes, I liked it; I liked reading about my favourite characters again, but it wasn't perfect. The writing was flawless, and whoever did the editing of the book needs a pat on the back and a: "job well done", but there was just something missing ...

    I would still advise folks who are in the mood to read The Raven Cycle though. It's quite unique and a lot of fun, regardless of my personal qualms with this particular book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I really like this series. There's something about the way Maggie Stiefvater writes these characters that makes me remember what it was to be a teenager, when everything was urgent and secret. I also fall into the mythology of the world she's created for this series, where magic exists in the byways and corners, and you might find it if you turn around just fast enough. But you might find grief, too, horrible and unending grief, and if you're lucky you'll have friends to help you through it.

    I was surprised by how this book ended, but I shouldn't have been because all the threads were in place.

    This series haunts me. I can't wait to read more.

    (Provided by publisher)
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Note: This is Book Three of The Raven Cycle, so the review necessarily contains some spoilers for Books One and Two, but no significant spoilers for this book.As this is Book Three of a four book series, it would be impossible to review this as a standalone book. As a continuance though, it does not disappoint. Stiefvater’s characters continue to unfold and evolve.Briefly, the story is about two “families” in Henrietta, Virginia who join forces to find the remains of Owen Glendower, a medieval Welsh noble who disappeared from Wales after fighting the English for Welsh freedom. They all have come to believe Glendower’s body was brought to this area of Virginia which is rich in “ley lines” or trackways emitting a special psychic or mystical energy.One of these families belongs to Blue Sargent, 16, who lives in a matriarchal group of eccentric and lovable psychics, all of whom are convinced that if Blue kisses her first love, he will die. Blue doesn’t think she has any powers herself except to provide - somehow - amplification of the clairvoyant conversations the others in her family have on a regular basis. But she does believe it would be dangerous for her to fall in love. In Book One, Blue begins an improbable friendship with four boys from the elite Aglionby Academy, known as Raven Boys after the Aglionby emblem. She is not only drawn to the boys, but also to their quest for Glendower. Her relationship with them is “blinding, deafening, maddening, quickening” and now that she experienced a friendship like this, she wouldn’t want any kind.The four Raven Boys are as much a family as any forged by blood. Richard Gansey III (called Gansey by the others) is the leader of them all - driven by the desire to find Glendower; caring; nurturing; generous to the others; endearing and earnest. Adam Parrish, bitter over his impoverished past and his abusive father, is envious of those - like Gansey - who came from privilege and who can make their way in the world with confident ease. But in this book Adam seems to mature a bit and is determined to be “Adam” rather than "Adam-whose-behavior-is-a-function-of-a-bad-childhood." He strives to appreciate Gansey for being noble and kind, if oblivious and overly optimistic. Adam had thought he wanted Gansey to see how “filthy and violent, and profane, and unfair” the world was. But now, he feels protective of Gansey, thinking it would be preferable if Gansey could somehow keep his rose-colored vision of the world. Ronan Lynch is as “sharp and dark and dissonant” as Gansey is “soft-edged and organic, faded and homogenous.” But Ronan has a heart as big as Gansey’s, even though he tries to cover up that aspect of himself. And most crucially, Ronan is The Greywaren, who can dream things into being. Last but not least there is “smudgy” Noah Czerny, limited in what he can bring to the relationship but balancing it somehow. The boys are endlessly interesting, and in Book Two, their struggles take over the plot, pushing Blue a bit into the background. Book Three, however, begins with Blue’s angst over the disappearance of her mother Maura more than a month earlier on a “mysterious personal quest.” Maura left only a cryptic note reading “Glendower is underground. So am I.”Some new characters come into play in this book, all of them related in some way to the search for Glendower or The Greywaren. As most of these characters have ill intentions, the tension escalates, and the book ends with a cliffhanger.Discussion: Stiefvater impresses as always with her flights of felicitous prose, capturing dreams and bringing them to life, perhaps in an analogy to what Ronan can do in fantasy. She writes of Blue:"The stars moved slowly above her, an array of possibilities, and for the first time in a long time, she felt them mirrored in her heart.”Sometimes her writing just pierces you with its evocative and lush imagery:"Yellow apples, bright as butter, peeked from trees on one side of the drive. Some sort of blue flower, improbable, dreamed, ran amok through the grass on the other side.”This book should not be read on its own, but rather as part of the entire series. But Book Three will draw you even closer to the characters, and you will be eager to see what happens to them next.Evaluation: Maggie Stiefvater is an engaging storyteller who clearly loves her characters. The protagonists combine - each in a uniquely different way - a welter of hopes, dreams, hurts, and love. They sometimes behave badly, but all have the capacity for heroic virtue. The relationships among them are richly textured and satisfying for their realism as well as the way they tug on your heart. The author is so smooth at investing the everyday with the fantastical that you hardly realize it is happening. It just seems to be the way things are, or perhaps, like just another way to perceive the quotidian. Rating: 3.5/5 (more a reflection of the book’s middle status than of its likability)Note: You can listen to music inspired by The Raven Boys series and written by the multi-talented author here. Need a recap of the first two books? Maggie Stiefvater provided one here.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Confession – I finished this in one sitting on the day it came out. I’ve been hesitating to write a review since because I sincerely don’t know how to capture all the things I love about this book and series.First of all, Blue Lily, Lily Blue is the third book in Maggie Stiefvater’s Raven Cycle. This series has many twists and turns, and it’s imperative that they’re read in order. The first book is The Raven Boys and the second is The Dream Thieves. This review will contain spoilers for the first two in the series, so be forewarned.The worst thing about Blue Lily, Lily Blue? The title, certainly. Everything else is practically perfect.At the end of The Dream Thieves, Maura went missing. Blue, the Raven Boys, and the psychics of 300 Fox Way are obviously worried and start looking for her. But they’ve also learned that there’s more than one sleeper hidden in Cabeswater’s magic. There’s one to wake, one not to wake, and one in between…One of the biggest questions I had going in was what would happen with Ronan. After the reveals with his character, I was eager to see what would happen with him (and with Adam…). Unfortunately, he does not have any POV sections in Blue Lily, Lily Blue (probably the second worst thing). On her blog, Maggie Stiefvater’s said that this is because Ronan’s sections tend to be overpowering, which does make sense. As a result, in this book he is mainly seen through Adam’s POV. I don’t want to spoil any aspects of the book but, I will say this… I don’t think the situation is completely hopeless.In the review of The Raven Boys, I noted that Blue didn’t seem as appealing as some of the other characters. Reflecting on it some more, I think it was because before Blue Lily, Lily Blue she didn’t having the same sense as “wanting” as the others. However, this book explores Blue’s character more deeply than before. There’s one particular scene, when she’s sitting in the school counselor’s office, that really spoke to me. Turns out, Blue does have that feel of “wanting,” but she’s buried it deep down inside her because she believes her dreams are impossible.Blue Lily, Lily Blue is leading up to the fourth and final book. Answers regarding Cabeswater finally seem to be arriving. Events are happening in quick succession, and the quest for Glendower is getting even more dangerous than before.Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This series just keeps getting better and better. Loved the character development and where I think a few of their storylines might be going.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I really love the way the series is progressing.This books has a bit more angst as Blue is worrying over her missing mother and her feelings for Gansey are getting harder to keep at bay. I love that was there was some growth from Adam who has finally realized what an idiot he has been. Ronin is...well Ronin. He's a jerk, but he's a loyal jerk who cares about his friends more than he'd ever admit. And I love Jesse Dittley and the fact that he nicknamed Blue, 'Ant'! There are a few more characters in this book, but the main cast of characters does not get lost in the story, which is fantastic writing.They've made progress in finding the Raven King as well as Maura, but things are getting ever more dangerous for the group. All-in-all this was a great continuation of the series, and it sets up for the next book beautifully.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    These kids stress me out! Though I think I enjoyed the second book a little more, I blew through this book in just a couple of days - and can't wait to get my hands on the last book!

    Really enjoyed the introduction of a couple of characters, and the bait-and-switch with the Greenmantles, Piper is SO much cooler than Colin and will make a much better villain. The character development of not only the raven boys, but also side characters like the Gray Man, makes me appreciate the pacing of the storylines that much more.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    WHAT NOW

    It was great but for some reason i liked it a little less than the previous two. i can't really connect with adam's point of view, unless he's with the others. i do appreciate him as a character, but he's just not my favourite. i also really didn't care about greenmantle.
    there were a lot of things that i loved very very much such as ronan, he's amazing, and JESSE DITTLEY he was so so funny and there were plenty of plot-twists, so it is still a very good book.
    i still wish we could get more of noah, and i also want more of gansey?? for some reason??
    i think dr. malory was the highlight of the entire book he's great.
    so i did really really enjoy it AND I CAN'T WAIT TO READ THE RAVEN KING.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I didn't like this book as much as the first two in the series. I felt like it was more filler than moving the plot along, but it was still an enjoyable read and got me excited for the last book. The characters were amazing as always and we did get hit with some pretty big bombshells that I didn't see coming. I would recommend this book, though at least for me it takes me awhile to read these. They're very dense, but...in a good way?? ANYWAYS, 5 out of 5 stars.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    When I first read The Raven Boys I said it was "about a group of teenage boys - their friendships, their tensions and struggles, their unusual quest - and how Blue becomes entangled in these". However, now I realise that it focuses a bit more on Adam, who is dealing with an abusive father and working several jobs to pay his school fees. The Dream Thieves, if it belongs to any of the raven boys, belongs to Ronan - Ronan, troubled and grieving for his father, who has the ability to "steal" objects from his dreams.And so Blue Lily, Lily Blue belongs to Blue, whose mother has gone missing.I love the writing: it's poetic, poignant, atmospheric, occasionally creepy or funny. I love the intensity of the friendships - and the very believable tensions that run through those friendships. Especially when friends are unable to solve each others' problems (as much as they wish they could).I love the way, despite the magic and the dream-like quality it sometime has, the story is deeply conscious of class issues, and family issues, and the real life limitations that people have to deal with. Blue was perfectly away that it was possible to have a friendship that wasn't all-encompassing, that wasn't blinding, maddening, quickening. It was just that now she'd had this kind, she didn't want the other.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is Adam's book, where he really comes into his own - I suppose by that logic the first was Noah's and the second clearly Ronan's (but the whole thing is so subtle I didn't really notice it until midway through the second). If this series has a flaw, it's that the characters are their own worst enemies but there are cartoon villains anyway; if Greenmantle and Piper weren't such delightful psychopaths I'd mind more.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I think Blue Lily, Lily Blue has been my favorite in the Raven Cycle series so far. and I have truly loved them all. I felt, though,that in the latest installment, everyone and everything really started coming together. Blue and the boys each have very distinct roles in the search for Glendower, and the mysteries of Cabeswater, and those roles are finally becoming even more distinct and clear. Adding in Maura's disappearance, the addition of Malory to the activities in Henrietta, and a handful of new and very interesting characters, Stiefvater really breathed more life into the Raven Boys' journey. So many really important things happened, with Glendower closer than ever, and yet the question of what will happen when they find him just as mysteriously ever. I really can't wait to see the completion of Gansey's quest in the next book.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    That was EVERYTHING.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Another great installment to the series. I absolutely love what the narrator of this audio book, Will Patton, does for the books. He really brings it to life for me. However I got the impression that there was less that went on in this novel than the previous two. It seems a little like a transition novel where things between Gansey and Blue become interesting. I am really interested in seeing where the relationship between Adama and Ronan might grow. I can't tell if the language is hinting at something obvious or at something more implied and can't wait to see which of the scenarios happens. I'm looking forward to the fourth installment, coming out next year.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I liked the book quite well, moves the series forward in a good solid way. Stiefvater has a way with characterization, and a knack for creating a good ensemble. I was more aware than usual of the "blue jeans/cell phones" realism in this book, which I understand is a FEATURE, not a BUG. It's not that these things are "bad" or "done badly", they are just not elements I particularly care for in books. Another reader would rate this much higher, and I would recommend. I look forward to reading the next installment
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I love all the characters in these books. They are each well-defined with distinct personalities and character traits. I'm intrigued by the search for the ancient king and all the mysteries of the ancient history involved with the search, but it's the modern characters that give the book it's spark.More so than the previous books in the series, the ending of this book left me feeling like I needed more. I knew it was going to end before I was ready and I felt the resolution with Blue's mom was a little too easy and quick. That being said, I can't wait for the next book and to get back to reading about Blue and her friends.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I felt as confused as one of the new characters when I began the third novel in The Raven Cycle, it had just been a tad too long since I read the others. After finding a good synopsis of The Dream Thieves I remembered why all roads seem to lead below ground. Blue's mother Maura is missing, gone underground for an indeterminate amount of time. Gansey is still looking for the burial tomb of Glendower, as the ley line changes and charges with Adam's help. I always find myself wanting more about a particular character, after all, this title would make me think this book would be all about Blue. But Stiefvater does a superb job with this ensemble cast and the books reflect how much Blue and the Raven Boys rely on one another in the search for Glendower. Perhaps suffering from third book-it is, a lot of the movement in the book seems to be setting us up for the next one. I really enjoyed returning to Fox Way, and always wish we could learn more about the women that live there. The addition of both Gansey's mentor Dr. Malory and a local named Jesse Dittley was fantastic.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Amazing! Loved the ending even though it was inevitable. Love all the characters and the writing and imagination is superb. Best book I've read in a while.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The third book in The Raven Cycle series continues the mystical search for Glendower along the ley lines in Virginia. It seems like every time the gang comes close, they come away with only another puzzling riddle. Unlike the previous books, this one does not have a single character focus and spends time illuminating the experiences of all the members of the gang. Ronan is still experimenting with the abilities granted to him as the Greywaren, and trying to figure out a way to wake the creations of the previous Greywaren that have gone to sleep in his absence. Adam is nervously counting down the days until he appears in court to testify over his accusations of being abused by his father, afraid to ask for support from his friends in case they think less of him. Blue is desperately trying to cope with the mysterious disappearance of her mother and decipher the secrets that may be hidden in her last cryptic message in order to bring her back. Gansey continues the frantic search for Glendower, caught up in the years old obsession of finding the lost king and receiving the granted wish in return for waking him. Together with Noah, who continues to flicker in and out of existence as the ghostly smudge of the boy he was once, the gang pools their wits and expertise to complete their quests which all seem to be tied up together, before everything else unravels around them. For all its focus on plot, this book somehow misses the magnetism that the other books had. The characters in going about their separate activities create a narrative that feels disjointed and less than fulfilling, and somehow ignores the context provided by the previous two books, except for the idea of Glendower. Each of the personalities that have grown dear in the previous parts of the series thus seem less personable and what happens to them seems only as engaging as they are as plot devices, rather than a coherent and compelling story. Thus, this piece of the series is the weakest to date, but still works to advance the overarching plot. Recommended for additional purchase. Ages 14 and up.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I remember the uncertainty I felt when picking up The Raven Boys a few years back because I was new to Maggie Stiefvater's work. The blurb was interesting, the story even more so and I was immediately pulled in. I didn't quite enjoy The Dream Thieves as much, so it was with equal parts of uncertainty that I picked up Blue Lily, Lily Blue. Suffice to say, I love the book.This book is an extremely light and easy read, a strange combination of lighthearted humour and deep contemplation that somehow complemented each other perfectly. It's perfect for when you want something to read at the end of a stressful day to unwind yourself (though there's a huge risk you might end up staying up all night to finish the book!) The characters are full of life, each of them so similar yet so different. The amazing thing about this book is how different characters have different perspectives on the same thing, hence the depth and personalities of the characters vary depending on whose PoV the story was being told from. It's done very subtly in the book so that it doesn't scream right into your face but it's there nonetheless if you know to look.As many reviewers mentioned, the 3rd book focuses a lot more on Adam. I guess Adam's the kind of character that most people will either love or hate. As someone who grew up in a family of the low-average income group, I identify with Adam a lot. The biggest issue I had with this book was Greenmantle. Greenmantle was supposed to be this super criminal mastermind. He's Moriarty. In many ways, he's cool. He's this funny, whimsical guy who is totally badass at the same time and he rock. But he had too little "screen time" and I felt like he backed out too easily. I'm hoping that he would make a comeback for later on. Another problem I had was the fact that many of the side characters introduced in this book felt unnecessary. Hopefully, we'll see more of them in Book 4.All in all, a great book. Definitely recommend reading this.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I have got to hand it to Maggie Stiefvater! She spins a great yarn!If you tuned in for the stunning conclusion, I am sorry to burst your bubble. The Raven Cycle is not a trilogy; and I am thrilled about that! I could read these characters for another three books and be happy. Stiefvater keeps it fresh and interesting. Be prepared for more creepiness, death, unconsummated love (I have theories about characters other than Gansey and Blue!), and a bit more cursing than in the past - if you are bothered by such things.A great series to pick up and well worth the read!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Wonderful. Each book is better than the last. Must start The Raven King!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Silly me, but not knowing that this was the 3rd and not the last book in the series, I ripped through this one anticipating the tying up of loose ends. Not happening! The ley line fluctuates in and out of strength as does the relationships of Blue and the Raven boys: Gansey, Adam, Ronan, and Noah. The hunt for Blue's mother dominates the storyline of this installment as does the hauntingly and ubiquitous Mr. Gray and his former employer. A few new characters surprise and begin twisting the plot, preparing us for the final installment coming in 2015. Read away with anticipation and excitement!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Blue and the Raven boys have had one heck of a summer. Before they're due to go back to school, Prof. Malory, Gansey's former mentor joins them for a spell to further their hunt for Glendower, but the person they eventually free from their entombment is not the hoped-for king. Meanwhile, Gansey, Ronan and Adam have a new Latin teacher (with a rather different and altogether more dangerous side line). Several characters have a reappearance of sorts, while another departs, probably for good. And there's the mother of all cliff-hangers with the final words ...This third instalment of the Raven Cycle was fairly uneven in pace, with several chapters focusing on a particular character, while in others plot developments happened in quick and fast succession, not to mention with nail-biting tension, but as the characters are so well developed, I didn't actually mind. I guess the reader knows a little bit more than at the beginning of the book, while there are also still plenty of questions that remain unanswered. And all the time, THAT moment in Gansey's life is getting nearer and nearer, and the strain is beginning to tell on Blue (and me!). How on earth am I going to spend the next year until the final instalment is published? Please, Maggie, hurry up!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Maggie did a fantastic job yet again building this fantasy world, based on Welsh legends. Some parts moved slowly, due to over describing, but I still enjoyed Blue Lily, Lily Blue.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was a great installment to the series. The story went places I didn’t expect.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This series is interesting and easily digestible and well read by the narrator. Each character is well developed and I have to google “Henrietta” now and check it out. Very enjoyable
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This was delightfully creep in parts and slightly magical in others.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    It’s hard to pick my favorite book of The Raven Cycle. Every time I read one I remember why I thought it was my favorite. Blue Lily, Lily Blue is funny, painful, and wondrous. It’s when you feel these characters are real.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is probably my favorite book in the series. It's weird because I feel like not as much happened as in The Dream Thieves, but, at the same time, more important things happened? Also, I suddenly love Ronan and Adam? This book gave me the push to immediately start The Raven King after finishing it. If you're into reading whimsical dreamy writing, this series is for you.