Opal
by Maggie Stiefvater (Scholastic, 2018)
audiobook read by Will Patton (Scholastic Audio, 2019)
A wistful, dreamy novelette that serves more as a link between The Raven Cycle and the Dreamer trilogy than as any sort of standalone (non-fans beware). Opal’s POV drips with otherness. Patton’s by-now-familiar drawl lends a seductive quality to the audiobook reading.
The Raven King
by Maggie Stiefvater (Scholastic, 2016); audiobook read by Will Patton (Scholastic, 2016)
The story remains engrossing in this fourth and final instalment, yet doesn’t make good on the build-up. Stiefvater again introduces new characters but then casts loose much of what’s come before. As much as the reinvention feels organic, the resolution lacks majesty.
Blue Lily, Lily Blue
by Maggie Stiefvater (Scholastic, 2014)
audiobook read by Will Patton (Scholastic Audio, 2014)
While Patton’s audiobook reading provides continuity, this third instalment feels rushed—undeniably advancing the story but in a manner less portentous than its predecessors. Despite all the plot developments, the characters appear merely to gird themselves for the fourth and final book.
The Dream Thieves
by Maggie Stiefvater (Scholastic, 2013); audiobook read by Will Patton (Scholastic, 2013)
Book two of the Raven Cycle is a clever continuation, building on what has gone before but introducing new characters and crafting a story of independent merit within the larger narrative. Though Blue, unfortunately, is relegated to the background, Ronan proves worthwhile.
The Raven Boys
by Maggie Stiefvater (Scholastic, 2012); audiobook read by Will Patton (Scholastic Audio, 2012)
Although Stiefvater focusses primarily on the characters built through story, the narrative itself is astutely plotted and sufficiently self-contained to offer closure. Patton’s drawl on the audiobook reading takes some getting used to but enhances the dreamy exploration of person and place.