Discussion: The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater Part 2

the raven king Yesterday we discussed a little bit about the new characters that were introduced in Blue Lily Lily Blue.  Today, I’m going to discuss Colin Greenmantle and Artemus.  They were both characters previously mentioned in earlier books but we didn’t actually see them until Blue Lily Lily Blue.

Colin Greenmantle: The last time we saw Colin, he was walking away from Piper, the Gray Man and a thug before they entered cave.  He had just witnessed Piper kill Jesse Dittley and was not having it.  He was already about to leave after Adam and Ronan paid him a visit with their fake but very convincing evidence of a terrible crime and the death of Jesse was enough for him to peace out.  Is he really gone though? The man who put in so much time, effort and money in to finding the Greywaren.  He moved to Henrietta and became the latin teacher in hopes of ruining the Gray man and he’s just going to walk away? Especially now that Piper has gone over the deep end and will soon be a missing person.  I know that the evidence that Ronan dreamt up was enough to scare him but is it enough to keep him away?

Artemus: Last time we saw Artemus he was being rescued by Blue with the help of the Gray Man and Maura.  He’s Blue’s father and Maura’s ex-lover.  Things are probably going to get a little awkward since the Gray Man is currently dating or at least seeing Maura now.  We really don’t know much about Artemus beyond his past history with Maura and according to Gwenllian, he is the one who tied her up.  That would suggest that he is as old as she is and somehow involved with  Glendower?  From the beginning, it has be a part of Maura’s story arc to find him.  It was the reason that she invited Neeve to come stay with them in The Raven Boys.  Now that she has found him, what’s next?  He obviously has some connection to Glendower and is a magician of some kind.  So how does he fit in the search for Glendower and how does he fit in Blue and Maura’s life?

Part 1: The Role of New characters

 

Discussion: The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater Part 1

the raven king We are officially a week from the release of The Raven King!  It’s so close!  It’s almost here!  AHHHH!!!  Okay, I’m done freaking out.  Throughout this month, I have posted my thoughts of the last three books as I re-read The Raven Boys, The Dream Thieves and Blue Lily Lily Blue to refresh my memory of what happened so far. Now we are going to look ahead to The Raven King, itself and hopefully get some discussion going on what we think is going to happen, what we are looking forward to finally reading (a few kisses come to mind) and how we think it’s going to end.  So let’s get this started.

In Blue Lily Lily Blue, we were introduced to three new characters.  Henry Cheng, Piper Greenmantle and Gwenllian. Henry is a fellow student at Aglionby.  Piper was Colin Greenmantle’s wife and the real antagonist of the book.  Gwenllian the daughter of Glendower who the gang finds in his robber’s grave. Let’s break it down one at a time.

Henry Cheng: The last time we saw him, he was protesting the faculty denying his petition for a student council when scaffolding fell down all around Adam. It should have killed Adam but he used his Cabeswater connection to save himself.  Maggie has said that Henry is going to have a bigger role in The Raven King but what?  He probably has some questions about Adam after witnessing his near death and I have some questions as to what he was doing out so late when Blue and Gansey found him and his car.  Is he connected to Cabeswater somehow? Is he also searching for Glendower?

Piper Greenmantle: The last time we saw her, she was stuck in the cave and waking up the third sleeper with the help of the reemerged Neeve.  Obviously this is not good because this was the sleeper that everyone kept warning not to wake. Even more bad news, it sounds like the third sleeper is a gigantic spider of some sort.  What role will Piper play, since she is obviously not dead and now has a favor thanks to creepy spider sleeper guy.  And what does the fact that it was only two of them to wake him up instead of the preferred three?

Gwenllian: The last time we saw her, she was helping the gang rescue Maura from the cave.  We know that she is like Blue and is a Mirror.  She sings and is annoying to all the women at 300 Fox Way.  As the daughter of Glendower, she probably can help them out in their quest to find him, if they can get a straight answer from her and her powers could be beneficial to the women in 300 Fox Way.  Not to mention give us more insight in to Artemus.  What role will she play in the final book?

My To-Read List for the next month or so

My to-read pile is going to get a little bit of work out in the next couple of weeks.  Not only is the The Raven King finally coming (just in case you haven’t heard) but several other books I’ve been waiting to read are also coming out. Apparently May 3 is the day to release books with four books on my list. It’s also the time for series to end with The Raven Cycle, The 5th Wave, The Selection, and the Taking series are all coming into their conclusions. It’s strange how so many of my series are ending this year but I guess that’s just the way it worked out.  This is all great but I wish they all were spaced out a little bit. I can only read so much at a time.

April 26

The Raven King (The Raven Cycle #4) by Maggie Stiefvater

Soldier (Talon #3) by Julie Kagawa

May 3

The Hidden Oracle (The Trails of Apollo #1) by Rick Riordan

A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses #2) by Sarah J. Maas

Invision (The Chronicles of Nick #7) by Sherrilyn Kenyon

The Crown (The Selection #5) by Kiera Cass

May 10

The Countdown (The Taking #3) by Kimberley Derting

May 24

The Last Star (The 5th Wave #3) by Rick Yancey

I obviously have a lot of reading to do. What are you looking forward to reading in the upcoming weeks?

 

Observations on Blue Lily Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater

blue lilyAll the feels!  Re-reading this book just reaffirms how painful The Raven King is going to be.

  • What’s the deal with Henry Cheng?  I mean seriously?  Maggie has already said he is going to play a bigger part in the next book but what?  What was he doing out that late at night when Gansey and Blue run into him?
  • Speaking of, is there ever been a more romantic non-kiss.  It almost puts some actually literary kisses to shame!
  • I want to know more about Persephone’s backstory.  Actually I want a spin-off series that is just about Persephone, Maura and Calla.  Hey Maggie, can you make that happen?
  • Adam learned a very important lesson.  That it is okay to ask for help and even if you don’t ask, if a friend offers it’s not out of pity but out friendship.
  • Piper Greenmantle is not someone I would want to meet in a dark alley.  That woman is truly scary.
  • What is Gansey doing in the faculty lounge?  Does he already know he’s going to die and this is him making plans?
  • Why haven’t any written the Murder Squash song?
  • I love how all-in Ronan is to being Supernatural.  He’s owning is Greywareness!
  • Also how touching was his revelation about Matthew?  How he’s working on saving him.  With what happened in the cave, do you think he’s figured it out.
  • I like Blue and Ronan’s relationship. For all his guff, Ronan can’t help but care.  He saved her from falling twice, once in the beginning of the book and in the end and then stayed behind in the dark to make sure she got to the other side.  He’s a class act when he wants to be.
  • What kind of man buries their daughter, face down in a grave for robbers to find? Maybe Glendower isn’t worth it after all.
  • Jesse Dittley wasn’t kidding when he said his cave was cursed.  May he Rest In Peace
  • Never Scrying by yourself kids.

So, we are now two weeks away from the release of The Raven King and the anticipation is just killing me.  Will they find Glendower?  Will Blue and Gansey finally kiss and will it kill him?  Will Ronan and Adam kiss? Who is the third sleeper? Is it a huge spider because I am not okay with that! What has Neeve been doing all this time?  I have so many questions that I hope to get answered soon.  Dear readers, what are your questions for The Raven King?

Observations on The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

dream thieves This is my favorite book in The Raven Cycle (so far). Gansey in his Ganseyness. Adam in his Adamness and Blue in her Blueness but most importantly Ronan in his Ronaness. I love him.

  • If you could dream anything and bring it back with you when you awoke, what would it be?
  • What really turned Declan and Ronan into enemies?  Is it just that Declan is a liar and that he upheld Niall’s will without a fight?
  • How long has Declan known about Ronan and Niall?
  • Oh Poor Adam.  It’s almost painful to read about his abuse and almost harder to read him think that he deserved it.
  • I know Adam had to accept his bargain but maybe when he started to see strange things, maybe that’s the time to go to the women who deal with strange things?
  • I don’t think I’ll understand the internet stanning for Kavinsky?  He’s a terrible human being to put it mildly.
  • I’m quite charmed by the courtship of Maura and the Gray Man. To quote Hamilton “So this is what it’s like to match wits”
  • Calla is amazing.  Her interactions with Ronan are always a delight.  They should have more scenes together.
  • I wish I knew more about the Gray Man and his brother.  I get his brother is a sociopath but I feel like there is more there.
  • champagne mistake.  the champagne atrocity.  I just loved how the Gray man described his rental car.
  • Let’s talk about Ronan’s sexuality or how little it’s talked about.  I think that’s it’s great that he never out right says his gay. He doesn’t have too. It’s pretty clear that he is.  Just as it’s pretty clear that Gansey is straight.
  • I wonder if there is more to the break in to Calla’s office at Aglionby.
  • Kate pointed this out but I do love how Maggie writes her female characters.  They stand up for themselves.  They never play the damsel in distress.  When Adam loses his cool when arguing with Adam, Blue doesn’t apologize for making him angry or stands and takes it.  She just tell Adam that she would be outside and he can join her if he calms down.  Take note ladies.

I think I had a few more thoughts but now I can’t remember.  Oh well.  Onto Blue Lily Lily Blue.

Observations on The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

ravenSo it turns out that I never did a review of The Raven Boys. I guess that makes sense since it did come out in 2012 and well, Stacks did launch in 2012 but it took us two years to really get things going here.  Check out Kate’s review and now a few observations.

  • Richard Gansey III is smooth with the ladies, amorite? Blue’s and Gansey’s meet-cute may not be all that cute but it was pretty funny and a perfect set up to their relationship.  Gansey is earnest but a little clueless but also shows how much both have changed throughout the series.
  • On that note, Adam is a pretty smooth operator with the ladies.
  • I love the way Ronan is described as he is more a sharp object then a person.
  • Is Barrington Whelk the worst name ever?
  • Neeve is shifty you didn’t have to be a psychic to figure that out.
  • Does anyone else want a floor plan of 300 Fox Way? and Does anyone else want to live there? I do.
  • Speaking of, I want to have drinks with Maura, Calla and Persephone and I’m not sure there is ever too much vodka.
  • You have to love a book that features Welsh history and Latin as major plot points.
  • Adam makes me so sad but I love him.  He hasn’t excepted his situation as how things have to be and is doing something about it.  I think he’s actually the best thing to happen to Gansey and Ronan.
  • Blue is amazing.  She is not afraid to stand up for herself. I also think she is the best thing to happen to Gansey.  She challenges his perception of what it means to be poor.  While Adam lives the life Gansey assumes all poor people live and life with violence and little love.  Blue’s home life doesn’t fit that.  It may be chaotic with all those women live in 300 Fox Way but it’s definitely a house full of love.
  • Poor Noah.  How many times did he tell people he was dead?
  • Neeve will show up eventually.  You think so?
  • Adam what have you done? Next time you sacrifice yourself, know what you getting yourself into.
  • How adorable is Ronan with Chainsaw?
  • Speaking of Ronan, if you could bring anything from your dreams what would it be?

Ok, now onto The Dream Thieves.  It’s my favorite one so far.  Also, 20 more days until The Raven King!