The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Genre: YA Fantasy
Series: Raven Cycle #1
Publication Date: 19th September 2012
Pages: 454
Book Source: ARC courtesy Scholastic Australia

Synopsis: “There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

My Thoughts:

Maggie Stiefvater brings readers another imaginative tale with trademark style and atmospheric brilliance. Ghosts, secrets, magic, prophecies all wrapped up in a blanket of eeriness.  

The air moved slowly around his body, somehow tangible, gold-flaked, every dust mote a lantern. 

You would think with gorgeous, atmospheric writing and a cast of appealing characters I'd be gushing about The Raven Boys but it wasn't insta-love for me, not like the Wolves Of Mercy Falls series. I thought The Raven Boys was a lot more complex which is a good thing, but for me the experience was more like-a-lot than love ... a slow growing appeal.

I loved the cast of characters; Blue and her eccentric psychic family and the Raven Boys of Aglionby Academy; Gansey, Adam, Ronan and Noah. They're all very 3 dimensional, quirky enough to be interesting but 'real' enough to be relatable. I liked the boys' strange bond, their sarcastic jesting that protects deep friendship, I like that there is still so much more to be revealed, especially about Ronan. I like how Blue 'fits' in their tight knit group, after she ditches her rules of course ;)

Aglionby Academy was the number one reason Blue had developed her two rules: One, stay away from boys because they were trouble. And two, stay away from Aglionby boys, because they were bastards.

Whilst romance seems predominant in the synopsis it's more an underlying current than the focus; maybe setting things up for the next installment. I wasn't disappointed, I actually appreciated being able to concentrate on the complexity of the mystery. The search for elusive ley lines and the legendary sleeping Welsh King Glendower was more than enough to capture my interest and keep me turning the pages. 

All in all an intriguing start to a new four book series

Visit Maggie Stiefvater's website to find out more or check out The Raven Boys website.