“Blue Sargent had forgotten how many times she’d been told that she would kill her true love.”
(Stiefvater 1).
The Raven Boys is the first book of The Raven Cycles, a series centered around a mystical “ley line” that
supposedly leads to a sleeping Welsh king who grants a wish to whomever discovers his body. In this
novel, Blue Sargent, the daughter of psychics, has been told since she was little that when she kisses her
true love, he will die. This never seems to bother her until now, when she starts to become unlikely
friends with three boys at the “local” prep high school, Aglionby Academy, outside her small town of
Henrietta, Virginia. The leader of the trio, Richard Gansey III, is obsessed with all things magic, though
he’s had very few confirmations that it actually exists. With help from Blue, his search seems to further
itself, though not without its consequences, all which overlap with plot lines in the other three novels.
I have a deep love for this series, and unlike many other books I’ve read in the past, this introduction to
the magical world Stiefvater created was in no way a disappointment. The Raven Cycle details themes
centered around found family, love, and discovering oneself despite external setbacks. This close-knit
friend group reminds readers that, no matter how cliche, friendship can truly help people overcome
anything. I would recommend it to those who enjoy fantastical books with a deeper, underlying message,
especially those in their teen years, as it contains a predominantly young cast of characters. Overall, this
would deserve 5 stars, as I felt like I was able to connect with the novel and I loved the build-up of the
plot, even despite a slow beginning.