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.
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.