Blue Lily, Lily Blue - Maggie Stiefvater (+ Tarot Card Reveal: The Chariot)

[This is the third book of the series, so there may be spoilers for the previous ones. Go check out my reviews of The Raven Boys or The Dream Thieves instead, if you like.]

Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater
Series: The Raven Cycle #3
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication Date: October 21, 2014
Source/Format: NetGalley (Thanks!) || e-galley
[I received this book for review. This is no way affects the opinions expressed in my review.]

There is danger in dreaming. But there is even more danger in waking up.

Blue Sargent has found things. For the first time in her life, she has friends she can trust, a group to which she can belong. The Raven Boys have taken her in as one of their own. Their problems have become hers, and her problems have become theirs.

The trick with found things though, is how easily they can be lost. (from Goodreads)

Every single time I indulge in a Maggie Stiefvater novel, I find myself content to linger among her words. There’s a special sort of satisfaction derived from reading one, savoring the twisty, fascinating combinations of plot and enjoying the time you spend with her colorful, memorable characters. Blue Lily, Lily Blue, the third novel of The Raven Cycle, is easily another feather in Stiefvater’s writer hat. Written with her signature wordiness and humor, Blue Lily, Lily Blue takes readers one step closer to the final act of the tale of Blue Sargent and her Raven Boys. 

Every novel in The Raven Cycle takes readers one step closer to the end of it all. Will Blue’s vision of Gansey’s death come to pass? Will Adam ever learn everything about his connection to Cabeswater? What will become of Ronan’s ability as a Greywaren? Will Noah be stuck forever? Will they find Glendower? These questions, and many more, twist around and around in Blue Lily, Lily Blue. If there’s one thing Stiefvater is skilled at, it’s leading her readers on a merry chase as she drops bits and pieces that fit together at the end with a surprising cohesiveness. 

What more can I say about Blue Lily, Lily Blue that I haven’t said previously about this series? The characters are alive, garish and flawed and passionate and real, and each one of the main gang needs a much needed hug or word of encouragement. Their relationships are developed perfectly, from friendship, to something a little more than friendship (note: I may or may not have swooned over the tiniest of gestures), to familial bonds. And Stiefvater moves each player around on her perfectly set stage, bringing to life this tale with every movement of choice. 

It’s so easy to slip back to Henrietta, so easy to get caught up with Blue and the Raven Boys, so easy to fall back in love with The Raven Cycle. Stiefvater has, again, managed to craft a complex, fascinating read that fits perfectly in with its predecessors. Blue Lily, Lily Blue is a solidly written third installment for the cycle, one that fills in the blanks but also leaves room for the gigantic sweeping climax that readers know is on the way – and I can’t wait to see what Stiefvater pulls out of her hat for that!

I'm really excited to be a part of the The Raven Cycle Tarot Tour! 

ABOUT THE TOUR

The tarot is a divination system that uses a deck of cards to gain insight. Most decks are comprised of 78 cards divided into the Major Arcana and Minor Arcana, with each card being symbolic of an energy or spiritual truth. The Major Arcana are known as the "trump cards" because they impart messages of greater weight and significance than the Minor Arcana.

The Raven Cycle Tarot Tour features the Major Arcana, with each stop on the tour revealing one of the 22 cards designed by Maggie Stiefvater, and will use that card to reveal the past, present and future of The Raven Cycle series. Here's a calendar featuring all the stops on the tour, and you can visit the This is Teen Pinterest page daily for each post!

Find out more here:

The Raven Cycle Official Site

Maggie Stiefvater's Official Site

Maggie's Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Instagram

My card is:

represents victory and emotional control

PAST

- Ronan was formerly tormented by his ability to pull things out of dreams. It is through sheer willpower that Ronan finds some semblance of control over his abilities as Greywaren. He now has a connection to Cabeswater, an affinity that makes him ever more aware of what he is capable of.

- (for upright Chariot) Gansey has succeeded in getting closer and closer to his goal of finding Glendower, with the help of his friends. He has managed to surround himself with people that have various strengths, all drawn to him because of his confidence and control. While he occasionally doubts the task he is undertaking, he feels driven to keep going.

- (for downright Chariot) Blue starts out feeling tossed around in the sea of fate, particularly when it comes to her lack of any other ability than amplifying other people's psychic powers and the fact that she will kill her true love with a kiss. It appears that her life is not her own, which is always stifling.

PRESENT

- Adam is highly volatile, mostly because of his home situation and his own pride. Over the course of the story, he has slowly learned to control his emotions and come to terms with his aggressive impulses. While he's still prone to being prickly and proud (old habits die hard, of course), his transformation by the time of the third book is pretty solid.

- (for upright Chariot) Blue has managed to find that she does have the ability to control her abilities through sheer will. She can amplify energy and power, but she can also control the scope with which she chooses to amplify it. This control over what she can do proves to be very useful.

- (for downright Chariot) Noah's very existence is pretty much out of his hands. He requires a certain amount of energy, and doesn't always receive it. Plus, strange emotions take over him at times, causing him to lose his self-control.

FUTURE

Because the gang is fast gaining control over their abilities and emotions, whichever might require the most from them, they are managing to hone themselves to the point where they are like the finest of weapons. Smart, sharp and stubborn enough to continue in search of a sleeping king, they are going to emerge victorious in the end. The only question that remains is: is there someone else that might just lose control of themselves?

And now, it's time for a giveaway!

One winner is going to receive The Raven Boys, The Dream Thieves, and Blue Lily, Lily Blue, as well as a limited edition Maggie Stiefvater Major Arcana tarot deck!

(Prizes courtesy of Scholastic, open to US addresses only)

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