thanks so much for reading these with me and discussing them live!! AND I got to watch your in-the-moment thoughts in this vlog- what a delight this whole experience was!
I read this series a few years ago and planning on a reread, I will likely still forgot everything when the reread comes around 😅 especially cause this series is really just VIBES
THE FOUR BOOKS THAT SINGLE HANDEDLY CARRIED AND WERE THE ABSOLUTE BACKBONE OF MY LIFE AND CHANNEL 🙂↕️ SO GLAD YOU FINALLY READ THIS SERIES. Adam is my favorite, Coca-Cola boy 🤎 blue lily lily blue and the raven king are the best imo. Read entire series three times now and discover something new each time!! The STAMPS of approval hmhm!!!!!
not sure if anyone's said this already but maggie wrote "the raven king" while she was literally dying and a lot of her illness affected her brain so i agree that it's definitely the weakest book but i do personally give it some slack because of the situations behind the production of the book. i remember her saying on tumblr years ago that it wasn't the book she wanted it to be, and i wish the publisher had put the project on hold until she could write it the way she wanted to with the health she needed to do that, but i also think she was trying to finish the series before she died. i've heard there's been quite a bit of editing done in later prints and i'm kind of interested to know if it changes anything about the book. she's since finally got a diagnosis and treatment and is doing better, but the interesting thing to me is that, without spoiling anything in the spinoff series, there's an element in those books that to me very much stands in for her journey with being chronically ill, and it spoke to me a lot
I actually miss the days when Booktube was carried by this really well written ya fantasy. Laini Taylor, Bardugo, Schwab, this author. You've satisfied the nostalgia I had for that era
The brilliant thing about watching this video is seeing you talk about who you ship and what you think of the characters and plot knowing everythinggg that is going to happen teehee
Adam is my favourite character BY FAR with Ronan second and Declan third 😂 buuut it wasn’t until the second book that I loved him, he’s definitely one you come to like over time as he sorts out his priorities and matures 🥰
I loooove this series! I agree the last book was slower and not as detailed as I wanted it to be, but I still think the characters/relationships and the writing were very solid, so I still give it a high rating. It’s also why I emphasize it’s not an action heavy story-the characters and relationships are the centerpieces-when I recommend it to friends. I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on Ronan’s spinoff trilogy.
Yay, so happy to see this vlog! I haven't read The Raven Cycle in ages, but I do remember loving it. I love Ronan! He's so sweet, and I just want the best for him. Maggie Stiefvater's Dreamer Trilogy is all about Ronan, so I hope someday in the future we get to hear your thoughts on that as well! :)
I actually JUST binged this series for the same reason! A friend of mine has loved it for years and I wanted to finally read it. I absolutely agree on Kavinski. I was listening to the audiobook and every time he talked I was like, “why am I listening to Danny Zuko?” 😂
i'm currently in the middle of your raven boys review and i'm so happy you find the characters interesting!!! (i've loved this series for at least 15 years, so i was a bit apprehensive ngl 😂) can't wait to watch the rest of the video!
I’m so excited about this vlog. I’ve been on the fence about reading this series, but I just ordered the first book! Thanks Gavin for doing the Lords work. 😂
You made me want to re-read the series right now and I finished that just few months ago. So many great quotes and the banter had me chuckle so many times. Esp 'cause I'm short af and I loved seeing Blue owning to it :D
The guy who narrates that series is an actor. I think he was in Armageddon if I remember correctly.I have a hard time not picturing him when I hear the audiobooks.
Loved watching you read the series for the first time 🤩💖 I wish I could read it for the first time again. You are not wrong about Adam and your thoughts on the last book. Most lovers of the series were disappointed by book four cause it did feel rushed. Adam annoyed the shit out of me for like 3 books lol 😂 and then I came to like him once he started showing his loving and caring side with Ronan. Ronan is my favourite character too and you get more of him and Adam’s relationship in the novella Opal as well as Ronan series Call Down the Hawk.
I felt the same about how rushed and unfulfilling the ending of the last book was, it felt like a rushed final episode of a season finale and I couldn't even keep up with some of it honestly. I hope you read the sequel series The Dreamer Trilogy about Ronan! Currently working through reading it myself and loving spending more time with him and his brothers and finding out more of that lore.
@ it’s booksandlala love her videos. She’s fantastic! And this is one of her all time favourite series. I haven’t read it yet but want to and recently she did a re read with her channel 🤣
i only read the first book until this point and honestly i am with adam. i get that gansey comes from a good intention but he doesnt seem to be empathatic enough to adams struggle and that makes him seem patronizing in a way. Adam is confronted with rich boys getting everything they want and because he can‘t have that, he refuses to ever become like that and wants to be appreciated only for what he alone achieves. I feel like this is something people from a background of a workers family can relate to going into an academic career alongside children of academics. additionally i think its important to remember that he is still a child and to expect from him to just leave his family and his home is a lot. especially when he has been abused all his life and is afraid for his mothers life when he leaves. so i totally understand adam falling into his ego in the end. i also think not saving whelk was not a conscious decision but an allegory to him being indecisive the whole book, just like in his prophecy and feeling like a powerless bystander being abused his whole childhood
I watched the reading sprints when you voiced your opinions and gosh I'm so happy 😂😂 I'm not a fan of Adam and its so refreshing to hear your opinions about him. Like at some point i just dont have sympathy for him, and the way he treats Blue and his friends its just a no for me !! Book 2 was my fave, and I liked BL,LB for the twilight zone vibes. But yes book 4 was soooo underwhelming. Henry Cheng and the birds yelling "make way for the raven king" weere the best parts 😂❤
Have you read The Tarot Sequence series? 1) The Last Sun 2) The Hanged Man and 3) The Hourglass Throne They are some great books with lot's of queer characters!
How you felt about the last book is how I felt with the first one. I personally do not get the hype about this series- I picked up and DNF'd the first book twice before finally getting through it on the third try....then I was so underwhelmed and BORED by how little actually happens plot-wise, I had zero desire to continue. I am someone who likes plot-driven stories, and this series seems to be more character-driven, so I guess that's why I was so frustrated- the premise itself had SO much potential to be interesting and then it just...wasn't. It seemed like the author got so hung up on the interpersonal relationships between the group, she literally lost the plot. which is fine if that's your thing, it just isnt mine 💁♀ I don't DNF books often, so I have always been curious if I was missing anything by not continuing, so thanks for the recap, Gav. I feel validated in my personal preference to stop after the first one lol
I’ve never seen someone ship gansey and blue so much!! But yeah pynch is my OTP. But yeah the raven king is the weakest book in the series, especially at the end :( what makes this series stellar to me despite that is the characterisation and the found family and friendship and relationships. It’s the series as a whole that makes it I agree with
I love your videos. Quick question. I have a full-time job and a husband. The kids are grown and gone. I struggle with finding time to read. How do you find the time to read all the books?
It's been quite awhile since I read these. I remember really liking the first one, then it kind of felt like the story was trying to do so much and it was hard for me to keep up with, especially since I didn't understand certain things in the first place. I did really like where they took Adam and Ronan at the end. I haven't read the spinoff so I don't know how that ends up.
I read the first two books this year (because of Kayla of course) but decided not to continue with the series because I didn’t think the plot was very good. Definitely prefer the first one which I gave 4 stars, mostly for the vibes and characters
Character Ranking: Ronan (one of the best book characters) Gansey (a grower) Blue (one of the most memorable book characters) Noah (he's just adorable) Adam (too annoying throughout most of the series)
One of my favorite series🥹 I’ve read it about 4 times LOL do you have any plans to read the next series? 👀 the raven king is also my least favorite of the series, I agree with a lot of what you had to say.
what a great day to be alive
4:50 not GONE-sey 😭
34:00 I LOVE this scene so getting to hear you read it back is so funnnnn
42:42 👏👏👏
thanks so much for reading these with me and discussing them live!! AND I got to watch your in-the-moment thoughts in this vlog- what a delight this whole experience was!
the good part about having a terrible memory is i can watch this AND still read the books later 😌
Haha the amount of times I’ve watched a book club live show for a book I haven’t read and I can still read the book and not remember the spoilers 😂
I was just thinking that!!! Like, yeah, if I do get the want to read them, I'll just give it a few months and it will all be gone from my brain
I read this series a few years ago and planning on a reread, I will likely still forgot everything when the reread comes around 😅 especially cause this series is really just VIBES
Dang! This hit home lmao 🤣. Haha. Ditto! 😅
@@GavinReadsItAllliterally same 😂😭😭
“Maybe the Raven King is the friends we meet along the way” 😂😂
THE FOUR BOOKS THAT SINGLE HANDEDLY CARRIED AND WERE THE ABSOLUTE BACKBONE OF MY LIFE AND CHANNEL 🙂↕️ SO GLAD YOU FINALLY READ THIS SERIES.
Adam is my favorite, Coca-Cola boy 🤎
blue lily lily blue and the raven king are the best imo. Read entire series three times now and discover something new each time!!
The STAMPS of approval hmhm!!!!!
I watched the live shows you did back in 2019 for this series every time I finished a book and it was so fun, thank you for doing those lives
not sure if anyone's said this already but maggie wrote "the raven king" while she was literally dying and a lot of her illness affected her brain so i agree that it's definitely the weakest book but i do personally give it some slack because of the situations behind the production of the book. i remember her saying on tumblr years ago that it wasn't the book she wanted it to be, and i wish the publisher had put the project on hold until she could write it the way she wanted to with the health she needed to do that, but i also think she was trying to finish the series before she died. i've heard there's been quite a bit of editing done in later prints and i'm kind of interested to know if it changes anything about the book. she's since finally got a diagnosis and treatment and is doing better, but the interesting thing to me is that, without spoiling anything in the spinoff series, there's an element in those books that to me very much stands in for her journey with being chronically ill, and it spoke to me a lot
Omg I’m dying over the *booksandlala* channel title at the beginning, so accurate and amazing 😂✍️
I didn't even notice that!! That's amazing.
Gavin: is Noah dead? Is he actually a ghost or something?
Me: 👀
I actually miss the days when Booktube was carried by this really well written ya fantasy. Laini Taylor, Bardugo, Schwab, this author. You've satisfied the nostalgia I had for that era
I AM SO EXCITED TO WATCH THIS BECAUSE I LIVE AND BREATHE THE RAVEN CYCLE
Aahhhh I hope you love this Olivia 🥰
You’ve just convinced me to reread this series! One of my favourites!!!
Yay I’m so glad
Yesssss ... another new Ronan stan. Taking over the world one leather jacket and beat up deadbeat father at a time. 👌
"Wake up and smell the Raven Boys" 😂😂😂😂
I've been staring at the **bees** on the coaster (or whatever it is on the shelf there) for the last five minutes like ... *eye twitch*
"grabbed me by the Raven Boys" 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
I would kill to see you read Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo now.
The brilliant thing about watching this video is seeing you talk about who you ship and what you think of the characters and plot knowing everythinggg that is going to happen teehee
This is exactly what I need this week.
Adam is my favourite character BY FAR with Ronan second and Declan third 😂 buuut it wasn’t until the second book that I loved him, he’s definitely one you come to like over time as he sorts out his priorities and matures 🥰
Gavin goes and makes Gansey even more posh with calling him Gohn-sey 😂
39:59 Ronan brings him out alright 😉
I’ve been waiting for this one. It’s been a few years but I really enjoyed this series.
Ah yes my comfort series ❤️ been excited for this vid
Hope I do the series justice
@@GavinReadsItAll You absolutely did!
It’s been awhile since I’ve read these. Love hearing about them again.
SO EXCITED FOR THIS VIDEO OMG MY ABSOLUTE FAVE SERIES!!!! had it for 10 years nearly and i reread it all the time
I loooove this series! I agree the last book was slower and not as detailed as I wanted it to be, but I still think the characters/relationships and the writing were very solid, so I still give it a high rating. It’s also why I emphasize it’s not an action heavy story-the characters and relationships are the centerpieces-when I recommend it to friends. I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on Ronan’s spinoff trilogy.
Yay, so happy to see this vlog! I haven't read The Raven Cycle in ages, but I do remember loving it. I love Ronan! He's so sweet, and I just want the best for him. Maggie Stiefvater's Dreamer Trilogy is all about Ronan, so I hope someday in the future we get to hear your thoughts on that as well! :)
I actually JUST binged this series for the same reason! A friend of mine has loved it for years and I wanted to finally read it. I absolutely agree on Kavinski. I was listening to the audiobook and every time he talked I was like, “why am I listening to Danny Zuko?” 😂
😂😂 so glad you also read this series for the same reason
i'm currently in the middle of your raven boys review and i'm so happy you find the characters interesting!!! (i've loved this series for at least 15 years, so i was a bit apprehensive ngl 😂) can't wait to watch the rest of the video!
I'VE BEEN WAITIG FOR THIS ONE, TURN IT UP!
not the BooksAndGav intro I laughed so hard
I’m so excited I love this series and this is going to be the first fully spoiler video of yours I can watch 😍
Yes this is a fabulous time for this to be up.❤ miss you hope your are having an amazing time
This is perfect timing. Thanks Gavin!
Hahaha I did not expect a Scary Movie 2 reference. Thanks for the laugh! 😂
I’m so excited about this vlog. I’ve been on the fence about reading this series, but I just ordered the first book! Thanks Gavin for doing the Lords work. 😂
You made me want to re-read the series right now and I finished that just few months ago. So many great quotes and the banter had me chuckle so many times. Esp 'cause I'm short af and I loved seeing Blue owning to it :D
The banter is 100% one of the best things about this series
This is now the second video I’ve seen of you referencing Scary Movie 2 and I fucking LOVE IT
The guy who narrates that series is an actor. I think he was in Armageddon if I remember correctly.I have a hard time not picturing him when I hear the audiobooks.
Look at you & Becca, on the same upload schedule AND on holidays together 🥰
Loved watching you read the series for the first time 🤩💖 I wish I could read it for the first time again. You are not wrong about Adam and your thoughts on the last book. Most lovers of the series were disappointed by book four cause it did feel rushed. Adam annoyed the shit out of me for like 3 books lol 😂 and then I came to like him once he started showing his loving and caring side with Ronan. Ronan is my favourite character too and you get more of him and Adam’s relationship in the novella Opal as well as Ronan series Call Down the Hawk.
I'm literally about to start the second book haha. I'll come back to this once I've finished the series.
Yesss I hope you enjoy the second book
This is my favourite series ❤ you will love this
Ahhh you’ve got taste
FYI there's also a tarot deck based on these in case you're into that called The Raven's Prophecy Tarot
I felt the same about how rushed and unfulfilling the ending of the last book was, it felt like a rushed final episode of a season finale and I couldn't even keep up with some of it honestly. I hope you read the sequel series The Dreamer Trilogy about Ronan! Currently working through reading it myself and loving spending more time with him and his brothers and finding out more of that lore.
Yay new Gavin!
Kayla is vibing af right now
Hahaha I’m already laughing at the title!! 😂😂
@@ffiontill5924 I listened to the whole video and I still don't know who redacted is tbh xd
@ it’s booksandlala love her videos. She’s fantastic! And this is one of her all time favourite series. I haven’t read it yet but want to and recently she did a re read with her channel 🤣
i only read the first book until this point and honestly i am with adam. i get that gansey comes from a good intention but he doesnt seem to be empathatic enough to adams struggle and that makes him seem patronizing in a way.
Adam is confronted with rich boys getting everything they want and because he can‘t have that, he refuses to ever become like that and wants to be appreciated only for what he alone achieves. I feel like this is something people from a background of a workers family can relate to going into an academic career alongside children of academics. additionally i think its important to remember that he is still a child and to expect from him to just leave his family and his home is a lot. especially when he has been abused all his life and is afraid for his mothers life when he leaves. so i totally understand adam falling into his ego in the end. i also think not saving whelk was not a conscious decision but an allegory to him being indecisive the whole book, just like in his prophecy and feeling like a powerless bystander being abused his whole childhood
I watched the reading sprints when you voiced your opinions and gosh I'm so happy 😂😂 I'm not a fan of Adam and its so refreshing to hear your opinions about him. Like at some point i just dont have sympathy for him, and the way he treats Blue and his friends its just a no for me !!
Book 2 was my fave, and I liked BL,LB for the twilight zone vibes. But yes book 4 was soooo underwhelming. Henry Cheng and the birds yelling "make way for the raven king" weere the best parts 😂❤
Have you read The Tarot Sequence series?
1) The Last Sun
2) The Hanged Man and
3) The Hourglass Throne
They are some great books with lot's of queer characters!
I really need to re-read this series!
You do!!!
I’m really sad I didn’t enjoy the first book :/ but glad you had a good time! 🥰
Love the series.❤
I felt as dead as Noah when you ranked him last 💀 😅
A bit late but yayyyyy 🎉 gosh i Love this series! ❤
How you felt about the last book is how I felt with the first one. I personally do not get the hype about this series- I picked up and DNF'd the first book twice before finally getting through it on the third try....then I was so underwhelmed and BORED by how little actually happens plot-wise, I had zero desire to continue. I am someone who likes plot-driven stories, and this series seems to be more character-driven, so I guess that's why I was so frustrated- the premise itself had SO much potential to be interesting and then it just...wasn't. It seemed like the author got so hung up on the interpersonal relationships between the group, she literally lost the plot. which is fine if that's your thing, it just isnt mine 💁♀
I don't DNF books often, so I have always been curious if I was missing anything by not continuing, so thanks for the recap, Gav. I feel validated in my personal preference to stop after the first one lol
Omg the copycat intro 😝 I’m excited, I still have yet to read this series
I couldn’t resist 😂
I’m screaming in excitement 🤭🤭🤭🙂↕️🥰🙌🏼✨
Can you tier rank the villains tho 🤭😉
Would you recommend skipping the last book? Also, what have you got against a good cuppa 😂
Her last name means „stepfather“ in German :)
Ah thank you!
I’ve never seen someone ship gansey and blue so much!! But yeah pynch is my OTP.
But yeah the raven king is the weakest book in the series, especially at the end :( what makes this series stellar to me despite that is the characterisation and the found family and friendship and relationships. It’s the series as a whole that makes it I agree with
This is my favorite series!! Ronan is my favorite fictional character ever. I shaved my head bc of him 😂😂😂
Oh that is iconic!!
Oh no I’m so early!!!
I read The Raven King when it originally came out and it was such a disappointment it literally made me not care about the entire series.
I love your videos. Quick question. I have a full-time job and a husband. The kids are grown and gone. I struggle with finding time to read. How do you find the time to read all the books?
I’ve never been interested in reading this so bring on the spoilers
It's been quite awhile since I read these. I remember really liking the first one, then it kind of felt like the story was trying to do so much and it was hard for me to keep up with, especially since I didn't understand certain things in the first place. I did really like where they took Adam and Ronan at the end. I haven't read the spinoff so I don't know how that ends up.
I agree with you, the series went kinda downhill starting in blue lily lily blue and I was disappointed by the raven kind...
Oh, I'm here for the spoilers. Not planning to read this, but feel like i still want to know what these books are on about 😅
I read the first two books this year (because of Kayla of course) but decided not to continue with the series because I didn’t think the plot was very good. Definitely prefer the first one which I gave 4 stars, mostly for the vibes and characters
Character Ranking:
Ronan (one of the best book characters)
Gansey (a grower)
Blue (one of the most memorable book characters)
Noah (he's just adorable)
Adam (too annoying throughout most of the series)
One of my favorite series🥹 I’ve read it about 4 times LOL do you have any plans to read the next series? 👀
the raven king is also my least favorite of the series, I agree with a lot of what you had to say.
I would LOVE to read the next series, may try and pick them up soon