This Review is spoiler free.
“She loved him the best when he was very sad or very series or very happy.”
Series: The Raven Cycle
Published: 2019, by Audible Audio.
Length: 1hr 17mins. (Narrated by Will Patton)
Format: Audio-Book
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Short Stories, LGBT, Paranormal
Contains: Strong Language, Death
Taking place after the events of the fourth instalment of The Raven Cycle, The Raven King, this enchanting short story tells the story of Opal, Ronan’s dreamt creation.
The moment I spotted this on my Audible account, I just knew I had to listen to it, preferring shorter Audio-books and being a huge Raven Cycle fan. However, I never expected Opal to be such a wonderful character.
Opal is a character liked no other, being honest and innocent with the way she perceives the world. Not understanding much about the world she lives in, listeners had the chance to view the world through her youthful eyes and see Ronan and Adam through her perspective. It’s clear she adores both Ronan and Adam, so much that it was achingly hard to listen to at times. Yet, with the way the pair interact with another, it’s impossible not to empathise and relate.
Ronan and Adam dealt with a lot in this mini instalment to the series, dealing with their traumas and potential future in a way that is understandable and relatable given the circumstances the pair had dealt with throughout The Raven Cycle series. However, their interactions and love for another was what really gave this instalment so much intense emotion; everything made you feel for them.
The story itself is extremely compact, yet the level of characterisation and development given to Opal is huge and leaves you in awe. Stiefvater writes so beautifully, yet again showing her strengths as a writer and presents this wonderful character in an equally magical world.
Overall, I loved this little short story. It’s magical, emotional, and the Will Patton’s narration just makes you fall in love with it more.
5/5
A Little Fool Reads 