Opal (a Raven Cycle Story) Kindle Edition

“She loved him the best when he was very sad or very serious or very happy. ”You all, I can’t even begin to put into words how good it felt to be back in this world. And Opal is such an amazing protagonist to see the world through. She’s so curious, and so precious. My favorite secret. I loved animal days and I loved dream days. I loved it all.“…and something about when Ronan made him laugh so hard that he couldn’t stop made her love him so hard that she felt sad because one day he would get old and die because that was what things with animalness did.”Opal is a short story under forty pages where we are able to see the events that are happening after The Raven King, but through Opal’s eyes. Opal is the little dream creature that Ronan made, and she is so adorable. I literally was laughing out loud so many times turning this. Opal’s mind is a wonderful place to be, and it truly made the story that much more special.“She had to content herself with stolen glimpses through cracked doors, slender one-inch views of duvet and sheets piled like thunderheads, Adam and sometimes Ronan pillowed among them.”And my soft boy and my hard boy. Both so pure, so worthy of love, so perfect. I cried happy, light tears while reading this entire thing. Then I sobbed when it was over, because I missed this world so much. The only other series that makes me feel this way is Harry Potter, and even though JK Rowling is trying to single handedly ruin my childhood nostalgia, there is no higher praise than to compare The Raven Cycle to Harry Potter. If Harry Potter was my childhood, The Raven Cycle is my 20s.I am not sure how Maggie Stiefvater does it. How she strings these words together and makes the most beautiful prose my eyes have ever seen. Her words impact me and touch my soul. Her words leave me speechless. Her words are nothing short of magic.The sort of rain that makes one happy and sad at the same time. Fireflies. Harvesting all the trash. Clenched fists. Long walks home. Secret barns. Secret phone calls. Secret girls. You all, I can’t even begin to describe how good it felt to be back in this world. The transportation power of these books is unlike any other. Cabeswater is truly the one literary place I want to go more than any other, and I can’t wait to have a new home, too.“There were no rules in dreams so you could try anything.”

This stood up to every expectation I have of Maggie as an author and of the Raven Cycle which I have grown to love so much. It was so satisfying to read more about Adam and Ronan's summer which we didn't get to see at the end of The Raven King. It was also lovely reading from Opal's POV because she talks about things in such a simple, yet complex way that completely translates how she's feeling. I loved reading about how much love she had for the boys, how she explained extreme happiness and sadness and even the type of sibling rivalry she felt for Chainsaw (loved that particularly cute detail so much). I'll admit I cried reading Ronan's reactions to phone calls he received (I won't spoil who it was from). Ronan and Adam continue to pull at my heartstrings. Overall, I think it was perfect because it felt like an appropriate ending to the Raven Cycle that I had been waiting for and a beginning to the Dreamer trilogy that I have been ecstatic over since learning of it being written. I love all of Maggie's series, but I have to say that for me, The Raven Cycle stands above the rest. Opal's story is no exception.

I'm always slightly concerned when reading about a pairing I love. Though Maggie promised they wouldn't break up in the future trilogy, I'm always afraid of lasting bitterness or anger between partners. This only had the good stuff--the type where even the frustrating parts just further prove how intensely the two love one another.I liked Opal's point of view, and it was an interesting take on everything that happens that summer. The theme of this short seems to be feeling happiness and sadness at the same time, which is definitely how I felt reading it. Honestly, this is a more satisfying "ending" to the series for me than the actual series end, which felt kind of rushed. Obviously this is full of more mystery and hints at plot points yet to come, but it's good to get a sense of their direction. I love these three a lot, and I really enjoyed this short story. This is my first time truly loving a popular series, and so far, I definitely haven't been let down.

Maggie Stiefvater does it again! I'll read anything she writes at this point. I mean she made me love this dream thing that i can't even fully understand or explain. I mean, come on, who else could do that?? Not to mention that this is so great as a novella. There are a lot of authors that write novellas that just feel like filler material. As if they are just trying to sell me a half baked plot idea. This novella is so well done. It reads in Stiefvater's signature what-the-heck style that is compulsory and addicting. It also gives a good introduction to things we can look forward to in the Ronan books that are going to come out. In other words, this novella did what ALL novellas SHOULD, but rarely ever do: enhance the original story, feel authentic and written with care, bring about perspective from a character i didn't even realize i wanted to deep dive into, and bridge the story of the raven cycle into that of the next one. READ THIS.

That was absolutely beautiful!!!!!!😭😭😭😭I adore Opal's child-like nature, seeing her interact with Adam and Ronan and explore around the barn. She is a truly funny psychopomp, getting into trouble (like drinking the windshield cleaner at a gas station and eating things she shouldn't be eating😂) and people watching. My favorite is of the cloud lady who sits by the creek reading books with shirtless men cradling another shirtless man or woman on the cover while snacking.Speaking of, I wonder what ever happened to that cloud lady and if that female trespasser will reappear in CDTH.I don't believe I have read a book so feverishly since the Raven Boys. It takes a truly captivating book to have me finish it in 1 sitting. Hopefully now I can catch up on some arc's I'm behind in before starting CDTH tonight😂

I've loved this whole series, so seeing things from Opal's viewpoint was really cool.

Maggie never disappoints!! Can’t wait for the next one!

Maggie Stiefvater can weave words in such amazing ways. This was short, sweet, and pure magic in a way only Maggie's writing can be.

I LOVE EVERYONE IN THIS BAR