The Raven King

In the final book of Stiefvater’s Raven Cycle, Richard Gansey’s quest to find the lost king Glendower is only part of the sprawling, fascinatingly complex plot, weaving together past and future, secrets and prophecies, with a colorful cast of characters (each with his or her own magical power or secretive past). This magical world’s mythology has the air of a dark fairy tale: Gansey previously died but was brought back; Blue is destined to kill her true love with a kiss; Noah is a ghost, struggling to stick around long after he should have faded away; Ronan is a dreamer whose dreamed creations come to life. As in the previous audiobooks of the series, Steifvater’s poetic, literary style of prose is served well by reader Patton, whose gravelly, folksy voice sounds tailor-made for a storyteller: it’s easy to imagine him sitting around a campfire spinning inventive tales. Moreover, he gives every character in the huge cast a voice so distinctive that one might think this was a multicast recording. Patton’s extraordinary, masterly performance is a perfect match for this imaginative and compelling series finale. Ages 14–up. A Scholastic Press hardcover. (Apr.)