If you’re looking for a new fantasy story to get into, Maggie Stiefvater’s The Raven Cycle may be the one for you. With friendship at the forefront, this series has been capturing readers’ hearts since 2012 and I’m sure it’ll get yours, too.
Following the stories of Blue, Gansey, Adam, Ronan, and Noah, The Raven Cycle is mainly set in the fictional town of Henrietta, Virginia. By the author’s gorgeous prose, we’re introduced to a world brimming with magic already familiar to some, and waiting to be explored by others. This may not be the most popular series on BookTok, or one of the fantasy giants like Lord of the Rings, but once you step foot into its universe, I can guarantee that you won’t want to get out.
As you prepare to embark on Gansey’s quest to find a sleeping Welsh king, though, you need to know where to start. By now, you may have already heard that Stiefvater has two series set in this very universe — The Raven Cycle and The Dreamer Trilogy — making for a total of seven novels. More often than not, that generates some confusion among new readers, who don’t know which series to dive into first. Don’t worry, though. As someone who has read them both, I’m here for you.
In what order should I read The Raven Cycle?
The Raven Cycle comprises four books, a novella, and a few short stories. While the short stories take place before the main series, though, they should not be read first as they contain spoilers and nods to events in the books. Besides, it doesn’t make much sense for a reader to dive into the short stories without knowing any of the characters or understanding the series’ setting. (It’d be like starting a new TV show in the middle of season 2.) Thus, the best way to enjoy Maggie Stiefvater’s work is by following the story in order of release, like so:
- The Raven Boys (2012)
- The Dream Thieves (2013)
- Blue Lily, Lily Blue (2014)
- 300 Fox Way Holiday Piece (2014, short story)
- A Minor Raven Boys Holiday Drabble (2015, short story)
- The Raven King (2016)
- A Very Declan Christmas (2018, short story)
- Opal, a Raven Cycle story (2018, novella)
The Dreamer Trilogy
Although The Dreamer Trilogy is not technically considered part of The Raven Cycle, it is a companion series to it, focusing on one of its main characters, Ronan Lynch. You don’t necessarily have to read these books to get closure on The Raven Cycle, but you’ll be missing out on relevant character-building and world-building if you don’t. This trilogy greatly expands on the lore that previous books could only scratch the surface of, thus, it should only be read after The Raven Cycle, in the following order:
- Call Down the Hawk (2019)
- Mister Impossible (2021)
- Greywaren (2022)
With Greywaren, Stiefvater finally closed the door on the world of The Raven Cycle, and the chances of opening it again are few to none. But who knows? The author may change her mind sometime in the future, and if she does, I’ll readily dive back in. For now, though, let’s look forward to the Raven Cycle graphic novel adaptation, which is set to release in 2025.