The Raven King, by Maggie Stiefvater

Pages 379 to 410 of this 438 page book were missing, which detracted significantly from enjoyment of the conclusion. Instead pages 347 to 378 were repeated, upside down; quality publishing there from Scholastic. Book four of the Raven Cycle sees a conclusion in the quest to find Glendower and a resolution of the complicated relationships between Blue Sargent and the Aglionby boys – Gansey, Ronan and Adam. Stiefvater combines dark and twisty fantasy with believable and appealing main characters. You care about their dilemmas and thwarted desires, more so than the rather convoluted plot lines, which get extremely complicated at times; you could definitely not get your head around this book without reading the first three. Unfortunately, with 30 pages missing towards the end it is impossible to judge how well the threads are joined together in a satisfying finale.