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The Listeners
A beguiling, powerful and heartbreaking novel from an exceptional voice in fiction,
The Listeners
is the story of ordinary people thrown together in extraordinary circumstances, and the things we do to survive.
'Cinematic and so very satisfying... a phenomenally immersive read' Claire Lombardo
'An ambitious work that brings its setting and its large ensemble of characters vividly to life' Sunday Times
'Funny and imaginative with real emotional heft... if this novel is not feted as one of the best novels of 2025, I'll eat my hat' Irish Independent
She still recalled the first time she saw the Avallon. It called to her; she listened...
The Avallon Hotel offers unrivalled luxury in the wild Appalachian Mountains, its curative sweetwater washing away the troubles of high society. June 'Hoss' Hudson, a local girl turned general manager, has known its power since she first stepped through the century-old doors - and into the fold of the Gilfoyle family, the hotel's aristocratic owners.
But in 1942, the real world intrudes. War comes to the Avallon dressed in fine furs and government suits. Under the State Department's watchful eye, the Gilfoyle heir welcomes three hundred enemy diplomats and Nazi sympathisers. And June must play host.
As dark alliances and unexpected desires crack the Avallon's polished veneer, not every guest is who they seem. Not least Agent Tucker Minnick, listening for secrets through the hotel walls, whose coal tattoo threatens to betray his past and undo June. And more troubling is the secret she has guarded for years - that the mountain waters can harm as much as heal...
The extraordinary, genre-defying debut adult novel by the No. 1 New York Times bestselling author.
'A marvel of storytelling' Chris Whitaker
'Around every corner of this richly imagined world, we discover some new wonder' New York Times
'A strange, witty, moving, exuberant... at once gloriously extravagant and perfectly poised' Robert Macfarlane
'Cinematic and so very satisfying... a phenomenally immersive read' Claire Lombardo
'An ambitious work that brings its setting and its large ensemble of characters vividly to life' Sunday Times
'Funny and imaginative with real emotional heft... if this novel is not feted as one of the best novels of 2025, I'll eat my hat' Irish Independent
She still recalled the first time she saw the Avallon. It called to her; she listened...
The Avallon Hotel offers unrivalled luxury in the wild Appalachian Mountains, its curative sweetwater washing away the troubles of high society. June 'Hoss' Hudson, a local girl turned general manager, has known its power since she first stepped through the century-old doors - and into the fold of the Gilfoyle family, the hotel's aristocratic owners.
But in 1942, the real world intrudes. War comes to the Avallon dressed in fine furs and government suits. Under the State Department's watchful eye, the Gilfoyle heir welcomes three hundred enemy diplomats and Nazi sympathisers. And June must play host.
As dark alliances and unexpected desires crack the Avallon's polished veneer, not every guest is who they seem. Not least Agent Tucker Minnick, listening for secrets through the hotel walls, whose coal tattoo threatens to betray his past and undo June. And more troubling is the secret she has guarded for years - that the mountain waters can harm as much as heal...
The extraordinary, genre-defying debut adult novel by the No. 1 New York Times bestselling author.
'A marvel of storytelling' Chris Whitaker
'Around every corner of this richly imagined world, we discover some new wonder' New York Times
'A strange, witty, moving, exuberant... at once gloriously extravagant and perfectly poised' Robert Macfarlane
Audible Audio
First published June 3, 2025
1787 people are currently reading
96501 people want to read
About the author
Maggie Stiefvater
62 books172k followersNew York Times bestselling author of The Shiver Trilogy, The Raven Cycle, and The Scorpio Races. Artist. Driver of things with wheels. Avid reader.
Maggie Stiefvater plays several musical instruments (most infamously, the bagpipes) and makes art in several media (most generally, colored pencils).
She lives in Virginia with her husband, their two children, many dogs, a bunch of fainting goats, and an irascible tuner car.
Maggie Stiefvater plays several musical instruments (most infamously, the bagpipes) and makes art in several media (most generally, colored pencils).
She lives in Virginia with her husband, their two children, many dogs, a bunch of fainting goats, and an irascible tuner car.
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September 11, 2024It's been a hot second since my last novel. After I finally concluded the world of the Raven Cycle, I knew I wanted to approach my next project like one might approach a bear: intentionally. With a plan. With a desire to use all the skills I've acquired over fifteen years to curate the bear's emotional experience.
(this is how you approach bears, right?)
I wanted to write controlled, intense, strange, sensual, truthful novel set firmly in a genre I'm increasingly thinking of as Wonder (what is the opposite of Horror? or at least, what do you call it when the speculative aspects are more likely to provoke awe than terror?). I wanted it to be magical, but I wanted the story and characters so firmly stitched into the fabric of human history that it all felt truer than true. Am I describing magic? Probably not. I wanted to write myth. I wanted to write something ambitious enough to make me work harder than I ever had before. My readers have grown into curious, sophisticated folks, and I wanted my writing to grow with them.
THE LISTENERS is that novel, my adult debut, published by Viking in the US and Headline in the UK. It's a very Stiefvater novel. There's odd prose, slippery magic, class conflict, an ensemble cast, about four different kinds of love, and the mountains in whose shadow I was born.
It's the most authentic thing I've ever written. I did my best. I adore it. I hope you guys will, too.
(this is how you approach bears, right?)
I wanted to write controlled, intense, strange, sensual, truthful novel set firmly in a genre I'm increasingly thinking of as Wonder (what is the opposite of Horror? or at least, what do you call it when the speculative aspects are more likely to provoke awe than terror?). I wanted it to be magical, but I wanted the story and characters so firmly stitched into the fabric of human history that it all felt truer than true. Am I describing magic? Probably not. I wanted to write myth. I wanted to write something ambitious enough to make me work harder than I ever had before. My readers have grown into curious, sophisticated folks, and I wanted my writing to grow with them.
THE LISTENERS is that novel, my adult debut, published by Viking in the US and Headline in the UK. It's a very Stiefvater novel. There's odd prose, slippery magic, class conflict, an ensemble cast, about four different kinds of love, and the mountains in whose shadow I was born.
It's the most authentic thing I've ever written. I did my best. I adore it. I hope you guys will, too.
May 8, 2025
Set over the first few months of 1942 in a remote West Virginian hotel, Maggie Stiefvater's adult debut is as atmospheric and mystical as you'd expect from her. I've read and loved Stiefvater's books in the past, especially her teen series The Raven Cycle, so I was excited to get an early copy from the publisher to read & review.
And for the most part I did enjoy this book and what it set out to do, I only wish it had done things with a bit more intentionality and urgency because this book is honestly quite slow. Not slow in a way that felt like it was purposefully taking its time to develop the characters and set up an intricate plot, but slow in that it languished over setting and description. The historical references and details, while they definitely set the scene, felt like they detracted from more important elements in a historical semi-fantasy: plot and characters.
Our main character is June Hudson, a woman in her mid-30s managing the luxe Avalon Hotel and its assortment of crew members keeping the place running. She's met with a challenge when she's informed the hotel will soon become a holding cell for allies of the Axis Powers in the early days of the US's involvement in WWII while trade negotiations for American hostages abroad are being conducted. FBI Agent Tucker Minnick and State Department member Agent Pennybacker round out the main POVs, along with a silent German girl named Hannelore. While they all get their own narrative threads, we mainly follow June as she navigates these treacherous, unstable waters and tries to make everyone happy.
There's a lot of good examination in this book around complicity, of how willing you are to speak up or not in the face of wrongdoing. How determining what even IS right and wrong in the times of chaos and confusion is difficult, but that the heart knows what to do and whether it inconveniences us, we should listen to it. LISTEN. It's a major theme, the title, and a special skill only some of these characters truly master.
But at the end of the day, I found the pacing of this story and the way information was rolled out, especially to explain character motivations, incredibly slow. By the 50% mark of this novel, I realized this isn't a book of WHAT but of WHY. The plot is 'a bunch of unsavory people are forced into a hotel and the staff contends with serving the enemy and making sure things remain smooth.' But the internal struggles they face feel underexplored. We are told they don't want to serve the German ally whose army killed their son or separated them from their husband due to the draft, but we don't really feel it.
Then the plot picks up in the last 20% or so and I really enjoyed it, but it came and went too quickly. The stakes never felt super high despite it literally taking place during a war! I wanted more tension, more something to shoot off from everything Stiefvater did to build this world and introduce these characters.
It's not a bad book by any means. I don't regret reading it, especially for the few shining moments that reminded me why I love Stiefvater's work: her attention to detail, her way to invoke the magical in the every day, her creativity and candor. But it lacked a bit of oomph I was expecting from the set-up and sadly fizzled out by the end.
And for the most part I did enjoy this book and what it set out to do, I only wish it had done things with a bit more intentionality and urgency because this book is honestly quite slow. Not slow in a way that felt like it was purposefully taking its time to develop the characters and set up an intricate plot, but slow in that it languished over setting and description. The historical references and details, while they definitely set the scene, felt like they detracted from more important elements in a historical semi-fantasy: plot and characters.
Our main character is June Hudson, a woman in her mid-30s managing the luxe Avalon Hotel and its assortment of crew members keeping the place running. She's met with a challenge when she's informed the hotel will soon become a holding cell for allies of the Axis Powers in the early days of the US's involvement in WWII while trade negotiations for American hostages abroad are being conducted. FBI Agent Tucker Minnick and State Department member Agent Pennybacker round out the main POVs, along with a silent German girl named Hannelore. While they all get their own narrative threads, we mainly follow June as she navigates these treacherous, unstable waters and tries to make everyone happy.
There's a lot of good examination in this book around complicity, of how willing you are to speak up or not in the face of wrongdoing. How determining what even IS right and wrong in the times of chaos and confusion is difficult, but that the heart knows what to do and whether it inconveniences us, we should listen to it. LISTEN. It's a major theme, the title, and a special skill only some of these characters truly master.
But at the end of the day, I found the pacing of this story and the way information was rolled out, especially to explain character motivations, incredibly slow. By the 50% mark of this novel, I realized this isn't a book of WHAT but of WHY. The plot is 'a bunch of unsavory people are forced into a hotel and the staff contends with serving the enemy and making sure things remain smooth.' But the internal struggles they face feel underexplored. We are told they don't want to serve the German ally whose army killed their son or separated them from their husband due to the draft, but we don't really feel it.
Then the plot picks up in the last 20% or so and I really enjoyed it, but it came and went too quickly. The stakes never felt super high despite it literally taking place during a war! I wanted more tension, more something to shoot off from everything Stiefvater did to build this world and introduce these characters.
It's not a bad book by any means. I don't regret reading it, especially for the few shining moments that reminded me why I love Stiefvater's work: her attention to detail, her way to invoke the magical in the every day, her creativity and candor. But it lacked a bit of oomph I was expecting from the set-up and sadly fizzled out by the end.
Want to read
February 25, 2025weird direction but I'm
listening!!!
Want to read
March 14, 2025the most non-stiefvater stiefvater book synopsis ever but i have an unshaken loyalty to this woman so that means i WILL be reading
July 30, 2025
The Listeners is a novel that is nowhere near as interesting as it thinks it is. For all its historical detail and sumptuous descriptions, its story doesn't amount to very much in the end. Here I am, having read all 400 pages of this novel, and yet I feel like I learned more about its hotel than I did about the actual human characters in its story. When I pick up a novel, I want to read about characters who are vibrant, who are dynamic, who leap off the page--what we got here was the exact opposite of that: characters who are flat and just kind of...there. It's no surprise then that none of the character moments felt earned to me--and certainly not the "romantic" ones. (The "romance" is so underbaked and unconvincing that it barely even merits the name.)
Ultimately, The Listeners is a Potemkin village of a novel: it puts up a facade of pretty writing and elegant turns of phrase, but behind that the story is just empty, sorely lacking substance. For all the grandiosity of its hotel and the stakes of its wartime setting, it's a novel that falls flat, nothing about it standing out in any way. A facade with all the bells and whistles of pretty writing is still, at the end of the day, a facade.
Ultimately, The Listeners is a Potemkin village of a novel: it puts up a facade of pretty writing and elegant turns of phrase, but behind that the story is just empty, sorely lacking substance. For all the grandiosity of its hotel and the stakes of its wartime setting, it's a novel that falls flat, nothing about it standing out in any way. A facade with all the bells and whistles of pretty writing is still, at the end of the day, a facade.
dnf
September 10, 2025I apologise to any and all people who loved this but I am throwing in the towel and DNFing at 31%.
I have tried and I am JUST SO BOREDDDDDDD
I don’t know where the plot is going, I don’t know what the romance is and I have no investment in any of the characters. I got to the point where the idea of picking this up was such a mental drag it was becoming a chore and I have no interest in forcing myself through it.
I was curious about Maggie Stiefvater’s adult work because I loved the characters of The Raven Cycle, but this has reminded me that it was the characters that I loved and I found the plot kind of weak and I dont think her best effort has translated here. That being said, the writing craft itself was solid, so while this book wasn’t for me, if could be right for a different audience.
I am ludicrously late for reading this ARC, thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book and share my thoughts and feelings on it.
I have tried and I am JUST SO BOREDDDDDDD
I don’t know where the plot is going, I don’t know what the romance is and I have no investment in any of the characters. I got to the point where the idea of picking this up was such a mental drag it was becoming a chore and I have no interest in forcing myself through it.
I was curious about Maggie Stiefvater’s adult work because I loved the characters of The Raven Cycle, but this has reminded me that it was the characters that I loved and I found the plot kind of weak and I dont think her best effort has translated here. That being said, the writing craft itself was solid, so while this book wasn’t for me, if could be right for a different audience.
I am ludicrously late for reading this ARC, thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book and share my thoughts and feelings on it.
Want to read
September 12, 2025excited because it's maggie stiefvater but confused as hell by this synopsis
January 26, 2025
I took a class in college called "the weird, the eerie, and the uncanny" where we read shirley jackson and lovecraft watched hitchcock and lynch and unpacked questions precisely like the one maggie stiefvater said she posed herself when writing this book: "what do you call the genre that approaches fantastical elements with awe instead of terror?" where she landed on Wonder, we decided that genre was simply Fantasy, as a collective. i was so eager to read this book precisely because of the way she handles this genre of hers, Wonder (and Fantasy), in the raven cycle, easily my favorite series of all time. as I have grown since the first time I picked the series up in high school, so too has my interpretation of the elements of that series, and I see the matured version of the themes of class and yearning that first bubbled up in trc make their way into the listeners, with some added explorations of thematic questions like "what is luxury, really?" the writing, of course, brings an emotional magic far outside of the literal magic of the plot; even descriptions for the most mundane objects and actions become preternaturally awe-some in the true sense of the word. this, too, is a return to one of the aspects of the raven cycle that makes it so special to me, even all these years later. in the dream thieves, ronan is thrust ("shoved" or "pushed" I believe is the word used) into a dream, and one of the first, tone-setting descriptions we get is "the air grinned." in the listeners, the tension in the avallon has come to a head, and "the air shimmered" to match. this is a debut, an entrance into the world of adult storytelling — a transition that stiefvater has written about for her newsletter, in an article that gives a surprising amount of insight into the process — but in some ways, it feels more similar to the raven cycle than anything else of hers I've read. it feels like a homecoming, but also an evolution, a reinforcement of strengths and a trimming of weaknesses. this book isn't even out yet, but I already need whatever story she tells next.
Want to read
May 18, 2025I finally won a Goodreads giveaway!!! 😮🎉🎉🎉
July 23, 2025
Due to a general inability to 100% focus on audiobooks, falling asleep for about thirty minutes in the beginning, mind immediately drifting off anytime something magical gets mentioned in any magical realism book, not being able to remember names or keep characters apart as soon it's more than like, two... - i can literally not tell you anything about the plot of this.
i loved the romance though. also i want a dachshund.
i loved the romance though. also i want a dachshund.
February 7, 2025
This is very different from The Raven Cycle.
June Hudson is the general manager of the luxury hotel the Avallon. When WWII comes to America, their guests become diplomats and Nazi sympathisers.
Jane is such a strong character. She stands out by being a woman, a mountaineer, having an accent in a place where the wealthy accept a certain image.
Yet, she listens and sees and acts. She loves her staff and they trust her. She knows how to sell a story.
What to expect:
- The romance is verryyyy background and slow burn.
- This lacked the banter from her YA series.
- This was still as atmospheric and intimate as the Raven Cycle.
- This is full of complicated interactions, relationships, and dynamics.
Tucker wondered why it was that humans were drawn to natural beauty. It wasn’t for them. Here, in fact, it actively opposed them. Everything that made the landscape beautiful–the remote location, the steeply pitched slopes, the rushing rapids–was dangerous. And yet, like mice before snakes, deer before hunters, a certain type of gentle woman before a certain type of brutal man, humans pined and longed for these vistas.
This was kind of magical realism, but I also hesitate to define it as that. I thought this would have more magic to do with the sweet water brought up in the premise.
This was left very wishy washy and honestly, I wasn’t entirely sure of the purpose of the water to the story.
I think this was a case of missed expectations.
This is a slow moving historical fiction.
They say youth is wasted on the young. Why do we hate the foolishness that made us unfoolish?
Arc gifted by Headline.
Bookstagram
June Hudson is the general manager of the luxury hotel the Avallon. When WWII comes to America, their guests become diplomats and Nazi sympathisers.
Jane is such a strong character. She stands out by being a woman, a mountaineer, having an accent in a place where the wealthy accept a certain image.
Yet, she listens and sees and acts. She loves her staff and they trust her. She knows how to sell a story.
What to expect:
- The romance is verryyyy background and slow burn.
- This lacked the banter from her YA series.
- This was still as atmospheric and intimate as the Raven Cycle.
- This is full of complicated interactions, relationships, and dynamics.
Tucker wondered why it was that humans were drawn to natural beauty. It wasn’t for them. Here, in fact, it actively opposed them. Everything that made the landscape beautiful–the remote location, the steeply pitched slopes, the rushing rapids–was dangerous. And yet, like mice before snakes, deer before hunters, a certain type of gentle woman before a certain type of brutal man, humans pined and longed for these vistas.
This was kind of magical realism, but I also hesitate to define it as that. I thought this would have more magic to do with the sweet water brought up in the premise.
This was left very wishy washy and honestly, I wasn’t entirely sure of the purpose of the water to the story.
I think this was a case of missed expectations.
This is a slow moving historical fiction.
They say youth is wasted on the young. Why do we hate the foolishness that made us unfoolish?
Arc gifted by Headline.
Bookstagram
on-hold
September 13, 2024Maggie Stiefvater’s first adult novel set during WWII??
April 25, 2025
many of Stiefvater's books hold a dear place in my heart, so I’m sad to say that her foray into adult fiction didn’t land for me. I’m going to advance the following theory: just as some actors unmistakably have "iPhone faces", there are authors who should probably steer clear of historical settings because their storytelling and characters feel too modern, too now. not only do the characters here feel derivative of her previous ones, but there are so many sentences that seem more suited to her TRC universe. review to come
June 10, 2025
I really don’t get the point of the story. Like where it was supposed to go. The magical realism part of it was never really explained, it was very superficial and bland, i thought it would be more of a primary theme in the story but it was just barely mentioned.
Too many side stories that didn’t really connect and i think only one of them had an ending or something like that.
Overall the only thing i liked was the writing style but i was really expecting something more exciting than this, it felt pointless and boring, it gave me nothing really.
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange of an honest review.
Too many side stories that didn’t really connect and i think only one of them had an ending or something like that.
Overall the only thing i liked was the writing style but i was really expecting something more exciting than this, it felt pointless and boring, it gave me nothing really.
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange of an honest review.
August 5, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley and Headline for the arc!
🌟🌟🌟/5
This was my first Maggie Stiefvater book and although I went in without any expectations carried over from her YA fantasy novels, I was left rather disappointed. I love historical fiction and magical realism and feel that incredible stories are often created when the two come together. This could've been a 5 star read, especially given that luxury hotels are one of my favourite settings.
Here's what I loved:
● This was a transportive read. Stiefvater's Avallon was gorgeously described with such attention to detail that I was completely immersed. The hotel was described as the height of luxury and I could genuinely feel that decadence. The setting felt very well researched.
● Out of the three main characters, June was the only one that I felt was fleshed out. The way she kept the hotel running in such dreadful times was an important theme here. It was really fun to read about the aspects of hotel management.
● Something about Stiefvater's prose just WORKED for me. There's a certain...intelligence to her writing style.
● Each of the side characters felt distinct in the way they had their quirks and contributed to the story.
● The sweetwater was a great plot device! It added the tiniest touch of magic to a story otherwise grounded in reality. I loved the sense of ambiguity surrounding it.
● The ending was great!
Here's what didn't work for me:
● 'The Listeners' had the perfect setup, but unfortunately that was pretty much what the novel was about. There wasn't much beyond the exploration of the setting and the circumstances and that, more than anything, made the plot a snoozefest. A lot of the book felt like a great character study but there wasn't much of a plot. I couldn't concentrate for long and found myself unwilling to pick the book up after putting it down.
● The pacing wasn't great. I kept hoping that the plot would show up sometime but it just didn't.
● Tucker was my least favourite character and I couldn't bring myself to care about him (except for perhaps that one reveal towards the end). There WAS the tiniest spark in the romance between him and June and I wish it had been explored in depth.
● Hannelore was an amazing character with a great neurodivergent rep, so I was a bit disappointed when I didn't get to see much of her in the book.
For me, 'The Listeners' felt like a case of 'someone gathered all of the right ingredients but didn't bother to cook'. It's not a bad book, but definitely one that didn't live up to the potential, because SO MUCH could've been done in those 400 pages.
🌟🌟🌟/5
This was my first Maggie Stiefvater book and although I went in without any expectations carried over from her YA fantasy novels, I was left rather disappointed. I love historical fiction and magical realism and feel that incredible stories are often created when the two come together. This could've been a 5 star read, especially given that luxury hotels are one of my favourite settings.
Here's what I loved:
● This was a transportive read. Stiefvater's Avallon was gorgeously described with such attention to detail that I was completely immersed. The hotel was described as the height of luxury and I could genuinely feel that decadence. The setting felt very well researched.
● Out of the three main characters, June was the only one that I felt was fleshed out. The way she kept the hotel running in such dreadful times was an important theme here. It was really fun to read about the aspects of hotel management.
● Something about Stiefvater's prose just WORKED for me. There's a certain...intelligence to her writing style.
● Each of the side characters felt distinct in the way they had their quirks and contributed to the story.
● The sweetwater was a great plot device! It added the tiniest touch of magic to a story otherwise grounded in reality. I loved the sense of ambiguity surrounding it.
● The ending was great!
Here's what didn't work for me:
● 'The Listeners' had the perfect setup, but unfortunately that was pretty much what the novel was about. There wasn't much beyond the exploration of the setting and the circumstances and that, more than anything, made the plot a snoozefest. A lot of the book felt like a great character study but there wasn't much of a plot. I couldn't concentrate for long and found myself unwilling to pick the book up after putting it down.
● The pacing wasn't great. I kept hoping that the plot would show up sometime but it just didn't.
● Tucker was my least favourite character and I couldn't bring myself to care about him (except for perhaps that one reveal towards the end). There WAS the tiniest spark in the romance between him and June and I wish it had been explored in depth.
● Hannelore was an amazing character with a great neurodivergent rep, so I was a bit disappointed when I didn't get to see much of her in the book.
For me, 'The Listeners' felt like a case of 'someone gathered all of the right ingredients but didn't bother to cook'. It's not a bad book, but definitely one that didn't live up to the potential, because SO MUCH could've been done in those 400 pages.
January 2, 2025
So it’s been a couple years since the world was gifted with a Maggie Stiefvater novel. And now she delivers us with this whole creation that just blows it out of the park. Historical, harrowing, hopeful…I can’t think of another H word right now. Folkloric. Gorgeous. And as always, fueled by her creation of amazing characters you can’t help but become obsessed with.
This is a slow burn novel whose beauty is all in the small moments. The tiny details. The gorgeous prose. This is Appalachia and World War II and neurodivergence and a beautiful love.
This might be one of the few books that I re read because even though I took my time with it, I know I missed details. Just prepare yourselves.
This is a slow burn novel whose beauty is all in the small moments. The tiny details. The gorgeous prose. This is Appalachia and World War II and neurodivergence and a beautiful love.
This might be one of the few books that I re read because even though I took my time with it, I know I missed details. Just prepare yourselves.
Want to read
September 21, 2024i can't believe maggie's adult debut has to do with a magical hotel but... ahhh i just don't know about the rest of the synopsis >.<
blog | instagram | youtube | kofi | spotify | amazon
1.) Shiver ★★★★★
1.) The Raven Boys ★★★★★
2.) The Dream Thieves ★★★★★
3.) Blue Lily, Lily Blue ★★★★★
4.) The Raven King ★★★★★
4.5) Opal ★★★★★
1.) Call Down the Hawk ★★★★★
♡.) All the Crooked Saints ★★★
blog | instagram | youtube | kofi | spotify | amazon
1.) Shiver ★★★★★
1.) The Raven Boys ★★★★★
2.) The Dream Thieves ★★★★★
3.) Blue Lily, Lily Blue ★★★★★
4.) The Raven King ★★★★★
4.5) Opal ★★★★★
1.) Call Down the Hawk ★★★★★
♡.) All the Crooked Saints ★★★
Want to read
September 12, 2024Let's fucking go? I guess?
ignoring the synopsis and going with "there's odd prose, slippery magic, class conflict, an ensemble cast, about four different kinds of love"
ignoring the synopsis and going with "there's odd prose, slippery magic, class conflict, an ensemble cast, about four different kinds of love"
Want to read
September 10, 2024i mean ....... i guess
June 21, 2025
Crawled through the trenches to finish this for book club
June 25, 2025
* 4.25⭐️1🌶️
* historical fiction novel set during World War II, where a luxury hotel in West Virginia is transformed into a holding facility for captured Axis diplomats. The story centers around June Hudson, the hotel's general manager, who must navigate the complexities of hosting the diplomats while facing the challenges of wartime and the watchful eyes of the FBI. The novel blends historical events with elements of magical realism, exploring themes of luxury, loyalty, and the hidden depths of human nature.
* This book was hard to follow at times. Just because the prose was very wordsy, if that makes sense. It was such a great read with an even better ending. You ended up loving all the characters.
* Magical sweet water that can be healing or dangerous, world war 2 historical fiction, books revolving around hotels, diplomats, FBI, amazing side characters, low key romance
* historical fiction novel set during World War II, where a luxury hotel in West Virginia is transformed into a holding facility for captured Axis diplomats. The story centers around June Hudson, the hotel's general manager, who must navigate the complexities of hosting the diplomats while facing the challenges of wartime and the watchful eyes of the FBI. The novel blends historical events with elements of magical realism, exploring themes of luxury, loyalty, and the hidden depths of human nature.
* This book was hard to follow at times. Just because the prose was very wordsy, if that makes sense. It was such a great read with an even better ending. You ended up loving all the characters.
* Magical sweet water that can be healing or dangerous, world war 2 historical fiction, books revolving around hotels, diplomats, FBI, amazing side characters, low key romance
November 15, 2025
GIVE ME MORE! MORE!
So different from her YA books, lovely and deft, I could have stayed immersed in this world for twice as many pages!
*smashes teacup to the floor* "I like this! Bring me another!"
So different from her YA books, lovely and deft, I could have stayed immersed in this world for twice as many pages!
*smashes teacup to the floor* "I like this! Bring me another!"
July 18, 2025
I am so grateful to be on the 5⭐️ end of this book (I see lots of low ratings). I can say with certainty this story has a specific audience. I don’t mind wordy, slow paced books. In fact, it turns out, I love them. I love when a story challenges me and requires time and focus. That’s not to say The Listeners is a difficult read. It’s just full of so many special moments you could easily miss by rushing through it.
This book was a slow burn of history, found family, tragedy, love, and hope. I found the subtle ways Maggie incorporated the magical elements of the sweetwater so intriguing. I loved the growth of the characters and how their back stories unfolded. The Avallon and its staff of unique characters will stick with me for a long time.
It’s important to point out that this is a huge departure from Stiefvater’s other books, so going in with proper expectations will completely change the experience. I also happen to be a Historical Fiction and magical realism fan…so a lot of things worked in my favor for this one.
I will forever be in awe of Maggie Stiefvater’s writing and already can’t wait for her next story.
This book was a slow burn of history, found family, tragedy, love, and hope. I found the subtle ways Maggie incorporated the magical elements of the sweetwater so intriguing. I loved the growth of the characters and how their back stories unfolded. The Avallon and its staff of unique characters will stick with me for a long time.
It’s important to point out that this is a huge departure from Stiefvater’s other books, so going in with proper expectations will completely change the experience. I also happen to be a Historical Fiction and magical realism fan…so a lot of things worked in my favor for this one.
I will forever be in awe of Maggie Stiefvater’s writing and already can’t wait for her next story.
October 25, 2025
Immediately following the attack on Pearl Harbor, many luxury hotels "hosted" Axis diplomats. In THE LISTENERS, Ms. Stiefvater
Some of this book is very much Maggie. Her unique writing style could make the side of a cereal box interesting and it certainly shines here. She gives a shout-out to seven-minute frosting---the only kind I knew until I left WV (and now, I want so badly).
The tension, the feeling that Something Will Happen bubbles underneath, much like the sweet water of the Avallon. When, finally, it erupts, it seems to just go everywhere all at once then almost inexplicably, it is sorted out. To me, it felt like THE LISTENERS is intended to be the first book of a series.
Some of this book is very much Maggie. Her unique writing style could make the side of a cereal box interesting and it certainly shines here. She gives a shout-out to seven-minute frosting---the only kind I knew until I left WV (and now, I want so badly).
The tension, the feeling that Something Will Happen bubbles underneath, much like the sweet water of the Avallon. When, finally, it erupts, it seems to just go everywhere all at once then almost inexplicably, it is sorted out. To me, it felt like THE LISTENERS is intended to be the first book of a series.
Read
June 7, 2025so. I should've probably looked up what this was about before buying it.
it's a dnf(for now at least) because I can't think of anything I would like to read less right now than war
it's a dnf(for now at least) because I can't think of anything I would like to read less right now than war
June 10, 2025
it was fine, historical fiction isn’t really my thing but i would be interested in picking up her next adult release for sure
October 16, 2025
(I put his rating through CAWPILE and it is a very low 3)
So this book had:
- characters that were compelling, but underused
- great writing, as Maggie usually does
- very boring, slow and filler plot until about the 80/85% mark
- a satisfying ending
This was definitely not what I was imagining or Maggie's first foray into adult writing, since I hoped it would be more bonkers magic with awesome characters and less of a slog, but guess this what we got
So this book had:
- characters that were compelling, but underused
- great writing, as Maggie usually does
- very boring, slow and filler plot until about the 80/85% mark
- a satisfying ending
This was definitely not what I was imagining or Maggie's first foray into adult writing, since I hoped it would be more bonkers magic with awesome characters and less of a slog, but guess this what we got
October 30, 2025
I picked this up for the cover and the magical realism, and I liked it... but it wasn't what I expected.
The protagonist and the mystery of her connection to the water pulled me in, but the story leans more toward politics than magic. The setup is super intriguing, and the historical setting feels vivid. The sweetwater isn't just water—it kind of listens and feels what people are feeling, almost like it reflects the mood and morals of the story. But the magic is understated and mysterious and never fully explained... it feels more atmospheric than plot-driving until the very end. And by that point, I had more questions than anything else... like what's up with the water??? What about the 411 lady and all the stuff she ordered?? What was the point of the framing device?
Overall, I liked the premise and the vibes, and the romance (even though it was a small part of the book), but it wasn't what I was hoping for.
The protagonist and the mystery of her connection to the water pulled me in, but the story leans more toward politics than magic. The setup is super intriguing, and the historical setting feels vivid. The sweetwater isn't just water—it kind of listens and feels what people are feeling, almost like it reflects the mood and morals of the story. But the magic is understated and mysterious and never fully explained... it feels more atmospheric than plot-driving until the very end. And by that point, I had more questions than anything else... like what's up with the water??? What about the 411 lady and all the stuff she ordered?? What was the point of the framing device?
Overall, I liked the premise and the vibes, and the romance (even though it was a small part of the book), but it wasn't what I was hoping for.
July 29, 2025
A hotel chockablock full of distinct characters, magic waters, nazis, all based on real heightened and bizarre incidents during WWII. Wonderful world building, this was a thoroughly enjoyable read.
June 15, 2025
Read that synopsis and immediately knew The Greenbrier provided some inspiration.
As long as the unlikely romance isn't with a Nazi diplomat, I'll absolutely give this a try.
Good news, the romance isn’t with a Nazi.
Good news, the romance isn’t with a Nazi.
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