47 episodes

We’re Shannon and Nievita, and we’re the Ravin’ Girls! Welcome to our Raven Cycle podcast, where we analyze Maggie Stiefvater’s Raven Cycle as a cycle, taking a look at the connections and foreshadowing running throughout the series. We dissect the themes of the books, discuss the arcs of the wonderfully complex characters, and take “Deep Dives” on the origins, folklore, mythology, history, and fandom that surrounds this iconic young adult series.

Each episode covers 3-5 chapters worth of material, and each book has its own self-contained Season. We often cover Maggie Stiefvater’s new novels or other related works in Special Episodes. New episodes release on the first and third Thursdays of every month. Join us as we follow the adventures of four dysfunctional teenagers and their dead Welsh boyfriend!

Ravin' Girls: A Raven Cycle Podcast Shannon Pack and Nievita Hartness

    • Arts
    • 4.9 • 45 Ratings

We’re Shannon and Nievita, and we’re the Ravin’ Girls! Welcome to our Raven Cycle podcast, where we analyze Maggie Stiefvater’s Raven Cycle as a cycle, taking a look at the connections and foreshadowing running throughout the series. We dissect the themes of the books, discuss the arcs of the wonderfully complex characters, and take “Deep Dives” on the origins, folklore, mythology, history, and fandom that surrounds this iconic young adult series.

Each episode covers 3-5 chapters worth of material, and each book has its own self-contained Season. We often cover Maggie Stiefvater’s new novels or other related works in Special Episodes. New episodes release on the first and third Thursdays of every month. Join us as we follow the adventures of four dysfunctional teenagers and their dead Welsh boyfriend!

    Ravin' Girls Intermezzode Take2: Peach Pie & Noogies

    Ravin' Girls Intermezzode Take2: Peach Pie & Noogies

    Welcome to Intermezzode Take2, aka are we better at this whole remote thing yet?! The stinger section says NO!

    Join us as we cover a few listener questions related to everyone’s favorite Magician, Adam Parrish! We talk headcanons about how Blue found out about Pynch, how Adam’s deafness may or may not be used as a plot device, how readers can interpret characters and find personal representation regardless of textual evidence, and how sometimes those interpretations can be difficult for others due to extenuating circumstances and lived experiences (or lack thereof).

    CAUTION: This Intermezzode has some discussion of abuse as it relates to Adam’s hearing loss, as well as topics of race in the context of the Raven Cycle and the systemic oppression of Native/Indigenous populations in the U.S.A. These are sensitive and difficult topics and we urge you to please practice compassion while listening. For resources surrounding domestic/familial abuse, please visit RAINN (rape, abuse, and incest national network) with a 24/7 chat available: https://www.rainn.org/

    Subscribe at: https://link.chtbl.com/d8E86BFy or wherever you get your podcasts, and please comment, rate, or review!

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    Next Episodes:
    Release dates of the Intermezzodes will be sporadic for the foreseeable future. The best way to find out when an episode will be released is to follow us on social media or subscribe to our feed on your podcacher of choice. Unfortunately, we are still unable to record together in one space and so we continue to hold off Season 3 until we feel confident with remote recording or we can be together in the same room again.
    Past Episode Guide: https://ravingirls.com/episodes

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    Links to Articles, Websites, and Other Discussions:
    Visit us at https://ravingirls.com for complete podcast details!

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    Acknowledgements:
    The Raven Cycle, The Dreamer Trilogy, and all affiliated properties (The Raven Boys, The Dream Thieves, Blue Lily, Lily Blue, The Raven King, Call Down The Hawk, and Mister Impossible) are copyright Maggie Stiefvater and Scholastic, Inc. The Ravin’ Girls reference these properties for the purpose of literary analysis.

    Intro and Outro music by Damiano Baldoni, used under CC Attribution License: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Damiano_Baldoni/Lost_Dinasty/
    All original tracks have been edited for the podcast.
    “Comfortably Numb” is owned by Pink Floyd Music Ltd/Pink Floyd (1987) Ltd. All rights to Pink Floyd and EMI Music, copyright © WMG

    Ravin’ Girls logo and banner art © 2018 Mio Mäkijärvi, All Rights Reserved. Please visit http://kojotei.tumblr.com/ for more information.

    • 44 min
    Ravin’ Girls Intermezzode Take1: Baja Blast Logo

    Ravin’ Girls Intermezzode Take1: Baja Blast Logo

    Welcome to Intermezzode Take1, aka how do we do this whole remote recording thing and what the heck happened to a whole year?!?!

    Join us as we stumble through what it takes to record in two different places, answer questions about when we might come back with Season 3, talk about how we got through 2020, and recommend a few things that we enjoyed and/or helped us cope. We also dunk on South Dakota a little too much (Sorry, SD!), are baffled by the thought of a whole town in one building (Hi, Whittier!), update Shannon on the status of the TRC TV show, hint at the plans we had for covering Maggie’s YA graphic novel Swamp Thing, and debate whether the “X” in XOXO is a hug or a kiss.

    NOTE: We apologize for the quality of Shannon’s audio, we do believe we have worked out the kinks for future recordings!

    CAUTION: This Intermezzode discusses the impacts that the difficult and isolating time of 2020 had on our mental health. Please, always put yourself first and practice self-love and compassion while listening. If you or anyone you know may be experiencing a painful crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, available 24 hours a day (USA) or use their chat function at http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/GetHelp/LifelineChat.aspx
    You can also reach the crisis text line by texting 741741 in the US (https://www.crisistextline.org/) -- we love you.

    Subscribe at: https://link.chtbl.com/d8E86BFy or wherever you get your podcasts, and please comment, rate, or review!

    - - - - -

    Next Episodes:
    Release dates of the Intermezzodes will be sporadic for the foreseeable future. The best way to find out when an episode will be released is to follow us on social media or subscribe to our feed on your podcacher of choice. Unfortunately, we are still unable to record together in one space and so we continue to hold off Season 3 until we feel confident with remote recording or we can be together in the same room again.
    Past Episode Guide: https://ravingirls.com/episodes

    - - - - -

    Links to Articles, Websites, and Other Discussions:
    Visit us at https://ravingirls.com for complete podcast details!

    - - - - -

    Acknowledgements:
    The Raven Cycle, The Dreamer Trilogy, and all affiliated properties (The Raven Boys, The Dream Thieves, Blue Lily, Lily Blue, The Raven King, Call Down The Hawk, and Mister Impossible) are copyright Maggie Stiefvater and Scholastic, Inc. The Ravin’ Girls reference these properties for the purpose of literary analysis.

    Intro and Outro music by Damiano Baldoni, used under CC Attribution License: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Damiano_Baldoni/Lost_Dinasty/
    All original tracks have been edited for the podcast.

    Ravin’ Girls logo and banner art © 2018 Mio Mäkijärvi, All Rights Reserved. Please visit http://kojotei.tumblr.com/ for more information.

    • 49 min
    Ravin' Girls: Holiday Wishes 2020

    Ravin' Girls: Holiday Wishes 2020

    Happiest of holiday seasons to each and every one of you!

    Hi Lovely Listeners! We wanted to send out a short holiday message and podcast update for the coming year. 2020 has been a rough one for so many people, and even if we've been silent you all have been on our minds and in our hearts. Wishing you all the best and brightest holidays possible, however you might celebrate, and all of our love and hopes for the best possible 2021.

    Subscribe at: https://link.chtbl.com/d8E86BFy or wherever you get your podcasts, and please comment, rate, or review!

    - - - - -

    Next Episodes:
    We are hoping to come back with a modified format in early 2021, and ease back into Season 3 as soon as we are able.
    Past Episode Guide: https://ravingirls.com/episodes

    - - - - -

    Links to Articles, Websites, and Other Discussions:
    Visit us at https://ravingirls.com for complete podcast details!

    - - - - -

    Acknowledgements:
    The Raven Cycle,The Dreamer Trilogy, and all affiliated properties (The Raven Boys, The Dream Thieves, Blue Lily, Lily Blue, The Raven King, and Call Down The Hawk) are copyright Maggie Stiefvater and Scholastic, Inc. The Ravin’ Girls reference these properties for the purpose of literary analysis.

    Intro and Outro music by Damiano Baldoni, used under CC Attribution License: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Damiano_Baldoni/Lost_Dinasty/

    Ravin’ Girls logo and banner art © 2018 Mio Mäkijärvi, All Rights Reserved. Please visit http://kojotei.tumblr.com/ for more information.

    • 9 min
    Ravin' Girls Episode 31: Not a MacGuffin

    Ravin' Girls Episode 31: Not a MacGuffin

    Welcome to Season 3 Episode 31, where we cover the Prologue through Chapter 1 of Blue Lily, Lily Blue!

    Shannon starts off this season totally subdued and not at all excited to be covering BLLB… YAH RIGHT! We kick off the first two chapters of Blue Lily, Lily Blue reintroducing the characters, their quest, and a bottomless pit. Who really is the MacGuffin in this book? How many pages of a novel could possibly take place only in a cave? How many Deep Dive pages did Shannon have to delete about animals, and how many did Nievita delete about ghosts?

    Actually, I don’t think we answer any of those questions, but we do talk about the topics of crappy highschool poetry, why Sassy Adam is the Best Adam, who is Nievita’s BROTP of the Raven Cycle, how to tell a jig from a reel, how incredibly gross humans can be (SO GROSS), and reiterate, “When in doubt, always blame Niall.” If you have read Call Down The Hawk, stick around after the stinger for our new SPOILER ZONE!

    DEEP DIVE: Cave Systems of Appalachia (from approx. the 36:42 minute mark to 54:38, depending on your player)

    SPOILER ZONE: Call Down The Hawk Spoiler Discussion starts at approx. 1:34:02

    CORRECTION: Nievita stated from memory that Blue Lily, Lily Blue was originally titled “The White Lily”. Maggie’s post was later found saying the title was “White Lily, Blue Lily”

    Subscribe at: https://link.chtbl.com/d8E86BFy or wherever you get your podcasts, and please comment, rate, or review!

    - - - - -

    Next Episodes:
    Unfortunately, right now we are in self-isolation and are not sure when we will be able to record and release further episodes for Season 3.
    Past Episode Guide: https://ravingirls.com/episodes

    - - - - -

    Links to Articles, Websites, and Other Discussions:
    Visit us at https://ravingirls.com for complete podcast details!

    - - - - -

    Acknowledgements:
    The Raven Cycle,The Dreamer Trilogy, and all affiliated properties (The Raven Boys, The Dream Thieves, Blue Lily, Lily Blue, The Raven King, and Call Down The Hawk) are copyright Maggie Stiefvater and Scholastic, Inc. The Ravin’ Girls reference these properties for the purpose of literary analysis.

    Intro and Outro music by Damiano Baldoni, used under CC Attribution License: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Damiano_Baldoni/Lost_Dinasty/
    The original “Death Of Floyd Collins”, recorded by Vernon Dalhart, 1926: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8qoR1s4434
    “Tequila” © The Champs 1958, released by SME (on behalf of Rhino) and EMI Music Publishing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDD21ZJF3mI
    Sound effects found on FreeSound.org, attribution where requested.
    “Cave Drips” sounds by everythingsounds, used under CC Attribution License: https://freesound.org/people/everythingsounds/sounds/199515/
    “Rocks Falling In Cave” sounds from Freesound.org, used under CC Attribution License: https://freesound.org/people/150134/sounds/327085/
    “Raven Flyby” sounds from Freesound.org, no copyright: https://freesound.org/people/JamesOC/sounds/86883/
    “Ducks Landing” sounds from Freesound.org, used under CC Attribution License: https://freesound.org/people/uair01/sounds/86567/
    “Nature - Field-recording- Ravens” by lmr9, used under Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0: https://freesound.org/people/lmr9/sounds/265342/
    All original tracks have been edited for the podcast.

    Ravin’ Girls logo and banner art © 2018 Mio Mäkijärvi, All Rights Reserved. Please visit http://kojotei.tumblr.com/ for more information.

    • 1 hr 37 min
    Ravin’ Girls Season3 Teaser: Cave of Ravens

    Ravin’ Girls Season3 Teaser: Cave of Ravens

    Caves! Missing moms! Mirrors! We’re back, and we’re diving deep into the third book of the Raven Cycle, Blue Lily, Lily Blue. Do you have your caving helmet and a stout rope? It’s going to be dangerous where we’re headed… you’re going to need them!

    Welcome to our teaser for Season 3 of the Ravin’ Girls, reintroducing your co-hosts Shannon and Nievita. What is this podcast all about, and why are we doing it? More importantly, when do we expect to return with the first episode of BLLB?!? Stick around to the stinger to see if we’ve gotten any better at this recording gig after two years. ;D

    Join us at https://www.ravingirls.com/subscribe or wherever you get your podcasts, and please let us know what you’re most excited about for Blue Lily, Lily Blue on any social media platform: @ravingirls

    - - - - -

    Next Episodes:
    4/2/20-- Ravin’ Girls S3 Episode 31, covering the Prologue-Chap1 of Blue Lily, Lily Blue
    Please subscribe with your favorite podcast player to make sure you catch Episode 31 as soon as it drops!
    Past Episode Guide: https://ravingirls.com/episodes

    - - - - -

    Links to Articles, Websites, and Other Discussions:
    Find our complete shownotes on our website: https://www.ravingirls.com/episodes

    - - - - -

    Acknowledgements:
    The Raven Cycle, Call Down The Hawk, the Dreamer Trilogy, and all affiliated properties (The Raven Boys, The Dream Thieves, Blue Lily, Lily Blue, and The Raven King) are copyright Maggie Stiefvater and Scholastic, Inc. The Ravin’ Girls reference these properties for the purpose of literary analysis.

    Intro and Outro music by Damiano Baldoni, used under CC Attribution License: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Damiano_Baldoni/Lost_Dinasty/

    “Cave Drips” sounds by everythingsounds, used under CC Attribution License: https://freesound.org/people/everythingsounds/sounds/199515/
    “Rocks Falling In Cave” sounds from Freesound.org, used under CC Attribution License: https://freesound.org/people/150134/sounds/327085/
    “Raven Flyby” sounds from Freesound.org, no copyright: https://freesound.org/people/JamesOC/sounds/86883/
    “Ducks Landing” sounds from Freesound.org, used under CC Attribution License: https://freesound.org/people/uair01/sounds/86567/
    “Nature - Field-recording- Ravens” by lmr9, used under Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0: https://freesound.org/people/lmr9/sounds/265342/

    The original tracks have been edited for the podcast.

    Ravin’ Girls logo and banner art © 2018-2020 Mio Mäkijärvi, All Rights Reserved. Please visit http://kojotei.tumblr.com/ for more information.

    • 6 min
    Ravin' Girls SpEp: Call Down the Hawk Full Novel

    Ravin' Girls SpEp: Call Down the Hawk Full Novel

    Welcome to our episode covering Maggie Stiefvater’s first novel in the new Dreamer Trilogy, CALL DOWN THE HAWK!!! Can you tell we’re excited?!

    All of the Lynch boys are in trouble (what else is new?), mysterious art forgeries and forgers tantalize in the Fairy Market, dreamers and dreamed objects are hunted, strange voices come out of the dark, and the fires of the apocalypse burn on the horizon. Join us as we discuss what worked best for us and what didn’t, funniest moments and favorite new characters, agonize over our biggest questions, review our past predictions, and reveal our most head-explody moments. Would we choose to be dreamers if we had the chance? Listen and find out!

    NOTES: No Deep Dive, just lots and lots of wild theorizing as to what happens next

    Subscribe at: https://link.chtbl.com/d8E86BFy or wherever you get your podcasts, and please comment, rate, or review!

    - - - - -

    Next Episodes:
    Please subscribe on your favorite podcast player to get our upcoming releases scheduled between Season 2: The Dream Thieves and Season 3: Blue Lily, Lily Blue!
    Past Episode Guide: https://ravingirls.com/episodes

    - - - - -

    Links to Articles, Websites, and Other Discussions:
    Visit us at https://ravingirls.com for complete podcast details!

    - - - - -

    Acknowledgements:
    The Raven Cycle, Call Down The Hawk, the Dreamer Trilogy, and all affiliated properties (The Raven Boys, The Dream Thieves, Blue Lily, Lily Blue, and The Raven King) are copyright Maggie Stiefvater and Scholastic, Inc. The Ravin’ Girls reference these properties for the purpose of literary analysis.

    Intro and Outro music by Damiano Baldoni, used under CC Attribution License: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Damiano_Baldoni/Lost_Dinasty/
    The original tracks have been edited for the podcast.

    Ravin’ Girls logo and banner art © 2018 Mio Mäkijärvi, All Rights Reserved. Please visit http://kojotei.tumblr.com/ for more information.

    • 1 hr 33 min

Customer Reviews

4.9 out of 5
45 Ratings

45 Ratings

Hypolita18 ,

Loving the signs of post-pandemic life!

With how hard the past year+ has been, it is a joy to hear Nievita and Shannon’s voices again discussing randomness and Raven boys. 10 out of 10, would buy their Pink Floyd caver album.

samme :) ,

My favorite podcast!

The Raven Cycle is my favorite book series, I’ve read the whole thing 3 times (the dream thieves 5 times lol) and you guys are amazing at analyzing and picking out details in the text that I’ve never even noticed/thought to think about. Every episode has me pulling out my own copies of the books and looking to see what I missed. I look forward to every update, and despite usually never knowing what the deep dive topics is, I always find myself interested in listening to it! You guys are so fun to listen to and you even inspired me to start my own podcast, so thank you! Shannon and Nievita, you’re the perfect people to be doing this. <3

kormantic ,

These funny and ebullient nerds love these books as much as you do

Shannon and Nievita live, laugh and love The Raven Cycle wholeheartedly, so if you do too, you should subscribe posthaste. These Ravenclaw kids bring literary analysis, cheery fangirling and “deep dives” into folklore and history related to the books, and I am HERE FOR IT. Their friendship is #lifegoals and their discussions are always thoughtful, respectful and engaging—in a lot of ways, these podcasts remind me of the time I was in a car with my friend Punk, and we were so busy breaking down Tana French’s In The Woods (freakin’ Rob!) that we missed our turn and had to drive to the next exit. If this has ever happened to you, than this is definitely the podcast you’ve been looking for. Thank you for all the behind the scenes work and on-mic joy you bring to the podcast, Ravin’ Girls!

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