Kait ✨
Written on Jun 5, 2020
The second thrilling book in Maggie Stiefvater's The
Raven Cycle quartet.
Now that the ley lines around Cabeswater have been woken, nothing
for Blue and Gansey will be the same. Ronan is falling more and
more deeply into his dreams ... and his dreams are intruding more
and more into waking life.
Gansey is needed at home, and is struggling to stay in Aglionby.
And Adam? He's made some new friends. Friends that are looking
for some of the same pieces of the puzzle that Gansey, Blue, and
Ronan are after.
Great power is at stake, and someone must be willing to wield
it.
Absolutely addictive writing for teen girls … and grown-up
girls… Magic, mystery and adventure at every turn
From the bestselling author of Shiver, Linger
and Forever which all debuted at #1 on the UK book bestseller
charts
Film rights to The Raven Cycle have been acquired
- ISBN13 9781407136622
- Publish Date 19 September 2013 (first published 1 September 2013)
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint Scholastic
- Format Paperback
- Pages 464
- Language English
Reviews
thepunktheory
Written on Aug 12, 2019
So, here's the deal.
I was a bit disappointed that in terms of Glendower nothing much is going on in this book. It took me a while to get over that as I really wanted to know what would happen on that front.
However, once I moved past that I certainly came to appreciate The Dream Thieves. While Glendower doesn't so much as take a backseat but has gotten out of the car entirely, this story has lots of interesting moments to offer, nevertheless.
We finally get more of an insight into Romans life, head, and dreams. I needed that info ever since he plucked Chainsaw from his dreams in the first book.
The Raven Cycle just got far more exciting as this new angle moved into the picture. Again, many plot twists I hadn't seen coming are strewn throughout this book. The setup for the next novel was already great but then Stiefvater had to top it off with a cliffhanger! So, please excuse me while I try to find a copy of the subsequent installment asap!
liz089
Written on Jan 5, 2019
I really liked that this second novel was mostly about Ronan, I really wanted to know about him and why he behaves the way he does and well.. this explained a lot.
Did not really like Adam in this one ? More like, as a person so to say then as a character..
Still love Gansey the most 3 And the whole family on 300 Fox Way.. and the Grey Man. I really liked his part in the story.
Onto the next one !
Amber (The Literary Phoenix)
Written on Dec 9, 2018
I know this isn't really fair to the series. For all I know at this stage, Ronan could be HUGELY important to the overall series, but I'm here for Gansey and Cabeswater and the Raven King, so this was ... not disappointing, but I guess underwhelming. There's nothing fundamentally wrong with the book - it's entirely an issue of taste. I'm still on board for Blue Lily, Lily Blue. I still want to know what happens to the boys and the psychics and Blue, but I just wasn't as enthralled with this one. And that's okay. I'll leave Ronan to his fans and wait patiently over here with all the #TeamGansey folks....
empressbrooke
Written on Mar 7, 2018
leahrosereads
Written on Feb 23, 2018
The characters became more developed and more interesting. This plot beat out The Raven Boys for me, so no complaints there.
And of course, no surprise to me, but Ronan is easily still my favorite character of this series. I also really enjoyed seeing more of the characters outside the Raven Boys and am definitely invested in most of them.
Also, feeling real glad that I'm just binge reading these now because holy cliffhanger Batman!!
Jo
Written on Aug 25, 2017
Originally posted on Once Upon a Bookcase.
After the surprise of loving The Raven Boys by Maggie Steifvater, I was so eager to read the second book in the series, The Dream Thieves. And although I enjoyed it, I finished the book a little disappointed.
The ley line has now been woken, but it has huge surges, and then nothing. It's causing stadium lights to turn on by themselves, but it's also causing power cuts. Something isn't quite right with it, and what's more, Cabeswater has disappeared. This stalls Gansey's search for Glendower. Every other time something has gone wrong in his search, he's found a different avenue to continue his search down, but not this time. Cabeswater is important, but it has completely disappeared, like it never existed. And because of this... not much happens in the book.
The main focus of this book? Ronan learning more about his dreams and how to take things from then, and his character development, and also the changes that are happening to Adam, and what his sacrifice to waken the ley line means. There isn't very much in the way of moving the story forward - because the story can't move forward until Ronan and Adam work some things out, and it takes the whole book for them to do so.
The story wasn't boring, because I really like these characters, and it was fascinating to get to know Ronan more, as he is one of the narrators this time round, and understand who he is, why he is the way he is - namely always on the edge of anger and looking for a fight - and how and why he is able to bring things out of his dreams. I also loved the development of his sexuality. It's not all that overt, not at first, and he never actually thinks about his sexuality, but it's clear in his reactions to people and the undertones to conversations. Stiefvater has said that Ronan is canonically gay, despite it never being overtly said in this book - though there are major clues. I'm interested to see whether it will overtly come up in the following books; I do feel a character being gay but it never being said on the page is kind of problematic.
It was also interesting to see Adam become almost a completely different person. There is an anger in him that wasn't there before, and he's starting to lose himself as Cabeswater seems to try to take over his mind with weird visions. There's a lot he has to sort through, which is understandable. His dad beat him up so badly he left him deaf in one ear, and now he gets angry so quickly, and feels violent, and is worrying he might be like his dad - plus having to deal with the Cabeswater sacrifice. It's a lot to deal with. But still, nothing happens. Not until the end.
There is the mysterious Gray Man, one among many different people hired by many to find the Greywarren - an object no-one knows anything about, just that it's something with power. Gray Man is a hitman, and he's dangerous, and his search has him crossing paths with Blue's family, and breaking into Gansey's home. This subplot was interesting, but fell kind of flat for me. I mean, it wasn't nearly as sinister as the subplot of Whelk from The Raven Boys. Sure, Gray Man is a hitman, and he does beat people up and kill a couple of others, but he never causes that same level of distress for me as Whelk did.
And I missed Blue and Gansey. They still narrate, but not as much, and I like them both. I just wish more happened. Plus there were a number of times where when conversations are being had that I just didn't get. They were just so confusing. If I had read The Dream Thieves when it came out, and had to wait for the next book, Blue Lily, Lily Blue, I would have been really annoyed with this book, because it's not really enough. I enjoyed it, but I expected more. I hope Blue Lily, Lily Blue is more exciting.
Mercy
Written on Apr 1, 2017
El primero me gustó pero no me pareció gran cosa, además Blue me caía muy mal, pero en esta segunda parte ha habido una evolución enorme en todo, Blue ya no es insoportable, conocemos más a los chicos, sus interacciones, sus secretos (el segundo secreto de Ronan, aaaah, me morí con eso 3) y miedos, a sus familias (la de Gansey y Ronan) y también a la mujeres del 300 Fox Way, el cariño y apoyo mutuo que hay es precioso. También la escritura de Maggie es mucho mejor (creo que me gustó más porque lo leí en inglés, pues aunque la traducción es bastante buena el primero perdió mucho de la poesía con que Maggie narra).
Una cosa que me encantó es las reflexiones que los protagonistas hacen, no es sólo una historia romántica, donde los personajes tienen problemas tontos y superficiales (el romance es prácticamente inexistente) o sea, tenemos las interacciones Gansey/Blue, Blue/Adam pero sabiendo todo el asunto del beso y la importancia que tiene, siento que las escenas con tintes románticos no están porque sí, sino que tienen una razón de ser. Además, esa escena bajo las estrellas con Blue y Gansey fue tan desgarradora :___( hay muchos momentos donde hablan sobre la vida, sobre la importancia de crecer en un hogar donde haya amor y se brinde apoyo a los hijos, hay autodescubrimiento y una evolución muy creíble en todos.
Además, esa mezcla de elementos fantásticos y esotéricos está tan bien hecha que se siente real, como si en verdad, en ese pueblito de Virginia sucedieran todas esas cosas, Maggie se las arregla muy bien para darle naturalidad a la historia.
Cocktails and Books
Written on Dec 21, 2016
Even though the story seems to move slowly (at least for me) it kept my interest. I needed to know what was going on with Ronan and Adam. Who was Mr. Gray and how did he fit into everything. I'm following the threads into book 3.
Liz (Bent Bookworm)
Written on Sep 28, 2016
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Full review and links found on The Bent Bookworm!
Usually, the desire to fangirl over a book turns me into a heart-fluttering, obsessive mess. However, the fangirl aroused by THIS book, was inspired by much deeper feelings. Feelings that just left me staring off into space and generally just trying to process. This book, you guys. This. Book. (WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST BOOK)
“I’ve been all over the world. More than one country for every year that I’m alive…I’m not saying that to show off. I’m just saying it because I’m trying to understand how I could have been so many places and yet this is the only place that feels like home. This is the only place I belong. And because I’m trying to understand how, if I belong here, it…”
” — hurts so much,” Blue finished.
And that is how I feel about my lovely home in Virginia (I swear Maggie Stiefvater patterned Henrietta after my adopted hometown). Because even though I don’t live there now, and won’t for who knows how long (if ever)…I’m pretty sure it will always, always feel like home. It hurts, because it doesn’t make the most sense for me to live there, because there are part of it that make me angry and sad, and yet…this. So much this. That someone understands all the deep, intense emotions I have about home is so rare, and then to find it in a book…I’m pretty sure that The Raven Cycle is going to be one of my all time favorites.
It was a massive old forest, oaks and sycamores pushing up through the cold mountains soil. Leaves skittered in the breeze. Ronan could feel the size of the mountain under his feet. The oldness of it. Far below there was a heartbeat that wrapped around the world, slower and stronger and more inexorable than Ronan’s own.
For beautiful, heartfelt, feel-it-in-your-blood prose like this.
Anywho. Gansey, who actually plays less a part in this one, nevertheless starts off with a bang as he spouts off one of the most hilariously quotable lines in the book (I’m practically stalking for an opening in a conversation so I can use it):
“So what you’re saying is you can’t explain it.”
“I did explain it.”
“No, you used nouns and verbs together in a pleasing but illogical format.”
Bahahahahahaha. Ahem.
[b:The Dream Thieves|17347389|The Dream Thieves (The Raven Cycle, #2)|Maggie Stiefvater|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1477103777s/17347389.jpg|21598446] continues the story of the Raven Boys and Blue Sargent as they search for the Glendower, the long lost king of Wales. This second of four books focuses more on Ronan Lynch than the first, and he is arguably the MC/POV but all the others still figure well into the story. For myself, I kept wishing we would see more of Maura and the Gray Man, but then the book would probably have been too long…ah well, maybe in the next one.
Ronan is still a complete and total dick. No worries, guys, your daredevil bad boy isn’t going anywhere. He just proves to a be a badass with a soft spot for home, and family, and the balls to go with his sharp tongue. He’s the emo, complicated boy type at its finest. With a couple of twists. Like the whole dreaming deal he has going on. I’m trying reeeeeeeally hard not to give actual spoilers but…yeah. Oh, and Ronan also has an extremely quotable line (I’ve already used this one, and I want the fucking t-shirt, damn it):
“I am being perfectly fucking civil.”
His depth of love and commitment to his family is his most redeeming quality. Ronan is so far from perfect…but the Raven Boys and Blue need him. They need him as the avenging angel that will sacrifice himself to do whatever is needed to protect them. Ronan has pretty much given up his right (and let’s be honest…he gets off on the thrill so it hasn’t been THAT hard for him) to an easy conscience. He still doesn’t do anything SO bad…but he will protect his own, no matter what it costs him. We still get to see a softer, more vulnerable side sometimes – with his brother Matthew, and with Chainsaw. Who knew a raven could be cute?
There’s a lot of development of the other characters as well, almost to the detriment of the overall plot. I suppose that’s a point against, but I didn’t actually mind it, I was so interested in seeing more of Ronan’s family, and Blue’s 300 Fox Way family.
For Blue, there was family – which had never been about blood relation at 300 Fox Way – and then there was everyone else.
I adore Blue…she’s some awesome combination of spunky and unsure and sweet…someone I’d want for a friend. Her killer kiss curse isn’t quite so much in the forefront in this book, which I liked. This one just overall felt less like high school. They were focused on more important things in general, even though there’s still a bit of tension of love/like between them. There’s one part in particular where Blue and Noah – Noah, of all people! – almost broke my face in half, I was grinning so hard at their awkward adorableness – totally non-romantic, but adorable. I loved that we saw more of Maura, and that she was more than just Blue’s mom. That’s something so often left out of YA novels, it was very refreshing. Especially as an older reader, I felt like I could relate to her.
The appetizers were delicious, not because of the kitchen, but because all food eaten in anticipation of a kiss is delicious.
^The waiting, yo, the waiting.
Last but not at all least, there is Adam. To me Adam has always been a sympathetic character and one I could identify with, for several reasons. I guess in the first book he sometimes seemed a bit whiny, but really…his backbone, ability to pick himself up again and again, and his work ethic won me over. His pride, which so often gets in the way of others helping him, is so much a part of him that no one really wants him to get rid of it. In this book he’s struggling with the parts of him he’s inherited from his father, struggling with being able to express himself without being cut down (either literally or figuratively) for it – and guess what? He’s a teenage boy. With issues. It’s hard. He makes mistakes. But he’s just…he’s such a sweetheart. And the fact that, of all the Raven Boys, he feels the most alone…it just breaks my little heart. I wanted to make him hot chocolate and tuck him in bed, to make him feel safe and cared for.
If he had no one to wrap their arms around him when he was sad, could he be forgiven for letting his anger lead him?
I really hope that Adam finds some real happiness in the next two books. If he doesn’t, I swear…I’ll be reduced to writing fanfic to give him some.
I gave this book 5/5 stars, which surprised me, especially since the first one was only 3.5/5! I just loved it so freaking much, for so many reasons. I really fell in love with all the characters in this one, much more than in the first. I’m still very intrigued in the Glendower part of the story (especially with the complete realization of Ronan’s ability to dream things into being), but right now I would follow these characters anywhere.