Best of the Month: April 2015: The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater (The Raven Cycle #2)

A search for a tomb and awesome magic
May 1, 2015
3 min read

The search for Glendower, a ancient king, is heating up. Gansey and the other raven boys, along with Blue, aren't the only people searching for the monarch. While they're making progress in the hunt, it may not be enough to keep them safe. Everything changes when Ronan begins to develop his supernatural ability to pull objects out of dreams into the real world. Ronan's powers may be the key to solving the mystery of Glendower's whereabouts as the five friends bend the rules of time and reality to find the king. However, Ronan's powers are proving more a curse than a blessing. People are looking for him, and pulling things out of dreams has a lethal side effect: sometimes, you can't keep your nightmares from coming out.

Up first is Ronan. I find him to be one of the most fascinating characters in the books, which is certainly saying something! There's so many questions aboutt he boy. Why is he so hostile? How did he and Gansey become such fast friends? I stilld on't know all the answers. Ronan comes off as a total jerk, looking for fights whenever he can and always getting into spats with his brothers. The way he keeps himself so closed off makes me want to figure him out. Ronan seems to blame himself for his father's strange death, which I can sympathize with, and he's a very intelligent boy despite the fact that he brushes off school. In the end, as much as he doesn't seem to care, he does whatever it takes when his younger brother is in trouble and is kind enought o help Adam scrape together some extra money. Ronan is very complex and interesting.

As for Blue, she's a remarkable heroine. She is happy to find friends in the four boys, but she also is wistful because she'll never be quite like them simply because she's a girl. I can identify with her wish to belong and the way she feels like she's not quite as close as the others in her group of friends. She also has some feelings for Gansey, although she's not ready to admit it yet. I like how there's no insta-love and the love interest is being developed slowly but surely!

I love how Stiefvater writes. It might seem like a simple thing to do, but she weaves aspects of th characters' personalities into everything they say and do in a way that allows you to get a clear image of them quickly, and yet you continue to learn more about the characters as you go along in the story. It's very touching and beautiful to read.

This was an astounding sequel! I loved the major character development in Ronana and the slightly more subtle developments in Blue. All the characters in the story are relatable and undoubtably real. Between the search for Glendower and Ronan's powers, the book has plenty of magic and mystery. Stiefvater's style makes her books a joy to read and I think the idea of the series is very original with endless creativity! The plot was great with some fighting that got my heart pounding and a cliffhanger ending that left me eager for the next book in the series. I love the bond that Blue and the raven boys have. It's heartwarming to see how for they're willing to go to take care of each other. The Dream Thieves was mesmerizing, and I was hanging on to every word! This series is a must read for every fan of fantasy and the supernatural. 5/5 stars!