Review: The Dream Thieves (The Raven Cycle #2) – Maggie Stiefvater

Dream-Thieves-CoverNow that the ley lines around Cabeswater have been woken, nothing for Ronan, Gansey, Blue, and Adam will be the same. 

Ronan, for one, is falling more and more deeply into his dreams, and his dreams are intruding more and more into waking life. 

Meanwhile, some very sinister people are looking for some of the same pieces of the Cabeswater puzzle that Gansey is after…

Rating: 5/5

Absolutely exquisite.

I don’t know how a book manages to be so funny and irreverent and snarky but so serious and heartbreaking and horrifying all at the same time.

But this? This was a wondrous, delightful sequel.

Some may say that Blue represents the manic pixie dream girl, but no matter her eccentricities – of which there are many – she is nobody’s wish fulfilment, which Gansey and Adam realise very quickly. She doesn’t hesitate to put them in their place or stand up for herself against Gansey’s unintentional condescension or Adam’s anger or Ronan’s rudeness or Noah’s occasional creepy ghost antics.

I adore the friendships, love and affection amongst the boys – even amid their angst and anger, they still care about each other. Brotherhood, man.

I love how the characters are realistically flawed. I’ve seen some hefty criticism on Tumblr re: certain characters and their development, and all I can say in response is that these are teenagers, and human, and human nature is flawed. They’re not perfect, and they say hurtful things, and making displeasing decisions, but they’re heroic and wonderful all the same.

I love the worldbuilding. The psychics, the Latin trees, Cabeswater, the roles they all have to play.

Also, how did Maggie Stiefvater make me feel sorry for an ASSASSIN?

There were so many, many quotes that I wanted to include, but it would have essentially ended up with me including something from every second page.

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7 thoughts on “Review: The Dream Thieves (The Raven Cycle #2) – Maggie Stiefvater

  1. Faye M. says:

    God, I really need to get my ass to get this one already. Everyone I know is raving about this series and the author! I was actually initially hesitant because I read the Scorpion Races and was bored, and I honestly was wary of starting another Stiefvater, but this series seems to be in a whole different league altogether! Plus, I can’t wait to read some of that delicious character development ^.^

    Faye at The Social Potato

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    • fullybookedreviews says:

      Ha yes I think The Dream Thieves is the best of the series. I didn’t like Stiefvater’s Shiver series that much (well, only read the first book) but I think she’s upped her game quite a lot. Some of the characters are a bit pretentious/manic pixie, but the world building and banter are a delight.

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  2. Christina (A Reader of Fictions) says:

    “I don’t know how a book manages to be so funny and irreverent and snarky but so serious and heartbreaking and horrifying all at the same time.” <- THIS.

    TDT was one of my very favorites last year. Need book four so hard. And, about the hurtful things, I really love when characters do that, say mean things in the heat of the moment and then have to regret and eventually apologize. That is life.

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    • fullybookedreviews says:

      Thank you for your thoughtful comment! While I’ve read book 3, I have yet to review it – I think I’ll need to do a reread first. And of course, I am greatly looking forward to book 4. I’m not sure how she will be able to resolve it without breaking hearts, but I trust Maggie!

      And re: characters doing stupid/hurtful things – that’s exactly my response. I’ve seen a lot of criticism of Adam’s/Gansey’s actions, but they’re not some paragons of virtue and they shouldn’t be depicted as such – they’re teenage boys, and they screw up exponentially, and when they make up, it’s not always with a direct apology. /rant over

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  3. deysemhf says:

    I so agree with you, this book was both so funny and made me laugh out loud at so made times but also broke my heart in a million pieces so many times – I think it’s the magic of Maggie’s writing, she probably found her own death King and asked for it as her wish.
    The Gray main thing right? I also couldn’t believe I was rooting for a ried assassin, him being troubled or not, but still he captivated my heart as all the other characters of this series.
    Also the ships are so glorious right? On the next book I think it was even better.

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    • fullybookedreviews says:

      Thank you for the lovely comment! The ships were utterly gorgeous, and they were certainly developed further in Blue Lily, Lily Blue. Maggie Stiefvater’s writing is magical, and I’m so looking forward to the final book!

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