The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: The Dream Thieves (The Raven Cycle #2)
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Scholastic Books (18th September 2013)
Blurb:

Blue didn’t mean to fall for the Raven Boys, but she has – and the more her life entwines with theirs, the more dangerous it becomes.

Ronan is the most dangerous of all.

He’s the haunted one, the darkest, the most raven.

His dreams invade reality and confuse what is true.

With magic growing stronger around them, now is the time to be wary. Before everything unravels . . .

Friendships will be tested.

Someone will get hurt.

And a kiss will be shared.

Rating: *** (3 stars)
Review:

THE DREAM THIEVES is the second book in Maggie Stiefvater’s THE RAVEN CYCLE. This book focuses on the enigmatic Ronan Lynch and on the consequences of the events of THE RAVEN BOYS (review). Blue, Adam and  Gansey all play a prominent role in the book as things start to come to a head, and the hunt for Glendower takes a back burner as secrets are revealed.

THE DREAM THIEVES is a superb addition to THE RAVEN CYCLE. It did take me a while to get back into the story of the series, but as Stiefvater has created a really complex world this wasn’t really surprising. However, once I got back into the swing of the world everything just seemed to fall into place and I devoured the book, hungry to know what happened next.

Secrets and dreams play a large role in THE DREAM THIEVES, and I’m guessing that secrets will play a large part in the cycle as a whole. Stiefvater’s prologue was brilliantly written, and I loved some of the images and ideas her text conveyed. In that opening chapter Stiefvater’s use of language gives a real sense about Ronan Lynch’s character and I enjoyed the insight. It also really sets the tone for the rest of the book.

The plot of THE DREAM THIEVES is a pleasingly complex one, with many subplots running through it. As THE DREAM THIEVES allows us more of an insight into Ronan’s character, it also plays out the consequences of Adam’s choice at the end of THE RAVEN BOYS. The fallout of this choice makes for some interesting by-play in the story, as the Adam pre-choice has to give way to the Adam post-choice. It is really interesting to watch Adam change as a character, and to see how this changes his relationship with the other raven boys and with Blue.

In many ways Blue and Gansey are the only constants between THE RAVEN BOYS and THE DREAM THIEVES, as they remain the least changed of the characters. In fact, they both become almost islands in a river of change. Yet, at the same time they are affected by the choices of the others. Noah plays a less prominent role in this book, but I really enjoyed his appearances. I especially like the way that Stiefvater writes his relationship with both Ronan and Blue.

THE DREAM THIEVES is a brilliant addition to THE RAVEN CYCLE. It really adds another layer of complexity to the world. I look forward to reading the third book in the cycle. If you are a fan of Celtic/Norse legends, or a fan of Maggie Stiefvater then you should definitely check this series out.