Review: The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

Posted by Jessi (Geo) on May 27, 2016 | 1 Comment


Review: The Dream Thieves by Maggie StiefvaterThe Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater
Series: The Raven Cycle #2
Published by Scholastic Press (9.17.2013)
Genres: Urban Fantasy, Young Adult
Format: Hardcover, 439 pages
Source: I own it


5 Stars

If you could steal things from dreams, what would you take?

Ronan Lynch has secrets. Some he keeps from others. Some he keeps from himself.

One secret: Ronan can bring things out of his dreams.

And sometimes he's not the only one who wants those things.

Ronan is one of the raven boys—a group of friends, practically brothers, searching for a dead king named Glendower, who they think is hidden somewhere in the hills by their elite private school, Aglionby Academy. The path to Glendower has long lived as an undercurrent beneath town. But now, like Ronan's secrets, it is beginning to rise to the surface—changing everything in its wake.

My thoughts

In that moment, Blue was a little in love with all of them. Their magic. Their quest. Their awfulness and strangeness. Her raven boys.

Okay first of all, I cannot believe I waited so long to read this series! I’m really surprised by how much I’m enjoying it. I didn’t expect that!

Can we please just talk about how FREAKING EPIC dream thieving is?! I loved that so much it’s not even funny. It’s quite possibly the coolest idea ever, and one of my favorite concepts I’ve read in a long time! I mean, I saw everyone talking about the whole “psychic reading and dream thieving” thing, but I don’t know what I expected ‘dream thieving’ to be like, I guess? Not that! View Spoiler »

The trees speak Latin.

I just love the magic of this series so much! It’s very difficult to describe the feel of this book, but I love it. Everything about Cabeswater and the ley lines, the hunt for Glendower, and the Greywaren. And holy crap, the night terrors!! Creepy, man. Those scenes were so intense!

My feels were pretty strong for this book – I could feel the wanting between Gansey and Blue like it was my own. I don’t like romance but this one is so real, and it’s kind of forbidden, so it just gets to me. I love the unexpected kind of relationships! The part where Noah and Blue kissed experimentally had me cracking up one minute, then practically getting misty when they both started thinking about how it was something neither of them could have. (It’s just SO HEARTBREAKING. Poor Noah.) Then the part where Blue thought, How terrible would it be to not have a mother who loved you? That part really got to me, too, as someone who has a strong sense of family and a very close relationship with my parents. I can’t even imagine, and thinking about it hurts. It made me really feel for Adam and his situation.

Oh and I tabbed this book in all the places I wanted to make note of – you should see how many tabs there are! So many beautiful passages, hilarious scenes, and things that made me want to hug the book. *happy sigh*

This book is pretty much Ronan’s book. I was curious about him in the first book, and he was probably tied with Gansey as a possible favorite (I’m still pretty undecided honestly). But whatever affection I felt for him then has increased exponentially in this book. You start to see many different facets of him. He seems prickly on the outside, but there’s so much going on under the surface. He’s such a complicated character! View Spoiler »

Adam, on the other hand, needs to get his shit together. I know I know, he had a bad childhood, his father is a douche canoe, blah blah blah…but his pity partying in this book was a bit extreme. I can understand not wanting to take help, but his refusal to let ANYONE help, even his best friends, is getting a bit annoying. He’s independent to a fault. And his behavior at the party…*shakes head* I never really liked him for Blue. View Spoiler »

If you never saw the stars, candles were enough.

If you haven’t read this series yet, YOU NEED TO.

Favorite quotes

In some parallel universe, there was a Gansey who could tell Blue that he found the ten inches of her bare calves far more tantalizing that the thirteen cubic feet of bare skin Orla sported.
HAPPY SHIP HAPPY SHIP

“There aren’t terrible ideas. Just ideas done terribly.”

“What a dreadful thought,” Gansey observed. “Ronan among this crowd.”
For a fleeting moment, Adam could imagine it: the brocade curtains in decaying flames, the decorated consorts screaming from beneath the harpsichord, Ronan standing among it all saying Fuck Washington.
*dies of laughter*

His first secret was himself. He was brother to a liar and brother to an angel, son of a dream and son of a dreamer.

Overall Assessment

Plot: 4.5/5 
Premise: 5/5 
Writing style: 4.5/5 
Originality: 4.5/5 
Characters: 4/5 
World-building: 4/5 
Pace: 4/5 
Feels: 5/5 
Cover: 4/5 
Overall rating: 5/5

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raven boys maggie stiefvater

Jessi (Geo)

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One response to “Review: The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

  1. danielle hammelef

    I’ve always loved dreams and their meanings–I used to keep a dream journal and then try to figure out meaning. This book does sound epic and your review makes me want to read this.

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