Book: The Dream Thieves by Maggie StiefvaterGenre: YA Paranormal
Rating: ★★★★☆
For: Review
From: NetGalley (to be released September 17, 2013)
I loved the first book, The Raven Boys, so I expected great things from this second book. And while it was a blast and a really good read, it still didn't grab me quite as hard as that first book. Yeah, sometimes that happens!
But still, it was a great story. In this installment, Gansey is still on his quest to find the old Scottish (I think) king, but the focus is less on that and more on Ronan who, we learn, has a pretty powerful secret of his own. He can steal stuff from dreams! (Thus the title! So not a spoiler, right?)
Anyway, this power gets pretty complicated and causes all sorts of trauma and trouble. But the biggest problem with this power is that there's someone out there who wants it and has come to get it. Enter the villain who walks a gray line (ha! Gray!) and we aren't sure... is he bad, or is he good? Gah, these sorts of villains make me crazy! In a good way! Yes, I loved the introduction of this creepy dude. I hope we see more of him.
And then there's Adam. One of my favorite dudes in recent books. Wow, he has issues! You just want to give him a hug and fix him! I had a problem remembering exactly what happened at the end of the first book, but whatever it was, it really messed up Adam. (I still need to go and review that ending, so if you do pick up this the second book, be sure you remember what happened with Adam at the end of the last one. It will help.)
So, he is tied to the ley line somehow, the one they messed with and woke up in the first book which then stirred up all sorts of magical stress and chaos. In this book that continues, with Adam right in the thick of things. Poor Adam. As if he needs any more stress in his life. I don't' know what it is about this particular Raven boy, but I just adore him.
And then there's Noah and Blue... who have a little lesser role in this book, but they do have a nice moment, a surprising moment, and one you want to keep your eye open for!
So the book is a big set up for solving the whole "finding the king" issue. We get a bit sidetracked here with Ronan's "gift" and then by the end, we are on track again to help Gansey. I can't wait to see how it all goes down. I love these guys (though Ronan scares me a bit) and can't wait to find out what happens next!
Bottom line: Awesome book, awesome characters.
Other Reviews:
Imagination was superb and Ms. Stiefvater creates yet another spell binding book that brought out the true meaning of paranormal. From Books With Bite
I would be remiss not to mention a certain character that almost stole the show – and my heart – from the Raven Boys: the Gray Man. From Book Harbinger
The most exciting part? Seeing Gansey and Blue get a little closer … man, I wanna see them together! From Proud Book Nerd
It was so deliciously dangerous being inside Ronan's head for the duration of this dark, dark book. From Angieville
No one gets off easy here, Adam especially, and this book is more anger, and arguing, and angst than the first. From Read This Instead
I didn't love this one quite as much as the first, either. But I loved the first kind of a ridiculous amount, so I guess I should have expected that.
ReplyDeleteSo you still liked Adam in this one? I was a big fan in the first but spent a lot of the second wondering why they were even friends with him sometimes. (I am fickle with my book boys!) But I liked everyone in the end, even the gray character. :)