Review: The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

The Dream Thieves (The Raven Cycle #2)

Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: YA Fantasy/Paranormal
Release Date: September 17, 2013
Publisher: Scholastic
Source: ARC from Publisher

Description:

The second installment in the all-new series from the masterful, #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater!

Now 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...  

The Dream Thieves is the second book in The Raven Cycle series that continues following Blue and her "Raven Boys" - Adam, Ronan, Gansey, and Noah. Gansey's search for the hidden king continues on, until the day when the group discovers that Cabeswater - the magical forest they've discovered - has disappeared. On top of these problems, Ronan is going through some really hard times in his personal life - not like he'd ever admit it or talk about it with anyone. He's finding it harder to stay out of his dreams and even harder to separate his dreams from reality. While Ronan struggles to gain control of his dreams and the group is trying to figure out how to bring Cabeswater back - a stranger appears in town and just happens to be searching for the same thing as they are. Only this person will stop at nothing until he finds it.

I absolutely LOVED the first book in the series, so I was really excited when I got to read The Dream Thieves. It deals a lot more with Ronan than the rest of the gang, which I wasn't expecting. Ronan is a rough character and can definitely be a jerk most of the time, but the story lets the reader understand him a bit better and learn more about his life. If I thought Ronan was nothing but a jerk looking for a fight before - I was definitely wrong about him. I'm really glad that the author allowed us to get a better grasp of his character and what makes him tick. It certainly explains a lot about his actions in the series. The majority of the plot revolves around Ronan and his exceptional gift that he inherited from his father. This ability is slowing bringing Ronan's dreams into reality though - and that isn't a good thing. His nightmares are unleashed upon the normal world and it's up to him and the rest of the group to get them under control. Cabeswater and Gansey's quest get put on the back burner a bit with this book, along with Blue and her problems. The writing was phenomenal and I was immediately pulled back into the world that the author created within the first couple sentences of the book. The story is fast paced and has a natural flow that kept me eagerly reading to see what was going to happen next. The author uses vivid imagery and detailed descriptions of everything from the setting to the characters and the occurences in the book - so much so that I easily imagined myself alongside Blue and her boys as they tried to figure out what was happening. There's some action, mystery, adventure, and a bit of romance mixed in with the fantasy and paranormal aspects of  the book, so it will definitely appeal to fans of all genres. The only bad thing is now I have to wait (impatiently) for the next book to come out. If you haven't started this series yet, DO IT. It's not like any other series I've read before and definitely gives a fresh take on the genre. Very highly recommended!!

 

Thankful for Books Giveaway Hop!

 

Welcome to the Thankful for Books Giveaway Hop! This hop is all about sharing the love of books - which we are all so thankful for! This hop will run from November 8th to November 13th and is being hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Tristi Pinkston. Make sure to check out the linky at the end of my post and hop over to all the other sites holding awesome giveaways!

For my stop on the hop, I will be giving away (1) paperback ARC of The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater!

Description:

It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.

At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.

Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.  

Rules:
1. Must be a resident of US/CANADA to enter.
2. Must be a follower of my blog. All other entries are optional.
3. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email or I will have to choose a different winner.



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Review: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

The Raven Boys (Raven Cycle #1)
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: YA Paranormal
Release Date: September 18, 2012
Source: ARC from publisher

Description:

“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

From Maggie Stiefvater, the bestselling and acclaimed author of the Shiver trilogy and The Scorpio Races, comes a spellbinding new series where the inevitability of death and the nature of love lead us to a place we’ve never been before.  


Review:

The Raven Boys is the first book in a thrilling new paranormal young adult series by best-selling author Maggie Stiefvater. The novel focuses on Blue Sargent, who lives among a house of psychic female relatives, yet has never had any abilities of her own. During St. Mark's Eve, Blue accompanies her great aunt to an old church to learn the names of people who will die in the coming year. Blue has done this every year for as long as she can remember - except this year - she seems someone. It's a young man who is wearing the uniform of Aglionby - a rich private school in their town. Blue takes on the mission of finding out who he is and trying to warn him. Little does she, or her newfound friends from Aglionby, realize that their lives will never be the same again.

This book was definitely one of the best I've read this year and possibly one of my all-time favorites. The story has so many layers to it and the topics that fill the story are varied but interesting. There's tons of magic, psychic energy, ghosts, ley lines, folklore, mystery, and romance. There's a bit of something for everyone's tastes in this book. The story itself is masterfully written and is completely original and unique. I have never read anything like this before, which is something that I can't say very often. The characters are interesting and have real depth - which makes them easy to identify with early on. The book is fast paced and filled with lots of intrigue and action - which made it a real page turner for me. I literally couldn't - and wouldn't - put it down. I never wanted it to end! I can't comment enough on how extraordinary the plot of this novel is. It's so deep and multi-faceted - it completely enchants you right from the first page. The setting is full of mystery and magic, which only adds to the sense of adventure that the plot evokes. I could ramble on and on about how much I loved this book and why. I highly recommend that everyone reads this book - you won't be disappointed! As for me, I am now impatiently waiting for the next book in the series (even though it won't be coming out for a long time). READ THIS BOOK NOW!!

 

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly Meme hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine. Book bloggers present upcoming books they can’t wait to read and share their enthusiasm about new releases.

Author: Maggie Stiefvater

Title: The Raven Boys

Series: N/A

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Genre: Paranormal/YA

Release Date: September 18, 2012

Amazon Description: “There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

What book are you waiting on?