Mini-Review: THE DREAM THIEVES by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: The Dream Thieves
Author: Maggie Stiefvater (@mstiefvater)
Published: September 17th, 2013
Series: The Raven Cycle #2
Genre: YA Fantasy
POV: 3rd, multiple
Pages: 439
Publisher: Scholastic
Format: eARC / Hardcover
Source: Netgalley / Purchased
Rating: Loved

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...

I can easily sum up my thoughts on The Dream Thieves in one tweet:

I finally finished THE DREAM THIEVES, and I can't decide if I should praise or curse @mstiefvater. And now I really wish I had BL,LB...
— Lea J. (@YABookQueen) September 16, 2014

To say a little more, while keeping this spoiler-free, The Dream Thieves is evocative, surprising, and incredibly emotional (for the characters, and for the reader). The best part of this story is Ronan, a character I never fully understood in The Raven Boys, and perhaps still do not fully understand now. But, with this novel, Stiefvater reveals sides to Ronan that I never would have imagined. Mysteries and secrets are explained and revealed, while more questions surface as the search for Glendower continues. But now, it's not only Blue, Gansey, Ronan, Noah, and Adam who are looking, but a mysterious hit man arrives in search for something very important to Cabeswater. 

Highlights: Stiefvater focuses this novel on Ronan, but still switches to other character points-of-view. Despite the constant bouncing around, it never becomes confusing, and it always feels like the right move. Stiefvater even manages to make me care for characters who I shouldn't sympathize for. Luckily, she also gave me a character to hate¹, and continued to develop the characters I already adored from the last novel. But, it is the surprises, the reveals, the oh-my-gosh-what-is-going-to-happen-next moments that makes this story shine. 

Lowlights: THAT ENDING². Darn you, cliffhanger. I almost yelled at the book. OKAY, I might have yelled at the book. *sighs* 

Rating: The Royal Library, Top Shelf: Loved, 5 out of 5. It took me a year to read simply because I was enjoying it so much and didn't want it to end. This is a magnificent sequel. The Dream Thieves moves slowly, easing you into the still water before pulling you deep into a rushing river of emotions, surprises, and so much more. 

1 Kavinsky, you are a terrible person.
2 WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME, STIEFVATER?! I'm trying to resist the urge to read BL,LB right away, because I know it will make me desperately want the last still-needs-to-be-published novel. 

Covers! Standoff, Royal Wedding, The Fever and more

DAUGHTER OF DEEP SILENCE

Very stunning! 

SKYSCRAPING

A bit bizarre, but it makes me do a double take.

STAND OFF

Looks great (and will look perfect with the first book)!

ROYAL WEDDING

A NEW PRINCESS DIARIES BOOK!!!! Excuse me while I fangirl. I loved these books as a teenager, so I'm excited to see Cabot's writing an adult novel for Mia. 

Cover Changes

THE VANISHING GIRLS

(original cover / current cover)

I loved how the original expressed the vanishing concept, but I like the new one too. 

THE FEVER 

(hardcover / paperback)

 

Both are ominous, but the first makes me more curious.

EXILE
(hardcover / paperback)

 

Small change, and I like both.

Any other covers catch your eye? 

Update and The Maze Runner Twitter Party

UPDATE

Firstly, I'm FINALLY back from my blogging break! I had a crazy first semester of grad school, and it's nice to have some relaxation time. Plus, that crazy 1-hour oral exam for my graduate program (where I had to read 154 works and take the exam without notes)? I passed! So happy that is over, because that took over all of my free time. It will be so nice to finally be able to read for fun, instead of for school.

I'll be slowly easing back into blogging over the next couple weeks and catching up on commenting this weekend. 

THE MAZE RUNNER TWITTER PARTY

Friday, December 19th 
5PM PT | 6PM MT | 8PM ET

#MazeRunnerFriday
@JamesDashner

I saw this in theaters, and trust me, the film is just as thrilling and exciting as the book. There are some book-to-film changes, but I liked the ones that were made. I'm not sure if I'll be at the twitter party, since it will be difficult to get my hands on the movie before Friday, but I'll try! It's bound to be fun!

Hope everyone is doing well! Happy holidays!

- Lea

Waiting on Wednesday (155): THE NOVICE

WOW is hosted by Breaking the Spine

THE NOVICE by Taran Matharu
May 5th, 2015 from Feiwel & Friends

When blacksmith apprentice Fletcher discovers that he has the ability to summon demons from another world, he travels to Adept Military Academy. There the gifted are trained in the art of summoning. Fletcher is put through grueling training as a battlemage to fight in the Hominum Empire’s war against orcs. He must tread carefully while training alongside children of powerful nobles. The power hungry, those seeking alliances, and the fear of betrayal surround him. Fletcher finds himself caught in the middle of powerful forces, with only his demon Ignatius for help.

As the pieces on the board maneuver for supremacy, Fletcher must decide where his loyalties lie. The fate of an empire is in his hands. The Novice is the first in a trilogy about Fletcher, his demon Ignatius, and the war against the Orcs.

Sounds like a fascinating story! And I quite like the slight Throne of Glass vibe the cover is giving off...I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for this book next year. 

What are you waiting on?