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billyjepma's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The additional worldbuilding and new characters Stiefvater introduced in her sequel series are total gold and feel like perfect extensions of everything she did with The Raven Cycle. She had a unique, incredibly compelling way of merging reality with fantasy without diminishing the strengths of either. This is a creative, exciting, and big story and I enjoyed it immensely for all those reasons.
But the central protagonist is a mostly one-note character whose perspective is so shallow that I almost dropped off entirely in the second act. Ronan Lynch is a perfect supporting character—he adds the right kind of tension and dimension to an ensemble that steals the spotlight without fully claiming it. But as the protagonist, his shortcomings become distracting. I like where he ends up at the end of this book, so I have hope for the following two books, but I was bored by him here, especially considering how interesting his supporting cast is. Every other character is so cool and engages with the dangerous, fantastical world Stiefvater dreamt up in unexpected ways. It’s exciting stuff, and thankfully, all of that comes to the forefront in time for the thrilling third act. The various storylines finally come together and Ronan gets to work off other characters, which is where he’s at his best.
My trepidations aside, I’m excited for more and even more excited to see Stiefvater lean harder into the wilder, almost cosmic fantasy (horror?) she’s been teasing us with.
But the central protagonist is a mostly one-note character whose perspective is so shallow that I almost dropped off entirely in the second act. Ronan Lynch is a perfect supporting character—he adds the right kind of tension and dimension to an ensemble that steals the spotlight without fully claiming it. But as the protagonist, his shortcomings become distracting. I like where he ends up at the end of this book, so I have hope for the following two books, but I was bored by him here, especially considering how interesting his supporting cast is. Every other character is so cool and engages with the dangerous, fantastical world Stiefvater dreamt up in unexpected ways. It’s exciting stuff, and thankfully, all of that comes to the forefront in time for the thrilling third act. The various storylines finally come together and Ronan gets to work off other characters, which is where he’s at his best.
My trepidations aside, I’m excited for more and even more excited to see Stiefvater lean harder into the wilder, almost cosmic fantasy (horror?) she’s been teasing us with.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Violence, Body horror, Death, Cursing, and Murder
Minor: Abandonment, Death of parent, Car accident, and Animal death
triley's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, and Death
Moderate: Blood, Vomit, Violence, Drug use, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Murder, Suicide, and Gun violence
imds's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Abandonment, Death of parent, Vomit, Violence, Terminal illness, Gun violence, Murder, and Grief
danaslitlist's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Maggie Stiefvater did it again; she penned another novel that gripped me from beginning to end and ran me through every emotion that's humanely possible. I'm not sure how she manages to consistently write books that leave me clawing for more at the end of every page and remain creative and fresh.
Call Down The Hawk (CDTH) is everything The Raven Cycle (TRC) is and isn't. There's moments in CDTH that make you remember the flavor of TRC, but in its entirety it manages to stand alone. One of the main aspect of the book that I loved the most was that it felt as if it was written for the fans of TRC who had grown up since the first series had concluded. It was more mature, a bit darker, a bit more in everything. Maggie has a great gift for writing for a large variety of readers ranging from young adult to new adult audiences.
It isn't so much a fantasy as TRC. Call Down The Hawk is instead more focused on the realities of our every day world and how Dreamers and Dreamkillers, as well as those stuck in between are forced to function knowing that magic is so deeply rooted around them. The themes are heavier and the stakes feel higher. Where I described The Raven Cycle as "Stand by Me" meets "Buzzfeed Unsolved", Call Down The Hawk feels more reminiscent of an action/detective movie meets TRC.
I love the new characters so much and that was one of my biggest fears going into this series. It's impossible to not compare characters from a previous series, especially ones that had such a huge impact on Ronan's story. But the new additions are fleshed out and so complex that I didn't find myself missing the Gangsey. The expansion of the world of dreamers was everything I had hoped it would be and seeing how there are so many other sides to the coin that is Ronan was enjoyable. It was also a pleasure to have more of an inside look into Declan and Matthew.
I understand for some fans of the Raven Cycle, that the changes in terms of how this book is written (though I'd argue it is so distinctly Maggie Stiefvater) and the theme changes could lead to feeling let down. But I think it's important to remember that this series, while connected to TRC, is not supposed to be a cut out of that series. This is the world of the Lynch Brothers and The Henneseys, of Farooq-Lane and the Visionaries. And I think in that regard it is perfect in every way.
Please check out the content warnings as mentioned above, some of the themes are darker and may be triggering).
Call Down The Hawk (CDTH) is everything The Raven Cycle (TRC) is and isn't. There's moments in CDTH that make you remember the flavor of TRC, but in its entirety it manages to stand alone. One of the main aspect of the book that I loved the most was that it felt as if it was written for the fans of TRC who had grown up since the first series had concluded. It was more mature, a bit darker, a bit more in everything. Maggie has a great gift for writing for a large variety of readers ranging from young adult to new adult audiences.
It isn't so much a fantasy as TRC. Call Down The Hawk is instead more focused on the realities of our every day world and how Dreamers and Dreamkillers, as well as those stuck in between are forced to function knowing that magic is so deeply rooted around them. The themes are heavier and the stakes feel higher. Where I described The Raven Cycle as "Stand by Me" meets "Buzzfeed Unsolved", Call Down The Hawk feels more reminiscent of an action/detective movie meets TRC.
I love the new characters so much and that was one of my biggest fears going into this series. It's impossible to not compare characters from a previous series, especially ones that had such a huge impact on Ronan's story. But the new additions are fleshed out and so complex that I didn't find myself missing the Gangsey. The expansion of the world of dreamers was everything I had hoped it would be and seeing how there are so many other sides to the coin that is Ronan was enjoyable. It was also a pleasure to have more of an inside look into Declan and Matthew.
I understand for some fans of the Raven Cycle, that the changes in terms of how this book is written (though I'd argue it is so distinctly Maggie Stiefvater) and the theme changes could lead to feeling let down. But I think it's important to remember that this series, while connected to TRC, is not supposed to be a cut out of that series. This is the world of the Lynch Brothers and The Henneseys, of Farooq-Lane and the Visionaries. And I think in that regard it is perfect in every way.
Please check out the content warnings as mentioned above, some of the themes are darker and may be triggering).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Murder, and Suicide
Moderate: Death of parent
msradiosilence's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Tldr; Ronan and company are back and better than ever, and the cast, the writing, and the stakes are *chef’s kiss*.
Read my full review at: https://www.rainyreader.com/single-post/call-down-the-hawk.
Read my full review at: https://www.rainyreader.com/single-post/call-down-the-hawk.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Suicide, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Cursing, Gun violence, Mental illness, and Murder
Moderate: Alcohol, Drug use, and Trafficking
theespressoedition's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I believe that it's saying something, that this book could receive a higher rating than any one of the novels in The Raven Cycle. It was never that I "disliked" those books, so much as I was so incredibly baffled by them that I never really grasped what was happening, which made it so that I never got the chance to really love them. However, I could see myself truly loving The Dreamer Trilogy, so long as the next two books are as good as this one!
Because this is a spin-off of The Raven Cycle, we already know all about Ronan Lynch and his dreamer abilities. While he's one of the most popular characters in the original series, I never really found myself connecting with him, and I much preferred the other members of the cast. In this book, I was a huge fan. There was a vulnerability and intrigue to him that didn't exist for me before and I loved that he became a leader of sorts in this story.
In addition to that, there's a much larger focus on the other Lynch brothers, who I was always incredibly curious about. Declan was this kind of shady, shifty shadow figure in the other books, but this one gave him a story and a purpose. I was very drawn to him and could understand why Jordan Hennessy was as well. And of course, who doesn't love Matthew? I mean, that's literally his biggest personality trait: he's lovable. So, it came as no surprise that I found myself tearing up a bit during certain moments with him towards the end of the book.
JORDAN HENNESSY. This girl is a new favorite character for me, for sure. I am completely and utterly fascinated by her. She's the result of OG Hennessy's dreams going awry (or really, the fact that Hennessy has no idea how to dream in the first place, something that was also fascinating) and she has her own personality and life outside of her creator. I longed for her to experience freedom and I'm hopeful that at some point, she achieves that during this trilogy.
Honestly, I flew through this book because it had the same "edge of your seat/what's going to happen next" quality of The Raven Cycle, but with a lot more explanation - something I really, really needed! I can't wait to pick up Mister Impossible to see what these characters get up to next!
Because this is a spin-off of The Raven Cycle, we already know all about Ronan Lynch and his dreamer abilities. While he's one of the most popular characters in the original series, I never really found myself connecting with him, and I much preferred the other members of the cast. In this book, I was a huge fan. There was a vulnerability and intrigue to him that didn't exist for me before and I loved that he became a leader of sorts in this story.
In addition to that, there's a much larger focus on the other Lynch brothers, who I was always incredibly curious about. Declan was this kind of shady, shifty shadow figure in the other books, but this one gave him a story and a purpose. I was very drawn to him and could understand why Jordan Hennessy was as well. And of course, who doesn't love Matthew? I mean, that's literally his biggest personality trait: he's lovable. So, it came as no surprise that I found myself tearing up a bit during certain moments with him towards the end of the book.
JORDAN HENNESSY. This girl is a new favorite character for me, for sure. I am completely and utterly fascinated by her. She's the result of OG Hennessy's dreams going awry (or really, the fact that Hennessy has no idea how to dream in the first place, something that was also fascinating) and she has her own personality and life outside of her creator. I longed for her to experience freedom and I'm hopeful that at some point, she achieves that during this trilogy.
Honestly, I flew through this book because it had the same "edge of your seat/what's going to happen next" quality of The Raven Cycle, but with a lot more explanation - something I really, really needed! I can't wait to pick up Mister Impossible to see what these characters get up to next!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Suicide, Blood, and Death of parent
Moderate: Death, Body horror, and Gore
limiwh's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, and Gun violence
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Suicide, Body horror, and Blood
epicecho's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Death, and Death of parent
seanamcphie's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Suicide, Chronic illness, Grief, Violence, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Blood, Mental illness, Murder, Body horror, Vomit, Cursing, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Classism, Suicide attempt, Drug abuse, Sexual content, and Self harm
madhattress's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Before I read this book, I was under the impression that with books, I had a stone heart. But this book, parts of it just hit home, I have never truly FELT so moved by a book. And what I love so much is Jordan's struggle with being only a part of someone else, how she struggles to wrench free from her bounds and from this life she had no choice in coming into. It is almost as if she is an only child, trapped by tge confines of her parents but trying to grow up, grow out, but she is held back because she's expected to stay, expected to be the same. I loved this book, the characters touch my heart like nothing before, and I can't wait to read the next book. :)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Suicide