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A review by theespressoedition
Call Down the Hawk by Maggie Stiefvater
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