A review by emmaladams
The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

5.0

Wow. What is it about Maggie Stiefvater’s writing that makes it so hard to write a review? The second book in the Raven Cycle is just as indescribably brilliant as the first, picking up where The Raven Boys left off. Blue and the Raven Boys continue their quest to find Glendower – a Welsh king buried beneath their town, who is believed to grant a favour upon awakening. With the ley lines around Henrietta awakened, the different members of the group react in different ways. Ronan becomes the central character, as the story revolves around his ability to pull objects from dreams – an ability inherited from his father, whose murder still haunts him. But other, sinister entities start to follow him out of the dream world, and two antagonists, fellow Aglionby student Kavinsky and the sinisterly ordinary-seeming Gray Man, both want his powers for their own reasons.

The characterisation is superb. All the characters feel like real people, complicated and three-dimensional. Maggie Stiefvater builds layers upon layers, delivering more jaw-dropping twists even than in the previous book. Despite the modern setting, the depth of the story makes the impossible seem real. The writing has both subtle humour and poignancy. This is YA paranormal that manages to be totally unique, and I’ll be first in line for the next book!