A review by snakeboba
The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

5.0

The second edition to The Raven Cycle, The Dream Thieves, is as magical as the first book that started the series off. Even the character development is apparent and wonderful addition to the story. There is no disappointment with this sequel unless you count the fact we are still very aware Richard Campbell Gansey III is going to die and Adam is possibly to blame.

The focus of The Dream Thieves is Ronan Lynch and his secrets. He is not a man who lies because even if he appears wicked to his core when he grins, he is not this awful creature. He is a boy who witness a dreadful thing and refusing to recover, or maybe refusing to let it hurt him anymore openly. He says what he feels and sometimes it is not what anyone truly wants to hear. Either way what no one knows about Ronan is he is able to take from dreams and bring those items into the reality. This is where Chainsaw came from. This explains his terrible sleeping pattern and strange happenings. This was the downfall of his father.

What Ronan does not know is there is someone like him. That someone like him is stealing far too much, using far too much energy. That someone needs to be stopped. It is not only messing with the balance, it has brought attention to the Dream Thieves. This notice is dangerous. A hazardous notice because the man who sent for the item to be found will stop at nothing to have it. Obviously Ronan is not a device. So he must be wise with what he does. He must stop who is abusing the power. The question is will he discover all this in time or will he risk blowing his cover?

A trial for the group is Adam. When he signed off to be Cabeswater’s eyes and ears he did not realize the tax the change would take on his body and mind. He is different, yet the same. He has venomous rage boiling in his veins, waiting to strike. He is a terrified boy. He is a virtuous man. Adam is all these things that contradict and piece together. All he wants is out of the town, to be more than the trailer park he came from. He hungers to find Glendower before Gansey. He wants to prove he is more than his friend. He wants to kiss Blue more than anything.

The drawback is Cabeswater has disappeared yet surging with power. They have to find it. They have to bring it back. Without the ancient forest with complex time cycles they cannot find the Welsh king. Adam cannot understand what it needs. Ronan is diligent into solving the riddle his father left. Gansey is not sure if anything is enough. Blue is falling for the boy she knows will die.

These are the pieces that keep you reading. You need to know Adam is okay or if the pressure of power will end him. You have to find out what Ronan’s father has done and if he has stopped the other thief. More so if Gansey closer to finding the king or is it falling from his fingers. Yet most of all will Blue discover who her father ever is while her mother searches or will she lose everything in these last coming months?

As I said there is clear character growth. I adored the attention on Ronan to make sense of who he is and how he came to be, as well as to understand his family. It was terrific and terrifying to see what Adam has become and what he is capable of doing once he understands. Blue reminds this stunning girl who can be easily to relate to, however even she is rising and having to face challenges she wish did not exist. Noah, beautiful boy, is this brilliant ghost able to cause your heart to ache even if he has few appearances because of Cabeswater being unstable. Finally Gansey has his moment at home where we see the flaws of his family to hide behind a superb mask to never give away the awful things that are happening and where his downfall might be because of this.

Oh does this book give your heart the biggest ache it could feel and warm your body up all the same. Definitely earned the ★★★★★ as it does not final the first one and sets up surely the plot for the next books to come. Stiefvater does not displease once more.