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A review by lit_terary
Call Down the Hawk by Maggie Stiefvater
3.0
I’m so confused and so torn. Some parts of it I really loved on a spiritual level, others left me disappointed and heavily disconnected. It's definitely something other than my beloved "Raven Cycle", but, certainly, I can't fault Maggie Stiefvater for that. She's trying to grow, and the stories she writes will grow her, but, unfortunately, my attachment to the previous series kind of hindered my enjoyment for this spin-off, because in "Call Down the Hawk" I couldn't find what I'd cherished so much in the "Raven Cycle". That being said, this one is still a rather pleasurable read and a quite solid one, too.
Starting with the things I didn't like, I have to mention the ambience and overall atmosphere of the story. This element was the major show stopper in the first series, and in "Call Down the Hawk", I couldn't find a trace of the whimsical, eerie, autumny atmosphere that was dominant in the "Raven Cycle" and that I love so much; this book feels more toned down, definitely more mature and "grown-up-y", down to earth and less magical, and for me the story suffered because of it, losing something that had made the previous books so special.
Another issue I have to point out concerns the plot and how the story is constructed. The pace is so slow and lacklustre, giving at times the impression that the story never progresses forward. Given how character-driven the "Raven Cycle" is, I certainly was not expecting this to be plot-driven, intense and fast-paced book, but, to my despair, it wasn’t even character-driven either. Ronan is always Ronan (one of my favourite characters of all time), we know him, so there was no need to introduce him or delve any deeper into his character, and I cherished every second we get to spend with him. His scenes - and thank God majority of the book is focused on him - were by a long shot the most interesting and endearing, and good enough to carry the entire book (his poor back); but once we got to scenes following Jordan or Larooq-lane, oh my, those were definitely lacking. In my opinion, the two new characters (Larroq-Lane especially) were not handled the way that I would have to expect Stiefvater would, they were not properly explored, or explained, therefore I couldn't feel attached or even connected to them, which is a pity because I feel like both characters have so much potential and so much to disclose. Jordan's story was fascinating and so mind-boggling and while we do get a glimpse of her potential, Farooq-lane's storyline is such a wasted opportunity to engage in some really interesting conversations. Being part of the "bad guys", Farooq-lane could have been used as a super intriguing new and different perspective on this world of dreamers and visionaries, and her turmoils could've been explored so much more! Instead, her chapters were straight-up boring and confusing, and I really couldn't see the point of having as another point of view since it really doesn’t add anything to the story.
What really bothered me through-out the book, though, was the overall lack of purpose of the whole thing. There is nothing driving the story, nothing motivating the characters (for the exception, perhaps, of Farooq-lane); they all just go about their lives while nothing really happens to them, just stumbling upon stuff with no logic or criteria. Ronan wanting to know who Bryde is and Farooq-lane looking for Zeds-Greywarens just wasn't enough to carry the whole plot. The whole time, I had no idea where the story was headed, no idea what the purpose/mission of the story was. Nada. I
On a more positive note, I loved everything about the Lynch Brothers: every single scene had my heart bursting with either joy or pain. Ronan, as I said, is one of my favourite human beings ever, nothing to add about that, but Declan here was the real surprise and he kind of (but not totally) stole the show. His development throughout the series and to this book is truly remarkable, and I find myself caring for him almost the way I care about Ronan. What to say about Matthew? I adore him, but unfortunately is the Noah 2.0, so I guess we're not going to see or hear much of him firsthand - what a pity. Now, onto what saved this book - and, to an extent, my life: Pynch. Pynch. Pynch. Need I to say more? Adam fucking Parrish. I was one of those people who fervently believed we would get about zero amount of Adam Parrish in the "Dreamer Trilogy", but guess what, I was dead wrong. We get him. Oh yeah, we get him. We get them.
All in all, the strong emotional attachment that I have towards Ronan and Maggie Stiefvater’s stories and writing style, prevents me from giving it less anything less than 3 stars. I'm biologically designed to like whatever thing involving any of the Raven Boys, written by Maggie. That's the tea. There’s also this huge potential that I kept seeing and that has me convinced that the story could develop in satisfying ways - if I have the patience and will power to push through it. For the future books in the series, I just need Maggie to be more focused in constructing a plot that's solid and that makes sense, but, most of all, I need her to do what she does best, which is the exploration of character dynamics and relationships. I can't wait to see what she will put out next, and how this series will continue!
Starting with the things I didn't like, I have to mention the ambience and overall atmosphere of the story. This element was the major show stopper in the first series, and in "Call Down the Hawk", I couldn't find a trace of the whimsical, eerie, autumny atmosphere that was dominant in the "Raven Cycle" and that I love so much; this book feels more toned down, definitely more mature and "grown-up-y", down to earth and less magical, and for me the story suffered because of it, losing something that had made the previous books so special.
Another issue I have to point out concerns the plot and how the story is constructed. The pace is so slow and lacklustre, giving at times the impression that the story never progresses forward. Given how character-driven the "Raven Cycle" is, I certainly was not expecting this to be plot-driven, intense and fast-paced book, but, to my despair, it wasn’t even character-driven either. Ronan is always Ronan (one of my favourite characters of all time), we know him, so there was no need to introduce him or delve any deeper into his character, and I cherished every second we get to spend with him. His scenes - and thank God majority of the book is focused on him - were by a long shot the most interesting and endearing, and good enough to carry the entire book (his poor back); but once we got to scenes following Jordan or Larooq-lane, oh my, those were definitely lacking. In my opinion, the two new characters (Larroq-Lane especially) were not handled the way that I would have to expect Stiefvater would, they were not properly explored, or explained, therefore I couldn't feel attached or even connected to them, which is a pity because I feel like both characters have so much potential and so much to disclose. Jordan's story was fascinating and so mind-boggling and while we do get a glimpse of her potential, Farooq-lane's storyline is such a wasted opportunity to engage in some really interesting conversations. Being part of the "bad guys", Farooq-lane could have been used as a super intriguing new and different perspective on this world of dreamers and visionaries, and her turmoils could've been explored so much more! Instead, her chapters were straight-up boring and confusing, and I really couldn't see the point of having as another point of view since it really doesn’t add anything to the story.
What really bothered me through-out the book, though, was the overall lack of purpose of the whole thing. There is nothing driving the story, nothing motivating the characters (for the exception, perhaps, of Farooq-lane); they all just go about their lives while nothing really happens to them, just stumbling upon stuff with no logic or criteria. Ronan wanting to know who Bryde is and Farooq-lane looking for Zeds-Greywarens just wasn't enough to carry the whole plot. The whole time, I had no idea where the story was headed, no idea what the purpose/mission of the story was. Nada. I
On a more positive note, I loved everything about the Lynch Brothers: every single scene had my heart bursting with either joy or pain. Ronan, as I said, is one of my favourite human beings ever, nothing to add about that, but Declan here was the real surprise and he kind of (but not totally) stole the show. His development throughout the series and to this book is truly remarkable, and I find myself caring for him almost the way I care about Ronan. What to say about Matthew? I adore him, but unfortunately is the Noah 2.0, so I guess we're not going to see or hear much of him firsthand - what a pity. Now, onto what saved this book - and, to an extent, my life: Pynch. Pynch. Pynch. Need I to say more? Adam fucking Parrish. I was one of those people who fervently believed we would get about zero amount of Adam Parrish in the "Dreamer Trilogy", but guess what, I was dead wrong. We get him. Oh yeah, we get him. We get them.
All in all, the strong emotional attachment that I have towards Ronan and Maggie Stiefvater’s stories and writing style, prevents me from giving it less anything less than 3 stars. I'm biologically designed to like whatever thing involving any of the Raven Boys, written by Maggie. That's the tea. There’s also this huge potential that I kept seeing and that has me convinced that the story could develop in satisfying ways - if I have the patience and will power to push through it. For the future books in the series, I just need Maggie to be more focused in constructing a plot that's solid and that makes sense, but, most of all, I need her to do what she does best, which is the exploration of character dynamics and relationships. I can't wait to see what she will put out next, and how this series will continue!