The Dream Thieves

Starred review from July 22, 2013
Book two of Stiefvater’s Raven Cycle shifts from character-driven voyage of discovery to more of a paranormal thriller, ratcheting up the violence as the plot grows more complex. After the transformative events at Cabeswater in The Raven Boys, the context in which Gansey, Blue, Adam, Ronan, and Noah operate is further altered by the arrival of the Gray Man, a self-described hit man who replaces Barrington Whelk in providing occasional adult narrative perspective. The Gray Man brings with him the machinations of larger, previously unknown forces as he takes orders from a voice on the phone to hunt the Greywaren, the identity of which is revealed early on. But this book largely belongs to the loose cannon that is Ronan, as he works to better understand his supernatural abilities and their connection to his family. While Stiefvater’s offbeat, acutely observed characters continue to grow, they have shifted from developing a group interaction to reacting against one another, making this installment more tense and foreboding than its predecessor—and every bit as gripping. Ages 14–up. Agent: Laura Rennert, Andrea Brown Literary Agency.

Starred review from January 27, 2014
Narrator Patton delivers the goods in this second installment in the popular Raven Cycle series from Steifvater. After the events of The Raven Boys, Ronan, Gansey, Blue, and Adam—friends and students at Aglionby Academy in Henrietta, Va.—must put their search for the sleeping king aside and deal with the arrival of the Gray Man, a killer who is hunting for a relic called the Greywaren, which can be used to steal objects from dreams. Patton’s deep voice and grisly tone are perfect for this fantasy tale. His characters are believable and vivid, his delivery clear, and his pacing perfect. Patton easily hooks the listener from the very start, providing a thrilling listening experience. Ages 14–up. A Scholastic hardcover.

Starred review from August 1, 2013
The second installment of Stiefvater's Raven Cycle is as mind-blowingly spectacular as the first. Now that the ley line near Henrietta, Va., has been woken, strange currents race through the town. There's too much electricity--or none at all. The four Raven Boys--Gansey, Adam, long-dead Noah and Ronan--continue to search for the grave of the Welsh king Glendower, but now Ronan is starting to pull objects out of his dreams. Small ones, like the keys to Gansey's Camaro, and larger, lethal nightmare creatures. But his greatest nightmare can't be grasped--how do you hold onto home? Not-quite-psychic Blue Sargent realizes that Gansey might really be her true love--and if she kisses him, he'll die--and meanwhile, her wholly psychic mother is dating the hit man come to steal Ronan. Stiefvater's careful exploration of class and wealth and their limitations and opportunities astounds with its sensitivity and sophistication. The pace is electric, the prose marvelously sure-footed and strong, but it's the complicated characters--particularly Ronan, violent, drunk, tender and tough--that meld magic and reality into an engrossing, believable whole. Remember this: Ronan never lies. How long until Book 3? (Fantasy. 12 & up)

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Starred review from October 1, 2013

Gr 9 Up-Beginning the same summer in which The Raven Boys (Scholastic, 2012) ended, The Dream Thieves is a little less about Blue Sargent and more about Gansey. Richard Campbell Gansey III (don't call him Dick), Ronan, Adam, ghostly Noah, and Joseph Kavinsky are (or were) raven boys-students at posh Aglionby Academy in the small Virginia town of Henrietta. The writing style maintains a dark and brooding tone as Gansey continues to investigate the existence of a ley line, an invisible channel of energy, recently awakened, that may lead them to the ancient Welsh king Glendower. The complicated relationships and plot points are difficult to follow without the background from The Raven Boys. Even with the background, new characters appear: the deadly (perhaps) Gray Man, Greenmantle, and the idea of a Greywaren. Blue comes from a family of women with psychic gifts, but her gift isn't "sight" itself but a talent for magnifying the presence of magic around her-a significant contribution where finding the ley line is concerned. Readers looking for answers won't find them in this book. Readers who want a moody chill and appreciate an atmospheric turn of phrase (keys hang from the ignition like "ripe fruit," a farm yard is populated with "deceased pick-up trucks") will want to spend more time in Henrietta. Purchase where the first book is popular, and suggest the series to fans of Holly Black's "Curse Workers" books (S & S) or to readers of grittier works such as Andrew Smith's The Marbury Lens (2010) and Passenger (2012, both Feiwel & Friends).-Maggie Knapp, Trinity Valley School, Fort Worth, TX

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from September 1, 2013
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* In this continuation of The Raven Boys (2012), Printz Honor Book recipient Stiefvater continues the compelling story, keeping the focus once again on the Raven Boys themselves: privileged Gansey, tortured Adam, spectral Noah, and darkly dangerous Ronan. This time, though, their quest for the legendary sleeping Welsh King, Owen Glendower, takes a backseat to a spate of secrets, dreams, and nightmares that appear to be sapping the ley linean invisible channel of energy connecting sacred placesthat runs beneath their small Virginia town. Could this be the reason that the mystical forest, Cabeswater, has inexplicably disappeared? Who is the mysterious Grey Man, and why is he searching for the Greywaren, a relic that enables its owner to steal objects from dreams? How does this involve secretive Ronan? Visceral suspense builds as the characters pursue answers to these and other questions, and a palpable sense of foreboding and danger increasingly permeates the novel. Richly written and filled with figurative language (buildings are tidy as library books; a murmur of guests attend a party; a woman looks fresh as a newscaster ), this story of secrets and dreams, of brothers, and of all-too-real magic is an absolute marvel of imagination and an irresistible invitation to wonder. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Backed by a 150,000 print run and a marketing push that includes a college-campus campaign, this title should multiply Stiefvater's already vast fan base.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2014
In this darker second book (The Raven Boys), Gansey, Blue, and the search for Glendower take a backseat to the exploration of Ronan's and Adam's tortured personalities. Stiefvater's descriptive prose reveals a complicated plot, multiple viewpoints, and detailed backstories. Many mysteries remain, but the cliffhanger ending makes it clear that Glendower will resurface as the main focus of book three.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2014
At the end of The Raven Boys (rev. 1/13), Ronan revealed to his friends Gansey, Blue, Adam, and Noah that he could pull things out of his dreams, and Adam offered a sacrifice to the mystical forest Cabeswater in order to awaken the ley line (an invisible energy line that connects "spiritually significant places") in Henrietta, Virginia; they need the ley line to find Glendower, a medieval Welsh king. Now the ley line is inexplicably surging and disappearing, and Adam discovers that his bargain with Cabeswater had unforeseen consequences. Ronan, meanwhile, struggles with the figurative and literal night horrors haunting his sleep until he learns to control what he brings back from his dreams. He also uncovers the connection between his abilities and his family's tragic past, while being tracked by a hit man with a conscience who begins dating Blue's psychic mother. Sound overly complex? It is, but in Stiefvater's capable hands the mysteries unravel authentically, with new questions invariably arising with every answer to continually ratchet up suspense. Her descriptive prose reveals a complicated plot, multiple viewpoints, and detailed character backstories that necessitate patient, thoughtful reading. In this darker second book, Gansey, Blue, their love-triangle-turned-square, and the search for Glendower take a backseat to the exploration of Ronan and Adam's tortured personalities. Many mysteries remain, but the (over-the-top) cliffhanger ending makes it clear that Glendower will resurface as the main focus of book three. cynthia k. ritter

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)