There is danger in dreaming. But there is even more danger in waking up.

Blue Sargent has found things. For the first time in her life, she has friends she can trust, a group to which she can belong. The Raven Boys have taken her in as one of their own. Their problems have become hers, and her problems have become theirs.

The trick with found things though, is how easily they can be lost.

Friends can betray.
Mothers can disappear.
Visions can mislead.
Certainties can unravel. 

My Review

Author: Maggie Stiefvater

Pages: 391

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Publication Date: October 21 2014

Series: The Raven Cycle #3

Source: Library

I feel like the more of Maggie Stiefvater I read, the more I start to understand her writing. I've often called Stiefvater's writing atmospheric, haunting, blah blah blah but this time, a different work came to mind: quirky.

Stiefvater's writing, characters, and world is quirky. The prose is charming and funny; warm, and inviting. There is a sense that Stiefvater is in complete control. There are metaphors, and patterns, and it is done with an astonishing control.

Now, what can I say about the characters that I haven't said before?

Except that the characters still change in little ways, and their relationships change with them. Adam is probably my favourite change. It's remarkable to see his growth as he becomes more comfortable with the person he is to everyone else. Adam is rebuilding himself on new foundations, and he's growing up from a scared boy to a man. He has come so far, and I loved his tentative assuredness, and his acceptance of who he was.

Gansey is showing signs of weakness, but that doesn't make him any less awesome than ever. Still, I'm getting a little worried for him. Don't you break my heart, Stiefvater.

I'm a little surprised with my deep love for Ronan. In fact, I wanted more of him in this book! #MoreRonan2015 It's not that he wasn't there. It's just that in The Dream Thieves, he rocked the story and he wasn't as focal in Blue Lily, Lily Blue. This time, the story was more balanced.

And I suppose the biggest part of Blue Lily, Lily Blue is Blue. Blue is always a little out of my centre of attention because I find the boys more interesting than her, and that's not a comment on her character. I loved Stiefvater's character development for Blue. Blue is considering college, she misses her mom, she acts out, and is arrogant but in the best teenage way. I really like Blue's fiestiness.

Now, if we have to talk comparisons, I will say that The Dream Thieves is still my favourite of the series (and of Stiefvater). Something about the rawness of Ronan's story appealed to me. The style of Blue Lily, Lily Blue feels a little different, and you can tell that something is happening.

And here is the part in my review where I check Goodreads and realize there is only one more book. Ohmygosh there is ONE more book left. JUST ONE.


via GIPHY

Can we talk about this? Because I've barely finished any series in the past few years and I've kept up with this one.

AND IT'S ENDING.

I'm so lost. What do I do in life if I don't have another book of Gansey and Ronan and Blue and Adam to look forward to? What else is there?

Before I read The Raven King *sobs* and write my series review (oh please, we all know that the last book reviewed in a series is always a series review), I'm just going to take a moment and try to remember the characters as they are right now, on the precipice of tragedy. I will remember their friendship, and their unique relationships, and the personal challenges they have all overcome.

-P.E.

In case you've missed out, there is an unspoken disagreement about Maggie Stiefvater on The Sirenic Codex. P.E. is an adamant fan of her work while I cannot understand the reason behind the existence of The Scorpio Races.

This story came to relevance somewhere around 10pm when I was struck by an epiphany. It's quite world changing really- It's not Maggie Stiefvater's Fault!

See I was an alright fan of Shiver. I liked it. Then The Scorpio Races happened and Ms. Stiefvater and I kind of broke up. Why: slow pacing, disengaging plot, uninteresting characters. But what all of this really sums up to is descriptions. The Scorpio Races is Maggie's hall of fame on details and descriptions. Something that I've come to realize isn't my forte.

My mind doesn't really bother to register excessive descriptions and skips right over them. As a result, books like The Scorpio Races have no appeal to me. Sentence after sentence of descriptions about the weather, the horses, the characters faces whizz by me. I can't see them as anything but wasted space.

This is where movies come in. I don't believe in reading the book before watching the movie. Call me a rebel, but I don't believe in any real set way of reading. And I've been known (because the whole world pays attention to me, of course) to watch the movie before reading the book, quite unapologetically. 

Watching the movie helps me visualize.

I remember as early as my Harry Potter, I would google images many of the characters or creatures in the books in order to get the visuals. Somehow I managed to ignore the fact that Malfoy had white blonde hair, Hermione has too-big front teeth and that Voldemort didn't have a nose. The last I don't mind.

Watching the movie, however, plants the images in my mind and actually improves my reading experience. I can now imagine a certain face smirking when the text says so. 

Many of my favourite books of all time have been books I picked up after getting my interest peaked by a movie or tv adaptation. I love the visuals, but I am not a visual reader.

-Mari

Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Date of Publication: July 1, 2014
Pages: 357
Source: 

Sinner follows Cole St. Clair, a pivotal character from the #1 New York Times bestselling Shiver Trilogy. Everybody thinks they know Cole's story. Stardom. Addiction. Downfall. Disappearance. But only a few people know Cole's darkest secret -- his ability to shift into a wolf. One of these people is Isabel. At one point, they may have even loved each other. But that feels like a lifetime ago. Now Cole is back. Back in the spotlight. Back in the danger zone. Back in Isabel's life. Can this sinner be saved?

GOODREADS

Review:

I've decided that it's not very useful to spend an entire review singing the virtues of a certain character, so let me get it over with. COLE.

Charming

Ostentatious

Loving

Exhilarating 

Cole St. Clair is one of my favourite characters because he is so incredibly vivid. Cole constantly puts on a show and he blurs the lines between fake and real. Cole is magnetic, and the type of person I would love in my life because he is so spontaneous. He wants to really live a fascinating, fun life, and is always pushing the limits. I think it's his fun-loving, adventurous spirit and the passion he had for music that drew me to him. 

Isabel, who is remarkably like Elsa from Frozen when you think about it, continues her Ice Queen act. Except, as readers privy to Isabel's thoughts, it becomes clear that Isabel is in a lot of pain. She expresses her pain by numbing it. It doesn't matter. She doesn't care. She distances herself from anything that could hurt her, and this also ends up hurting her. Isabel is also putting on a show, but hers is different from Cole's. Isabel seems more desperate, more lost, more in need than Cole. Cole knows when he is putting on a facade, but Isabel starts believing she can't feel, and I feel like this difference matters. 

Not to say that Cole doesn't have his issues. He's a rock star and that sort of life has consequences. Cole has too much energy, and he was often described as 'manic'. He couldn't be more different than Isabel, who is so calm and cool all the time. For Isabel, it's hard to see have energy until some of the cracks of her Ice Queen persona appear and they're so unexpected that is was a little jarring for me. 

It is much easier to connect with Cole because he's really one of those amazing characters that you fall in love with and wish were real. But it's Isabel that I believe to be the most unique character. Perhaps she isn't the character I like more, but I'm curious about Isabel. There are moments where I feel like I've figured her out and can connect, and there are others that make me think she is still a mystery. With Cole, I feel like I understand him, but there is still that intrigue with Isabel that makes her incomparable, while Cole could be (pretty crudely) compared to Adam from Gayle Forman's books, to begin with. I will always love characters like Cole, but I think Isabel deserves a shoutout too. 

Judging from the amount I've written about both characters thus far, you can tell that this book is mostly about the characters. I don't think there is any outside plot beyond the development of Cole and Isabel and their relationship. The tone of Sinner is a bit different from Stiefvater's other work. I think it's a bit more accessible to people that aren't into the very atmospheric, fatalistic writing that was in Shiver, The Scorpio Races, and The Raven Boys. Sinner is urban. It does not require much memory of the events of Shiver, although I suppose they would help fill some gaps because Stiefvater does not recap her previous series. The writing is more raw and precise. Isabel is quite the minimalist, and Cole only cares about what he needs, so none of the characters are the types to really describe things in much detail, and the writing reflects that. 

I think Sinner was what I wanted it to be, and I enjoyed Cole and Isabel's story. I love Maggie Stiefvater's work, and I'm happy that she gave her two more interesting characters, Cole and Isabel, a chance at a resolution. As always, I'm eagerly awaiting her next book!

-P.E.

Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Date of Publication: September 17 2013
Pages: 448
Series: The Raven Cycle #2, sequel to The Raven Boys
Source: Complimentary ARC

Now that the ley lines around Cabeswater have been woken, nothing for Ronan, Gansey, Blue, and Adam will be the same. Ronan, for one, is falling more and more deeply into his dreams, and his dreams are intruding more and more into waking life. Meanwhile, some very sinister people are looking for some of the same pieces of the Cabeswater puzzle that Gansey is after...

AMAZON / GOODREADS

 
Review:

It's a shocking thing when you have something great, and then it gets even greater. I can't help but smile because I loved it. The Raven Boys is so incredible that it's outstanding that The Dream Thieves is even better.

I've been trying to understand what makes these books so magical. There is no magic formula; there is beautiful writing, the type where each sentence should be savoured. There are these characters that are heartbreaking and raw. Most of all, there is emotion. Maggie Stiefvater has a gift, and that's the ability to write the emotions, the subconscious truth, of everything.

Reading The Dream Thieves was a completely otherly experience. It was like a reverie, one passage leading to another to form a story that completely engrossed you. At any given moment there was simple humour, the type that exists always, even when you're too upset to see it. There was also the possibility that any paragraph at any given point could induce tears. One of the most emotional scenes for me was one scene that was perfect. It wasn't flawless, or unrealistic. It was awful and full of want, with a secret that would always hurt the two characters, but there was one moment where none of the awfulness mattered. Those moments are some of the best in life, and Maggie Stiefvater's ability to write them truly is one of her greatest assets.

The Dream Thieves begins as moreso Roman's story, but it's really the story of everybody. There are so many different elements like the characters and the demons each of them face. Their strength is remarkable, especially considering what they go through. Maggie Stiefvater somehow made me love every character even more, and even pity the villains.

Gansey is still my favourite, and now I think I might have to elevate him to the status of one of my all time favourites. He's so real, from this mannerism he has of putting his thumb on his bottom lip, to his wire frame glasses. He's charming and inspiring to read about. In The Dream Thieves, everything seems to be falling apart and Gansey can't fix it, no matter how much he tries.

There's also Blue's awful prophecy. If she kisses her true love, he will die. Blue isn't as prominent in The Dream Thieves as she was in The Raven Boys but her character never failed to impress as well. She has this spunk to her and her relationship with her mother in particular is a highlight of The Dream Thieves.

Adam has his own issues. Reading about him is confusing. He made his sacrifice and now he has to live with it. Adam doesn't know what to do with his life. He doesn't know what he really wants, but he tries so hard anyway. He never feels like he's enough and his story feels particularly dark. Adam makes choices I wasn't happy with, but it's not impossible to see where he's coming from. If any character most deserves a hug, it should be Adam.

I left Ronan last because he is the star in The Dream Thieves. I wasn't sure what to make of Ronan in The Raven Boys, but let me tell you, he's just as wonderful as any one of these characters. Ronan is not approachable. He's violent and angry. There is a darkness to him that might make him harder to love at first glance, but the more I read of Ronan, the more I realize how much I love him too. Ronan is honest and lost. He is unshakeably loyal to his friends and his dreams were terrifying.

There were many more characters and storylines like Mr. Gray and Maura's that I would love to explain how wonderful they are, but I'll leave that to the reader.

The Dream Thieves encompasses many things, but the main storyline is Roman's dreams. Or rather, his ability to make them a reality. This unique gift doesn't come without a price, or without others that covet it. There is a fair bit of mystery, and as much as The Dream Thieves explores characters deeply, it also tells a story. The ending is shocking and I'm a bit sad I finished this book so fast because I want more. That doesn't mean The Dream Thieves isn't satisfying. It is very much so, it's just that once you get a taste of a story like this it's extremely hard to let go.

I loved this book. I want to reread it and locate every single amazing quote. I want to fall even deeper in love with characters and the charms of beautiful Henrietta. It's hard sometimes to express yourself, and I'm trying so hard to make people understand how much I enjoyed The Dream Thieves. It's right up there in the best of YA. It's on my all time favourites. 5 hearts.

-P.E.

Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Date of Publication: October 18, 2011
Pages: 404
Source: Personal copy

It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.

At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.

Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.

AMAZON/ GOODREADS

Review:
The Scorpio Races is an utterly enchanting read. I absolutely adored everything about it. Maggie Stiefvater is one of my favorite authors for a reason, and The Scorpio Races is my favourite book by her yet.

First off, it's a book by Maggie Stiefvater so you always have to expect beautiful writing. Her writing is vaguely poetic, but I don't feel like it's too descriptive. It's more emotional. I love the way she uses her words; they're all sensory and moody. They all paint the setting fabulously. The concept itself makes this book completely original. The water horses were written about perfectly. She didn't try to hype them up too much or make them too unnatural. The story wasn't even really about them. They were an integral part of the story but not the main story line. This made the book feel very contemporary-ish as it focused more on the characters themselves than the magic in the world.

The reason I enjoyed this book so much was definitely because of the unique characters. The characters felt very real and well rounded. You could really sense their personalities. Because of this, I found it so easy to support them and to relate with them, and eventually to care about them. That's all you can really ask for when it comes to characters.

I loved Puck- her bravery, when she acted childish, when she acted mature, the way she cared about her brothers, pretty much everything. Her family story intrigued me but it was her personality that won me over. She could be confident and arrogant, or she could be vulnerable and betrayed.

Sean Kendrick. Wow. He's something special, which is first evident from his very memorable name. Sean is mysterious, and it's almost impossible to describe him adequately. He commands respect, and he cares wholeheartedly for Corr. The kind of passion he had about racing, it's something I've always admired in general. I've always been fascinated by driven, passionate people and Sean's about as driven as they come.

There were great supporting characters too that fit in well with the story. Thisby is a remote island and that kind of small town vibe isn't something I've ever experienced. I enjoyed reading about the island fashions and characters.

The Scorpio Races was simply a pleasure to read. It's unbelievably atmospheric and something about it never left me bored. There isn't much real action, although there is plenty of inner conflict and character development. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was perfect for me and I definitely recommend you try it if it sounds like your type of read.

-P.E.