Started: 05/12/18
Finished: 16/12/18
Spoilers: Yes.
This is Ronan's story.
This is Ronan's truth.
Characters
Ronan was the star of this book and he really shone, proving himself to be a far more complex character than we even see in the first book. He's perceived as fearless, wilful, a little sardonic. He's so much more than this. There's a part of him that's responsible, sensible and not without fear. We witness Ronan's fears, his nightmares come to life in the form of the night horrors.
His growth as a character is wonderful to watch as he overcomes his fears and discovers some truths about his own family.
But naturally Ronan isn't the only character to grow and change. The dynamic between Blue, Gansey and Adam completely shifts as the bargain Adam made with Cabeswater is slowly and inexplicably changing him in ways none of them understand. Because of these changes, a void between Blue and Adam begins to open, pushing her further towards Gansey.
We're also introduced to two new characters in this book.
The Grey Man, the hitman hired to find the Greywaren. I've never known of a more reasonable assassin. He was lovely and I'd like to see more of him and his relationship with Maura.
And Kavinsky, the jerk drag racer who challenges Ronan to constant street races. He's a sociopath and also a little sadistic. He seems to find strength in chaos and uses it like a weapon to immobilize people. He's also a fellow Dream Thief like Ronan and he's very good at what he does, better, in fact, than Ronan. It's only under Kavinsky's guidance that Ronan learns to control his dreams and dream bigger, though I don't think Ronan was ever stronger than Kavinsky in that respect.
Kanvinsky, ultimately, wanted Ronan. When he said that he 'knew what Ronan was', he didn't just mean a Dream Thief. I think when Ronan abandoned Kavinsky to return to Gansey, it broke Kavinsky's heart and made him a deadly enemy.
There was such incredible growth in this book. Ronan's sexuality was subtly hinted at throughout but it isn't until that final gripping confrontation between the two boys that things are made clearer. I suspected throughout, but the confirmation delighted me. I'm so excited to see what the next book holds for Ronan and if he will come out to his friends.
Plot
After Ronan's strange and crazy reveal at the very end of book 1, we pick up, more or less where we left off. Ronan has the ability to manifest anything he can dream of. This was such an interesting twist amid the various other supernatural elements.
The search for Glendower took somewhat a backseat in this story, which I wasn't sore about. It was actually a pleasant change to see that their lives don't just stop for the search, that they still have engagements to attend and family responsibilities.
The story definitely explores Ronan's backstory, not to mention the trouble he gets into while Gangsey is away at his family home. Gansey grounds him a little and without him, Ronan's a lose canon and without purpose.
The final battle between Ronan's dream monster and Kavinsky's dream monster was excited to read. I kind of think, however, Kavinsky let Ronan win. Whether that was down to his feelings for Ronan or his own self-loathing, I don't know. But it was an interesting way to end it.
It wasn't until page 293 that Kavinsky was revealed as a Greywaren - a Dream Thief - like Ronan. I was so confused cause for the entirety of the book I thought Kavinsky's talent was widely known by Ronan and his group (or at least just Ronan). It all seemed obvious to me and I think perhaps it wasn't made clear enough that Ronan thought Kavinsky merely knew where to obtain forgeries, rather than knowing what he is. If this was meant as a plot twist, the effect was lost on me because I knew from the moment Kavinsky was introduced that he was a Dream Theif . . And I thought that Ronan did too.
The only thing for me that was off, was that after such a climactic battle, the ending felt a little rushed. The Grey Man and the confrontation with his brother ended so abruptly. Don't get me wrong, I liked the Grey Man's no-bullshit approach, but after the whole book of being told how evil his brother was and how scared he was of him, I guess I expected a little more from that storyline.
I was so a little miffed about why Maura left such a vague note to Blue before disappearing. I like Maura but this impulsive behaviour strikes me as selfish and responsible. I just found the whole thing strange and out of character for Maura.
Setting
So I spoke a bit about Herietta and Cabeswater in my last review. In this book, however, I think the more interesting setting is Ronan's dream world.
It seems to be a forest, like Cabeswater, or perhaps it is Cabeswater, seeing he was able to talk to the trees. The way the world reacted to him and defended itself against him in the beginning, like he was an intruder, was very different to how it reacted to him at the end. It became a part of him. He owned it and commanded it. The dream world became his ally.
I also liked how it was connected to the energy of the ley line, and the fact that if he stole from his dreams it would steal energy from the line; energy Noah needed to manifest.
And who was the Orphan Girl who lived in this dream version of Cabeswater? Who is she to Ronan and how did she get there? Why does she seem to be the only consistent thing in his dreams?
I don't think we've seen the last of Orphan Girl.
Writing Style
Something I noticed in this book that I didn't notice in the first was the head-hopping. I don't know if it was just more fluid and faultless in The Raven Boys, or entirely non-existent, but I noticed it jump in perspective a lot more in The Dream Thieves.
One minute I'm reading from Blue's perspective within a scene and the next I'm privy to Ronan's innermost thoughts. It wasn't enough to hinder my enjoyment of the story, but it was enough to pull me from it ever so slightly and make me question whose POV I was actually reading from.
Conclusion: All of them and none of them. It's clearly written in third-person Omniscient POV.
The writing itself is utterly gorgeous, as usual. There were parts that actually made me ache.
"I wish you could be kissed, Jane," he said. "Because I would beg just one off you. Under all this." He flailed an arm towards the stars. "And then we'd never say anything about it again."
Yes. Yes, I ship Gansey and Blue. You're god damn right I do.
Final Impression Not quite as faultless as the first book, but I still loved it. I've already started the next book, so I think that says it all regarding my feelings towards the series. I've never binged an entire series before. I intend to change that fact now.
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