**WARNING: This is a review of the second book in The Raven Cycle. There may be SPOILERS for The Raven Boys**
Series: The Raven Cycle (Book 2)
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
Pgs: 439 Hardcover
Published: September 2013
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....
I read/listened to The Raven Boys last year and it ended up being my favorite book of the year so I was completely thrilled to get my hands on this book. Then I promptly read a bunch of other things before I picked this up. Finally I picked it up this past month and loved it.
Just a reminder, there might be SPOILERS for THE RAVEN BOYS if you keep reading.
There is something about Stiefvater's writing that captivates me from the moment I start reading. It sucks me into the story. I felt it during The Raven Boys and sure enough, I felt it here too. I'm totally captivated by Blue and her Raven boys. This is one of the most unique and interesting reads I've picked up in a long time. (Maybe since I read The Raven Boys last year) All the elements that I liked in the first book (amazing writing, pacing, characters and mythology) all make appearances in this book.
Maybe book three is going to really pick up on the action though? I hope so because this book was great and I loved it, but it still felt like a lot of setup for the overarching story. That is not to say there isn't action in this book. That would be incorrect. There is a lot of action, mysteriousness and so many hilarious moments. This series is very quickly turning into one of my favorites.
I had a few more problems with this book than the first book. The biggest thing was it felt like we didn't make very much progress plot wise in this book. I expected the search for Glendower to keep moving forward because Adam's sacrifice woke the ley line. However, this book is much more focused on Ronan than any of the individual plot points introduced in the first book. I had a lot of questions at the beginning of this book and I think I have even more questions at the end. It's not exactly a negative thing because this book made me realize that this world is so much more complex than you realize in the first book. Still frustrating not to have answers though.
Even though I didn't get a lot of answers, I still loved this book. The characters are just amazing and they have such amazing storylines thus far in this series. I actually appreciated that this book focused on Ronan because in the fist book he seemed like the most distant of all the boys. He is cold, angry and a little dangerous, but seeing from his perspective really helped me to understand him a little more. His powers, family situation and personality are explained so much more clearly in this book as he discovers more about himself as well. I loved that development for him.
On the other hand, I am very upset with the direction Adam took in this book. His pride and anger seem to really dictate where his path is going. He was one of my favorite characters in the first book and now he is more on the back burner personally. I'm frustrated with him. I understand he would need to take some time to adjust because of the massive changes to his life in the first book. Still, through a lot of this book it seemed like he was standing still.
We got to know the rest of the characters, and several new ones, even more which was very interesting and a lot of fun. I feel like each one of the characters has an element of magic to them and it makes them so interesting and wonderful. I love each one of them and this book solidified that even more. I would definitely recommend picking up this book if you enjoyed The Raven Boys. Plus after the cliffhanger ending, I've been watching Stievater's social media for any hint for a cover/release date for book 3. I'm dying over here!
Rating: 4.75 / 5
Maybe book three is going to really pick up on the action though? I hope so because this book was great and I loved it, but it still felt like a lot of setup for the overarching story. That is not to say there isn't action in this book. That would be incorrect. There is a lot of action, mysteriousness and so many hilarious moments. This series is very quickly turning into one of my favorites.
I had a few more problems with this book than the first book. The biggest thing was it felt like we didn't make very much progress plot wise in this book. I expected the search for Glendower to keep moving forward because Adam's sacrifice woke the ley line. However, this book is much more focused on Ronan than any of the individual plot points introduced in the first book. I had a lot of questions at the beginning of this book and I think I have even more questions at the end. It's not exactly a negative thing because this book made me realize that this world is so much more complex than you realize in the first book. Still frustrating not to have answers though.
Even though I didn't get a lot of answers, I still loved this book. The characters are just amazing and they have such amazing storylines thus far in this series. I actually appreciated that this book focused on Ronan because in the fist book he seemed like the most distant of all the boys. He is cold, angry and a little dangerous, but seeing from his perspective really helped me to understand him a little more. His powers, family situation and personality are explained so much more clearly in this book as he discovers more about himself as well. I loved that development for him.
On the other hand, I am very upset with the direction Adam took in this book. His pride and anger seem to really dictate where his path is going. He was one of my favorite characters in the first book and now he is more on the back burner personally. I'm frustrated with him. I understand he would need to take some time to adjust because of the massive changes to his life in the first book. Still, through a lot of this book it seemed like he was standing still.
We got to know the rest of the characters, and several new ones, even more which was very interesting and a lot of fun. I feel like each one of the characters has an element of magic to them and it makes them so interesting and wonderful. I love each one of them and this book solidified that even more. I would definitely recommend picking up this book if you enjoyed The Raven Boys. Plus after the cliffhanger ending, I've been watching Stievater's social media for any hint for a cover/release date for book 3. I'm dying over here!
Rating: 4.75 / 5
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