Since 2012, Maggie Stiefvater has graciously been feeding her fans (us) with title after title in The Raven Cycle saga. If anyone remembers the conclusion of the original Raven Boys series in 2016, they might also remember the spin-off trilogy following Ronan Lynch, a few short stories, and finally, the recent addition of the graphic novel adaptations. And if you’re one of those people, you were likely counting down the days until the release of the latest adaptation, The Dream Thieves, just like we were. And if you just clicked on this article out of curiosity, allow us to bring you up to speed.
Book Overview
Content Warnings: character death, violence, drug use, kidnapping, references to mental illness and suicide, references to abuse
The Dream Thieves is the second of the four-book series, The Raven Cycle. Over the course of four books, our main characters embark on a journey in which they discover identity, belonging, and magic. In the first book, we meet our characters and learn of their quest to explore their small town in Virginia, hoping to find the hidden resting place of a Welsh king. Along the way, they discover a magical forest, a newfound wonder for the world, and a family in each other. The second book finds them in the midst of this quest, and finds Ronan Lynch in perhaps the lowest place he’s ever been in. In The Dream Thieves, Ronan confronts his dark past, his family secrets, and his own existence.
The Format
And now that you’re caught up, let us tell you about the graphic novel adaptation, which is out now. Sas Milledge’s art style captures so much of what makes the series magical. Just looking at the cover gives you an idea of the attention to detail. Ronan stands surrounded by a pair of sunglasses, a tarot card, and a set of car keys, all of which are half covered by black wings. If you’ve read the book, you probably know the significance of each of these items. If not, now is the time to read it.
Set in the middle of the summer, the vivid imagery of lush, green landscapes will surely inspire you to sit in the sun and fly through the pages. Whether you want to savor this year’s escape into the world of The Raven Cycle or read it all in one sitting is up to you. We confess we did the latter. But we’re hoping the next two years will bring the adaptations of the next two books in the series. That way, we won’t have to wait too long.
The Characters
Once we get past the cover, the rest of the graphic novel allows us a look into these characters’ lives that we’ve never had before. We see Blue in her carefully-crafted-but-uncaring-what-other-people-think style. And we see the expressive way that she talks with her whole body. We see Ronan’s anger at the world, but also the way that it softens when he’s with his brothers, or with his friends. His practiced nonchalance when he exchanges a glance with Adam. The way Adam tries to balance his stubborn pride, his at times suffocating insecurity, and his increasingly desperate need to understand the magic he’s tied himself to. We see the relief near the end when he begins to understand his place. He stands a little taller. His face is a little more open.
Meanwhile, Gansey’s all-consuming concern for his friends is written all over his face, as is his longing for the quest. He shoots a glance at one of them when he thinks they’re not looking. He furrows his eyebrows when he feels an argument brewing. Desperately, he tries to hold them together. And it’s often to a fault. And of course, when Noah appears, he looks as innocent as ever. With his eyes wide, he’s just happy to be there.
The inevitable truth is that adapting a book into a graphic novel, especially one that is as driven by the characters’ inner workings as this one, is that some of it is going to be lost. Because we see the scenes play out from an outside perspective, rather than from the characters’ point of view, some of the inner dialogue is necessarily absent. However, for those who have read the original book, it’s incredibly rewarding to see familiar scenes come to life. And to see some scenes in a new light.
The Story
Ronan attempts to join reality and his own nightmares, and the result is as close to a small-town horror story as The Raven Cycle will ever get. Of course, this is only the second of four parts to this journey, as Ronan uncovers what could be essential to their quest. And we bet this release will inspire a few new readers to join us on this coming-of-age journey. In no time, you’ll feel as much a part of the gang as Ronan, Adam, Gansey, Blue, and Noah are. It will feel like opening your eyes to a new world. You’ll be celebrating their victories and feeling their losses. And you might just discover something new about yourself along the way.
Order your copy of The Dream Thieves here!
Whether you’ve grown up with this series, or you’re just discovering it, we’d love to talk to you about it! Find us at @thehoneypop on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
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