Review: The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

The second installment in the all-new series from the masterful, #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater!

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...

“A secret is a strange thing. There are three kinds of secrets. One is the sort everyone knows about, the sort you need at least two people for. One to keep it. One to never know. The second is a harder kind of secret: one you keep from yourself. Every day, thousands of confessions are kept from their would-be confessors, none of these people knowing that their never-admitted secrets all boil down to the same three words: I am afraid. And then there is the third kind of secret, the most hidden kind. A secret no one knows about. Perhaps it was known once, but was taken to the grave. Or maybe it is a useless mystery, arcane and lonely, unfound because no one ever looked for it.”

Honestly, there is something really special about a Maggie Stiefvater book. And The Raven Boys series is extraordinary. Hauntingly extraordinary.

Blue Sargent still has the prediction she has heard all of her life looming over her head: she will kill the her true love when they kiss. I can’t imagine having that knowledge. I don’t know how she does not feel it constantly weighing her down. She fits in so well with the raven boys and I love her quirkiness.

Gansey is the epitome of an all-american boy at first glance, but there is so much more to him. He is caring and constantly thinking of his friends. He grew up in a very affluent family, but at least to me, he does not act like it. He is incredible in so many ways and he’s tied with Ronan as my favorite raven boy.

Ronan opened my eyes in this installment. I had written him off as a sulky boy in the first book, but he’s so much more. He’s very introverted and keeps to himself. I can imagine how hard it must be for his friends to read his emotions. I love his mysteriousness and his dreams. I cannot wait to read more about him.

The first word that comes to my mind when I think of Adam is stubborn. I absolutely hate what he has had to go through and I understand his need to go through it by himself but he needs to know he has friends that would do anything for him without a price.

And Noah is just Noah. I love him!

The plot is addicting. How Gansey came across Glendower and the progress they’ve made is so cool and how I wish I lived in their world. The writing is gorgeous. Hauntingly beautiful. There is something about her writing that has me so in awe. The romance(s?) is quite heartbreaking. I will not say much about it but it is really special. And it just breaks my heart so many times when reading.

Blue Lily, Lily Blue is an absolute beautiful title and I cannot wait for it. I’ll be rushing to the store on October 28^th to get it!

Rating: 5/5 Tar Heels!

Waiting on Wednesday (41): Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater

Waiting On Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine that highlights to-be-released books.

Blue Lily, Lily Blue by: Maggie Stiefvater

The third installment in the mesmerizing series from the irrepressible, #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater.

I just finished The Dream Thieves and it was AMAZING. Like heartbreakingly beautiful. There better be more kisses in this next installment!

What are y’all waiting for? Let me know!

Review: The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

Winning what you want may cost you everything you love 

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions.

One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin.

But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

As soon as I saw this beautiful cover and read the intriguing synopsis, I knew I had to have it. And I was not disappointed!

“Isn’t that what stories do, make real things fake, and fake things real?”

Kestrel is not your typical badass heroine who can kill someone extremely fast but she is extremely clever. She is cunning and is an expert on all things military. I really liked when she showed her soft side and became vulnerable because usually she had on a strong coat of armor. All in all, I really liked her.

“He knew the law of such things: people in brightly lit places cannot see into the dark.”

Arin was definitely my favorite character. I loved the way he held himself despite his low status in society. He has got a great and caring heart despite the way he has been treated. I absolutely hated the things that he had to go through.

The plot, a slave and his mistress, was extremely unique and something I’ve not read about before. I was actually quite hesitant to read it, but I really had no reason to be. The writing was hauntingly beautiful. I wish the writing was in 1^st POV instead of 3^rd because I feel I could have related more to the characters. The romance was extremely slow developing and very intricate, especially because of their respective statuses. But I loved when it finally all came together.

I am dying for book 2, especially to see the what I’m sure to be a beautiful cover! Have you guys read The Winner’s Curse? What did y’all think?

Favorite Swoon-worthy Quote: She leaned forward, and kissed his temple. Arin’s hand held her lightly to him. His cheek slid against hers. Then his lips touched her brow, her closed eyes, the line where her jaw met her throat. Kestrel’s mouth found his. His lips were salted with her tears, and the taste of that, of him, of their deepening kiss, filled her with the feeling of his quiet laugh moments ago. Of a wild softness, a soft wildness.

Rating: 4.5/5 Tar Heels!