The Dream Thieves

Starred review from January 27, 2014
Narrator Patton delivers the goods in this second installment in the popular Raven Cycle series from Steifvater. After the events of The Raven Boys, Ronan, Gansey, Blue, and Adam—friends and students at Aglionby Academy in Henrietta, Va.—must put their search for the sleeping king aside and deal with the arrival of the Gray Man, a killer who is hunting for a relic called the Greywaren, which can be used to steal objects from dreams. Patton’s deep voice and grisly tone are perfect for this fantasy tale. His characters are believable and vivid, his delivery clear, and his pacing perfect. Patton easily hooks the listener from the very start, providing a thrilling listening experience. Ages 14–up. A Scholastic hardcover.

Will Patton's narration enriches this contemporary fantasy, helping to provide verisimilitude to the setting of Henrietta, Virginia, a town steeped in magic and mystery. His drawl adds authenticity as he hints at the social divide between the prep school boys and those less fortunate. And his softened tones add to the suspense as the crew of boys and their female companion, Blue, continue their search for the mythic sleeping king of Wales. Particularly noteworthy is Patton's portrayal of Ronan, a dark character who dreams objects into reality and explores his murky past. In addition, the menace in Patton's voice makes the Gray Man all the more intimidating. As Stiefvater's series continues to develop, Patton enhances both its characters and plot. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine

Starred review from January 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-Picking up where Raven Boys (Scholastic, 2012) left off, Steifvater's latest casts a lingering enchantment over its audience-not unlike the waking memory of a strange and beautiful dream. With the ley lines around Henrietta awakened, Gansey, Adam, Ronan, Noah-Raven Boys-and Blue feel closer than ever to finding the hiding place of Welsh King Owan Glendower. Then Cabeswater mysteriously vanishes, and their hopes are unceremoniously dashed. But even as the Raven Boys seek Glendower, some very dangerous men are seeking them. Once again, Stiefvater distinguishes herself as a master storyteller. Characters and settings are superbly crafted, and the elegant prose makes even mundane occurrences seem otherworldly and magical. The omniscient perspective makes audiences privy to information they would not have gained from a first-person narrative. A cliffhanger will leave audiences ravenous for the third installment. Despite not lending itself well to feminine pitches, reader Will Patton's deep, gruff voice is an ideal match for this atmospheric and eerily beautiful story. A bonus particular to the audio format is "Somnus," an original musical composition by the author. Overall, a must have!-Alissa Bach, Oxford Public Library, MI

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

fantomsky26 - This book is a mysterious book that you can't put down. It has romance, action, magic, and it takes you to a place where it feels like anything can happen. When i read this book it felt like every part of me had become a mystery and that everything had a hint of magic to it. This book is really good but be warned once you pick it up you can't put t down