The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater From Goodreads: “There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.” It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive. Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her. His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble. But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little. For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore. From Maggie Stiefvater, the bestselling and acclaimed author of the Shiver trilogy and The Scorpio Races, comes a spellbinding new series where the inevitability of death and the nature of love lead us to a place we’ve never been before.

The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater From Goodreads: 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...

The Raven Boys was my first Maggie Stiefvater book and I'm looking forward to the rest! I have enjoyed the Raven Cycle so much so far, I was drawn in immediately, it was such an interesting idea that spoke to my love of ancient history and the mysteries that abound there. It seemed like such an odd combination to have a private school boy have an obsession with finding the burial place of an ancient Celtic king in Virginia, which isn't actually as out there as it at first sounds if you do a little digging.  History is full of very interesting things we were never told in school. ;)

The range of personalities is wide, from Gansey's easy elegance and competence to Ronan's abrasive destructiveness, Adam's struggles with his pride and anger at his inferior beginnings and Blue's disregard of their social status.  They are all far points on a compass that balance each other beautifully and make for a rounded story.  Even Ronan's pet Chainsaw has her own distinct attitude that made her seem very real, and very much a part of the story.

I actually have to say I liked The Raven Boys a little better than The Dream Thieves which focuses more on Ronan and his fight to master his dreams.  I love Ronan's character, and the dream aspect is very appealing as a plot device but the story line seemed a little more far fetched than in the first book, though still interesting and enjoyable.  I'm completely on board for the rest of the series, and the rest of Maggie Stiefvater's books!

See Maggie Stiefvater's Website for more information on her work.