The Raven Cycle Book 2

THE RAVEN CYCLE:
The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

Not All Dreams Should Come True!

Ronan had pulled a living breathing Chainsaw from his dream and brought it into reality. If he could bring Chainsaw, a raven, into the waking world from his dreams what else was he capable of dreaming into reality? If he could do it once why not again? Why not other objects? As Ronan delves deeper into his ability, manifesting all manner of objects from his sleep, he discovers his father's hidden secret and the dire consequences of this gift used thoughtlessly; Cabeswater is weakening and uncontrollable things are slipping through into reality, things that could never be, should never be, things of nightmares.

The Gray Man is unobtrusive, indistinguishable, unremarkable. He enters a place with little fuss keeping only to himself, until his job is done, then he is on his way again. Although a self professed hit man his job mostly consists of hunting for things unable to be found, brought or acquired. At the present the Gray Man has been hired to hunt for the Greywaren, a relic that allows its owner to take objects out of dreams. But even as others are searching themselves, there are other obstacles in his way, namely a psychic named Maura and a boy named Ronan. For it turns out the Greywaren is not a thing but a person.

The Dream Thieves unveils the true identity of the Greywaren, at least one of them, as Ronan soon discovers he is not the only one. With more than one person searching for this relic, this enthralling tale sees the Raven boys distracted from their mission to find the sleeping king as secrets are revealed, decisions are made and danger is faced. A welcomed return to a world where life can be dreamt, enemies can be friends and where mystery and myths still exist. This second book in the series is as addictive and engaging as the first, its cast just as complex and memorable and its magical realism just as seamless and attainable.

Maggie Stiefvater Webpage

Maggie Stiefvater @ Scholastic

On sale: 01 November 2013
Price (AU): $24.99
ISBN: 9780545424943
Recommended age: 13+
In a word: Greywaren
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: five out of five
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The Raven Cycle Book 1

THE RAVEN CYCLE:
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Making Dreams Reality!

Blue has forever been told that if she ever kisses her true love, he will die. She doesn't doubt this for a minute. So without knowing who her potential true love may be Blue decided long ago that it would be much easier to just not kiss anybody, a much easier task at six then it was turning out to be at sixteen. But Blue was determined not to fall in love. Then on St Mark's Eve at the spirit watch Blue sees her first ever spirit. In the next twelve months the boy that spirit belongs to is going to die and Blue, having been able to see him, is either his true love, the person who kills him or both.

Gansey may seem the typical spoilt, rich kid with his expensive car, fine clothes and ability to solve most any problem by throwing money at it, but not everything in life can be solved with money. Surrounding himself with an eclectic group of friends, Gansey and his fellow Raven Boys have spent the last several years searching for the impossible. An ancient Welsh King lying in rest, sleeping for hundreds of years, hidden along the paths of time who will grand a wish to the one who awakens him. While each has their own reasons for joining in the search, for one it will lead to their death.

Raven Boys draws together a cast of psychics, students, explorers, friends and hidden enemies. An exciting tale of friendships, loyalties, predictions and murder. Where four Raven boys and one Blue girl are discovering that together they can find magic and mystery in the world. A world where the threat of a kiss is as heart stopping as the promise of death, where damning prophecies lead to true love and the search for an ancient king sleeping will lead to another world. This is a story where magical realism seamlessly mingles with ancient myths resulting in an engaging and complex beginning to an alluring and brilliant new series.

Maggie Stiefvater Webpage

Maggie Stiefvater @ Scholastic

On sale: 28 September 2012
Price (AU): $24.99
ISBN: 9780545224901
Recommended age: 9+
In a word: Raven Boys
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: five out of five
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Books of Faerie #1.2

BOOKS OF FAERIE:
The Hounds Of Ulster by Maggie Stiefvater

Always Wanting More!

It used to be enough for him, they used to be enough. Together they were punk Irish gods. Together their music was amazing. It was the one thing that kept them close, but now it seemed it was the one thing pulling them apart, that, and the girl. But it was no ordinary girl coming between them, she was one of them. But with the promise of something more then what he has, more then he could achieve on his own, a sacrifice must be made in return.

The Hounds Of Ulster tells the tale of music, friendship and the girl that came between them. But it is also the story of heartbreak and loss, for it seems that all those who achieve greatness always pass before their time. However it is those left behind who suffer all the more for their loss. A short but poignant prequel story to Balled about a friend, gone but not forgotten.

Maggie Stiefvater Webpage

Maggie Stiefvater @ Scholastic

On sale: n/a
Price (AU): free from authors webpage
ISBN: n/a
Recommended age: 14+
In a word: Loss
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: to those reading the series
Star rating: four out of five
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Books of Faerie #1.1

BOOKS OF FAERIE:
Yes Or No by Maggie Stiefvater

On Word Can Change Your Life!

There was so much meaning in words. Words to him we're like a promise, something to stand by and not to be taken lightly. Ordinarily he was nothing, nobody, but once a month when he did his readings he was transformed by his words in someone. Once a month he mattered. But he wanted more then that once a month could offer him, but to get it would cost him everything.

Yes Or No could change his life, would change his life. After meeting a girl who promises Steven the world and a chance to be a better poet, Steven is infatuated with being more, with having his words reach more people. But in order to have that he must answer one question. Is he willing to give up everything to get ? A short but intriguing prequel story to Ballad about a boy and his muse.

Maggie Stiefvater Webpage

Maggie Stiefvater @ Scholastic

On sale: n/a
Price (AU): free from authors webpage
ISBN: n/a
Recommended age: 14+
In a word: Deals
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: to those reading the series
Star rating: four out of five
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The Scorpio Races

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

"Today, Someone Will Die"

The sea can be both beautiful and deadly, indiscriminate in the lives it takes and the ones it spits out, just like those creatures who stumble from its watery depths onto the sandy shores. And just like the sea, those creatures cannot be held down, bent to our will, nor tamed in any way. But once a year, many men seek to do just that, many men die to achieve just that, and all for the glory of wining The Scorpio Races.

She is the first girl to compete in the races and the first girl expected to die in the races. Many believe her a fool for competing and she can't argue that with them. She doesn't want to race, she doesn't want to die, but she has her reasons for racing and no one can talk her out of it. Though many will try.

Having already won the races four years in a row, there is little doubt from anybody that he won't do so again. But when everything he cares for is riding on the outcome of this race, with the pressure mounting and the competition more important then ever, suddenly he will find that he has more to lose then he ever thought possible.

The Scorpio Races are a deadly tradition held once a year on a tiny island that for the rest of the year is all but forgotten to the out side world. As a story of family, friendships and life it is written in a way that is at once both bluntly realistic and fancifully charming, beautifully blending humor and hardship. At it's core is a love story that builds so naturally starting as someone you see everyday and becoming someone you cannot go a day without seeing. A compelling and unforgettable read.

Maggie Stiefvater Webpage

Maggie Stiefvater @ Scholastic
Scorpio Races

On sale: 01 November 2011
Price (AU): $24.99
ISBN: 9780545224901
Recommended age: 15+
In a word: Water Horse
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: five out of five
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The Wolves of Mercy Falls #3

THE WOLVES OF MERCY FALLS:
Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

The Beginning Of The End Of A Love That Will Last Forever! 

For years he had watched her from afar, waiting for her to join him in the woods as a wolf, but she never did. Years later he finally found her as a human and they thought they could finally be together. Now however, it is she that watches from the woods, torn away from him by winter and a wolf's coat.

His greatest fear was losing himself to the wolf inside, but now he fears he has lost the girl he loves to the woods and is being accused of murdering her. Her life now in the woods is filled with the longing for something more and the waiting for the winter to be over, as her future is lost to the uncertainty of the cold.

Meanwhile a former rock star is rediscovering life and love only now after he has given up on both. And a broken princess, whose brother's death has instigated the hunt for the wolves, will rediscover a meaning to life that was lost when she lost her brother.

Forever is a story of werewolves and love, but more then anything it is a story of Sam and Grace. The heart of this story is a couple who will never give-up on each other and never stop loving each other. A tender, heart pounding and unforgettable end to a series that has been so engrossing it will make you Shiver with longing when it's over.

Maggie Stiefvater Webpage

Maggie Stiefvater @ Scholastic

On sale: 01 August 2010
Price (AU): $29.99
ISBN: 9780545259088
Recommended age: 13+
In a word: Goodbyes
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: five out of five
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Books of Faerie #2

BOOKS OF FAERIE:
Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater

'A Gathering Of Faerie'

It was a song of the dead and for the dead; a lament played over and over again calling to the damned. While on the breeze a slow ballad played of dancing, belonging and the end of a life. This ballad was hers, but to him she gave the sounds of golden music to fill his dreams and the promise of greatness whispered in his ears. It was intoxicating the way the notes filled him yet still left him unfulfilled with a longing that tormented him.

For James music is his life, but for Nuala music is life. A leanan sidhe is a muse living on the years of those she inspires and no one has ever said no to a muse. James however is determined to have nothing to do with the leanan sidhe haunting him, despite the wanting and the anguish it is causing him. But it is not possible to accept a deal with a faerie without selling a piece of yourself.

Ballad is a tale of death shaped by moments of tenderness, enchantment and song, a sweet yet humorous poetic romance that is sentimental and at the same time perilous. This urban story of music, magic and mayhem is threaded through with the traditionalism and timelessness of faeries creating a world that is wondrous, dark and truly a delight to read. A stunning squeal to the beautiful Lament.

Maggie Stiefvater Webpage

Maggie Stiefvater @ Scholastic
Books Of Faerie

On sale: 01 May 2011
Price (AU): $19.99
ISBN: 9781407121123
Recommended age: 14+
In a word: Leanan Sidhe
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: five out of five
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Books of Faerie #1

BOOKS OF FAERIE:
Lament by Maggie Stiefvater

'The Faerie Queen's Deception'

It began with a balled, an ancient story of lament, a song of love and death sung with the voice of an angel by a girl who to the world is all but invisible. That is she is invisible to the human world but not to the faeries, not any more. Deirdre has captured the attention of the faeries and that can be deadly.

Deirdre is falling in love with Luke; however Luke is no ordinary boy. Over a thousand years old and assassin to the Queen, Luke is dangerous, a killer, and yet Deirdre cannot help but follow when he calls, putting her life in his hands, which is exactly what the faeries want. Will love be enough to conquer death or are Deirdre and Luke as fated to tragedy as the lover in the balled of lament?

Lament is a tale of love wrought through with heartache, music and magic, only this tragedy is also beautifully threaded with hope. As a modern story of faeries there is a seamless blending of fantasy and magic with the everyday that creates one of the most enthralling and authentic tales that is simply a pleasure to read. 

Maggie Stiefvater Webpage

Maggie Stiefvater @ Scholastic
Books Of Faerie

On sale: 01 January 2011
Price (AU): $19.99
ISBN: 9781407120317
Recommended age: 14+
In a word: Cloverhand
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: five out of five
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The Wolves of Mercy Falls #2

THE WOLVES OF MERCY FALLS:
Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

Stay A Little Longer!

When Sam lost his wolf skin for good it was a miracle, one too good to be true, one that he was thankful for everyday as it brought him closer to the one he loved; it brought him closer to Grace. Being with Grace was the only future Sam could see for himself, the only future he wanted. But just when he thought that future was within his grasp, everything began to fall apart.

Grace had lost Sam in the past to the cold and the woods, she had watched as his eyes watched her through the face of a wolf. But now Sam was Sam, a boy, human and going to stay that way. Now they could be together, or so they thought. Grace has to fight not only those around her but her inner wolf if she is to hold on to the boy she loves. But it is getting harder and harder to stay with Sam, and to stay as Grace.

Linger is a thrilling tale of loss, love and change. After risking all to find each other Sam and Grace now have to fight with everything they have to stay together as it seems the world is conspiring to tear them apart. Sam has taken on new responsibilities and with them new fears, while Grace is facing new challenges and deadly new dangers. For Sam becoming a wolf is all in the past, for Grace becoming a wolf is her future. A beautiful, raw and emotional look at love, wishes and werewolves.

Maggie Stiefvater Webpage

Maggie Stiefvater @ Scholastic

The Wolves of Mercy Falls

On sale: 01 August 2010
Price (AU): $29.99
ISBN: 9780545123280
Recommended age: 13+
In a word: Change
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: five out of five
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The Wolves of Mercy Falls #1

THE WOLVES OF MERCY FALLS:
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

A Wolf In Boy's Clothing, A Boy In Wolf's Clothing!

The first time Grace saw those yellow eyes they belonged to a wolf, a wolf who saved her. The first time Grace was bitten she had thought she would die. Later when Grace saw those yellow eyes they belonged to a boy, a boy who she saved. Later when she was bitten she thought the wolf would die.

For years Grace watched the wolves that lived in the woods surrounding her home, for years the wolves watched her. She thought about them all the time, they were her wolves. Every winter the wolves would be there, a constant companion to the snow. In the summer they were gone. She never thought more about that.

For a while Grace and Sam were living like they had all the time in the world, like a future was possible for them, like the end wasn't coming. For a while they were the happiest they had ever been, but their time together was shadowed, by men and wolves and the constant threat of the cold. It had taken six years for them to finally reach each other, and now they were only a snow fall away from losing each other for ever.

Shiver is a love story told with simple elegance that is heartbreaking, tender and terrifying. The relationship between Grace and Sam is honest and thoughtful, pitched against the dangers of their separate worlds that are about to collide. A story of werewolves as you have never read before, with no full moons and no silver bullets; just the bite of a wolf and the call of winter. A highly recommended read for teens, fantasy readers and romantics; and anyone who loves a good story.

 

Maggie Stiefvater Webpage

Maggie Stiefvater @ Scholastic

On sale: 01 August 2009
Price (AU): $29.99
ISBN: 9780545123266
Recommended age: 13+
In a word: Wolves
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: five out of five
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