"Call Down the Hawk" is a novel about dreaming. Whether slogging through sleep-induced chaos or clawing their way into being the people they want to be seen as, characters in this book dream big and dream hard. "Call Down The Hawk”, which was released on Nov. 5 is Maggie Stiefvater’s first book in her new series the "Dreamer Trilogy". These books will be a part of a spin-off from one of Stiefvater's previous series, "The Raven Cycle".
Stiefvater pens in the prologue, “Dreams are not the safest thing to build a life on,” setting the tone for the rest of the novel. They are shifting, ambiguous and yet for this cast of characters, more threatening then reality.
Ronan Lynch is a dreamer, but not like the rest of us. For him, he chances dragging what he dreams into the real world. This, for a person who has seen more messed-up stuff than most, is not ideal by any stretch of the imagination.
The rest of the characters are equally interesting, each with their own distinct characteristics. Jordan Hennessy is a gifted art forger trying to claw her way into the big leagues. Carmen Farooq-Lane is a doer, pulling triggers against people who can warp reality in their sleep.
"Call Down the Hawk" also features characters familiar to readers of her original series. Ronan’s brothers join the mix and so does his boyfriend Adam.
Stiefvater takes a steady stance on the relationship between Ronan and Adam. It is not overdone or forced but simply is. Readers of her books have had to wait and watch their love unfold over the course of four novels. For worried fans of the original story, Stiefvater said relationship drama did not interest her and that she wouldn’t capitalize on it.
In terms of LBGT representation, Stiefvater’s novels are a model in doing it right and in a positive way. For readers wanting to see more gay characters in literature, this novel is for you.
Stiefvater's writing is punchy. Her cleverness never pauses to take a breath and the novel reads like a carefully-crafted tale of wit and magic. The pacing is perfect; the reader is never left bored. The pages continually swing from small, intimate and oftentimes funny moments to dark and dire ones.
The intricacies of the novels in The "Ravens Cycle" and now "The Dreamer Trilogy" are astounding. Each character starts off separate, with whole chapters dedicated to them. Slowly, they wind towards each other. The collision of characters, and worlds, is organic. It’s like watching a car crash in slow motion: You know they’ll meet and when they do, everything will change.
The exposition is admittedly… a lot. There’s so much happening. New characters doing new things and storylines going all different directions. For a reader new to the series: Push through it. It will click.
The previous series doesn’t need to be read to understand this one but the inexperienced reader will be at a disadvantage, especially within the first few chapters. Stiefvater does reserve some space to explain things but previous knowledge of the story and characters will give the reader the most context and understanding.
That being said, read the book. If you have not read "The Raven Cycle", then go do it. Better yet, go read "The Raven Cycle" and then come back to read "The Dreamer Trilogy". Then, thank me.
The second book in the trilogy is unnamed as of now and is expected for a late 2020 publication date. Soon enough (and with lots of patience involved) readers will have their hands on the second novel. It will be undoubtedly as brilliant as the first.
