Book Review: ‘Call Down the Hawk’ by Maggie Stiefvater

*This is a SPOILER-FREE review*

Going into 2019, Call Down the Hawk by Maggie Stiefvater—the first in her new series, The Dreamer Trilogy—was my most anticipated read, an anticipation that was three years in the making. 

The Raven Cycle, the series that preceded this new work, is my all-time favorite book series, so you can imagine my excitement when it was announced that Call Down the Hawk would follow many of the same characters. At the same time, I was nervous.

Would a new story change how I viewed my favorite characters? Would it make me admire The Raven Cycle less?

Turns out, I had no reason to worry—Call Down the Hawk reads like a dream from which you don’t want to wake. 

The novel follows an ensemble cast. There are the Lynch brothers: Declan, the oldest, who lies effortlessly and manages his dead father’s (illegal) magical artifact business; Ronan, the middle brother, who can manifest physical objects from his dreams; Matthew, the youngest, who is one of the objects Ronan manifested from a dream.

Carmen Farooq-Lane, a woman who hunts and kills dreamers like Ronan, and Jordan Hennessy, a thief and art forger, round out the major characters.

Destiny and the predicted end of the world—an end said by Visionaries to be brought about by a dreamer—bring all these characters together. 

Stiefvater announced this trilogy in August 2016, only four months after The Raven King concluded The Raven Cycle, the series in which readers first met Ronan Lynch and his brothers.

Stiefvater emphasized that despite the four-book The Raven Cycle and The Dreamer Trilogy sharing characters, it wasn’t necessary to read the first series before starting Call Down the Hawk. 

While knowledge of the previous series gives certain moments more emotional weight (especially those involving Ronan and his boyfriend, Adam), it isn’t necessary to have read The Raven Cycle —Call Down the Hawk opens The Dreamer Trilogy with a bang and without relying on its predecessors.

I read Call Down the Hawk, which sits at an impressive 469 pages, in one coffee-fueled sitting, then stared at the wall for 20 minutes after finishing to process what just happened.

This novel is unlike anything I’ve ever read. It’s paradoxical, fantastical, yet wonderfully grounded in reality (well, as grounded as a novel about dreams and dreamers can be).

The true plot is unclear at first, a few notes in various songs, but by the end, they form one strong melody to lead readers into the second book. Don’t be put off by this, though—as with many Stiefvater novels, the joy is in the characters.

Most of the characters are college-aged: Ronan and Adam are nineteen in the book; Declan, Carmen and Jordan are all in their early 20s. However, only Declan and Adam are in college.

It’s refreshing to see that college isn’t the only path for characters in their late teens and 20s, and also to see YA characters older than 16 or 17.

All of the characters are looking for their place in the world and deal with problems familiar to college-aged people—feeling as if your friends are moving on without you, feeling unable to change, not knowing what you want to achieve in your life.

Stiefvater brings a new awareness to topics rarely explored in YA literature.

The relationships—familial, romantic and platonic—between these characters shine as well.

The Lynch brothers capture all the complexities of sibling relationships, from the funny to the serious.

Jordan Hennessy’s relationship with the girls she lives with shows the depth and complexities of female friendship.

And for readers who are sick of needless relationship drama, look no further than Ronan and Adam.

Even when faced with innumerable external challenges, there’s no doubt that Ronan and Adam love each other and are in it for the long run. 

The emphasis on characters doesn’t mean that Call Down the Hawk isn’t without show-stopping adventure moments. There are car chases, motorcycles, shootouts, forgeries, art heists and more.

The rich characters only work to increase the stakes in these pivotal scenes and make the readers more invested.

Perhaps one of the greatest parts of the novel, however, is Stiefvater herself.

As an aspiring author, there are writers I read and then attempt to emulate; there are also writers I read and know that no matter what I do, I’ll never be on that level.

This doesn’t stem from pessimism, only admiration and acknowledgement that what the writer is doing is entirely unique. Stiefvater, without a doubt, falls into the latter category for me.

Joy bleeds through every word on the page, so readers can see that Stiefvater, without doubt, had a blast writing this novel.

The book becomes even more special after the personal essay Stiefvater recently posted to her website, “The Years Without Words.” 

She writes about her intense health issues, the struggle to write when she was suffering greatly and her ultimate diagnosis of adrenal insufficiency. Knowing the circumstances under which Call Down the Hawk was created makes me even more grateful for it, because I know Stiefvater fought for it.

There are no set release dates for Call Down the Hawk’s two untitled sequels, but fans can expect resolutions to the series opener’s cliffhanger ending and more of their favorite characters—plus potential returns from The Raven Cycle favorites.  No matter what, I’m thrilled to see more from Stiefvater.

I first read The Raven Boys when I was 16, the same age as Ronan Lynch and his friends at that point.

With Call Down the Hawk, they’re college-aged, my age, and I’m thankful to grow with my favorite characters and begin on a new adventure.

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