“When you have friends, you have family. And family, no matter what it looks like, is worth fighting for.”
— Ronan's evolving understanding of his chosen family.
Archivist's Choice
Call Down the Hawk
Maggie Stiefvater (2019)
Genre
Fantasy / Young Adult
Reading Time
500 min
Key Themes
See below
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A volatile dreamer, a skilled thief, and a haunted hunter are drawn into a high-stakes game where dreams become perilous realities and existence itself is at risk.
Synopsis
Ronan Lynch, a powerful dreamer, struggles with dangerous objects and creatures he pulls from his subconscious. He meets Jordan Hennessy, an art forger who finds a connection to dream objects she copies. At the same time, Carmen Farooq-Lane, an agent for the Moderators—an organization that controls dreamers—hunts Ronan. She sees dreamers as a threat, remembering her own brother's destructive path. Their paths cross as the Dreamers' Guild emerges, seeking to exploit dreamers for apocalyptic goals. As the Guild grows and reality unravels, Ronan must make desperate choices, Jordan faces a sacrifice tied to her art, and Carmen forms an alliance to stop a dream apocalypse.
Reading time
500 min
Difficulty
Medium
Pacing
Moderate
Mood
Atmospheric, Suspenseful, Mysterious, Dark, Introspective
✓ Read this if...
You love complex magic systems, morally gray characters, and a blend of urban fantasy and psychological depth, with a focus on dream logic and its real-world consequences.
✗ Skip this if...
You prefer standalone stories or straightforward narratives without much ambiguity and a fast-paced, action-heavy plot from the outset.
Plot Summary
A New Beginning, A Lingering Threat
Ronan Lynch lives in a barn with his brothers Declan and Matthew, improving his ability to pull objects and creatures from his subconscious. He deals with past trauma and new responsibilities. Meanwhile, Jordan Hennessy, an art forger, wants a specific dream object—a painting that seems to call to her. Unknown to them, Carmen Farooq-Lane, a member of the Moderators, hunts dreamers. She is driven by her own dreamer brother's death. Her first targets are small-time dreamers, but she wants to understand and control this dangerous phenomenon.
The Moderators' Pursuit
Carmen Farooq-Lane and her partner continue to find and assess dreamers. Her methods are direct, often using specialized dream-killing devices. As she investigates more cases, she finds a pattern: more dreamers are appearing, and their dreams are becoming more destructive. This makes her shift focus from containing individual threats to understanding the larger implications of this surge in dreaming. She suspects a powerful, organized force is behind these new dreamers, meaning her previous understanding of the threat was incomplete.
Jordan's Obsession and Meeting Hennessy
Jordan Hennessy's search for the dream painting intensifies, leading her through art circles and underground connections. She feels a magnetic pull towards it, sensing it holds a key to her identity. Her journey eventually brings her to Declan Lynch, Ronan's older brother, who, through his art dealings, links her to the dream world. Jordan's forging skills are tested as she navigates this complex world, keeping her true intentions hidden from those who might exploit her or the painting.
Ronan's Recklessness and the Vision
Ronan Lynch's dreaming abilities grow, but so does his recklessness. He pulls various objects and creatures from his dreams, some harmless, others dangerous. His relationship with Adam Parrish, though distant, provides both comfort and conflict. During a vivid dreaming session, Ronan has a disturbing vision: a prophecy of a future where dreamers are hunted and destroyed, and the world is changed. This vision unsettles him, making him question his power and his actions' consequences. He tells Matthew his fears, trying to understand the fragmented images.
The Looming Threat of the Dreamers' Guild
Carmen Farooq-Lane's investigation leads her to a shocking discovery: the Dreamers' Guild. This group cultivates and manipulates dreamers for its own mysterious goals. The Guild is more powerful and insidious than Carmen first thought, with advanced technology and operatives. She realizes her efforts to contain individual dreamers only scratched the surface of a larger, more dangerous conspiracy. The Guild's existence confirms her worst fears about unchecked dreaming power and potential chaos.
Jordan's Connection to the Painting
Jordan Hennessy finally finds the dream painting, only to learn it is not just an object but something tied to her own existence. She learns she is a dreamed creation, pulled from someone else's subconscious, and the painting is a manifestation of her own dreamer. This revelation shatters her understanding of her identity and purpose, forcing her to confront what it means to be a dreamed person. The painting reflects her origins and precarious existence, as her life is linked to her unknown dreamer's survival.
Ronan and Jordan's Intersecting Paths
Ronan Lynch and Jordan Hennessy's paths finally cross, not by chance, but by fate and their shared connection to the dream world. Ronan, sensing the power from Jordan's dream painting, is intrigued and wary. Jordan, seeing Ronan as a formidable dreamer, views him as a key to understanding her own existence. Their first meetings are a cautious dance of suspicion and curiosity as they assess each other. Despite different backgrounds, they begin to understand each other, based on the unique burdens of their dream-touched lives.
Carmen's Confrontation with the Guild
Driven to protect humanity from uncontrolled dreaming, Carmen Farooq-Lane infiltrates a Dreamers' Guild stronghold. This mission puts her in danger as she navigates their defenses and encounters their dream-manipulating devices. She meets the Guild's leader, a ruthless individual who believes dreaming is the next stage of human evolution. Their confrontation is tense, showing the vast differences in their beliefs and the extent of the Guild's ambition.
The Dream Painting's Power Unleashed
The dream painting, now fully activated by Jordan's presence and understanding, shows its full power. It is not just a conduit for a dreamed person but an artifact that can influence the dream world. As its power grows, it creates a direct link between Jordan and Ronan. This connection lets them sense each other's dreams and emotions, blurring their realities. However, this power also attracts unwanted attention, making them targets for those who want to control or destroy such potent dream objects.
The Looming Dream Apocalypse
The Dreamers' Guild's plan is revealed: to start a global dream event, forcing humanity to face the power of dreams and begin a new era. They believe this is necessary for evolution, but Carmen sees it as a catastrophic threat to reality. The Guild activates dreamers globally, creating a ripple effect that destabilizes the line between waking and dreaming worlds. Ronan, Jordan, and Carmen realize the scale of the disaster and how little time they have. The world is on the edge of a dream apocalypse.
Ronan's Desperate Act
Seeing the immediate danger from the Dreamers' Guild's plan, Ronan Lynch takes a desperate and dangerous step. He decides to use his dreaming abilities to counter the Guild, trying to disrupt their network of dreamers. This involves pushing his powers to their limits, risking his mental and physical health. He creates powerful, chaotic dream constructs, hoping to cause disarray within the Guild's plan. His actions are a direct challenge, drawing the full attention and anger of the Guild's leaders.
Jordan's Sacrifice and Choice
As the dream apocalypse nears, Jordan Hennessy faces a choice about her identity and the dream painting. She understands that her existence as a dreamed person is linked to the crisis. She must decide whether to embrace her dreamed nature, possibly sacrificing her individuality, or to cut the connection, risking her annihilation. Her decision is crucial, as the dream painting holds immense power that could either fuel the Guild's plan or disrupt it. Her choice is personal but has global implications.
Carmen's Unlikely Alliance
Realizing the Dreamers' Guild's overwhelming power, Carmen Farooq-Lane knows she cannot defeat them alone. Driven by her commitment to protecting humanity, she forms an unlikely alliance with Ronan Lynch and Jordan Hennessy. Despite initial mistrust and different motives, they share a common enemy. Carmen brings her knowledge of the Guild, tactical skills, and technology. Ronan provides raw dreaming power, and Jordan offers her unique connection to the dream painting. This alliance is a desperate gamble, but their only hope against a global threat.
The Battle for Reality
The story's climax unfolds as Ronan, Jordan, and Carmen confront the Dreamers' Guild in a final, desperate battle. The conflict spans both the physical and dream worlds, with devastating results. Ronan unleashes his full dreaming abilities, creating powerful constructs and disrupting the Guild's dream network. Jordan, using her connection to the dream painting, manipulates the dream world. Carmen uses her Moderator training and technology to fight the Guild's operatives. Reality itself is at stake as they fight to prevent the global dream apocalypse.
Aftermath and New Paths
The immediate threat of the Dreamers' Guild's global dream event is stopped, but at a cost. The world has changed because of the near-catastrophe, and the existence of dreamers is now more widely known, though feared. Ronan, Jordan, and Carmen are forever altered. While they have achieved a fragile peace, new challenges and mysteries arise. The Guild is weakened but not destroyed, and the implications of Jordan's dreamed existence and Ronan's growing power set the stage for future conflicts and self-discovery. Their individual journeys are not over.
Principal Figures
Ronan Lynch
The Protagonist
Ronan learns to harness his power with greater control and responsibility, moving from reckless abandon to a more measured understanding of his abilities.
Jordan Hennessy
The Protagonist
Jordan transitions from a mysterious art forger to a self-aware dreamed person, embracing her unique identity and power.
Carmen Farooq-Lane
The Protagonist/Antagonist (initially)
Carmen moves from a rigid, anti-dreamer stance to forming an alliance with dreamers to combat a greater threat, broadening her understanding of their potential.
Declan Lynch
The Supporting
Declan continues to mature into his role as family patriarch, learning to accept the supernatural elements of his life while maintaining his grounding influence.
Matthew Lynch
The Supporting
Matthew begins to understand the full implications of his dreamed existence and his connection to the dream world.
Adam Parrish
The Supporting
Adam continues to navigate the challenges of his relationship with Ronan, accepting the dream world more fully while striving for his own future.
The Dreamers' Guild Leader
The Antagonist
The Guild Leader's plan is thwarted, but their ideology remains a looming threat.
Loch
The Supporting
Loch remains a constant, unwavering presence, reflecting Ronan's inner state.
Themes & Insights
The Nature of Reality and Identity
The book blurs the lines between dreams and reality, questioning what is real and how that defines a person. Jordan Hennessy's discovery that she is a dreamed person is central to this, making her deal with a constructed identity. Ronan's ability to pull things from dreams also challenges the solidity of the waking world. The Dreamers' Guild's goal of merging the two realms highlights how fragile our perceived reality is.
“What was real, what was dreamed, what was a lie? It was all the same when you looked hard enough.”
Control vs. Chaos
This theme explores the tension between trying to control powerful, unpredictable forces (dreaming) and the chaos that results. Carmen Farooq-Lane and the Moderators want control, neutralizing dreamers for perceived safety. Ronan Lynch, in contrast, embodies chaos with his powerful, often reckless dreaming. The Dreamers' Guild seeks to control dreaming for its own ends, but its methods often lead to greater instability. The story suggests that absolute control is impossible and often unhelpful when dealing with such fundamental forces.
“He wasn't a god, but he could make one. And that was a terrifying kind of power.”
Family and Belonging
Despite the fantastical elements, the story is about family and the desire for belonging. The Lynch brothers, Ronan, Declan, and Matthew, are a loyal unit, always looking out for each other. Matthew, as a dreamed person, finds his identity and belonging within this family. Jordan Hennessy's journey is also about finding her place and understanding her origins, leading her to connect with others who understand her unique existence. Family, whether by blood or shared experience, provides an anchor in a tumultuous world.
“They were Lynch brothers. That was enough to be.”
The Ethics of Power
The novel examines the moral implications of having immense power, especially the power of dreaming. Ronan grapples with the responsibility of his abilities, often making impulsive choices with unforeseen consequences. The Moderators believe they are justified in neutralizing dreamers to protect humanity, while the Dreamers' Guild believes its actions, even destructive ones, are for human evolution. The story forces characters and readers to consider the line between protection and oppression, and what sacrifices are acceptable for a perceived better future.
“There was a line between creation and destruction, and Ronan was always teetering on it.”
Plot Devices & Literary Techniques
Dream Objects
Physical manifestations pulled from dreams into reality.
Dream objects are central to the plot, as they are the tangible link between the dream world and the waking world. Ronan's ability to pull these objects, from mundane items to living creatures (like Loch or Matthew), drives much of the narrative. Jordan's quest for the dream painting is another key example. These objects often possess unique properties or powers and can be both beneficial and dangerous. Their existence blurs the line of reality and serves as a constant reminder of the dreamers' abilities, often attracting the attention of those who wish to exploit or control them.
The Dream Painting
A mysterious artwork that is both a dreamed object and a link to Jordan's identity.
The dream painting serves as a crucial plot device for Jordan Hennessy's storyline. It is not just an object of desire, but a direct manifestation of her own dreamer and, by extension, her own dreamed existence. Its pursuit drives her actions, and its eventual acquisition unravels the mystery of her identity. The painting acts as a conduit to greater dream power and a focal point for the conflict between Jordan, Ronan, and the forces that wish to control dreamers. It's a powerful symbol of identity and connection to the dream world.
The Moderators
A secretive organization dedicated to controlling and eliminating dangerous dreamers.
The Moderators are a key antagonistic (and later allied) force in the story, personified by Carmen Farooq-Lane. They represent the established order's fear and attempt to control the unknown power of dreaming. Their advanced technology and ruthless methods create conflict and pressure for dreamers like Ronan. As the plot progresses, their understanding of the threat evolves, leading to a shift in their role from pure antagonists to potential, albeit uneasy, allies against the greater threat of the Dreamers' Guild. They provide a structural opposition to the uncontrolled nature of dreaming.
The Dreamers' Guild
A clandestine organization manipulating dreamers to achieve a global dream event.
The Dreamers' Guild serves as the primary antagonistic force, a shadowy organization with a grand, world-altering agenda. Their existence elevates the stakes from individual dreamer threats to a global catastrophe. They actively seek out, cultivate, and manipulate dreamers, viewing them as tools for their ideological goal of merging the dream world with reality. Their advanced understanding of dreaming and their network of operatives make them a formidable foe, driving the main characters to unite against a common, existential threat to the world as they know it.
Critical analysis
Notable Quotes
“The world was a cage, and the boys in it were birds, and some of them were meant to fly.”
— Reflecting on the limitations and potential of the characters.
“There were many ways to be a monster. Some of them were beautiful.”
— Exploring the complex nature of antagonists and morally grey characters.
“He knew, with the certainty of a man who had stared into the heart of a storm and found it beautiful, that this was how it was meant to be.”
— Ronan embracing his nature and the chaos around him.
“A secret was only powerful if it was kept.”
— Carmen Farooq-Lane's perspective on information and power.
“Sometimes the only way to save someone was to let them save themselves.”
— Adam Parrish's internal struggle and growth.
“The greatest magic wasn’t in making something from nothing, but in understanding what was already there.”
— Emphasizing the importance of perception and existing magic.
“Fear was a weapon, but so was hope.”
— Contrasting motivations and their impact on characters.
“He was a dream made flesh, and he was tired of being only a dream.”
— Jordan Hennessy's longing for more than her current existence.
“The world had teeth, and it was always hungry.”
— A stark reminder of the dangers and predatory nature of the world.
“Love was not a gentle thing. It was a storm, a wildfire, a force that reshaped everything it touched.”
— Exploring the intense and transformative nature of love.
“They were all broken things, but together, they made something whole.”
— The found family dynamic and their collective strength.
“To be truly alive, you had to risk being truly broken.”
— Carmen Farooq-Lane's philosophical take on living fully.
“Sometimes, the only way to find your way home was to get utterly, irrevocably lost.”
— Ronan Lynch's journey of self-discovery.
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Key Questions (FAQ)
Ronan Lynch is struggling to control his dreaming ability after the events of 'The Raven King,' particularly with the emergence of his dreamed creations, the 'Nightmare Boys,' who are unstable and dangerous. He is also dealing with the emotional aftermath of losing his father and his complicated relationship with his brothers, while trying to maintain his family's farm, The Monmouth Manufacturing.
About the author
Biography coming soon.
