Maggie Stiefvater: One of the greats

Ever since I read the quote “My words are unerring tools of destruction, and I’ve come unequipped with the ability to disarm them,” I have truly never been the same. 

Mind you, this came from the first book in the whole series: there were six more left with the same eloquent yet absolutely devastating writing.

For those of you unfortunate enough to have never heard of Maggie Stiefvater, she is an artist, car enthusiast and the author of two of my favorite book series, “The Raven Cycle” and “The Dreamer Trilogy.” 

Both are set in the same wonderful universe on the modern-day East Coast with a bit of magical pizzazz. 

Even though it has been a couple of years since I first read “The Raven Cycle,” it still worms its way into my mind on a regular basis, and I expect “The Dreamer Trilogy” will be the same.

In “The Raven Cycle,” the main characters navigate both the mystical and the ordinary — curses, ley lines, familial discord, a magical forest, platonic and romantic relationship struggles, internal conflict — all while they aim to find the grave of Glendower, a dead Welsh king. 

Each of the four books adds and resolves smaller conflicts while simultaneously building everything up to the climax of the overall story.

“The Dreamer Trilogy” is similar to the original series, focusing on a few returning characters as well as adding in brand-new ones. These books also dive into realistic internal conflicts with magical external conflicts. 

The plot and world-building in both series are completely and totally different from anything else I’ve ever read. 

Stiefvater connects the very ordinary and the extremely mystical in a way that feels natural and intriguing to audiences.

In these books, high school is not simply a backdrop to provide realism; it is incorporated seamlessly into the storyline along with the magical questing. 

The world is not short on unique stories, but where Stiefvater distinguishes herself is in execution. Her prose is powerful and lush, and it held me in a death grip while I was reading. 

When Stiefvater writes, even meeting side characters feels like encountering someone both new and complex. 

Stiefvater accomplishes this with small details, like how one character names his car “The Pig,” another wears orange because it makes her tan pop, a third is both gay and a devout Catholic, and yet another is raised by her mother and two aunts. 

Each of these intricate characters truly feel like a real and relatable person.

Stiefvater does not waste a single word. Everything she writes either builds immersion, expands upon the characters or functions as set-up for the intense and creative conflict. 

Part of her intentionality shows through the excellent use of the third-person limited tense — in which the author controls how much of a character’s internal narration the reader is given access to on the page. 

In my experience, third-person limited can sometimes feel stilted or disconnected from the story and its text. 

However, Stiefvater uses it in a way that does not take away from but in fact enhances the significance of the story.

In addition to all these wonderful details, she also fills her books with raw emotion and heartbreak. 

The stories are not true tragedies in the sense that they end poorly. Rather, I would say that they are just incredibly realistic. 

Life can be heartbreaking, yet we keep living and loving. The books mirror that excellently. 

Most importantly, I think Stiefvater is one of the greats in fantasy fiction because she does not chase after what is trending or popular at the moment. 

Many elements in the story emerge from the author’s own personal passions. She loves cars, art, magic and ravens — which are uniquely balanced with a passion for writing, dead languages and friendship.

Stiefvater continuously emphasizes connection and the beauty of the natural world within her own life — so she writes a story that incorporates all of these. Furthermore, she does it in a way that doesn’t feel forced or non-reflective of her values. 

Stiefvater stands out from many other authors for both her unique blending of realistic and magical conflict and her integration of her diverse passions into her series.

She didn’t write her books chasing after fads — she wrote them as herself, and that is why I believe that they are timeless.