Wednesday #Review - Dark Breaks the Dawn by Sara B. Larson #YALit #Fantasy

Series: Untitled # 1
Format: E-Galley, 320 pages
Release Date: May 30, 2017
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Source: Edelweiss
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy & Magic

In the first book of a remarkable duology, Sara B. Larson sets the stage for her reimagining of Swan Lake -- a lush romance packed with betrayal, intrigue, magic, and adventure.

On her eighteenth birthday, Princess Evelayn of Eadrolan, the Light Kingdom, can finally access the full range of her magical powers. The light looks brighter, the air is sharper, and the energy she can draw when fighting feels almost limitless.

But while her mother, the queen, remains busy at the war front, in the Dark Kingdom of Dorjhalon, the corrupt king is plotting. King Bain wants control of both kingdoms, and his plan will fling Evelayn into the throne much sooner than she expected.

In order to defeat Bain and his sons, Evelayn will quickly have to come into her ability to shapeshift, and rely on the alluring Lord Tanvir. But not everyone is what they seem, and the balance between the Light and Dark comes at a steep price.

Dark Breaks the Dawn is the first book in Sara B. Larson's Dark Breaks the Dawn duology. Larson is also the author of the Defy trilogy which I have started, but not yet finished. Working on it! The story begins on the morning of Crown Princess Evelayn of Éadrolan's (The Light Kingdom) 18th birthday. It is supposed to be the day when Evelayn gains access to her powers which have, until now, been bound, and her mother returns home from the war from as she promised. Evelayn is also supposed to have the ability to shift into a swan now that she has her full compliment of powers. 

Éadrolan has been at war with the neighboring Dorjhalon (The Dark Kingdom) for 10 years. There is really no real end in sight. Plenty have lost their lives to this brutal and terrible war, including Evelayn's father. King Bain of Dorjhalon has plans for Éadrolan, and those plans mean removing the only two royals left in the Light Kingdom; Queen Ilana, and her only daughter Evelayn. In this world, only a royal can kill another royal. The King and Queen are the magical conduits for their respective lands. 

Were one to fall, then the magic shifts away until the heir is able to collect it. In this world, those with magic are either Light or Dark Draíolon. Light can manipulate and summon heat, sunshine, and light, while Dark can manipulate cold, shadow, and darkness. After a shocking loss to someone who has shown no weakness whatsoever, Evelayn is forced to claim the mantle of the Queen of Éadrolan. Something that shouldn't have happened for years to come. 

Evelayn's struggles are real, her obstacles that she goes through in order to keep her people safe, and out of Bain's hands, are admirable. What's even more interesting, is her relationship with Lord Tanvir who has the ability to control and direct water. Tanvir is a key player in this story. He knows that being with Evelayn means being with someone who is head strong, strong willed, and more than capable of making choices without her advisers breathing down her neck all the time. In many ways, she is the one who has been born to pick up Ilana's mantle, and enhance on it.

Yes, there is another side to this story besides Evelayn's. For that, we are taken to the brutal Kingdom of Dorjhalon 

where political gamesmanship is being played right in front of our eyes. The key players are Lorcan, Lothar, and Queen Abarrane, as well as King Bain, of course. Larson weaves her story through several characters in this story, which is why it is important not to ignore the Dorjhalon just because they are the villains.

What happens later on in this story can not go unnoticed, not even if you are all in on the romance between Evelayn and Tanvir. Many jaw dropping moments happen in this book, and I dare say that this story ends on a whopper of a cliffhanger. Thankfully, this is only a duology, which means that all resolutions should happen in the next story. Right? 

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Tuesday #Review - The Crown's Fate by Evelyn Skye #YALit #Fantasy

Series: The Crown's Game # 2
Format: E-Galley, 400 pages
Release Date: May 16, 2017
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Source: Edelweiss
Genre: YA / Fantasy / Epic


Russia is on the brink of great change. Pasha’s coronation approaches, and Vika is now the Imperial Enchanter, but the role she once coveted may be more difficult—and dangerous—than she ever expected.

Pasha is grappling with his own problems—his legitimacy is in doubt, the girl he loves loathes him, and he believes his best friend is dead. When a challenger to the throne emerges—and with the magic in Russia growing rapidly—Pasha must do whatever it takes to keep his position and protect his kingdom.

For Nikolai, the ending of the Crown’s Game stung deeply. Although he just managed to escape death, Nikolai remains alone, a shadow hidden in a not-quite-real world of his own creation. But when he’s given a second chance at life—tied to a dark price—Nikolai must decide just how far he’s willing to go to return to the world.

With revolution on the rise, dangerous new magic rearing up, and a tsardom up for the taking, Vika, Nikolai, and Pasha must fight—or face the destruction of not only their world but also themselves.

The Crown's Fate is the second installment in author Evelyn Skye's The Crown's Game. The key characters in this story are Baroness Vika Andreyeva, Prince Nikolai Karimov, Prince Pasha Romanov, and Alzhana, a character who we were introduced to in the previous installment. I could also add Yuliana Romanov as well since she is a force to be reckoned with. Nikolai and Vika are magical users who participated in what's called The Crown's Game to become the Emperor's one and only Enchanter. 

As the story kicks off, Baroness Vika Andreyeva has officially become Imperial Enchanter. She's been bound to Pavel Alexandrovich Romanov (Pasha) by magic and is sworn to protect him. In the meantime, both Vika and Pasha are feeling a myriad of emotions over what became of Nikolai, and how Pasha's decisions really weren't good ones. Meanwhile, Nikolai finds himself in another realm of existence and unable to find a way out until Alzhana comes along and changes his path. Alzhana really screws with Nikolai's head to the point where he really does stupid and idiotic things

The Crown's Fate is a story that is set in an alternative Imperial Russia circa 1825. Skye mixes historical figures, including a group called the Decembrists, with fictional ones. The Decembrists were a group of Russian officers who led 3,000 soldiers in a protest against Tsar Nicholas I's assumption of the throne. With this story, things get twisted with Nikolai's desire for the throne, and Vika's determination of saving Pasha's life and legacy.

The story & presumably the series ends in a way that is both action packed, and a bit whimsical. I say whimsical, because yet another character named Renata should get a whole lot of credit for how things play out. If not for Renata, things could have turned out a whole lot differently. I enjoyed the Russian fables that  came alive in this story, especially the Catfish King, and Baba Yaga. While there wasn't the fun banter between Vika and Nikolai, or Pasha sneaking out to be with his people, it matters not. This story is much darker in nature than the previous one, but since I have an affinity for dark fantasy stories, I'm okay with how I ended up rating this book.

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Monday #Review - The End of Magic by Amber Benson (Urban Fantasy)

Series: The Witches of Echo Park # 3
Format: E-Galley, 320 pages
Release Date: May 16, 2017
Publisher: Ace Books
Source: Publisher
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Witches


In the third in the spellbinding series from the author of the Calliope Reaper-Jones novels, magic has been loosed upon the world and the consequences could destroy all of humanity, magical and non-magical alike... 

Lyse MacAllister used to be like everyone else blissfully ignorant of magic, of the dire battles being fought in shadows and secrecy. But that was before her Aunt Eleanora died, leaving her in control of the Echo Park coven; before she found herself in the middle of the witches clash with the anti-magic zealots known as the Flood; before her blood sisters turned against her... 

As the Flood begins turning humans across the globe against the witches, Lyse must find a way to regain the trust of her former magical family and once again unify them. Because the final battle between good and evil is looming and if the witches don t stand against it together, all of humankind could be lost..

The End of Magic is the third installment in author Amber Benson's The Witches of Echo Park series. This story picks up right where The Last Dream Keeper left off. Lyse MacAllister unwittingly became the leader of the Echo Park Coven when her great-aunt Eleanora died. Lyse is a character who has had issues with becoming the leader her coven needs to face the darkness that has threatened their very existence. Others in her group are much more in-tuned with their magic. There is also the question as to who key characters are: Who is the Magician? The Hierophant? The Devil? and The Fool?

The Echo Park Coven stands between the world remaining as it is, and being destroyed by an evil known as The Flood. The Flood, a group of anti-magic users, is a manifestation of darkness that has swept the world, and covens around the globe have found themselves being hunted down and eliminated. Even though Lyse is the most likely candidate to be primary, fellow coven mates Arrabelle, Daniela, Devondra, and Lizbeth all get their fair chance at shining. In fact, Lizbeth is the character who brought magic back to the world in the previous installment.

Each character has major baggage to deal with in this installment. None as much as Devondra who was put through the wringer and spit out. Lyse must try to hold her coven together despite all the losses, despite the discovery of a horrific underground bunker where the Flood experimented on Witches, and despite the fact that police and military are now freely hunting down witches without worrying about Constitutional rights. Witches are considered guilty without any recourse of fighting back. Unless, that is, Lyse finds a way to use her own veritable arsenal of magic that has only been hinted over the course of this series.

I'm going to finish off this review by saying that I was all in with the way this story flows and events happened. That is until the ending. I am not sure what to think honestly. I know that key issues took place before Lyse was even born. I know that these issues drove certain characters into being part of the Flood. I am curious though if that is all we will see of this series? I am not a fan of open ended endings. I like my stories wrapped up and all questions answers. When all is said and done, if you change one thing, don't you pretty much change everything you've written?

Previous Installments

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#Stacking the Shelves / Bought, Borrowed, & Bagged # 65 - Memorial Day Weekend Edition

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Bought Borrowed and Bagged is all about the latest additions to your library – virtual or actual, with books that are  bought, borrowed, won or ARCs  you will be reading soon. Bought Borrowed and Bagged is a homage to to Barron’s Books and Baubles from Karen Marie Moning’s amazing Fever series, and is hosted by Braine over at Talk Supe. 

Thanks for Shopping by! 

Have a great weekend!

Shelley

This Weeks Reviews: 

Monday - The Alchemists of Loom by Elise Kova (YA, Steampunk)

Tuesday - Dreamfall by Amy Plum (YA, Horror)

Wednesday - One Blood Ruby by Melissa Marr (YA, Fantasy)

Thursday - The Pearl Thief by Elizabeth Wein (YA, Historical)

Friday - Alexander Outland: Space Pirate by GJ Koch (SyFy)

Saturday - All The Missing Girls by Megan Miranda (Mystery)

Talk Supe Blog Reviews:

Sawbones by Melissa Lenhardt (Historical/Western)

*Received from...Publisher (Berkley)

NetGalley

Library

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Saturday #Review - All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda #Mystery #Thriller

Series: Standalone
Format: E-Galley, 384 pages
Release Date: June 28, 2016
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Source: NetGalley
Genre: Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense 

Like the spellbinding psychological suspense in The Girl on the Train and Luckiest Girl Alive, Megan Miranda’s novel is a nail-biting, breathtaking story about the disappearances of two young women—a decade apart—told in reverse.

It’s been ten years since Nicolette Farrell left her rural hometown after her best friend, Corinne, disappeared from Cooley Ridge without a trace. Back again to tie up loose ends and care for her ailing father, Nic is soon plunged into a shocking drama that reawakens Corinne’s case and breaks open old wounds long since stitched.

The decade-old investigation focused on Nic, her brother Daniel, boyfriend Tyler, and Corinne’s boyfriend Jackson. Since then, only Nic has left Cooley Ridge. Daniel and his wife, Laura, are expecting a baby; Jackson works at the town bar; and Tyler is dating Annaleise Carter, Nic’s younger neighbor and the group’s alibi the night Corinne disappeared. Then, within days of Nic’s return, Annaleise goes missing.

Told backwards—Day 15 to Day 1—from the time Annaleise goes missing, Nic works to unravel the truth about her younger neighbor’s disappearance, revealing shocking truths about her friends, her family, and what really happened to Corinne that night ten years ago.

Like nothing you’ve ever read before, All the Missing Girls delivers in all the right ways. With twists and turns that lead down dark alleys and dead ends, you may think you’re walking a familiar path, but then Megan Miranda turns it all upside down and inside out and leaves us wondering just how far we would be willing to go to protect those we love.

“People were like Russian nesting dolls - versions stacked inside the latest edition. But they all still lived inside, unchanged, just out of sight.”

Megan Miranda's All The Missing Girls is a standalone tale told in a rather unique and strange way. The story is a psychological thriller and mystery that surrounds key characters such as Nicolette Farrell, her brother Daniel Farrell, and Tyler, her ex-boyfriend who is now seeing Nic's next door neighbor Annaleise Carter. Annaleise was a key witness (10) years ago when Nicolette's best friend went missing, and was never found. After Corinne Prescott disappeared, Nic chose to leave Cooley Ridge, North Carolina behind. 

“We were a town full of fear, searching for answers. But we were also a town full of liars.” 

Flash forward to the present and what is being called Day 1 of this story. Here we find that Nicolette has a boyfriend, a job, and a small apartment. But, after she receives a strange message from her father, a father that has dementia, she decides to return to her families home in North Carolina to help fix up it up, and perhaps sell it to pay the bills. Shortly after returning home, Annaleise Carter disappears without a trace, and the town is once again whipped into a frenzy. 

“Missing girls had a way of working their way into someone's head. You couldn't help but see them in everyone - how temporary and fragile we might be. One moment here, and the next, nothing more than a photo staring from a storefront window.” 

Miranda tells her story by jumping ahead two weeks to what she's calling day Fifteen. From there, she counts backwards. It is a strange way to tell a story, but it somehow works. Things come together in a way that you wouldn't imagine they could. Besides the unique backwards counting, you still have the present, and the after everything is figure out, and what comes next. At the center of this story is three girls who were best friends, with one of them being the queen bee. But, after Corinne goes missing, there are things that just don't add up until you dissect them piece by piece, character by character. 

What really happened Ten years ago? What really happened to Corinne , and now that Annaleise has disappeared, has the same thing happened to her as well? One of the things about telling a story backwards, is that you really don't have the predictability factor that often times comes with mysteries. What you really have is a dark book, that leads to questions about pretty much the entire town. Can you imagine? Living in a town where almost anyone could be guilty? Can you find it in your heart to actually forgive any of these characters after you discover what happened that fateful night in the past that drives events of the present? 

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Friday #Review - Alexander Outland: Space Pirate by G.J. Koch #Science Fiction @GiniKoch

Series: TBD
Format: E-Galley, 368 pages
Release Date: June 6, 2017
Publisher: Night Shade Books
Source: Edelweiss
Genre: Science Fiction

Captain Alexander Outland of the Sixty-Nine (short for Space Vessel 369, of course) is the best pilot in the galaxy. He’s also a pirate, a smuggler, and loved and loathed by women in umpteen solar systems. His crew of strays and misfits includes an engineer of dubious sanity, a deposed planetary governor, an annoyingly unflappable Sexbot copilot, and a slinky weapons chief who stubbornly refuses to give the captain a tumble.

Outland just wants to make a decent living skirting the law, but after an invisible space armada starts cutting into his business, he finds himself in hot water with the military, the mob, mad bombers, and an extended family of would-be conquerors. And that’s not counting an occasionally telepathic spy.

Like any sensible scoundrel, he hates heroics. They’re risky and they don’t pay well. But to keep his ship and crew in one piece, and make time with a certain hard-to-get weapons chief, he might just have to make an exception—and save the galaxy in spite of himself!

Gini Koch, author of the Katherine "Kitty" Katt series, releases a new series that begins with Alexander Outland: Space Pirate. Captain Alexander Napoleon Outland is this series Malcolm Reynolds (Firefly). He is the captain of a ship called Sixty Nine. Yes, folks, this is actually the name of the ship. The rest of the crew includes Randolph (Chief Engineer), Slinkie (Weapons Officer), dethroned Governor Murgat, and Audrey (Fembot, Co-Pilot) built by Randolph. 

Captain Outland is one of the best pilots in the galaxy, a pirate, a scoundrel, a man who loves the ladies, and usually leaves them behind wanting to strangle him. After one such encounter, Outland and his crew find themselves facing an invisible armada that has been creating problems for the Gamma Quadrant. After landing on the Planet of Herion, Outland and his crew face all sorts of challenges. 

The first challenge is that he is the only pilot able to land his ship on the Planet in awhile. Which makes him a target for the good, and the bad. As usual, Koch witticism, and snarky banter is clear right from the beginning. Outland has crazy feelings for Slinkie, but she won't give him the time of the day, let alone a rumble in the sheets. This is a quick moving, action packed story that had me laughing through many scenes. I mentioned that Outland is a lot like Malcolm from Firefly, but I think there are also parts of Spaceballs involved 

in the story as well. 

Throw in a pirate armada with a ridiculous name, and a not soon to be forgettable through the sewer system of Herion, and you are sure to have one of the best experiences reading a book in a very long time. The author states that this is the first installment in the series. I do see where this story was originally released in 2012. I do hope a sequel is forthcoming soon!

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Thursday #Review - The Peal Thief by Elizabeth Wein #YALit #Historical

Series: Code Name Verity Prequel
Format: E-Galley, 326 pages
Release Date: May 2, 2017
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Source: NetGalley
Genre: Young Adult, Historical


Before Verity…there was Julie.

When fifteen-year-old Julia Beaufort-Stuart wakes up in the hospital, she knows the lazy summer break she’d imagined won’t be exactly like she anticipated. And once she returns to her grandfather’s estate, a bit banged up but alive, she begins to realize that her injury might not have been an accident. One of her family’s employees is missing, and he disappeared on the very same day she landed in the hospital.

Desperate to figure out what happened, she befriends Euan McEwen, the Scottish Traveller boy who found her when she was injured, and his standoffish sister, Ellen. As Julie grows closer to this family, she experiences some of the prejudices they’ve grown used to firsthand, a stark contrast to her own upbringing, and finds herself exploring thrilling new experiences that have nothing to do with a missing-person investigation.

Her memory of that day returns to her in pieces, and when a body is discovered, her new friends are caught in the crosshairs of long-held biases about Travellers. Julie must get to the bottom of the mystery in order to keep them from being framed for the crime.

The Pearl Thief, by author Elizabeth Wein, is being sold as the prequel to Code Name Verity. The author went back in time a few years before CNV took place and decided to tell the story about 15-year old Julia Lindsay MacKenzie Wallace Beaufort Stuart, one of the heroine's of Code Name Verity. It is the summer of 1938, when Julia returns to her Grandfather's ancestral home in Scotland unannounced. Her Grandfather's home is being turned into a school due to his substantial debt. 

Without going too much into the story, Julia finds herself waking up in the hospital with no memory of what really happened to her. It is a place where she finds that she has been saved by two Travelers (Ellen & Euan McEwen) who are treated with disrespect and loathing because of their social status. Julia herself is thought to be a Traveler by a bigoted nursing staff, and that brings us to the have, have-nots storyline that hangs over the story. One could say that this leads to her eventual path serving her country in World War II.

After being released, Julia's journey takes her through a further understanding of the Travelers, a sexual awakening where she has feelings for both the boy and girl Travelers, but honestly, it is Ellen who Julia really has the most fun with. Along with her brother Jamie, Julia, Ellen, & Ewen work together in an attempt to solve a very curious mystery that hangs over the reconstruction of her Grandfather's home into a school. The Pearl Thief is much lighter in nature than Code Name Verity. I didn't find myself reaching for a Kleenex while reading this book. I did laugh at the banter between Julie and Ellen. 

If you haven't read Code Name Verity, this is probably a good place to start. Even if you have read CNV, this story will be something entirely different for you. It's not about the war. It's about Julie's heritage, her relationship with the McEwens & Mary Kinnard, and her exploration of her sexual inclinations. It also is a social commentary about those who have, and those who have not. This story doesn't get into the war between Britain and the Axis. It also doesn't explore why Julie joined the war effort, and later became Verity. That was left for Verity to explain.

The most brilliant aspect of this story is the setting. Scotland is such a beautiful and intriguing place. When I was in the Navy, I always said I would love to travel back to Scotland, and make my home there. The people, the scenery, the history is beyond anything that I've seen in my travels around the world. But, somehow I ended up in Florida instead! ::head desk::: 

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Wednesday #Review - One Blood Ruby by Melissa Marr #YALit #Fantasy

Series: Seven Black Diamonds # 2
Format: E-Galley, 368 pages
Release Date: February 28, 2017
Publisher: HarperCollins
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy

The gripping finale to Melissa Marr’s lush return to faery, Seven Black Diamonds.

Now that LilyDark Abernathy is the heir to the Hidden Lands, everything is about to change.

The Queen of Blood and Rage wants Lily to help broker peace with the human world, but Lily knows that harmony won’t come easily. After decades of waging war on the humans, who cost the queen her firstborn daughter, the fae are struggling to accept Lily, a half-human monarch. And the humans, while no match against faery affinities, will hardly agree to the queen’s détente without resistance.

Lily wants to be a fair ruler but fears having to abandon the life she’s known to do so. Now that she and Creed are more than just fellow Black Diamonds—operatives for the queen—her priorities have shifted. But her worries about assuming the throne are derailed when it becomes clear that someone—or some fae—is masterminding violent attacks to discourage peace.

In this gripping follow-up to Melissa Marr’s lush Seven Black Diamonds, Lily and her friends are forced to reckon with the truth of their own parentage and to protect one of their own, no matter what—or who—comes between them.

One Blood Ruby is the second installment in author Melissa Marr's Seven Black Diamonds duology. So, here is where we stand. Lily Abernathy, now LilyDark, has become the heir apparent to the Hidden Lands. She has become a voice for peace between the fae, and humans who have been at war over something that happened years before. But, there are still those who want to continue the war, and are doing everything they can to keep humans separated from the fae. 

Can Lily, who is more of a cardboard heroine than say Violet is, save the fragile peace, find answers to questions about her heritage, and live happily ever after with her scrub Creed? Outside of Lily, the only character less boring is Creed. Yes, yes, their relationship is cute, and adorable, but what do they really accomplish in the end? What can I say? I love Violet. She takes no lip from anyone, including the King and the Queen of the Hidden Lands. I also loved Eilidh. It is because of Eilidh's actions in the past and in this so called finale that lead to a future that may bring a brighter future.  

Speaking of Eilidh. I am curious about what actually happened to her after all her hard work of keeping Lily a secret, and then ensuring that she would become the heir. With her affinities, it makes zero sense that she wasn't chosen to become Queen over Lily who hasn't proven herself. At least Eilidh has the powers to keep people she loves safe, and it's Eilidh who takes the biggest risks and makes the most destruction of her enemies. I find myself liking Zephyr & Rhys relationship better than Lily and Creep, oh, I mean Creed. 

It's nice to see a father and son getting along, and not being at each others throats all the time. I do, however, feel that there are so many unanswered questions. What will happen to the fae world after Lily becomes queen? Was Eilidh actuall meant to be queen, rather than Lily? The land chose her, not Lily, so it makes zero sense to keep up the charade. What the hell HAPPENED to Eilidh anyway? Did she and Torquil ever get to be together after that ending? Did Violet give Erik a chance? Did Zephyr ever heal from his loss? What were the consequences of Will coming out to the press? 

Unfortunately, readers will be left unimpressed by this finale. I join other reviewers in saying that this story felt rushed to make the deadline. Conflicts, relationships, and resolutions were rushed, a character dies for no rhyme, nor reason, and the lead character once again doesn't stand up to scrutiny. Not even her boyfriend can save this story. The King and Queen of the Hidden Lands relationship was more appealing

to me. As I said above, Violet is my idea of what a heroine should be like. She's strong, she has an attitude that takes no prisoners, she doesn't really need a love life, she already has all the support she needs with her group of 7. 

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Tuesday #Review - Dreamfall by Amy Plum #YALit #Horror @AmyPlumOhLaLa ‏@harperteen

Series: Dreamfall # 1
Format: E-Galley, 288 pages
Release Date: May 2, 2017
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Edelweiss
Genre: YA / Thrillers & Suspense

Nightmare on Elm Street meets The Matrix in this gripping, psychological thriller from internationally bestselling author Amy Plum. When an experiment to cure a group of teens’ insomnia goes awry, they find themselves trapped in a dangerous dreamscape created from their nightmares.

Cata Cordova suffers from such debilitating insomnia that she agreed to take part in an experimental new procedure. She thought things couldn’t get any worse...but she was terribly wrong.

Soon after the experiment begins, there’s a malfunction with the lab equipment, and Cata and six other teen patients are plunged into a shared dreamworld with no memory of how they got there. Even worse, they come to the chilling realization that they are trapped in a place where their worst nightmares have come to life. Hunted by creatures from their darkest imaginations and tormented by secrets they’d rather keep buried, Cata and the others will be forced to band together to face their biggest fears. And if they can’t find a way to defeat their dreams, they will never wake up.

Perfect for fans of Madeleine Roux, Danielle Vega, and Kendare Blake, Dreamfall is the first book in a spine-tingling duology full of action, suspense, and horror—and it is sure to keep readers on the edge of their seat until the very last page.

Amy Plum, author of the Revenants trilogy, returns with a Nightmare on Elm Street inspired horror duology called Dreamfall. Dreamfall has a rather large cast of characters. It features teens like Catalina (Cata) Cordova, Fergus, Sinclair, Remi, and Ant who all suffer from sleeping disorders that affect their every day way of life. During the experiment, an earthquake interrupts the experiment, sending the teens into what the doctors believe is a coma. The teens actually find themselves thrust into a group dream, where they are forced to battle their way through their nightmare after nightmare in order to survive.

There is another character named Jaime. Jaime is a Pre-Med student from Yale who is given the opportunity to sit on a revolutionary trial that may lead to curing sleep disorders. Jamie is the character who introduces readers to each of the teens who are participating in the experiment. Jaime's perspective is also the one that gives readers the opportunity to see what is going on in the real world while the teens find themselves in what is being called Dreamfall. 

Yes, unfortunately, this story does end on a cliffhanger. But, the good thing is that this series is ONLY a duology which means that book 2 (Neverwake) will hopefully wrap up things and there will actually be survivors. Can imagine that the author would intentionally kill off an entire cast, but stranger things have happened. Dreamfall is one of those stories where you really hope that book # 2 comes out sooner, rather than later so things remain fresh in your memory. I have thought about this since I finished reading the book. I have labeled Jaime, Cata, and Fergus as the main characters of this story, with Sinclair as the one I don't quite feel good about. Ant, as the youngest, is by far the most intriguing character in the story.  

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