Bonnie S says:

First off, let me say that this is a page-turner. The first time I read it, I did so in a single sitting. I’ve read it two more times since then.

Want conflict? You got it! The internal conflict of the main character, the conflict with her family and others, and ultimately the conflict with the antagonist(s). From start to finish this book was filled with tension. (Which is why it’s so hard to put down)

I would say that at its heart this book was about our shared humanity. We’ve all lost loved ones, we’ve all had burdens thrust upon us before we feel we are ready, expectations we feel we can’t meet, twists of fate that seem entirely unfair, and yet…we go on. While this theme is best exemplified by the main character, I love how the book also explored this through the antagonist(s).

I for one, am sick and tired of reading the same tired worn-out tropes in fantasy and was so happy to find something new and original. Thankfully the main character wasn’t stereotypical: she had panic attacks, she daydreamed, (had the occasional outburst), and she didn’t spend the book pining for one of the male characters. But she also persevered and felt empathy with and for the other characters in a way I haven’t seen before in a fantasy novel. She was intelligent, observant, witty and adventurous. I felt like she and the other characters were all real people.

I loved the slow deep immersion into the world. No “infodump” here! As the story progressed through the perspective of different characters, I learned more about dreamwalking, the dreamworld, the shamans, the wolves, the Shadow, etc. Through it all, the world and characters created were believable and relatable. (And a personal bias, it was refreshing to me to read a fantasy book that did not have elves and orcs in it, ahem)

From start to finish, I was captivated by the story. As soon as I started reading, it was hard to put down. Engrossing plot, well developed characters, great pacing with no spots that stand out as too slow or too fast, I was extremely impressed with this author. I can’t wait for the next book in the series!