Follow the Dragonfly by Elena Carter

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


"Maybe the sheer beauty of life is in its fluidity, and once we accept it and embrace it, we can fully enjoy it."

"Follow the Dragonfly”, the final instalment of the Dream Tamer Chronicles by Elena Carter, explores the ability of human beings to accept the fluidity of our existence and embrace it as a vital cornerstone for a long and fulfilling life.

Kate’s journey as a dream traveller hasn’t started on a positive note. The first world she travelled to in her dream turned out to be an extremely terrifying one. Moreover, it sent her into coma, so now not only Kate herself is in great danger, but her family and friends are on the verge of collapsing under the weight of worrying about her health.

Tina makes it her mission to save Kate from whatever dream-travelling trouble her friend had gotten herself into. She is prepared to do anything and to travel to dangerous realms to find Kate and help her return to the world of reality. Struggling with grief after the loss of her husband and being emotionally fragile, Tina is exposing her own life to the risk of ending up in a world that could harm her. Still, she is determined to do all it takes to bring Kate back.

In this imaginative fantasy series, the author has created a diverse array of fascinating worlds, each with their own unique characteristics. My favourite is probably the world of endless bridges. To me, it represents a deep allegory of the perpetual movement forward we all seem to be caught in nowadays. One bridge ends and another one immediately starts. Just like in our lives today, we often begin the next phase of anything, not having stopped to relish the moment of achievement. Yet, it is vitally important to stop and enjoy the results of our efforts or a certain period of our lives. The time will fly anyway and this we cannot change. The only thing that depends solely on us is how we spend it.

Some of the side characters – Grogan, Fly, and Garfield – have won over my nature- and animals-loving heart.

As if feeling that someone ‘from the other side’ is relentless in looking for a way to release her from the prison her dreams had turned into, Kate doesn’t give up. She seeks a way out, learning a lot about herself during this quest. Her creative side might be what will give her a clue she would use to set her soul free from a dreamy trap.

"It’s so amazing how you get this endless energy when you’re inspired and driven to create something, but when you finish, there’s suddenly an overwhelming tiredness and emptiness." Kate learns that creativity is multi-faceted and the best things can come to you after you go through the emptiness.

I thoroughly enjoyed a wonderful dream-travelling experience the author has created for us readers in this trilogy. I feel like I’ve been to all these wondrous places together with Tina, Alice, and Kate and also felt their struggles and pain. I heartily recommend the Dream Tamer Chronicles by Elena Carter to everyone who wants to feed their imagination with the images of different worlds and creatures inhabiting them, as well as to those who are looking to find answers to all-important questions, such as ‘Is happiness possible after the most profound grief?’ and ‘What if I let go and follow my dreams?’





View all my reviews
Follow the Dragonfly