Nightmares and Dreamscapes discussion

Hey all! Terry and I will be starting a buddy read for the 8th book in the Orphan X series. We'll be reading The Last Orphan around May 28th, plus or minus a few days.

Please join if you would like and use spoilers while discussing the book. Happy Reading!

I’m thinking Saturday for when I can start. Still battling too much work 😩

Terry wrote: "I’m thinking Saturday for when I can start. Still battling too much work 😩"

No problem!! I’m flexible and I know you have the more extreme work schedule at the moment. 31st it is, and hang in there!

I love this series so much. I listen to the audios, narrated by Scott Brick. Now, when I read these instead of listening, I hear everything in Scott Brick's voices.

Char wrote: "I love this series so much. I listen to the audios, narrated by Scott Brick. Now, when I read these instead of listening, I hear everything in Scott Brick's voices."

I just went over to Audible and listened to Scott Brick doing Evan. I can see why, he sounds great! I've only read the books, but I think when I do a reread, I'll do audio.

I love this series so much too! It's so entertaining and action packed!! I'm so emotional connected to all the characters now.
Ugh...nothing should ever happen to any of them. EVER. hahaha

This series has become my comfort reads right now. They are so fun and easy to read.

Terry wrote: "This series has become my comfort reads right now. They are so fun and easy to read."

Totally agree! :D

I’m starting this later today. I’ll be reading slow since I’m still reading a couple of books.
Looking forward to it since it’s a comfort read, like you mentioned. 🙌

I wish my notifications worked! I get none no matter what I do or what boxes I have checked. I’ll start today, and slow is my middle name right now, so no problem. I have a feeling you’ll be way ahead of me in no time, haha.

It’s so frustrating, the notifications. Goodreads was decent with this years ago and now they’ve jumped the shark with all of their “updates.” WTF

Sounds good! I’m really curious to find out more (view spoiler)[about Mia’s surgery on the tumor! (hide spoiler)]

Ginger wrote: "It’s so frustrating, the notifications. Goodreads was decent with this years ago and now they’ve jumped the shark with all of their “updates.” WTF

Sounds good! I’m really curious to find out more ..."

I cannot wait to find out!

I’ve made it up to ch11. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been expecting this storyline to pop up at some point, ever since (view spoiler)[ there was a new president. I was also expecting that he might end up working together with Naomi. I’m curious to see if this works out that way. (hide spoiler)]. Good start so far too!

Terry wrote: "I’ve made it up to ch11. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been expecting this storyline to pop up at some point, ever since [spoilers removed]. Good start so far too!"

Totally agree and you're right!! I should have expected this plot angle to eventually appear and glad it finally has. It will be interesting to see where this goes.
Also, I'm glad to see that (view spoiler)[Mia is out of the coma! :D (hide spoiler)]

I agree about (view spoiler)[ Mia, but we need more info! (hide spoiler)]
End of ch13. (view spoiler)[ it’s probably not right that I like Candy so much seeing as she was once a bad guy… (hide spoiler)]

End of ch18. (view spoiler)[ There we go. Now I’m crying like a baby… (hide spoiler)]

Terry wrote: "I agree about [spoilers removed]
End of ch13. [spoilers removed]"

Hahaha!! I was thinking that last night when (view spoiler)[Candy came in dressed as a stripper and saved Evan. I really like her now and have no idea what to do with this information. (hide spoiler)] :D

I got to the end of Chapter 15 last night and Evan (view spoiler)[talking to Tommy on the phone about being "in the hurt" felt so real. Damn, I feel for him because it seems like he's getting older and he's going to have to adapt to that if he wants to keep doing this type of work. (hide spoiler)]

I love these books! I agree, they are a comfort read. It makes no sense because it's about a hitman. :D LMAO!

Ginger wrote: "Terry wrote:

I got to the end of Chapter 15 last night and E..."

That part was rough! I forget sometimes (view spoiler)[ how traumatic this really would be for Evan. (hide spoiler)]

Terry wrote: "End of ch18. [spoilers removed]"

Me too!! It was so (view spoiler)[heartbreaking and I feel for both of them. :( (hide spoiler)]

I got to the beginning of chapter 24 last night. Looks like (view spoiler)[Evan is going to take the case. I mean, we knew he was going to but it ended up being Johnny's death in the first chapter that tipped the scales. I still want to know what he saw in that room!! (hide spoiler)]

Ginger wrote: "I got to the beginning of chapter 24 last night. Looks like [spoilers removed]"

Yes, I wondered that too. It has to be something crazy.

At the end of ch26, now (view spoiler)[ this sounds like the hardest overall crew that Evan has had to face. They sound crazy! (hide spoiler)]

So, at the end of ch28, (view spoiler)[ I don’t get Evan’s quote about the guard dog turning on the owner?? Is that from something we should recognize? It’s driving me crazy that I’m not getting it! (hide spoiler)]

Terry wrote: "At the end of ch26, now [spoilers removed]"

Totally agree! (view spoiler)[This crew sounds terrible. I've already seen what they can do too. Get ready for Chapter 31 for that. LOL! (hide spoiler)]

Terry wrote: "So, at the end of ch28, [spoilers removed]"

I think it could just be (view spoiler)[him being funny that he's the guard dog. Unless it has something to do with Dog the dog. I don't know and it kind of makes me crazy too on whether I'm missing something. hahaha (hide spoiler)]

I got to Chapter 40 last night. I had yesterday off due to a migraine so after it went away, I did a lot of reading. I'll wait until you catch up.

It's hard to stop reading with these books. The chapters are short, and the action is just nonstop. :D

Ginger wrote: "I got to Chapter 40 last night. I had yesterday off due to a migraine so after it went away, I did a lot of reading. I'll wait until you catch up.

It's hard to stop reading with these books. The c..."

Well, good on the reading, but no good on the migraine! Hopefully it wasn’t too bad.
I am up to ch42 now too, and am expecting to have some more waiting room time tomorrow to keep making progress. This book is certainly helping to pass the time.
In ch41, I loved (view spoiler)[ the interaction between Joey and Tommy. They are so funny! (hide spoiler)]

At the end of ch48. (view spoiler)[ that was very well done. I loved the part where Echo tells Evan that his voice does have music in it, it’s just very ancient and very deep. That feels exactly right for his character and how he is changing in his life. I also really like that she finds her music again. GH at it again bringing the tears! (hide spoiler)]

Excellent!! I’ll jump back into this today and get caught up with your spoilers. If you end up finishing today while you’re in the waiting room, go for it. I’m blasting through this one as well. #comfortread 😂🤣

Terry wrote: "At the end of ch48. [spoilers removed]"

This also plays into the (view spoiler)[guard dog comment if Echo thinks he’s like a dog whistle. I think it’s fascinating that the author is using another reference to dogs. You think this has any relevance to the guard dog comment? (hide spoiler)]

And yeah, I loved this chapter!!

Ginger wrote: "Terry wrote: "At the end of ch48. [spoilers removed]"

This also plays into the [spoilers removed]

And yeah, I loved this chapter!!"

Very good question! It might tie in. I hadn’t thought about that. I definitely think that part was well done.
I spent hours in the waiting room, but didn’t quite get done. I think I have about 50 pages left that I’ll most likely finish tomorrow.

And we said we’d be reading this one slow…. Seems that’s not possible 😂

So stepping back to the end of ch49, do you think (view spoiler)[ that Devine might not end up being the bad guy here? His description of how the president is also manipulating things made me wonder if this ends up differently than it seemed at first. The murders seem not to be his. Very curious. (hide spoiler)]

Oh, and the end of ch52. I’m still (view spoiler)[ crying…I’m such a sucker for this….😁 (hide spoiler)]

Terry wrote: "Oh, and the end of ch52. I’m still [spoilers removed]"

That chapter gutted me! WTF. I could feel my eyes feeling up with tears. 😂🤣

So I finished last night. I stayed up way too late to this. 🤦‍♀️😂

Another awesome addition!
Spoilers: (view spoiler)[I think it’s interesting that he went after the Marines and let Devine live. I know he’s going to show up again in another later book. I hope he does!

I still can’t get an idea on whether he’s evil or just too smart for his own good. He did let those soldiers in his front door “so to speak” so he had to of known what he was getting and what they were capable of?!

I love the characters in this book! I even love Candy now and that’s wild. Do you think Evan is also autistic like Candy?

He described her as a full spectrum woman and I would think he would recognize someone who’s like him. He’s got the traits (sees all the details, patterns, OCD, struggles with social connections, etc.)
Maybe that’s what the program looked for in its assassins? (hide spoiler)]

I LOVE THIS SERIES

And the fact that Joey (view spoiler)[used the bidets to get into the security system. Brilliant! 😂 (hide spoiler)]

We didn’t read this slow at all. LMAO

Yay! I finished today too. Such a good series! And you are right about these characters- such a good mix and interaction.

Spoilers: (view spoiler)[ I agree about the marines and Devine. I had guessed that maybe Devine would turn out to be a good guy, but that isn’t really the way it was. He was more just a bystander and facilitator. I ended up being surprised that Evan let him live. Was it spite for the President and being forced to act like an Orphan again? Definitely seemed so.

I am really liking where things have gone with Candy. You may be right on the autism idea, too. I hadn’t really considered that, but some of the descriptions fit. I feel like with this book Evan moved farther away from the idea of being with Mia and more towards the idea of hooking up with Candy. They do seem to fit. I could see a storyline in the future where they do become close, but then she doesn’t make it. It would be fitting for the type of torture Evan has had to go through emotionally.

What I’m liking is this family that Evan has built up around himself now, with Joey, Tommy, Aragon, Candy, Mia and Peter…. They humanize him again. I’m loving all that interaction. (hide spoiler)]

I’m so glad you got us turned on to this series! I sure hope there are many more of these books to come.

Terry wrote: "Yay! I finished today too. Such a good series! And you are right about these characters- such a good mix and interaction.

Spoilers: ..."

I agree with you on the (view spoiler)[spite. I think that’s it plus it seems like Devine might not have realized that Tenpenny really did kill those two young kids.

How do you feel with Tenpenny’s punishment? Is this better than dying? Kind of think so IMO.

I love all of the support Evan has surrounded himself with. Adding Aragon to the team is awesome. He gives him something that he doesn’t get with any of the others. A practical, father figure that found the right way forward. And also someone who is understanding age and responsibilities. He needed this in his life especially since Evan is getting older and not as spry being an assassin. 🤷🏼‍♀️😂🤣 (hide spoiler)]

I’m going to read The Recital in the next week. Looks like Tosh is thinking July for IoD. I likely can fit in another X book in before or we can just wait to do it after IoD. I’m good either way.

Ginger wrote: "Terry wrote: "Yay! I finished today too. Such a good series! And you are right about these characters- such a good mix and ’..."

I did like what happened with (view spoiler)[ Tenpenny. It sounds like it would be a death penalty for him, and we know he deserved what he would get. Again, a little bit surprised that was the way Evan went instead of being more direct, but I liked it.

And I agree about Aragon too. He’s a totally different perspective that Evan can certainly use sometimes. Here I am again liking a bad guy, or at least a used to be bad guy 😂. (hide spoiler)]

Ginger wrote: "I’m going to read The Recital in the next week. Looks like Tosh is thinking July for IoD. I likely can fit in another X book in before or we can just wait to do it after IoD. I’m g..."

I’ll read The Recital next week also and then we could start the next one next weekend if you want?I bet we get done in plenty of time to start IoD in July.

Terry wrote: "Ginger wrote: "I’m going to read The Recital in the next week. Looks like Tosh is thinking July for IoD. I likely can fit in another X book in before or we can just wait to do it a..."

I finished The Recital last night. 🫣😂
I just couldn’t quit reading it. Talk about gutting me. I was so sentimental after it was done. Jesus, GH is turning me into mush with his books. 😂

Sounds good on the next X book. Yeah, we’ll finish it before July. Hahaha

Terry wrote: "Ginger wrote: "Terry wrote: "Yay! I finished today too. Such a good series! And you are right about these characters- such a good mix and ’..."

I did like what happen..."

Exactly! I like how Evan is changing his (view spoiler)[decisions involving punishment. Usually he just kills the person but I think this is better punishment for Tenpenny than death.

I love Aragon too! 🤷🏼‍♀️😂 (hide spoiler)]