When Amelia Blake falls asleep on the eve of the darkest day of her life, she hardly expects to be kidnapped. Much less whisked away to the underworld where Seth and his brothers oversee dreams. Seth says Amelia not only agreed to go willingly, he claims she has a power he needs to fight the Erobos, dream-givers possessed by the dark remains of a primordial god. Even though Seth ignites a fire within her, Amelia doesn’t trust him, and she certainly doesn’t remember making any kind of compact with her immortal captor.
Amelia soon learns Seth is telling the truth. She’s trapped in an alternate dimension where dreams are real and darkness lurks around every corner, eager to claim her very soul. With no other option to gain her freedom, Amelia sets out to help Seth find the key that will unlock his realm and potentially save the world. But when Amelia secretly crosses the barrier between Seth’s realm and the Dreamscape, her power draws the dark leader of the Erobos, who wants her for his own designs. And now, Amelia is truly being hunted. Can she learn to trust Seth soon enough to find the key and gain her freedom? Or will her hesitation unleash the Erobos on Earth?
Dreamscape is a New Adult novel due to the age of the protagonist and mature situations in the book. There are mild sexual situations and mild language. This book is recommended for readers 16+.
I love to be creative. It is more than a hobby. It is a need of mine. Whether writing, reading, painting, flower arranging or trying something new, I spend most of my time in the pursuit of freeing the creations inside me.
Cover: Pretty Rating: PG-13 Thumbs Up: 5 Overall: What a unique and beautifully written world Characters: Well Written Plot: What if your dreams now were your reality Page Turner: Yes Series Cont.? Yes Recommend: Yes Book Boyfriend: Seth
SUMMARY (53 words or less) I love to read a book that is totally unique. That is hard to find with the myriad of books out there. This is one. We also have a tough girl whose been through the ringer. She’s no shrinking violet. Thus, we’ve got action and attitude. Check this one out.
Three and a half stars: An intelligent and original read!
Amelia is down and out. She is spending the last night in her grandmother's tiny apartment. Since Ameila's grandma died, her life has been in a tailspin. She is being evicted tomorrow with two hundred dollars to her name and a handful of possessions. Scared but determined, Amelia closes her eyes and hopes to escape one more time into her dreamworld where Jason awaits. For years, a handsome young man meets her by a secluded water fall while she sleeps. These dreams have been her oasis. Tonight, Amelia is suddenly pulled out of her sleep to find a mysterious stranger at her door. She is about to find out there is a lot more to her dreams than she ever thought possible. Can Amelia learn to navigate and survive the dreamscape? What I Liked: *This book surprised me with its innovative and original ideas. The complexity of the story and the concepts are stunning, even if it does take a little while to completely wrap your head around it all. I am always up for a book that challenges me to think and this one definitely did that. If you are a reader that is looking for something that is smart and different you should check out this book! *I was blown away by the world building. Amelia finds herself pulled into the world of the Dreamscape by Seth a centuries old being who is responsible for sending dreams to humans. Seth made a disastrous mistake a hundreds of years ago and has since been trying to make amends. He and his few remaining brothers guard the dreamworld and they are trying to prevent the evil from overtaking the light. It is way more complex than this, but I am trying to give you the simplified version. The world building is intricate and complex, and I enjoyed the challenge, I can't say that I had a complete grasp on everything, but neither does Amelia. This book was a bit like Matrix meets Inception. *Speaking of Amelia, she quickly became a heroine that I enjoyed. In the beginning she is down on her luck and lost, but still determined. Amelia's tough life is what helps prepare her for her upcoming trials. When she finds herself whisked away into a world that is completely mind blowing and she is captive to a handsome, centuries old man she still manages to take it all in stride. Amelia is quick thinking, fierce, intelligent and she never quits fighting. She also maintains her sense of humor and she has plenty of snarky lines that lighten up the read. Even though she has plenty of reasons to whine and feel sorry for herself, she never does. She is a girl that straps on her big girl panties and goes with the flow. *I liked that the author presents her own mythological versions of dreams and nightmares. I was absolutely amazed at her creativity. I loved learning all about how dreams are delivered, and I liked how the characters were able to enter into dreams and manipulate them. At the heart of the story is the tried and true good battles evil, light vs. dark scenario in an all new way. *This book is told in dual first person narratives. I am a big fan of books with a two person perspective as I like getting into both characters' heads. *I appreciated the writing. The story is full of rich descriptions and detailed world building. The type of writing that always sucks me in. And The Not So Much: *This book is intricate and complex and it does take a bit of time to acclimate to everything and wrap your head around all of the foreign concepts. This is definitely not a read you can pick up and speed through. You need to set aside time to read this slowly so you can absorb everything. I would not recommend reading this when you are pressed for time or tired as you likely won't be able to make sense of it. Be patient and let it unfold, don't worry to much about understanding all of it up front. It becomes more clear as it goes on. The one thing that holds this book back a bit is that it does take a long time establishing the world and the concepts. By the time the groundwork is in place, the book is almost over. However, the foundation is laid for the next book which I expect to be even better. *The romance was a little weird for me. Seth has been around for a few thousand years. During that time, he has been alone for the most part. Once he encounters Amelia he is smitten. A good portion of the book is devoted to him lusting over Amelia. It almost feels a little stalkerish. Amelia is put off by Seth in the beginning as well so I know it just wasn't me. However, as time goes on it progresses and moves into something more to my liking. *The ending is a bit jarring and it does end on a cliffhanger. Nothing that made me want to throw the book across the room and give up on the series, though.
Dreamscape is a book that I am glad I took on. It is unlike anything I have read before. It is an intelligent and challenging read that kept me engaged. Now that the intricate groundwork is cemented in, I will be most interested to see where this series goes. Ms. Richie is an indie writer to watch! Pick this book up for $.99 while you can and prepare yourself for something incredibly unique.
Favorite Quotations: "I take a sip of my drink, letting the sweet liquid roll on my tongue before I swallow. I need no drink to intoxicate me. The woman sitting so close has already accomplished the deed. "Dreams are an important part of human life. They help the mind make sense of the world. They help dispel the darkness from the soul." "The only thing I can tell you is to never embrace the darkness, for once you do, there is no way out but through hell." "Her bravery fills the cobwebs of my soul, where empty promises hide in the shadows."
I received a copy of this book from the author as part of the tour in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated for this review and all opinions are my own. Rainy Day Ramblings.
**I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review as part of Shut Up and Reads Read It and Reap program. **
I'm sad to give this book such a low rating because there were some things that I REALLY enjoyed about the story. However, those elements did not outweigh the bad for me. I'll start with the things I didn't like. Firstly, the novel doesn't pick up pace until about 60-70%. I think this is a really long time to have almost nothing going on. Second, this novel is written from two perspectives, which isn't a problem in and of itself, except when you really dislike one characters voice. For me, Seth was incredibly annoying to read. Most of his sections seemed to ramble on with no end in sight, and his parts barely seemed to move the plot forward since most of his time was spent waxing poetic about Amelia and how she wasn't ready to know anything. Which leads me to the third problem I had with the novel. The information given about the major conflict going on in the novel comes mainly in Seth's sections and is often interrupted by his musings on Amelia. I felt this diminished my understanding of what was going on and weakened the world building (especially because I was constantly tempted to skip over the mushy stuff). My biggest issue with the novel was the romance. The main characters are soooooo in love with each other for no apparent reason (has a very intsa-love feel to it). We are told that they have a previous connection, but this is never really explored/explained in a way that makes me as a reader understand and get on board with their relationship. I think that the time Seth spends internally obsessing over Amelia could have been better spent perhaps reminiscing over a particular interaction they may have had (like a flashback) or being more flirty considering he's trying to win her over (and flirty to me doesn't mean making bedroom eyes at her to the point that she feels uncomfortable ). I also really dislike when male characters force themselves on their love interest. There are a couple stolen kisses that just really bother me. Even if two characters are supposed to be really into each other, I just can't get over the whole 'she resisted at first but then gave in because she really wanted it thing'. I feel like its a horrible romantic notion to promote.
The things I did like were really great. I thought the ideas in the book were unique and interesting. I haven't read any other novels in a setting quite like this. I also felt that Amelia was a very strong likable character, especially in the second half of the book when she gets involved in some action and we meet more supporting characters. Even though my likes section seems very short I want to emphasize how much I like these things. I just don't want to give any of the good stuff away. *An edit: Just wanted to mention that I also like the authors writing style. For the most part it was very engaging and leagues ahead of some other authors I've read in the past.
If you don't mind some of the romantic elements I mentioned, and want to read something unique, this might be the novel for you.
4.5 Stars! It is very rare that I come across a book in the fantasy genre that draws me in so completely as this one did so when I do find them, I want to get the word out as much as I can. I hate to admit it but it is hard to please me when it comes to the fantasy world. I like the genre but for some reason I have terrible luck in it. I very rarely find exactly what I am looking for. I find that most books are either way too far fetched, too under detailed or so overly detailed that I find my mind wandering while I am trying to trudge through it. That was not the case in this one at all.
Ms. Rich manages to combine the right amount of detail to paint a very vivid description of the Dreamscape without it being overbearing, boring or just way too much and yet, she leaves it open for new discoveries along the way to keep the story line engaging and entertaining. She truly created a beautiful yet dark and oppressive world and I loved every minute inside of it.
Not only does she know how to paint a picture for the world she has created but she managed to create some pretty fantastic, loveable characters as well. I was immediately drawn to both Amelia and Seth and wanted to know everything about them, if I am being completely honest, I really just wanted to know more about Seth. Darn Seth and all his charming ways. I fell in love with him right away and I just couldn't help myself. The way he cared for Amelia and loved her was swoon worthy. Yes he didn't go about it in the right way but, hey, no one is perfect.
I do have to say that Amelia and Seth's relationship was a huge draw to me. I loved their interactions as they got to know one another, trust one another and fight together to save the world.
I had no idea that this novel was going to be based on mythology and not just any old tale but the very fascinating take on Eros, the Erobos, the Oneiroi and the Netherworld. The dream world and all its counter worlds were never overwhelming as they slowly came into focus and became alive as the story thrived and breathed. The Dreamscapre was like no other world I have ever encountered nor do I ever think I will come across such a place again.
The inhabitants, the Erobos, Seth, all of them are truly unique and wonderful in their own way. I couldn't read this one fast enough. Ms. Rich has a way of grabbing a hold of your attention and never letting go with her beautifully rich attention to detail and her ability to make you feel as if you are a part of her world.
It doesn't happen very often for me but I can say without a doubt that this new fantasy YA series is going to become a favorite and one I won't be able to resist reading as soon as they are released. I am eager to know more about the Dreamscape and what Seth and his brothers do, about Rhea and her betrayal and all that comes with this series. I will be looking forward to the next installment and waiting not so patiently for it to be here.
Check out the book tour, and read the first chapter at my blog. Click the tour banner below.
I loved this book. Wow, what a whole new paranormal idea. I am a huge fan of Christie's writing as it is, as I loved her other series, Eminity Series, so I am not surprised at all that I love this one.
I really loved the style she wrote this in, the swap from Seth and Amelia's point of view was awesome. I really liked Seth, and getting inside his head and seeing his insecurities as well as hers really made me fall in love with him.
I know, he kindof took her to his world, where she is also trapped, but really, her life was awful and was getting ready to be homeless, so really, he saved her from a worse fate.
He is so sexy and sweet, and just overall hot, lol . I really was able to connect with Amelia and Seth both.
The character development top notch as is usual for Christie's work. The world building was also amazing, I could see everything in my head. Especially when she was describing the huge library with the domed ceiling. It just came to life for me.
I really, really loved this book. I highly recommend it. Its a great idea and I loved it. I think the cover is pretty too, just have seen that same pose and model, on about 4 other books, but like this one the best.
5 out of 5 stars for me, check it out.
I was provided this book from the author for my honest review.
Would it be ok to say Amelia has the most wonderfull case of stockholm sindrome when she already was half crazy over Seth just by looking at him?
I can´t blame her, Seth is just to die for hawt, what can I say, you guys know I´m a sucker for the Tall, Dark and mysterious kind, he´s also sexy and powerfull.
He needs Amelia to help him in order to escape his curse but putting her at risk is no easy thing to do when all he can think of is to keep her safe.
Amelia´s life hasn´t been easy and having to wrap his head around all the information seth gives her , well let me tell you if I was her I would be half way to Arkham right now LOL!!!
I really liked the dynamic between the characters, they make a really good couple, I´m dying to have book two in my hands, cause this book is epic I tell you that.
The fistt book in a series needs to be bold enough that traps the reader but a the same time it need to draw the basis for the restof the series, Dreamscape does that and then some.
The author has an amazing eye for detail, hell I would love to have a house like Seth´s LOL!!!! the descrptions are perfect I could picture every nook and cranny of every place, simply wonderful.
What I loved the most about the book is that Amelia didn´t take things just like that, she´s an intelligent young woman. If someone would come to me and tell me that, I don´t know ... Barney the Purple Dinosaur really existed I would be rocking back and forth and shouting bloody murderer LOL!!!! and she´s well real, her reactions are as real as they can get.
She´s an amazing well developed character that reacts according to reason , yup no Mary Sue here and I love it!!!!!!
Dreamscape is an amazing story that draws you in right from the start. I mean I don't know about you but I love books that take you by surprise and this is one of them. I never knew where the story was going because it flowed so smoothly that I just knew where it was going but when I turned the page it would go somewhere else.
Amelia is grieving the loss of her grandmother. She just lost her and she is spending her last night in her grandmothers home before she is homeless. She has lost everything except for her dream man. So when she sets out to sleep she is excited to see her man in her dreams. She shares so much with him and he is her only bright spot in this dark and lonely world she lives in. So she lays down and drifts off to sleep thinking about her dream man only to be woken up by a strange man knocking on her grandmothers door. As she opens the door to see what he wants her world changes. She is suddenly taken and held against her will by Seth.
Seth is responsible for sending dreams to humans. He did something years ago and was punished and in order to escape his hell that he is living in he will have to convince Amelia to join him. If Seth fails to do this he stands to lose more than his dreams but Amelia. Will Seth be able to convince Amelia to stay with him and fight for them and the drams they shared? Or Will Amelia run and turn the other way?
This is such a must read that had me at the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading it and it had me wanting no needing more. I totally loved Amelia as a heroine and Seth was just simply dreamy!
I couldn't. The FMC was completely insufferable, and the MMC had a bad habit of assuming he knew what was best. On top of that, there was some weird tension b/t them, especially with the age gap. Usually fantasy age gaps don't bother me, but the lack of maturity the FMC had made me feel like she was younger than she was and it just didn't sit right. Not necessarily a bad book, just really really not my vibe.
After the death of her grandmother, 18-year-old Amelia is alone in the world. Figuring out how she is going to survive on her own should be her biggest problem. However, after being taken from her apartment and ending up…somewhere, her biggest problem is now Seth and how to get back home.
I loved Amelia. She has all the qualities of a successful heroine – she is strong, independent, curious, and has attitude. Amelia questions everything and will not give up without a fight. Seth may have been in for more than he had bargained for when he decided to grab her and force her into his world. I'm very glad we got Seth's viewpoint as well as Amelia's. I think if we would not have known what he was thinking and feeling throughout the story it would have been hard to like him. He basically came in and took Amelia prisoner for his own purposes, but when we get his reasonings, regrets, and insecurities he becomes more real and much more likable.
Told from alternating points of view, Dreamscape is a unique, engrossing story. The world created here was complicated and incredibly detailed, and the story puts your imagination to work. The author did such a great job bringing this story to life.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
My review is I loved this book, the only thing that would have made this book better was more romance between Amelia and Seth.
OK so where do I begin, Amelia is a girl who had a very rough start and an ok middle until her grandmother dies(the only woman who ever showed her love). Outside of her grandmother Amelia had these wonderful dreams that included a really hot guy named Jason,I don't think it would be possible to dream up a dreamier guy than Jason unless the guy turned out to be real- O wait he is real only Amelia doesn't know it.
Seth is a hot guy(he literally controls fire LOL)
Amelia meets Seth in a weird way when he comes to take her to his world. and this is where the fun starts only Amelia doesn't know that Seth is Jason or why she has been taken to his world or what she is there to do.
OMG this book was so good but alas it ends in a CLIFFHANGER... Please check this out so you can be waiting along with me for the next installment LOL LOVED IT GREAT READ CANT WAIT FOR THE NEXT ONE...
You all know I am not a huge reviewer, but when I read a book I don 't like, like, or in this case, LOVE, I let you know! Seriously, I am not even sure where to start? Seth, mmmm, yes let me start with him. SWOON! I have a thing for dark, mysterious, sexy.... where was I? Oh yeah, Seth, he is a great character that is well developed and I was drawn to him almost instantly. Amelia was equally as amazing with lots of depth. The story is unique and well done! LOVE this story and I can't wait to find out what happens in the next book!
DNF stopped at 52% The male POV is Seth and his cryptic explainations of his world makes no sense. I kept thinking there was a previous book I was missing because nothing is explained. I really couldn't handle his instant obsession with Amilia even though he says he's known her all her life, but again does not explain HOW he knows her? Maybe everything is explained at the end but I just couldn't get into it. It's slow and nothing makes sense. Don't even get me started on Amilia. Her yo-yo emotions made me crazy. I don't understand the great reviews, but I didn't finish the book so who knows.
Talk about your dreams taking you anywhere! Dreamscape was a great read I fell for the characters pretty frickin hard. Ms Rich’s world building is incredible! I felt trapped in a good way. I love fantasy/ paranormal this was a very entertaining read from start to finish!
My Rating
4.0 Waterfall. Endless Hallway, Stolen Kiss, Green Gown, Sibyllines, Orphic, Destiny filled stars!! For an alluring YA Fantasy read this is definitely one to pick up!
Totally loved this story! Absolutely amazing. I had all I could do to put it down last night so I could go to bed. I cannot wait to find out what happens next!
In Weaver of Dreams(also known as Dreamscape), Amelia is just a regular girl who's grandmother recently died and who is about to be homeless because she can't afford rent on her own - for the first ten pages of this book until she is kidnapped into a world all about dreams and evil entities called Erobos. Her kidnapper, Seth, slowly reveals his plans to use her to save the world from falling into darkness while the two also fall in love.
I got this book for free during a stuff your kindle day so tried not to go into it with any expectations. The first 150 pages were nearly impossible to get through. There are about 50 things being introduced at once and not a one is fully explained. This is a fairly impressive feat by the author given that we get both the Woman Main Character and Man Main Character's perspectives. Given that the MMC has a whole plan for the WMC you would think the reader would get at least some insight into the dreamscape and netherworld and multiple other realms visited in this book, but you would be wrong. Even when a character is about to explain something about the world they are in, they get cut off and somehow the WMC just goes with it. The MMC is mostly just possessive and in love with a teenager which is quite creepy considering he is at least 5000 years old and has been having dream sex with the WMC since she was 14. The second half of this book had a bit more action and introduced some new characters which helped to speed the story along and was the only reason I did not DNF.
I read this as a part of the Love. Magic. Adrenaline! Collection. This book finishes on a major cliffhanger. It is a very slow moving book, the world building taking several pages. The characterisation gets a little repetitive, I just wanted it to get to the point. I get it, he loves her, she is special and she doesn’t trust easily. Page after page this goes on. The reason I have given it 3 stars is only due to the last 1/3 of the book - where we get to really understand the Dreamscape and see the hint of what the story could have been. I really enjoyed the switching POVs in each chapter. The potential of this story is mind blowing but it suffered due to being hung up on the ‘love’ side of things. Don’t get me wrong, the ‘love’ side of things has its place but should not distract away from the main idea of the story. Hopefully book 2 moves along a bit faster.
Right from the first chapter the story had me hooked. It's nice to read a fantasy that's a whole new world not a similar copy of thousands. Amelia is a strong willed human who is pulled into another realm by Seth. Amelia is the key to ridding the realms of darkness called Eros. She just has to trained but time is running out and she has to learn as she goes.
Action packed and extremely well written. Worth a read.
I loved it. Mostly because my favourite past time is dreaming. Whose isn"t though... It was kinda sy-fy and adventure,with a dose of romance. Great book that shows how much we can really influence our dreams.
I feel like a good portion of this book wasn’t really necessary to where I was over it for some time and I am kinda mad it ended on a really good cliffhanger so I’ll be debating if I keep reading the series or not
This was such an intriguing and captivating read. I cannot wait to continue with book two to see how the story progresses not only with Amelia and Seth but within the dreamscape.
This novel had an incredibly unique world-the Dreamscape and I had as hard a time understanding it as Amelia, the main character did. The first half of the novel she fights Seth, her "captor" over what the Dreamscape is and being allowed into it for her training. The truth is, and this is my interpretation, it's a dreamworld where certain "people" can traverse through dreams through portals. There are good and evil beings that do this, kind of like good dreams and nightmares. But these nightmares are permanent. Seth, his brothers and his team are trying to keep the human world from being overtaken by the evil nightmares. Now this is way oversimplified, but that's the bare bones of the world. It's actually much, much more complicated.
Amelia is interesting. She's a very strong, independent character. She's had a rough life and when we are introduced to her she's sleeping her last night in an apartment she shared with the only woman that ever took care of her who has died. She's had nothing to eat for a few days and she just wants to escape into her dreams to a mystery boy that she loves. Instead Seth whisks her away to his world and presents her with walls of fire, a house that provides for her every need or want and "Oh yeah, your trapped here until you find the key that lets me out of this prison." `I thought I had trouble connecting to her, but I think I was trying so hard to understand the world that I missed her character. I went back and read the first several chapters. I LOVE Amelia! She is Kick A**! Not just because she tries to escape, not just because she doesn't act on her feelings for Seth that she has right away (no insta love, there is a reasonable explanation) but because she realizes that if she accepts what's happening to her and what she sees, then she might possibly be losing her mind. Or maybe she's dreaming. Or maybe worse. But this is the first character I've ever read that admitted that she wasn't going to accept magic after the first couple of pages just because this gorgeous hunk of a guy shows it to her. And Amelia is fierce. She knows lonely so what few friends she makes, she wants to keep even if it means sacrifice. She won't leave a man behind. Amelia is someone I would definitely want to be friends with!
Now, Seth, he sounds swoon worthy, but he talks a lot about how much he desires Amelia. A lot! I wanted him to just be a man about it and make his move. Amelia would have slapped him and told him what was what if she didn't want him. He reminded me a lot of Henry from Aimee Carter's Goddess series. Except (Henry never was very demonstrative.) Seth is very old, centuries or more so he is rather old fashioned in his speech and I suppose that's why he does more talking about Amelia than action. Still, it was a bit tiring to read about.
The world is the world of dreams and it's as varied as dreams can be. It's complicated like I said and you just have to dive in, maybe read it a couple of times to understand, but it really works. I think I love Seth's house. You just have to ask for what you want and it's there. The only downside is never being in the real world, no real ocean, no real sun, no real skies. Just pale imitations.
The story is good versus evil. The Erobos are stalking the Oneiroi trying to kill all the light with their darkness. The best part of the story is that when Seth explains it to Amelia she says:
I'm going to pretend I understood the majority of what you just said. Why is everything so complicated? ( Kindle ARC ) That's pretty much how I felt but I just kept going and once the story got going it all fell in place. The action in the book takes place in the latter half of the story and you understand what Amelia has to do with everything and what everyone's part is in this war.
I thought this was a fun story. It has dark undertones, but Amelia is so snarky and has such a big presence in the book that she really lights it up. There is definitely a romance in it and an unusual mythology. I'll definitely be continuing on with this series and hope the author keeps Amelia just as fun and witty.
Recommended for lovers of YA paranormal, romance and mythology. At times it can be heavy on the sexual desire though it's expressed in polite terms. So I'd let my 13 yr old son read it if he wanted to.
A lovely read! For the most part I enjoyed it, but I was a tiny bit disappointed as the end was approaching. The synopsis is a bit misleading. At first I thought this was going to be a love triangle , but the man Amelia wishes to dream of who is mentioned in the synopsis (Jason) is not a different man, but Seth in a different form. Long story short, Seth needs to convince Amelia to help him break his curse as well as work with him in controlling dreams, maintaining the goodness in the world, and keeping the Eros away from Earth. All of that is probably confusing to you, but you'll understand what I'm talking about if you read the book (all correct terms and more detailed explanations will be given).
Something I would've liked is to see more scenes of Amelia and Jason (AKA Seth) dreams together before introducing the fact that Jason is in fact Seth, the man who kidnaps her from the mortal realm. I know we don't see a span of the 4 years they spend together because it would've dragged out the book, but if a novella was introduced, maybe Amelia's love for Jason would've felt more real to me? I don't doubt that Amelia had strong feelings for Jason, but her words feel hollow to me every time she fondly mentions Jason since I don't have any scenes/events to reference his character from. He's more of just a name to me than an actual person.
As for my slight disappointment from maybe 3/4 into the book, some info and transitions seemed abrupt (not to mention the scenes leading up to the climax as well as the climax itself seemed a bit rushed). Peter's sudden appearance came out of nowhere as well. While his presence is necessary , I would've liked it if his presence was better introduced than just being mentioned as the brother who hates Seth and then suddenly appearing just before the climax. As for transitions, I felt that some of the settings might have shifted a bit too quickly, but that might just be for me personally. Also, I had some trouble following some descriptions and use of grammar, but again, that just might be me personally not being familiar with this kind of writing...
Despite my complaints, I truly did like this book. I like that it's in both Seth and Amelia's perspective as I tend to favor getting in the heads of both the female and male protagonists of love stories. I thought the nearly equally balance of both POVs is fair and I enjoyed both of their personalities (Amelia, a stubborn girl with a heart of gold and Seth, a sexy, caring man who's slightly awkward with mortal knowledge). I recommend this book for those who enjoy dual POV romance novels involving dreams, a lead female who's slightly badass, and a sexy, sexy male lead.
That being said, I can't wait to read the next book in the series as that cliffhanger is driving me nuts!
I first agreed to review Dreamscape as part of my blog tour stop because of its interesting synopsis. I rarely agree to reviewing self-pubbed books nowadays (past year or so actually) for reasons I know fellow bloggers know and experienced, but I still do read them but am careful in choosing what to read and review. Sometimes I fail and at rare times I succeed. This is one of my success. Dreamscape is all things good! Needs a lot of editing still and some things and facts are confusing still, but that’s understood as I read an ARC, but the whole thing? A blast!
I’m so stoked with the ending of book one right now I can hardly contain my giddiness. I’m geek enough to admit that I can hardly put my phone down (reading from my phone for this one) when i started reading Dreamscape. It has that “it” I as a reader look for in a book. That “it” that makes me a fan, makes me stick into reading and finishing it. I’m so happy I agreed to reading this book. It was admittedly too slow at times, but maybe it was just the side of me who wants to speed things up a bit. The story is by far unique from the paranormal stuffs I’ve read, that’s both a positive and negative. Positive because it’s original and boy do we need new stories out there. Negative, because the writing was still scratchy and I was totally confused one or too many times, I can hardly understand new concepts injected to my brain. It might also be because I was under stress this week. Lagging brain a side effect.
Anyway, the story is basically summed up as this: Seth, the guy MC is kind of a king in the dream world (and dreams are depicted as things fed to mortals and not figments and products of the subconscious). Amelia is a girl Seth puts his interests on, and the first girl he gave his attention to after thousands of years. He’s an old soul, she’s a new one. And the story begins from there. Amelia was basically kidnapped first and she’s one feisty woman who fights for herself and her individuality. She’s one great kick ass character that I’m sure others will fall in love with. While I’m not into Seth but he’s a charmer. The story is more complicated and bigger than what happens between the two of them. It’s so complicated I can’t really tell it to you guys because i will be writing so many paragraphs of I do that, lol. Just know that this is such a great story and has great characters. Not much of an easy read but something that will make you think, and analyze. Great mind exercise. The writing was not smooth but it was written perfectly and in that genius way I love and admire. This is one series to watch out for.
Note: Copy received in exchange for an honest review (for the tour).
I received a copy of this book for an honest review for my stop on the blog tour at Donnie Darko Girl.
This is a beautifully written book with brilliant characters. Mythology and ideas about dreams and nightmares and where those come from are interwoven to create this story about Amelia and Seth fighting to keep Earth safe from the Netherworld. Amelia and Seth are two people you will definitely want to read about as well as the world they live in.
When I first began reading, I found some things that were confusing to me, but the further along I read, the more things began to fall into place. Christie Rich has built a world so intricate that I was blown away with its richness and complexity. What I loved most about this book besides the characters was the mythology and ideas about dreams. Both have always intrigued me, and the way they were woven together was unique and different from any mythology stories I've read.
Amelia is such a kick ass character. She has been through a lot of pain in her short life, starting with the fact that her parents weren't fit to raise her. Eventually, she's taken in by Justine, a woman I pictured to be a grandmother-like figure to Amelia. Justine has recently died and Amelia is about to be evicted from Justine's apartment when the book begins. You'd probably think this would make Amelia fragile, but the opposite is true. It only made her stronger, and her instincts for survival kick into high gear.
What I loved most about Amelia was that she doesn't instantly fall in love with Seth. She doesn't know him, he has captured her, and now she must help him. Though she admits to herself he's definitely attractive, she doesn't just let him sweep her off her feet, which I really admired. The relationship takes time to develop and grow, and I was very thankful for that. Amelia doesn't just let in anyone, and she has every right to be cautious. It makes complete sense to be hesitant towards someone who captured you and lets you know there is no escape!
The only thing that bugged me was the number of times Seth told Amelia he has much to teach her and tell her. I wanted him to stop talking about it and just do it. ;)
Overall, I really loved this book and am eagerly awaiting the next one. I'm looking forward to spending more time with Seth and Amelia and delving back into their world.
I was really excited after reading the synopsis for this book for the single fact that it sounded so different from anything I’ve ever read. While I had a little trouble following some of the intricacies of the Dreamscape and the Netherworld, I think this book is a solid foundation and I would definitely continue to read more in the series.
Ameila is a complex character that you will root for. She hasn’t had an easy life and things get even harder when Seth enters it. One minute she’s lost her grandmother and is losing her home and the next she’s kidnapped to a world where she’s safe, but also basically a prisoner. She doesn’t take the news well, no matter how much her “captor” Seth wants to explain it’s her destiny. But Ameila is a fighter and she won’t let her situation defeat her.
Seth, while incredibly hot and mysterious, gave me the creeps in the beginning. He’s so obsessed with Amelia it’s a bit uncomfortable. But thankfully we get to hear Seth’s side of the story and understand where his intense emotions and feelings come from. Seth knows Amelia. He knows her because he came to her in her dreams for years, but in another form. More specifically in the form of (as Amelia calls him) her dream boyfriend Jason. They shared real loving relationship, only for her it was a dram and he was masked to look like someone else. So Amelia has no clue who Seth is or what he wants.
Once Seth admits the truth, that Amelia is stuck in the dream realm with him and must help him fight the Erobos (those that influence people with dark and evil dreams), she allows him to train her. He teaches her how to protect herself in the dreamscape and through this their relationship slowly grows.
I think this was a great foundation to a much bigger story that needs to be told. Most of the book revolves around the relationship between Amelia and Seth (which I’m glad isn’t an insta-love, especially since hello……Seth kidnapped her and basically made her a prisoner) and in explaining the dreamscape and how it works. There is a lot of world building, but it is a truly fascinating place. I thought things moved a bit slowly for a while, but the pace picked up once the Erobos were introduced. Overall it is a good, although somewhat complicated, read and I look forward to the next book.
Did I enjoy this book: I liked the premise – it’s sort of a What Dreams May Come meets The Matrix type thing, and that’s what kept me reading. There’s lots of information to process, and having a new character (Amelia) enter the Dreamscape world is a great way to disseminate the information readers need to keep up.
Amelia is spunky. I like her. She’s got an unpolished charm that will endear her to readers—even while she’s flipping other characters ‘the bird’. Seth, on the other hand, isn’t quite so likeable. Sure, he’s attractive, but he’s also seriously flawed. He lies a lot, then gets caught lying, then laments the fact that Amelia has trouble trusting him. He spends much of his time fixing things that go wrong because he’s forgotten to plan for them, or, often, because Amelia doesn’t do exactly what he hopes she will do (though he never actually tells her what it is he’d like her to be doing, exactly). Later in the book we find out that he’s missing a piece of his soul, and, optimist that I am, I’m really hoping that once he gets it back he’ll stop being quite so… um… stupid. He’s got almost all of the qualities of a killer Romance Novel Hero, he’s just got some – forgive me – soul searching to do.
I’m confident that another round of editing will take care of the grammar and punctuation snafus (especially since I read a pre-publication version of the text), so although I got annoyed with the questions ending with exclamation points and statements ending with question marks, I’m not going to discount the book because of them.
Would I recommend it: Dreamscape is a guilty little pleasure of a book. I recommend you pour a glass of wine, draw a bath, and sneak off for a relaxing evening filled with romance, dreams, and some flirty ass-kicking. You might just want to hide the book under your bed when you’re done reading it. **grin**
Will I read it again: No, but I’m definitely interested in reading the rest of the Netherworld series.
As reviewed by Melissa at Every Free Chance Book Reviews.
(I received a copy of this book for review purposes.)
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).
(This review may contain spoilers).
Although this book did have my hated multi-first-person POVs, I actually did find this book to be a really easy read. The blurb of this sounded really interesting - I've always been intrigued by plots that focus heavily on the dreams.
The romance in this book was a little hit and miss for me. On the one hand, I felt that Amelia's reactions to Seth's clear attraction towards her made sense, given her upbringing and her past. At the same time, I did feel that Seth was a bit too much obsessed with her. There's a moment where he comments about taking a while for relationships to grow and I just couldn't help thinking, 'Why isn't the immortality thing applied to you and Amelia?'
I did find the dreamscape a really intriguing idea. I was fascinated by the concept of the different worlds and it was also interesting to see the origin story of the Erebos, though I wasn't entirely sure what their relationship was with their hosts. I couldn't entirely understand how much they controlled.
The hints of Seth's past were interesting, particularly the small parts of information about Rhea. I would have liked to see more of the past events, either in flashbacks or a bit more detail. Given the importance of Jason, I felt there really should have been more of his interactions with Amelia.
I liked the variety of different types of creatures there were in Seth's team, but I wasn't too keen on the way Amelia became the main focus. I do, however, think that there was enough training involved that meant Amelia didn't become completely skilled straight away. Although... I really disliked the use of black leather in the costumes.
I was particularly intrigued by Seth's relationship with his brothers, Ian and Peter in particular. I would have liked to see more focus on the family aspects and less on the romance. I think the book would have been stronger with that. The world building was definitely the stronger aspect, though, and the secondary characters were what made me give this book four stars.
This book is not what I expected. I don't even know where to start about this book. I have nothing to reference it to in all of my history of reading. That is most definitely an intriguing sign!
Amelia is a recent high school graduate who had a rough life. She spent time in foster care and doesn't trust anyone. She knows nobody sticks around - except her grandmother Justine, who rescued her from foster life. But now Justine's gone too.
Jason, the boyfriend in her dreams for years, no longer comes to her when sleep does. He's left her too. She is truly on her own, with very little money and nowhere to go...until a strange man seizes her - and takes her to another world. Netherworld.
He is a strange man, with instantaneous healing powers, and the ability to make things appear. He tells her she also has supernatural capabilities...and that our dreams are sent to us by him and his dwindled team, called Oneiroi. They are working diligently to protect Earth from darkness, from the Erobos. Many Oneiroi have turned dark, changing allegiance and feeding off of fear and other dark emotions. The Oneiroi think Amelia is their saving grace.
But will she allow herself to believe in him? To trust them? To take down the mask she wears and be her true self? Especially after she finds out he's not exactly who he says he is; she knows this man very much, but doesn't recognize him.
I did have difficulty understanding the mechanics of the Netherworld, the Dreamscape, Metaspace, the networks, and Seth's "realm." Toward the end it became easier as the characters are moving through these places, but I still didn't feel confident I could explain this information satisfactorily to another person.
From beginning to end, Amelia flourishes as a character. She grows and expands her cognitive processes, and I feel like I connected well with her character. She wasn't a turn off; she enticed readers into her mindset. She is strong before Seth steals her away from Earth, and she grows much stronger in many ways from her journey.
What an interesting read! I have to say that Dreamscape was different than a lot of things I've read lately, which actually was a great feeling. There is an incredibly unique world in the Dreamscape. One that, while it might not always make total sense, is really easy to get lost in. I wasn't sure where Amelia's story was taking me, but I can tell you that I didn't mind following along.
Amelia is a great character. Despite her rough life, and her equally harsh treatment by most people around her, she's fairly well adjusted. She's strong, fierce, and isn't afraid to take care of business when the need is there. I have to say that I honestly was rooting for her from the very first few pages. Even before Seth even came into the picture, I knew Amelia could hold her own.
Which is why when Seth did make his way into the story, I was pretty wary of him. His character is, for lack of a better word, strange. He comes off as very obsessive at first, in an almost creepy way, and it isn't until you read on that you really find out why. I'll admit it took me a long time to like him and, even once I did, I never fully fell in love with him. He doesn't make a very good first impression, let's leave it at that.
However once the Dreamscape comes into play, things get interesting. I've seen other reviewers mention how they never quite understood the mechanics of the Netherworld, and I honestly agree. However allowing yourself to get lost in it really helps. Here is a world where anything is possible. Which means that everyone would want to control it, right? There's a classic battle of good vs. evil here, and Amelia is right in the center.
The beginning of the story is a little choppy, but I promise that if you read it it gets so much better. By the time I reached the ending I was amazed. Dreamscape is a book that I picked on a whim, and I am honestly glad I did. I'd like to see a little more character building with people other than Amelia. Also it'd be nice to understand the Netherworld better. For now though, I'm content. Check this one out!