Nightmare King

by Daka Hermon

Author of Hide and Seeker, Daka Hermon, brings us a new evil lurking in our childhood games. Things haven’t been the same since Shane’s accident. One minute he was a normal kid playing a game of tag with his friends, and the next he’s the boy who came back from the dead. Now, every time Shane falls asleep, he’s pulled into a dark world where the evil Nightmare King reigns. The King is collecting children and keeping them as treasure.Despite the threat of capture by the Nightmare King, he can’t stay awake forever. Shane will have to take matters into his own hands . . . if he gives himself over to his nightmares, can he hold on to the good in himself long enough to bring down the King?

Genres: Middle Grade, Horror, Fantasy, Action, Childrens, Horror Thriller, Supernatural

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2023

About the author

Daka Hermon was born in Tennessee and spent her childhood huddled under a blanket with a flashlight reading and writing fairy-tale and fantasy stories. She works in the entertainment industry, and is an active member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. She loves peach sweet tea, chocolate, cupcakes, and collecting superhero toys. Daka lives in California and can be found online at dakahermon.com and on Twitter @dakadh.

Reviews

[Janae (The Modish Geek) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5

I may come back to this rating, but for right now this was disappointing. It didn't hit the way "Hide and Seekers" did. And I think my main complaint is with the main character. He read as isolated and alone (which you could argue was the point) and even though he has friends and family, I didn't feel the strong found family/one-for-all vibes that I with the other group. I will say the depiction of his physical pain felt real and I "like" how he discussed it.

Some of the "moral of the story" moments were heavy-handed and the way the main character talks doesn't always fit his age. I wanted to love it, but I didn't.

[Marisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good addition to the “fighting monsters” genre. Fans of the Small Spaces series will probably enjoy.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a solid read, not as good as the first one. I'm excited that there will be more. I liked that we got to see a bit of Mary, Justin, and Nia.

[Marsha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t care for sports and Shane Johnson’s obsession with basketball nearly bored me to tears. Often, men associate their sense of self with what they do for a living. (The hilarious running gag with Hank Hill is that he always introduces himself by saying, “My name is Hank Hill and I sell propane and propane accessories.”) Many times, this is done to such an extent that, when they enter into retirement, they get pulled down, lost and miserable, and die shortly afterwards because they’re not able to continue the job that defined them for so long.

Such is Shane’s obsession. So bad is it that he refuses to tell his family that his psyche and physical health are starting to suffer because he’s plagued by disturbing dreams. What if they insist he go back into the hospital? He won’t be able to play on the team! Oh no!

However, the novel makes it clear that Shane has other and worser problems on his plate than a missed free throw. As the nocturnal terrors get worse, the hallucinations bleed over into his diurnal life and his own behavior deteriorates into hostility, suspicion and paranoia, Shane is forced to concede that his problems are no longer his alone. He must accept that he needs help.

The novel confronts us with an unusual supernatural terror, something that dwells in nightmares but is unlike anything I’ve read elsewhere. There is also a promise of future terror to come and I find myself intrigued by the hint of this new threat.

Will Shane, Sadie and Doc rise to meet this new threat or will other children be lured to their doom? Tune in next time, faithful readers!

[Starr · Rating 4 out of 5]

They always come for those on top.

Summary- While playing tag Shane gets hit by a car and into a coma. Fortunately he comes out but he has these nightmares. Until one day they stop and he is ready to take charge of his life again. But when the nightmares return he begins spiraling out of control. The Nighhtmare King wants him. And there's no stopping him this time.
This was a great story. The ascending action took too long for me so I gave it 4 stars. But once you get to the nightmare world your all in.
There's another plot that connects both books together (The Seeker and Nightmare King) and it seems like the next book will wrap that all up. And I'm here for it .
Great book for middle grade and young adult readers who are getting into horror. It's more suspense. And that suspense will keep you turning the page.

[Christine Zandt · Rating 5 out of 5]

The nightmares Shane’s been having make him not want to sleep, but he can only do that for so long. As he fights with the scary images in his mind, he begins to wonder if the Nightmare King will capture him in this winner-takes-all game of tag. Dream scenes become increasingly scary and it seems there’s no escape for Shane the next time he slumbers.

Daka Hermon accurately shows us Shane’s love of playing basketball. Since his recent near-death accident, he wants nothing more than to get back to the top of his game and avoid butting heads with the bully who’s more than ready for Shane’s permanent removal.

Just as in Hide and Seeker (Scholastic, 2020), Hermon takes a seemingly fun game and imbues it with sinister twists and turns.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Between 30-50 pages should be cut from the first 2/3 of the book so it will grab more readers. I liked the basketball part of the book very much and of course the nightmare was great. I also enjoyed his sister and friend, Doc, who added humor to the story.

I wonder why 300 plus pages seems to be a norm in MS books, and I’m not sure why—is this the publisher demanding this or the authors? I wish they would ask their audience, especially when a book like this would normally appeal to reluctant readers. What do I know since I’m “only” a librarian who spends most of her life with MS students.

[Liam · Rating 4 out of 5]

My opinion on the book out of 5 would be a 4. I would rank “The Nightmare King” a 4 out of 5 because, a little past the beginning of the book, it is a little slow and is not really that interesting. But, as you read more and more, the book becomes better. I like books like this because when I'm reading, I can get a little distracted by something else and focus on that instead of reading. This book is a good chapter book, and you don't get lost reading it or distracted by something else, and that is why I would rank “The Nightmare King” by Daka Hermon a 4-5.

[✨jillian✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

i wasn’t sure where Hermon was going to take this sequel but she did a really great job with the plot. i love the new characters and dynamics she introduces and was giddy over the appearances made by Justin, Nia, and Mary from the first book. i loved the ending! everything immediate was solved while it introduced a new distant conflict that teases the readers for a 3rd book. i really hope this becomes a trilogy 😭

[Bree · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I LOVED "Hide and Seeker", I didn't like this one as I'd hoped. It had a lot of promise to be a great sort of 'sequel', but let me feeling a bit bored at times. Many parts of the story felt a little too fantastical for me to believe in since the previous book had NO fantasy elements, leaving me a bit confused. The MC's growth felt forced throughout, but the overall story just felt like several steps down from the first book.

[Kellouie · Rating 2 out of 5]

this is actually being reviewed by my kid 🙂 his words: it was a genuine effort. The plot was hard to follow. I couldn't tell when he's going to sleep or not. there's no drama. it's space. it's not Nightmare King, it's Insanity King. to make it better I would like more clarity on the days and better descriptions to be able to visualize the story.

[Shakirah Bourne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect companion to this author's Hide and Seeker. This one was full of tension and deliciously creepy, and left me desperate for more stories in this world. I'm already counting down the clock for the next book.

[Mel Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite as creepy as Hide and Seeker, with a lot more angst and emotional drama, but still a lot of fun. Looking forward to another one from Dana Hermon. At least there better be another one after that ending 😉.

[Joe Holman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this very entertaining book. It's got a creative storyline, some twists and turns, and some good life lessons on friendship and recovering from a traumatic accident. Plus a bit of supernatural creepiness as a bonus.

[James Beck · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was very good, the plot was detailed, and, it was scary, and, I read it right before bed, and, it left an impact for a bit, however, might just be me, but, it did not leave it for that long, so that is why it is not 5 stars.

[Ben McConnell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a solid book, it was a little hard to follow in certain aspects like why the king had coins and why the coins were turning into fish, but overall it was a solid read. I liked the main character and the basketball/spooky aspect of the plot.

[Avila E.D · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I thought that this was going to be one of those "scary books" that you find at your scholastic book fair in third grade, but it turned out to be quite suspenseful with a good message.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good message, but a little slow.

[Kristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Tara Prince · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent middle grade horror book. This is perfect for the beginner horror fan. Scary enough that I forgot it was middle grade but not gory. I loved this one so much!!

[Nicole Kaestner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not realize this was part of a series. It was ok. The themes are great, but the story was slow.

[Kimberly Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

A page-turner for sure. I really enjoyed the premise of the Nightmare King and might have to go back and read Hide and Seeker.

[Destiny Liskey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic read definitely not a five but I think for other people it could be this was great the message of being worthy was so good but my favorite part definitely had to be the character especially Sadie and Doc. It would be a five but Shane did have his annoying moments but if you read the book you know why

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

In the companion to Hide and Seeker, we meet Shane, who is recuperating from a terrible accident that has left him weakened and scarred. He loves to play basketball, so returning to practice with his best friend, Doc, is a big deal, even if jerky team member Travis gives him a hard time. He's still struggling with his health; he was in a coma for a month. His twin sister Sadie watches him closely, and it's clear that he is struggling with nightmares that plagued him before his accident. In his nightmares, he finds a coin that comes with him into our world, and has a "my precious" feel to it. It tells Shane that he is valuable and treasured, something that he has trouble feeling even though his baker/caterer father and his physical therapist/trainer mother are completely supportive and involved in his life. Shane struggles in class and on the basketball court, frequently zoming out as the nightmare world encroaches on his thoughts. The coin comforts him, but he realizes that it has too much power over him, and he tells himself he should return it. He struggles with mood swings, and frequently blows up at everyone around him. His parents finally decide that he needs to go back for more tests, and he is pressured by Doc and Sadie to tell them what is wrong. When he does, they are fairly helpful in determining what is going on. Two children, Justin and Nia, make the news when they claim to have been sucked into a similar nightmare world, and when Sadie hears an ice cream truck in November, we know that bad things are going to happen. Will the children be able to thwart the Nightmare King, who has been stealing children? Perhaps, but there are other forces of evil in the other dimension who still want to prey on children, so I expect there to be at least one more book in this series!
Strengths: Nightmares are certainly frightening, and Shane's are certainly the creepiest I've read in middle grade horror. This had a bit of a Something Wicked This Way Comes vibe to it, with Shane not feeling valued, but it's done in a more clever way than other books. Bringing Travis into the equation was a brilliant touch. Sadie and Doc are very concerned about Shane's health, and this is on trend with the current thought that you should tell your friends and family when you are not doing well. The characters from the first book are woven in nicely, and there are great scary scenes in the hide and seek world that I don't want to spoil. I'm curious to see what the next book will bring, and how Trista is involved in it.
Weaknesses: The reasons behind Shane's health problems aren't given right away, and there is a lot of back and forth about his health before the creepy parts of the book start. There's some information that seems repetitive and since this book is 320 pages long, some could have been tightened up.
What I really think: I do like the combination of basketball and horror, and the cover on this is fantastic. I've long said that the idea of an ice cream truck driving around playing music on a chilly November day is absolutely terrifying! Hand this to readers of the first book or fans of Lindsay Currie, Lorien Lawrence, K.R. Alexander, or Joel Sutherland.

[Weatherisrathersweater · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.8 stars. Absolutely loved how the author made me feel really connected to the characters and their relationships. I was teary eyed most times although I didn’t like how the King was portrayed at the end, his dialogue and the way he was written was a little disappointing considering how it was building up to be. The beginning of the book was absolutely wonderful and it kept me on the edge of my seat reading on and on not wanting to put it down. Also it was frustrating when everyone kept pestering Shane about If “ he was okay “, mostly Sadie. I understood what they were both going through, but it was getting a little too over repetitive when reading it. I loved Hide and seeker and wanted to read another book of Daka Hermon and really enjoyed this book. She is an extremely talented writer.