Dreams Lie Beneath

by Rebecca Ross

A story about magic and the captivating power of dreams.

A curse plagues the realm of Azenor—during each new moon, magic flows from the nearby mountain and brings nightmares to life. Only magicians, who serve as territory wardens, stand between people and their worst dreams.

Clementine Madigan is ready to take over as the warden of her small town, but when two magicians challenge her, she is unwittingly drawn into a century-old conflict. She seeks revenge, but as she secretly gets closer to Phelan, one of the handsome young magicians, secrets begin to rise. Clementine must unite with her rival to fight the realm’s curse, which seems to be haunting her every turn.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Young Adult Fantasy, Romantasy, Magic, Audiobook

400 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 2, 2021

About the author

Rebecca Ross is the #1 New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author of fantasy books for teens and adults.

She has written multiple highly acclaimed duologies, including LETTERS OF ENCHANTMENT, ELEMENTS OF CADENCE, and THE QUEEN’S RISING as well as two standalone novels: DREAMS LIE BENEATH and SISTERS OF SWORD & SONG.

When not writing, she can be found in her garden where she plants wildflowers and story ideas. She resides in Northeast Georgia with her husband and her dog. Find her on Instagram @beccajross or online at www.rebeccarossauthor.com.

Rebecca is represented by Suzie Townsend of New Leaf Literary & Media.

Reviews

[jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

continuing my deep dive into RRs bibliography to determine if she belongs on my favourite authors list. and with this book... i think she might!

i really enjoyed the unique plot, atmospheric world-building, relatable characters, and pretty writing. theres honestly nothing to not like about this.

and can you believe this is a standalone?! i feel like the ability to create a single, self-contained YA fantasy story has been lost nowadays, so i will always praise when an author can do it well. 

all in all, this is another great book by RR and one i would easily recommend.

↠ 4.5 stars

[Brend · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss, mansplain, manipulate and malewife.
All portrayed in this book. A masterpiece.

[♥︎ Heather ⚔ (New House-Hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ 4.5 𝓢𝓽𝓪𝓻𝓼 ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ A twisty tale of nightmares, secrets, curses and revenge in a land of dreams and nightmares.

"𝓗𝓮 𝓽𝓾𝓻𝓷𝓮𝓭 𝓶𝔂 𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮 𝓲𝓷𝓽𝓸 𝓼𝓶𝓸𝓴𝓮, 𝓶𝔂 𝔀𝓲𝓷𝓭 𝓲𝓷𝓽𝓸 𝓭𝓾𝓼𝓽, 𝓶𝔂 𝓵𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓲𝓷𝓽𝓸 𝓼𝓱𝓪𝓭𝓸𝔀𝓼."

"𝓞𝓷𝓮 𝓭𝓸𝓮𝓼 𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓵𝓲𝔃𝓮 𝓱𝓸𝔀 𝓹𝓸𝔀𝓮𝓻𝓯𝓾𝓵 𝓪 𝓭𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓶 𝓲𝓼, 𝓲𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓵𝓮𝓮𝓹𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓵𝓭 𝓪𝓼 𝔀𝓮𝓵𝓵 𝓪𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝔀𝓪𝓴𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓸𝓷𝓮, 𝓾𝓷𝓽𝓲𝓵 𝓲𝓽 𝓱𝓪𝓼 𝓫𝓮𝓮𝓷 𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓵𝓮𝓷 𝓯𝓻𝓸𝓶 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓶. 𝓜𝔂 𝓼𝓽𝓻𝓸𝓷𝓰𝓮𝓼𝓽 𝓶𝓪𝓰𝓲𝓬 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓰𝓮𝓭 𝓯𝓻𝓸𝓶 𝓲𝓷𝓽𝓾𝓲𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷. 𝓑𝓾𝓽 𝓘 𝓯𝓮𝓵𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝔀𝓮𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓼𝓮 𝓲𝓷𝓴𝓮𝓭 𝓭𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓶𝓼 𝓸𝓯 𝓹𝓮𝓸𝓹𝓵𝓮 𝓷𝓸𝔀 𝓭𝓮𝓪𝓭 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓫𝓾𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓭. 𝓘 𝓯𝓮𝓵𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓶 𝓪𝓼 𝓲𝓯 𝓘 𝓱𝓪𝓭 𝓮𝓶𝓫𝓻𝓪𝓬𝓮𝓭 𝓪 𝓶𝓲𝓵𝓵𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓷𝓮."

╰⪼ 💜 Hidden Identities
╰⪼ 💜 Forced Proximity
╰⪼ 💜 Enemies to Lovers
╰⪼ 💜 Rivals

Rebecca Ross yet again paints a gorgeous, whimsical and captivating world filled with complex and intricate characters.

I've heard this book described as The Night Circus meets Cruel Prince... and in a way I can totally see it... it's dark, mysterious and magical - and of course you can expect the gorgeous and lyrical prose that I have come to know this author for.

ೃ⁀➷ ★ ₊ ˚ 𝓠𝓾𝓲𝓬𝓴 𝓢𝓾𝓶𝓶𝓪𝓻𝔂 ༊*·˚

We follow Clem (Clementine) our FMC who is her father's apprentice magician in a small town within the realm of Azenor. There is a curse that has plagued the realm for many years, magic flows from the nearby mountain and brings nightmares to life. Only magicians, serving as territory wardens, stand between their people and the mountain’s curse.

Clem's father is the warden of nightmares in their town and as his apprentice Clem has gone with him house to house when someone has had a nightmare; they record it in the Book of Nightmares which the warden of each territory holds. Each new moon, one of these nightmares come to life and because of these recordings in their Book of Nightmares they are able to be prepared to fight whatever monsters, demons or evil creatures that manifest.

Clem has been preparing to follow in her father's footsteps as warden, but when two magicians show up to challenge her she finds herself feeling bereft of home and purpose.

Determined to get revenge, Clem disguises herself with a magical glamor and sets out to work along side one of the magicians that 'stole her home' hell bent on destroying him and taking back what is rightfully hers.

The longer they work together the more secrets are revealed about the mountains curse... if she hopes to succeed to break this curse she will have to unite and work with her rival.

ೃ⁀➷ ★ ₊ ˚ 𝓜𝔂 𝓣𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼 ༊*·˚

I'm freaking blown away. This story was so fantastic and magical! It's like a nightmarish fairytale dream.

The writing is phenomenal - per usual. The characters are great. Amazing - highly recommend. Go read it!

ೃ⁀➷ ★ ₊ ˚ 𝓠𝓾𝓸𝓽𝓮𝓼 ༊*·˚

༊*·˚ “Dreams often revealed one’s greatest vulnerability; dreams were doors that led into hearts and minds and souls and secrets.”

༊*·˚ “Sometimes things must break before they can be made whole again, so that they can be forged into something stronger.”

༊*·˚ “It will make you colder. But even the deepest of ice eventually gives way to fire, Clementine.”

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ I really loved this.. totally perfect for October with dark, spooky vibes- dashed with a sprinkle of romance. 𐙚

[SHOMPA · Rating 1 out of 5]

Looking at the beautiful cover of the book, as promising as it seemed to me, I did not find anything enjoyable in it. On the contrary, from beginning to end, I was confused the whole time with this poorly written story. Even the main characters were shallowly portrayed here. I put it down and picked it up multiple times, but it just never improved.

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars



I’m not sure I know what all was going on, but who gives a rats arse, I enjoyed it 😉😏

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

Oh, and I’m pissed I got the Owlcrate box with this book in it. I’ve been skipping the boxes but I was interested in this book. I should have known they’d put a crappy cover. I’m going to slowly delete these book boxes that cost too much. Ok, rant over. I’m trading in this edition and getting the original cover.

The end ….

[sam]

the night circus meets the cruel prince? brb i’m gonna go scream now

[Sanja ✵ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rating this so low was not something I wanted, the concept sounds amazing and the cover is beautiful. But it didn’t deliver what I expected and it left so many things underdeveloped.

There are spoilers in this review.

What I expected was badass magicians protecting their towns from nightmares manifesting throughout the night during full moons. But then we got to the first full moon and it was extremely anticlimactic. I thought there would be multiple nightmares, but apparently just a single one manifest and they defeated that one by lifting a rock.

They hardly even used magic to defeat the nightmares and because the magic was so underused, the magic system was underdeveloped. There are several kinds of magic, that influence different things. But for a book about magic, it really didn’t get to play its part and I still have several questions how it works.

Like, people with magic doesn’t cast shadows. Did we get an answer for why that is? I certainly don’t remember it, so at most it is described in passing.

I also don’t really understand the point of the wardens. They take a remedy so they don’t dream, and therefore they have no nightmares that can manifest during the full moon. So why not let everyone take these remedies? Then there would be no nightmares at all that could pop up. I think it was explained by the remedies being to expensive for everyone or something. But why are the wardens charging for them? Do they want to risk their life?

Also, when Clem and Phelan doesn’t succeed in defeating a nightmare, they simply lock themselves in their house until it passes. So you don’t even need to defeat them? Everyone can just lock themselves up for the night and it passes? So why don’t people just do that?

Because Clem is definitely not the best person to send out to battle nightmares. She hesitates why too much and gets too emotional. She knows the people in the nightmares aren’t real, but still can’t “kill” them, because they look like people she knows. Even when she supposedly gets half her heart turned to stone and as a result should be way colder.

And I was promised court intrigue, but there was nothing of the sort. Well, maybe the last 100 pages had some sort of subplot that could fall into that category. But definitely not enough. Clem was also supposed to take down the Vespers, but the wrote like 4 lines for an “exposé”, then she immediately gives up that plan. So that was also a huge let down. All because Phelan was better than she thought, but that romance did nothing for me and felt forced.

And in the end we’re left with so many questions, but mainly; what happens to all the wardens now? The one thing this book was supposed to be about and we don’t even resolve it?

I also can’t drop the names, Clementine and Phelan. Did Ross lose a dare or something? I can’t see any other reason for the name choice, there’re very unfortunate in my opinion.

Another book with promise unfulfilled, think I’m going to have to create a new shelf to that…

[Bryn Shutt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was utterly divine. So original, with its unique twits and turns, I had zero clue where the plot was going and I loved that feeling. YA books lately seem to have about two plot options and the reader's only hope is that at least the characters might be original. But this was a cut above. So evocative, so lush, so potent and raw. Ross is definitely becoming an autobuy author for me.

[sumi ୨ৎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

- 4.5 stars ༉‧₊˚
0/5 spice ୨ৎ

oh my gosh, this book was so good!! it had everything i was looking for, and i’m so so happy i read it! rebecca ross can take all of my money, i swear.

dreams lie beneath is written in rebecca ross’s classic style: captivating, magical, and transportive. her writing will always be one of my absolute favorites because it’s just so whimsical. the plot was so entertaining, oh my god. it reminded me of the tv series lockwood and co., which is my favorite series ever. the pacing was also really good! i never found myself bored or uninterested.

the highlight of this book is definitely the characters! the fmc, clementine, was so strong and determined yet kind and caring. and phelan, the mmc, was charming and gentle. their romance was the definition of slow burn omg. 350 pages in, and they still hadn’t admitted they were in love with each other. i loved their banter so much, and the way they took care and looked out for each other was the sweetest thing ever!! and the side characters were amazing too!! i loved nura and olivette so much. and declan was adorable!!

i was planning to rate this book 5 stars, but something that i can’t quite place was missing. other than that, this book was so so wonderful, and i definitely recommend reading it!

୨୧ .*• my favorite quotes:

— "one does not realize how powerful a dream is, in the sleeping world as well as the waking one, until it has been stolen from them."

— "dreams often revealed one’s greatest vulnerability; dreams were doors that led into hearts and minds and souls and secrets."

— "i had forgotten how vital it is to be known for who you are, and not for who you pretend to be. i had forgotten how good it is to be seen, even with flaws and scars."

— "but sometimes things must break before they can be made whole again, so they can be forged into something stronger."

୨ৎ .*•

[ellie જ⁀➴ · Rating 4 out of 5]

➳ 4.5 ☆! 🪞 spoiler free + mini review
⤷ and with that, another rebecca ross book off my list, YAY!! and spoiler, it was so good.

“You told me to get on my knees before you and apologize,” he said. “This is me saying I’m sorry, for all that I have done to you, for all the heartache I have caused, for giving you no choice but to resort to the most wildest of plans to ease the pain I wrought. I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but this one thing I seek, so that I may remain near you.”

🎧 - i wish i hated you + right where you left me
ᯓᡣ𐭩 and no matter how guilty i feel saying it,
i wish i hated you

₊‧꒰my thoughts꒱ ‧₊
⤷ oh, the honor i had reading this book! AHHHHHH. so so good. every book ive read by ms ross has been nothing but wonderful and i knew she'd deliver with this one! ive been wanting to read this for a few years now so im so glad i finally did, and was well worth it 💌 and i hope you'll try eventually as well! i loved our two main characters and the story was so easy to follow along with. what i loved was the plot and whole idea, SO SO UNIQUE. just like how divine rivals was such a unique story. the only reason it wasn't a five was bc the romance wasn't turned up ALL the way. i mean dw, it was THERE, but i could totally imagine much more for them!! i ate up every single scene with them though <33 i will 100% look back on this book in the future and will be a fantasy book rec from me 🫂💗 also can we talk abt the cover? SO SO PRETTYY. one more thing, writing was on point i love how she does it!!

➳ “Dreams often revealed one’s greatest vulnerability; dreams were doors that led into hearts and minds and souls and secrets.”

➳ “Sometimes things must break before they can be made whole again, so that they can be forged into something stronger.”

also for some reason i cried a bit?? idk been emotional lately loll


----------


🪞✨ | ₊‧꒰preview!!꒱ ‧₊
⤷ guys i kid you not this may be a new FIVE STAR READ... UHH 🤞anyways im almost done, abt 150 pgs left but im LOVING IT! its also so easy to get thru and the prose and plot is oh so unique 🙂‍↕️ive been wanting to read this book FOREVER, but im so glad i am so i can continue w queen rebecca ross' backlist! will def be coming at ya with a review soon !!

[Mina · Rating 4 out of 5]

چند سال پیش وقتی کتاب فانتزی می‌خوندم یه حس خیلی خاصی داشتم. شاید همون موقع متوجهش نبودم ولی از یه روزی به بعد کتاب‌ها دیگه اون حس رو نداشتند. این کتاب دوباره همون حس رو زنده کرد.
واقعا چی از قشنگ‌تر از فانتزی برای خوندن هست؟

شخصیت‌های جذاب و یه داستان سرگرم کننده.

[hillary]

Court intrigue? The Cruel Prince kind of intrigue? I’M SO IN.

[✨ Helena ✨]

I received this complimentary ARC from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

YES!!! YES!!! YES!!! I can't wait to read this!!! Thank you! Thank you! :D

[Kimia in Wonderland · Rating 3 out of 5]

در واقع ۳ و نیمی که به ۳ نزدیک‌تره...

داستان برای من حال و هوای an enchantment of ravens و sorcery of thorns مارگارت راجرسون رو داشت.
ایده داستان خوب بود، ولی فکر می‌کنم کمی حیف شده بود. پردازش داستان یه جورایی آبکی بود و منی که امیدوار بودم این کتاب برام ۵ ستاره باشه، ناامید شدم...

[Shaghayegh · Rating 4 out of 5]

اگه کابوس از توی خوابات سر در بیاره و وارد خیابونای شهر بشه چیکار می‌کنی؟
یه تک جلدی دارک و قشنگ با شخصیتای خاکستری و قابل درک.

[Ali Mohebianfar · Rating 5 out of 5]

کلمنتین مدیگان، جادوگر جوانیه که به عنوان کارآموز پدرش و پا به پای او، کابوس هایی رو که تجسم حقیقی پیدا می کنن از پا درمیاره و از جهان بیداری به جهان خواب برمی گردونه. اما وقتی پای رازهایی قدیمی به میون میاد و کم کم ماهیت کابوس ها و اتفاقاتی که در گذشته افتاده و با حال گره خورده برملا میشه، زندگی کلمنتین هم در مسیر دیگه ای قرار می گیره. مسیری که به بزرگترین دشمنش، فیلین وسپر، منتهی میشه...
کتابی درباره رویاهای فراموش شده، کابوس هایی که از عالم خواب به عالم بیداری راه پیدا می کنن و البته که جادو! اونم جادویی بسیار زیاد و بی حد و مرز.
فضای کلاسیک سنگینی بر داستان حاکمه. انگار که قصه در لندن ویکتوریایی جریان داشته باشه، البته لندنی که پر از جادوئه! همین فضای کلاسیک برای من این تصور رو ایجاد می کرد که دارم یه رمان جین آستین گونه ی جادویی می خونم! حسی که در هنگام خوندن رمان های Sorcery of Thorns و Uprooted داشتم و از این جهت، این کتاب رو هم از نظر تشابه فضا و داستان در کنار اون دو قرار/پیشنهاد می دم.
کلمنتین، شخصیت اصلی داستان جسور، مغرور و در مواقع لزوم شروره! همین باعث شد که از همون فصل های اولیه به راحتی بپذیرمش و باهاش همراه بشم.
فیلین هم به عنوان شخصیت دوم داستان بسیار دوست داشتنی بود و اون ادب، متانت و جنتلمنی خاصی که داشت، بهش شخصیت متفاوت و منحصر به فردی نسبت به شخصیت های مرد غالباً زبون باز و مغرور داستان ها می داد.
از میون شخصیت های فرعی اما ترول قصه، مازارین مرموز، موردعلاقه م بود و بی نهایت دلم می خواست حضور پررنگ تری می داشت.
ریتم داستان هیجان و مرموزیت خاصی داشت که خواننده رو به دنبال خودش می کشوند. شاید در اواسط قصه ریتم کمی کند شد اما با نزدیک شدن به یک سوم پایانی، دوباره اوج گرفت.
پایان داستان رو دوست داشتم و در کل می تونم بگم که این کتاب جزو تک جلدی های فانتزی قرار گرفت که به سلیقه های مختلف می تونم پیشنهادش کنم.

[Karla Martínez · Rating 3 out of 5]

este libro es muy mágico, me encantó.

[megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

4 stars

Dreams Lie Beneath is magical and captivating, the best kind of fairytale to become enraptured with. Rebecca Ross has crafted a promising debut with whimsical writing, an intricate storyline, and phenomenal world building, some so luscious and terrifying that it captures you from the moment you first set sight on the world of Azenor.

This book follows Clementine Madigan, the daughter of two talented magicians, as well as gifted herself, in the art of guarding humans from their own nightmares. She and her father guard their hometown of Hereswith, where on each new moon the villagers’ nightmares come to life. That is, until one new moon arrives, and along with it, two young magicians bent on challenging Clementine and her father for the role of dream warden of Hereswith. Blinded by rage and revenge, Clementine disguises herself and unites with one of the young magicians, Phelan, intent of reclaiming her home.

But what she does not account for is how Phelan may be different than she first believed him to be, and that the new moon nightmares may be hiding much more sinister beneath.

"But sometimes things must break before they can be made whole again, so that they can be forged into something stronger."

It would be an injustice to this wondrous story to fail to mention the exquisite world building and magic system. While the premise of this novel is intriguing, it is nothing compared to what lies inside. Rebecca Ross is a master storyteller, so skilled with her words that I felt immediately enraptured from the first few chapters. The walls of my bedroom faded away, replaced by the nightmarish, yet dream-like surroundings of the world of Azenor.

The magic of this realm is unlike anything I have ever read or heard about—and I can say that without a single doubt in my mind. Ross’ story is truly unique, something entirely her own, and entirely magnificent.

And just as amazing, if not more so, is the plot and storyline of the book. Dreams Lie Beneath has too many twists to count, as it dances the line between a dream and a nightmare. The last quarter of this book eliminated any pre-conceived notions I held towards the story, with a twist I never could have imagined. Ross holds the same skill with her worldbuilding as with her ability to weave together words to form breathtaking lines.

What appears to be a straight-forward young adult fantasy novel is really anything but, as Ross subtly adds in details that seem to be simple at first but are apart of a much bigger plot than I had guessed. She is a genius at subtle storytelling, achieving an ending that is only that much more spectacular because of it.

"One does not realize how powerful a dream is, in the sleeping world as well as the waking one, until it has been stolen from them."

And now, to touch upon the reason why this book was, unfortunately, not a full five stars for me.

While the storytelling, world, and magic was wondrous and captivating, it was not enough to make the story a favorite for me. Objectively, this book is fantastic—well-written, masterfully told, and meticulously organized. But subjectively, I simply could not connect to the characters.

This book would have a much lower rating for me if I had not been able to connect to the main character, Clementine, but luckily, she was the only character I truly liked. Clem is fierce and snarky, talented and ambitious. With similar traits to Jude from The Cruel Prince, she is an unapologetic heroine, and easily admirable to me. I don’t think she will become one of my all-time favorite female characters, but she was fantastic compared to the rest of the cast of the story.

While Clementine was wonderful, the rest of the characters in the story felt a bit…well, boring. I hate to say it because I enjoyed the rest of this story so much, but it’s true. It really dampened my enjoyment throughout some parts of the book. And yes, this group of characters includes Phelan, the love interest of this book.

I have a feeling that many people will absolutely love Phelan. He is a classic young adult fantasy protagonist—broody, mysterious, but adorable and sweet. As I mentioned before, I really wanted to love him, and the only reason I did not is because I felt disconnected from his character. He is objectively a very well-written character, but subjectively, he’s just not for me I suppose. Even so, I will not be surprised if he becomes very popular among readers when this book releases.

While most of the characters were a miss for me, I have a feeling they will receive more development as the series continued, and I am excited to hopefully fall in love with them.

"You challenged me as if you were a nightmare on a new moon."

I truly cannot rave enough about Dreams Lie Beneath. Having been compared to books like The Night Circus and Sorcery of Thorns I would even go so far as to say it exceeds those stories. This book is a hidden gem, one that would be a crime to not give a chance. I promise you, you will not be disappointed.

Release Date: November 2, 2021
Page Count: 496 pages
Perfect for fans of: The Cruel Prince, The Night Circus, Sorcery of Thorns
Representation: a sapphic relationship between two side characters
Tropes: enemies to lovers, hidden identities, forced proximity, rival families (and much more)

[M Gregs · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book, but ultimately I ended up with a 2.5-star rating rounded down to 2.

I finished this book a week ago and I'm struggling to remember the plot, which is already a red flag that this book doesn't really hold together as well as it should. From what I can remember, the book opens with a girl--Clem--and her father performing their duties as nightmare wardens for a town with some vaguely fae-sounding name (Hereswith??) where citizens' nightmares come to life on each new moon. Two brothers--Phelan and Lennox--show up and challenge the father-daughter duo for the right to fight nightmares in the town, and Clem and her father lose the magicians duel and must relinquish their right to warden the town.

Up until this point, this book was a solid 3-star read, edging toward a 4-star read.

The problems start soon after Clem and her father leave Hereswith. They pack up and relocate to a city where Clem's mother lives, and they kind of drop in on her and live with her for a while. Meanwhile Phelan also comes back to this city and sets up his own nightmare warden business and he's looking for a partner. So Clem decides, "well, this guy disgraced me so I'm going to disgrace him by completely altering the way I look and becoming his deputy warden! Ha! That'll sure show him!"

And that's what happens. Except of course Clem and Phelan start having feelings for each other--

[I feel a need to pause here to point out just how unfortunate these characters' names are. If you read the names Clem and Phelan in enough sentences, the words blur together until you end up with Phlegm, and that is how I will forever think of this ship. #teamphlegm]

--and then, wouldn't you know it, all of Phelan and Clem's extended family members are actually the cause of the century-old curse that makes people's nightmares appear at the new moon. And so what started out as a neat dueling magician story ends up being a complicated mess of a fairy tale involving lots of twins, lots of backstabbing, and legitimately no f*cks given on behalf of the reader. The plot is so hopelessly complicated that I can't even explain how it ends, except to say that somehow everyone who is Bad is punished and Phlegm survives to fight another day (except, they're duke/duchess now, somehow, and also there's nothing left to fight because they supposedly broke the curse?).

Anyway. Tl;dr: A book that started with a lot of promise lost its way and ended not with a bang, but with a whimper. All hail this sacrifice to the YA Fantasy gods. May its finer points be resurrected and welded someday by a nobler hand.

[bookishcharli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Be patient, be shrewd.

Holy moly ME OH MY…. This book was EPIC. I loved every second. The second I started this book I just couldn’t put it down and it only took me a day to read it because I just had to keep going. My first thoughts when I read through it were “why the heck did they name their child Clementine?! Are they hoping she’ll hang out with Apple Martin and Blanket Jackson in the weird name kids club?! Madness” and then I discovered her nickname was anna Clem and I thought that was super cute.

I really really liked Phelan from the get go, and my gut screamed at me that Phelan and Clem should be together and live long happy lives with each other, so imagine my surprise when that new moon battle happens and I’m supposed to dislike him?! No, I just couldn’t. I wouldn’t. I was firmly in team Phelan and I wasn’t going to change my mind. I didn’t like Clem’s dad, Ambrose, from the beginning, again.. Ambrose?.. come on… some of these names really annoyed me… but I digress, good ole Ambie really pissed me off from the get go, I got a weird vibe from him and I just didn’t trust him. Mazarine, however, I trusted from the get go, mostly because everyone was telling Clem to stay away from her.

Anyways, this was a lovely quick read and I loved it, I wish the names of the characters were better… a lot better… but other than that the only other thing that was kind of weird to me was how you could just stay inside and lock the doors because the nightmares couldn’t get into your house uninvited… so then what’s the point of the dream wardens?? Surely you all can just stay inside your house every new moon and be done with it? I dunno… but that and the names aside I loved every second of this book. It’s one I would happily read again.

If you like books with magic, rivals, enemies to lovers then I think you'll enjoy this read!

[Lauren (thebookscript) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my new favorite fantasy standalone. Its been over a week since i've finished and I still am thinking about it. I've been sitting on my review because I didn't know how to express in words how much I love this story!

"If you want to learn...then it begins here...It begins when you acknowledge and respect who you are -- scars and mistakes and victories and accomplishments all accounted for"

Rebecca Ross writes stories and concepts that always feel fresh and like something I haven't read before. I couldn't help pulling out my tabs and underlining so many moments in this book.

Dreams Lie Beneath is a story about magic, identity, and uncovering the past. The magic was so good. I think this will be my new gold standard for book with magicians. When a curse is cast upon the land...nightmares begin to manifest in real life making the cities a dangerous place to be. Magicians are created as a line of defense to protect the people.

What I love was that even though this starts as a book about revenge, its a story that shows us that first impressions and anger can always be misplaced. I also really enjoyed that there was a mystery aspect to this book which will have you turning pages. The romance? Slow burn, sweet, and so so good. I appreciate that Ross writes for true YA readers but this romance and story can be enjoyed by all.

The love interest is quiet and considerate and I seriously think this is my kryptonite when it comes to male main characters. (all the heart eyes for ******) they are rivals and they are not. I loved the complexity of their relationship.

"and if you had departed as I first wanted, I would have soon come for you"

The setting was wonderful and atmospheric, every character whether or good or bad was skillfully crafted and the ending has me in its grasp! If you haven't tried one of Ross' books before, let me tell you that this is a good place to start. I can see myself reading and recommending this one for years to come.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mágico por dentro y por fuera

[Cami L. González · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5

Adoré profundamente este libro, me encanta Rebecca, pero con este libro se posicionó entre las autoras que quiero leer todo lo que saquen. Me encantó el mundo que construyó y sus personajes, de verdad, uno de mis favoritos del año.

Clementine está entrenando para ser la sucesora de su padre como maga que proteja el pueblo, pero cuando sean retados en un duelo y deban abandonar su hogar todo se desmoronará. Por suerte, Clementine está decidida a no rendirse e idea un interesante plan para recuperar todo lo que le quitaron.

Me gustó cada aspecto de la construcción de mundo de este libro, el tema de los magos, el que se podía aprender y entrenar y no fuera algo genético o aleatorio, la lógica del mundo que se me hizo muy El castillo ambulante, el componente fantástico de los sueños, el mito de los engendros y el ducado en las montañas. Me encantó cómo Rebecca combinó todos estos componentes para construir un mundo que se sintió muy rico y complejo.

Clementine me encantó, su fuerza, el cómo adoraba su pequeño pueblo y su incapacidad de dejarlo ir, de hecho, sí que tuvo actitudes inmaduras, pero me parecieron muy acorde a su edad, su crianza y situación actual. Era una chica fuerte e inteligente, que sentía que tenía mucha oscuridad dentro de sí, rencores, miedos y culpabilidad. Sin embargo, el estar consciente de esto era lo que la volvía una buena persona aunque ella no lo supiera.

"A veces las cosas tienen que romperse antes de que puedan volver a construirse, para así poder forjar algo más fuerte"

Phelan también me encantó, me gusta mucho la lógica de un erudito dedicado a su trabajo, formal, responsable y preocupado por las personas a su cargo. Era un mago fuerte e inteligente, pero también uno que estaba sumamente consciente de sus debilidades y temía no ser suficiente, creo que eso lo volvía muy interesante. Además, la dinámica entre Clementine y Phelan me pareció preciosa, me encantaron cada uno de sus encuentros.

Admito que disfruté mucho más la primera mitad que la segunda. Se veía venir el tema de los engendros y todo eso, sí, era evidente, pero creí que quizá habría un poco más al respecto o un pequeño giro, aunque no. Curiosamente, cuando se produce el quiebre en la historia quedé con la sensación de que el mundo tan rico que creó Rebecca se achicó en vez de agrandarse. Lo que era un mundo enorme y lleno de magia, con una historia en un punto específico, se sintió de golpe que todo fue reducido a un puñado de personajes y un solo lugar.

El final con los sueños y estas peleas cada noche fue interesante, no me convenció del todo, lo admito, pero fue interesante. Creo que visualmente se me hizo interesante, aunque no tanto en el aspecto como de qué tan impactante fue o así. De hecho, lo sentí algo tibio para lo que esperaba. Sin embargo, el final como tal del libro o el resultado de la lucha, se veía venir, pero aun así lo disfruté un montón, fue muy bello.

Creo que lo que más me gustó fue el mundo de la primera mitad, la estética (en mi cabeza) muy de El castillo ambulante , con este mundo en el que la magia se podía aprender y estudiar, que era un trabajo para algunos y esos trabajos nocturnos con los sueños. Seguía siendo un sistema de magia blando, en el que nunca quedaba tan claro cómo funcionaba, pero creo era parte de la gracia, una magia extraña de la que no sabíamos sus límites.

La maldición de los sueños es una historia autoconclusiva con un mundo muy rico creado por su autora, dos personajes encantadores y maravillosos con una gran química y una maldición interesante y única.

"Había olvidado lo vital que es que te conozcan por quien eres y no por lo que finges ser. Había olvidado lo maravilloso que era que te vieran, incluso con tus defectos y cicatrices. Quería que me vieras. Pero no puedo arriesgarme ahora. No hasta que llegue el final. Tú me lo pones más difícil porque me he encariño contigo de la forma más imposible"

[Eli24 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow wow wow
چی بگم؟ از کجاش بگم؟ این کتاب از لحظه اول ادمو به خودش حسابی جذب میکنه و دلت نمیخواد بزاریش کنار. نفرینی عجیب که منبعش کابوس ادما هست و مدافعانی که وظیفشون مبارزه با این کابوس ها هست... فقط فکرشو بکن کابوس که دیدی و ترسوندت، کابوسی که از عمق رازها و ترسهات تشکیل میشه بخواد یهو واقعی بشه و بقیه هم اونو ببینن... جالبه مگه نه؟😈
من بلد نیستم شخصیت پردازی تجزیه تحلیل کنم یا دنیا سازی و ... ولی میدونم به عنوان به خواننده از لحظه به لحظه چیزی که خوندم لذت بردم، از حماقتای کلِم ،از سادگی فلین و حتی از راز و رمزای باباهه(چه حرصی خوردم با بابای کلِم😂یبارم که شخصیت اصلی یتیم نبود، باباش عجیب بود😂)
پ.ن۱: بشدت از دوستام ممنونم که این کتابو برام خریدن و باعث شدن که بخونمش چون اگه به خودم بودم خنگ تر از اینا بودم که بفهمم چقدر این کتاب جذابه🤭😂
پ.ن۲: ما خواهان جلد دو هستیم یکی بره اینو به نویسنده بگه🚶🏻‍♀️

[Kat | katreadsit · Rating 4 out of 5]

”One does not realize how powerful a dream is, in the sleeping world as well as the waking one, until it has been stolen from them”.

Wow, I don’t know how to sum up my feelings for this one.
The entire concept was giving mountain legend vibes. The story was driven by secrets and revenge, add a sprinkling of romance, a healthy dose of magic and you have this book.

I think I love what Rebecca Ross did here, it was vibrant even through its moodiness. I felt for the characters and I was enchanted by this section of this magical world.

I do wish I got more: more answers, more development etc. But as a standalone? This was great and I’m eager to continue reading everything Ross has ever written (because that’s what I’m being called to do).

4.25/5⭐️

[Paris (parismaereads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Quick Takes:
- 4.5/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
- Language 🤐 mild
- Spice ❤️‍🔥 kisses only
- Content Considerations 🤔 death, violence, close same sex friendship of side characters that could be implied as more (I think this was Ross toying with the idea of a same sex side character relationship as she has it in all her most recent books)
- Reader Age 🎟️ 15+

In true Rebecca Ross fashion, the writing in this book is bewitching and enchanting. As I delve deeper into her backlist I’m more impressed with her body of work.

The plot in Dreams Lie Beneath is unique as the main characters use magic to battle nightmares that come to life (less scary than it sounds) and I loved the lore and the twists throughout the book. The premise and magic were easy to understand and follow, and it read like a true teen/YA book

I completely fell in love with the cranky old side character, Mazarine. She was my favorite character and I really loved her story line and development. The ending was a bit abrupt for my liking, especially compared to Ross’ duologies that have so much more meat to them. I truly believe she could write a second book to this one and make it a duo, which is the only reason why I took half a star off my rating.

[acupofteaandabookplease · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a pleasure it is to dive into Rebecca Ross's stories every time. Each in its own way tells a deeply human story in a magical setting, and this one is no exception. The characters are strange... mysterious... but deeply engaging. A real journey into a world that is both violent and gentle at the same time.

[Emerson‌●ω● · Rating 4 out of 5]

در وصف این کتاب باید بگم..
آنچه همه خوبان دارند تو یک جا داری.🤝🌚
در طول خوندنش با تک تک شخصیت های کتاب همراه بودم و دوستشون داشتم.دنیاسازی کتاب برای من خیلی قشنگ بود.
و شاید تمام چیزی که از یه اثر فانتزی انتظار میره رو داشت.
از یه جایی به بعد انقدر داستان اوج گرفت که نتونستم دیگه جلوی خودم رو بگیرم و یه نفس خوندمش.
پایان کتاب قشنگ بود و البته از پلات توییست هاش نگم که اصلا حرفی باقی نمیذارن انقدر که خفن بودن😶
شاید یکم قسمت رمنس داستان رو مخم بود و انتظار یکم اتفاقات بیشتر رو داشتم ولی خب؛
نشد که بشه😂..

■ It seemed to take forever, but I suppose when you are waiting for something to happen, the minutes feel as long and heavy as years.
■And sometimes dreams are ridiculous, but most of the time . . 
they reveal our innermost pieces.
Our desires, our fears, our ambitions, our plans,
Our past, even.

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book exceeded all of my expectations. It was the perfect mix of fantasy, action and romance. I’m not even sure if this is my final rating— it might be bummed up to a 5-star read. If you thought the front cover was stunning, the inside is just as stunning.

This is a book you definitely need to look out for!

I’m finishing up my book review so hopefully it’ll be up by the end of this week so stay tuned!

[⊹ Gabriela | Asternyx ⊹ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is anyone surprised? I'm certainly not.
One of the best books I've read so far this year ❤️‍🔥
I. Loved. Everything.

• Magicians - Curse
• Nightmares coming to life
• Interesting history & great worldbuilding
• Rivalry - Family love - Secrets - Deceit
• Character Development
• Enemies-to-Lovers Romance

I literally can't find a thing I didn't like. It's by far my favorite book from Rebecca Ross, will see if it remains that way after I read her new book though 👀