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Elysian Dream
KIM is a kelpie agent from the realm of Elysia tasked to locate a human-fae hybrid with enough latent fae magic in their blood to restore the kelpies to their natural form – an ability snatched away by a vengeful dark fae witch. Her current project, BENJI, may be the unsuspecting donor she’s been looking for.
Hapless Edinburgh University student, Benji, has no idea why he keeps having blackouts and weird dreams until he discovers his girlfriend, Kim, has been drugging him, so he flees the flat they have been sharing, and holes up with his psychology teacher, Professor LONG – a wizard incognito.
Kim finds Benji and takes him to Elysia where they undertake a perilous journey, pursued by dangerous beings out of myth.
Later, when Benji is whisked away by a mysterious winged being, Kim sets out to track him down, but war is coming to Elysia and they are both caught up in the middle of it.
Hapless Edinburgh University student, Benji, has no idea why he keeps having blackouts and weird dreams until he discovers his girlfriend, Kim, has been drugging him, so he flees the flat they have been sharing, and holes up with his psychology teacher, Professor LONG – a wizard incognito.
Kim finds Benji and takes him to Elysia where they undertake a perilous journey, pursued by dangerous beings out of myth.
Later, when Benji is whisked away by a mysterious winged being, Kim sets out to track him down, but war is coming to Elysia and they are both caught up in the middle of it.
287 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 23, 2024
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3 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 14, 2023
I really enjoyed the rich writing and development of the world of Elysia. From the moment Benji's girlfriend drugged him and he got kidnapped to Elysia, I was able to not only envision the setting and scene, I was able to FEEL what Benji was going through as he bounces back and forth between "what on earth is going on" to "hey, this is really cool". I was able to root for him, as well as a host of morally grey fae folk, throughout the story. I can't wait for Book 2!
August 25, 2023
This book explores mythology around kelpies which as a horse-girl from way back, I feel is sadly underrepresented in books. I enjoyed the story very much and I recommend it to anyone who wants fantasy/folklore that’s more off the beaten path.
March 15, 2023
This is a portal fantasy story with some interesting plot points and an exploration of its theme. I truly enjoyed the world-building and character interactions, as well as the dialogue between the characters, even though it was exposition heavy. There are some nice descriptions here and there, and it is interesting how the human and magical world(s) interact. The writing style in itself is generally good.
Yet at the same time, I think certain parts seemed underwritten. Also, the story in itself doesn't feel coherent and sometimes loosely connected to each other, which might be because it jumps so quickly from one scene to the next.
Another plot point which annoyed me was the relationship between Benji and Kim. At one part in the story, it's been established that Kim hasn't changed physically (page 31: ‘She hasn’t changed a bit. In all that time, she hasn’t changed!’), and looks like she's 20, and they've known each other since before he could manifest his powers (which would have been during puberty). At which point she kept drugging him. There is also the fact that Benji lost all his friends and only hangs around with her. And this isn't the first time she's done that to a boy (she's around 700 years old). But several times in the story, she calls him her boyfriend and says she loves him, which doesn't feel like it as the gaslighting subplot keeps coming up.
There is no love between them. Benji develops a healthier and more loving relationship with his COUSIN than with her. The kicker is that at the end the gaslighting continues and now everyone is in on it: Benji's mom, his girlfriend, and the wizard, and it just made me so angry. I didn't think much about Benji at first, but this boy is the tragic victim of a/several magical creature/s (a magical HORSE) gaslighting him for a large part of his life and people close to him just constantly lying to his face and drugging him (even his mom).
And the one actually loving relationship he had (with his cousin, I might add) is cut short. Raepha appears at the end, is done away with because she doesn't fit into the carefully crafted lie, and basically got kicked out of his life.
I know there was a point establishing that the world they live in is morally grey giving us the standard: 'Sometimes good people do bad things'-line, but then we have the dark fae which have been established as pure evil, with one exception Darsh, who is actually a light fae, but went undercover, which seems contrarian to the actual message. Dark fae are generally portrayed as unsympathetic, lead a war, eat everyone and everything in their way and just want to kill all Kelpies. And for some reason, the Wizards need until the dark fae start a war to consider that maybe the Kelpies were right all along and need their powers back.
BTW because I can't get over it: He had sex with Kim, a Kelpie (magical shapeshifting horse), and he didn't know she was a shapeshifting magical HORSE. It is just stuck in my head.
gave it two stars, because: It is generally well written and I liked the world-building as well as the mythology behind it.
Yet at the same time, I think certain parts seemed underwritten. Also, the story in itself doesn't feel coherent and sometimes loosely connected to each other, which might be because it jumps so quickly from one scene to the next.
Another plot point which annoyed me was the relationship between Benji and Kim. At one part in the story, it's been established that Kim hasn't changed physically (page 31: ‘She hasn’t changed a bit. In all that time, she hasn’t changed!’), and looks like she's 20, and they've known each other since before he could manifest his powers (which would have been during puberty). At which point she kept drugging him. There is also the fact that Benji lost all his friends and only hangs around with her. And this isn't the first time she's done that to a boy (she's around 700 years old). But several times in the story, she calls him her boyfriend and says she loves him, which doesn't feel like it as the gaslighting subplot keeps coming up.
There is no love between them. Benji develops a healthier and more loving relationship with his COUSIN than with her. The kicker is that at the end the gaslighting continues and now everyone is in on it: Benji's mom, his girlfriend, and the wizard, and it just made me so angry. I didn't think much about Benji at first, but this boy is the tragic victim of a/several magical creature/s (a magical HORSE) gaslighting him for a large part of his life and people close to him just constantly lying to his face and drugging him (even his mom).
And the one actually loving relationship he had (with his cousin, I might add) is cut short. Raepha appears at the end, is done away with because she doesn't fit into the carefully crafted lie, and basically got kicked out of his life.
I know there was a point establishing that the world they live in is morally grey giving us the standard: 'Sometimes good people do bad things'-line, but then we have the dark fae which have been established as pure evil, with one exception Darsh, who is actually a light fae, but went undercover, which seems contrarian to the actual message. Dark fae are generally portrayed as unsympathetic, lead a war, eat everyone and everything in their way and just want to kill all Kelpies. And for some reason, the Wizards need until the dark fae start a war to consider that maybe the Kelpies were right all along and need their powers back.
BTW because I can't get over it: He had sex with Kim, a Kelpie (magical shapeshifting horse), and he didn't know she was a shapeshifting magical HORSE. It is just stuck in my head.
gave it two stars, because: It is generally well written and I liked the world-building as well as the mythology behind it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 24, 2025
A fresh and engaging fantasy adventure, this story deftly blends urban life with rich mythological elements. Kim, the kelpie agent from Elysia, is a compelling protagonist, resilient, mysterious, and driven by a mission that balances personal stakes with wider consequences. Her unlikely partnership with Benji, a hapless yet endearing Edinburgh University student, offers both heart and humor as they unravel the secrets of his latent Fae heritage.
The narrative does a fantastic job of introducing a layered magical world just beneath the surface of modern life, with clever twists like a wizard disguised as a psychology professor and the constant threat of Dark Fae interference. The journey to Elysia is filled with tension and wonder, and the looming war adds urgency to every decision Kim and Benji must make.
With high stakes, intriguing characters, and a world that feels alive with magic and danger, this story is a captivating beginning to what promises to be an epic saga. Fans of portal fantasy, Celtic myth, and reluctant heroes will find much to enjoy here.
The narrative does a fantastic job of introducing a layered magical world just beneath the surface of modern life, with clever twists like a wizard disguised as a psychology professor and the constant threat of Dark Fae interference. The journey to Elysia is filled with tension and wonder, and the looming war adds urgency to every decision Kim and Benji must make.
With high stakes, intriguing characters, and a world that feels alive with magic and danger, this story is a captivating beginning to what promises to be an epic saga. Fans of portal fantasy, Celtic myth, and reluctant heroes will find much to enjoy here.
February 27, 2025
Well, I'm somewhat biased, but this 2nd edition of Elysian Dreams has been relaunched with, hopefully, all the glitches taken out. If you love a fast-paced, adventure fantasy, this is the book for you. Follow Benji and Kim into the mystical world of Elysia, with both this book and Book 2, 'The Book of Tamonah'. enjoy!
April 24, 2025
Book 1 of 2 and I'm invested in this immersive fantasy and will look forward to Book 2. Always like a good map at the start. Well paced, great characters and not just a teen / YA audience it can be picked up any age plus which I comfortably fall into. Well recommended 5 stars.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews