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The Dreams of Ghosts and Indians
In parallel worlds, two lost souls journey from Morocco to Japan, each one dreaming of the other’s life. Joshua, an American tourist pursued by men who claim to be immortal, sneaks into Mecca in search of answers. Kee, a Cree woman in a world where European civilization has collapsed, searches for her own atop Mount Kilimanjaro. Will they unlock the mystery of how their destinies are entwined?
334 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 5, 2025
9 people are currently reading
76 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 25, 2025
Read the sample. Terrible.
Using "Indian" as a non-tribe member in 2025 is already culturally insensitive enough but don't worry, in just a few short pages he also manages to be insulting or insensitive to Saudi Arabians, Muslims, women, and people with bipolar. Who knows what else this book holds?
But for people who don't care about that, never fear. The non-insensitive stuff is also terrible.
Using "Indian" as a non-tribe member in 2025 is already culturally insensitive enough but don't worry, in just a few short pages he also manages to be insulting or insensitive to Saudi Arabians, Muslims, women, and people with bipolar. Who knows what else this book holds?
But for people who don't care about that, never fear. The non-insensitive stuff is also terrible.
March 10, 2025
The moment I listened to the sample chapter but even before when I found out that Preston was writting his own book I couldn't wait to have it, read it along and now wait for the audiobook that I really hope he will read himself.
A story that I can't get out of my head and soon will give it a second read to even dig deeper.
Bravo Mr. Jacobs, 👏
A story that I can't get out of my head and soon will give it a second read to even dig deeper.
Bravo Mr. Jacobs, 👏
June 8, 2025
Read this on his discord server and I’m genuinely startled by how insulting this book is to a wide margin of people. Native Americans, disabled people, women, middle easterners, and Muslims— there’s not many people who escape. It’s not done in a way that intends to break down prejudice and stereotypes but rather one which seems to tacitly endorse and worse not recognize the glaring implications of their words. I would very much recommend not reading it.
I am an active member of the ASOIAF/Game of thrones fandom and all the people saying this is similar to it have absolutely not read this book. This book is… startlingly insulting both to its characters and its reader.
I am an active member of the ASOIAF/Game of thrones fandom and all the people saying this is similar to it have absolutely not read this book. This book is… startlingly insulting both to its characters and its reader.
April 10, 2025
I don't as a rule just buy a book because a YouTuber I like writes one, but Jacobs in particular has spent years reviewing and analyzing sci-fi and fantasy lit (most notably some incredibly in depth analysis on A Song of Ice and Fire) so I figured this had prepared him more than most to put together a good narrative. This was a really solid first work with a good central hook, well researched and executed competently. I did feel it dragged a bit at points, and it could have used a bit more flair as well as a bit more build up for its climax, but enjoyable nonetheless.
March 14, 2025
Quite funny, chock full of astute observations about the world’s cultures and religions.
August 7, 2025
I’ll start off by saying I’m a huge fan of Preston’s. His GoT analysis is insightful and love the deep dives and discussions. He seems to me like a smart and thoughtful, albeit pretty opinionated guy. I hope he practices more with his writing and continues to improve his work.
The good:
In this book, it’s clear Preston has drawn from on his own experiences traveling and experiencing different cultures and isn’t totally making stuff up. I think it’s mostly well paced and has the right balance of action and dialogue. I thought the concept of dreaming of a love interest in a parallel universe was a neat idea; I enjoyed the mystical aspect, even though it’s been done elsewhere.
The bad:
Like others have said, this book could have benefitted from some sensitivity editing from folks with different identities. There were many examples of the writing “telling” via a judgement call, rather than describing the scene and letting the reader make that call. For example, was the language “gibberish” or was it unintelligible to the main character, leaving him confused? Preston is certainly allowed to write from an indigenous woman’s perspective, but to do it WELL, I think it’s important to understand and/or hear firsthand experiences.
As a woman reading this, I found some of the text pointlessly vulgar, with the female main character reading like “a man with tits” rather than a fleshed out person (akin to Andy Weir’s Artemis).
Finally, I think the motivation of the characters and their inner story was not fleshed out at all. We know their goals (for example, one man, mountain, and beer on each continent) but that leaves the “why?”. I think it’s ok for the characters not to understand their own motivation, but the reader should be able to connect the dots. There were only hints of this at the end.
The good:
In this book, it’s clear Preston has drawn from on his own experiences traveling and experiencing different cultures and isn’t totally making stuff up. I think it’s mostly well paced and has the right balance of action and dialogue. I thought the concept of dreaming of a love interest in a parallel universe was a neat idea; I enjoyed the mystical aspect, even though it’s been done elsewhere.
The bad:
Like others have said, this book could have benefitted from some sensitivity editing from folks with different identities. There were many examples of the writing “telling” via a judgement call, rather than describing the scene and letting the reader make that call. For example, was the language “gibberish” or was it unintelligible to the main character, leaving him confused? Preston is certainly allowed to write from an indigenous woman’s perspective, but to do it WELL, I think it’s important to understand and/or hear firsthand experiences.
As a woman reading this, I found some of the text pointlessly vulgar, with the female main character reading like “a man with tits” rather than a fleshed out person (akin to Andy Weir’s Artemis).
Finally, I think the motivation of the characters and their inner story was not fleshed out at all. We know their goals (for example, one man, mountain, and beer on each continent) but that leaves the “why?”. I think it’s ok for the characters not to understand their own motivation, but the reader should be able to connect the dots. There were only hints of this at the end.
April 29, 2025
I really enjoyed this!
A deeply meditative read. I liked the way that the breadcrumbs for the ending where sprinkled throughout seamlessly. I caught the sea-people connection immediately though, a very interesting piece of history and how it was used in the text was very nice, connecting to the central idea well. Native American history is something I don't know much about, so there may have possibly been a score of references I missed.
I've been anticipating this book for at least 6 years, so finally getting it was surreal, this is the second book I ever read fully on my phone.
There's a lot of great quotes here and nice insights. At worst I'd say it may be a bit long, like a chapter could've been cut, but I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the characters, so personally i'd take more chapters and countries.
A deeply meditative read. I liked the way that the breadcrumbs for the ending where sprinkled throughout seamlessly. I caught the sea-people connection immediately though, a very interesting piece of history and how it was used in the text was very nice, connecting to the central idea well. Native American history is something I don't know much about, so there may have possibly been a score of references I missed.
I've been anticipating this book for at least 6 years, so finally getting it was surreal, this is the second book I ever read fully on my phone.
There's a lot of great quotes here and nice insights. At worst I'd say it may be a bit long, like a chapter could've been cut, but I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the characters, so personally i'd take more chapters and countries.
June 5, 2025
Very addictive read. Explores lots of philosophical concepts such as free well vs determinism, and the meaning of existence. I enjoyed the travel component of the novel, moving around to different places to explore different cultures and perspectives. I have been a fan of Preston's channel for years, and he always has a unique take on many topics, which this book often alludes to. I hope he continues to write novels in the future, maybe even his own sci-fi/fantasy epic!
April 4, 2025
Yikes. Reads alot like a George R.R. Martin book that was forgotten for a reason. Boring and laze world buildings, generic dialogue and overall amateur.
August 28, 2025
The final pages of Dreams left me reeling and I haven't stopped thinking about the book since I've finished it. This is science fiction done right.
October 15, 2025
Cute book for those who are fans of travelogues. Big fan of Preston Jacobs' YouTube channel, so I bought this to support him. Ended up liking it quite a bit.
September 24, 2025
Every section having an interesting philosophical idea and fantasy philosophical ideas conveyed very very effectively and easy to understand, the penultimate chapter was awesome to read.
first half 69/99
last half 94/99
It’s weird the story and goals aren’t as fleshed out as I would hope and Josh felt so real (basically Preston) where Kee felt cartoonish in parallel; until the end. But the ideas alone helped it truly. Judging it on a “story” 3/5 only not 2 because of the interesting-ness of Josh
In the end I don’t know why but any judgement seems fair. Beside a 1 star ranking.
(To comment on the lack of care towards others, I think it’s fine anyone reading this book is smart or at least well versed in ideas and themes you can’t not be since you come from Preston Jacob’s. So it is seen from their point of view and that is obvious. What else is obvious is how the main characters aren’t always right every time the first assumption (stereotype) is challenged later on. It’s not even hidden. Look at the religious. Look at yourself, when you read about them, do you believe what Josh says? Do you question? Does this book make you question stereotypes? Whether previously held or not?)
first half 69/99
last half 94/99
It’s weird the story and goals aren’t as fleshed out as I would hope and Josh felt so real (basically Preston) where Kee felt cartoonish in parallel; until the end. But the ideas alone helped it truly. Judging it on a “story” 3/5 only not 2 because of the interesting-ness of Josh
In the end I don’t know why but any judgement seems fair. Beside a 1 star ranking.
(To comment on the lack of care towards others, I think it’s fine anyone reading this book is smart or at least well versed in ideas and themes you can’t not be since you come from Preston Jacob’s. So it is seen from their point of view and that is obvious. What else is obvious is how the main characters aren’t always right every time the first assumption (stereotype) is challenged later on. It’s not even hidden. Look at the religious. Look at yourself, when you read about them, do you believe what Josh says? Do you question? Does this book make you question stereotypes? Whether previously held or not?)
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews