The Witches of Scotland: The Dream Dancers: Akashic Chronicles, Book 2

The Dream Dancers: Akashic Chronicles #2

by Steven P. Aitchison

It’s one thing to believe in witches and wizards, it’s another thing to discover you are one.

David is finally starting to believe in his abilities and to become an integral part of the Dream Dancer world thanks to Jessica, the feisty redhead witch from Edinburgh.

With the help of Aunt Gen and Trevor, a creature from the underworld, they must figure out who is trying to kill the Dream Dancers.

This is book 2 of the spellbinding Witches of Scotland series. A thriller story of witchcraft, astral projection, family loyalty, ambition, greed and lust.

A story that’s not quite as farfetched as you might think…

If you love witches, magick, and conspiracy theories, you’ll love the second book in this fast-paced supernatural thriller series.

Genres: Fantasy, Witches, Magic, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Fiction, Audiobook

Audible Audio

Published February 9, 2024

About the author

Steven Aitchison is an author of magick fantasy with his 9 book series The Witches of Scotland https://geni.us/hFD1N about astral projection, an energy magic system and Witches from the West end of Glasgow.

He has a degree in Psychology and has one of the longest running personal development blogs.

He loves a good conspiracy theory but more than that, he loves reading, writing and spending time in his own magickal worlds inside his head.

Sign up for his newsletter at https://www.stevenaitchison.co.uk/fiv... for ARC opportunities, bonus content, and new releases or follow him on TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram for frequent updates.

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Reviews

[Debra Barnhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

I've really enjoyed the 1st two books in this series. On to #3! I don't think you'll be disappointed reading this.

[Elizabeth Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good story but too short

As short as all three of the books in this series are (less than 200 pages each!) The author should have been combined them into just one novel.
The subject matter is interesting and well researched. The main character is charming, funny, as well as a smart ass at times, but can be humble too. And I like that there aren't too many grammatical, punctuation and miscellaneous errors!

[Deborah Sherman]

What a cliffhanger!!!

Book 2 was even better than the first one. All I can say is if you like this type of read I think you will really enjoy this series. Now I need to find book 3 so I can find out what's going to happen next.

Oh, I am definitely putting A it his on on my list of Authors to read more of. On to book 3.

[Saille · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read!

Thus second book in the series is just as good as the first one. Keeps me guessing. Love the humor. I find I can see the characters vividly, and root for all of them, good and bad ones alike. I'm a voracious reader of all things, and I do wish each one was longer because they're so worth reading.

[S. · Rating 2 out of 5]

First of all, I follow Goodreads official star rating-- two stars means the book was ok. To me that is a neutral, not negative, review. My rating is for the series up to the end of book two.

Things I really have enjoyed about this series:

1) The anchoring of the magick (Aitchison's spelling) system within established esoteric frameworks is great. If you have any interest in esoteric practices you'll see a ton of references to different spiritual and mystical teachings. The Akashic records are even featured!

2) Aitchison did a pretty good job of "showing not telling" the system. There were a few pages where one character would describe how things worked within the magick system but those were peppered between demonstrations of the system. That is something I have seen a lot of authors struggle with--want to explain everything out to the reader through dialog thereby completely killing the momentum of the plot.

3) There was a nice trickle down of backstory where it did not feel either like a forced or purposely withheld.

4) I rather liked the government/corporate conspiracy angles.


Areas I felt could be improved:

1) The characters by themselves did not leave strong impressions. You'd hear a piece of information such as "David was abandoned by his parents with his Aunt Gen as a baby." That was told to you, but you really couldn't sense that from the character's actions themselves. Was Gen resentful of having to raise her nephew on her own? Had she ended up having to sacrifice her own relationships to raise him? Did that make them enmeshed or resentful to each other? Did David fear abandonment and cling to people too easily? Did he not trust people and keep away? There are dozens of ways that Gen and David's relationship and personalities could have been molded by something that big but you really couldn't see it in the actions or words. Alicia was the only character I felt that you could feel how her trauma molded her, which is too bad because I feel like there could have been a lot of extra interest generated via the reverb of backstories percolated through the characters.

2) The pacing of the novels felt a bit off. The building bits dragged on with too much a reliance on telling not showing. (This is mostly in relationship to the dream dancers history or other conspiracy side plots.) I don't want to hear a bunch of witches talking about the SEC and FTC and the sliminess going on there. I want a remote viewing session described as one of the witches watches it occurs.

3) This is not a failure of this series in particular but rather a common trope in magic-based books: the main character starts with all of the power and none of the training. I'd like to see it where the lesser magicians take down someone who seems all powerful through combining their skills, hard work, and clever plots. I think this is part of the endearing aspect to Harry Potter- you had the naturally talented one who was a bit lazy, the one who worked hard and made the most out of their skill, and the person with fiery passion all working towards what would be insurmountable on their own. HP isn't my favorite but I do think JKR did manage to get together a band of misfits that most people could find at least one character they felt a personal connection. I felt like there was potential for that here but it didn't seem to be actualized.

Overall, the books were decent. I will probably read the next in the series. Aitchison seems to be growing as an author so I do have high hopes for some of his future books!

[Savanna Long · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 ⭐️ rounded up. Terence the gargoyle was a cute touch but things got weird and I won’t be reading the rest of the series.

[Richard Low · Rating 1 out of 5]

Honestly, I'm starting to think all the good reviews are a scam. The books (short stories?) aren't particularly well written. They don't seem to have a proper structure and just end. It's all very well leaving us 'wanting more', but they're one step away from finishing mid sentence. I have the third book, and I'm still ripping at how incomplete of a book this second one is. An individual book in a book series should still have its own beginning, middle, and ending. It should be so complete that you can read it without having to read any others. It should be complemented by the others in the series, not dependent on them. Sure, you can leave it on a 'will they, won't they' note. Even stand-alone books can end with the reader having to make up their own mind. But some sort of conclusion is needed. Not just 'the end'! I'll read the third one since I've already paid for it. Plus, Kindle tells me it will only take 90mins. At this point, im only reading them to bump up my yearly total, although I'd likely get more pleasure out of the Mr Men books. They at least are complete little books, unlike these ones.

[Toni Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Adventure Continues

Wow, David continues to astound everyone with his powers. Terrence is giving him lessons as Jess is off on another mission, will he be able to get to Jess in time? Meanwhile, Aunt Gen has her fingers in other business. Bet the next chapter will.be even more thrilling.

[Cathryn Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well worth a read

Anyone who enjoys a bit of magic should enjoy this series. Had it all! Magic,mystery,conspiracies and of course a love story. Written for modern day. Some of the theories will make you think how relevant they are to today's world.
Funny and well written. Thoroughly recommend.

[Doris G. Hoskins · Rating 4 out of 5]

read with your highlighter

So much of the training in this book is for us all. Not just training for witches and warlocks but for all of we supposed humans. As we touch the divinity in us all we change the energy of our world. Study Spiral Dynamics… it’s from the real world and demonstrates what the witches of Scotland is trying to teach us.

[Ed And · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as fast moving as book #1, but still fast and powerful.

The continuing magick education keeps the book moving, along with all the twists and turns makes it a very energetic story.

Trying to help when not knowing what is going on keeps the roller coaster ride exciting.

[Jim Breckenridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book two

This is the second one of the trilogy and it has been amazing. I can't wait to read the last one. His writing has been amazing. I hope he has more books to read. Captivating!

[Stargazer · Rating 4 out of 5]

As good as the first book. Especially enjoyed David and Terence crying their way through a belly laugh. Loving Terence and hoping these come out in physical books as i would gift them.

[Lisa williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing read

Loved this so far. Can't wait to find out what happens and who is actually responsible. I would definitely recommend this read.

[marjorie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read!

Nicely written. Very engaging series to read. I really
Look forward to more from this author. Book 3 should deliver🙂

[Lorrie Peyton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Paranormal and Scotland show can you lose?! This story line really pulls you in. You just want more and more. Can't wait for book 3.

[MARY L. HOLDEN-HALL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 2

Wonderful read. Engaging, exciting, interesting and
wonderful story line.🙂. I read it in about 4 hours. Thank you Steven for a really good book.

[Cynthia Egbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I cannot say exactly why I am loving this series so much. It is not great literature by any stretch but it does appeal to me. I think it may be the mystic undertones that really grab me. Regardless, I cannot wait to get to the next one as soon as it arrives. This one continues the story of witches and wizards in Scotland and their race against a dark force that will halt the growth and evolution of mankind by sapping certain energies. Intriguing stuff!

"Magic spelt M A G I C is stage magic. You're not a magician doing card tricks, you'rea wizard, or a witch, whatever you identify with. Magick, M A G I C K, is the science and art of causing change to occur in conformity with will."
"What the hell does that mean?" asked David.
"It means you're changing something from one state to another state through the power of your will," Jess said.

"Our past changes all the time, just like our future."
"What? How can your past change?" David asked, looking at Jess who shrugged her shoulders.
"You can only truly remember your past experiences with the same energy with which they were created. You have grown so much since you were a child, and your memories are not accurate. You're trying to rememer them with a different type of energy."
Jess looked at Aarif and raised her eyebrows. "I've never thought about it like that. I always saw the past as static."
"Oh no, Jessica, the past is always moving as long as you are moving. Something to think about."

The monk nodded and smiled as if David had asked the right question. "You focus on each of the main energy points in your body. You may know them as your chakras. There are seven main energy centres, and all you do is sit in a quiet area and focus on each one in turn. Imagine each of the points as spinning mandalas and focus on keeping them spinning. That would be a good way to start your practice. Do this every day, and you will see a marked difference."
David let the words sink in and tried to understand them.
"One other thing," the monk said. "Do what you fear the most."

"The more people you have uplifting others, the higher the energy of the world, the more creative you become, the more solutions to your problems you find, the more resourceful you become. And that is what happened in your world. The agricultural revolution, the industrial revolution, and more recently the informational revolution. There are others, of course, but those I just listed are the most recent ones. These revolutions coudl not happen without the energy of the human race being elevated. Now, imagine if that energy is halted or even reversed."

"If you don't read, watch, or listen to the news of the world it helps you become more focused on what's important. A lot of crimes happen due to perceived inequality."

[Rori.c · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unpredictable Turns and New Mysteries

The second book in Steven Aitchison’s The Witches of Scotland series continues David’s journey as he trains to unlock his potential, joined by Jess and Terence. While I enjoyed the story, Jess’s impulsive behavior stood out as a recurring frustration, because her constant solo missions in pursuit of answers and often led her into compromising situations that is only putting everyone else in danger. Her recklessness is a distracting trend throughout the book, but it is a small irritation that I’m hoping not all female characters will be painted in the Jess model. Jess has a lot of growing up to do emotionally and David has a lot of growth to do in regards to developing into who he needs to become.

Beyond that, I truly enjoyed the dynamic between David and Terence. Terence, in my mind, is a pug-like dragon creature with tiny wings, adorable and loyal, a character who brings lightness and charm to the story even though he’s a demon he’s the cutest creepy creature around! The connection between him and David is one of the highlights of the book. I’m eager to see how their bond develops in Book Three.

“The sperm of a unicorn… Only kidding...”

Like I said, the dynamic between Terence and David has me happily smiling and rolling in laughter. I was thinking this book would be the delving into the romance between Jess and David, But happily it’s turned into the Terence and David Bromance! One of the aspects I appreciate most about this series is its unpredictability. As someone with auDHD, I often look for patterns and try to anticipate where a story might go, but Atchison continually surprises me. The twists never follow the obvious path, making the journey all the more engaging.

The question of Alicia’s morality continues to linger. With Auntie Gen helping her stay alive, I’m left wondering if redemption is possible or if Alicia’s pursuit has already spiraled beyond her control. That ambiguity adds depth to the story and makes me even more excited to dive into the next installment.

So far, The Witches of Scotland remains an engaging, surprising, and imaginative series that keeps me hooked. I’m looking forward to Book Three and all the answers (and more questions) it will bring.

[Ocean Wolf Haven · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been quite captivated by the first two books of this series. However, this second book has some annoying continuity errors. Little things like how a character takes their coffee to larger aspects of the plot seem to derail here and there. Plus, this book had more punctuation errors that also should have been caught by an editor, beta reader, proofreader, or the author.
I understand from publishing my own books that sometimes the transition between a Word document into an e-reader format can foul up spacing and punctuation, but those errors should be (and can be) corrected. Books shouldn’t be immediately published after they’ve been formatted; they need to be reviewed again, corrected, reformatted, then published.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I plowed through this book in a little over two hours, and I cannot wait to start the third. However, it's almost 2am, so that'll have to wait until tomorrow, ha ha.

I love the character development in these books, and the descriptions of the environment is perfect to bring the picture clearly into your mind.

My favourite part so far (no spoilers) is that the author uses a lot of thought provoking mindfulness quotes, something which makes you um and ahh over, and they are definitely something to use and live by.

Highly recommend this series of books for easy reads and addictiveness 👍🏼

[Mary Nieberg-Berry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Witches of Scotland is the greatest series

If you have ever read the 10 th insight about energy of every being tree flower in our world is made up of energy. This energy vibrates at a very high rate so you don't see the vibration you just see it as a flower, tree, or person. What's interesting about that is explained in these books as movable energy or Magick, whatever it is I do believe these may be revelatory to our future as it may indeed be possible to manipulate the energy, making seem like Magick!

[Christy Wenner · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ideas developing as this series of stories develops keep me glued to the pages!

I enjoy the premise of the evolution of the soul, the story itself isn’t developing as quickly as I like but I care about some of the characters enough to want to see it through. I am a lucid dreamer and I think that is one of the elements I enjoy. The writer has intrigued me with those elements more than his story telling abilities. Making those characters breath on the page is not an easy accomplishment. I see potential and am enjoying the tale.

[Patty · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well, since I'd already purchased the first couple books in this series, I was really disappointed in the first one but read this one anyway in the hope it would get better. NOPE. It's actually quite dull. There is no character development, the dialogue reads like a lecture - yawn, the male lead is supposed to be college age but acts and talks like a 10 year old, and omg the female lead gets captured again and needs rescuing. Spare me please. I really don't understand how this series gets over 4 stars when it's terrible! Oh well, I got suckered. Great idea for a story, just not a great story.

[Tracey · Rating 2 out of 5]

kind of neat

I love the premise of this series and I appreciate how much work goes into building the world and ideas surrounding it but I had a hard time connecting with the main characters. There are always characters that make stupid decisions and frustrate me but it somehow makes them seem more human. But in this book I am not sure the people are developed enough for me to cut them enough slack. I will keep reading the series to see what happens, but it is a bit of work to power through the book.

[bonniej · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story line, needs polished.

I love this story and where it takes my mind. I do get frustrated with obvious writing errors for example, before one of Jess and David training sessions they has a cup of coffee, then put sugar into the tea and back to a mouthful of coffee. Jess slips on a pair of flats then laces up her boots.
If I didn't like to story so much, I wouldn't be moving on to book three, I just need to get over it. :)

[linda krough · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could not put it down read all night and now looking forward to the next book to find out what happens with Jess and David. I only read at night as I would just read all day.
The Witches of Scotland is one of those I cant put down..I do not want to say to much about the books as I don't want to give anything away but its one of the few book I could't put down and I have been reading over 70 years.

[Maria M. Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting Story with Choppy/Clunking Writing

The only reason to continue this series is because the characters are interesting. It is actually necessary to ignore the grammar and punctuation issues, as well as recurring lack of clarity, that distracts from the story being told. This is a very very light, fun read with some cool philosophical thoughts regarding energy and the human use of energy. However, don’t go any deeper than that, or you’ll be very frustrated.

[Emilious Tarr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly Enjoyable Read

This book, like the first book, has wonderful world building and fantastic characters.
The characters are all normal. People living in a normal world except, they're not. They've all evolved to live in a world that most of us will never see, and the few who do will never talk about. Not ne typical read, but I have read the first two in two days, and this review is all that between me & book three, so I wish you good reading!

[Dawn Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scottish witches how fabulous

Really enjoyed this book and the first one in the series . The fact that it’s based in Glasgow which I know and the dialect is true to the tongue grabbed my attention.The story is an easy read and keeps you turning the pages. Characters are entertaining. A good way to spend a rainy night in bed .
Would have liked them in one book but , waiting for number 3 now .