What do you think?
Rate this book
The Dream Bound Duology #1
Daughter of Dream
She’s the key to saving magic—if her dreams don’t destroy her first.
In a world where magic wanes and dreams intertwine with reality, a determined young dreamweaver, Alé, embarks on a perilous quest that could save the worlds depleting magic. Haunted by the shadows of her past and hunted by creatures born of nightmare, she must confront not only the darkness threatening her world but the unraveling truth of who she is becoming.
As the boundaries between dream and reality begin to fracture, Alé must untangle a conspiracy that could collapse the magical world—and her own heart—before the nightmares win.
Felix and his sister Leila are halflings—born of mage and normie blood—an existence the ruling Council has declared illegal. Felix should be Alé’s enemy. Instead, he dreams of her.
Daughter of Dream is a spellbinding New Adult romantasy, perfect for fans of slow-burn enemies-to-lovers, dream magic, and morally gray heroes with secrets to burn.
Steeped in magic, mystery, and aching slow-burn tension, Daughter of Dream is a New Adult romantasy perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Rebecca Yarros, and Holly Black.
In a world where magic wanes and dreams intertwine with reality, a determined young dreamweaver, Alé, embarks on a perilous quest that could save the worlds depleting magic. Haunted by the shadows of her past and hunted by creatures born of nightmare, she must confront not only the darkness threatening her world but the unraveling truth of who she is becoming.
As the boundaries between dream and reality begin to fracture, Alé must untangle a conspiracy that could collapse the magical world—and her own heart—before the nightmares win.
Felix and his sister Leila are halflings—born of mage and normie blood—an existence the ruling Council has declared illegal. Felix should be Alé’s enemy. Instead, he dreams of her.
Daughter of Dream is a spellbinding New Adult romantasy, perfect for fans of slow-burn enemies-to-lovers, dream magic, and morally gray heroes with secrets to burn.
Steeped in magic, mystery, and aching slow-burn tension, Daughter of Dream is a New Adult romantasy perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Rebecca Yarros, and Holly Black.
283 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 23, 2025
1 person is currently reading
7 people want to read
About the author
Kal Locksley
10 books37 followersMy love of storytelling stems from a time I would entertain my younger brothers with tales of adventure, based on whatever it was they could imagine.
My love of the written word comes from my mother, an English teacher, who taught me to appreciate the art of storytelling, as much as the storytelling itself.
If you do read something of mine, please leave a review! Always love to hear...The good, the bad, and even the nasty! How else can we learn and write more books YOU want to read?
My love of the written word comes from my mother, an English teacher, who taught me to appreciate the art of storytelling, as much as the storytelling itself.
If you do read something of mine, please leave a review! Always love to hear...The good, the bad, and even the nasty! How else can we learn and write more books YOU want to read?
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 2, 2025
Disclosure: I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I love supporting indie authors and always aim to offer thoughtful feedback that reflects the genre and audience. While I have personal preferences like a love for fantasy or specific tropes, I keep my reviews fair and focused on the story’s intent.
I picked up Daughter of Dream yesterday and read it in a single day because I simply could not put it down. I was completely swept up in the story and the beautiful connection between the main character and her caretaker, Vlad. Their bond is so heartfelt and tender, and it was written in a way that made it feel incredibly real. Honestly, Vlad deserves a big warm hug, a pat on the back, and so much more. He quickly became one of my favorite characters.
One of the highlights of this book is how folklore is seamlessly woven into the narrative. As a Hungarian and a folklore enthusiast, I recognized some tales from across Europe and absolutely loved their inclusion. It added such a rich, immersive layer to the story.
The dream world was another standout element. It felt original and vivid, with unique rules and functions. One concept that really struck me was the dream door of the main character’s parents—visible, but forever locked. That idea was so painful and powerful, and I thought it was a brilliant metaphor woven into the fantasy world.
Her cave was another favorite setting, but I was a little puzzled by the dragon. Its awakening seemed important, yet it was never mentioned again or reflected on later in the story. I kept waiting for that thread to come back and was surprised when it didn’t. That is my only real critique in an otherwise beautifully written book.
And that dreamy, hazy scene near the end? It caught me off guard in the best way. A little spice, a lot of emotion, and totally earned. I loved it.
There is so much to adore in this book! Folklore, emotion, imagination, and character depth. I highly recommend it to fantasy lovers looking for something unique and heartfelt.
I picked up Daughter of Dream yesterday and read it in a single day because I simply could not put it down. I was completely swept up in the story and the beautiful connection between the main character and her caretaker, Vlad. Their bond is so heartfelt and tender, and it was written in a way that made it feel incredibly real. Honestly, Vlad deserves a big warm hug, a pat on the back, and so much more. He quickly became one of my favorite characters.
One of the highlights of this book is how folklore is seamlessly woven into the narrative. As a Hungarian and a folklore enthusiast, I recognized some tales from across Europe and absolutely loved their inclusion. It added such a rich, immersive layer to the story.
The dream world was another standout element. It felt original and vivid, with unique rules and functions. One concept that really struck me was the dream door of the main character’s parents—visible, but forever locked. That idea was so painful and powerful, and I thought it was a brilliant metaphor woven into the fantasy world.
Her cave was another favorite setting, but I was a little puzzled by the dragon. Its awakening seemed important, yet it was never mentioned again or reflected on later in the story. I kept waiting for that thread to come back and was surprised when it didn’t. That is my only real critique in an otherwise beautifully written book.
And that dreamy, hazy scene near the end? It caught me off guard in the best way. A little spice, a lot of emotion, and totally earned. I loved it.
There is so much to adore in this book! Folklore, emotion, imagination, and character depth. I highly recommend it to fantasy lovers looking for something unique and heartfelt.
August 9, 2025
Thank you to LibraryThing.com and Kai Locksley for this ARC. Here is my review.
Rating:3.5/5
The premise of Daughter of Dream is genuinely intriguing and shows a lot of potential. The core idea drew me in quickly, and I could see the seeds of a compelling fantasy tale.
However, I felt the execution didn’t fully do justice to that promise. The writing style at times felt clunky, with scenes that jumped around in a way that made it harder to stay immersed in the story.
This is the first part of a duology, but given its relatively short length, I was surprised by how much the story seems to jump from one plot reveal to the next with litte happening in terms of build up or plot progression. It left me with the sense that much of this book was setting up the next rather than delivering a satisfying arc on its own. Personally, I would have preferred either a single, more developed novel or a first installment that delved deeper into the world, characters, and events.
There’s definite potential here, and readers who love romantasy will enjoy it. For me, though, the underdevelopment of the first book made it a less satisfying read than I’d hoped.
Rating:3.5/5
The premise of Daughter of Dream is genuinely intriguing and shows a lot of potential. The core idea drew me in quickly, and I could see the seeds of a compelling fantasy tale.
However, I felt the execution didn’t fully do justice to that promise. The writing style at times felt clunky, with scenes that jumped around in a way that made it harder to stay immersed in the story.
This is the first part of a duology, but given its relatively short length, I was surprised by how much the story seems to jump from one plot reveal to the next with litte happening in terms of build up or plot progression. It left me with the sense that much of this book was setting up the next rather than delivering a satisfying arc on its own. Personally, I would have preferred either a single, more developed novel or a first installment that delved deeper into the world, characters, and events.
There’s definite potential here, and readers who love romantasy will enjoy it. For me, though, the underdevelopment of the first book made it a less satisfying read than I’d hoped.
October 2, 2025
This one was fine I guess. It think that the main problem I had was that there was just too much going on for a book so short. New ideas and problems were always being added, but that meant pushing aside previous ones. The plot went really fast and most conflicts seemed to be resolved very quickly with little effort or challenge to the characters. I also thought that the characters were very flat. They would be portrayed one way and then in the next have very different emotions and thoughts like they were changing personalities to fit the situation. Felix I think was the worst example of this in my opinion. He kept being portrayed as alternately super cold and unaffected then worried for the main character and caring.
The last thing I wanted to address was that there was some weird word choices that confused me. Sometimes words were wrong but the one that really got to me was when a magical hourglass was called a "time-turner" once near the end. There's really no reason for calling it this since it doesn't relate to the device's powers, even if it wasn't a term pulled directly from Harry Potter.
The last thing I wanted to address was that there was some weird word choices that confused me. Sometimes words were wrong but the one that really got to me was when a magical hourglass was called a "time-turner" once near the end. There's really no reason for calling it this since it doesn't relate to the device's powers, even if it wasn't a term pulled directly from Harry Potter.
July 5, 2025
"I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving an honest review." A daughter of dream: She holds the fate of magic in her hands—if her dreams don't destroy her first.
In a world where magic is fading and dreams blur into reality, a young dreamweaver named Alé embarks on a dangerous journey to save the dying magic. Haunted by the ghosts of her past and pursued by nightmare-born creatures, she must face not only the darkness threatening her world but also the unsettling truth of who she's becoming.
As the lines between dreams and reality begin to tear apart, Alé must unravel a conspiracy that could shatter the magical realm—and her heart—before the nightmares claim victory.
Felix and his sister Leila are halflings—born of both mage and human blood—an existence the ruling Council has outlawed. Felix should be Alé's enemy. Instead, he dreams of her…
A first of more to come about a beautiful dream/reality world with magic that’s needs to be safed or the entire world will become just human?!
In a world where magic is fading and dreams blur into reality, a young dreamweaver named Alé embarks on a dangerous journey to save the dying magic. Haunted by the ghosts of her past and pursued by nightmare-born creatures, she must face not only the darkness threatening her world but also the unsettling truth of who she's becoming.
As the lines between dreams and reality begin to tear apart, Alé must unravel a conspiracy that could shatter the magical realm—and her heart—before the nightmares claim victory.
Felix and his sister Leila are halflings—born of both mage and human blood—an existence the ruling Council has outlawed. Felix should be Alé's enemy. Instead, he dreams of her…
A first of more to come about a beautiful dream/reality world with magic that’s needs to be safed or the entire world will become just human?!
July 31, 2025
In a world where magic is stolen and reality fractures, a reluctant heroine must face dark truths and buried power. As dreams awaken and danger closes in, she must choose: save the realm that fears her or remake it.
A vivid, haunting story full of magic, mystery, and impossible choices. Perfect for fans of dreamlike fantasy with real emotional stakes.
A vivid, haunting story full of magic, mystery, and impossible choices. Perfect for fans of dreamlike fantasy with real emotional stakes.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews