When dreams deceive, truth doesn’t just set you free. It destroys empires.
In the kingdom of Revas, dreams are sacred. Blessed by the god of dreams and nightmares, the king is tasked with using his magic to benefit his people. But the citizens have no way of knowing his true intentions.
Verana, broken by loss and desperate for purpose, must choose between finding work or marrying. Employed at the castle, she discovers how the wealthy live, including the handsome and charming Prince Milos. Whispers of a forbidden prophecy reach her as the prince’s flirtations intensify. When she meets a rebellious stable hand intent on courting her, her life only gets more complicated.
As secrets tighten their grip, Queen Anela fights her own quiet war: protecting her forbidden love, outmaneuvering a cruel husband and his long time advisor, and deciphering the ominous messages that hint she’s already lost control of the game.
Dreams lie. Hearts betray. And the truth will set a kingdom free--but only the Seven can know the cost.
Welcome to the first installment in the Stories of the Seven: seven kingdoms, seven gods & goddesses to rule them. Deception of Dreams is a lush high fantasy of dream magic, forbidden love, prophecy, and slow-burn romance—where falling in love may be the most dangerous deception of all.
In our tale, we have a prince and a maid and this is their story. We are in a land where there are seven gods and goddesses, hence, the series title, Stories of the Seven. The land where the prince is from is only one of the seven kingdoms. The gods and goddesses each hold sway over one of the seven kingdoms and they each bestow a “gift” upon the royal family. In the land our prince is from, Revas, they have the gift of being able to influence dreams, good or bad because the gods and goddesses are all about balance. I honestly have nothing bad to say about this story. I truly loved it and cannot wait to read the next in the series. The writing style fit perfectly and just pulled me right in and did not let go. The world building was spot on and never bogged down. And the romance, well, of course, we have romance and a love meant to be complete with the heartfelt sigh at the end. What story by Cara Blaine would be complete without romance?
I received an advanced reader’s copy and am voluntarily leaving this review.
I had the pleasure of receiving this as an e-ARC and voluntarily will be giving my honest review. Wow wow wow is all i can say!! This was absolutely phenomenal and the plot twist wow!! This world building and it setting up for a more intensive dangerous world just phenomenal!! This book had me hooked from the very beginning to the very end!! If you love high fantasy, slow burn, and morally grey choices then this book is for you!! This was beautiful written and can’t wait for the next book.
“Deception of Dreams is Book 1 in the Stories of the Seven series. Perfect for readers who love spicy romantasy, forbidden love, and slow-burn tension, with the high-stakes intrigue of Rebecca Yarros, Sarah J. Maas, and SenLinYu”
I really liked the tone of this book - it was exciting and bold, yet easy to slide into, with a storyline that wrapped me up from page one.
It started with the main characters living separate lives and I always like that, as I have the chance to get to know them as individuals before the author starts making them jump through hoops. Beside Ana (FMC) and Milos (MMC) the author had written a third POV character, Milos' mother, Anela, and she brought bonus insight from someone with life experience to add that extra layer to Ana and Milos' youth. There was actually a broad spectrum of characters, ranging from sympathetic and very likeable to shockingly deplorable but they all added story value and interest because they felt so real.
I loved the slow burn romance for it's authenticity and the meandering path the characters took to find each other.
Because this is the first in a seven book series of connected standalones the secondary characters read as really solid and appealing, and all were well constructed. I can't wait to see more of them!
Ms Blaine used her writing magic to combine all these pieces to create a narrative that moved along amazingly well, loaded with compelling magic, an irresistible pairing and dynamic pacing, setting up for future books that I can only hope are the same.
"I think you're following your own path, and I think that's what the Seven expects us to do. We have free will, after all."
Set in a a world fraught with political intrigue and powers given through bloodlines of royalty, Deception of Dreams by Cara Blaine takes on a multitude of topics, from class divides to political manipulation to the roles of fear and pride where people are involved.
The two primary main characters, Milos and Verana "Ana", are likeable and well-rounded as a pair. They contrast in nearly every way at first, even in their relationships with their parents, but they match each other well.
Milos' mother Anela is also an excellent tertiary character to give the reader insights into the history and structure of a complex cast of politically significant characters.
Twists and turns abound, which is exactly what one might expect from a book that combines the political elements of something similar to "Reign" (the TV Series) with a magic system similar to Oblivion (the Elder Scrolls video game).
The only thing that could have gotten it from four stars to five for me would be the pacing leading into the concluding arc (just in terms of consistency). That being said, I still read it all in one day and I'm certainly looking forward to the next book in the series!
Please note, I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
This is book one of the Stories of the Seven series. It’s a spicy, forbidden love, slow burn, high stakes, love triangle, romantasy. From the start of the book, you are drawn in and can’t put it down. Each page gives you more hints about the secrets in the story. This book has a strong, well-developed and an interesting story line with twists and unexpected turns that keep you reading and turning the pages. It pulled me in from beginning to end and held my attention. Amazing world building that is detailed and imaginative and so well done that you're drawn into a fantastic world unlike any other. Strong, interesting, and fascinating characters that are well developed and diverse. The storyline is fast-paced and very well written. I can’t wait to read the rest of this series. Great characters that make the story come alive. Pain and passion radiate from them. The plot draws you in so that you can’t put the book down because you need to know what will happen next. This review is based on an early review copy I was sent by the publisher, but this didn't affect the content of my review that I am voluntarily providing.
Deception of Dreams is the type of tale that gradually draws you in. It’s rich in atmosphere and subtle tension, allowing mystery to seep into the edges of the page. The setting feels authentic, and the characters navigate it with a messy, realistic depth that brings them to life.
What really stands out is Blaine’s writing. She crafts scenes so vivid they seem tangible. It almost feels like you’re in the book, walking those same paths with the characters.
The only real snag in the book is the magic system. The dream-magic aspects are hinted at early, but they never really take the spotlight. The mechanics are a bit unclear, and the uses of playing with magic (and the repercussions) remain on the sidelines until the end. For most of the novel, the character drama takes the lead. I would have loved to explore the magic system and mythology more. There are also a few awkward transitions, but the emotional heart is strong.
This is a unique, both familiar and strange world that I can’t wait to dive back into in the second book. Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
This doesn't take any time at all to catch your interest. There's no forced page-turning at all, which is always a wonderful thing. The plot was great, dynamics were written beautifully, and pacing was on the slower side in the most enjoyable way. There was one plot twist that even caught me completely off guard!
We have a really good range of well-executed and nuanced characters. Our FMC is a little naïve, but thankfully not grating at all. The MMC is very much the first to fall, despite being a womaniser (no on-page other women) and it's so cute to read hehehe.
Altogether I truly enjoyed this. The only thing holding me back from 5 stars would be a lack of emotion evoked from the writing. I was really entertained but not living and dying with the characters, feeling everything they do. I would wholeheartedly recommend!
I absolutely loved this book. Starting off it wasn’t what I was expecting. But I loved every minute of it.
Verana’s family wants her to secure a marriage but she has other dreams for herself. She is also hiding an ability that no one knows about… After a family tragedy, she takes a position at the palace to help her family.
It is there that she meets the prince, Milos, and learns he is not who she thought he would be. Along the way she also meets another love interest, the sexy stable hand, but always feels a pull back to Milos.
MMC is such a green flag. Literally all the green flags.
With an unexpected twist pulling those you have learned to trust into the mix - Cara wraps this up with a nice little HEA bow.
If you love slow burn, romantasy, and HEA this is for you!
I received an advance reader copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.
This was a strong start to a new romantasy series! Milos was a courageous, golden retriever MMC. He fell for Ana first and hard despite her being a maid and him a prince. It was adorable how hopelessly in love with Ana he was. Ana was a naïve but brave FMC. She was quite oblivious to Milos‘s devotion to her to the extent that it was annoying at times, but in the end I found myself liking her more and respecting her. Ben had me furious throughout. I predicted some of the plot twists before they occurred, but not the extent of them. The pacing was a bit inconsistent, with a slow start and fast-paced, action-packed end, and I found myself slumping a bit until I reached the 75% mark. Overall, I recommend this one and can’t wait to see where the series goes from here.
The concept and execution of this fantasy world with low magic is great! I also love how this is a standalone story but there will be more books in this universe following other characters we already get to meet in this one! really the world and characters were great. It wasnt the most predictable story which I like to still be a lil surprised by the twists, so gold star for world building!
what drags it down a lil *minor spice spoilers ahead* is frankly the end. Having the love interest do and say the exact same thing as the man coersing the fmc did throw me off quite a bit. I know we all deal with such things differently but I know I've not been able to enjoy any touch or like that reminds me of any of the transgressions I've experienced. So ye, didnt like the ending, but disregarding that the book was great!
I was so, so lucky to be an ARC reader for this book! WOW! I was already sold on the cover art, but I didn't know just how great this book was going to be. The immersion?! The way you feel like you are actually in the story?! Wow! The world development is top tier, the character development is exceptional! This is a story that I would expect to see front and center at BAM or Barnes and Noble! The book is the whole package! STUNNING cover art, a phenomenal storyline, and a story that will stick with you after finishing it! I loved it! I am not good with poetic and stunning reviews, but I will say that this book is phenomenal and I'd re-read it, cover to cover! I pre-ordered the ebook and will be looking forward to a physical copy as well! Definitely need the shelf trophy!! Wow!
There is a reason Cara Blaine is a must buy, auto read author...she knows how to write phenomenal books and Deception of Dreams is no exception. This is book one in a 7 book series of interconnected standalones. This book is jam packed from start to finish. One thing I love about Cara's books are that each of her books have very unique magic systems. In Deception of Dreams, dream magic is introduced to use and I love the idea of dream magic. This book has a lot of world building but it is done in a way that it integrates seamlessly into the story.
This book is perfect for anyone who loves: high fantasy love triangles forbidden magic mystery slow burn
This is a book that I will be recommending to all of my book besties.
This was a perfectly executed fantasy story, elements of court intrigue, heir of the throne taking his rightful place... or not. A love triangle that had your feelings being pulled so many ways. Loved this! This story takes on an adventure starting with a family who see the hard times. Poorly because of how the kingdom is ran. Then seeing the queens side and how her existence has its trials and tribulations. Bringing it around to the prince's pov and how he intends to do his own thing as often as he can. I enjoyed going through this story and learning the ins and outs of how this world works. HE BRAIDS HER HAIR!!! SWOOOONING 💙
I really enjoyed this book, all royals were gifted with magic, while a simple girl in a small town also had magic letting her know where to look for anything she wanted to find. As the family’s fortune and luck were changed after on of their children had an accident, the young girl went to the capital and found a job in the palace where the heir to the throne found himself wanting to stay close to her. The deceitful King was trying to keep the non royals poor and under his control. Ana soon found out that she was the daughter of an exiled Prince which put her life in danger. Trust is a fickle thing and when she trusted the wrong person her life began to unwind.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Dreams are powerful in many ways and Cara is able to share that through her writing in this first book of “The Stories of the Sevens” series. There is a poor girl, Ana (FMC), who has to go work in the castle. She catches Prince Milos eye, and the love of a stable hand. The King and Queen are additional characters that add to the story but also are main characters in their own right. The king fooling his people and the Queen, Anela, fighting for her own life and love. If you love forbidden romance, magic, and a slow burn between characters this is your next read! I received an advance copy of this book and this is my honest review.
There was a time I couldn't put this book down! The cover art had me downloading this book immediately. There were quite a few mysteries we got to see unfold; which was fun. They weren't super obvious either which is what had me so hooked! The magic system was easy enough to understand, too.
3 stars for me, because the dialogue felt a bit "young adult". Insta love was at play here too. The young adult like dialogue would've been fine- but the sexual scenes had very adult dialogue and, well "acts", which threw me off a bit.
This is an easy read, great for anyone who like fantasy romance. While the story is self contained I like that it will be connected to a larger universe of books. This being book 1.
It has 3 POV's that all worked well. However, because of that I personally felt like I didn't get enough time to really connect with each of the characters. Hopefully there will be some cross over in later books. The world felt real and while there was some spice, I would say this falls into the romance first category. Fun read and I will definitely check out the next book when it comes out because I am very intrigued by some of the magic elements that were teased in this first book.
I thought Deception of Dreams was a nice quick read that featured a FMC who knows what she does and doesn’t want and is loyal and a green flag MMC who always does the right thing.
I was intrigued by the magic but would have wanted more depth/use of that magic. The story did take a little bit to get going in my opinion but the character development was good and took place of that.
Overall I think it was an interesting story. I would take the spice out and feature it as more of a young adult book.
First off if I could give this book 6 stars, I totally would! Deceptions of a Dream, sucked me in from the very first chapter.
I loved the 3 POVs, especially Anela’s. All three MCs were strong, fierce and badass in their own ways.
If you love a book with a unique magic system, high fantasy with a little romance sprinkled in, and a diverse/interesting set of characters, then this should be your next read! I heard the author is working on book 2 and I can’t freaking wait!
This was an interesting read! It’s definitely one of those books that I picked up and couldn’t put down, and I’ll definitely be continuing the series. I did go into this book expecting a cliffhanger, and was pleasantly surprised that it actually was fully fleshed out. There were some parts that were a little confusing, and at points the FMC was getting a little annoying, but overall I enjoyed this world.
Page turner. I was gripped from the beginning. And just when i got comfortable... the story took a gut punching turn. Hot tears fell... the heart ache felt real. The loss was my own, too. This book is entertaining and thrilling. In the end... you get to settle with the ending. If book 1 is this beautiful, I can't wait to read the rest of the series.
I’m so thankful for being able to read this book early. I loved all the characters and POVs. Each character had such an important perspective to bring to the story. They all come together in such a magnificent way. It’s a great romance with fantasy elements. There’s some spice and it adds such a magnificent layer to the story.
Royals with magic and a girl from a small town with magic that let her know where to go to find what she is looking for . And that love triangle!!! I wasn't sure who to love more. But I was leaning more toward milos. He is definitely worthy of being a book boyfriend and the spice was spicing!
This story is a journey! I enjoyed the characters and the world. It broke my heart and put it back together. I loved the twist before the ending. I enjoyed the story completely and loved the characters.
Deception of Dreams completely pulled me into its world. The worldbuilding is so vivid and detailed, I felt like I could see everything the author created. The story itself is amazing and kept me hooked from start to finish. Definitely a must-read for anyone who loves immersive fantasy.
4.5 🌟 I was so happy to dive back into the world of Reva. The Queen of Shattered Dreams is one of my favorite books. Deception of Dreams did not disappoint, and left me wanting more.
The story building was wonderful. The tension and survival instincts allowed the book to move at a fast pace. It left me wanted more of Milo and Ana’s story.