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Dark Reflections #2
Dreams and Reality
Tristan Havering believes all the crazy things he experienced in an alternative dimension, real-world version of the superhero saga ‘Power Up’ were a dream brought on by concussion; he’s about to find out how terrifyingly wrong he is.
Four months after the steamy, narcissistic liaison he shared with Devon, the supervillain he plays in the movies, dangerous things begin spilling over into his world, and Tristan has no choice but to believe the impossible: superheroes and supervillains are real.
His only hope is Devon, mercurial and unstable, once driven completely out of his mind by his own power, but will he help Tristan a second time? Tristan has no choice but to frantically reach out and return to Devon’s crazy reality or face insanity at the whim of a power he cannot hope to control.
~50.5K words
Four months after the steamy, narcissistic liaison he shared with Devon, the supervillain he plays in the movies, dangerous things begin spilling over into his world, and Tristan has no choice but to believe the impossible: superheroes and supervillains are real.
His only hope is Devon, mercurial and unstable, once driven completely out of his mind by his own power, but will he help Tristan a second time? Tristan has no choice but to frantically reach out and return to Devon’s crazy reality or face insanity at the whim of a power he cannot hope to control.
~50.5K words
155 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 30, 2015
21 people want to read
About the author
Natasha Duncan-Drake
66 books147 followersNatasha is a British author with Wittegen Press and has been publishing genre fiction since 2011. Her work includes everything from horror to young adult fantasy and she has never met a genre she didn’t like. A prolific producer of short stories and novels alike, Natasha currently has over twenty five titles in her back catalogue with further releases always imminent.
Natasha has been writing since she was a young girl ever since she read The Hobbit at Primary School. She is a big fan of science fiction, fantasy and horror in all their forms and is a big advocate of fanfiction as a great tool for writers to polish their skills in a welcoming and supportive community.
Before establishing Wittegen Press with her twin sister, Sophie Duncan, Natasha was a database and systems consultant. She combines these skills with her writing to create and manage her career in the bold new eBook market.
Natasha has been writing since she was a young girl ever since she read The Hobbit at Primary School. She is a big fan of science fiction, fantasy and horror in all their forms and is a big advocate of fanfiction as a great tool for writers to polish their skills in a welcoming and supportive community.
Before establishing Wittegen Press with her twin sister, Sophie Duncan, Natasha was a database and systems consultant. She combines these skills with her writing to create and manage her career in the bold new eBook market.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 27, 2015
In the interest of full disclosure, I got a free advanced reader's copy of this book in order to review it (but I'd have bought it to read after the release date even if I hadn't).
I read the first story in this series - the novelette Me, Myself and I - back when it first came out in 2012 and really enjoyed it at the time (and not just because it was well written erotica, the premise was just so much fun!). So when Natasha announced she was publishing a longer sequel I was immediately interested in Dreams and Reality.
It has been long enough since reading MMI that I have forgotten many of the details, so I can reliably say that when Natasha says you don't need to have read MMI to read Dreams and Reality, it's accurate. All of the pertinent points are covered, fitting smoothly into the narrative so you never feel like you're being given a recap.
I know star ratings are a very subjective thing (spend 2 minutes on TripAdvisor and that's obvious). So giving some context, 4 is my usual rating for 'I really enjoyed this book'. What takes a 4 star rating up to a 5 is re-readability, and for me Dreams and Reality has that.
The main character is Tristan, an actor forced to face the fantastic reality that the imaginary world he portrays on film actually exists as an alternate dimension. Tristan succeeds as the protagonist on two fronts. The first is that in his own right Tristan is a compelling character, going through things he has already relegated to the realm of dreams and not only coping and succeeding as you'd expect of a superhero story, but having his fail-able moments as well. That right there makes him more relatable than your average superhero story protagonist. That's also what leads to the second way in which Tristan succeeds, the fan angle.
Not only can you translate Tristan's experiences to imagining your favourite actor set in the reality of their fantasy/sci-fi franchise and having to cope, but you can relate as a fan put in the same situation as well. Tristan doesn't see his role as an actor in ‘Power Up’ just as a job, he knows and loves his material as well as any dedicated fan would, gives a great deal of thought to the characters and their motivations, and that all plays a role in how he engages with the people of the alternate universe.
As fans it's often fun to imagine yourself in your favourite fictional world, but I think all of us know it would be harder to live it than is portrayed by Hollywood (one of my favourite bits of internal dialogue in the story is when ).
That's the thing that really makes this story for me. Not only is there a fun plot - with enough questions left to make a sequel desirable, but enough answered it can stand alone - interesting characters, and intimate scenes that serve the story rather than distracting from it, but most importantly it's immersive. Tristan is the reader's proxy in the kind of daydream so many fans often have, and for that reason Dreams and Reality is a title that will be sticking around in my library for plenty of years to come.
I read the first story in this series - the novelette Me, Myself and I - back when it first came out in 2012 and really enjoyed it at the time (and not just because it was well written erotica, the premise was just so much fun!). So when Natasha announced she was publishing a longer sequel I was immediately interested in Dreams and Reality.
It has been long enough since reading MMI that I have forgotten many of the details, so I can reliably say that when Natasha says you don't need to have read MMI to read Dreams and Reality, it's accurate. All of the pertinent points are covered, fitting smoothly into the narrative so you never feel like you're being given a recap.
I know star ratings are a very subjective thing (spend 2 minutes on TripAdvisor and that's obvious). So giving some context, 4 is my usual rating for 'I really enjoyed this book'. What takes a 4 star rating up to a 5 is re-readability, and for me Dreams and Reality has that.
The main character is Tristan, an actor forced to face the fantastic reality that the imaginary world he portrays on film actually exists as an alternate dimension. Tristan succeeds as the protagonist on two fronts. The first is that in his own right Tristan is a compelling character, going through things he has already relegated to the realm of dreams and not only coping and succeeding as you'd expect of a superhero story, but having his fail-able moments as well. That right there makes him more relatable than your average superhero story protagonist. That's also what leads to the second way in which Tristan succeeds, the fan angle.
Not only can you translate Tristan's experiences to imagining your favourite actor set in the reality of their fantasy/sci-fi franchise and having to cope, but you can relate as a fan put in the same situation as well. Tristan doesn't see his role as an actor in ‘Power Up’ just as a job, he knows and loves his material as well as any dedicated fan would, gives a great deal of thought to the characters and their motivations, and that all plays a role in how he engages with the people of the alternate universe.
As fans it's often fun to imagine yourself in your favourite fictional world, but I think all of us know it would be harder to live it than is portrayed by Hollywood (one of my favourite bits of internal dialogue in the story is when ).
That's the thing that really makes this story for me. Not only is there a fun plot - with enough questions left to make a sequel desirable, but enough answered it can stand alone - interesting characters, and intimate scenes that serve the story rather than distracting from it, but most importantly it's immersive. Tristan is the reader's proxy in the kind of daydream so many fans often have, and for that reason Dreams and Reality is a title that will be sticking around in my library for plenty of years to come.
November 16, 2021
November 2021
Didn’t even last the year before re-reading. I blame the lack of superhero/supervillain couplings and the fact this book is still awesome. I’m not sure about Gage. I know he and Devon have history but Devon and Tristan have a much closer connection and it kinda felt like Devon was settling for second best. It would be nice to see if Tristan goes back permanently after retirement or something.
Jan 2021
Re-read. Thankfully longer than the first and more in depth exploration of the characters. The book skips ahead to the end of the third film and Devon about to walk away, stopped by Tristan appearing with the consequences of the first journey. I like that Tristan has powers and how close he and Devon are, as well as how he deals with all the suspicion. Would’ve been nice to see the team watching the films. I think my favourite part was Tristan knowing he was always going to leave and setting up a support network for Devon.
November 2018
Dreams & reality continues a little while off from the first one dealing with the consequences. Hands down this is one of my favourite M/M books. Although short it packs a punch dealing with an array of characters, powers and mental illness. I love the relationship between Devon and Tristan, how the duo anchors one another. Really would’ve liked a third one with the way it ended but I really enjoyed it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 25, 2016
I loved this series. They were very short stories but each one was thought provoking and quirky with a little steam to set it all off.
I wasn't really expecting much when I picked up the first one, but by the end I just NEEDED there to be a second book.
I've reread each several times and am writing this review to get a free copy of the third book "Oh, Really? (Dark Reflections – Short Story)".
I wasn't really expecting much when I picked up the first one, but by the end I just NEEDED there to be a second book.
I've reread each several times and am writing this review to get a free copy of the third book "Oh, Really? (Dark Reflections – Short Story)".
December 5, 2020
This book belongs to the "bizarre" category. It is not particularly well written, there is not much going on in terms of the plot and the final sex scene takes 10 % of the book at least (really??). However, I do have weakness for this sort of fan-fictionish narratives and I quite enjoyed the premise which is a unique twist on "auto-erotica":)). Unless you are just as deviant as I am, you can easily skip this book.
July 22, 2017
Really interesting concept, nothing quite like this has been done before. The British focus on characterization works really well for this. Plus it's a lot of
fun.
fun.
July 18, 2021
Absolutely love the banter between the characters and the character interactions don't seem too out of sync with what real people might act in a similar situation.
March 16, 2015
I received a free copy of this novel from the author before the official release date so that I could review it. I will begin my review by saying I had not read the first book in the Dark Reflections series before I read this book but as the author says that knowledge is not essential when reading this book. The characters back-stories and all the facts you need to know are woven into the story, so that you have all the information about the universe you need without having to read an information dump or long scenes of exposition.
Tristan is an actor who plays a superhero/ ex-villain named Devon, when he is once again pulled into Devon’s world Tristan must come to terms with the fact that he now shares Devon’s powers. Tristan and Devon must work together to help Tristan control his powers and work with the team of superheroes Devon once fought against. They are helping each other gain control, acceptance and love when their base is attacked by a unique enemy, now they have to work together with the rest of the team to save the day.
The personal relationship between Tristan and Devon is lovely, hot as hell and super sweet at the same time. While they are organically the same person but their experiences, lives and the universes they live in are so different that they both come across as two distinctly different people which they absolutely are. Tristan’s presence also helps Devon come to terms with himself and what happened to him, as well as helping him gain the trust and acceptance of the people he works with. As well as the love of the man who was once his partner.
This book is excellent, I honestly read it in one sitting. The premise and story are as intriguing and unique as the characters and the disaster they face. The story and world are great and very fleshed out for so short a novel, yet nothing feels rushed or too drawn out. The characters are interesting and Tristan particularly is very relatable and believably human in his reaction to what is going on.
Basically this is a short novel that is funny, engaging, hot, and entertaining. I thoroughly enjoyed this and will definitely reread it again sometime in the future. You will come to know and care about the characters and what is happening to them and really that one of the best things you can hope for in a story.
Tristan is an actor who plays a superhero/ ex-villain named Devon, when he is once again pulled into Devon’s world Tristan must come to terms with the fact that he now shares Devon’s powers. Tristan and Devon must work together to help Tristan control his powers and work with the team of superheroes Devon once fought against. They are helping each other gain control, acceptance and love when their base is attacked by a unique enemy, now they have to work together with the rest of the team to save the day.
The personal relationship between Tristan and Devon is lovely, hot as hell and super sweet at the same time. While they are organically the same person but their experiences, lives and the universes they live in are so different that they both come across as two distinctly different people which they absolutely are. Tristan’s presence also helps Devon come to terms with himself and what happened to him, as well as helping him gain the trust and acceptance of the people he works with. As well as the love of the man who was once his partner.
This book is excellent, I honestly read it in one sitting. The premise and story are as intriguing and unique as the characters and the disaster they face. The story and world are great and very fleshed out for so short a novel, yet nothing feels rushed or too drawn out. The characters are interesting and Tristan particularly is very relatable and believably human in his reaction to what is going on.
Basically this is a short novel that is funny, engaging, hot, and entertaining. I thoroughly enjoyed this and will definitely reread it again sometime in the future. You will come to know and care about the characters and what is happening to them and really that one of the best things you can hope for in a story.
June 3, 2016
This was the meat that was left out of the first book, which was more of a prequel prologue to set the stage, so to speak. And, like the previous book, it was a fun, light romp of unselfconscious tropes that I enjoyed quite a bit. It was also notably hilarious as hell in a couple parts.
That said, I winced at Jezebel as a character concept, and I hope the author takes the time to not do that ever again and educate herself on why that was a big mistake of stereotypical characterization. Also notable for this-needs-work is Nori; if I give the benefit of the doubt, this might have been an attempt to lampshade superhero tropes, but it falls very flat. And in general, she needs to work on including POC in ways that don't induce facepalms in readers like myself. I've read worse, but it dampened my enthusiasm for these books to see that stuff in there. We're people, not a collection of stereotypes and roles.
That said, I winced at Jezebel as a character concept, and I hope the author takes the time to not do that ever again and educate herself on why that was a big mistake of stereotypical characterization. Also notable for this-needs-work is Nori; if I give the benefit of the doubt, this might have been an attempt to lampshade superhero tropes, but it falls very flat. And in general, she needs to work on including POC in ways that don't induce facepalms in readers like myself. I've read worse, but it dampened my enthusiasm for these books to see that stuff in there. We're people, not a collection of stereotypes and roles.
April 2, 2015
An excellent sequel to a short story! The events seem to jump around and while a little more information about G-energy would not go amiss, the book is a great quick read and a sequel seems to be hiding in the ending. Light hearted and serious in turns, romance and sex and adventure abound--definitely a recommended read.
Disclaimer: I received an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Disclaimer: I received an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Read
December 31, 2015SO in love with this series. If you liked forbidden soul, you love this series too. I found Natasha drake after reading her series forbidden soul and am now addicted. My only qualms are you still have your standard errors like misplaced words (if in stead of in, etc) in some places but I tend to just skip those things and read on. The plot is great and the story telling is spot on with some lovely romance and smexy scenes thrown in.
March 4, 2018
After the second read through of this I can only once again say how much I enjoyed this book. The characters are so well-thought out and the world building is top notch. Although this book is longer than the first one, it's still relatively short but I felt like I received so much information about the characters.
Tristan and Devon are great together and it was wonderful to see the rest of Team Alpha getting to see Devon in the same way we as the readers see him through Tristan.
Tristan and Devon are great together and it was wonderful to see the rest of Team Alpha getting to see Devon in the same way we as the readers see him through Tristan.
December 24, 2017
I love this book. It really gives you a feeling for all the characters. I hope to read more adventurers about Tristan,Eric, Gage, And Devon.
July 21, 2015
Wow!
Despite the small grammar errors, I couldn't put it down. I wonder what's next...
I'm looking forward to finding out.
-Sabrena
Despite the small grammar errors, I couldn't put it down. I wonder what's next...
I'm looking forward to finding out.
-Sabrena
Read
February 11, 2018I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first installment in the series. It seemed to want to be two books in one: the "training sequence teaches us about ourselves and each other" and the "we must come together to save ourselves from this mysterious outside force."
Unfortunately, neither of these books got full attention, and so it read like a bizarre mashup where things would be going great and then I'd suddenly be thrust into a completely different story with no lead up and no idea why I ought to care; once getting used to this new story: bam! back to the old one.
I'll still read another book by this author, and the premise is still loads of fun, but this novel just didn't work for me.
Unfortunately, neither of these books got full attention, and so it read like a bizarre mashup where things would be going great and then I'd suddenly be thrust into a completely different story with no lead up and no idea why I ought to care; once getting used to this new story: bam! back to the old one.
I'll still read another book by this author, and the premise is still loads of fun, but this novel just didn't work for me.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews