Dream of the Jet-Black City. Il sogno della città nera

by Pablo Valcarcel Castro

A Onyxia, città alimentata dai fulmini della Tempesta Madre, i sogni sono l'unica salvezza contro mostruosi incubi viventi, nati dalla mente dei Sognatori: Sognatori arrabbiati, crudeli, terribili, sì, ma pur sempre uomini e donne. Qui, nella Biblioteca, gli incubi hanno preso vita da storie morenti, dagli echi angosciati di poeti e scribi scolpiti nelle fessure dei codici. Ash e la sua banda, per sfuggire alla fame, corrono sui tetti all'inseguimento dei fulmini viventi della Tempesta Madre, che infuria senza sosta. Daerna canta cantici per placare la tempesta eterna. Quando viene a sapere di una misteriosa malattia che si sta diffondendo tra la popolazione della città, sente che è suo dovere aiutare con le sue compagne ribelli. Geil è una creatura nata dal Sogno e legata alla forma di drago che ha evocato per sopravvivere all'addestramento dell'Accademia. Mentre caccia gli incubi, incontra una ragazzina con il dono del sogno e si sente in dovere di salvarla dal subire lo stesso suo crudele destino.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Adult, Magic

456 pages, Hardcover

First published May 14, 2026

About the author

Pablo Valcarcel grew up in a bilingual household in the Canary Islands. He studied law but currently teaches entrepreneurship and innovation in Madrid. In 2016 he attended the Odyssey Writing Workshop in New Hampshire. Dream of the Jet-Black City is his first novel.

His short fiction has previously appeared in Metaphorosis, and his larps have been selected for the Make A Scene and Berlin: WOD festivals.

Reviews

[Edward Gwynne]

Strange the Dreamer meets The Shadow of the Wind...

This is one of the most unique and exciting new fantasy releases I have read in a long while. There is darkness and mystery, lightning-catchers and nightmares-made-flesh. Pablo Castro has a beautiful cadence to his writing, and they way he unveils twist after twist, mixed with characters written with real depth, I was addicted.

This is a fantasy release that should be at the top of EVERYONE'S tbr!

[Linden Lewis]

FIRST! I'm just gonna reuse the blurb I offered :3

Beautifully lyrical and darkly romantic, Valcárcel's DREAM OF THE JET-BLACK CITY imagines an adventure full of diverse characters and an expansive world that would be a pleasure to get lost in. Challenging class and the role of the creator, this dark fantasy questions whether the dreams of the powerful are worth the nightmares of the powerless.

[Maleesha]

I really enjoyed this. I think my favorite parts were the worldbuilding and the magic system. It very obviously feels like an authors debut work but I can definitely see it getting better. I liked the characters, everyone is very proactive and the female characters are not damsels in distress.

The plot drags a bit and then goes 0 to 100. By the end, things were wrapped a little too quickly and cleanly and felt a little rushed. It’s a good will eventually triumph over evil story and sometimes that’s just the kind of story you need. I will be picking up book 2 because I really want to see where this goes.

[Jamedi]

Review originally on JamReads

Dream of the Jet-Black City is the imaginative dark fantasy debut novel of Pablo Varcárcel Castro, published by Zaffre Books. A proposal set in a richly depicted world, partly inspired by Zafón, which examines the role of creators regarding the own creations and the own challenge of the established classes while gifting the reader with a diverse and excellently fleshed cast of characters, setting up all for more adventures in this magical land of Onyxia.

A multilayered story that will show us the lights and shadows of Onyxia through three different POVs, starting with Ash, a lightning hunter who stumbles across a nightmare, saving his life by dreaming a panther conjured of shadows and light. A talent that means he must be conscripted by the Academy or find a wealthy patron who can train him, getting into a lifetime debt.
Meanwhile, Daerna, one of the singing sisters who pacify the storm, is losing her faith in the order; a mysterious sickness is spreading across the city, especially affecting the poor people, and the order is letting them die. Together with more rebel sisters, they will risk punishment trying to find the cause of the sickness, a journey that will take them to the very heart of the city.
And finally we have Gail, daughter of Ash's patron, a Dreamer that survived the Academy, but not without getting deeply scarred; while nightmare hunting, she finds a young girl with the dreaming gift. Compelled to save her from the same fate she faced, she will be forced to return to Onyxia and play the political game if she wants to change things.
Three different threads that Pablo Válcarcel Castro manages to masterfully weave together through their shared goals, which will eventually put them in the same boat.

I found particularly enjoyable how well fleshed the three main characters are, especially regarding how their past has affected them and how it influences their current decisions: the Ash that is not shy of gambling all and get a lifetime debt with a patron just to keep Omen, his panther, his companion, safe, while still trying to understand more of dreaming. He's not afraid of risking his own conscription if that means helping his friends, and I firmly believe that part of that self-risk mentality comes from how his father sacrificed himself to allow Ash to escape from the library in the past. In the same way, Daerna is risking punishment with her actions, but we can see how she will still continue if that means there's a possibility of helping stop the sickness; it's not a surprise to see how natural the relationship between Daerna and Ash felt, even if we were introduced to it after it already started.
And what to say about Gail. The cruelty she experienced in the Academy forced her to bound to Drake form in order to survive the training; we discover more about her past while we see her returning to the political game she hated, to that life she abandoned in favour of hunting nightmares, just because she wants to spare the young girl of the horrors she passed. When I say Válcarcel Castro makes you deeply care about the characters he created, this is what I'm talking about.

And as the cherry on top, we have an imaginative setting like is the city of Onyxia, which we explore through Válcarcel Castro's quasi lyrical prose, creating really descriptive and vivid images of a clearly layered city, classes created mostly by wealth and the ability to dream; a setting that contains a richly created lore that is, at all times, part of the story, paired with a magic system that the writer manages to keep ethereal but powerful. I wouldn't mind getting lost in Onyxia's streets and buildings for another adventure.
Despite the complexity of this story, I never felt the pacing to be excessively slow; au contraire, it was relatively fast, maintaining us on the edge of the seat while the characters try to survive the rather unfortunate situations they land on, all while building towards the great finale.

Dream of the Jet-Black City is a rather excellent and explosive debut novel, a perfect choice if you are looking for an imaginative, richly layered proposal that will engulf you with its worldbuilding while gifting you with a cast of characters you will end up caring deeply for them. A debut that puts Pablo Válcarcel Castro on that list of authors whose next books I will read the moment it is released!

[Naddlino]

Die Ideenvielfalt ist großartig!
Schade, dass einiges in der Umsetzung verloren geht, darunter auch die Tiefe der Charaktere oder die Hintergründe von Onyxia. Dazu hätte ich sehr gerne noch mehr erfahren.
Ich werde daher das Gefühl nicht los, dass diese Geschichte besser in 2 oder 3 Bänden erzählt worden wäre, um die erdachte Welt, Gesellschaft und die Figuren noch mehr zu verstehen und darin wirklich einzutauchen.

[Zettifar]

“In Onyxia , The dead might burn but the past rarely burned with them “

Dream of the jet black-Black city is such a beautiful & rich world from debut Author Pablo Valcarcel Castro. We get 3 POV's from our 3 main characters that all give us a different perspective of each class in the world while also filling in the setting and lore of the city of Onyxia.

In the city of Onyxia, where dreams and nightmares can become reality, lightning catchers chase an eternal magical storm whilst a sisterhood sings to calm it's rage.
Ash and his crew stumble across a nightmare when hunting lightning - he dreams a panther of lightning and shadows to save them. But dreamers must either be conscripted into the Academy or find a wealthy patron to train them.
Meanwhile Daerna, one of the singing sisters, is losing faith in her order as she realises that a devastating sickness is being allowed to spread amongst the poor.
And finally Geil, daughter of Ash's new patron, has survived the Academy but not unscathed. She returns to the city and enters into a world of dangerous politics and nightmares.
As each are thrust into new circumstances, the threads they follow lead them to each other and a dark and dangerous threat.

Pablo has created such an original and whimsical story that i really hope we get more of in the future. The characters , world building , story , relationships and magic system all felt very deep but also gave me the impression Pablo could just be scrapping the surface of his world .

Geil was my favourite of the three characters with the journey she goes through in the book with the addition of learning her past and What she is trying to achieve past the ending of the book with her abilities as a dreamer.

All in all 4 out of 5 stars & if you love Yumi & the nightmare painter by Brandon sanderson then this could be the book for you!!

[Nemo Lockeheart]

4.25 stars

Dream of the Jet-Black City is a stunning debut. Taking place in a Venice-inspired city called Onyxia, Castro guides you through a world filled with Dreams and Nightmares, dark secrets and buried knowledge. It's rich with history, where every gargoyle and shabby house holds a piece of ancient lore.

We follow three main characters: Ash, Daerna, and Geil as they navigate through a time of turmoil. Out of all three, I love Daerna the most. I think she is the most fleshed out character and the most mature despite her young age. Ash is a loveable and good hearted kid. A touch naive but that's simply the nature of youth. Geil I do have a bit of a hard time connecting with her, mostly because of how she was introduced. I will return to this point later. But rest assured she is by no means a bad character.

What I love the most about this book is the worldbuilding. As I mentioned before, this world is rich! Castro went into a lot of details without info dumping them. This is really hard to achieve yet he managed it beautifully. I got a sense of how lived in this city is without ever feeling like I was reading a history book. The setting reminds me a bit of Scott Lynch's Camorr, as well as Mark Lawrence's Library trilogy.

The magic system is fantastical. In the beginning I was afraid it might undermine the story due to its inherent nature, but it ended up supporting the themes and the messages Castro wish to tell beautifully. No spoiler but I love the magic Daerna wields. It's pretty out there but it works.

In terms of plot and pacing, this is where I encountered some small problems. Now, I love a story that takes its time to set up, as long as the end is worth the build up. Dream of the Jet-Black City is one of those. While I really enjoy how all the pieces fall into place by the end, I do think the beginning has a few hiccups here and there. To circle back to Geil, I think her backstory is a bit too tell-y and not enough show-y. Ash suffered a little bit, too, but not as much. Another aspect that pulled me out of the story here and there is the dialogues; they can feel a bit YA for my taste. Not a big problem with Ash and Daerna since they are young, but I would have liked a bit more depth in the vocabulary when it comes to the older characters. These are, however, minor complaints.

At the end of the day, I had a tremendous time reading this book. This is a beautiful story about love and hope. If you're a fan of Lynch, Lawrence, and to a degree, Miéville, you should check this one out! I look forward to reading the next book!

[Niamh]

Thank you so much to Zaffre Books for sending me a physical proof to review!

“Ask not, why do we dream? But rather, what light does this dream cast into our shadow”

Dream of the Jet-Black City is an epic fantasy set in the city of Onyxia where and illness has started to run rampant, Dreamers can create things with their imagination and nightmares lurk around every corner.
We follow 3 main characters, chapters alternate between the POVs of Ash; a roofrunner and lightning hunter who has started Dreaming, Daerna; who is a member of the Sisterhood, and Geil who was trained by the Academy and is part Drake, who was easily my favourite character!

What I liked:
- The high stakes involved and what the characters were fighting for.
- The small romance plot ❤️
- The highly imaginative magic system
- Geil (what a badass)

What I didn’t like:
- I found the world building really heavy and honestly was confused at times throughout the book.
- It might just be that this was a proof copy but I think a map and a glossary would have been really useful as I lost track of people and places a lot as they are made up names.
- I think over all the plot was a bit shallow and didn’t expand further than just the city and I didn’t really know where the plot was going at times

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

[CHIARA libri e fusa]

Un dark epic fantasy assolutamente imperdibile!
Ambientato nella città di Onyxia, una città nera che trae energia dai fulmini ⚡ della Tempesta Madre, una tempesta eterna che infuria senza sosta. Dove nella Grande Biblioteca gli incubi prendono vita e per le strade sono i Sogni degli uomini a dare forma a creature mostruose.

Già da queste premesse si capisce quanto questa lettura sia davvero potente, originalissima con il suo sistema magico basato sui sogni, l'ambientazione e il Mondo creato dall'autore.

Ad Onyxia ogni incubo ha un creatore,
ogni sognatore una condanna.

Conosceremo infatti Ash e la sua banda, tutti cacciatori di fulmini che insieme cercano di sopravvivere correndo sui tetti e sognando una vita migliore.
Tutto cambia quando Ash evoca una pantera d’ombra per sopravvivere all’attacco di una creatura. Scopre di avere un talento e che ha un costo: la libertà.

Daerna invece fa parte di una Sorellanza e canta per placare la tempesta eterna, è devota ed è la più brava in questo compito. Quando però viene a sapere di una misteriosa malattia, che si sta diffondendo tra la popolazione della città, sentirà il dovere di aiutare mettendo tutto in discussione.

Geil è una Cacciatrice e una creatura nata da un Sogno e legata alla forma di drago. Mentre caccia gli incubi, incontra una ragazzina e si sente in dovere di salvarla dal subire il suo crudele destino. Dovrà tornare nei luoghi del suo passato da cui era fuggita.

Non riuscivo a staccarmi dalle pagine, tanta è stata la curiosità di sapere come le strade di questi tre personaggi fondamentali potessero intrecciarsi o scontrarsi. Altrettanta la voglia di scoprire dalla parte di chi sarebbero stati e quali sarebbero state le loro scelte. Per i protagonisti niente è facile, non ci sono scelte veramente giuste.

Un fantasy così puro non mi capitava da tempo, capace di trasportarmi in una bella avventura, che ha saputo emozionarmi e catturarmi.
Se vi piacciono le atmosfere cupe e i sistemi magici originali io ve lo straconsiglio.

[Sam]

In the city of Onyxia, where dreams and nightmares can become reality, lightning catchers chase an eternal magical storm whilst a sisterhood sings to calm it's rage.
Ash and his crew stumble across a nightmare when hunting lightning - he dreams a panther of lightning and shadows to save them. But dreamers must either be conscripted into the Academy or find a wealthy patron to train them.
Meanwhile Daerna, one of the singing sisters, is losing faith in her order as she realises that a devastating sickness is being allowed to spread amongst the poor.
And finally Geil, daughter of Ash's new patron, has survived the Academy but not unscathed. She returns to the city and enters into a world of dangerous politics and nightmares.
As each are thrust into new circumstances, the threads they follow lead them to each other and a dark and dangerous threat.

This is an incredibly ambitious story. There are a lot of plot points and characters to follow and different mythologies, religions and magics to get to grips with. A lot of it is very interesting but I struggled to keep hold of it all as I was reading. The characters seemed to always be racing from one unfortunate scenario to another, getting caught up in trouble and escaping just to fall into some other danger - It was breathless to read and I like some moments of slowness- a pause here or there- to really enjoy a story like this. There were ideas and characters that I would have liked explained more or given more depth and really, I think, this could have been a series.

Overall, although not quite for me in the end, an interesting dark fantasy with lots of action and politics to sink your teeth into and a fascinating magical system.

Thanks to Zaffre for providing a netgalley arc for review

[Marco Landi]

Non un libro perfetto, ma pieno di idee creative!!

Si sente che è un libro di debutto, con alcune ingenuità o situazioni un po' troppo facili.. ma la storia è solida, diverte e alla fine mi è piaciuta molto.. anche se non è un fantasy come piacciono a me, ricchi di combattimenti e azione, non annoia mai.. forse a tratti un pochino YA, cosa che personalmente non apprezzo, con personaggi nettamente divisi tra buoni e cattivi, senza la moralità ambigua tipica del grimdark o del dark che lo avrebbe reso più realistico.. ma alla fine resta in ambito Adult, nonostante personaggi un po' giovani e il focus anche sulla storia d'amore.. ma non sfocia mai nel romance, e resta piuttosto funzionale alla trama..

Un grosso punto a favore è di certo il Worldbuilding, con un mondo vasto tutto da scoprire, in questo primo volume però concentrato nella città di Onyxia.. Una sorta di Venezia gotica.. davvero intrigante e ben congeniata.. Così come tutta l'intricata lore su cui si basa, con i potenti e antichi Sognatori, e il sistema magico sui sogni..

Il sistema magico è piuttosto aperto e non troppo vincolato e con la possibilità di fare praticamente tutto.. Se da un lato questo non mi fa impazzire, preferirei fosse ben delineato e limitato, dall'altro lato però funziona bene, da ampio spazio alla fantasia frenetica dell'autore, e alla fine mi ha divertito e incantato un bel po'..

Incubi, sogni, il mondo della veglia in tutti i suoi frangenti.. temi interessantissimi, e all'autore non mancano idee tetre e fantasiose, che un po' mi hanno ricordato i libri di Gareth Hanrahan, tra i miei preferiti, fra l'altro suo amico e mentore..

Insomma un libro ricco di fantasia, con alcune ingenuità, ma che diverte e affascina con il mondo inventato.. Non male anche i personaggi anche se alla fine non mi hanno fatto impazzire, perché un po' poco tridimensionali.. il finale però è conclusivo anche se apre a ulteriori sviluppi.. leggerò di sicuro i prossimi libri sperando anche in un ulteriore maturazione dello stile comunque già buono..

[Anja]

⭐ 3.5/5

This debut really surprised me with how creative the world is. The dream magic, where dreams can become reality by people with the gift to form them, immediately gave the story a very atmospheric and almost surreal feeling. Also there is a sunken library, storms with wild lightning, old gods and mysteries... it all felt very atmospheric and pulled me in.

But I think the author wanted to fit in too much. There's an animal companion, character backstories, relationships establishing and issues, a mysterious illness, a main character who suddenly can use magic and need to learn to use it, and political tensions on top of all that. That's just a lot for one book. Because of this, the characters and their relationships and emotions didn't really get enough room to grow. I was especially sad about the thieves' gang and the panther not playing a big role at all. Many of these ideas were interesting, so I wished they had more space to develop as well as some characters.

Still, there are so many good ideas here and good writing, I will definitely keep an eye on Pablo Valcarcel Castro. I am very curious to see what he does next (I think there is a sequel planned), because I think there is something really special in the world and ideas 🥰

[Stormcatt]

This has some dense world building, so much so, I started annotating. I really enjoyed the premise, the magical system and for the most part, the characters. I wish there was more development of the panther, I wanted him to be more engaging. The only reason this isn’t a 5 star read is because the dialogue was quite stilted throughout and it often took me out of the story. Otherwise this is a solid debut novel and I am looking forward to reading more from this author, I hope it becomes available in the US soon. I had to get my (beautiful) copy from Broken Binding, (Waterstones also ships quite quickly to the US) but as of writing this, it’s not available on US kindle or US Audible, I also could not get it from Barnes and Noble.

[Dalila]

4.5 rounded down. This was precisely the read I needed at the moment, it was the perfect balance of interesting world building and magic, action, characters I liked following and some social commentary. I enjoyed all the themes that were explored: like grief, or the effect of education on a society for example. I knocked down half a star only because I feel like some concepts had more potential and I think were underexplored: an example is the concept of Dreamlings (children of humans and dreamt creations), the implication of what kid of life they would lead was really something that could have been really interesting, but was only brushed over.
The worldbuilding other than that was really good and very interesting.

[M]

Very original idea that kept me interested throughout. I'm normally a reader of flowery doorstopper fantasy, and this is the opposite of that. Quick pacing and tight prose that reads a lot like a crime novel. This would actually be a great intro to fantasy for someone who normally reads thrillers or mysteries, or a good palate cleanser if you've just finished something very heavy and dense.

[Claryz_library_142]

Un epic fantasy decisamente particolare e unico nel suo genere. Sicuramente da molto tempo non leggevo un libro così. Worldbuilding estremamente complesso (avrete pure un glossario a fine libro) e una quantità incredibile di personaggi, cariche politiche, religiose, nobili ecc se cercate un Romantasy andate oltre perché qui la componente romance è davvero minuscola. Qui ciò che regna è la volontà di tre ragazzi i cui destini si intrecciano per salvare il loro mondo da quelle che sono ingiustizie e da un grave morbo che sta colpendo la popolazione. Sicuramente una lettura impegnativa ma davvero bella

[Lara Di Iorio]

4,5✨✨✨
Un'ambientazione originale tanto quanto cupa.
Un world Building complesso e originale, a tratti avrei tanto voluto uno di quegli spiegoni odiosi per non andare in confusione sul perché e per come.
Una storia affascinante che va letta con attenzione per non perdersi tra magia particolare, lotte politiche e religione.
Molto bello e affascinante questo libro ma forse non adatto al periodo estivo afoso😅

[inpageswithlouise]

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC 🫶🏻

This one had a lot of interesting ideas, but it didn’t fully land for me. The worldbuilding is quite heavy from the start, with lots of new places, terms, and names introduced quickly. Because of that I sometimes found it difficult to keep track of how everything fit together, and there were moments where I felt a bit lost. A map or glossary would have made a big difference.

The story takes place in the city of Onyxia, where illness is spreading and certain people known as Dreamers can shape reality through their imagination. It’s a really intriguing concept, especially with the darker presence of nightmares tied into the magic. The magic system itself felt creative and was one of the parts I enjoyed most.

The narrative follows several POVs, which I liked as it allowed the reader to see the same city and events from different emotional perspectives. There’s also a touch of romance running through the story that adds a bit of warmth without taking over the plot.

Despite the strong ideas and clear stakes for the characters, the plot sometimes felt a little difficult to follow for me, partly because of how much information is introduced early on. I wasn’t always sure where the story was heading or how far beyond the city the overall scope was meant to go.

Overall, it’s a fantasy with some imaginative elements and moments of intrigue, but it didn’t come together quite as well as I hoped. I think readers who enjoy very layered, complex worlds will probably appreciate it more than I did.

[Maiev Schattensong]

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC!
I'm sharing my honest review below, all the thoughts are my own.

Slight spoilers ahead!

This was a really ambitious debut novel. However, I often felt that it was trying to work with too many different elements at the same time and at the end, just fell flat.

I enjoyed the writing style and the various, vivid imagery across the whole novel; the tone was consistent and one of the highlights for me. I also enjoyed Geil and her chapters, her character arc had a satisfying and really symbolic end and I got fully invested in her journey.

However, I didn't resonate with the other two PoV characters, they felt a bit underdeveloped and I couldn't really figure out their motivations; they seemed to just go with the flow. Because of that, I couldn't really place the plot either, quick episodes came and passed by, but they weren't cohesive all the time.

I wish we would've learnt more about magic: many interesting concepts were mentioned (literal nightmares coming alive after unconscious drewms, or replicas created of deceased loved ones), but those weren't parts of the story or weren't deeply developed. I was also curious about the Academia, and I hoped that we actually manage to visit the place, before we declare it something to fight against based on purely discussions between characters. I really wanted to experience it, not just off page.

I had mixed feelings about the political intrigue part as well. I felt that all of our characters were a bit far away from that conflict, therefore its delivery remained distant. I was also slightly disappointed with its solution: we ended up having one greedy, evil senator, using an evil entity's cult and simple people's misery for their own gain. It lacked the nuances I would assume about a political intrigue, at the end everyone took either the good, or the evil side easily.

Overall, the story had potential, and probably would have landed better if the elements would've been more thoroughly explored. I don't think I will read the following parts (if there will be any, but the ending seemed hinting at least one sequel), but I will keep my eye on the author!

[Em ☽✦ღ]

Dream of the Jet‑Black City is an ambitious, imaginative fantasy with a lot going on, and while it didn’t fully click for me, there’s plenty here to admire.

The story is set in the city of Onyxia, where illness is spreading and Dreamers can shape reality through their imagination - with nightmares lurking close behind. We follow multiple POVs, and I did enjoy the shifting perspectives, especially as they gave different emotional angles on the same fragile city.

What worked well for me was the sense of stakes. You can feel that the characters are fighting for something that matters, and the magic system is wonderfully inventive. There’s also a light touch of romance that added warmth without overpowering the main plot, which I appreciated.

That said, I did struggle at times with the worldbuilding. It’s very dense, and I often found myself confused about locations, terminology, and how everything fit together - especially with so many invented names introduced quickly. A map or glossary would have helped massively. Because of this, the plot sometimes felt a little hard to track, and I wasn’t always sure where the story was heading or how far its scope was meant to reach beyond the city itself.

Overall, this is a book with strong ideas, creative magic, and moments of real intrigue, but it didn’t quite come together for me as smoothly as I’d hoped. I think readers who enjoy complex, layered fantasy worlds and don’t mind being dropped straight into the deep end will get more out of it than I did.

Thank you so much to Pablo Valcarcel Castro, Zaffre Books, and NetGalley for this eARC!

[Aisha Faisal]

“In Onyxia, even dreams must pay a price, and nightmares always collect first.”

I would like to extend my sincere gratitude for the opportunity to read and review the ARC "Dream of the Jet-Black City" by Pablo Valcárcel Castro.

Stepping into a haunting and unforgettable experience. The atmospheric depth and the unique blend of "New Weird" surrealism provided a truly immersive journey that lingered in my mind long after the final page. Thank you to Zaffre for championing such evocative, boundary-pushing speculative fiction, and to NetGalley for facilitating the connection to this striking piece of literature.

I look forward to sharing these reflections and following future releases from both the author and the imprint.🙏

“Bleeding and crying are the price of living on. Blood can be replenished, tears can refill the eye. Cry to your heart’s content, for it is breath that can’t be replaced.”
— Old Remaker proverb

That single proverb perfectly captures the soul of Dream of the Jet-Black City a world where survival is costly, dreams are dangerous, and every breath feels earned.

This is a dark, immersive fantasy that genuinely feels like Strange the Dreamer collided with The Shadow of the Wind, then got struck by lightning (literally). The jet-black city of Onyxia is one of those settings that immediately sinks its claws into you: storm-powered, starving, secretive, and dripping with atmosphere. The world feels alive, hostile, and fragile all at once.

In my exploration of Dream of the Jet-Black City, I wanted to craft more than just a story; I wanted to build a sensory experience that mirrors the suffocating beauty of an internal collapse. This work is a descent into a world where the sun never rises, and the architecture of the soul is laid bare in shades of obsidian and charcoal. As the creator of this narrative perspective, I invite you to walk through a city that functions on the logic of a fever dream, where every street corner is a confrontation with the self.

The Souls Within the Shadows. The narrative is driven by three hauntingly realized characters:

1. Ash is a rooftop runner surviving in a city powered by living lightning harvested from the endless Motherstorm. His life is already brutal, but things escalate fast when a nightmare creature attacks and Ash discovers he can dream things into reality. The moment he conjures a shadow panther to save himself is a turning point that instantly raises the stakes. Ash is scrappy, desperate, and deeply human, and his arc explores survival, fear, and what it means to wield power you don’t fully understand.

2. Daerna belongs to a devout sisterhood whose role is to sing calming canticles to keep the eternal storm at bay. She’s quiet, disciplined, and driven by faith but not blind faith. When a mysterious sickness spreads through Onyxia and her order chooses to abandon the afflicted, Daerna’s moral conflict becomes impossible to ignore. Her storyline brings emotional weight and ethical tension, asking hard questions about duty, obedience, and compassion in a collapsing society.

3. Geil, easily one of the most compelling characters in the book. She is a creature born of Dream, bound to a Drake form she created during brutal Academy training. She now hunts nightmares, a job that feels both terrifying and tragic, until she encounters a young girl with the dreamer gift. Seeing the same fate looming for this child forces Geil to confront her own trauma and the cruelty of the system that shaped her. Her arc is raw, emotional, and deeply haunting.

Why You Should Read This:

1. Masterful World-Building: If you love atmospheric settings like Sunless Sea or the dark urban grit of Perdido Street Station, the city of Onyxia and the Motherstorm will fascinate you.

2. High-Stakes Character Arcs: The intersection of Ash’s newfound power, Daerna’s moral crisis, and Geil’s tragic transformation creates a narrative tension that never lets up.

3. Themes of Agency and Exploitation: Beyond the "lightning and shadows," this is a deep dive into how societies use (and discard) the dreams of the marginalized to keep their lights running.

4. Visceral Magic: The "dreamer gift" is unique, terrifying, and visually stunning, moving far beyond traditional fantasy tropes.

If I had one small critique, it’s that the density of the world-building may feel overwhelming at first. There’s a lot to absorb terminology, lore, systems but once it clicks, the payoff is absolutely worth it.

My Final Verdict:

Dream of the Jet-Black City is a haunting, cinematic, and deeply emotional journey. It’s a book for those who want to feel the chill of the storm and the heat of a dream turned real. Pablo Valcárcel Castro has created a new classic of the "New Weird" genre that demands to be read with the lights on or perhaps, given its nature, completely in the dark. It is a striking, imaginative fantasy with complex characters, a vividly realized setting, and a haunting exploration of dreams as both salvation and curse. If you love dark, thoughtful fantasy with emotional depth and a slow-burn sense of unease, this one is 100% for you.

[Susanne Krajan]

Ash verdient sein Geld als Blitzjäger und ist dafür auf den Dächern Onyxias unterwegs. Bei einer seiner Jagden stellt sich allerdings heraus, dass weitaus mehr in ihm steckt: Ash ist ein Träumer. Damit gerät er plötzlich ins Visier mächtiger Leute. Für ihn beginnt damit nicht nur die Suche danach, wie er seine neu entdeckte Fähigkeit kontrollieren kann, sondern auch die Frage, was er eigentlich damit anfangen möchte.

Daerna gehört zum Orden der klagenden Schwestern. Ihre Aufgabe ist es, mit Gesängen den Muttersturm zu besänftigen. Doch als sie feststellt, dass sich in den ärmeren Vierteln der Stadt eine Krankheit immer weiter ausbreitet, kann sie nicht einfach wegsehen. Sie macht sich auf die Suche nach einem Heilmittel und legt sich damit gleichzeitig mit einigen mächtigen Leuten an. Wird sie es trotzdem schaffen, den Menschen zu helfen?

Geyl, eine Albtraumjägerin, die auf ungewöhnliche Weise mit den Wesen verbunden ist, die sie jagt. Ihre Zeit an der Akademie hat sie nachhaltig geprägt und sie möchte verhindern, dass andere ein ähnliches Schicksal erleiden. Als sie versucht, ein Mädchen mit starken Albtraumfähigkeiten zu beschützen, wird sie gleichzeitig mit ihrer eigenen Vergangenheit konfrontiert.

Natürlich bekommen wir hier nicht einfach drei voneinander getrennte Geschichten. Vielmehr verfolgen wir drei Handlungsstränge, die nach und nach zueinanderfinden. Intrigen, Machtspiele und die Suche nach Antworten verbinden die drei Figuren und ihre Geschichten miteinander.

Und genau hier lag für mich leider auch eines der größeren Probleme des Buches.

Zu Beginn wird man mit unglaublich vielen Informationen und Begriffen konfrontiert und ich musste erst einmal versuchen, mich in dieser Welt zurechtzufinden. Bei manchen Dingen hat das mit der Zeit gut funktioniert. Die Aufgaben der klagenden Schwestern, der Blitzjägergilde und der Akademie wurden für mich beispielsweise immer verständlicher. Wenn auch nicht bei Allen deren Sinnhaftigkeit. Siehe die klagenden Schwestern.

Bei anderen Dingen blieben allerdings bis zum Ende einige Fragezeichen zurück. Wofür genau gibt es die anderen Schwesternschaften? Wie funktioniert das mit den Träumen eigentlich genau? Wer steht politisch mit wem in Verbindung und wer hat tatsächlich wie viel Macht? Und was genau hat es eigentlich mit diesem ewigen Muttersturm auf sich?

Dabei fand ich gerade die Idee hinter dem Träumen wirklich interessant. Menschen können durch ihre Träume Dinge erschaffen, wodurch ein spannendes und ungewöhnliches Magiesystem entsteht. Für mich persönlich wurde dieses Konzept allerdings nicht ausreichend greifbar. Vielleicht lag es auch einfach daran, dass ich bei den vielen Informationen irgendwann den Überblick verloren habe. Die Einblicke, die man auf gewisse erträumte Wesen bekommt, waren wirklich spannend, aber die Erklärungen dahinter zu flach bzw. zu wenig.

Gut gefallen haben mir die drei unterschiedlichen Perspektiven. Dadurch bekommt man ganz verschiedene Einblicke in das Leben in Onyxia und erlebt aus unterschiedlichen Blickwinkeln, wo die Probleme der Stadt liegen und womit die einzelnen Charaktere zu kämpfen haben. Gerade dadurch wurde die Geschichte für mich im Laufe der Zeit auch immer besser.

Mein Interesse an der Handlung ist im Verlauf definitiv gestiegen. Je mehr die einzelnen Handlungsstränge miteinander verbunden wurden, desto neugieriger wurde ich darauf, wie alles zusammenhängt. Trotzdem blieb bei mir leider dieses Gefühl zurück, dass ich vieles nicht ganz verstanden oder richtig eingeordnet habe.

Fazit

Die Grundidee von Dream of the Jet-Black City hat mir wirklich gut gefallen. Besonders das Konzept des Träumens, die düstere Atmosphäre und die verschiedenen Charakterperspektiven fand ich spannend. Auch die Seuche und Daernas Suche nach einem Heilmittel haben einen interessanten zusätzlichen Handlungsaspekt eingebracht.

Trotzdem konnte mich das Buch insgesamt leider nicht vollständig überzeugen. Mir waren es einfach zu viele offene Fragen und zu viele Dinge, bei denen ich das Gefühl hatte, den Zusammenhang nicht richtig zu verstehen. Gerade beim Thema Träumen hätte ich mir mehr Erklärungen und etwas mehr Tiefe gewünscht.
Schade, denn die Geschichte hatte für mich definitiv Potenzial. Leider habe ich mich in Onyxia über weite Strecken nicht so richtig zurechtgefunden, wodurch mir auch ein Stück weit der Lesespaß verloren gegangen ist. Am Ende sind es daher leider nur 3 Sterne für mich

[Matthew Rettino]

The opening scene begins with a terrifying escape from a library haunted by Nightmares, so it feels fitting that this world is introduced to us through its in-world books. I loved how Pablo Valcárcel Castro constructs the world around it through the excerpts from in-world texts at the beginning of each chapter. They range from Onyxian classics reminiscent of Plato and Machiavelli to even blood-soaked graffiti left on a wall.

We end up with a sense of the books that would be on a typical oneirocrat’s shelf—or possibly, in the catalogue of books printed by Ash’s father, a printer by trade.

The depiction of the library itself calls to mind famous literary libraries, like Umberto Eco’s in The Name of the Rose, or Borges’s infinite library, a labyrinth so large you can get lost in it. Without being too spoilery, I can say I was glad that the story eventually returns to that setting. A reference to Tolkien’s “leaf-mould” of stories was not lost on me (from "On Fairy-Stories"), and it’s partly through this leaf-mould of in-world texts that the Onyxia comes alive.

It’s been said Ash, the protagonist, has a dreamchanted black panther named Omen that has some serious main character energy. I have to agree! I loved how Ash’s quest begins with him finding animal companion—a bit like Pokémon! Ash is a Lightning-Hunter who scours the rooftops of Onyxia for lightning bolts that fall from the Motherstorm. He captures them in onyx orbs, to use or sell, and the opening scene where he is chased by gargoyles on the rooftops is riveting.

I thought Geil’s journey was compelling. A monster-hunter shaped by the brutal Academy, she can Dream modifications to her body using the drake she has been joined with. Geil’s drake represents the wrath boiling within her, which she frequently has to keep under control. As a sort of mutant, she reminded me of Geralt of Rivia (The Witcher). And like Geralt, she has the goal of protecting a young girl: one who has just learned she’s a Dreamer and would be broken psychologically and physically by the Academy if she were taken to be trained.

Daerna, the third viewpoint character, is a Wailing Sister mandated to sing hymns of grief to the Motherstorm, the eternal storm that overhangs the bleak city of Onyxia. However, she is not content to grieve passively. She is an advocate for building a better world, and tries to protect Ash from the Academy while also setting out to find why Onyxia’s poor are suffering from a mysterious plague that might have magical origins...

One minor quibble of mine is that the “dream-based” magic system seems based on imagination rather than actual dreams. Dreams are unconscious events that happen in our sleep, and often don’t make sense to our waking minds. It would be interesting in future books to see how, or if, it is possible to dreamchant elements from unconscious dreams: imagine the unlikely and surreal Nightmares that might walk around Onyxia! However, I think dreamchanting and oneirocrat are excellent coinages, and it makes poetic sense to call the magic-users Dreamers. It’s a dream-based magic system in the broader sense of “dream.”

There is definitely a dark vein that runs through this epic fantasy. It is very much about grief, guilt, and survival in a cutthroat world. But it’s also about imagining a world that can be better and protecting what, and who, you love.

[Baccata]

3,5 Stars!
"Dream of the Jet-Black City" transports readers to the gloomy city of Onyxia -- a place where disease is rampant, eternal storms rage, and so-called Dreamers can turn their visions into reality. At the same time, nightmarish creatures lurk everywhere, causing the line between dream and horror to become increasingly blurred.
The story is told from several perspectives, primarily those of Ash, a rooftop runner and lightning hunter who suddenly begins to dream himself; Daerna, who is part of a religious sisterhood; and Geil, a nightmare hunter with a particularly tragic past. It is precisely through these different perspectives that one gains varied impressions of the city and its conflicts, even if not every character resonated with me equally strongly. I found Geil by far the most interesting.

What immediately stood out for me was the atmosphere. Onyxia feels alive, oppressive and fascinating all at once. The magic system centred on dreams and nightmares was incredibly creative and definitely the book’s greatest strength. The dark mood and the high stakes also ensured that I wanted to keep reading. You can also tell just how many exciting ideas are woven into the world, and especially in the second half, the various plot threads start to intertwine more and more effectively.

However, I did have a few difficulties with the book, particularly at the start. The world-building is extremely dense and throws the reader straight into the thick of it without much explanation. There are lots of made-up terms, places and characters, which meant I often lost track of things. A map or a glossary would have really benefited the book. At times, I also wasn’t quite sure where the plot was actually heading or how broad the story’s scope was supposed to be. Some characters also remained too one-dimensional for me, even though their backstories actually had a lot of potential. I found the little romantic interludes nice, but they didn’t quite win me over emotionally.

Nevertheless, the book had something incredibly unique and visually striking about it that has stayed with me. It is definitely a fantasy story that demands a lot from the reader and is best suited to people who enjoy complex, atmospheric worlds and don’t mind feeling a bit lost at first. For me, it was ultimately an exciting, creative book with strong ideas and weaknesses in its execution.

thank you alot NetGalley and Bonnier Books UK for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book early through an eARC <3

[Emma Jones]

Thank you NetGalley and Bonnier Books for the ARC.

Firstly, WOW, secondly, I need a minute...
Ok, this was good! You’ve got fantastic world building, a very unique magic system built on dreams and nightmares, and a story that slowly pulls a lot of threads together.

I had a bit of a mixed start with this, but I ended up really enjoying it! It definitely leans into proper epic fantasy, so I wouldn’t hand it to someone as their first in the genre. There’s a lot to take in and it expects you to keep up, especially early on.

The worldbuilding is gorgeous, but quite heavy at times. I won’t lie, I felt a bit overwhelmed by how many characters get introduced in the first 35%, and it took me a while to settle into who was who. Once you do settle into it though, you can see how they all fit together and why they mattered, which made it much more satisfying.

There’s a lot of really clever ideas in here, and I liked how the different storylines start to share purpose as things progress. That was probably my favourite part of the whole book as once I fully connect to the plot, I'm in!

Character-wise, I found myself much more drawn to Geil and Daerna. Their arcs felt a bit more grounded and engaging, and I was always a little bit more interested when the story was following them. Ash, didn’t quite land the same way for me. Part of that was how quickly he seemed to get to grips with his powers, which made his journey feel a little rushed.

Overall, I’m really glad I stuck with this. It’s one of those books that asks a bit more from you, but if you’re into detailed, high fantasy worlds, it’s worth it, I promise!

[Veronica (vero._.fantasy)]

🌹Dream of the Jet- Black City è un romanzo con un worldbuilding originale. Sorprende e ammalia già dalle prime pagine. Uno tra i più originali che io abbia letto ultimamente.

🌹Un mondo dove i Sogni diventano realtà... letteralmente. Una città alimentata dalla Tempesta Madre, anima e sostentamento. Ma la città è pervasa da una malattia e, sebbene la risoluzione sia più filosofica di quello che mi aspettassi, non mi è dispiaciuta. Ma non temete. Un cattivo c'è.

🌹La complessità è sia nel worldbuilding sia nel numero dei personaggi che incontriamo. Quindi l'attenzione deve sempre essere al massimo.

🌹Ho però amato la città di Onyxia, la realtà che si fonde con i Sogni, ho amato gli Incubi che scaturiscono dalla mente avvelenata dalla paura. L'Accademia (che qui è davvero dark!) che tempra coloro che hanno l'abilità di sognare. Ho apprezzato la voglia di cambiare le cose, fonte di ispirazione per tutti. Un mondo corrotto dove gli ultimi non si lasciano sopraffare, ma vogliono la libertà.

🌹Le descrizioni vivide rendono il worldbuilding ancora più interessante da scoprire. In una città viva, che respira, ascolta, trema... l'autore vi porterà alla scoperta di luoghi sommersi, luoghi incantati e quartieri fatiscenti corrotti dalla malattia.

🌹È stato un viaggio intenso, con alti e bassi, ricco di p3ricoli, ricco di strategie politiche, tradimenti e scoperte.

🌹Lo consiglio se amate i dark fantasy intensi, con un wordbuilding complesso, ma davvero originale e dove la filosofia si intreccia con la realtà, per andare oltre...

[A Bookworm Crafts]

In this book, we follow Ash, Daerna and Geil, three very different characters whose stories unfold in the magical city of Onyxia. Ash is a rooftop runner and lightening hunter who unexpectedly discovers he can dream a shadow panther into existence; Daerna belongs to a sisterhood trying to pacify the eternal storm that looms over the city; and Geil is a dreamer bound to a drake form who is forced to confront the past she tried to escape.

This fantasy book had a really interesting premise. The magic system, based on dreams and nightmares being twisted into reality, is very imaginative, and the oppressive atmosphere of the city makes for a great sitting. It is also beautifully written, with very lyrical writing.

I did find it a little too long overall. There are a lot of different plot points and perspectives and it does feel as though it's trying to do too much at once. I feel like the narrative could have a bit more focused, perhaps by focusing on less characters or less of the wider politics.

That said, I happily read it until the end and loved how imaginative it was.

A recommended read for fans of Brandon Sanderson, Mark Lawrence and dark fantasy with intricate worldbuilding.

Thank you to NetGalley and Zaffre Books for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[mo • lesmotsdemo]

It was an intriguing read but I had some issues with it. The universe and the magic system were undeniably the strengths of the story, I thought they were well-developed and had a grim atmosphere to them that I really enjoyed. The magic system felt quite unique and intense. The plot was also quite nicely done, especially in the second half of the story. I do believe the narrative choice to bring multiple points of view to this story was a good choice, it fit the plot. However, I did not like the eyes through which I discovered the plot as it unfolded. The characters were quite unengaging and not very developed, unlike the rest of the novel. They felt quite flat and weak compared to the source material and the plot. It needed stronger and more memorable characters to really grip me. Geil was the most interesting of them all but I did not connect with her. Some side characters were more compelling. And I also did not like the romances, they added nothing to the story. There was no chemistry between the characters and again, they felt under-developed.

Thank you to Netgalley for an e-ARC in exchange for a honest review.

[Laura]

There's a lot to like about this fantasy debut, but the real star of the show is the author's complex, layered worldbuilding, which really makes this world feel like it exists and has a rich history. There's plenty of politics and class strife, a fantastic magic system, a smidge of romance, and an intricate plot. It has the feel of an old-school epic fantasy, while being inclusive.
What didn't quite work for me was the level of the prose (although very accessible) and some of the character work. I would have liked a little bit more of a demonstration as to why the characters in romances liked each other in the beginning. But if you're not a character-driven reader then you might not mind.
But I do think this is a good book from a debut author, and if great worldbuilding and cool magic systems are your thing (you can create your own magical animal companion - very cool!), then give this one a go.
Thank you so much to Bonnier Books UK via NetGalley for giving me the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[BookishSteph1]

This is such a hard one to rate for me as I loved the world-building and the magic system but I didn’t enjoy the characters wrap-up so much. I felt a little disconnected with them at the end and felt like I was waiting for more. More with Ash’s training, more with Geil’s back story, just a bit more. If this was a series, I would be ok with that and know that I would be getting more as the series progressed. As a standalone, I was left enjoying it, being impressed with the world and magic, but feeling a little like I was missing something.

The writing was great and the world was so vivid and well developed, the characters were clear in my mind and I had started to care about them. I just needed a little bit more. Maybe more of a conclusion or a few extra chapters at the end. That’s a good thing though - if the characters weren’t so good then I wouldn’t care or want more.

So, in conclusion, a wonderfully crafted story with great world-building, strong characters, an interesting and unique magic system and a mysterious and distinctive setting with the city of Onyxia.