Vault of Dreams

by Luke Taylor

Albanland. Emerald hills and ice blue lochs, bordered by Nørds raiders and the haughty monarchs of South Angle, each dynasty eager to seize lands weakened by a civil war in which a usurper has risen to seize the cloven throne.
Morgance, Faer Princess of the Night.
And by her side, the fearsome Ultan Skölhammer, sworn Guardian of the Crown.
But Rhoswen, rightful heir to the throne, princess in exile, leads a final uprising from the depths of the forest, an uprising that twists together the lives of the most unlikely companions.
A notorious thief accused of a crime she did not commit.
A baird apprentice searching for the meaning of life.
A pair of brothers who can’t seem to stay out of trouble.
And a gypsy bound to the ancient artifact known only as the Vault of Dreams.

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

450 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2016

About the author

Luke Taylor is an author and musician from Renton, Washington.

He has been writing since age 7 and playing guitar since age 13, publishing 7 novels across several genres and the instrumental hard rock album, Perpetual Winter, available on all digital platforms. He has also released an album with his melodic death metal band, Skölhammer, called Tiger's Tail, which is available both digitally and as a CD Digipak. For more information on Luke and his music, check out Luke's website

Luke has several series and standalone novels in the works.

Luke is happy to accept your friend request and hopes one of the many books or songs he has written will feel like it's written just for you.

Reviews

[Luke Taylor]

This book changed my life. I love it so much, I named my band after one of the characters! :D

[Lonna | FLYLēF · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dear Luke,

It’s my first time writing a review in the form of a letter. I simple didn’t want to write any review; I wanted to write a review to you. My single greatest regret is that I’m only rating Vault of Dreams 4 of 5. Yes, I’m horrible. But, I know that you’d want my honest review above all else, and I would give you nothing less than that.

Rare is it that I find myself so privileged to read an author’s work. You write with such beautiful and romantic prose, yet Vault of Dreams is still grounded with conflicts that mirror the depths and struggles of the harsh realities of life. The richness of your writing, though gorgeous, was challenging for me in that it reduces the story's momentum from building and distracts from the overall pacing.

That being said, the perk of very lyrical prose is obviously stunning world-building. Albandland is absolutely otherworldly. It’s atmospheric and haunting. With its misty lochs and ancient castles, Vault of Dreams was a majestic picture reminiscent of the lush Highlands.

With a total of eight characters to fall in love with, the extensive cast reminds me of Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, which coincidentally is one of the authors that has influenced your writing. Having read both your and her book, I can definitely see the inspiration. I didn’t find any characters to be overly generalized, but rather thoughtful and well developed, and their interactions were dynamic and synergistic. My favorite character is Aerlyn O’Rye—the Thistle—a thorn, a heroine, and a thief. She is a standout character amongst this stellar cast. She is resilient in her conviction to do what is right “for the betterment of others.” That resolve in her character really resonates with me.

Readers will surely find companionship with perhaps Aerlyn, as I have, or her friends:

Ultan, Guardian of the Crown and a mythical hero;

Morgance, Faer Princess of the Night and usurper of the Crown;

Rhoswen, Princess of the Throne, Hier of the Crown of Albandland;

Nevan and Niles, two brothers with a penchant for trouble;

Quill, an insatiable apprentice;

And Finleigh, a gypsy with a deep connection to the Vault of Dreams.

(These names are lovely, Luke!)

Together, they are like a tapestry. Where one character’s thread may feel a bit loose, another will tighten it, resulting in an intricately woven story filled with tension, mystery, intrigue, and soul-searing romance.

I know you’ve poured your heart into writing this, and that is more than any reader can ask. The one thing I took away from this story is that vengeance is powerful, but forgiveness is godly—an idea that is so consuming. I would highly recommend this story to anyone. For, Vault of Dreams is an engrossing page-turner that climaxes with many heartbreaking twists. Thank you for taking me on this journey with you.

With deepest regards,
Lonna

[Luna. ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

RTC

[JohnnyBoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was such an epic adventure! I thoroughly enjoyed it. What made this novel stand out was the writing style; I've never experienced this kind of style it was very beautiful and majestic; however, there were times it became overwhelming which was taking away the main focus of the events that was happening at that moment. You can immediately tell that Luke is so passionate about his world and his characters it sucks you in immediately; you don't want to leave this beautiful place!

The characters were so well thought out I loved every single one of them but my favorites were the brothers and the gypsy. I loved the fact that there were multiple povs that, for me, adds another dimension to the story-line, plus it gives you the chance to get to know the characters more in depth which makes you appreciate the story even more and Luke has done that so well!. The only small negative point was that i wanted the dialogues to last a bit longer other than that it was great. It gave me the feeling that i was watching an amazing ep of GoT! I want to see this novel turned into a movie though, and I wish there was a sequel! Overall that was excellent! Amazing job Luke!

[Minni Mouse · Rating 1 out of 5]

Here’s my overall review of this book in five simple words: I didn’t care for it.

Three of my absolute favorite movies happen to be Michael Bay films: Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, and the first Transformers film. Michael Bay often gets blasted for his “paint by numbers” filmmaking. Critics say that his action scenes are supercharged with cheap-thrill clichés and that he relies too heavily on fast camera changes, flashing lights, colors, and explosions.

In my mind, however, what’s not to love about Transformers? It gets major “just the right ingredients” points for an entertaining action movie: a funny boy, a hot girl, romance between said boy and girl, a straight-forward plot, brilliantly humor, talking robots, shiny cars, flashy special effects, and killer action scenes.

Another absolute favorite movie of mine is The New World by Terrence Malick. The delicacy of that movie is due to its natural cinematography, haunting score, emotional narrative, and simple tenderness. It’s a film that strikes so pure that I cannot describe the experience as anything else other than spiritual.

Yet another film of Malick’s is The Tree of Life. Some people praised The Tree of Life as profound, ambitious, vast, and a fiercely magnificent evocation of human existence. I thought the fifteen minute “cosmos sequence” was the longest and most confusing fifteen minutes of my life. (If you’re curious, check it out HERE.)

If books like An Ember in the Ashes and The Winner’s Curse have the “just the right ingredients” chemistry like a Michael Bay film and Daughter of the Forest the tender beauty of The New World, then Vault of Dreams has the artistry and romanticism like Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life.

Depending on your taste, that may or may not be a good thing. (The Tree of Life WAS nominated for an Academy Award, after all...)

THE GOOD
1) The author knows what he wants and he knows how he wants to do it. There’s enough foreshadowing and attention to detail that you know early on you’re in for a complex, well-nurtured, multi-layered experience. By the end, we see the immediate and bigger picture themes that he wants us to take away.

2) Lyrical, artistic writing is the key to epic High Fantasy moments. There are a few scenes in Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy that are humbling and borderline majestic, such as when Aragon and the Prince of Ithilien storm the Pelennor Fields and when the Hobbits leave Aragon at the border of the Shire.

Along the same principle, the author is able to use his rousing aptitude with words to convey either the magnitude of a moment…

[He] lost himself in that tremendous rush of human emotion, torn from the throat to rage against the oppressive sky clinging lower and lower to the misty hills and the deadly stones tumbling from its slate skin, and before he knew it, he was moving, tears streaming his eyes to whip the horse into full gallop, riding on a surge of voices rushing to close the distance between the living and the dead.

…or the bleakness of a moment.

Death was in the air, stalking whom it willed, whom it pleased. The silent executioner, the thief of a single moment in time, slicing the spine of those who had their back turned, stopping the pulse of them who dared take a moment to catch their breath.

3) Epic high fantasy. A few chapters in, you know that the scope of the characters and what they're up against is BIG. Each character-each sentence, really-is infused with so much passion and creativity that what could have been yet another generic YA teeny bopper fantasy became suuurious. The narration was appropriately mystical and mature to give it an almost Tolkien vibe, which I very much appreciated.

4) What I interpreted to be allusions to Christianity and/or the gospel of Christ.

She was no longer barefoot, no longer clothed in simple linen that shimmered like white pearls […] she had dreamed a dream that would not die, and the world she had seen would be her pallet and brush.

Why is this important to me? It adds scope and depth.

“For there is no greater love to be given from one man to another than to give up your life for your brother…”

THE BAD
The poetic/lyrical/artistic/whatever-you-kids-are-calling-it-these-days style of writing made it extremely difficult to enjoy this book. Call it a matter of person opinion but here’s where too much artistic narration was troublesome for me:

1) The pacing. Too much vivid descriptions slow down a story’s pacing, which isn’t something you want during action scenes or during expository dialogue. You don’t want anything to distract the reader away from what’s important.

”I’ve been looking for you.” He said, which made Finleigh smile hollowly, to think Rhoswen had once said the same thing and now here she was, about to be an agent of the Crown Heir some thought had been killed, others wished to be killed, and others still who would gladly kill in the name of to restore the Throne to the memory of her father.

“And here I am.” Finleigh said, flatly, her bubbliness subdued and hushed by the emptiness around her. Nearly a mile away, the camp was feasting in preparation of their leaving of the forest, finally ready to head north and exact Rhoswen’s revenge upon Faer Morgance.

[…] “Oh, the tattoo…” Nevan rubbed the back of his neck again, ruffling his brown hair, which, like the color of his eyes, was nondescriptly Alban in the way that he could get lost in a crowd. All his life he’d been marked as something other than what he was, if he even knew what it was that he was, soaking up the skipped-over judgments and believing in their lies.

In this scene, what’s important is what Finleigh and Nevan are trying to say to each other. What didn’t add to the reader’s understanding of their immediate conversation were lines of thought on Rhoswen, descriptions of where the camp was located, and Nevan’s status of an outcast. I struck out everything that I thought wasn’t crucial to the immediate moment and therefore would have axed for the sake of pacing.

2) Not enough unique character voices. Let the characters speak more for themselves. Dialogue is how I form a character’s personality in my head – which words they chose, how they say it, and how they react to others should all be dialogue that is both distinct and interesting to read.

In one instance, we have 3/4 of a page filled with descriptive imagery of hardened looks and embers that caught the forest on fire with revolution, etc. Powerful words. But at the end of that segment/chapter, the last line reads as Finleigh’s italicized thought bubble to herself.

I love this land with everything I am, my Queen, and I’ll do whatever you want me to in order to save it.

Ooooh, I would have loved to see that thought bubble—and others like it—spoken in simple dialogue instead.

3) Most importantly? The writing was distracting. Lots of literary modifiers grouped throughout this book. Too many modifiers. More modifiers than there were witches in Truthwitch . And it was tiring. Distracting. By the time we were done with a statement, I had forgotten what the original subject was.

The colorful gypsies of Nairnsmoor and beyond mingled through the square in their bold hues, beckoning the shiny-faced and open-palmed off to the spicy-smelling side streets where their carts served salty flatbreads and skewered lamb dripping with thick red and green sauces and flamboyantly painted booths promised muster and fortune in folds of darkness.

That segment is fine by itself. Rich, even. Now, imagine that paragraph...and imagine nearly endless more just like it. Piled on top of each other, one after another. Throughout the entire book. Wedged between action scenes, dialogue, and narrative exposition. At some point, what was once lyrical and seductive became overkill and watery, running everywhere, diluting the threads holding our plot momentum together.

Even just one sentence could be exhausting; I found myself needing breaks or hoping for a change of pace to keep things interesting.

He could do nothing about it now, nothing about his guilt, his regret, his wondering if the love of the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen would’ve eaten him alive like he always thought or if he’d misinterpreted the whole damn thing, just a man who could never see straight because he’d grown under the shadow of a half-blood and self-hate, tempered with an inherited addiction to large quantities of whiskey, deep-rooted in the pain of killing his own Nord brothers because the Crown gave him no other choice.

THE VERDICT: 2.5 STARS
What the two stars boil down to, perhaps, is personal taste. There were a lot of “wowzer!” moments in this book as well as moments where I could have been awed by the vastness of the author’s ambitions and creativity, much like I was by The New World.

This book became a The Tree of Life to me, however, and while some people may appreciate the journey through the lyricism and artistry, I’m the kind of gal who’s in it for the destination and how focused we are in getting there.

An ARC of this book was received by the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Nastassja · Rating 2 out of 5]

*Thank you to the author for providing me with a physical ARC of this book*

This book was hard to read. It took me almost eight months to finish it, and partly because I read physical copies rarely these days, it took me longer to actually find some time during the daylight to read a few chapters here and there. But the most challenging among all was to wade myself through book's words and metaphors. And trust me, Vault of Dreams is full of metaphors.

Don't get me wrong, the writing is intrinsic and beautiful, but sometimes when you see too much beauty at once, it makes your head ache.

The Blade of the Champion.
So much had been promised.
So much would be realized.
And Ultan looked up to the sun above> making its way through its own blue and white sea of sky and cloud. Luna would rise by the time he reached the distant shores of Nord rule.
Once again he was ready to fight.
Once again he was ready to die.

The quote above is really beautifully written, isn't it? But look, on the next page there's beautiful words again:

And just like the good luck piece carved into a merchant ship's bow, Ultan refused to move during the crossing, staring daggers into the slender curve of infinity, scarcely blinking as he hardened himself deep inside to become the sword unsheathed to divide the world asunder.

And when you turn the next page there's more beautiful words, and on the next page and so on. The whole book is one lyrical poem. It felt like I wasn't reading an actual solid story, but some kind of a spiritual fairy-tale filled with poetic writing and metaphor upon metaphor. Sometimes I am in the mood for such stories, but when there's 400+ pages to behold, it's really hard to get through pompous speeches to the bottom of the story. I think 300+ pages would've been enough for this book.

The plot itself was obscured by the elaborate writing too. I often lost a thread of conversation between two characters, because one of them would go into epic introspection that would go on and on, even for a few paragraphs at times(!), and often these thoughts were insubstantial, just some unnecessary details that take attention from the dialogue. Less thinking and more words between characters would've been nice. And again, why can't the characters talk in a simpler language, without lyrical stuff flying from their tongues all the time?

Let alone a lot of chapters end with epic words. What I mean is:

But her smile was a whisper, just a faint ghost of moonlight illuminating alabaster skin.

Even thought hell was not on his heels.
Just a woman, named The Thistle.
Robed in darkness, clothed in wind and rain.

And with that, Faer Morgance whisked away through the door, leaving Brandon stunned in a wash of jasmine and image that would plague his dreams for the rest of his life.
Least of all the imprint of her hand, burning on his skin.

I will not make and exit until it is of an epic proportions, right?

As for the plotline, it was a nice story about people fighting for their land and beliefs. Yes, we've seen all of it before, but the author managed to create quite a brutal but beautiful world, at the same time - Albanland. The descriptions of nature were especially vivid, and, overall, added to the book's atmosphere which was pretty dark.

And that leads me to the book's genre. It's marked as young-adult. I've read a lot of YA books in my life and for me VoD didn't feel like a YA book. And it's not a bad thing, on the opposite, the story has a more mature subtext in spite of characters' pretty young age, and I was absolutely okay with that. Plus, in the end the story manged to surprise me with a twist I didn't see coming and, overall, the ending was sad but somehow suiting the book's mood.

The characters - there were 6 narrators if I am not mistaken - were nice, and I was pretty much rooting for all of them, even the villains. Yes, yes, the main villain in this book is not evil and one-dimensional. My favorites are brothers Nevan and Niles. They were so endearing and funny; they definitely made this book's mood lighter for me. They are like the boys next door, and what girl can resist that (well, definitely not this girl).

All in all, I am really sad that this book failed to impress me. I was really looking forward to reading it, but, as I said before, the writing style made it really hard for me to get through the story, and there's nothing that can be done or undone about it. It's not necessarily a flaw; a lot of people will find the writing suiting their taste, so I would not dissuade anyone from reading this book. Also, I really wanted to add more quotes to underline my point of view, and I might add them later, but for now I don't have enough time for that (or desire as I am really lazy when it comes to writing (in my case typing) the quotes from the physical copy of a book by hand). But I would highly recommend to check my friend Mimi's review if you are looking for a more detailed and well-argumented opinion. She nailed perfectly my feelings about this book.

[Svetlana Dyachenko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time, the infinite enemy of all, unforgiveness and irreversibility weapons borne in each of its hands, crushing hills and quenching rivers like a giant fist crashing upon the land.

If someone asks me to describe this book by one word, then I will choose “charming” Why? Now, I will try to explain that.

This is not an average YA book with the chosen one and her love troubles against the backdrop of the world, which is falling apart. The highlight of this book are the characters, namely their feelings, emotions and relationships between them. And I must say all of the characters are alive, they are vivid, they are colorful, they are lucid! They all had their dreams, hopes and fears.

But I know I can stop this war that’s about to take place. It wasn’t just Albans and Nørds. It was everybody. Everybody and everything. Fighting and dying. I love life. And I love it here. There’s got to be a way to break this curse.

I will face my fear and I will be set free.

“Hope is like a sea. Sometimes you have so much of it you can drown in it. You need something firm to hold on to.” Rhoswen dipped her forehead toward the strawberry, eyebrows nearly touching. “You need something to believe in. Not hope. Believe.”

So I cannot single out my favorite character, I like them all, except maybe Morgance (too hysterical) and Rhoswen (too bossy).

Let’s talk about the writing style. The author has a beautiful style with a lot of poetic describes and fascinating metaphors, which captivate the reader. But at some moments the author overdid it, so I lost the story thread and it distracted me from the story, but a little and it did not prevent to enjoy the book.

Also, I want to highlight the structure of the book. We meet the characters gradually, and at the beginning of the book they are separated, but at a certain point of the story their paths cross. Exactly in this point the story reaches its climax.
We can see this story from different angles depending on POV, from which the book benefits.
That's probably all I wanted to say.

Overall, this book was pretty good, yes, this one has some flaws, but I did enjoy it.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pros:
• The main characters are very well thought out.
• I liked the concept of the plot and structure of this book.
• Aerlyn was strong and brave and throughout the book I admired her, BUT my favourite character was one that she met along her journey, I don't want to say who as I don't want to spoil the story, but he was amazing and kind and sweet and selfless..
• The relationships between the characters are tangled and interesting to follow.
• VoD Contains several stories told through constantly changing POVs. And I love books with multiple POVs ^_^
• Morgance, who is creepy and too possessive over Ultan. I like when a character evokes strong feelings. Even negative.
• I did enjoy the twists and turns of the end.

Cons:
• Luke Taylor seems to switch constantly between simplicity and complexity when constructing his sentences (or lengthy descriptions). That does not mean that the writing is bad, only perhaps that the style does not suit my tastes completely. For me, it was a bit hard to follow at first, but I got used to his writing style.
• As for the story itself I felt like there could have been a bit more editing involved.

I felt like the story wrapped up very well to either continue the story or to keep it as a standalone. Ending a story can be very difficult but I think that Luke Taylor did a good job with this one.

[Julie Eshbaugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to receive an advance copy of VAULT OF DREAMS by Luke Taylor. This book tackles so many challenges, and it succeeds at them all! First, let me say something about the language. The prose in VAULT OF DREAMS is rich and lyrical, so much so that it sweeps you into the magical world it describes and holds you there as if hypnotized. The book introduces you to eight characters, and as you read, each of their individual stories intertwines to tell the epic tale of a mythical place and time. There are deep themes of redemption and forgiveness, but also light passages that make you laugh out loud.
The characters are amazing—passionate, engaging, and nuanced. Each one walks their own Hero’s Journey, questioning ancient traditions and values, struggling on the battlefield and also within their own hearts. Each has their own strengths and vulnerabilities, some have loads of humor, all have tons of heart.
VAULT OF DREAMS is an epic fantasy brought to life by glorious prose, and I’m so excited for Luke to share it with the world!

[Amber Hetchler · Rating 5 out of 5]

All right, deep breath.

Definitely my favourite of Luke's that I've read so far. I read it whenever I had a moment to spare.

Alright, why not start with the characters? Characters? What characters? These were real people! Loved that character development and how real everyone felt. That's the most important aspect of a book in my opinion. You could have the shittiest storyline in the history of shitty storylines and I will love it to peices if you have stellar charaters.
And the thing is, it didn't have a shitty storyline either. It was stunning. I couldn't find anything wrong with it, honestly.

There are two people in particular that you should read this book for though. Aerlyn and Niles. Both perfect for different reasons, but I promise you will love them both.

And, as always, Luke's beautiful storytelling ability and poetic writing added a peaceful, magical element with wonderful descriptions.
This book is not to be missed.















I just realized how much I cussed in this review. *ahem* Please excuse my potty mouth. I've thought about using the little stary things, you know? But you know what I mean and you say it in your head anyway. F***. See, you did it didn't you!





Or I could just stop swearing.






nah

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very kindly given a hard copy of this book by the author, Luke Taylor, in an exchange for an honest review. And boy am I glad he did.

This book isn't just a book, it isn't words on paper, it is an entire world filled with real people, love, hate, war and peace. This book made me feel in a way that connected me to Albanland and its inhabitants and, now it is over, it has left a void like only the best books can.

A genuine pleasure to read and it fills me with genuine sadness to know that it's all over.

[Rose Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emerald hills and ice blue lochs, bordered by Nørds raiders and the haughty monarchs of South Angle, each dynasty eager to seize lands weakened by a civil war in which a usurper has risen to seize the cloven throne.
Morgance. Faer Princess of the Night.
And by her side, the fearsome Ultan Skölhammer, sworn Guardian of the Crown.
But Rhoswen, rightful heir to the throne, princess in exile, leads a final uprising from the depths of the forest, an uprising that twists together the lives of the most unlikely companions.
A notorious thief accused of a crime she did not commit.
A baird apprentice searching for the meaning of life.
A pair of brothers who can’t seem to stay out of trouble.
And a gypsy bound to the ancient artifact known only as the Vault of Dreams.

Well. Where do I start? It seems I always have this problem but this time, it’s for a good reason. When I first received the book, curtesy of author Luke Taylor, I took a look at the synopsis on the back and immediately thought to myself, If Luke can pull off telling the stories of 8 different characters as beautifully and masterfully as he has worked his characters in his other novels, then I should be paying WAY more attention to his writings.

Well, folks. He did. And to be honest it’s kind of blowing my mind right now.

In this story of epic battles, clever twists, and literally laugh-out-loud humor, Luke Taylor manages to seamlessly intertwine the lives of his characters with one another. And NONE of them are plain, boring, flat characters. As a writer, myself, I always find it difficult to create characters that are so uniquely special and different that you feel as though they’re real, live, breathing human beings! Yet Luke Taylor created these characters. I don’t know how else to describe them other than to say that they feel real. Like I could meet these people down the road … if I lived in their world. Everything about them ― even the way they move and talk ― feels like something you’d hear them say, because they all have their own unique voices! Does that make any sense or am I just rambling?!

"That’s not true.”
“Yesssit isss!” Morgance slurred, her soft and airy voice a snake-like hiss. Her head tottered on her shoulders and she pressed a hand to her forehead, sneering, and adding softly. “Yes it is.”

Don’t get me wrong, the storyline is brilliant, too! Mr. Taylor has an incredible way of making poetic language exciting and entertaining. I’ve always loved poetry but have never been too much of a fan of books whose authors try to combine poetic language and creative writing (just because it can come across as wordy and drab) but Mr. Taylor knows exactly how much poetic language to use, and somehow can make it so intriguing that you JUST CAN’T SET THE BOOK DOWN!

But if you don’t mind, I’ll get back to the characters.

Morgance was probably my favorite female character. She was so different from all the others ― so different from the strong warrior women we normally see in novels! I believed everything she said, felt bad for her, cried when she cried, laughed when she laughed! She was a phenomenal anti-hero! And Ultan? Ultan was her first love, really, and he was incredibly sweet to her and, apart from Nevan and Niles, was probably my favorite male character. I really, really loved him.

Vault of Dreams was a page-turner. I’d get to the end of the chapter and be like, What?! I can’t stop THERE! This book stole my breath away, had me snickering at the worst of times, and outright pumping a victory fist in the air! Fans of dark fantasy and historical fiction need to read. This. Book. You will find yourself willing caught in this engaging and bizarre book’s web of twists and turns and unlikely heroes!

If you haven’t checked out Luke Taylor’s books before, I strongly suggest you take a peek!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Luke-Taylor/e/B...

[Christi M · Rating 3 out of 5]

It doesn't take very long when you first begin the Vault of Dreams before you see the poetry of the writing. The poetry begins on the very first page where the author introduces us to Aerlyn starting from a young girl to the current day where he tells us the name she is now known by. In fact, I was stunned by how beautifully he introduces us to her nickname and have re-read that portion several times. It really was that lovely. Her story continues for several chapters before being introduced to the remaining 6 different points of view that are used throughout the book.

The poetry of the words is something to be enjoyed. There is no doubt that the writing is beautiful, however, it could also hinder the reading too. There were several occasions where it became difficult to grasp the meaning when I would first read it causing me to need to re-read sections to get a better understanding. There were also other times when I would read the sentences and still not be 100% sure what had just happened. I knew that if I just continued reading past those portions I would eventually come to understand, but wanted to point it out in the review.

All in all, the book was a nice read, it had a fairly nice and easy pace although it did slow down in the middle area when all the main players on one side of the story finally came together at a gathering spot of sorts. The lull in the story with no action was a bit longer than I would have liked, but it didn't really last too terribly long. After this lull and things begin to happen again, I also wish I had been brought into Rhoswen's planning or plotting of sorts so that I could feel invested into what Aerlyn or Finleigh/Quill would be doing and in return feel anxious or terrified on their behalf.

The Vault of Dreams is a stand-alone YA fantasy book, which you don't see too much in fantasy genre. I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book, through Reading Deals, and I gave an honest review.

Update: I originally rated this 4 stars, but after considering the plot slow down in the middle I am changing my review to 3 stars.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is LONG overdue. Because epic fantasy is typically a hit or miss for me, it really depends on timing and my reading mood.

First of all, this cover is GORGEOUS. I mean, Luke did a phenomenal job getting this packaged together beautifully. From the cover to the beautiful formatting within, just perfect!

As for the story, Luke has done a tremendous job building and weaving this unique world. Some of the scene descriptions reminded me a lot of Tolkien. And the pacing picked up speed after the first few chapters, which is essential in an epic fantasy, large volume novel. My favorite character is the Thistle. Though it was a bit challenging in the very beginning to get used to her voice, I think she's the most complex of them all. I am quite impressed by the brothers, there was a discernable growth in their characters, which made me quite fond of them.

Every main character in the book had depth. Morgance, by far, surprised the heck out of me! She started off so sweetly and charming...and then, well...I'll leave that for you to discover.

There's a lot of parallel to the Vikings here (maybe it's just my impression of the Nords). :) It definitely has that King Arthur meets Vikings vibe. So if you'd like to get lost in a world of Magic and Vikings...well, this just might be the perfect book for you!

[Chocomeiske · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5*
I received an ARC from the author for an honest review.

Full review here: http://www.chocomeiske.com/2016/07/31...

Overall, VOD is a lyrical, character driven fantasy tale of a Kingdom at war, its rightful Queen displaced, and the efforts of these unlikely heroes to win it back and mend the wrongs against its people, populated with memorable, real characters all brought to life by the vivid and poetic descriptions employed creatively by its author, which is sure to capture the hearts and emotions of many.

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very well written book. My favorite characters were Niles and Finleigh, because they were very easy to relate to. I would recommend this to anybody that enjoys reading a book that was well thought out and has very detailed characters.

[Aubrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luke!!

First off, I am so thankful to have met such an awesome person and talented writer. I got to the end and saw my name in the acknowledgement and thanks section. I began crying over it like a dork. This is the second book that I have been noted in in my life. It seriously inspires me to want to write and put my name on the cover of a book to call my own.

Ok, now on to the book. What can I say other than, I absolutely FREAKIN LOVED IT! The last couple chapters really took me by surprise. I found myself, as always, wrapped up in each of the character's journeys and emotions. I didn't want it to end! If there's any chance to a 2nd book of this, I am going to seriously encourage it and push for it to come to fruition. The only thing I didn't like was that I didn't get a chance to read it faster!!

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: I received a signed ARC copy of this book from the author. This on no way influences my opinion.

For all you regular readers out there, you guys know how excited I was about this book. I think I have been raving about it for weeks now! To say I loved this book would be an understatement!! I need more from this authors works - especially because this book was a standalone and left me reeling! I am going to do this in more of a list style so that this review stays as coherent as possible!

Likes:
- The POV’s. I think every readers worry is that when a book is told from multiple POV’s, they begin to blur and they don’t have voice of their own. This is not the case with this book. Every character is so different, it was easy to remember where I had left off and with which character because they were all so unique. I loved all of the characters for different reasons - even though they were all so different! (well, maybe except Morgance… She needs a kick).
Each and every character grew and changed in some way throughout this entire book. Whether they changed for better or for worse, they did and it was interesting to watch. I think the character who made the biggest change in my mind was Morgance - she went from being this meek, mild girl, to crazy and scary usurper and I didn’t like her one bit. All she needed was to turn green and she could have been the wicked witch - like Once Upon a Time!!
This book is pretty fast paced. There was always something going on, so it never got boring. I never felt once like there was an info dump like with many books! I feel like the information flowed and fit well into the story and it all came at the right time!
Can I adopt Niles and Nevan? Seriously? They are so adorable and amazing and funny and … I just adore them, ok? So, adoption?
The writing itself was amazing. It was almost lyrical and it just drew me in from the very beginning! Everything was so well described, I felt like I could have been standing there with the characters and experiencing everything that they were. It was easy to fall in love with this book based on that fact alone!
Aerlyn. She was easily, from the get go, my favourite character in this book. She went through a lot herself, but she overcame that throughout the book and I loved watching her grow. I felt really sorry for her at the end of the book (without giving too much away) and I spoke to Luke about it - because I can. I feel like Aerlyn deserves her own Novel or novella!
Quill was also another favourite of mine! I don't want to say too much, or give too much away, but I think anyone who reads this book and gets to know Quill, will love him from the first time you see him!!

I had two issues with this book, and no more:

There were very basic grammatical errors. Words written wrong, spelt wrong etc. Very basic, but sometimes it distracts from the story itself. it didn't happen often within the book, but it did happen.
I wanted more about the Vault of Dreams itself. I loved following the story, don’t get me wrong, but I feel like it needed more about the VoD - especially because thats the title!!

All in all I absolutely adored this book and I am so glad to say that the author became a friend along the way! I absolutely loved the writing within this book and I am looking forward to reading more from this author!! I gave this book 4/5 stars.

[Jacqueline (Fall In Love With The Sound of Words) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know that you (or most of you) have already listened to me gush about how much I love Luke Taylor when I reviewed his novel The Quiet Kill (my review). I am just floored by how eloquently his words just flow, his stories come to life, and I immediately get attached to the characters.

His newest novel Vault of Dreams is no different. It was within the very first 5 pages that I KNEW, this book was going to a favorite for 2016, if not my lifetime!

Vault of Dreams, which follows the lives of several characters as they attempt to aid the lost, rightful heir to the thrown of Albanland. A thief with a troubled passed, two brothers and a beautiful gypsy, A bard with secret, and a brave soldier who holds the heart of the rightful queen, and of course the current queen as well (ah, love triangles). We follow each character as they fall in love, learn to fight, and ultimately become the people they were meant to be. I am extremely happy that this was a multiple pov, Luke does extremely well at jumping between characters, and they all have very distinct voices. I had no trouble knowing who was talking. The multiple pov also gives you a chance to really get to know the characters and fall in love with them, and fall I did! Every character has a very special niche in my heart (especially Nievan :D)

The plot was pretty straightforward; the rightful heir has disappeared, leaving the thrown vulnerable to Morgance, who turns out be a pretty sketchy ruler- side note, Morgance was the only character that hadn’t locked down my adoration; I was so all over the map with my emotions for her, sometimes pity, sometimes anger…she was very hard to like at first. Roshwen creates an army and then goes to take her throne back.

I am not a big fan of fight scenes, especially big battles. In fact I often just skim through them. However, I found I didn’t do any skimming in this novel. The battle scenes are straight forward and quick, I really appreciated that.

One majorly epic thing about the book is its details to the surrounding areas. I loved how Luke painted the picture of Nordic coasts and forests. I seriously felt like I was in Scotland or Norway. It was just beautiful.

In fact this whole book was beautiful. It feels like a Modern Day Epic. My only regret is that there will be nothing else to read in this world. Ah well…I will just have to come back and read it again, which will be no hardship!

Seriously this book gets all of the stars, and you should absolutely put it on your to read list! While you’re at it, put all of his books on there as well!

Happy Reading

Jackie

[A.L. Buehrer]

DNF

[Yel Lugin · Rating 5 out of 5]

So this book was a magical read.
The story was told with a poetic description.

The characters were richly created, each different and special. Each had a point in the story.
The way each of their stories were tied together was really done beautifully. It was a joy to read and an exciting experience.

There are not enough standalone books in the fantasy world. And so it was refreshing to read a story from start to finish. At the same time. I really loved the characters and would have loved to read more.

Niles was my fave, except for one time when he was an ass. Young stupid and so very funny, I loved him.
The gypsy was a lovely character, fun and just the right amount of spicy.
The thistle was another fave of mine. A tortured soul, yet so very strong.

And then there were what I guess were the main three... Ending in the same fight that started everything from the start when they were kids. I really liked Ultan till the end. I mean really man, your whole life you regretted your decision as a boy. You grew up to be a beast. You were put in a similar position as that one time and you do what? The Thistle said what I was thinking. Grown man, just hiding while they kill eachother. Grrrrr I was not pleased with you Ultan.

Overall this book was a great read. I am lucky to own a signed copy.
Awesome story and beautifully told!

[Alaina · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I've seen a lot in my years, Aerlyn. And when I look at you, I see a rose, not a thistle."
Her heart caught in her throat and she nearly snorted.
"You see what you want to see."
Quill chuckled to himself. At the thorns in her voice.
"As do you, Thistle. Can you tell me what I can see any more than I can tell you want you see?"
"No."
"Then let me see what I want to see." He said, turning to face her, and she jabbed her midnight gaze at him before twisting her head to see the many sorrows sleeping beneath his own lake blue eyes. "Because I see what no one else sees.”

I think after I read Vault of Dreams I'm in love with Luke. This is the first book I've read of yours and I loved every single page. It was magical. You sir are a wizard.



I loved every character and how they were written perfectly. I will not pick a favorite because I also don't want to spoil anything about this book. Yeah, I know I'm being mysterious.



Just know that this book was amazing.
And yes, it is a standalone book.
I loved every minute of it and I will look forward to reading another book from Luke Taylor.

[Danielle Urban · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vault of Dreams by Luke Taylor is is an outstanding YA novel. I read a lot of YA books and this one has beat them all. Luke Taylor has created a fictional world where the rightful ruler is fighting to gain her throne back. War breaks out, loyalty is shown, and a budding romance begins. This fantasy novel has everything. Action, adventure, friendships, and a fight worth reading. Absolutely, an epic tale.

The Vault of Dreams reads as vividly as the Lord of Rings books. I was hooked. The rightful queen, Arelyn, is a character to hold. Watching her, throughout the pages was fun. Niles is another interesting character. Him and Finleigh are great. Finleigh is a young gsypie. Niles turns into a Lord at such a young age. Morgance is a bold and strong character. Evil too. Arelyn and Finleigh become friends. Two good charcaters. I liked them both. Strong female protagonists. Each character both bad and good added to the plot. The exciting part was that each got to tell the story from their point of view. That was a susrpise. Most writers who try this, end up losing readers due to the point of view taking away or not adding enough to the story. I found the changing point of views to being good. It was like stepping into each character's soul. Understanding them better. I easily see this book as a crossover read. Both yong adults and adult alike will get lost in within this world. Luke Taylor has outdone himself in this spectacular piece. I look forward to reading more by him in the future.

[Luda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was blown away.
The writing can be a little complex sometimes, yet it's still poetically beautiful.

[Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting book which was, to be honest, very different from what I expected from the publisher's blurb. Reading that, I came away with the idea that this would be a book where a bunch of characters from disparate backgrounds come together through chances of fate to fight against some greater injustice. While there are many characters, and they do end up fighting against injustice, they certainly do not form a Dragonlance-like group of adventurers.

This book is set in Northern Europe, referencing the Nords in particular. One smaller kingdom, Albanland (Scotland apparently) is in danger of being swallowed up by forces attacking from the North and the South. But there is great domestic strife as well as the throne is occupied by an unmarried princess. Against this backdrop we are, indeed, introduced to a number of characters from different backgrounds. They are all drawn, unsurprisingly, into the same fight but without the coming together of the group that I had expected. There is a magic in the land that comes into play at various times, but it is subtle and not overpowering in anyway.

I saw some reviews compare the prose of this book to Pat Rothfuss. I'm sorry, it didn't nearly reach those lofty heights for me. Rothfuss', and other excellent writers, writing seems to flow effortlessly. When I read "Name of the Wind", I never felt like Pat was reaching or trying to hard to be eloquent. That was not the case here. In a number of instances, it just felt like the author was trying so hard, like he sitting there with a thesaurus. Not to say it was bad at all, just that I think it could use some refinement.

I enjoyed the cast of characters but never felt like I got to know them all that well. Perhaps that is because they never did get together and so each had their own story line with less combined POV time. However, the book wasn't bad and was a good length, I thought. Not overly long, but enough to sink into it a bit.

[Savannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think the fact that I woke up disappointed that I had finished this the night before says a lot about how much I enjoyed it.

Thank you again to the author for sending a copy to me! ^_^

[Diane]

The cover looks marvelous.
The blurb sounds intriguing.
Count me officially in!

[Trang Tran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review coming soon!

[Katie Rodemich · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this in a Goodreads giveaway and I'm really glad. The book was different and refreshing than what I normally haven been reading. Put it on your book list.

[Andria Potter · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a hard book for me to read. There was so much picturesque that I just couldn’t get into it. It wasn’t that the book was bad, persay, it just felt like a more advanced read than what I’m used to. I really wanted to like it, but it there just longggg paragraphs describing everything under the sun. The book also had one of the habits of swapping between characters points of view from chapter to chapter. It grew frustrating, as soon as I started getting connected to one character the next chapter reverted to the old character.

I give points for the beautiful cover, which was what initially drew me to the book. When I saw the plot, I was definitely interested.

Sounds awesome, right? But no, the story dragged. I didn’t feel connected to the characters, and I just couldn’t feel myself invested in the book at all. Apologies to the author, but this book…I didn’t like it.

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book, through Reading Deals, and I gave an honest review.

{Review also posted on Amazon and my Blog.}