Dream Waters

Dream Waters #1

by Erin A. Jensen

All his life, Charlie Oliver has watched the people around him morph into creatures that no one else sees. Unlike the rest of the world, Charlie remembers the Waters that transport him to the Dream World each night. And he sees glimpses of people’s Dream forms in the waking world. Condemned to spend his waking hours in a psychiatric facility because of his Dream Sight, Charlie doesn’t expect anything to change. But everything starts changing the day Emma Talbot walks through the door in the middle of a group therapy session.

Haunted by memories of the events that led to her admission, Emma plans to end her life the first chance she gets. But something about Charlie stops her. From the moment they shake hands, his friendship feels safe and familiar. As Emma begins to let down her guard, Charlie catches a glimpse of the fiery-eyed dragon that lurks behind her Dream form. Each night, as Emma dreams of the man who’s been banned from visiting, Charlie searches the Dream World for the monster that shadows her. But when Emma’s suppressed memories begin to surface, Charlie finds more monsters than he bargained for.

Genres: Fantasy

418 pages, Paperback

Published April 4, 2016

About the author

Erin Jensen is the Amazon International bestselling author of The Dream Waters Series. She was awarded the Bronze Medal for fantasy fiction in the 2018 Readers’ Favorite international book award competition. She also received Honorable Mention for fantasy fiction in the 2018 Writer’s Digest self-published e-book awards.

A part-time pharmacist and a full-time creator of imaginary worlds, Erin lives in upstate New York with her ridiculously supportive husband, two teenage sons (who are both taller than her) and a Yorkshire terrier who believes he’s the family bodyguard. Early on in her writing career, Erin vowed to get a dragon tattoo once she reached a certain milestone number of reviews. She no longer divulges that number for fear that she'll actually reach her goal and have no choice but to go through with it. If you'd like to make that happen, leave a review on Goodreads and wherever you purchased her books and she'll be sure to share pictures of her celebratory ink on social media.

Erin is a sucker for any book that draws you into its world, makes you feel for its characters and keeps you thinking about it long after you've turned the last page.

After finishing a particularly gripping series several years back—and mourning the loss of its presence in her life—she decided to create a fictional world of her own. Now, nothing thrills her more than hearing from a reader who loves her books and feels for her characters as much as she does.

Reviews

[Siobhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dream Waters is such a surprising read, one that pulled me in so much more than I’d initially anticipated.

In this story so many things are crossed over, so many things pulled together, and I loved it. Dreams and reality collide. Fairy tales and history mix. Love and obsession can be seen. And those are simply the three main points written on the cover – I could easily name more.

Our story starts in a psychiatric unit, with our characters coming together for the first time. I’ll admit, at first, I felt as though things were quite slow. Our characters came together, their relationship seemed to appear out of nowhere, and yet the story wasn’t really giving us much. There was a lot of mystery, so many questions, and yet the focus was upon these two coming together and forming their friendship that seemed to be the prelude to something more.

Then the fantasy hit us. Not just the odd reference here and there, I mean it really came to life as it was explained to us. It was such a unique fantasy and I adored it. The Dream World exists in our sleeping state, everyone has access to it, but a select few can travel there of their own will without the aid of sleep. It seems really basic, but there is so much more to it than you can imagine. With our main male character being able to see the dream world, being able to travel between the two worlds, it quickly grows beyond what you would expect and you’re soon in love with both worlds and the way they interact. Still, you have many questions. Despite how much we find out, we still need many questions answered.

I’ll admit that I saw quite a few things coming from quite early on. Who and what characters were wasn’t quite the mystery it was intended to be, being slightly predictable. However, I was so focused upon these obvious aspects that I was taken completely by surprise when some of the twists came about. The end chapter in particular – wow. It has left me so ready for the next book. I’m curious about where things will go, hopeful for answers. There are so many potential directions for the next book and I’m not at all sure where it will go – all I know for sure is that the ending left me more than ready for it.

Honestly, I really did enjoy this one much more than the initial few chapters had me believing. Flickering between perspectives had me fearful that I wouldn’t get into the book, along with a few distracting editing issues, but once I wrapped my head around things I was pulled right in. This book pulls together so many different elements, leaving us with something both simple and complex. It really is a fun read.

As a final note, I’d like to thank the author for contacting me for a review. I cannot wait to see what the next book brings.

[Dani N · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before I move forward, I want to address something I have noticed. I am seeing Dream Waters classified as YA Fantasy by some readers. I have to disagree. Maybe those who read the genre more can put a valid argument forward as to why I am wrong, but the sexual content says adult in my opinion. (I would like to add that the sexual content was used to establish a clear character connection and worked very well for me in this sense).

With that being said, Dream Waters is definitely a fantasy novel, make no mistakes. But it has also managed to be so much more. It is a story full of magic, love, adventure and mystery all wrapped into one beautifully presented package.

Review here.

[Monica Hills · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this novel about two worlds. One you travel to when you are asleep and the one when you are awake. What I really liked were the characters. Charlie is a mental patient who sees two worlds. He sees his doctor but he changes into a horrible drooling toad. Everyone has a second form hence his stay in a mental institution. One day a new patient is admitted and Charlie does not see her second form. All he sees is a beautiful woman. As the story continues so does their friendship. Charlie also begins to learn more about his abilities and the other patients in the facility. This was well written and it kept me wondering what was going to happen next. I look forward to reading the next novel in the series.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

“‘The Sighted keep their abilities hidden,’ he informed me softly. ‘It is a Sighted parent’s responsibility to teach their child about our world, while teaching him to ignore what he sees in the Waking World. Occasionally a Sighted child is born to two Sightless parents. And they often end up in mental institutions, because no one is there to guide them. We call them the Lost.’”

Reviewed for San Francisco Book Review
4.5 out of 5 stars

"Dream Waters" follows the unlikely adventures of Charlie Oliver. Charlie finds himself in a mental institution, locked away by his mother. The only issue is that Charlie has no mental issues, he is Sighted. Able to see both the Waking World and the realm of Dreams, the appearance of any person he comes across can either be their real one or the horrific Dream version. Trapped in the sterile walls of the loony bin, Charlie settles into a complacent life of badgering the doctors and riling up patients. Until . . . Emma strolls in and turns everything upside down. What follows is a strange love triangle involving Emma, her husband, and Charlie that spans both worlds. As Charlie struggles to protect Emma, a truth is revealed and new players saunter on the stage in the first book of the Dream Waters series.

Charlie’s story is a unique one. The story cherry picks elements from various genres; fairy tales, urban fantasy, romance, drama, and adventure. The end result is deceptively simple, but eagerly engaging. Jensen alternates chapters with different character points of view to amazing effect. Allowing the reader to see the story unfold from varied perspective keeps the plot humming. The characters are fairly well realized, especially the crotchety Nellie and erratic Bob (a heart-warming side story that hopefully continues in the next book(s)). The heart of the story is the dynamic between Emma and her husband and Emma and Charlie. While Emma is locked away and begins a relationship with Charlie, she experiences intense intimacy with her husband in the surreal Dream World.

Despite some minor, but distracting, formatting/editing issues, "Dream Waters" is a breath of fresh air in the urban fantasy genre. It artfully blends reality and dreams into a waking daydream, one that lulls readers in. Like the Waters used to travel between the worlds, "Dream Waters" carries readers to strange realms but remains grounded in harsh reality. Delightful and tense, this is fantastic start to a new series.

[Michelle Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Dragons squash dreams.” From the corner of my eye, I watched her nervously search the room, like she was worried a dragon might be hidden somewhere, listening. Despite everything, I was curious. “What did dragons do to you?” I felt her shiver beside me. “Dragon,” she corrected softly, “singular. Deceived me. Used me. Destroyed me.”

Dream Waters is the first book in the series and I really hope the next one is released soon as this is a must read!

Charlie Oliver is a lifelong psychiatric patient, labelled a schizophrenic who suffers from paranoid delusions due to his visions of the people around him morphing into creatures. The nice ones he can handle, but every so often, he sees a horrific looking creature and passes out with a spine tingling scream. But what if Charlie remembers the world of our dreams and the mysterious calming waters that carry us there, and during his waking hours, he catches glimpses of the dream forms of others in this world? Who could believe something so fantastical?

When new patient, Emma Talbot, is admitted to the ward, Charlie takes an immediate like to her, and offers her a friendship she is too terrified to decline. They soon become close friends, and confide each other's darkest secrets. On seeing the budding friendship, an elderly patient is concerned for Charlie, so confesses that she, too, has ‘the curse of Dream Sight.’ This new knowledge opens Charlie's mind to see what is actually around him, and he notices that a horrendously frightening dragon actually shadows his new friend. Charlie pursues the beast in his dreams in order to find out more about its connection with Emma. On his travels, he makes new friends and realizations about the people he knows in the real world.

Dream Waters will draw you in, and swirl you around in a whirlpool of desire, fantastical beasts, and forever friendships. I cannot wait for the next book in this series. It really is one of those books that you do not want to put down, and once you have finished it, you want to restart it. This is not a book for young readers, due to some adult content, but everyone else should certainly give this book a read.

This book was provided for me to review and was originally published in The Manhattan Book Review where I gave it 5 stars.

[Ralitsa Vasileva · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC copy.

This book might be a huge trigger for someone - suicidal FMC, mental patients, age gap relationship. It definitely is not YA.

It is easy to read but hard to follow as it didn’t hold my attention.

The story didn’t suit with me. The characters didn’t developed as much as they could. The pace is too slow for my liking. On the other hand in the last 40 pages happens too much.

There is a dragon but this doesn’t make the book automatically dragonish - the dragon is just like a background. The parallel world is not developed well. In general it feels that there is little to no world building.

Some people might love this but I would not recommend. I will not be reading the rest of the books as well.

[Sally Lindsay-briggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was not the typical type of book I normally read. It was fantasy, the language was a little off colored in places. Despite that, it intriqued me. Well written, and like the author told me when she signed my book, "A cross between Harry Potter and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". It was a story about Emma, a patient in a mental institution, her friend Charlie, her husband David, and another world, which is scary and soothing. That world is compelling. I am really looking forward to the second and third book in the series.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible story. So original. It was unlike anything I've ever read. Beautiful world, well written story, and characters I instantly fell for. I really can't say enough good stuff. I won this book through Goodreads. I'm so happy I did. This is definitely a book I want to see more people reading. I can't wait for the next on. I loved the ending too. A truly one of a kind book that's so different from anything else out there. A must read.:)

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was looking for a fantasy book that I could get lost in, and this cover really attracted my attention. So beautiful! It is the first in a series and full of delightful characters. In addition to the enjoyable main characters, I LOVED the developing relationship between Nellie and Bob!

I enjoyed the MMC Charlie. He made me smile and made my heart swell with his treatment of the FMC Emma. He was sweet and protective of her, even though he has been hospitalized for many years due to the fact that he can see other people's Dream Forms both in the Dream World and the "Real" World. Charlie is one of The Sighted.

Emma is scared and contemplating suicide when she enters the hospital after a horrific incident, until she meets Charlie. He is her rock. She deifinitely needed a someone, and he is a true friend.

I was put off a at first by Emma's husband being much older than her. And the sexual content seemed a bit over the top, but overall I loved this original story. The idea of being able to walk both worlds, the dream and the real, was intriguing. And I am curious about how this world building will be expanded on in future books of the series. I felt like I was just scratching the surface of this world.

The ending of the story brought up other questions to be answered in future installments, but the ending was satisfying and unpredictable for me. It really brought the story to a believable fruition. I look forward to reading the rest of the series!

**Thank you to netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the digital copy received in exchange for my honest review**

[Merissa (Archaeolibrarian) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dream Waters is the first book in the Dream Waters series, and straight away I can tell you that this is a book that is refreshing in its originality.

Charlie is the main character, and he has been a long term resident of a mental hospital. This is due to the fact that he can see people's dream forms in everyday life. He is a bit of a character, but tries to remain positive. His life gets more interesting when Emma shows up at the facility. He feels the need to protect her, but also admits to liking her. Slowly, throughout the book, we find out Charlie's full story, Emma's story, and also get snippets from Nellie and Bob.

This is not a book to be rushed! It is to be savoured and enjoyed, as the author takes you to a world very different from the one you recognise. It is very well written, with no editing or grammatical errors that I noticed. The pacing is smooth, and the scenes flow without disruption from one to the next. With a very interesting cast of characters, this book will definitely leave you wanting more. Highly recommended by me.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!

[EmJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dream Waters is a book that explores who people are in their sleep. I really enjoyed the concept of the characters having lives in the dream world. Charlie can see people's dream selves in the real world. This has landed him in a mental institution, where he meets Emma who was admitted after a mental break (and some more drama but I don't want to give away any spoilers). The adventure starts when events from the two worlds start interacting with each other. I found the premise intriguing. I like that each chapter was written from a different character's point of view. The author has a spellbinding way of describing the characters and their world. While it was a good story and well written, I'm not sure it's my cup of tea.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback.

[Dieta Scheidecker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately I made 35% of the way and DNF’d. This story had an intriguing premise and I looked forward to finding out more, but the pacing is way too slow for me. David’s voice started sounding too similar to Emma’s at this point, losing any interest I had in him. There is a strong sexual tension in this story that seems over the top. The sex scenes are graphic and don’t move the story along as much as they could. Maybe because it’s all written as backstory. There’s a lot of backstory. Overall, a good round of editing to thin down repetition and access would increase the pacing and flow, creating a stronger pull for the reader.

[RR · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though the book had a bumpy start, I really liked reading Dream Waters. It's a funny read with intriguing and diverse character which really grew on me. There isn't much character development but it is the first book of a series and there was more character interaction and relationships than anything else really. It's the first time I read a book and I didn't mind sparse world-building. Here, ut really wasn't necessary and I loved how I got to know more about characters as the story moved on. Can't wait to get my hands on the second book 😍

[Leah Rivera · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decently polished read with compelling characters, and some juicy mysteries. Knocking off a star for some gentle pacing issues, minor editing errors, lack of female agency, and how strongly it echoes Changeling (real link or not, it distracted me). But the issues didn't keep me from buying the rest of the books to see what happens next.

[Ziggy Nardin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE THIS SERIES. The first book takes you on a wild and emotional ride. From the first page you are invested in the characters, invested in the story. I finished this book in a few days where it normally takes me at least a week to finish books. I cant wait to read the rest of the series because holy cow, that was beautiful.

[Terri Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not YA Fantasy!!! I Pick up this book because Erin A. Jensen is a local author! I was not disappointed!! It's a good story, very original with characters that are instantly likable. And then there is the ending.... Wow!! I can't wait to start the next book!!

[Dana Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy!
This book has the makings of a great premise, but it was definitely hard to get past that the main character was married to a child predator who had groomed her during her formative years. That was an ick for me.

[Chris White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful

Best books i have read in a while. I highly recommended reading this series of books wonderful. Waiting patiently for the fourth book to be published.

[Michelle Marlow · Rating 5 out of 5]

A local to me author. Loved this story. The intermingle of the fantasy world locked into the real world is amazing.

[Donna Manciocchi · Rating 5 out of 5]

First fantasy book enjoyed very much

[Debby (Alwaysbooking) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was amazing!!! It is definitely adult Urban Fantasy Adult I would not list it as YA or NA. I don’t know why some people who complain about it are saying it’s YA it is not. There is some very mature content in this book, I would not be comfortable recommending it to anyone ages 15-18. Onto the review!!

This book is told by multiple POV’s, but you start out by following my favorite character Charlie. He is in a mental institution due to seeing things that no one else can see. Charlie can see peoples dream form and their real world form. Sometimes these dream forms are a little bit frightening and cause him to scream without thinking, which in turn causes people to think that he is crazy. I really enjoyed the fact that Charlie from the get go was a really like-able character. He is a sassy, smart-ass but you can tell deep down that is just his defense mechanism for living almost his whole life in mental facilities. Then Emma enters his world and he has someone else to think about besides himself. Charlie takes it upon himself to protect Emma at any cost, and along the way he learns more than he bargained for about the Dream World.

Emma as a character was hard for me to connect to. Everyone knows I love strong female characters and Emma seems to be a super weak character. While she had her moments, I didn’t enjoy her very much until towards the end. I’m not sure what her whole story is yet, as the author didn’t reveal it in this book. I am intrigued to see how her character develops throughout book two. She seemed to rely on the men in her life, whether it was Charlie or not. I’m not sure if more will be told about that in later books or not.

This book as a whole was fantastic, I enjoyed the multiple POV’s. It was such a crazy cast of characters and I don’t just mean that because they are in a mental institution. It was interesting to see how their dream form coincided with their real world form. I’m not even sure how the author thought this out, her imagination must be unbelievably vivid. The plot was amazing, I really enjoyed how the plot played out, it wasn’t to heavy in the beginning but by the end I was not prepared for that!! It’s like she set up all these clues throughout the whole book that I totally missed which never happens but when I look back now I totally see it. This book just flowed for me, I didn’t want to put it down.

I am so excited for the second book I can’t wait to get my hands on it!! I would definitely suggest this one to anyone into urban fantasy.

[M.M. Simons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantasy is a genre I haven't had a lot of success with in the past, but I found myself completely enthralled with this story, to the point where I couldn't stop make myself stop reading it. There is a depth and an intelligence to the series that makes it about so much more than dragons and fairies, without sacrificing interest. I highly recommend both this book and the second one (I eagerly await the third) for anyone who loves a good story with compelling characters. It's definitely not for fantasy fans only.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was skeptical at first because I do not usually enjoy fantasy novels... but I found that once I started reading this book I could not put it down! I immediately fell in love with the characters. I was so intrigued and sad by the time it ended, I can't wait for the sequels to see what happens next.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do not usually read books in the fantasy genre but I really enjoyed this book. Once I started reading it I couldn't put it down! I found myself very drawn to the characters and story and became very invested in what happened to the characters often thinking about them when I wasn't reading the book. I would definitely recommend this book and can't wait to read the sequel!

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dream Waters immediately engages the reader, introducing an array of characters who must deal with unexpected events and revelations about their own identities. Jensen's well-developed characters and unpredictable plot make her novel a difficult book to put down. Dream Waters is an utterly enjoyable read!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book; I couldn't put it down. The author beautifully builds two worlds and blends them together in a wonderfully exciting way. The end left me with several questions unanswered, but I don't mind at all having to pick up book two to find out what happens next.

I received a free copy of this book from Goodreads Giveaways.

[Julie Bird · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this story and where it is going. The only problem is there is way too much cursing (but in fairness, most of it is from an old guy with Teret's). Even so, I could do without that part, otherwise, well done.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Dream Waters!! Once I started, I could not put it down. The story was fascinating and the characters were so compelling that they drew me right in. I am really glad that this is the first in a series because I can't wait to read the rest!

[Christine Vanneel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book by new local Author ...a must read...Second book will be out hopefully no later than early Fall

[Cynthia B. Flaherty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't wait to read the read the rest of the series. The fact that she is a local author is great, I couldn't put it down,