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Alora Chronicles #1
Until I Sleep
I’ve just met the perfect guy…pity he’s a figment of my imagination.
What happens when your dreams are better than reality?
Ash has been dreaming about Wyn, he’s different than anyone she’s ever met before. He’s been trying to convince her that he’s real and he needs her help.
It’s like something out of a fairytale and we all know fairytales aren’t true…right?
What happens when your dreams are better than reality?
Ash has been dreaming about Wyn, he’s different than anyone she’s ever met before. He’s been trying to convince her that he’s real and he needs her help.
It’s like something out of a fairytale and we all know fairytales aren’t true…right?
264 pages, ebook
First published March 1, 2017
22 people are currently reading
118 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
August 17, 2017
An enjoyable story
But it didn't blow me away. The writing style seems aimed at a younger audience. It is still an enjoyable story but I'm afraid I didn't feel much of a connection to the characters. I had hoped for more action. I think it will be enjoyable for younger teens.
But it didn't blow me away. The writing style seems aimed at a younger audience. It is still an enjoyable story but I'm afraid I didn't feel much of a connection to the characters. I had hoped for more action. I think it will be enjoyable for younger teens.
June 28, 2017
A new fantasy
Ash falls asleep and wakes up to hot elves. This is a pretty good summation.
But really this was a well written book about two worlds and how one person can change someone's life. The romance is subtle and the action far between but that doesn't mean its boring. There is a lot of good writing with only minimal boredum.
A good read for lovers of elves and fantasy.
Ash falls asleep and wakes up to hot elves. This is a pretty good summation.
But really this was a well written book about two worlds and how one person can change someone's life. The romance is subtle and the action far between but that doesn't mean its boring. There is a lot of good writing with only minimal boredum.
A good read for lovers of elves and fantasy.
August 3, 2021
After the death of her mother, Australian teen Ashlee moves in with her father in Tasmania who she just learned about. He gives her a necklace, and when she falls asleep on her first night there, she dreams of a land called Alora populated by elves who can wield magic. But her dream feels more than just a dream, it feels real, like she had been transported there. And she meets a handsome young elf named Wyn. But when she falls asleep in Alora, she wakes up back in the human world. She has to fit in to her new school, eager to get back to sleep to Alora and to Wyn. But humans and elves are forbidden from being together, and Wyn doubly so since he is the son of the reigning queen, and the popular choice for taking over after her. But right now the queen is a captive of an evil king, and Wyn wants to rescue her. Though Wyn’s friends tell him that he needs to hide until he can come of age to take the throne, so they encourage him to go to the human realm with Ashlee and blend in at her school.
This felt aimed at a young audience. I think I prefer my fantasy a bit more gritty and aimed at a late teen audience, at least. This felt more aimed at a tween audience and felt rather simplistic, and didn’t delve into deeper emotions or topics. Because of that, it was clean and wholesome. Wyn was a nice idealistic romantic hero, stubborn, determined, selfless, self-sacrificing. I did like how naïve he was, and how he was awkward and out of place, especially when he was in the human realm. I was annoyed that he didn’t seem compelled to fight for anything that he personally wanted, unless it benefitted the elven people. Ashlee was really a basic teenage girl, without any personality traits that stood out, other than being a bit spoiled and selfish. She didn’t even really blink at all the conveniences that her father’s place had. And she was rather self-centered. She didn’t really get to know her father at all. For instance, the largest thing that rankled with me was that her father was supposed to be a famous author. Not once did she mention what type of books he wrote. I haven’t a clue of what genre they were in. She only picked up one of his books once, because she was looking for something to fall to sleep to. I did love the bond between Ashlee and Wyn. It was the stereotypical forbidden romance, so they couldn’t act on it and had to just be friends. But it was a really sweet friendship, even though Ashlee kept convincing herself that because Wyn was being her friend, meant his interest in her had vanished, so we got a lot of tween drama of jealousy, and moaning about the guy not being interested, like it was the end of the world for her and her world revolving around him. I got a bit bored at times with the journey, and it does feel a bit repetitive at times, especially with the human world that just felt like school classes and home and not really anything else to it (it did have the typical school dance though), while the elven world was a lot of time spent around campfires. The human world was practically just a summary each time it was mentioned, just enough to flesh it out, but didn’t really spend any time in it. The detail was all in the fantasy elven world, as they journeyed around. It was a fun, light-weight diversion, but probably won’t pick up book 2.
This felt aimed at a young audience. I think I prefer my fantasy a bit more gritty and aimed at a late teen audience, at least. This felt more aimed at a tween audience and felt rather simplistic, and didn’t delve into deeper emotions or topics. Because of that, it was clean and wholesome. Wyn was a nice idealistic romantic hero, stubborn, determined, selfless, self-sacrificing. I did like how naïve he was, and how he was awkward and out of place, especially when he was in the human realm. I was annoyed that he didn’t seem compelled to fight for anything that he personally wanted, unless it benefitted the elven people. Ashlee was really a basic teenage girl, without any personality traits that stood out, other than being a bit spoiled and selfish. She didn’t even really blink at all the conveniences that her father’s place had. And she was rather self-centered. She didn’t really get to know her father at all. For instance, the largest thing that rankled with me was that her father was supposed to be a famous author. Not once did she mention what type of books he wrote. I haven’t a clue of what genre they were in. She only picked up one of his books once, because she was looking for something to fall to sleep to. I did love the bond between Ashlee and Wyn. It was the stereotypical forbidden romance, so they couldn’t act on it and had to just be friends. But it was a really sweet friendship, even though Ashlee kept convincing herself that because Wyn was being her friend, meant his interest in her had vanished, so we got a lot of tween drama of jealousy, and moaning about the guy not being interested, like it was the end of the world for her and her world revolving around him. I got a bit bored at times with the journey, and it does feel a bit repetitive at times, especially with the human world that just felt like school classes and home and not really anything else to it (it did have the typical school dance though), while the elven world was a lot of time spent around campfires. The human world was practically just a summary each time it was mentioned, just enough to flesh it out, but didn’t really spend any time in it. The detail was all in the fantasy elven world, as they journeyed around. It was a fun, light-weight diversion, but probably won’t pick up book 2.
March 24, 2021
What a great read this turned out to be. A sweet fantasy romance story about a land of elves and magic. We meet Ash our teenage female mc who dreams about Wyn our Elvin prince who desperately needs help in his kingdom. Is it a fairytale or is it a dream? A great start to this adventure and I look forward to reading the next book.
May 6, 2017
Schaper shelf
I absolutely loved this book. Stories of elves have always intrigued me. The characters and story sucked me in from the beginning. Excellent.
I absolutely loved this book. Stories of elves have always intrigued me. The characters and story sucked me in from the beginning. Excellent.
March 16, 2018
Sweet story for preteens.
This is a simple adventure to another land where elves abound. Some with magical powers. I’m most surprised that half the novel is spent on Earth while half is on Alora. The characters travel back and forth. I totally thought once the characters entered the magical world that they would stay there. The story focuses mostly on the characters’ feelings for each other and how they have to deny them, but it’s a clean read. Not sappy gushy stuff that would make preteens blush. I think young readers will like the goings-on in the fantasy world. The end of the book certainly picks up with action.
Reader Rated for ages 12 +
This is a simple adventure to another land where elves abound. Some with magical powers. I’m most surprised that half the novel is spent on Earth while half is on Alora. The characters travel back and forth. I totally thought once the characters entered the magical world that they would stay there. The story focuses mostly on the characters’ feelings for each other and how they have to deny them, but it’s a clean read. Not sappy gushy stuff that would make preteens blush. I think young readers will like the goings-on in the fantasy world. The end of the book certainly picks up with action.
Reader Rated for ages 12 +
July 24, 2018
I received an advance copy and here is an honest review. Even though the fantasy genre is not part of my regular reading, I was entranced by this story, as the characters took me deeper and deeper into this 'other world' called Alora. While the story kept me turning the pages, I found myself caring for the characters, wanting to know what twists and turns awaited me in this most engaging world of present day reality which morphed believably and well with the fantasy. If I had a teenage daughter or a precocious younger reader, I would have no hesitation in recommending this book. It's for an action packed read, with just enough youthful romance for the starry-eyed young booklover.
August 27, 2018
A decent story if you ignore it’s written more for children
Rating this is a tough one for me but to be fair to the other good (and frankly better) three star books I e read, this is a solid two.
The writing is more for children. I’m not entirely sure if that’s the target audience but it certainly isn’t written as even a young adult novel. More the 10-12 range.
But. The story is interesting enough to keep reading on. Nothing overly surprising happens and I’m not blown away but it’s good enough to keep me turning the pages.
A chilled, bedtime read.
Rating this is a tough one for me but to be fair to the other good (and frankly better) three star books I e read, this is a solid two.
The writing is more for children. I’m not entirely sure if that’s the target audience but it certainly isn’t written as even a young adult novel. More the 10-12 range.
But. The story is interesting enough to keep reading on. Nothing overly surprising happens and I’m not blown away but it’s good enough to keep me turning the pages.
A chilled, bedtime read.
April 6, 2021
I wasn't absolutely in love with Until I sleep. The concept was great but the writing style read a bit slow. It seemed that for a long time a lot of nothing was happening. There was also no real draw to the characters and I wasn't given a reason to care about their problems and even the main conflict over all. I understand it is written with a younger audience in mind but there are ways to appeal to a young audience and still have a well paced story.
May 9, 2020
This is the 2nd book I've read written by Lara Wynter; she has done a great job at writing a good book; I can’t wait to read more of her books.
The story line caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested throughout the entire book.
I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.
The story line caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested throughout the entire book.
I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.
August 5, 2017
I was really excited to read this one. The cover is gorgeous and it sounded sooo good! Unfortunately, it is for a much younger audience, which made it hard for me to get through it and fully appreciate. It is a very sweet romance story though.
May 5, 2020
This is a sweet fantasy romance! I liked it.. It is fun and whimsical.. Adventure and fantasy romance just go together!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 15, 2021
Slow
I think I the author can write well but the book was very repetitive. Ashley sleeps wakes up in elf land, falls asleep and wakes up in her room. I jumped chapters and could still follow the storyline.
I think I the author can write well but the book was very repetitive. Ashley sleeps wakes up in elf land, falls asleep and wakes up in her room. I jumped chapters and could still follow the storyline.
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July 7, 2024Eager for more
I'm not usually a fan of books with cliff hangers, but I'll forgive the author this time, because it's a brilliant story with amazing characters and an awesome plot with unexpected twists. Looking forward to having time to read book 2 in this series.
I'm not usually a fan of books with cliff hangers, but I'll forgive the author this time, because it's a brilliant story with amazing characters and an awesome plot with unexpected twists. Looking forward to having time to read book 2 in this series.
May 13, 2017
A wonderfully easy read, and the story pulls one along. Looking forward to the next episode.
September 26, 2018
The first book in The Alora Chronicles series it is a well-written story that had me turning pages I had to know what was going to happen. I will be looking to read the rest of the series.
May 3, 2021
A Fantastic Book!😁
I Love Ash & Wyn's story! Similiar to other Elven storyd (&movie!😉) , yet Unique at the same time.. Reading 5hid only made me wanna read the Rest of the story!😁
I Love Ash & Wyn's story! Similiar to other Elven storyd (&movie!😉) , yet Unique at the same time.. Reading 5hid only made me wanna read the Rest of the story!😁
May 12, 2021
I was a little too old for this book, but would've definitely enjoyed if I read this book a few years ago. Great story, beautiful language, I would reccomend for teens 12-16
May 13, 2021
This was a unique book, with a fun storyline and characters I enjoyed. I’d recommend it.
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August 14, 2017This is a sweet book, with romance, adventure, and fantasy, suitable for an early YA audience. It should definitely be read as part of the series; it’s not robust enough to be a stand alone story. Reading it piqued my interest in visiting Tasmania.
Spoilers may follow.
I particularly appreciated the positive way that interpersonal relationships were portrayed; unlike many books with a teen protagonist, the main character has strong, supportive, relevant interactions with family and friends all the way through the book. The father she’d never met is kind, and both he and Ash work to build their new relationship. The people she meets at school aren’t irrationally mean or competitive, and form genuine friendships with her despite her being the new kid. It’s refreshing.
The story is not without its flaws, however. It would benefit significantly from the attention of an editor: run-on sentences abound, commas wander from their correct places and into the wrong ones, and questions and dialog tags consistently fail to harmoniously coexist. Ash is beautiful, instantly admired and welcomed by all she meets, extolled by other characters for having a wisdom her words (and sometimes actions) fail to exhibit, and turns out to be magically talented as well. She enters three new arenas in the first few chapters, and in two the first person she meets (or nearly so) is an incredibly attractive young man her own age who helps her and develops immediate romantic interest in her. (In the third arena it’s her father that she meets. He turns out to be a famous author, wealthy, and quite willing to surround her in luxury. Not that different from the other two, to my mind.) The magical world is not well-developed, even in areas that bear heavily on the plot. For example, Wyn’s eighteenth birthday is a critical milestone; no action can be taken against the evil tyrant who is the book’s Big Bad until then. But why? Legal reasons? Cultural ones? Will he come into the fullness of his powers? Given the tyrant’s aforementioned tyranny, it would seem reasonable to strike a little early, but no one ever questions the necessity of getting to that birthday first. No one, in fact, questions much of anything at all, and they all race earnestly along the designated plot line.
I hope the writing will mature as the series progresses.
Spoilers may follow.
I particularly appreciated the positive way that interpersonal relationships were portrayed; unlike many books with a teen protagonist, the main character has strong, supportive, relevant interactions with family and friends all the way through the book. The father she’d never met is kind, and both he and Ash work to build their new relationship. The people she meets at school aren’t irrationally mean or competitive, and form genuine friendships with her despite her being the new kid. It’s refreshing.
The story is not without its flaws, however. It would benefit significantly from the attention of an editor: run-on sentences abound, commas wander from their correct places and into the wrong ones, and questions and dialog tags consistently fail to harmoniously coexist. Ash is beautiful, instantly admired and welcomed by all she meets, extolled by other characters for having a wisdom her words (and sometimes actions) fail to exhibit, and turns out to be magically talented as well. She enters three new arenas in the first few chapters, and in two the first person she meets (or nearly so) is an incredibly attractive young man her own age who helps her and develops immediate romantic interest in her. (In the third arena it’s her father that she meets. He turns out to be a famous author, wealthy, and quite willing to surround her in luxury. Not that different from the other two, to my mind.) The magical world is not well-developed, even in areas that bear heavily on the plot. For example, Wyn’s eighteenth birthday is a critical milestone; no action can be taken against the evil tyrant who is the book’s Big Bad until then. But why? Legal reasons? Cultural ones? Will he come into the fullness of his powers? Given the tyrant’s aforementioned tyranny, it would seem reasonable to strike a little early, but no one ever questions the necessity of getting to that birthday first. No one, in fact, questions much of anything at all, and they all race earnestly along the designated plot line.
I hope the writing will mature as the series progresses.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews