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Lady #1
Lady of Dreams
To dream from a distance, or wake and risk losing it all?
Confined to her couch, Clovis Sohn spends her days and nights dreaming, drifting further away from the outside world with each passing day. But Clovis' dreams are also real, giving her a glimpse into the lives of those around her...
When a moment of unthinking sympathy twines Clovis' dreams with the bored, playful composer Yong-hwa, she must decide whether to keep dreaming in the comfort of her chaise lounge, or to awaken into a reality that is by no means so sure or familiar as her dreams.
Confined to her couch, Clovis Sohn spends her days and nights dreaming, drifting further away from the outside world with each passing day. But Clovis' dreams are also real, giving her a glimpse into the lives of those around her...
When a moment of unthinking sympathy twines Clovis' dreams with the bored, playful composer Yong-hwa, she must decide whether to keep dreaming in the comfort of her chaise lounge, or to awaken into a reality that is by no means so sure or familiar as her dreams.
348 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 4, 2018
52 people are currently reading
348 people want to read
About the author
W.R. Gingell
46 books1,094 followersW.R. Gingell is an Australian author of urban fantasy, fairy-tale retellings, and madcap science fiction who doesn't seem to be able to write a book without a body suddenly turning up. She solemnly swears that all such bodies are strictly fictional in nature.
She lives in a refurbished 1970s Bedford Bus in the south of Tasmania, where she spends her time reading, drinking a truly ridiculous amount of tea, and raising spinach, strawberries, and one small, fluffy dog. Like Peter Pan, W.R. never really grew up, and despite the inconveniences of chronically ill life, is still occasionally to be found climbing trees.
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She lives in a refurbished 1970s Bedford Bus in the south of Tasmania, where she spends her time reading, drinking a truly ridiculous amount of tea, and raising spinach, strawberries, and one small, fluffy dog. Like Peter Pan, W.R. never really grew up, and despite the inconveniences of chronically ill life, is still occasionally to be found climbing trees.
You can sign up to the The WR(ite) Newsletter by following the link!
GOODREADS FRIEND POLICY: I don't tend to friend anyone unless they're a personal friend or someone from my close author circle. I have a limited social battery which needs constant care. If you want to keep up with my reading/writing, you can absolutely follow me here or on pretty much any social media site.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
June 13, 2017
Jane Austen meets Korean steampunk in the latest release from literary genius, W.R. Gingell!
I wasn't sure about this at first, just because the premise is so different from Gingell's SHARDS OF A BROKEN SWORD series (which I loved). I was a little uncertain, but all my favorite things about her works, unique characterizations, creative settings, and multilayered storylines, were all here! (Not to mention swoon-worthy, sweet romance.)
The plot:
The story moves a little slowly the first chapter or so, but it really picks up from there. I was very quickly curious as to what would happen. The complex interactions of the characters was definitely a huge draw. Gingell rewards her readers well and I never should have doubted!
The characters:
Clovis is an unusual narrator mainly because of her profound apathy (in the beginning). I have never seen such an unemotional character made so sympathetic and it's one of my favorite things about this book.
The intricate dance of Ae-jung, Jessamy, Se-ri, Yong-hwa, Hyuan-jun was incredibly well orchestrated. I was deeply impressed that I never felt the story was rushed, failed to make sense, or had holes.
Also, where can I buy a Yong-hwa? (You think I'm joking, but I'm not.)
Overall, I loved this book. I look forward to the upcoming installments in the series and getting to Gingell's backlist!
I wasn't sure about this at first, just because the premise is so different from Gingell's SHARDS OF A BROKEN SWORD series (which I loved). I was a little uncertain, but all my favorite things about her works, unique characterizations, creative settings, and multilayered storylines, were all here! (Not to mention swoon-worthy, sweet romance.)
The plot:
The story moves a little slowly the first chapter or so, but it really picks up from there. I was very quickly curious as to what would happen. The complex interactions of the characters was definitely a huge draw. Gingell rewards her readers well and I never should have doubted!
The characters:
Clovis is an unusual narrator mainly because of her profound apathy (in the beginning). I have never seen such an unemotional character made so sympathetic and it's one of my favorite things about this book.
The intricate dance of Ae-jung, Jessamy, Se-ri, Yong-hwa, Hyuan-jun was incredibly well orchestrated. I was deeply impressed that I never felt the story was rushed, failed to make sense, or had holes.
Also, where can I buy a Yong-hwa? (You think I'm joking, but I'm not.)
Overall, I loved this book. I look forward to the upcoming installments in the series and getting to Gingell's backlist!
July 24, 2021
4-4.5 stars // read July 2021
An unique and light-hearted read. The side characters really shine- I was worried that some of the side characters would become stereotypes, but they didn't (yay!). I wasn't expecting to relate to Clovis at all, but actually out of all the characters she ended up being the most relatable to me.
I have a sneaking suspicion that fans of K-dramas would be particularly fond of this book, but even if you're like me and only know two words in Korean, you'll still probably enjoy it. ;)
Content: None/Mild (kissing)
An unique and light-hearted read. The side characters really shine- I was worried that some of the side characters would become stereotypes, but they didn't (yay!). I wasn't expecting to relate to Clovis at all, but actually out of all the characters she ended up being the most relatable to me.
I have a sneaking suspicion that fans of K-dramas would be particularly fond of this book, but even if you're like me and only know two words in Korean, you'll still probably enjoy it. ;)
Content: None/Mild (kissing)
February 1, 2021
Well, THIS was so much fun....
I'll admit. I've never read a love hexagon or triangle or any other shapewise that was as FUN and readable (and not painful to read) as this book. EVERY character was treated nicely and given a good ending. And that's about as much as I have to say about the romance.
This can be read standalone, by the way, even though it's part of a series. The characters in here, especially the heroine and hero, were /very/ interesting to watch. It might either be me and my lack of sleep or Gingell's writing style, but there was a very dreamlike quality to the story. Dreamlike and yet very present and involved with the story. There was developement, the pacing was set off neatly, and it was all just FUN. The characters were all hilarious k-drama inspired kiddos and it was equally hilarious to see other people (as I've only watched 1 k-drama in my life) react to how Korean everything was...
One thing I will say is that at times, I wanted to know MORE about the world...but as this was a very internal-conflict focused story, I thought Gingell did well handling the aspects of the world without keeping us at a distance from it. I also really enjoyed seeing the Korean influence in everything and how Gingell almost always structured the dialogue so it could easily be read in Korean, too (even though sometimes it was weird in English, not bad weird, but interesting). :)))
Finally, to conclude....I just LOVED these characters. You hardly ever see facilitator characters in western media and seeing one here was GOLDEN. Makes you wish you had more of the characters' shenanigans than just the heroine's perspective, even if she was incredibly interesting and rather unique.
Content: Kissing, a shirtless thing, but it's actually all very clean. Like I said, very dreamlike and fun.
I'll admit. I've never read a love hexagon or triangle or any other shapewise that was as FUN and readable (and not painful to read) as this book. EVERY character was treated nicely and given a good ending. And that's about as much as I have to say about the romance.
This can be read standalone, by the way, even though it's part of a series. The characters in here, especially the heroine and hero, were /very/ interesting to watch. It might either be me and my lack of sleep or Gingell's writing style, but there was a very dreamlike quality to the story. Dreamlike and yet very present and involved with the story. There was developement, the pacing was set off neatly, and it was all just FUN. The characters were all hilarious k-drama inspired kiddos and it was equally hilarious to see other people (as I've only watched 1 k-drama in my life) react to how Korean everything was...
One thing I will say is that at times, I wanted to know MORE about the world...but as this was a very internal-conflict focused story, I thought Gingell did well handling the aspects of the world without keeping us at a distance from it. I also really enjoyed seeing the Korean influence in everything and how Gingell almost always structured the dialogue so it could easily be read in Korean, too (even though sometimes it was weird in English, not bad weird, but interesting). :)))
Finally, to conclude....I just LOVED these characters. You hardly ever see facilitator characters in western media and seeing one here was GOLDEN. Makes you wish you had more of the characters' shenanigans than just the heroine's perspective, even if she was incredibly interesting and rather unique.
Content: Kissing, a shirtless thing, but it's actually all very clean. Like I said, very dreamlike and fun.
January 3, 2022
My gosh, I love this book.
This is probably one of the most unique stories I have read to date-and I have to say that's no easy feat to accomplish-;
an odd mix between korean drama/steampunk/and parnanormal fantasy makes for a very entertaining read.😉 The POV is intriguing as well as the world itself-although we don't get to see much of it-, I can't help but love each one of these characters. *but the Carlin-automaton is my favorite*😍😘 **- I love the inclusion of all the Korean words and honorifics?; also the helpful little key at the beginning of the book for those who like/need a translation.😊😁*brilliant*
The humor is on point as well as the character growth for our MC and even secondary characters.
This is definitely one of my favorite reads of the year, possibly just a top read in general.
-and in a possibly unrelated note; I feel like I can relate to this MC on a metaphysical level🤫🧐😅-
Clean Rating 5/5
Some non-descript. kissing
****It's basically like watching an office romance kdrama, but add in a running commentary with a crippled cynic and a tiny dash o' magic and uh, also steampunkify it.-that's a word,right?- ***
-All in dream-esk quality!!!-
This is probably one of the most unique stories I have read to date-and I have to say that's no easy feat to accomplish-;
an odd mix between korean drama/steampunk/and parnanormal fantasy makes for a very entertaining read.😉 The POV is intriguing as well as the world itself-although we don't get to see much of it-, I can't help but love each one of these characters. *but the Carlin-automaton is my favorite*😍😘 **- I love the inclusion of all the Korean words and honorifics?; also the helpful little key at the beginning of the book for those who like/need a translation.😊😁*brilliant*
The humor is on point as well as the character growth for our MC and even secondary characters.
This is definitely one of my favorite reads of the year, possibly just a top read in general.
-and in a possibly unrelated note; I feel like I can relate to this MC on a metaphysical level🤫🧐😅-
Clean Rating 5/5
Some non-descript. kissing
****It's basically like watching an office romance kdrama, but add in a running commentary with a crippled cynic and a tiny dash o' magic and uh, also steampunkify it.-that's a word,right?- ***
-All in dream-esk quality!!!-
Read
December 30, 2019I enjoyed this sweet romance from one of my favourite indie authors! In a lightly steampunk Korean-inspired fantasy world, Clovis Sohn experiences life through her vivid dreams of the people around her. Naturally, she uses these dreams to arrange their love lives - and this is the story of what happens when one of her playthings becomes aware of her.
June 8, 2017
A fun fantasy romance.
Playful and sly, with the feel of an oriental lady's tale and all the lovely ridiculous coincidences of a Shakespearean comedy. The secret matchmaker whose magical power is to pair up the perfect couples in her dreams discovers that she has somehow managed to arrange a love match for herself.
Playful and sly, with the feel of an oriental lady's tale and all the lovely ridiculous coincidences of a Shakespearean comedy. The secret matchmaker whose magical power is to pair up the perfect couples in her dreams discovers that she has somehow managed to arrange a love match for herself.
December 17, 2022
reread december 2022:
I knew I’d like this more when I reread it (though I didn’t intend to reread it quite this soon). Up to four stars, because even though I still have quibbles (Carlin, mostly, and why is there so much romance in this romance novel), it’s a story that feels, in some ways, like it was written exactly for me. I love Gingell’s eye for humans and their foibles and her affection for them nonetheless.
original review
I enjoyed this, and I think it deserved to be enjoyed even more. It’s exactly my kind of book, except that it’s a romance, which makes it exactly not my kind of book, so…that was interesting. I enjoyed it, though. The softness and the dryness and that theme that came up again! The one I found so intriguing in Spindle! Where the main character is used to staying on the sidelines, moving around seeing but unseen, and when she’s pulled into some people’s attention it’s frightening and she’s not sure she likes it (even though it’s exactly what she wants, to be seen by somebody at least, but she’s got so used to not having it and not believing she ever will have it that she actively tries to avoid it). It’s much more prominent here with Clovis, which means I relate less, but I still relate a weird amount. (It is so weird to find out that the people you always observed, who you assumed barely knew your name, have actually been paying attention to you too.)
Jessamy’s a doll, and Yong-hwa’s boredom and music made me happy, as did Clovis’s idea that she was cold and incurious (nosy is not the same as curious) and incapable of love for anyone but her brother. It takes skill to write a heroine of such deep apathy with anything like interest or likability. Also never thought I’d enjoy a freaking love octagon!!
Three stars because I have quibbles about how a certain character was treated, and mainly because the ending let me down a little because romance is just not my thing.
Overall: tropey but in a fun way, and somehow also really unique. Never knew I wanted Korean steampunk in my life, but is it great or what.
I knew I’d like this more when I reread it (though I didn’t intend to reread it quite this soon). Up to four stars, because even though I still have quibbles (Carlin, mostly, and why is there so much romance in this romance novel), it’s a story that feels, in some ways, like it was written exactly for me. I love Gingell’s eye for humans and their foibles and her affection for them nonetheless.
original review
I enjoyed this, and I think it deserved to be enjoyed even more. It’s exactly my kind of book, except that it’s a romance, which makes it exactly not my kind of book, so…that was interesting. I enjoyed it, though. The softness and the dryness and that theme that came up again! The one I found so intriguing in Spindle! Where the main character is used to staying on the sidelines, moving around seeing but unseen, and when she’s pulled into some people’s attention it’s frightening and she’s not sure she likes it (even though it’s exactly what she wants, to be seen by somebody at least, but she’s got so used to not having it and not believing she ever will have it that she actively tries to avoid it). It’s much more prominent here with Clovis, which means I relate less, but I still relate a weird amount. (It is so weird to find out that the people you always observed, who you assumed barely knew your name, have actually been paying attention to you too.)
Jessamy’s a doll, and Yong-hwa’s boredom and music made me happy, as did Clovis’s idea that she was cold and incurious (nosy is not the same as curious) and incapable of love for anyone but her brother. It takes skill to write a heroine of such deep apathy with anything like interest or likability. Also never thought I’d enjoy a freaking love octagon!!
Three stars because I have quibbles about how a certain character was treated, and mainly because the ending let me down a little because romance is just not my thing.
Overall: tropey but in a fun way, and somehow also really unique. Never knew I wanted Korean steampunk in my life, but is it great or what.
July 24, 2017
The more times I read this book, the more I like it. The first time through, I quite enjoyed it but had trouble feeling close to the characters; still, I liked it enough for a slower, more thorough repeat, and now I just read it every once in a while when I'm in the mood for something cool and sweet. My only unhappiness is that Clovis Sohn is never fully described, leaving her a sort of vague blob in my imagination.
It's often struck me that WR Gingell's calm, creamy prose can be a little at odds with playing up a fast-moving action scene or drawing out a hot-tempered protagonist. Fortunately, Lady of Dreams is precisely that sort of vanilla ice cream smoothie perfect for her dreamy, detached writing style, and it reflects the protagonist's journey beautifully from cold and firm to soft and sweet.
I'm sorry. I'm probably hungry.
It's often struck me that WR Gingell's calm, creamy prose can be a little at odds with playing up a fast-moving action scene or drawing out a hot-tempered protagonist. Fortunately, Lady of Dreams is precisely that sort of vanilla ice cream smoothie perfect for her dreamy, detached writing style, and it reflects the protagonist's journey beautifully from cold and firm to soft and sweet.
I'm sorry. I'm probably hungry.
March 17, 2021
Update 2021
Lady of Dreams is officially even more satisfying after watching You're Beautiful. Also, drinking Russian Caravan and listening to Jung Yong Hwa's music nonstop doesn't hurt anything. Even the themes seemed especially profound while rereading so I have no complaints and shall hold my peace. (Enjoy it while you can.)
Original review
This is the ultimate rainy day read: romantic comedy, tea and more tea, temperamental artists, weird fantasy worlds. So I read it on a rainy autumn day while listening to a rainy autumn playlist. It would have been perfect, except I forgot to make tea.
It's amazing how this book is so compelling when most of the story (the first half anyway) consists of the main character spying on people from her chaise lounge. If you want to know how she manages that Read This Book To Find Out.
This is the sort of book I don't read often, and when I do read one I avoid it's kind for several weeks. That's not because I don't enjoy them, but because I don't want my head to be perpetually filled with fluff.
Also, I kept up the tradition of finishing all WR Gingell's book very, very early in the morning.
4.5 out of 5 stars
P.S. This may or may not be the most entertaining romantic comedy I've ever read. I haven't decided yet.
Lady of Dreams is officially even more satisfying after watching You're Beautiful. Also, drinking Russian Caravan and listening to Jung Yong Hwa's music nonstop doesn't hurt anything. Even the themes seemed especially profound while rereading so I have no complaints and shall hold my peace. (Enjoy it while you can.)
Original review
This is the ultimate rainy day read: romantic comedy, tea and more tea, temperamental artists, weird fantasy worlds. So I read it on a rainy autumn day while listening to a rainy autumn playlist. It would have been perfect, except I forgot to make tea.
It's amazing how this book is so compelling when most of the story (the first half anyway) consists of the main character spying on people from her chaise lounge. If you want to know how she manages that Read This Book To Find Out.
This is the sort of book I don't read often, and when I do read one I avoid it's kind for several weeks. That's not because I don't enjoy them, but because I don't want my head to be perpetually filled with fluff.
Also, I kept up the tradition of finishing all WR Gingell's book very, very early in the morning.
4.5 out of 5 stars
P.S. This may or may not be the most entertaining romantic comedy I've ever read. I haven't decided yet.
May 15, 2017
A lovely, lovely book. Takes place in a unique Korean-inspired fantasy world, with a main character who sees the lives of others through dreams, and slowly finds herself involved with these people in reality. It's a bit like a romantic comedy, with lots of people clashing and falling in love and interfering with each others' lives, but it has a gentle, soothing, relaxing pace. The magic system was vaguely defined, but I mean that in a positive way--we learn just enough about the various magical abilities to understand what's going on, while still holding onto a sense of wonder and amazement. There are some sweet love stories, some good humor, and a cast full of great characters.
The book's slow pace, while relaxing, does cause the book to drag in some parts. The ending chapters have slightly ridiculous amounts of kissing, and I'm not entirely pleased with the way one character departed the story. But otherwise, it's a lovely book, and I'm glad to see that the author plans multiple more books in this series, because I would love to return to this world.
I received a free Kindle copy of this book through the Kindle Scout program.
The book's slow pace, while relaxing, does cause the book to drag in some parts. The ending chapters have slightly ridiculous amounts of kissing, and I'm not entirely pleased with the way one character departed the story. But otherwise, it's a lovely book, and I'm glad to see that the author plans multiple more books in this series, because I would love to return to this world.
I received a free Kindle copy of this book through the Kindle Scout program.
February 7, 2017
A Korean fantasy set in an alternate world + a disabled protagonist, this one was pure perfection. I can't wait till this book reaches the rest of the world (I betaread it) since I'm pretty damn sure everyone would go gaga over it! xD
December 26, 2018
*squealing* RTC. Now I’m off to the author’s website to read the released chapters of the next book, LADY OF WEEDS! :D
April 14, 2018
Full disclosure: I first learned of the existence of WRG when my sister texted me of a very kind review left for one of my own books, with the additional information that the reviewer "had a blog." Naturally curious, I read the review (which was of the sort to hearten the most discouraged, or gratify the most blasé writer), and, impressed by the quality of prose, immediately investigated the aforementioned blog. I was not surprised to discover that WRG wrote books as well as "web logs," but only that her chosen genre appeared to be YA fantasy and sci-fi. This intrigued me on two levels: 1. My preferred "end-of-week fiction binge" is usually fantasy or low-tech sci-fi, and I have regularly to seek out new authors, as increasing numbers crash and burn on the altar of All Things Clichéd and Politically Correct; and 2. Fantasy/sci-fi aficionados do not naturally spring to mind as a likely audience for my own books, which contain nary an elf or spaceship, but instead fall into a category subset in which they may be the only entries, namely, "historical works–mostly epistolary–with very little plot, but replete with antique words, punctuation and mores." What form, I wondered, would fantasy take, when created by a mind capable of embracing and understanding such an obscure classification? Lady of Dreams happened to be on sale at the time, and so became my official introduction to that mind.
I've debated for some weeks whether to write this review. On one side was the uneasy feeling that there must hover over the act the faint, distasteful shadow of reciprocity–for though her own was entirely spontaneous, the same really could not be said of mine; on the other side were the arguments that all reviewers must acquire knowledge of their objects by some means or other, and that, no matter how predisposed in her favor I might be, if I thought Lady of Dreams dreadful or even mediocre, nothing could induce me publicly to state otherwise, and a baffled and tactful silence would have been my only recourse. In the end, obviously, emotions were suppressed by solid arguments, rather as the cheering guinea pigs were suppressed in Lewis Carroll's account of the trial of the Knave of Hearts: and, like any bagged and sat-upon rodent, they continue to wriggle in protest, just a bit.
What, then, is my opinion of Lady of Dreams? In a word, I think it is original; in two words, charming and well-written. Moreover, it has the distinction of being one of only a handful of books which, embodying various elements which I generally dislike and actively avoid, yet manage to surmount all my prejudices and find a permanent place in my library. (Elizabeth Moon's The Speed of Dark is another.) In this instance, my antipathies were fourfold: Asian-themed fantasy, nebulous magic systems, chronological imprecision, and narratives in which dreams of any sort play a prominent role. In short, pretty much everything about it should have had me sighing in disappointment and thumbing the delete button–and yet, each time I took it up I found myself lured into continuing. (Unlike many reviewers, whom I envy, I seldom have time to read anything in one sitting.) This can be attributed to nothing save the talent and ingenuity of the author, and if any readers should happen to be less hidebound than myself, or even to entertain decided preferences for the elements listed, then Lady of Dreams should be even more to their taste. For myself, I have, as can be seen, allotted it four stars–but this is because the star chart does not allow half measures, and in my estimation three stars belong to "pleasant" books my brain has marked for almost immediate oblivion; and only Jane Austen receives five.
I've debated for some weeks whether to write this review. On one side was the uneasy feeling that there must hover over the act the faint, distasteful shadow of reciprocity–for though her own was entirely spontaneous, the same really could not be said of mine; on the other side were the arguments that all reviewers must acquire knowledge of their objects by some means or other, and that, no matter how predisposed in her favor I might be, if I thought Lady of Dreams dreadful or even mediocre, nothing could induce me publicly to state otherwise, and a baffled and tactful silence would have been my only recourse. In the end, obviously, emotions were suppressed by solid arguments, rather as the cheering guinea pigs were suppressed in Lewis Carroll's account of the trial of the Knave of Hearts: and, like any bagged and sat-upon rodent, they continue to wriggle in protest, just a bit.
What, then, is my opinion of Lady of Dreams? In a word, I think it is original; in two words, charming and well-written. Moreover, it has the distinction of being one of only a handful of books which, embodying various elements which I generally dislike and actively avoid, yet manage to surmount all my prejudices and find a permanent place in my library. (Elizabeth Moon's The Speed of Dark is another.) In this instance, my antipathies were fourfold: Asian-themed fantasy, nebulous magic systems, chronological imprecision, and narratives in which dreams of any sort play a prominent role. In short, pretty much everything about it should have had me sighing in disappointment and thumbing the delete button–and yet, each time I took it up I found myself lured into continuing. (Unlike many reviewers, whom I envy, I seldom have time to read anything in one sitting.) This can be attributed to nothing save the talent and ingenuity of the author, and if any readers should happen to be less hidebound than myself, or even to entertain decided preferences for the elements listed, then Lady of Dreams should be even more to their taste. For myself, I have, as can be seen, allotted it four stars–but this is because the star chart does not allow half measures, and in my estimation three stars belong to "pleasant" books my brain has marked for almost immediate oblivion; and only Jane Austen receives five.
April 18, 2022
Reading this book was a bit like my occasional attempts to drink green tea - it starts off with "why am I slogging through this odd tasteless stuff" and progresses to "that was warm and satisfying, where did it all go?"
The first third of the book is hard going. Our sole POV character spends most of her life out of her body watching others but not having a real relationship with them. Although this would be normal for TV camera work, in a novel it feels like a weird formal experiment in fly on the wall narration and it takes some time to build rapport with this cast of characters that we see in fragmentary scenes.
Later the action shifts to a country house and becomes more like Mansfield Park but in the fantasy pseudo-Korean setting, where our cast of wealthy people and their hangers on mope about in complicated love lives, aided by strategic garden walks and playing psychological games with one another. Sometimes involving tea.
The finale does wrap everything up in a satisfying bow, but this is a very gentle book and anyone familiar with Ms Gingell's other work might be surprised that no vampires come out of the woodwork at any stage, nor is there ever any real peril except of broken hearts. (She has attributed this to watching a lot of K-drama...)
There's potential here to see the MCs issues as metaphoric of the way chronic illness isolates the sufferer and makes her socially invisible, or how being a writer involves constantly watching others in a strange detached way; but for the most part the book didn't seem interested in dwelling on such serious thoughts. Perhaps I should not either.
The first third of the book is hard going. Our sole POV character spends most of her life out of her body watching others but not having a real relationship with them. Although this would be normal for TV camera work, in a novel it feels like a weird formal experiment in fly on the wall narration and it takes some time to build rapport with this cast of characters that we see in fragmentary scenes.
Later the action shifts to a country house and becomes more like Mansfield Park but in the fantasy pseudo-Korean setting, where our cast of wealthy people and their hangers on mope about in complicated love lives, aided by strategic garden walks and playing psychological games with one another. Sometimes involving tea.
The finale does wrap everything up in a satisfying bow, but this is a very gentle book and anyone familiar with Ms Gingell's other work might be surprised that no vampires come out of the woodwork at any stage, nor is there ever any real peril except of broken hearts. (She has attributed this to watching a lot of K-drama...)
There's potential here to see the MCs issues as metaphoric of the way chronic illness isolates the sufferer and makes her socially invisible, or how being a writer involves constantly watching others in a strange detached way; but for the most part the book didn't seem interested in dwelling on such serious thoughts. Perhaps I should not either.
Read
October 16, 2017Wow, that was a strange book! I was totally confused at the beginning, but I kept reading and found my reward, which was well worth the effort. I'm not sure why it didn't capture me from the beginning, but the Korean names and words didn't help. The author did an excellent job of portraying a society very different from modern life, but trying to figure out what it was and how it worked was a challenge. There is a glossary in the back, which is not the easiest to constantly access in a Kindle book--though I did so many times over! Now, I like a challenge in a book as long as I know it is worth the effort,and the recommendation of a friend made a big difference. So I'm passing on the word: YES, fantasy lovers, read it! It's worth your time.
Clovis, our POV character, is difficult to connect with at first because she is so distant from reality, and her "condition" or "power" is unlike anything I've seen before. She observes people in her dreams with interest but no emotional connection . . . until this time. What makes the difference? Read and find out. Her character arc is slow to develop yet fascinating. I enjoyed the italicized narrative at the beginning of each chapter and figured out who she was talking to about halfway through--and it all connects by the end of the book. The romance is quite satisfying.
I loved Carlin, and Jessamy's story is really cute.
Clovis, our POV character, is difficult to connect with at first because she is so distant from reality, and her "condition" or "power" is unlike anything I've seen before. She observes people in her dreams with interest but no emotional connection . . . until this time. What makes the difference? Read and find out. Her character arc is slow to develop yet fascinating. I enjoyed the italicized narrative at the beginning of each chapter and figured out who she was talking to about halfway through--and it all connects by the end of the book. The romance is quite satisfying.
I loved Carlin, and Jessamy's story is really cute.
January 24, 2018
Lady of Dreams, by W.R. Gingell, is a romantic fantasy with lovely prose and intriguing mystery. Readers will be drawn into the story just as protagonist Clovis is drawn into her dreams. As Clovis falls deeper into them, the lives of those within her dreams grow more complex. She dreams of Ae-Jung, a Korean woman with three different men, including Clovis's half brother, romantically pursuing her. The inclusion of Korean language and history in addition to both fantasy and romance adds interesting details to the story. Ultimately, Clovis makes a romantic discovery herself and must choose whether to remain dreaming or awaken to an uncertain reality. A romance with an air of mysticism that will intrigue readers of fantasy, Lady of Dreams is indeed a pretty dream of a book.
September 24, 2019
i read this a while ago and forgot to ever log it here, oops.
this is one of those books that i liked for its uniqueness but also felt somehow...unenthused about the characters? all of them felt fairly remote. and while that actually makes sense for this protagonist, it did lead me to feeling more lukewarm about the characters and their relationships than i otherwise might have.
oh, and i've never watched a k-drama (yet), but lady of dreams seems like it's very inspired by them.
this is one of those books that i liked for its uniqueness but also felt somehow...unenthused about the characters? all of them felt fairly remote. and while that actually makes sense for this protagonist, it did lead me to feeling more lukewarm about the characters and their relationships than i otherwise might have.
oh, and i've never watched a k-drama (yet), but lady of dreams seems like it's very inspired by them.
December 13, 2021
3.5/5
Listening via TTS has many disadvantages. However at this time thats the only way I can get anything read properly these days..boohoo
Anyhow was NOT expecting this wierd combination of K drama and dreamlike fantasy with supposed steampunkness (I say supposed because Im not really familiar woth that stuff)
It was very slow in some ways and I had to rewind many times as I myself was asleep alot. But there was a certain sharp underlying humor which was fun
Listening via TTS has many disadvantages. However at this time thats the only way I can get anything read properly these days..boohoo
Anyhow was NOT expecting this wierd combination of K drama and dreamlike fantasy with supposed steampunkness (I say supposed because Im not really familiar woth that stuff)
It was very slow in some ways and I had to rewind many times as I myself was asleep alot. But there was a certain sharp underlying humor which was fun
April 13, 2020
Clever and charming
This was an unexpected pleasure as I wasn’t to sure at first about hopping from character to character as Clovis spied on them alternately. As the plot unfolded though, I was charmed by the young aristocrat earning money to support her impoverished family in secret, and the other young lovers. Very original.
This was an unexpected pleasure as I wasn’t to sure at first about hopping from character to character as Clovis spied on them alternately. As the plot unfolded though, I was charmed by the young aristocrat earning money to support her impoverished family in secret, and the other young lovers. Very original.
Read
July 2, 2017I LOVED IT
May 14, 2021
Very unusual fantasy story. It's written in first person, from Clovis' point of view, but so much of the story involves other characters, while Clovis remains in the background. She is a Dreamer, and mostly isn't present for her Real life. There are a few love triangles that get quite messy during the story, but all are satisfactorily resolved by the end. Helpful hint: there's a glossary at the back of the book for the Korean words used.
June 20, 2022
Reading this book is like having some warm tea with a plate of freshly baked shortbread. The story plays out vividly like a movie and I just love it. :)
//review to come//
//review to come//
November 12, 2024
This book was so unique and unlike any book I've read before! Loved the Korean and I think that WR Gingell is a great author.
May 21, 2017
I really liked this book. It was a pleasant, light read, and left me with warm fuzzy feelings overall. (Even the parts I didn't wholly approve of, I was willing to accept as nuances of the narrator's personality.)
Random feedback/thoughts:
- Since this if foremost on my mind, I'll start with: I would have liked clarification about Carlin. I spent most of the book believing he was human (and am still not entirely 100% convince he isn't). Jessamy called him "the Carlin-automaton," and in the last chapter even Clovis' verbage reverted to "it" instead of "he." I'm assuming to distance us from feeling badly about Clovis' decision to "re-home" him. Merriam-Webster defines "automaton" as either "a machine or control mechanism designed to follow automatically a predetermined sequence of operations or respond to encoded instructions," or "an individual who acts in a mechanical fashion." Clovis says more than once he was "given" to her. But, he has a family, and a family home, that Clovis was planning on giving him possession of once he paid her back out of his wages (and as an aside, where did she get the funds and authority to purchase it? That was a new concept; we were introduced to her as somewhat of a neglected daughter who had no control of her surroundings, let alone an allowance or her own money)... So, is he a robot? chattel? a slave? a robot servant? He is paid - what does a robot need money for? He appears to have his own free-will. The lack of closure and clarification on that somewhat bothered me.
- It would have been nice to have the dictionary at the front. Although most terms were self-explanatory after a bit of contextual repetition, I had some confusion over less-often used words. (And it took me awhile to realize nae, dae, and ye all meant the same thing.) Might have been easier to figure out if I'd realized it was Korean. (I don't read summaries before I start a book in my queue, so I went in entirely blind.)
- The magic was not clearly defined... I suppose it didn't need to be gone into at great length, but it would have at least been nice to know what its purpose was, or what percentage of the population could use magic. It seemed that only one of our characters was capable, but no one else remarked on it as unusual or noteworthy. What was the purpose of it?
- It felt like all the characters were all so "special" in one way or another, except perhaps Jessamy, and even he was special enough to have caught Yong-hwa's attentions. (I'd like to know what became of Hwan-chul as well.)
- I was also hoping for a better explanation of the Dreaming. Or maybe I was hoping for a reason for it... Oddly, this one doesn't bother me as much as other things, because sometimes there doesn't always need to be a reason for things so much as they just are.
- The style of writing from the first-person point of view was interesting. As the reader, I watched things happen that my brain interpreted from a cognitive standpoint... but that the first-person narrator did not take into consideration. (I get that it was on purpose because she "doesn't feel," but... It was interesting.)
- I'd have liked to know more about the world itself...
But when it comes down to it, none of this detracted from my enjoyment of the book. I'm able to work with a large amount of suspension of disbelief as soon as I know it's not set in my own reality, so I took most of these things in an "as-is" type of way.
Random feedback/thoughts:
- Since this if foremost on my mind, I'll start with: I would have liked clarification about Carlin. I spent most of the book believing he was human (and am still not entirely 100% convince he isn't). Jessamy called him "the Carlin-automaton," and in the last chapter even Clovis' verbage reverted to "it" instead of "he." I'm assuming to distance us from feeling badly about Clovis' decision to "re-home" him. Merriam-Webster defines "automaton" as either "a machine or control mechanism designed to follow automatically a predetermined sequence of operations or respond to encoded instructions," or "an individual who acts in a mechanical fashion." Clovis says more than once he was "given" to her. But, he has a family, and a family home, that Clovis was planning on giving him possession of once he paid her back out of his wages (and as an aside, where did she get the funds and authority to purchase it? That was a new concept; we were introduced to her as somewhat of a neglected daughter who had no control of her surroundings, let alone an allowance or her own money)... So, is he a robot? chattel? a slave? a robot servant? He is paid - what does a robot need money for? He appears to have his own free-will. The lack of closure and clarification on that somewhat bothered me.
- It would have been nice to have the dictionary at the front. Although most terms were self-explanatory after a bit of contextual repetition, I had some confusion over less-often used words. (And it took me awhile to realize nae, dae, and ye all meant the same thing.) Might have been easier to figure out if I'd realized it was Korean. (I don't read summaries before I start a book in my queue, so I went in entirely blind.)
- The magic was not clearly defined... I suppose it didn't need to be gone into at great length, but it would have at least been nice to know what its purpose was, or what percentage of the population could use magic. It seemed that only one of our characters was capable, but no one else remarked on it as unusual or noteworthy. What was the purpose of it?
- It felt like all the characters were all so "special" in one way or another, except perhaps Jessamy, and even he was special enough to have caught Yong-hwa's attentions. (I'd like to know what became of Hwan-chul as well.)
- I was also hoping for a better explanation of the Dreaming. Or maybe I was hoping for a reason for it... Oddly, this one doesn't bother me as much as other things, because sometimes there doesn't always need to be a reason for things so much as they just are.
- The style of writing from the first-person point of view was interesting. As the reader, I watched things happen that my brain interpreted from a cognitive standpoint... but that the first-person narrator did not take into consideration. (I get that it was on purpose because she "doesn't feel," but... It was interesting.)
- I'd have liked to know more about the world itself...
But when it comes down to it, none of this detracted from my enjoyment of the book. I'm able to work with a large amount of suspension of disbelief as soon as I know it's not set in my own reality, so I took most of these things in an "as-is" type of way.
March 3, 2022
Why did I wait SO LONG to read this???
PROS:
-UNIQUE-EVERYTHING IS UNIQUE. Characters, plot, relationships, settings. I haven't read anything like this at all. It was marvelous.
-Clovis-An unusual main character. Apathy is usually not a trait found in protagonists, but it was very interesting to see it in Clovis. Her dreams
-Everyone else-I'm not going to attempt to remember how to spell all the names(Ae-jung, Se-ri, Carlin, Jessamy, but I can't spell the rest right now) but they were all intriguing and I very much want to know more about them.
-I just can't describe how incredibly awesome this book is. I'm not even going to bother with a cons section because I can't really think of anything. I enjoyed this SO much. W.R. Gingell has cemented her place as one my all-time favorite authors.
PROS:
-UNIQUE-EVERYTHING IS UNIQUE. Characters, plot, relationships, settings. I haven't read anything like this at all. It was marvelous.
-Clovis-An unusual main character. Apathy is usually not a trait found in protagonists, but it was very interesting to see it in Clovis. Her dreams
-Everyone else-I'm not going to attempt to remember how to spell all the names(Ae-jung, Se-ri, Carlin, Jessamy, but I can't spell the rest right now) but they were all intriguing and I very much want to know more about them.
-I just can't describe how incredibly awesome this book is. I'm not even going to bother with a cons section because I can't really think of anything. I enjoyed this SO much. W.R. Gingell has cemented her place as one my all-time favorite authors.
October 23, 2017
I wanted to love this, as I have really enjoyed all of WR Gingell's previous books, but this one didn't quite do it for me.
I'm not into K-drama so perhaps some of the subtleties went over my head and I found the plot a bit too meandering. The usage of Korean (I think?) for only "yes" and "no" throughout also got on my nerves - there are better ways to convey the tone and flavour of foreign languages apart from using two words...
Having said that, the story came together in the end and I'll still pick up the sequel...
I'm not into K-drama so perhaps some of the subtleties went over my head and I found the plot a bit too meandering. The usage of Korean (I think?) for only "yes" and "no" throughout also got on my nerves - there are better ways to convey the tone and flavour of foreign languages apart from using two words...
Having said that, the story came together in the end and I'll still pick up the sequel...
July 21, 2019
I loved it.
And again, miss author has a way of making every character incredibly vivid and unique - and I felt with all of them.
Most of the time it was so sweet, yet not sickly-sweet as I imagine love stories may sometimes be :D At least for my taste. And it kept being interesting throughout the entire book. The Carlin story however, broke my heart.
I cried like a baby for him and I am not ashamed to admit it.
I loved this character the most.
And again, miss author has a way of making every character incredibly vivid and unique - and I felt with all of them.
Most of the time it was so sweet, yet not sickly-sweet as I imagine love stories may sometimes be :D At least for my taste. And it kept being interesting throughout the entire book. The Carlin story however, broke my heart.
I cried like a baby for him and I am not ashamed to admit it.
I loved this character the most.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 26, 2019
Delightful
I can’t believe I waited this long to read this story!!!! Love this story. Clovis and Jessamine and the rest. What a sweet story. I’m wildly curious about Carlin and his adventures too. Grin. Well done.
I can’t believe I waited this long to read this story!!!! Love this story. Clovis and Jessamine and the rest. What a sweet story. I’m wildly curious about Carlin and his adventures too. Grin. Well done.
November 10, 2016
Read as a serial on Wattpad. Excited to see the final edited version!
December 15, 2025
4 stars. Actually, I’d give it more, but it was so slow in the first half that I skipped about 15% of the book. This was truly an original book for me to read. The setting is kind of a steam punk Korean-English sort of time period. Clovis dreams. She dreams so often that she usually loses touch with reality and has difficulty walking or moving her body in the real world. She dreams of many people who come and go around her and she meddles with them in her dreams, usually to satisfying (for her) results all while remaining anonymous, invisible, and for the most part unconscious. She is usually bored and detached from most all living beings, with the exception of her brother, Jessamy, and her good friend Eun-Hee. Her life has been like this for 19 years, but one day the dreams of Jessamy include 2 of his male friends and a female employee. As we follow these three we start with a vague curiosity of what will happen to outright meddling in their affairs with the help of her trusty footman, Carlin.
I didn’t know if I would ever read about Clovis interacting with others in reality since the first part was mostly her observations of others in her dreams. But the intrigues and the culmination of dreams crashing with reality was really something to behold. The end was absolutely satisfying.
Other than it being rather slow the first half of the book, the Korean names were a bit confusing, especially when they used both names (like Hyung-Jun) and honorifics (like hyung) that are similar but the lowercase word can be used to call different people. Very confusing along with 3 different ways of saying “Yes”, I mostly just guessed what the word meant using context clues (not realizing there was a dictionary of terms at the end of the book until I finished it 🤦🏻♀️)
I didn’t know if I would ever read about Clovis interacting with others in reality since the first part was mostly her observations of others in her dreams. But the intrigues and the culmination of dreams crashing with reality was really something to behold. The end was absolutely satisfying.
Other than it being rather slow the first half of the book, the Korean names were a bit confusing, especially when they used both names (like Hyung-Jun) and honorifics (like hyung) that are similar but the lowercase word can be used to call different people. Very confusing along with 3 different ways of saying “Yes”, I mostly just guessed what the word meant using context clues (not realizing there was a dictionary of terms at the end of the book until I finished it 🤦🏻♀️)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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