A Dream Within a Dream

Dreamworld Duology #2

by Kristina Mahr

Invisible to the man she loves, Reeve Lennox fights to reclaim him from a dark world.

As her wedding day nears in Acarsaid, her betrothed Arden offers only his wayward soul and saucy tongue. At night she desperately tries to reach Bran, the young soldier of nightmarish Tenebris who holds her heart. However, her king insists that the realms of Tenebris and Acarsaid must remain separate, lest the evil wizard Rancore brutally conquer all.

But the dark magic of Tenebris defies mere distance. A war is coming, one only Reeve may be able to prevent, if she can reunite her family on opposing sides.

With two kingdoms at stake, Reeve must discover her strength and her family's legacy before all is lost. Yet righting the wrongs of the past may require the sacrifice of her truest love.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult

312 pages, Hardcover

Published March 26, 2019

About the author

Kristina Mahr is a Chicago-based author and poet known for her ability to capture raw emotion in prose. With four published novels and an extensive collection of poetry to her name, she has built a reputation for distilling complex feelings into words that resonate. Her greatest reward as a writer is creating those moments of profound connection - when readers find their own unspoken truths reflected in her words, transforming solitary feelings into shared experiences. When not writing, she enjoys drinking tall glasses of iced tea, reading, and waking up at the crack of dawn every weekend to watch the Premier League.

Kristina is represented by Kaitlyn Katsoupis at Belcastro Agency.

Reviews

[Nicki Chapelway · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm just going to start off by making googly eyes at that cover.

This book broke me. Not because of anything too offensively horrible to the characters. But the romance broke me. Not because it was an absolutely awful romance, or a tragic one. But because it had two romances, each equally good. And it was a love triangle. And my shipper mind didn't know what to do.

I think I'm team Bran???? I mean, he is really sweet and loyal. I still shook my head at many things he did, but he's still lovable even if he is aggravating.

But also, Arden. How he always calls her "wife" and "love" and is willing to become a better person for her. The person who took his heart off of a shelf only to get it dented. I'm crying for him.

Reeve is a somewhat better person in this book than she was in the last, but it was still painful waiting for her to come to realizations that I'd already come to in book one.

I loved the concept of the hidden world and how that all worked out, that was really interesting. The ending was somewhat anticlimactic, though. And while most of the description was really quite beautiful, there were parts were it seemed completely unnecessary and other parts where it was just weird. Get rid of all the flowery language and I think this book would be only a hundred pages. A hundred and fifty at most.

Content:
Some mild language, including one instance of a word that I wouldn't count as "mild" language. Innuendos and overly described violence.

All the same, a good conclusion to an extremely different series.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to give a positive review. All opinions are my own.

[ʙᴇʟᴀ.: ☾**:.☆*.:｡.]

[Sarah White · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful, lyrical, deeply satisfying conclusion to the Dreamworld Duology! Reeve grew so much as a character, and I loved seeing her come into her own. I can't recommend this duology highly enough!

Also, Team Arden forever. That is all. ;-)

[Laura A. Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh My. This book was SO good!!

It had everything I wanted and then some. I didn't expect for my views to change of Arden, but they did. And I am so happy that they did! He is such a phenomenal character and has sooooo many layers that he is not just the smooth dragon we were introduced to in the beginning.

Bran. Be still my heart. He already captured my heart in All That We See or Seem, but he *stole* it in the first chapter of this story. He is such a fantastic hero and absolutely adore him to pieces. Team him up with Reeve and you have such an epic shippable couple that is made up of the dreams we dream of concerning love. <3

Speaking of Reeve, she is one of my favorite heroines and could read her story often and not get bored (even with knowing what's coming next). I love the way she grows in this one and how big her heart is. She's so caring and just thankful we have awesome heroines like her to remind us to hope, hope, hope.

This was a powerful, engaging, fast-paced, and especially hopeful story. The duology is definitely one of my favorites and already look forward to diving into again.

[R.F. Gammon · Rating 4 out of 5]

*chokes in love triangle*

ARDEN IS MY BOI AND HE DESERVED SO MUCH BETTER THAN THIS. Oh my word. I don't buy for one instant any of his little "oh it was just dusting myself off" comments. LIES. HE WAS HEAD OVER HEELS AND YOU CANNOT TELL ME OTHERWISE.

Other than the infuriatingness of the love triangle and Bran as a character (uggghhhh) and also the fact that there was a shocking amount of language, I loved this book. It was fast-paced and smooth enough to pull me in and keep me there, and the way the conflict from book 1 resolved...perfect. I wish there had been more and that less of it had been about Bran (*coughs* and more about Arden *coughs*)

[Jes Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a fantastic sequel and conclusion to a fantastic fantasy duology! Everything kept escalating, and I was at the edge of my seat even as Reeve made her choice which guy she wanted to spend the rest of her life with (whether the better choice or not, I can't say- but at least she wasn't wishy-washy). I really loved the world in this story, and its magic rules.

Note that there was a considerable amount of language in this one, but it was otherwise fairly clean.

I received a copy of this book from the reviewer, and the opinions are my own.

[♠ TABI⁷ ♠]

[J.M. Hackman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Firstly, I must say nobody should endure a many-month wait when it comes to a cliffhanger like the one in All That We See Or Seem. Nobody.
Ahem. Now that I’ve got that off my chest, I can gush about A Dream Within A Dream. I finished it in one day (and I only had to stay up until 1:30 AM to do it. Because I wasn’t going to bed with it unfinished. Just. Wasn’t. ) ADWAD was just as lyrical, romantic, and evocative as its predecessor. My heart broke all through the book until I got to the end. I wanted more of the ending, more happily-ever-after-and-then-this-happened–to make up for the heart-wringing story. The characters were lovely and multi-layered, making it difficult to label them as “the good guy” or “the bad girl.” One warning, though — there was some language, that wasn’t present in ATWSOS. Mild swearing doesn’t bother me, but this time it pulled me out of the story because it seemed unnecessary. But I closed the cover with a happy sigh, so I can easily give this four and a half stars. (Since the whole story is now available, buy the duology–and a box of tissues. You’ll need them.)

[Tess · Rating 3 out of 5]

***SPOILER ALERT*** I spoil much in this review!

This is gonna be a difficult book to review.


PROS:
-Arden- My favorite character by far. The only thing I didn't like was his profanities. He really made the book for me. I still can't decide if he ought to be with Reeve or if he ought to find someone else because he's too good for her. His desire to see the world was endearing and when he was sleeping in the library...☺
-This is the last(second) book of this series so everything wraps up.
-lovely cover
-Reeve's mother
-The castle in the dreamworld


The MEH:
-The plot was driven much by the relationships between Bran, Reeve, and Arden. There was some dreamworld stuff, but not a whole lot.
-The ending- much too fast, if you ask me. For playing up Rancore as much as he was, he got defeated much too quickly. The ending could've been drawn out a little more if the scenes where Reeve's mooning to herself about Bran were cut short

CONS:
- Reeve- I never connected with her in the first book and, unfortunately, I didn't like her any better in this one. I dunno. Part of it was her hopeless romantic outlook. The other part was her lack of...sense? If I didn't have a way to communicate with my love in the dreamworld and I had a fiance to whom I was to be married very soon, I would avoid seeing my dreamworld love so as not to ruin my future with the fiance. Maybe that's just me. I didn't like her trying to convince Arden that he was faking being in love with her. I didn't like the fact that she went to see Bran in the end before, oh, I don't know, her FAMILY and FRIENDS who she's known for her entire LIFE?
-Bran- It will surprise no one that I hated Bran with a great passion. He has no personality, nothing that makes him stand apart from your garden variety love interest. He was about as interesting as his name.(He is oatmeal boy in my head) I never understood how Reeve and Bran fell in love to begin with. I didn't like how he told Arden to stop calling Reeve "love". HE'S HER FIANCE, BUB! HE HAS RIGHTS TO TERMS OF ENDEARMENT! *sigh* It's a sad day when I like neither the main character nor her love interest. I feel like everyone else had personality but the main pair.😑
-As mentioned earlier, there was quite a bit of profanity. Several d's, h's, a couple gd's, and a couple b's.
-Also, it seemed as if Reeve painted marriage with Arden as a cage for him. Which is not a good message to send. It seemed as if his former promiscuity was a character trait rather than poor life choices.

Overall, I don't quite know what to say. It ended the series. I adore Arden(despite his flaws. I have hopes that he won't sleep around anymore) and he deserves the world and a girl who won't ditch him for a dude in her dreams. I would definitely read another book completely about Arden's life after the events of this book.
Anyway, I didn't love it, but it had Arden, so there's that.

[Heather Hayden]

Warning: I'm not a romance reader usually, so this review should be considered in that light.

I read All That We See or Seem last year and ended up not reviewing it because the ending felt too much like a cliffhanger to me, something I'm personally not fond of in series. However, because this was a duology, and because I was interested in the characters, I decided to give the sequel a chance.

At first, I had trouble sliding back into the story. It was clearly written for a reader who remembered most of the first book (a lot of details had slipped my memory in the past year), and there's little to no explanation for who is who. It wasn't until I was a number of chapters in that I felt like I could relax rather than scramble to remember who Carrick is or what Thrall does or...you get the idea.

Once I had settled into the story's rhythm, however, I found it a pleasant read. Reeve's voice is strong in the narrative, as it is told in first person, and although the repetitiveness grated a bit at times, it does a good job showing how fractured she is from the stresses of being who she is--the niece of a king. She is torn between her duty and her heart, the "real" world and the "dream" world where she is invisible again.

Although there is a plot against the kingdom, and the inherent dangers of the ravens and everything else standing between Reeve and Bran, the story is, at its heart, a romance. There is a bit of a triangle with Arden, but it's clear from the start that Bran holds Reeve's heart, which I'm pleased with because I'm not a fan of triangles. (And despite his roguishness, I want Arden to find love again himself; he deserves it!)

I do wish there was more closure at the end. There's no real wind-down, and I prefer novels to end a little more slowly, showing a bit of what is to come. However, because the novel is a romance, I can understand why it ended after the final battle with Bran and Reeve finally together. I just wish there had been a bit more. We barely saw the family reunited, and Arden was slammed with some really bad news at the end.

I recommend this book to readers who enjoy fantasy romance.

I received an ARC from the publisher and posted this review of my own accord. The thoughts within are my own.

[Grace T · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the cliffhanger at the end of book 1, I had to get my hands on book 2.

And it did not disappoint.

Well, the dreamer in me wanted a happier ending for everyone involved in the triangle, not just the two of them, but the ending was realistic, even if I do want to hug and take care of the third person. Seriously, this is one of the best love triangles ever and just yes.

There were definitely a couple of awesome twists along the way, and I like how Reeve does manage to eventually talk about stuff with people instead of falling into the annoying non-communication trope. I probably can't say too much more because spoilers, but this was a great ending to the duology (and the cover is even more gorgeous than the first one).

[Laurie Lucking · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading All That We See or Seem, I absolutely couldn't wait for this book to come out, and it didn't disappoint! So many happy sighs... :) But it's hard to know what to say without spoilers! I enjoyed all the shifting dynamics between Reeve, Bran, and Arden, and the resolution of the love triangle was handled really well. I loved that Siber's character took on so much importance, and it was interesting to learn more about the magic at play and the "wall" between the kingdoms. The ending felt a little rushed for my taste, but I still found the conclusion very satisfying. Such a vivid, absorbing, beautifully-written set of books!

[E.B. Dawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a while I was a little worried this book wouldn't truly build on book 1. But I found myself incredibly satisfied with the ending. The reunion between two particular characters was pretty mushy, but I suppose that was to be expected. I really love Kristina Mahr's prose. It's so incredibly well thought out, gentle, personal, and rich. LOVE the strong themes of family. The author had a very specific vision and she executed it well. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Betwixt the Pages · Rating 5 out of 5]

Invisible to the man she loves, Reeve Lennox fights to reclaim him from a dark world.

As her wedding day nears in Acarsaid, her betrothed Arden offers only his wayward soul and saucy tongue. At night she desperately tries to reach Bran, the young soldier of nightmarish Tenebris who holds her heart. However, her king insists that the realms of Tenebris and Acarsaid must remain separate, lest the evil wizard Rancore brutally conquer all.

But the dark magic of Tenebris defies mere distance. A war is coming, one only Reeve may be able to prevent, if she can reunite her family on opposing sides.

With two kingdoms at stake, Reeve must discover her strength and her family’s legacy before all is lost. Yet righting the wrongs of the past may require the sacrifice of her truest love.

***PLEASE NOTE: this review is for BOTH books in this gorgeous duology. K thanks bye!***

Rating: 5/5 Penguins
Quick Reasons: gorgeous, atmospheric prose; I LOVE LOVE LOVE this story; vibrant, well-written characters; this was a wild journey from start to finish; I have NEVER moved so quickly to purchase the physical copy(ies) of a book in my life; please read this duology, it's the best

HUGE thanks to Kristina Mahr, Uncommon Universes Publishing, and YA Bound Book Tours for sending free egalleys of these titles my way! This in no way altered my read of or opinions on these books.

"I'm sorry I hurt you. I'm sorry that I'm the dragon and not the knight."

"I like you as the dragon," I say quietly. "I just wish that I was enough, even if just for one night, for you to focus the whole of your fire on me."

I'm going to be honest, Penguins...I basically went into this duology completely blind. I saw the cover and title for All that We See or Seem and jumped in headlong without taking time to read what the series was actually about.......

But it worked out, GORGEOUSLY. This duology is an atmospheric, beautifully written journey, and I couldn't make myself put either book down once I started. Which means I basically binge-read both of these within the matter of a day. Maybe. At most. The characters are well-rounded, poignantly relatable, and SO entertaining. I had such a great time following in Reeve's footsteps and allowing her to lead me down this path of magic and dark devices. I really enjoyed the backdrops--the mirror-esque qualities that the "real, everyday" world and her "nightmare" portrayed.

I especially enjoyed some of the more unique and fantastical elements that Kristina Mahr employed throughout each novel. There were twists and turns even I couldn't see coming, which is saying a lot, given I generally see the reveals from miles away. I did feel as if the actual ending was SUPER quick and tied up almost a little too nicely, all things considered--we had such a long, enthralling lead up, I felt a bit like I lost out on the honest ending...but alas, so it goes.

Of course, I also have to admit to something else. For the sake of being honest, you know. I got about halfway through All that We See or Seem..........only to find myself running to Amazon to order a physical, hardcover copy of both books! I was only able to find the first available in hardcover format, so I immediately purchased it...and will be keeping an eye out for A Dream Within a Dream to become available for purchase in hardcover every day until it's in my grubby, greedy little flippers. I NEED IT, y'all. NEED. I have never purchased a physical copy in the MIDDLE of reading a book before...but I did for this series. And I don't regret doing so.

"Thank you."

"I daresay 'rescuer of damsels in distress' was not one of the rumors you heard about me," he muses.

"It most certainly was not," I laugh. "'Creator of the distress damsels find themselves in,' more accurately."

I am so so very happy to have been part of this blog tour, and given the chance to read and review each of these novels. I LOVE the play on the titles, I LOVE how they fit into the story as a whole, and THESE COVERRRRRRRS! I adore how the covers, just like the two worlds found between, act as a sort of mirror to one another. This entire duology--from physical looks to the fantastical worlds--was brilliantly thought out and captivated by Kristina Mahr. Take a walk with me into a nightmare, Penguins--you're bound to love what you find there.

[Carolyn Schaeperkoetter · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Gist:
Invisible to the man she loves, Reeve feels helpless, her heart drifting her away from him in more ways than one as her engagement to Arden continues. But that's not the only problem. War is imminent in Tenebris, which has a closer tie than she realizes, and so much more than her heart is at stake.
7/2
I already know this book is MAGIC. The pain of Reeve not being able to let her Bran see her/feel her. It's so gut-wrenching. And on the other end, we have Arden, who I find likeable.
7/3
Well...she finally told Arden about Bran. And she hurt him😭😭😭
7/4
I like Arden. Sorry Reeve and Bran. And its nice that she made up with all her helpers. Sad that her mom is dying. Though I think how Arden and Reeve work out will be in Arden's favor without hurting him. I think yet another subplot and theme is emerging here, if people should live the life limited to their station they were born in. Reeve brings a good point wondering about her lady in waiting and servants, and I think she's seeing Florien's coldness in a whole new light at this point. It's interesting to see what happens when Reeve infiltrates the dark castle.
7/5
Wow. Tenebris sounds like a nightmare world😳
Whoooaaa...so...Reeve's mother and Del are ALIVE in the same wall??? And because the portal is closed they're DYING??? Oh man.
So now we have Reeve visible in the dream world again and ready to find Bran. The door to Cecily's is marked, but I know Bran CAN'T be dead. The books are gone, which can only mean one thing: he LIVES.
7/6
Squee!!! At last, Reeve tells Bran she loves him. But, oh no, the wedding😱 FINALLY going to see what's at stake!!
7/9
Wow. Everyone's futures, their freedoms are at stake. In order to free people from this type of caste system, to give them freedom, Arden and Reeve will have to give up theirs...and Reeve will have to say good-bye to Bran.
7/10
Well, THAT was quite a turn. Siber and Aurelia are reunited and now running off toward war. And Bran is no longer a dream!😱
The part where Bran and Arden meet and Reeve is invisible...so funny🤣🤣🤣
7/11
Everyone meeting up from Tenebris to Acarsaid is pure gold. The part where Carrick and Siber are reunited at last really got me. And that last line was so beautiful💞
The Verdict:
INCREDIBLE. Although the prose and writing style is simpler than the first book, the one still packs an emotional, riveting punch. The ending is fairly quick, but I like how everything is resolved with all the characters, even though with some it's not a perfect ending, but it shows hope that comes with a new day. Amazing, imaginative, unique. Mahr is an incredible story-teller with a knack for reaching into the soul.

[Michelle Bolanger · Rating 3 out of 5]

The covers for this series caught my eye, and it was the author’s beautiful writing style that drew me in and kept me reading the first book. But the only thing that kept me reading the second was Arden. He got very little page time, and that is a shame since he was the most interesting character in the story.

As I mentioned in my review of A Dream Within A Dream, Reeve spends a lot of time alone and much of the story is told from inner dialog. It became even more monotonous in this book, and I found myself skimming several pages at a time and missing nothing about the story.

These two books could easily have been condensed into one stand-alone book and the author would have ended up with a much stronger story. I have no reservations about giving this book 3 stars. Aside from skimming, the evil wizard is defeated far too easily, and Reeve’s self-absorbed preoccupation with Brand was hard to read. Not one of the relationships between any of the characters were suitably fleshed out, especially the conflict with her brother.

The premise is great, but this should have been one stand-alone book.

I also have the audio version, and the narrator, Kim Churchill, does a nice job.

I finished. I skimmed about 60% of the book, and honestly missed very little. A lot of words for a fairly short story. If you like beautiful writing that isn’t in a hurry to tell the story, you’ll enjoy this one. It just wasn’t for me.

[Claire Banschbach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved getting to come back to the lush, vivid setting of this world, and the lyrical, beautiful words that Kristina Mahr puts together into a moving, epic story.

I died a little last year after the cliffhanger that was book 1, and was so excited to read this one! It was perfectly epic, and I loved Arden even more and this guy breaks my heart with all the different faces he shows and how he and Reeve actually became friends. I'd take a story about him after the events of this duology, because his ending tugged my heart strings.

Bran and Reeve are fabulous though. :)

The Tenebris plot escalated so much, and I literally cheered Reeve when she harnessed her own strength and ability and decided to try and save everyone. Though the last few chapters had me sweating a little bit, it was all so worth it, and ahhhh! Loved this duology so much, and the ending was nearly perfect, and I was so happy for Reeve because she grew so much.

Will always recommend this for anyone who loves fantasy, romance, gothic settings, amazing characters, and all the feels.

I received a review copy from Uncommon Universes Press. This was my own, fair opinion.

[C.O. Bonham · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Dream within a Dream by Kristina Mahr is the sequel to the YA romance All that we See or Seem.

Picking up on the heels of the first book's cliffhanger this novel continues the story of Reeve the girl who lives one life by day and another by night.

I enjoyed this book even more than the first one. Mostly due to the fact that it contained much more action. It moved at a faster pace and the stakes were raised much higher than just having to marry a man she didn't love.

This is still a love story though. A story about love between mother and daughter, love between siblings, love between friends. And yes romantic love too.

*I was given an electronic copy of this book for the purpose of leaving my honest opinion of it across the internet. You seem to have stumbled across this one by accident.*

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Which leads me into the second review, and I picked this one up right away (again that ending..). Just as the first book was well-written, the beautiful prose continues in the sequel.

ADWAD Quote-for-Kit 3We are swooped away with the characters back into the dark, heartbreaking world. The love triangle continues where it left off in Book 1, but there’s a bit of a twist going into this one (No spoilers, you will just have to read it for yourself).

This book wraps the world up nicely, and I feel like all my burning questions were answered. I highly recommend this series for those looking for a strong, YA fantasy romance.

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars as well, and is 100% a duology that will consume your weekend.

[Rachael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so excited to receive an ARC copy of this book! I loved the first book and couldn't wait to see what the second one would bring. I was not disappointed!

This book picks up right where the last one left off. Reeve grows up a lot in this book and makes some difficult choices. It is nice to see her progress. I find her likable even when she makes bad decisions which is a mark of great writing. Arden is a very likable bad boy and I'm glad to see some character growth in him as well, although I will always like Bran more!

I like that there is more action in this book than the first. I don't want to say too much because of spoilers, but there are some great twists as well.

Overall a *dreamy* ending to this duology.

[Rachael Ritchey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tidy tie-up, mostly

I'm deciding I'm not a huge fan of all versions of the love triangle, but I'll give this one a B+. I liked both Bran and Arden too much to protest. Mahr wrapped up the duology pretty well, although I can't help wondering if the aftermath and consequences aren't high stakes themselves.

Overall, I loved this duology. The world was vibrant and stark, the concept fresh and interesting, the characters likeable and rounded out. Mahr did an excellent job of contrasting the two worlds and I liked how she handled the characters crossing from one two the other, especially at the end. There's more I want to say, but I'm trying to keep this spoiler free! :) I'd recommend the series to older teens and those who enjoy clean fantasy romance. Happy reading!

[Esther Haddie's Haven · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD. Extremely happy with how everything turned out. The first book left me with some questions, but I got my answers while reading through this one. I'm simply amazed by Kristina Mahr's writing style. I mentioned in my review for the previous book that her style is almost poetic. It's amazing. I'll probably be raving about this book for another week.

Disclaimer: I received an advance reader's copy of this book via YA Bound Book Tours. This is my honest, voluntary review.

[Laurin · Rating 5 out of 5]

How do I put into words just how much I loved this book (and the first book in the duology, All That We See Or Seem), without sounding like a complete dork? I have no idea. But I do know that I absolutely devoured this book, and I had no desire to ever leave the co-worlds of Acarsaid and Tenebris — giant, flesh-eating falcons notwithstanding.
I don’t know how she did it, but Kristina Mahr made me a fan from the first page. Maybe it was her lyrical prose which leant a beautiful rhythm to her words, or the deftly created co-worlds of Acarsaid and Tenebris, or the tension she packed on the pages. Or maybe, just maybe, it was because I wanted Reeve to have the best of both worlds — to have the quiet strength and deep love of Bran, as well as the sultry flattery and broken heart of Arden. Both sides of the love triangle brought out the best in Reeve’s character, and I found myself torn for her sake.
A Dream Within a Dream is a beautiful, fantastic read that I cannot recommend highly enough. If you want to get lost in a magical world, pick this one!

[BELLE || of the || BOOKSHELVES · Rating 5 out of 5]

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 ~ can't-return-to-reality amazing

"Arden’s heart was on a shelf, gathering dust, and he took it down just for me. He dusted it off just for me. And for his troubles, I dented it."

The perfect conclusion to this beautiful duology! I love Reeve, I love Bran, I love Arden! Seriously, the only love triangle that I've been heartbroken over; I'm still crying for Arden 😭 I stayed up until 2am just to finish this story... the last book that had me this enthralled was Queen of Shadows!

One of the best indies I've read!

[Millennial Book Review · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Dream Within A Dream is a slightly below average book. I wasn’t a big fan of the writing style, finding it a little distracting at points. Some parts of the plot weren’t given enough attention or depth while others dragged on a bit too much. Overall, my disappointment stems from the fact that it’s miscategorized in my opinion. It’s categorized as fantasy and the blurb makes it seem like a fantasy novel with some romance thrown in, but it’s actually a romance with some bits of fantasy thrown in. It’s a quick read and a pretty easy story to follow though.

[Suzanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun series. Hard to put down. I like the whole dream world thing and how it worked. Interesting characters and nice prose.

The love story is very... idealistic? Paints a very fairy-tale picture of romance which I don’t really subscribe to and wasn’t entirely convincing to me. Then again it’s about falling in love in a dream world so what was I expecting? But also bran was possibly the least interesting or likable character so that didn’t help.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ah man! I loved the first book so much. Such a unique concept…a girl who lives one life during the day and a different one during the night. But this conclusion was so weak. It’s confusing and vague, and then just over. And I don’t think the author justifies the final victory. I’m so sad! Could have been so much better. Also she spends most of the book whining. It’s like the 2nd book of twilight…I hated that mopey Bella.

[Amy McConahy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moving, action packed, heartbreaking, courageous, and ultimately lovely in the midst of struggle. A consistent voice that grows with the telling of the tale from naivety to maturity.

A fantastic ending to a fantastic duology! I waited (impatiently) for this book to come out after reading book one and the moment it was on my Kindle promptly read it though to the end... even when that end took me until 3am 😉 I highly recommend you enter this unique world. You will not be sorry!

[Hauntedbybooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an amazing fantasy read! The writing is just so beautiful! I loved how suspenseful this book was, I didn't want to stop reading! The characters are all well written. Also, there were plenty of plot twists and the ending had me starting the second book immediately!

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed reading this! It was nice to see Reeve's progression from the first book and to learn more about Arden, he's a character that you learn to love. The last half of the book is fast-paced and suspenseful and I just couldn't put the book down. I definitely recommend it!