Within the dream of the dreamer, the one who was dreamed of awoke.
… Borges
“I exist in the sunlight, the wind, between the heavens and the earth, and also in dreams.”
One night, Yu Hao, a college student who was at his wits’ end had an unexpected encounter with a mysterious visitor – “General” – who had dream traveled. He led Yu Hao in solving the countless riddles that abounded in the realm of the conscious, and lit up the fire beacons on the meandering Great Wall.
Thereafter, the darkness retreated, the sun rose, and when the long night was thoroughly lit up, the him who existed in reality was reborn.
The black dragon that roared, the lighthouse and demonic eye on the coastline, the rain forest before Chichén Itzá, the fierce beasts that wreaked havoc in the Colosseum…the bizarre projection of reality in one’s consciousness reflected the hidden place that the sunlight in reality couldn’t touch – the innumerable sins of the human heart.
The journey of seizing dreams continues, and one can only hope that the sun will continue illuminating the human heart.
…
Fire beacons on the Great Wall were lit up to signal a border invasion.
Looks like I'm in the minority of readers who didn't fully enjoy this novel. I loved the concept behind the story, that Zhou Sheng uses the Golden Crow Wheel's ability that lets him enter other people's dreamscapes to help them sort out their life and overcome any mental obstacles they're currently facing.
**Warning: Spoilers Ahead**
I enjoyed reading about the first couple people he (and later Yu Hao) helped, first Yu Hao, and then Shi Ni, and even Chen Yekai, as they were all dealing with very different but interesting challenges to overcome. But by the time we got to Ou Qihang I was a little bit bored of the routine. Fortunately, that's when the story started focusing on their student and work life and how ZS and YH are trying to make their relationship with ZS's family. This part was still okay, though I lost some interest with YH working in the newspaper office with Lin Ze, Situ Ye, and the Jin guy. Near the end, the story went in a weird direction near the end with Ren Chong and Zhao Liang and Huang Ting betraying them but not really. I really lost interest during this last arc and had to force myself to finish it.
Yu Hao's character underwent so much change. Getting saved by Zhou Sheng, meeting the General in his dreams and finally becoming friends and roommates with ZS were some of the best things that happened to him. He gained a lot more confidence in himself and his work abilities and got out of the dangerous mental spiral he was in. Eventually, he finds a job in his preferred field and does meaningful work that actively improves other peoples' lives.
What happened to Fu Liqun was a bit of a shocker. I thought he was going to have some moderate success with his gym, but when that completely bombed, I was very surprised at where he ended up. He's a good looking guy who was the captain of the basketball team and has a beautiful and rich girlfriend. Usually, characters like him ARE the main character and nothing bad happens to them. Reading about his experience also makes me wonder whether pyramid companies are really like this in China, because what the author described and how not just FLQ but many others who disagreed with the "company philosophy" were locked up and barely fed enough food just isn't cool.
My biggest complaint with the first half of the book is that the romance came on a bit abruptly, not from YH's side but from ZS's. They existed in a state of uneasy truce over YH's feelings for a while, where they both implicitly agree to not talk about it, but the kiss and sudden confession in the ferris wheel was too much. I get that at the end we learn that wasn't their first kiss, which actually happened in a dream but the memory was erased later by ZS, but still... And then ZS's behavior towards YH undergoes a 180 afterwards. I would've preferred a slow build up. Oh well.
Some of my favorite moments were all in the first half of the book. This includes YH attempting to go on dates with some of the men from the dating site and Fu Liqun and ZS's hilarious efforts to screw them up. Or FLQ's HP constantly getting dinged after witnessing ZS and YH being all lovey dovey in front of him.
Overall, this book started out strongly but imo went downhill about halfway through. That's why it took as long as it did for me to read it, because I found myself not motivated enough to pick it up.
This is one of those rare novels that I don't want to finish reading because I never want Yu Hao (MC) and Zhou Sheng's (ML) story to end. There are so many things that I love about this book and one of my favourites is the relationship between YH and ZS. They're different individuals that balance each other out and experience so much growth together. The story begins in the budding of their adulthood and progresses over the course of a few years, so I got to read all about their development as individuals and also as partners.
This novel contains elements of fantasy woven into its pages but it also touches on some heavy topics and vividly explores the growing pains of diving headfirst into adulthood and life in general, which I can relate to a lot. Self-doubt, being lost, feelings of guilt, etc. are all explored over several arcs. Reading this novel made me so emotional sometimes because I knew how the characters were feeling, so I think it's a good coming of age story in a way.
I loved, loved the side characters too. There were some recurring characters such as Fu Liqun, Chen Yekai, Ou Qihang and Huang Ting and every one of them play a vital part in the novel. All of them had their own stories to tell and darkness to explore within themselves. Oh! And there are side couples too! Canon gay side couples! Which is honestly pretty rare in danmei novels, I think.
I also think that the dynamic and strong relationships between each character are what make this novel so memorable, because all of them influence each other and cause each other to grow and face their fears. The six of them found a family and a strong support system in each other and I couldn't be happier for them. And I liked how none of them were perfect characters, which means that they made mistakes and made each other angry but all through the difficulties and challenges, they never thought of giving up on each other.
I wish there were more extra chapters though, because the epilogue was way too short in my opinion. 😭
Okay, that was really really good, I read it non stop and now I'm gonna collapse!! Because I didn't sleep, couldn't sleep, didn't want to sleep for two days, god :)))
☆ 2.75
The storyline is truly magnificent ♡ I really liked the psychology parts and all the thoughts of writer about dreams, subconscious and conscience. I really like these parts. That was some great ideas! Oh god, what a satisfying read I had, haaah ^ ^
Ps: enjoying a book dosen't mean the absolute perfection of the story and writer!! It just means a satisfying afternoon with book and tea!! : )) + I think I need to print this on Tshirt! . . .
DNF 60% because the topics approached were a bit too real and it made me feel depressed. Although the writing is good, I am not in the right state of mind right now to thoroughly enjoy it. I was determined to finish it though, but in the end I couldn't mostly because I never thought of picking up and kept rereading other books instead but also because of the "wife" calling every chapter after they got together which I hate to see in mlm.
Might come back to this one.
Update: I did not, in fact, come back to this one and I don't think I ever will.
Wheww!!! I was never this reluctant to part with a book before- i actually dragged three days to read the last five chapters- that's how much i have come to love it and hated to let it go!! ❤️❤️
“I exist in the sunlight, the winds, between the heavens and the earth, and also in dreams; I’ve always been around, and have never been separated from you."
I absolutely loved the whole idea of this novel. I have always been intrigued by everything that has to do with minds and dreams so when i read the summary i was excited to read this right away but i never thought it'd be beyond my expectations, and so good in every single way!! It's amazing how the author addressed traumas and so many real life struggles in this novel through a very fascinating setting and it's one of the novels that actually does healing right ❤️❤️
I can't cry enough over how much i fell in love with the CP here... THEY'RE LITERALLY GOALS.. Their chemistry, the love they have, thw understanding they share, the compatibility...and development of the characters and the way they heal each other.. It's the best portrayal of two imperfect people finding something perfect in each other.. Turning on a bit fangirling mode here.. i am totally head over heels for the main lead in this novel.. zhou sheng.. he's seriously so dazzling not only the mc even I can't get enough of him... ❤️❤️
Seizing dreams is so far the funniest i read, and also the one that hit the hardest and maybe also the sweetest.. at least among all modern novels.. The confession scene itself makes everything so much better. And their moments of joy and struggle, and of love.. i wish it never ended and i could reading their story for an endless time. However, the only thing I'm upset about is that one epilogue.. IT'S NOT ENOUGH!! Wish some kind soul would please translate the extras soon..also the lack of fanfics and fanarts is really devastating!! 🥺🥺
Both the real life scenarios and the dreamscapes are written so well i must say Fei tian is one of the best authors out there. The plot setting, connecting all the events, ALL THAT ACTIONS, the characters, the romance, the emotions- one novel in and i feel like it's a kind of writing i can go on reading my whole life; and let's not even start on the quality of the dialogues- i will have to write another essay in that case ❤️❤️
One of the most precious thing in this novel is that you're not only gonna cry over the main CP but also all the other side characters. All of them had their own stories, their own character development, and most importantly, the wholesome bonding between them. A whole squad and you're going to end up loving all of them ❤️❤️
I feel like the novel is quite less hyped among the international readers but it's truly a gem. I seriously don't get excited enough over live action adaptations anymore but i can't wait for the drama.. and also if there's any manhua or donghua adaptations that happen in the future I'd be all over it... hopefully even more people will be willing to read the novel after this and come to love all the best babies in here ❤️❤️
Arise Zhang's "Seizing Dreams" [夺梦] initially captivated with its intriguing premise of exploring the intersection of dreams, psychology, and action fantasy. The promise of a unique narrative drew me in, and for a significant portion of the book, it delivered. The dynamic between the characters and the initial exploration of the dream world were compelling. However, the novel's later trajectory significantly deviated, leading to a frustrating reading experience.
Strengths:
Compelling Character Dynamics: One of the book's strongest assets is the intricate and heartfelt relationships between Yu Hao, Zhou Sheng, Fu Liqun, Chen Yekai, Ou Qihang, Huang Ting, and Cen Shan. Their unwavering support for one another, particularly during challenging times, resonated deeply. This portrayal of friendship and camaraderie was genuinely moving and a highlight of the narrative. Engaging Action Sequences: The action fantasy elements, when present, were executed with skill and excitement. These moments provided a welcome surge of adrenaline and kept the story engaging. Initial Dream Exploration: The initial chapters exploring the dream world and its psychological implications were fascinating and held the promise of a unique and thought-provoking story. Weaknesses:
Loss of Narrative Focus: The primary issue with "Seizing Dreams" lies in its dramatic shift in focus. The author's deep dive into the work-related struggles of Zhou Sheng (ZSH) and Yu Hao (YH) became excessively detailed and ultimately derailed the central plot. This focus on job stress and the Liqun-Shan relationship felt tangential and disconnected from the original premise. Excessive Length and Redundancy: At 165 chapters, the book felt bloated. A significant portion, potentially 40+ chapters, could have been excised without compromising the core narrative. The excessive detail and repetition made the reading experience tiring and tedious. Deviation from Core Themes: The initial promise of exploring dreams, psychology, and action fantasy was largely abandoned in favor of workplace drama and relationship complexities. This deviation led to a sense of disappointment, as the book failed to deliver on its initial promise. Tiring Detail: The excessive detail of the work and relationship parts made the book very tiring to read. Conclusion:
"Seizing Dreams" began with immense potential, offering a captivating blend of dream exploration and action fantasy. However, the novel's later chapters succumbed to excessive detail and a loss of narrative focus. While the strong character dynamics and engaging action sequences were commendable, they were ultimately overshadowed by the book's structural flaws. Had the author maintained a tighter focus on the core themes and streamlined the narrative, "Seizing Dreams" could have been a truly remarkable work. As it stands, it is a story of unrealized potential, where the dream was lost in a sea of unnecessary detail.
*don't read if you're expecting a detailed review of the book, this is just me rambling*
I relate to Yu Hao in so many ways I often have to stop reading and breathe coz the triggers hit waaay too close to home.
Just like Yu Hao, I spent the first year of my university life lost and confused. It was my first time away from my hometown. I didn't have friends. I tried to stay out of everyone's sight. I don't know how to live on my own. I kept comparing myself to everyone. And I got hit by the fact that the world is too big and I need to grow up lest I get left behind. It was hard.
But stuff happened, I got into a four-bed dormroom and met supportive people whom I cherish til now. I met people. I gained friends. I suffered setbacks along the way. Got decimated by depression. Almost killed myself. Failed to graduate. Got left behind.
I realized how hard it was to survive on my own with too little financial support and too much of a wrecked self-esteem. I grew up in those years but I gained friends who suupported me all the way.
And that's what I love the most about this book. I love their journey from fresh young'uns to young adults. I love the friendship. The way they supported each other without a second thought. It was such a lovely read that reminded me of how thankful I am to have friends who supported me. I wouldn't be alive writing this if it weren't for them.
Thank you Feitian-ge for writing this lovely novel.
There were parts that I couldn't understand and weren't really useful but overall it is a good book. I will read it again in the future whenever I feel lost.
I kept thinking that if I had my own totem then maybe it would take the form of my university diploma. I will try and go back to school soon.
Seize that totem of mine.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Honestly I started the book with really high hopes as the concept was so unique and I found the exploration of the psyche very interesting. But this book really is lacking in terms of a central plot that will keeping you hooked. The dreamscapes are amazing and the crime fighting scenes too but everything feels scattered with a lot of filler plot in between. *** SPOILER***
In many ways the struggles become very repetitive and the ending becomes more or less predictable for each dream they seize. Towards the ending it almost seemed like new side stories were being introduced out of nowhere to make the plot move- FL in the south with the pyramid scheme being one of them. While as separate entities the subplots are interested they failed to blend in a "flawless" manner to paint a bigger picture (atleast not as flawless as the "male gods" in the book) Character wise I loved how Yu Hao's character started out and his growth in certain ways. But ZS is going to be one of my least favourite main leads. His character development is more or less nill, and where will the scope of development be when he is almost perfectly flawless- rich, intelligent, good at everything AND with supernatural powers. His only drawback is lack of anger management and his jealous, controlling and possesive side which he never gets rid of completely. And this "too flawless to be real" is not just a problem with ZS but everyone except YH - everyone is a "male god" who our mc can't help but admire.
Towards the end i just skimmed through pages to find out the ending and start another book. It feels like with the whole concept of dreams the author could have done so much more but got lost somewhere in the web they spun.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Não vou dizer que a história é mal feita, porque ela não é. Mas é incrível como não consegui me apegar fortemente ao MC ou ao ML, nesse quesito, gostei muito mais do Chen Yekai (2ML) do que do Zhou Sheng.
O MC me estressou muito com essa atitude extremamente passiva dele do começo ao fim com o ML, mais ainda quando o ML estava deliberadamente escondendo coisas do MC que poderiam ter ajudado a evitar inumeros problemas, além, é claro, dele apagar várias e várias memórias do MC e no final o MC tipo "ah okay tudo bem acontece ne tee-hee".
Mas preciso dizer que pelo menos a parte inicial do romance "não correspondido" do MC pelo ML é muito bem feita, especialmente depois que o ML supostamente arruma uma "namorada". A cena de confissão e eles finalmente virando um casal é muito boa também.
Eu cortaria facilmente uns 50 capítulos da história porque, sinto dizer, pareceram perda de tempo. Parece que a autora não soube decidir se queria uma novel de fantasia, de sci-fi, de investigação ou de slice of life. O que me deixou muito frustrada durante a leitura foi a completa ausência de um vilão com carisma ou com uma motivação válida, extremamente decepcionantes.
Essa história acabou me decepcionando (não pela Feitian ser uma autora ruim ou não saber desenvolver) porque ela realmente não foi nada do que eu esperava, o que me deixa preocupada porque na minha TBR 2024 de danmei tem 5 outras histórias dela.
Fiquei muito triste porque Seizing Dreams era uma história que eu queria ler há anos e quando finalmente consegui, tomei esse esporro. Talvez a história realmente não tenha sido feita para o meu gosto e está tudo bem.
Skończyłam. Seizing dreams to bardzo dobra pozycja, która zaczęła się wprost genialnie. Był to niesamowity poziom, fabuła trzymała w napięciu, a i poznani bohaterowie i ich relacje chwytały za serce. Bardzo podobał mi się koncept głównego bohatera świadomego swojej orientacji seksualnej. To coś nowego, co zaplusowało u mnie już na samym wstępie. A co się zepsuło? Już sama nie wiem. Może zejście się głównych bohaterów, może to że ok 100 rozdziałów autor zrezygnował z elementów paranormalnych? I naprawdę mi nie było potrzebne około 50 rozdziałów. Były nijakie, choć przedstawiały ciekawy pomysł na dalsze losy bohaterów. Mimo to osobiście miałam dosyć czytania o całowaniu się czy codziennym życiu bohaterów na okrągło. Za długie, ale mimo wszystko warto przeczytać!
"I was so fortunate to have met you, but I've already lost all rights to cry for you..."
Honestly I think I would have enjoyed this more if I didn't keep reading this at night and at early morning, tiring myself in the process xD
There were many times where I just practically skimmed through the chapters and other times where I never wanted the chapters to end. Is that weird? Probably not, right?Oh, there's even uncensored papapa😌, you don't see that a lot nowadays!
I was kinda annoyed with the MC and ML at the start, but I can't bear to part with them now😞
Their godly friend circle was also so damn suburashii!❤️
Sailor moon x Inception is the plot of this novel. It was so fun! It dragged a little in the middle but the ending fight scene and final boss were amazing! I didn’t like that ZS erased YH memory often in the beginning and that discussion was off screen Second ML syndrome is for real. I was so sad for Kai Kai. That backstory one kept hurting. I liked the relationships both platonic and romantic and how the dreamscapes were described. The confession scene was so cute. Confront the parents and coming out scenes were so well done! I think this is my favorite of Fei Tian’s novels after Joyful Reunion.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Ceritanya lumayan berat.. Ngebahas tentang psikologi hubungan mimpi seseorang dengan kehidupan nyata dimana untuk membantu seseorang terus maju dikehidupan nyata dia harus mengalahkan boss yg paling ditakuti didalam mimpinya. Banyak actionnya tapi juga banyak slice of lifenya. Tapi mungkin buat aku karena terlalu banyak karakter yg terlibat ceritanya jadi panjang jadi ada saat dimana agak bosen bacanya terus ceritanya kembali menarik lagi, terus bosen lagi..tapi penasaran juga pengen tau gimana endingnya
Girl, I tried ! I really tried to finish it.... I couldn't... it starts out with an amazing concept but it just falls flat afterwards... I really could not get into their dynamics and something is missing for me. I didn't feel much for the characters after the first part. It felt quite tedious and after skimming quite a bit, I dropped after Chapter 84 🥲 maybe i will try to finish it later. But probably not.
I’m really upset that I didn’t like the book. I dropped it 10% (chapter 19) I LOVE the main characters but I didn’t like the “dream traveling” I tried to read it though but I found myself zoning out during the dream travel chapters and just skipping pages so I decided to just drop it and find something else to read because to me reading is entertaining myself and this book wasn’t up for the job. ITS NOT A BAD book but I just didn’t like it.
————————————————————————————————- I didn’t finish this, I’ll remove the read date so it will not count in my reading challenge.
Read from: Aug 30, 2024 - Sep 2, 2024 ————————————————————————————————-
I love it at the beginning until half of the story, but I don't know, maybe it's because I'm not good with reading a lot chapter story or the story getting flat so I getting bored and just skimming until finally dropped it.
My first Feitian’s novel hit me so hard in the first chapters that I just swallowed it. The start of the novel was impactful for me, that even though there was some lost momentum in the middle, it was worth it for the writing style and all the nerdy references. I felt you Feitian!
Todo muy lindo, la historia muy romántica hasta que en los últimos 30 capítulos me meten: trata y tráfico, estupefacientes, secuestro, chantajes, conspiraciones, traición, estafas piramidales, explotación laboral, alienígenas... mi mente no podía. Yo solo quería que los protas sean felices
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
my lil heart ached a lot for yu hao throughout this first half and i think my fav parts of this book have nothing to do w the fantasy elements and more to do w the main characters interactions and evolution of their relationship. im a sucker for sad main characters and slowburns so that was really fun. they do go on a lot of wack adventures that i was like 'whaaaaat' to but i was still down to go along for the ride. I don't feel like i was always into the dynamic of the relationship but i liked the main character enough to enjoy the story
This is a great story, realistic and with very interesting side characters. I just sort of lost interest with all the dreamscapes. It’s also hyped excessively but in my opinion some concepts are not explained as well as they potentially could be.
I was invested but after some time I didn’t really feel that interested in the story. It’s actually very well written, but I just feel like I can’t fully get into it.
I will try to pick this up at a later time when I feel like I can concentrate on it.
i appreciate how this story reminds us that nothing inherently has control over us; rather, we bestow people, situations, etc. that power. to regain that control, others can offer a helping hand but ultimately it’s up to ourselves to face and defeat our own demons. no matter what, we will become the kind of person we believe ourselves to be and i think that’s a pretty powerful reminder to have faith and love yourself <3
thank you feitian for this amazing journey!!! 完结撒花花~