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The Dream Runners: A Stand-Alone YA Fantasy of Hindu Mythology, Romance, and Immortal Nagas
A lush tapestry of dreams, myth, and magic—perfect for fans of Holly Black, Roshani Chokshi, and Margaret Rogerson. Seven years ago, Tanvi was spirited away to the subterranean realm of Nagalok, where she joined the ranks of the dream human children freed of all memory and emotion, who collect mortal dreams for the entertainment of the serpentine, immortal naga court. But when one of Tanvi’s dream harvests goes awry, she begins to remember her life on earth. Panicked and confused, she turns to the one mortal in Nagalok who might be able to Venkat, the dreamsmith responsible for collecting the dream runners’ wares and shaping them into the kingdom’s most tantalizing commodity. And as they search for answers, a terrifying truth begins to take shape—one that could turn the nagas’ realm of dreams into a land of waking nightmare. From the author of the Indie Next selection and Andre Norton Award finalist Star Daughter , this stand-alone contemporary fantasy, inspired by the nagas and garudas of Hindu mythology, is full of slow-burning romance, haunting intrigue, and shimmering magic.
448 pages, Hardcover
First published June 28, 2022
81 people are currently reading
11114 people want to read
About the author
Shveta Thakrar
36 books851 followers(Hi! I can't accept friend requests here, so if you'd like to get in touch, please find me on social media or contact me via my website.
Also: I am unable to provide review copies of any of my books. All that is handled by my publisher. Thank you!)
Shveta Thakrar is a part-time nagini and full-time believer in magic. Her work has appeared in a number of magazines and anthologies, including Enchanted Living, Uncanny Magazine, A Thousand Beginnings and Endings, and Toil & Trouble. Her debut young adult fantasy novel, Star Daughter, was a finalist for the 2021 Andre Norton Nebula Award, and her second and third novels, The Dream Runners and the forthcoming Divining the Leaves, take place in the same universe. Her adult fantasy novella, Into the Moon Garden, is available as an original audiobook from Audible. When not spinning stories about spider silk and shadows, magic and marauders, and courageous girls illuminated by dancing rainbow flames, Shveta crafts, devours books, daydreams, travels, bakes, and occasionally even plays her harp.
Also: I am unable to provide review copies of any of my books. All that is handled by my publisher. Thank you!)
Shveta Thakrar is a part-time nagini and full-time believer in magic. Her work has appeared in a number of magazines and anthologies, including Enchanted Living, Uncanny Magazine, A Thousand Beginnings and Endings, and Toil & Trouble. Her debut young adult fantasy novel, Star Daughter, was a finalist for the 2021 Andre Norton Nebula Award, and her second and third novels, The Dream Runners and the forthcoming Divining the Leaves, take place in the same universe. Her adult fantasy novella, Into the Moon Garden, is available as an original audiobook from Audible. When not spinning stories about spider silk and shadows, magic and marauders, and courageous girls illuminated by dancing rainbow flames, Shveta crafts, devours books, daydreams, travels, bakes, and occasionally even plays her harp.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 202 reviews
September 10, 2024
☕🍂 It seems.. I marathon reading books like crazy in this Fall. Haha 🤣🤣 Review to comeeee. Please wait for meeee!! lol!
2022-releases-tbr
January 7, 202213/11/2021:
I NEED THIS NOW!!! The blurb is so intriguing, I've never read a book with this concept, though several Indian soap-operas about this exist. And that cover is STUNNING. Yess to us brown people on covers. The female MC is wearing a lehenga & the male MC is wearing a kurta. I'm so happy to see this on a book cover, I never thought the day would come. Overall soo excited, even though I wasn't a huge fan of Star Daughter. (●'◡'●)
Also just read this post by the author & totally agree! https://www.teenlibrariantoolbox.com/...
Storygraph. Spotify. Youtube. Pinterest. Linktree.
I NEED THIS NOW!!! The blurb is so intriguing, I've never read a book with this concept, though several Indian soap-operas about this exist. And that cover is STUNNING. Yess to us brown people on covers. The female MC is wearing a lehenga & the male MC is wearing a kurta. I'm so happy to see this on a book cover, I never thought the day would come. Overall soo excited, even though I wasn't a huge fan of Star Daughter. (●'◡'●)
Also just read this post by the author & totally agree! https://www.teenlibrariantoolbox.com/...
Storygraph. Spotify. Youtube. Pinterest. Linktree.
Want to read
May 1, 2022 *screams incoherently* did someone say south asian fantasy!!
Also the cover is something I've been waiting for my entire life 😭😭❤️
Goodreads | My blog | Storygraph | Pinterest | Instagram
Also the cover is something I've been waiting for my entire life 😭😭❤️
Goodreads | My blog | Storygraph | Pinterest | Instagram
Want to read
November 15, 2021skndciwoesdfnsaxc Do I see a lehenga on the cover? Let us all die of happiness. Our prayers have been answered.
YAY GO SOUTH ASIAN REP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
YAY GO SOUTH ASIAN REP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Want to read
November 14, 2021BROWN REP BROWN REP BROWN REP BROWN REP BROWN REP BROWN REP BROWN REP BROWN REP BROWN REP BROWN REP BROWN REP BROWN REP BROWN REP BROWN REP BROWN REP BROWN REP BROWN REP BROWN REP BROWN REP BROWN REP BROWN REP
WE STAN BROWN REP HERE
AKANSKJANNDNBSANDBNASBDBVJASVBJSABJDBASJHBDJASBHDBHASV
WE STAN BROWN REP HERE
AKANSKJANNDNBSANDBNASBDBVJASVBJSABJDBASJHBDJASBHDBHASV
September 15, 2022
Starts good but in an attempt to make the book longer, things got spoiled. Wish 200 pages got removed and it would have been a great read.
May 21, 2022
Thank you so much to HarperCollins Children's Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This was a solid sophomore novel from Shveta Thakrar! I enjoyed The Dream Runners slightly more than I did Star Daughter, which I read last year. One of my biggest critiques of Star Daughter was that the plot felt slow compared to how lush and detailed the magic system and world was. I feel like the same applied here to The Dream Runners, so perhaps this is just the style of Shveta Thakrar's storytelling. The world of Nagalok was so interesting to read about, and I feel like it could have been expanded upon and explored more. Instead, the contents of the book felt a little repetitive, where the characters repeatedly had the same thoughts in their inner monologues, made the same choices without learning from their past actions, and more. I also wasn't a huge fan of how Tanvi was kind of portrayed as a quiet, helpless girl, especially in Venkat's eyes. She demonstrates her capability and strength towards the end of the novel, but the chapters before this moment were a little eye-roll worthy.
Some of my favorite aspects of the novel is the romance, which is definitely a sweet slow burn full of build-up and tension. I also adored the South Asian influences in the book. The descriptions of the clothes and food within Nagalok, plus the cultural and religious aspects of the festivities at Navratri were so well written. I felt like I was fully being immersed into the world of this book. I'm excited to see what Shveta Thakrar writes next, and I definitely recommend this to South Asian fantasy fans, especially ones of Star Daughter!
Follow me on TikTok | Instagram | Twitter for more book reviews & recommendations!
This was a solid sophomore novel from Shveta Thakrar! I enjoyed The Dream Runners slightly more than I did Star Daughter, which I read last year. One of my biggest critiques of Star Daughter was that the plot felt slow compared to how lush and detailed the magic system and world was. I feel like the same applied here to The Dream Runners, so perhaps this is just the style of Shveta Thakrar's storytelling. The world of Nagalok was so interesting to read about, and I feel like it could have been expanded upon and explored more. Instead, the contents of the book felt a little repetitive, where the characters repeatedly had the same thoughts in their inner monologues, made the same choices without learning from their past actions, and more. I also wasn't a huge fan of how Tanvi was kind of portrayed as a quiet, helpless girl, especially in Venkat's eyes. She demonstrates her capability and strength towards the end of the novel, but the chapters before this moment were a little eye-roll worthy.
Some of my favorite aspects of the novel is the romance, which is definitely a sweet slow burn full of build-up and tension. I also adored the South Asian influences in the book. The descriptions of the clothes and food within Nagalok, plus the cultural and religious aspects of the festivities at Navratri were so well written. I felt like I was fully being immersed into the world of this book. I'm excited to see what Shveta Thakrar writes next, and I definitely recommend this to South Asian fantasy fans, especially ones of Star Daughter!
Follow me on TikTok | Instagram | Twitter for more book reviews & recommendations!
Want to read
August 12, 2021this cover is so pretty!
Want to read
July 14, 2022Pre-review/pre-read thoughts: I usually hate people on cover art but THIS?! THIS IS STUNNING.
dnf
August 7, 2022i really, really wanted to enjoy this but i couldn't get through 😭
the cover art is so pretty though!
the cover art is so pretty though!
Want to read
December 14, 2021i just shed a tear over this gorgeous cover
June 29, 2022
This universe is so fascinating! I know absolutely nothing of the Hindu mythology, but I love to earn more. This book is inspired by the nagas and garudas, with all their immortal problems and issues😅
I loved too that the romance didn't take all the place, it felt more real this way.
I'm a fantasy fan, and this one did not disappoint!
Many thanks to HarperCollins Canada for the complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I loved too that the romance didn't take all the place, it felt more real this way.
I'm a fantasy fan, and this one did not disappoint!
Many thanks to HarperCollins Canada for the complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Want to read
March 6, 2022as much as i wanted to love it, i was pretty disappointed by star daughter so I'm really hoping i like this one a lot more - especially since we really don’t have enough south asian rep in ya or fantasy 😮💨
July 12, 2022
I always get lost in the worlds Shveta Thakrar creates! <3 This was an interesting and unique fantasy with lots of Hindu mythology references and a sweet slowburn romance.
July 2, 2022
Thank you HCC Frenzy for an eARC.
3.5 stars
This was a really intriguing premise. I liked it, but it was already leaving my mind shortly after finishing. I found the beginning was a bit too predictable, but I liked seeing the two different plots intertwine.
This one follows Tanvi who is a dream runner and Venkat who is a dream smith. As a dream runner, Tanvi journeys to Earth and harvests dreams from humans. She then trades them with Venkat who sells fragments to the nagas. The chapters alternated between these two characters, but it remained in 3rd person the whole time. I liked both characters. At first I found Tanvi’s plotline more interesting, and then Venkat’s began to appeal to me more. When they began to work together, and their mysteries became tangled together it was fun to read.
I struggled at times with this one because the pacing seemed a bit off. Some parts would move quickly and things would be happening, and then there would be a few chapters of the same repetitive things happening. I think this contributed to why it didn’t seem to stick in my brain as much. I did really like how the author described the setting. It helped to re-ground me in the story with all of the vibrant colours that were described.
The culture and mythology was fun to read about. I liked the little snippets of myths at the beginning of each part. I also liked how the author described the world and the creatures. I wish that there had been a bit more of the dream runners doing their work because that part was really fascinating to me.
Overall it was a good read. I think it will appeal to mythology fans and to younger YA readers looking for a standalone fantasy.
3.5 stars
This was a really intriguing premise. I liked it, but it was already leaving my mind shortly after finishing. I found the beginning was a bit too predictable, but I liked seeing the two different plots intertwine.
This one follows Tanvi who is a dream runner and Venkat who is a dream smith. As a dream runner, Tanvi journeys to Earth and harvests dreams from humans. She then trades them with Venkat who sells fragments to the nagas. The chapters alternated between these two characters, but it remained in 3rd person the whole time. I liked both characters. At first I found Tanvi’s plotline more interesting, and then Venkat’s began to appeal to me more. When they began to work together, and their mysteries became tangled together it was fun to read.
I struggled at times with this one because the pacing seemed a bit off. Some parts would move quickly and things would be happening, and then there would be a few chapters of the same repetitive things happening. I think this contributed to why it didn’t seem to stick in my brain as much. I did really like how the author described the setting. It helped to re-ground me in the story with all of the vibrant colours that were described.
The culture and mythology was fun to read about. I liked the little snippets of myths at the beginning of each part. I also liked how the author described the world and the creatures. I wish that there had been a bit more of the dream runners doing their work because that part was really fascinating to me.
Overall it was a good read. I think it will appeal to mythology fans and to younger YA readers looking for a standalone fantasy.
August 15, 2021
I was lucky enough to read the manuscript—blurb coming soon!
May 20, 2024
➳ 3.75
TW: abandonment, body horror, child abuse, confinement, death, death of a loved one, grief, kidnapping, panic attacks/disorders, violence.
Bit conflicted on how to review this one.
Firstly, this is such an improvement from Star Daughter!
This was incredibly creative, with an interesting plot and well-developed world/magic system. The characters read young (even for YA) which lead to a lot of their interactions feeling both petulant and rushed. It reminded me of a DCOM in book form (particularly a Descendants-esque movie) which I think will be perfect for some people.
I also think that's why this book doesn't exactly work for everyone. And why it didn't work for me. I'm rounding my rating up to a 4 star because I really do think this was successful in being the type of story it wanted to be, but I wasn't the biggest fan of the story it wanted to be lol.
The pacing and the immature way everything was handled, as well as a struggle with characterization are among the top of my issues with the book. At the end of the day, these are also really subjective things and I know that they wouldn't bother everyone the way they bothered me.
Overall, I loved the rep. I loved the magic system and the mythology. I loved how unique the plot was. I think this book has a lot going for it and I do recommend it, as long as you're not expecting this to be the most developed YA book you've ever read.
TW: abandonment, body horror, child abuse, confinement, death, death of a loved one, grief, kidnapping, panic attacks/disorders, violence.
Bit conflicted on how to review this one.
Firstly, this is such an improvement from Star Daughter!
This was incredibly creative, with an interesting plot and well-developed world/magic system. The characters read young (even for YA) which lead to a lot of their interactions feeling both petulant and rushed. It reminded me of a DCOM in book form (particularly a Descendants-esque movie) which I think will be perfect for some people.
I also think that's why this book doesn't exactly work for everyone. And why it didn't work for me. I'm rounding my rating up to a 4 star because I really do think this was successful in being the type of story it wanted to be, but I wasn't the biggest fan of the story it wanted to be lol.
The pacing and the immature way everything was handled, as well as a struggle with characterization are among the top of my issues with the book. At the end of the day, these are also really subjective things and I know that they wouldn't bother everyone the way they bothered me.
Overall, I loved the rep. I loved the magic system and the mythology. I loved how unique the plot was. I think this book has a lot going for it and I do recommend it, as long as you're not expecting this to be the most developed YA book you've ever read.
August 19, 2022
2.5 rounded up.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperTeen publishing for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Dream Runners by Shveta Thakrar is a Standalone fantasy based on Hindu mythology. We follow a dream runner names Tanvi, who like the rest of the runners was brought to Nagalok with their memories wiped in order to serve the naga court by harvesting human dreams for their entertainment. Venkat is a dreamsmith, which means he handles all the dreams the runners bring. After one of Tanvi's harvests goes terribly wrong, Tanvi and Venkat work together to learn the true answers being hidden at the naga court.
The premise of this is so interesting and unique. I've never read anything inspired by Hindu mythology, so the aspects of the nagas and garudas was intriguing. The portrayal of Tanvi's reactions when she starts to remember her former life felt real. The book is split into three sections, and there are little folklore tales at the start of each section that I really enjoyed.
However, over all, this was a pretty big disappointment for me. I know with Standalones, there's less time to flesh out extensive world building and character depth, but I just didn't get enough of those two things from this book to really enjoy it. I was often times confused by how we got from a to b in some scenarios, and some things felt like they weren't explained well enough to fully grasp it. Other than when Tanvi starts to remember her life before the naga court, the characters didn't feel interesting or make me feel for them. I could've done without the romance entirely because there was nothing about the romance I liked.
The first bit felt very repetitive and unnecessary. The middle bit was just boring, and the final third finally picked up and became interesting to me. It was still kind of confusing and I didn't enjoy the romance, but it did give me some entertainment. Overall if just felt more surface level than fully fleshed out.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperTeen publishing for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Dream Runners by Shveta Thakrar is a Standalone fantasy based on Hindu mythology. We follow a dream runner names Tanvi, who like the rest of the runners was brought to Nagalok with their memories wiped in order to serve the naga court by harvesting human dreams for their entertainment. Venkat is a dreamsmith, which means he handles all the dreams the runners bring. After one of Tanvi's harvests goes terribly wrong, Tanvi and Venkat work together to learn the true answers being hidden at the naga court.
The premise of this is so interesting and unique. I've never read anything inspired by Hindu mythology, so the aspects of the nagas and garudas was intriguing. The portrayal of Tanvi's reactions when she starts to remember her former life felt real. The book is split into three sections, and there are little folklore tales at the start of each section that I really enjoyed.
However, over all, this was a pretty big disappointment for me. I know with Standalones, there's less time to flesh out extensive world building and character depth, but I just didn't get enough of those two things from this book to really enjoy it. I was often times confused by how we got from a to b in some scenarios, and some things felt like they weren't explained well enough to fully grasp it. Other than when Tanvi starts to remember her life before the naga court, the characters didn't feel interesting or make me feel for them. I could've done without the romance entirely because there was nothing about the romance I liked.
The first bit felt very repetitive and unnecessary. The middle bit was just boring, and the final third finally picked up and became interesting to me. It was still kind of confusing and I didn't enjoy the romance, but it did give me some entertainment. Overall if just felt more surface level than fully fleshed out.
February 2, 2022
This is an entertaining YA novel based on Hindu naga mythology, set in the contemporary world. I loved the setting and mythos — I think it's the first novel I've read with naga? Shveta's writing on a sentence level is always lovely too!
Read
July 21, 2022a very unique and interesting concept of magic
March 23, 2023
Tanvi goes to the mortal world to collect dreams for the Nagalok under the watchful eye of Venkat who is in charge of Tanvi and the other dream runners. All dream runners were taken from the mortal world at a young age and have no memories of their previous lives. When Tanvi suddenly starts remembering her past and begins dreaming, the world she knows is about to change.
For a long time, I've had a fascination to anything Indian. I loved the parts of A Little Princess that were in India, I wear mostly sari skirts, Indian food is one of my favorites, I enjoy the music, so this was right up my alley. At first, I was a little baffled about why teens would be fixated on acquiring an item that would really be interesting for a much younger child, but one I realized that the dream runners were fixated on a specific childhood object, it made sense. Characters were generally well developed. World building was excellent.
For a long time, I've had a fascination to anything Indian. I loved the parts of A Little Princess that were in India, I wear mostly sari skirts, Indian food is one of my favorites, I enjoy the music, so this was right up my alley. At first, I was a little baffled about why teens would be fixated on acquiring an item that would really be interesting for a much younger child, but one I realized that the dream runners were fixated on a specific childhood object, it made sense. Characters were generally well developed. World building was excellent.
July 3, 2022
The Dream Runners is for mythology lovers and anyone craving beautiful South Asian representation!
I loved Star Daughter (also by Shveta Thakrar) and could not wait to dive into The Dream Runners. I love mythology, but am embarrassed to say that most of my mythological knowledge is based on Greek and Roman history. Shveta Thakrar has opened my eyes to the richness of Hindu mythology. She wove a beautiful tale that kept me wanting more.
The story alternates between Tanvi and Venkat's stories and while, at times, I felt the story was moving a little slowly for me, Thakrar's writing is gorgeous even on the sentence level and so the slower parts were still a pleasure to read.
If you love mythical creatures, are interested in expanding your mythology knowledge, and/or are looking for a wonderfully written story with much-needed representation, then I think you will enjoy The Dream Runners and should pick up a copy!
I loved Star Daughter (also by Shveta Thakrar) and could not wait to dive into The Dream Runners. I love mythology, but am embarrassed to say that most of my mythological knowledge is based on Greek and Roman history. Shveta Thakrar has opened my eyes to the richness of Hindu mythology. She wove a beautiful tale that kept me wanting more.
The story alternates between Tanvi and Venkat's stories and while, at times, I felt the story was moving a little slowly for me, Thakrar's writing is gorgeous even on the sentence level and so the slower parts were still a pleasure to read.
If you love mythical creatures, are interested in expanding your mythology knowledge, and/or are looking for a wonderfully written story with much-needed representation, then I think you will enjoy The Dream Runners and should pick up a copy!
Want to read
August 12, 2021the cover omg
June 7, 2022
Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book to review.
Firstly I just want to say that it is INCREDIBLE to see the South Asian rep on this cover LIKE WOW. Many many readers will be drawn in by it, for a chance to read something where the characters look a bit like them!!!
I love Charlie's art, so that was the second reason I wanted this book so much.
I loved the concept. Its basically a cultured and more teen version of the BFG (the harvesting dreams part not the giants lol) and there are other surprises along the way.
I loved the characters as well and the writing was just magical!
Firstly I just want to say that it is INCREDIBLE to see the South Asian rep on this cover LIKE WOW. Many many readers will be drawn in by it, for a chance to read something where the characters look a bit like them!!!
I love Charlie's art, so that was the second reason I wanted this book so much.
I loved the concept. Its basically a cultured and more teen version of the BFG (the harvesting dreams part not the giants lol) and there are other surprises along the way.
I loved the characters as well and the writing was just magical!
August 23, 2022
I'm sorry, but I'm not really feeling it.
There just doesn't happen very much in this book. It's all more introspective than I'd expected, and hardly any 'action' to speak of; except for the final 50 pages, in which things do become more exciting, there are just... things happening, but more calmly. It's just a babbling brook, not a white water course or something like it. And of course it doesn't have to be white water all the time, but every once in a while I do expect that in a book like this.
It also took a very long time before it became clear to me what this book was actually about, because at first everything remains a bit vague. Tanvi has some troubles, of course, but you can't help but shake the feeling that there's more going on - and you're right, only it takes several hundred pages before it becomes clear what that is. And when things do clear up, they don't get any more exciting, as I already mentioned.
Tanvi nor Venkat really interested me either. Asha was much more fun to read about, and although she does features frequently, she's not one of the two main characters. Tanvi was still a bit nice to read about, but it took about 150 pages before I got the feeling that Venkat's storyline actually had a point and was (or was going to be) related to the rest. But it went so slow...
The author clearly is from Indian descent and incorporated tons of Indian elements in the book - but without any explanations whatsoever, meaning that most of us will be grasping at straws to try (and fail) to understand even the slightest bit about the world on a whole, and even on what the characters are eating and wearing. I was already glad that I knew - of previous books, which do explain some stuff, thank you for that - what a naga is, and that a raja and rani are king and queen, respectively. Because even that basic stuff is something you'll have to infer more than it's explicitly written. I've said it before and I'll say it again: if you want people to understand your culture - then make them understand. Add a glossary. Add an appendix. Add an afterword. I honestly don't care, but for fucking shit's sake, just explain at least something. But nope.
The basics of the workings of this book are fine, but it just lacks depth and speed, I believe. I believe that people who are better aware of Indian culture (mythology, food, clothing, general life) will better appreciate this book, but even that would probably not have been enough for me to keep my attention truly on it.
6/10
There just doesn't happen very much in this book. It's all more introspective than I'd expected, and hardly any 'action' to speak of; except for the final 50 pages, in which things do become more exciting, there are just... things happening, but more calmly. It's just a babbling brook, not a white water course or something like it. And of course it doesn't have to be white water all the time, but every once in a while I do expect that in a book like this.
It also took a very long time before it became clear to me what this book was actually about, because at first everything remains a bit vague. Tanvi has some troubles, of course, but you can't help but shake the feeling that there's more going on - and you're right, only it takes several hundred pages before it becomes clear what that is. And when things do clear up, they don't get any more exciting, as I already mentioned.
Tanvi nor Venkat really interested me either. Asha was much more fun to read about, and although she does features frequently, she's not one of the two main characters. Tanvi was still a bit nice to read about, but it took about 150 pages before I got the feeling that Venkat's storyline actually had a point and was (or was going to be) related to the rest. But it went so slow...
The author clearly is from Indian descent and incorporated tons of Indian elements in the book - but without any explanations whatsoever, meaning that most of us will be grasping at straws to try (and fail) to understand even the slightest bit about the world on a whole, and even on what the characters are eating and wearing. I was already glad that I knew - of previous books, which do explain some stuff, thank you for that - what a naga is, and that a raja and rani are king and queen, respectively. Because even that basic stuff is something you'll have to infer more than it's explicitly written. I've said it before and I'll say it again: if you want people to understand your culture - then make them understand. Add a glossary. Add an appendix. Add an afterword. I honestly don't care, but for fucking shit's sake, just explain at least something. But nope.
The basics of the workings of this book are fine, but it just lacks depth and speed, I believe. I believe that people who are better aware of Indian culture (mythology, food, clothing, general life) will better appreciate this book, but even that would probably not have been enough for me to keep my attention truly on it.
6/10
January 23, 2022
dnf at page 106/330
trigger warning
Tanvi is a Dream Runner: A human child employed by one of the Naga to collect human dreams for consumption. But the spells she's under might be wearing off, without anyone noticing.
I requested it because I had hoped this would go the Aru Shah route for YA: Indian mythology in a fun plot. And it is YA fantasy inspired by South Asian mythology, featuring brown people.
I quit at roughly a third read because I just don't care. We have this intricate setting of the Naga world, contrasted by the human world we live in. Naga can't dream, but they can consume human dreams if you add a pinch of magic, and since it has no side effects but is expensive, all the court people are into it.
To get the dreams, they send out human children they have kidnapped and brainwashed, telling themselves it's okay because they only take the broken ones who'd suffer anyway.
If you're a Dream Runner, you have no emotions or own agendas. You only care about the rewards you'll be getting for doing your job.
And I think this might be part of my problem, because see, I am one of the broken ones. Due to how the world looks rn, my mental health is in an even worse place than usual, and in combination this means I did not care about the characters, or the plot, or the world, or anything. I had put this book aside thinking maybe in a fews days it'll be easier, but no. Reading just became this stupid chore which tells me it's time to quit this one.
Additionally, nothing really happened in the 100 pages and I feel that it would be easy to edit this down a bit. The pacing is really, really slow. Maybe something happens the very next chapter, can't tell.
So. If you're still interested in this book, I'd say wait for more reviews because as far as I can see, rn the reviews are people being excited for the rep in this book. This rep is there.
It's no false advertisement. I don't mind telling you that I am as white as white can get, so do listen to ownvoice reviewers.
This book simply was not for me. It could even be a case of wrong book at the wrong time, I don't know.
And now I want more books about Nagas because they feel very like dragons, only with the slithery aspect turned to 10/10.
The arc was provided by the publisher.
trigger warning
Tanvi is a Dream Runner: A human child employed by one of the Naga to collect human dreams for consumption. But the spells she's under might be wearing off, without anyone noticing.
I requested it because I had hoped this would go the Aru Shah route for YA: Indian mythology in a fun plot. And it is YA fantasy inspired by South Asian mythology, featuring brown people.
I quit at roughly a third read because I just don't care. We have this intricate setting of the Naga world, contrasted by the human world we live in. Naga can't dream, but they can consume human dreams if you add a pinch of magic, and since it has no side effects but is expensive, all the court people are into it.
To get the dreams, they send out human children they have kidnapped and brainwashed, telling themselves it's okay because they only take the broken ones who'd suffer anyway.
If you're a Dream Runner, you have no emotions or own agendas. You only care about the rewards you'll be getting for doing your job.
And I think this might be part of my problem, because see, I am one of the broken ones. Due to how the world looks rn, my mental health is in an even worse place than usual, and in combination this means I did not care about the characters, or the plot, or the world, or anything. I had put this book aside thinking maybe in a fews days it'll be easier, but no. Reading just became this stupid chore which tells me it's time to quit this one.
Additionally, nothing really happened in the 100 pages and I feel that it would be easy to edit this down a bit. The pacing is really, really slow. Maybe something happens the very next chapter, can't tell.
So. If you're still interested in this book, I'd say wait for more reviews because as far as I can see, rn the reviews are people being excited for the rep in this book. This rep is there.
It's no false advertisement. I don't mind telling you that I am as white as white can get, so do listen to ownvoice reviewers.
This book simply was not for me. It could even be a case of wrong book at the wrong time, I don't know.
And now I want more books about Nagas because they feel very like dragons, only with the slithery aspect turned to 10/10.
The arc was provided by the publisher.
Want to read
October 20, 2021this cover omg!!! "A standalone following two teens charged with harvesting human dreams for the magical naga court—until one of them begins to remember the mortal life she left behind." that sounds so cool
December 16, 2022
Disclaimer: An ARC was provided via Harper Collins India in exchange for an honest review. The Thoughts, opinions & feelings expressed in the review are therefore, my own.
The plotline that I gleaned from the blurb had me really intrigued and I couldn’t wait to pick it up. Sadly, a risky pregnancy and then a baby had other ideas. But pick it up I did and I thoroughly enjoyed it too.
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The rich magical world of Nagalok inspired from the rich Hindu Mythology and the enmity between Nagas and Garudas is told from the POVs of two individuals - Tanvi, a dream runner freed from all emotions and memories of her mortal life and Venkat, the dream smith who trades on the dreams that dream runners bring to him.
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While this is a beautiful and absolutely stunning magical world that the author has weaved; there is still quite a bit of repetition involved within the plot - and while I enjoyed being immersed in a world where cultures, traditions, dressing and language are mine, there were still times I wish that the author had cut parts of it!
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Still, a stand-alone fantasy - this is a beautifully written intriguing world built by the author which will appeal not only to those who feel represented within it; but also to those for whom this world is new 🤌🏼
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December 29, 2022
Thank you so much to Harper Collins Canada and HCC Frenzy for sending me an ARC of The Dream Runners! A South Asian inspired contemporary fantasy novel, The Dream Runners follows Tanvi, a teen runner who harvests the dreams of mortals, and Venkat, the dream broker who looks after her and the other runners. When Tanvi starts dreaming her own dreams and remembering details from her mortal life before she became a runner, she and Venkat set out to solve the mystery of her awakening and find themselves caught in a war between ancient beings and the dark secrets that created the runners and their world.
What I loved: the concept is amazing. I’ve never read anything like it. The cover is beautiful.
What I didn’t love: personally, I just found this book too slow for my taste. I couldn’t get into it, and it took me six months to finish. The characters were too earnest for my personal taste, and I felt I never got a true sense of who either Tanvi or Venkat was, other than their respective day jobs and general kindness. I also felt the romance was not developed enough to merit the strong attachments that exist by the end.
Overall, I give this book 2.5 rounded up to 3 stars.
What I loved: the concept is amazing. I’ve never read anything like it. The cover is beautiful.
What I didn’t love: personally, I just found this book too slow for my taste. I couldn’t get into it, and it took me six months to finish. The characters were too earnest for my personal taste, and I felt I never got a true sense of who either Tanvi or Venkat was, other than their respective day jobs and general kindness. I also felt the romance was not developed enough to merit the strong attachments that exist by the end.
Overall, I give this book 2.5 rounded up to 3 stars.
July 26, 2022
This story follows Tanvi and Venkat, who are dream runners in a world that is largely based on Hindu mythology. Although initially starting slow, due to the worldbuilding, once the plot begins to pick up, it became an extremely enjoyable read. Tanvi and Venkat's stories converge and both are forced to decide whether they will remain loyal to the systems that govern their world, or if they will choose to fight for their fellow dreamrunners.
As a South Asian, I was excited to see the references to traditional tales that were referenced throughout the novel, and the premise was intriguing. I wish that the world was developed more, and that the magical system and hierarchy was detailed, and that the plot picked up earlier in the novel. Overall, it was a solid fantasy with likable characters, and an interesting premise.
ARC provided via NetGalley
As a South Asian, I was excited to see the references to traditional tales that were referenced throughout the novel, and the premise was intriguing. I wish that the world was developed more, and that the magical system and hierarchy was detailed, and that the plot picked up earlier in the novel. Overall, it was a solid fantasy with likable characters, and an interesting premise.
ARC provided via NetGalley
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