The Witches of Scotland

The Dream Dancers: Akashic Chronicles #1

by Steven P. Aitchison

It’s one thing to read about witches, it’s another thing to discover you are one.

Glasgow law student, David Hunter is drifting through life and feels something is missing. When on a night out someone tries to kill him he discovers he is from a long line of witches known as Dream Dancers, his life is turned upside down.

Now David has unwittingly exposed himself to a world of powerful witches, clandestine government agencies, and a fight to protect the Akashic records.

Is a life filled with Magick really his true calling in life?

If you love witches, magick, and conspiracy theories, you’ll love the first book in this fast-paced supernatural thriller series.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Witches, Paranormal, Magic, Adventure, Urban Fantasy

206 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 16, 2022

About the author

Steven Aitchison is an author of magick fantasy with his 9 book series The Witches of Scotland https://geni.us/hFD1N about astral projection, an energy magic system and Witches from the West end of Glasgow.

He has a degree in Psychology and has one of the longest running personal development blogs.

He loves a good conspiracy theory but more than that, he loves reading, writing and spending time in his own magickal worlds inside his head.

Sign up for his newsletter at https://www.stevenaitchison.co.uk/fiv... for ARC opportunities, bonus content, and new releases or follow him on TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram for frequent updates.

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Reviews

[Dorte Thygesen Schmidt · Rating 1 out of 5]

One of the worst books I ever read

I had to struggle to get through the 200 pages. Really struggle. The writing is bland and unnuanced. Some sentences have words missing, and the dialog is unrealistic and bizzare. The characters have no substance and their go to emotion, in every given situation, is to laugh. When they are surprised they laugh, when they are disappointed they laugh, when they are almost killed they laugh, when they are........ what ever it is, the author claim the characters are feeling, they laugh.
The storyline, however, is even worse than the writing. It makes absolutely no sense. Energies that are not powers but still work like powers, 7 planes of dream worlds that are really 10, cold showers to hone your powers (that are really energies), and the collective mission of the good witches is to heighten the world's energy level so humankind can evolve - not as in better itself, mind you, but as in Evolution. It reads like the manifest of a terribly daft religious cult.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-3.75/5

Whilst this book is definitely on the lighter side it’s not lacking in plot or action!

I found the magic system in this book really intriguing and I’ll be picking up the next book where I hope it’ll be expanded even further!

Bonus points for it being set in Scotland

[Steven Aitchison · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first book in a newly rebranded urban fantasy series previously called The Dream Dancers.

We see a bored university student, David Hunter, suddenly discover that he is a witch from a long line of witches called The Dream Dancers.

The witches have the ability to physically port using astral projection and the energy of dreams.

Set in the West end of Glasgow we get to meet the main Dream Dancers in this magickal group.

Feisty redhead Jessica Campbell, a witch from Edinburgh, saves David from a magickal attack and they become instant friends, or possibly something more.

The first thing they have to do is survive.

Alicia Collins, the seductive witch and media billionaire businesswoman is on a mission to drain the energy consciousness of the world. Nothing will get in her way and she usually gets what she wants.

A thriller story of witchcraft, astral projection, family loyalty, ambition, greed and lust. A story that’s not quite as farfetched as you might think…

If you love witches, magic, and conspiracy theories, you’ll love the first book in this fast-paced supernatural thriller.

[Judith McNicol-Meakin · Rating 1 out of 5]

A quick, all over the place, what the heck did I read kinda book. Some nostalgia for being set in Scotland so it earned a star for that. Disappointed as the story has potential but I didn’t feel connection to the characters enough to want to read the rest of the series. 1 more book towards my yearly goal I guess?!

[Melissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't finish it. Poorly written, boring and predictable. Only started it because it was free on Prime Reading and I feel like I still paid too much.

[Melinda · Rating 1 out of 5]

The most interesting thing about this book is the title.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am suspicious of the more recent negative reviews on Goodreads. This book has generally good reviews on Amazon and, until recently, the same was true on Goodreads. I enjoyed this book and found it a good start to the series. Some reviews are unrealistically negative and if they read what I did there is no way it could be that bad. Some reviewers contradict themselves and some are downright hateful (dude, its just a fantasy book and not worth that much energy). I suspect this book may have pissed off more established authors or their fans by encroaching on their turf and that those folks may be trying to kill off this project with low star scores. Also, this book posits a theory that the rich are controlling society through news and social media and those who live life according to partisan news networks are very touchy when anyone suggests they are being mind controlled - maybe they are popping off on here. Further, the book suggests organized religion was used as widespread mind control for a very long time and some followers get furious when this truth is brought up. Finally, the book portrays witches in a positive light and to this day, 333 years after the Salem Witch Trials, some fundamentalists and other easily threatened members of organized religion will go out of their way to sabotage anything that does this. I don't know this author personally so have nothing to gain by suggesting you should take a critical eye toward reviews and numerical ratings, its just the informed and analytical thing to do.

[Lindsay Andros · Rating 1 out of 5]

A quick, easy read, but not in a good way. There is zero character development, zero world building, zero climax, zero explanation of motives or even the purpose behind actions. It’s written like a bad high school creative writing assignment; the dialogue in particular is horrific. Nothing unique in the entire book. One star — and I’d give less if I could.

[Rav.ingbooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately not enough was happening to make me think the series in its entirety is worth a read. It was hard to know whose chapter is which.

[Venne · Rating 4 out of 5]

BINGED….Witches of Scotland and had such a fun time with it! The story moves along at a great pace and kept my attention the entire time. I especially loved the classic “you’re a witch but don’t know you’re a witch” trope. It never gets old for me. Watching everything slowly unfold was part of the charm😉

Jess and David are honestly are so cute😍, their dynamic added a really warm, lighthearted layer to the story that made it even more enjoyable.

Another big win for me was that this book was completely clean. No spice at all, which I absolutely appreciated. It’s refreshing to just enjoy the magic, mystery, and characters without all that extra stuff.

Overall, this was just a really entertaining, easy, magical read.
At this rate, I might accidentally become a series reader… which feels slightly suspicious because normally I avoid them like a witch avoids a witch trial😂

Also, I was long overdue for a palate cleanse so I’ll definitely be continuing this series lol 🧙‍♀️✨

I would recommend this for someone who likes bingeable,cozy, clean witch stories, good witches vs bad witches trope sprinkled with some fairy dust of romance❣️

[Elodie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into this story completely blind, as I happened to get the entire series for 1 credit on Audible. I really enjoyed this story! I found the magic system and the world within it very interesting and not something I've heard done before. I also really enjoyed all of the characters and found them quite likeable. Bonus: I also found the narrators voice very soothing!

While this book didn't have a ton of action, which is not unexpected for the first book in a series, it did have some tense moments that I appreciated.

I am really looking forward to listening to the next couple books and following Davids journey as a dream dancer!

[Melanie.Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
A quick, enjoyable read.
The book was mainly character-driven with the reader constantly being fed new information on Dream Dancers and their roles in helping to further human evaluation, along with David, the main character who until learning of his heritage had been feeling a bit unsatisfied and directionless with his life.
This first book in the Witches of Scotland series read as more of an extended prologue but the ending has ensured that I continue the series as David explores and develops his new powers (and potential relationship?)

[Megan Stewart · Rating 1 out of 5]

This could possibly be the worst book I've ever read.
There is no character development, very little plot development and everything is so 1 dimensional. This book gives independently published authors a bad rep honestly.
It was like a train wreck that I couldn't stop watching. If I could rate it lower, I would.
If your vibe is academic scholar meets witches, I'd HIGHLY recommend A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness; because this book just isn't it.
I read this one because the Facebook ads for it were nonstop and the author seemed rather genuine. But this story probably could have been written by a 7 year old.
You can skip this one.

[Stefanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I saw an IG review where the reader had gushed about this book. Thus the book had stuck in my mind and so I slated it for my First Book of the Year because I do like witches. This first installment of this series was like wading in the kiddie pool as it's only an introduction to the Dream Dancers world. The type of witchcraft in this book is not your typical one. While reading it, I was reminded of The Matrix and of Shutter Island. Different but not quite my cup of witchy tea. I did like some parts of the story - one of the action scenes was intense for me and my eyes were glued to the book, zooming along to find out what was going to happen. However, I doubt I will read further in this series.

[Kamilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a surprise this little book was. I felt like a bit of magic and that’s exactly what I got. It’s light, it’s fluffy, there’s magick (yes, with a ‘k’), there’s good and there’s evil. This book isn’t going to win any literary awards but it’s an entertaining quick read that tickles the spot hungry for a little mindless escape. The book builds the magic world well, introduces and explains the systems well, and offers some intriguing ideas about healing and energy. If you are a little familiar with energy healing, with a little esoteric ideas, you’ll find familiar aspects.
I liked the book. Easy, fun, entertaining. A perfect little escape.

[Megan Andi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book with familiar and likeable characters.

This book has some excellent world building and is a great introduction to a structured and interesting magic system.

The character of David is a relatable, cheeky young lad who’s funny dialogue makes him a treat to read! I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.

[Brontey · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars


An amazing start to a series.
This book is short but still full of action and plot. It’s a fun, easy, and quick read and I can’t wait to continue the series.
I often find first books in series difficult to rate as they’re often setting up for even more to follow. For that reason I think the next books will continue to get better ☺️

[Toni Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Fun!

What an exciting new series. David seems to have finally found what he will do with his life and it's magic.

[Sue Beatson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not your usual magick series

First book and wondering why it took me so long to find this series!
Has drawn me in already with its premise and flowing story.

[rose’s library ♡]

dnf 51%

The book is only 200 pages and after 100 pages nothing had happened - if it even picked up i don’t see time for any climax or resolution.

[Nants · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the story. Great concept, interesting characters and theme. Looking forward to reading more in the series

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was alright but there are four more and I'm not interested enough in the characters to bother with them. The whole dream idea, where you can go to other planes is interesting but I didn't care for the American woman's character and didn't want to watch her hassle it out with the other interpretation of life. I got about a third of the way through - didn't note the actual page.

[Brooklynn Dunn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow …
Really wish I could have liked this book, it could have been so much better it seemed rushed and there was hardly any world building i honestly could hardly picture what he looked like where he was and what was going on and usually that’s easy for me. I mean now that they are partners maybe the books could get a lot better but I’m not sure I loved the writing.
There for my first one star book ⭐️

[Charlene Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first in a series of novellas

I really enjoyed the concept of this book. The prologue gripped me straight away

Love anything witchy

the dream dancers and the future that is in store for David intrigues me.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad book, but it seemed weak. Alicia is not well written and comes across as a comic book villain. Every character seems very one dimensional and the dialogue is badly written. It seems like everyone laughs at everything
I won’t be continuing with the series

[Alicia Yip · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 25%. Juvenile

[Jadekatze · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ich habe wirklich versucht diese Serie zu mögen, aber...

Die schönen Seiten lassen sich recht schnell zusammenfassen.
Ich mochte den Gedanken, dass sich die Menschheit alle paar Jahre weiterentwickelt - das kombiniert mit technischen Entwicklungen der letzten Jahre, die seit geraumer Zeit stagniert, weil irgendetwas in der Welt vorgeht, das genau diese Entwicklung blockiert, fand ich interessant.

Das wars dann aber auch leider schon mit dem Positiven.

Schreibstil: hölzern, langweilig, wenig einfallsreich, sprachlich unglaublich schwach und ermüdend.
"....", sagte sie. "....", fragte er. "...", sagte sie. "....", fragte er.
Charakterbuilding: Praktisch nicht vorhanden. Kann ich gar nicht mehr zu sagen. Gibts einfach nicht und wenn da was versucht wurde, stirbt der Anlauf noch in den Startlöchern.
Charakteracting: Unglaubwürdig und fragwürdig. Die Situation ist angespannt, aber die Charaktere lachen lauthals los. Mehrmals.
Kurz dachte ich, es könnte ein Jugendbuch sein, aber mehrfach wird auf einen abgeschnittenen Penis hingewiesen und platte sexuelle Anspielungen in den Raum geworfen.

Das ganze Buch ist gespickt mit Ideologien: Es gibt eine Elite die die Menschheit unterdrückt, Die Corona-Impfung war Teil davon, um die Menschen zu zwingen. Verschwörungstheorien, die zufällig von den Unterstützenden des jungen Helden aufgedeckt werden - und nur denen.
Apropos junger Held: Ein junger Tween entdeckt seine magischen Fähigkeiten und ist praktisch sofort einer der stärksten Magier überhaupt. Ohne viel Übung, ohne viel Ahnung. Ermüdend.
Hier wurde die Heldenreise gleich mal ganz übersprungen. Unter anderem muss er seine größte Angst (Höhenangst) überwinden. Das schafft er innerhalb von zwei Seiten indem er - Attention - einfach in die Höhe krabbelt. Super Konzept... Jemand hat vor etwas Angst? Hab halt keine Angst mehr davor! Jemand hat Depressionen? Sei halt fröhlicher!

Infos die in den ersten Banden als nicht wichtig abgetan wurden, sind plötzlich doch ganz schön wichtig und bestimmen den Verlauf der Geschichte. Beispielsweise die Frage, warum der Vater der besten Freundin aka großen Liebe vielleicht doch nicht der Vater ist.

Dafür werden immer wieder unnötige Informationen gegeben: Eine sich verändernde Haarfarbe, die aber nichts zur Geschichte beiträgt, außer ein paar Zeilen zu füllen. Eine Auflistung verschiedener Begebenheiten der Welt, die nicht weiter zur Sprache kommen und dem Verlauf nichts beisteuern.

Das unschöne Gemisch aus Crypto-Loving, Verschwörungs-Bla und Overpower wird zwischenzeitlich noch zu einem Wanna-be-Academia, bei der der Held natürlich auch ohne Schwierigkeiten weiterkommt.
Naja. Es wird nicht besser, je mehr man liest. Eher im Gegenteil.

Im letzten Teil schließlich wird im Vorwort nochmal direkt auf das ganze "versteckte" Geschwurbel im Buch Bezug genommen. Es geht ein Dank am alle Leser raus, die die Hinweise verstehen und lesen können...
Band acht wartet schließlich nochmal mit sämtlichen esoterisch-fragwürdigen Lehren auf und glorifiziert sie.

Zusatz:
Die Antagonistin, die in ihrer Vergangenheit vergewaltigt wurde, erkennt im letzten Teil, dass ihr Feminismus nie berechtigt war und ein Mann erklärt ihr, dass Männer unter beispielsweise Frauenquoten zu leiden hätten.

Weiß nicht mehr, was ich dazu noch sagen soll... An der Reihe ist einfach so unfassbar viel Ungutes... Holymoly...

[Kelsie Band · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can’t wait to read the next book! Not my usual genre but I was hooked from the first chapter. I loved the modernity and introduction to this world!
Definitely recommend reading if you want to read something new and exciting.

[christine sobrido · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fast read. Kept me turning the page to see what happens next.

A fast read. Kept me turning the page to see what happens next. Looking forward to next book, and if our hero learns his magic

[Coda Persons · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good

It's a good book bit dragging in parts, though. I had to really push mysekf to continue reading it. 6/10 recommend. The main reason is dragging parts of it and some point that could have been better