Dreamslayers: Slayer 1

The Slayer Trilogy #1

by J.W. Webb, John Jarrold (Editor), Darcy Werkman (Editor)

She’ll keep him safe at any cost. He’ll make the kill at a moment’s notice. When destiny calls, whose heads will roll?
This book can be read as a page-devouring stand-alone.Arraleen Caze’s rage knows no bounds. Quick to feed enemies to her pet panthers, the wealthy spymaster’s daughter is appalled when fools call for the destruction of her missing father’s land and the deaths of their people. So when her parent reappears, the arrogant assassin whisks him away from the impending carnage to plan their bloody revenge.

Gujun the Slayer’s options are rapidly shrinking. On the run after offing the vile emperor that hired him, the killers on his trail leave little room for rest. And with his hopes of an easy retirement now well out of reach, he has no qualms accepting a bounty for the infamous spymaster’s decapitation.

Escaping into neutral territory with her father in tow, Arraleen is incensed when they are double-crossed and given up to a powerful sorcerer. And the closer Gujun draws to his quarry, the more he wonders if he’s on the side of good or evil.

As fate dooms the two to fight blade-to-blade, will either emerge unscathed?

Dreamslayers is the action-packed first book in the Slayer epic fantasy series. If you like sharp-tongued characters, gritty landscapes, and pure vengeance, then you’ll love J.W. Webb’s whirlwind grimdark tale.

Buy Dreamslayers for a wicked slice of unrest today!

322 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 7, 2022

About the author

Lost In The Woods
I was born near Doncaster England in the early sixties but later moved south to Sussex, where I lived for many years. One of my (several schools) was at Battle, a small town named after that historic conflict in 1066. You know the one, it culminated with poor Harold getting that arrow in his eye and those rude Normans invading our green and pleasant land. Growing up so close to that scene of ancient carnage awarded me a fascination for all things Dark Age. I'd fallen victim to a weird and random imagination, resulting in a love of epic stories and epic story telling. This affliction prompted me to delve deep into the worlds of Tolkien, Peake, Eddison and Moorcock. Also about this time I commenced drawing imaginary maps and inventing stories about wonderfully nasty folk, doing wonderfully nasty things, whilst pent up in gloomy unpleasant places.

Then at 18 years daft, I found myself thrust deep into the Queen's Household Cavalry. How I arrived there I cannot quite recall. The result was a sharp dose of reality. But not a cure – the affliction ran deep. I left the regiment, and for a time wandered hazy through life hitting nails with hammers, sailing brigantines through southern waters, drinking venomous concoctions with venomous companions, and yes, reading lots more ghastly fantasy books. At 27 years I became to a degree sensible. I married my beloved Rae, a watercolour artist and passionate Celt, and got a sensible career hauling trucks around the British countryside. The trouble with hauling trucks around the British countryside is that it lets the mind ramble willy nilly, when not being tortured by local radio. The result of that rambling was more stories flittering around inside this errant trucker's dizzy head.

Then, during one dark winter night back in 1993, whilst parked forlorn outside a dreary inn, something profound happened. I stumbled into Corin an Fol: a moody, rather difficult individual, mooching about in a deep tangled wood (my imagination). That wood grew into a world (not as hard as it sounds when you write fantasy stuff). The world became Ansu, home to all manner of mismatched mortals and grumpy gods. Late 2001 a plot appeared through the murky trees. It found Corin lost and wandering and introduced him to some other unruly types, resulting in The Shattered Crown. This epic debut was scrawled out with biro ink on paper and still lurks somewhere close. I'm too scared to read it. But The Shattered Crown couldn't contain its characters. These were (and still are) a very rough lot. They demanded a sequel. Instead (just to show who the boss was,) I focussed on a prequel, Fall of Gol being the result. But still the characters would not leave me alone. And so started The Legends of Ansu a forthcoming series of otherworldly tales, mostly involving Corin and his friends.

In late 2012 Rae lost her battle with cancer. I had always promised her a Cornish ghost story based on one of her evocative paintings. And so was born a novella called The Haven. A spooky yarn blending mystery and suspense with past and present. I hope that she likes it. We both loved Cornwall where we lived for many years. During our time there I met with Roger Garland the Tolkien Illustrator, who kindly consented to creating some fabulous images and illustrations for my work. And also designing this superb website! During 2013 I left the world of big wheels behind and focussed instead on writing full time. I moved to Georgia, married my gorgeous former shipmate Joanne, who I've known for 30 years. Since then I have rewritten Fall of Gol shortening it's title to Gol and finally (with substantial assistance from my erudite and excellent editor, Catherine Romano) re-shaped The Shattered Crown into a rivetingly nasty read. Now after twenty-one years in the woods, I am more than ready to unleash these first two offerings in the Ansu series along with The Haven. The third legend: The Lost Prince will be available later

Reviews

[Lana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another legends of Ansu tale, and this time we follow our heroine Arraleen Caze , the daughter of the High Califes Tulomon Caze, who starts off absent from his home when all hell breaks loose. He has been framed and the Yanturi believes him to be a traitor, he who had been the chief Vendali spy master, and his home was burnt to the ground and his family taken prisoner. Arraleen is set on wreaking vengeance, so when he returns home they leave just in time, as her home is set ablaze too. Everyone seems set on betraying her father and taking his head to the Yanturi. They travel far and wide over land and sea, to far off distant islands and the hunt is on. She seeks to vindicate her father's name and keep him safe no matter what and their enemies seek to get in the good books of the Yanturi. Arraleen is a feisty character, a real heroine, who is dauntless in the face of danger and a trained assassin. She ends up getting help from those she had set on her death list which kept on growing longer, but many she had set out to kill she did. This is a tale in the usual J. W. Webb style full of adventure, terrific fighting scenes, nasty scoundrels and a feisty heroine, enough to keep the reader riveted till the end and wanting more.

[Gem · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received an E-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review of this book.

Dreamslayers is an action-packed, gritty fantasy, but beyond that I couldn't tell you what happened.

I didn't really enjoy Dreamslayers and I feel bad about it because it wasn't the author's fault. I hadn't read any of his other work so didn't realise before I started that this was part of a wider series. Apparently it can be read as a standalone novel but I didn't find that to be the case as I had absolutely no idea who anyone was and the world-building/info-dumping made no sense to me. There were lots of names of people and places and it all got very confusing; I didn't know what was going on at all. The fight scenes were thrilling but the characters mainly just travelled around. The two main characters didn't interact until very late on in the book and even then it was brief and not at all how the blurb made their interactions sound.

I'm sure if you're already a fan of this series, you'll love this book. But if you're unfamiliar with the author's work, I'd suggest starting with one of his other books and coming back to this one once you're familiar with the series.

[C.A. Morley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dreamslayers is the first book in the Slayer series by J.W. Webb. It's a gripping story with great pacing. Two assassins, Gujun and Arraleen, work together for a common goal, but Arraleen would like to kill Gujun once she gets the chance. I love how Gujun becomes more human as the story progresses. It takes Arraleen a longer time before she does. The addition of the jinn character is a nice touch.

I'm told Gujun is a stone-cold killer in The Berserker Trilogy, a series I haven't read. It might help to read those stories first. Trying to connect the dots with all the names is rough. There are a lot of players and plenty of intrigues, so it gets busy fast.

Here's a great quote from the book:
"What are you thinking, Slayer?" Agashi's keen eyes probed his.
"That the world is very big," Gujun said.
"It's small, when your reach is long enough."

This story has swearing and lots of violence, but it also has humor. I received an ARC, and my review is voluntary.

[Kitty · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher, BooksGoSocial, for providing me with an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review!

Actual rating - 2.5 stars

This book was advertised as a stand-alone, but there was definitely not enough context to understand the world, the people, and what was happening. I found that the book was pretty fast-paced, but there were so many names, places, and titles, that it made my head spin.

In addition, the writing drove me to distraction on multiple occasions. It felt choppy and was more akin to how people speak than good writing. There were so many incomplete sentences. :(

Overall, I just didn't vibe with the book. The ending felt like a twist just for shock value, which... isn't my cup of tea.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to start by saying that I was not aware this was part of a larger series, so not having any of the background info probably hampered my enjoyment a little, even though it was advertised as something of a standalone.
I was quite confused for a fair amount of it with trying to understand who was who and the world in general, though as mentioned above, I expect this is because it does tie into a larger series, and anyone who has read previous books probably will not have that problem. (I have seen some very positive reviews saying this is the case!)
Aside from that point, the pacing was good and the action was suitably thrilling. The characters seemed well-developed (though as mentioned I was not 100% up to speed with everything), and the herione in particular I did enjoy.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gritty fantasy

The hotheaded daughter of a spymaster is pitted against an assassin when she flees with her father after he returns home. Danger lurks everywhere and she desperately needs a break in her luck. Gun the assassin behind to wonder whose side he truly wants to be on and this will shape the rest of the book. The world building is great as in other books by this author. Reading the previous books will help with the world knowledge but is not necessary to follow the story. A fantastic action, strategy, betrayal and morals filled tale.

[Mia C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Dreamslayers: Slayer 1" by J.W. Webb is a thrilling and action-packed addition to the "Berserker & Slayer" series. The story follows Arraleen Caze, a fierce and determined spymaster's daughter, and Gujun the Slayer, a deadly assassin. Their paths collide in a world filled with danger and double-crossing. The author's writing keeps you on the edge of your seat as the characters navigate a gritty and perilous landscape. The tension between the protagonists and their moral dilemmas add depth to the narrative. It is a captivating page-turner that will leave you craving more of thistale.

[Saya Jacaranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

like plenty of action, revenge and roughness

“Dreamslayers: Slayer 1“ by J.W. Webb is a rough book for sure. If you like plenty of action, revenge, roughness, hatred and violence, this is the right book for you. It’s a very well written fictional story that will keep you entertained for sure. But I definitely recommend this to tough people because if you are too emotional you might get caught up in negative feelings.

[Mariela Semprini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dreamslayers: Slayer 1 is the fourth book of the Berserker & Slayer series written by J.W. Webb. This epic story is a rollercoaster of action, suspense and blood. It is a wonderful tale of revenge and fights with intriguing characters. I think it is a must read for fantasy lovers. Highly recommend it!

[Susel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a thrilling read! This is an action-packed epic fantasy novel written by J.W. Webb. The story revolves around two main characters, Arraleen Caze and Gujun the Slayer, who are on separate paths but eventually find their fates intertwined. I recommend this great book to anyone who enjoys an action-packed fantasy story, with complex characters and themes of revenge.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book seems like it is well-written, with good characters, but I couldn't connect to them. To open the book with what can best be described as an anti-hero scene, and it got worse from there. DNF

[Shivani McFarland · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you've read Mr. Webb's Berserker Trilogy you will be familiar with the characters from his new series Dreamslayers. You might remember the Shen from the Berserkers Trilogy and the war that took place in their country. Now I'm excited to explore the Shen and their unsavory residents in more detail. This is sword and sorcery at its best with characters rich in description with most morally questionable. The assassins and spy master, Gujun the Slayer, Tulomon's daughter Arraleen Caze and Tulomon Caze, respectively are the main characters. The world of Ansu is so detailed with its many realms and dimensions it encompasses at least 18 or more books. I was so engrossed in Dreamslayers I just plowed through the first book in no time, I'm ready for book two Mr. Webb, I'm in dire need of some great entertainment.