Dream by the Shadows

DREAM BY THE SHADOWS is an intriguing YA fantasy that takes place in a world where dreaming leads to death. Esmer is the daughter of a family in charge of dispensing the precious elixir that prevents dreaming. In this world, dreaming causes Corruption, a possession by a demon that results in terrible crimes and leads to death. At her convincing, her sister had forgone the elixir with her, and she had caught Corruption, a guilt that Esmer carries with her.

Despite the elixir, Esmer begins to find herself dreaming as the town is becoming Corrupt with more and more sick people each day. Her dreams feel different though, leading her to the Shadow Bringer, the being behind the illness who rules over the land of dreams. However, as she begins to meet him, she will find that her fate is not separate from his and nothing is quite as she could have expected.

What I loved: The first third of this book had me absolutely hooked and eager for more. The gothic/dark vibes were everything you could want. Along with a rich, complicated-seeming mystery, this book was easy to get pulled into. The world is particularly interesting with a magical illness and rural structure that lends itself to the atmosphere and lack of knowledge that feeds the mystery and vibes.

The story is told from Esmer's point-of-view, and she was crafted as a character that may resonate with YA readers. She is brash, focused on her guilt and the knowledge that she has believed for so long - until a betrayal that leads her to begin to slowly re-evaluate. She desperately wants to survive, and also to save her younger brother too, the only family member she really has left. However, breaking through the things she believes and those she hates (especially when it becomes directed inward as she discovers herself) is a challenge.

The story does have a slightly open ending to lead into the next book, but there were a lot of answers and some resolutions plus personal growth in this one that made it overall satisfying.

What left me wanting more: After the first third of the book, I found it more challenging to stay hooked, especially as the plot becomes a bit stagnant. Progress is slow in the middle, but it does happen and develop into something faster paced towards the end of the book. The romance was challenging as well with a lot of internalized prejudice standing in the way. The way it developed did not have the tension or build-up that would have made it fully believable.

It was also a bit easy to get lost in some of the plot as things were not always well-explained and there are a lot of secondary/tertiary characters. It would have been great to learn more about the weavers and understand all their relationships along with the light/shadow bringers and other powers. There were some intriguing facts about these dropped here and there, but the information felt so light that it was tough to understand and easy to feel confused. This may be better in future books if they go more in depth.

Final verdict: DREAM BY THE SHADOWS is an intriguing YA fantasy read that will work for readers who enjoy a dark atmosphere, a solid mystery, and slow character growth arcs.

Spooky and shadowy, Dream by the Shadows is the perfect book to read come October.

Dream by the Shadows by Logan Karlie is a YA fantasy novel that's been blurred as Beauty and the Beast meets Labyrinth with some extra added spooks. The Kingdom of Noctis is plagued by Corruption: a curse that spreads through dreaming. The Shadow Bringer rules from his castle in the Dream Realm, stealing souls one dreamer at a time. Only an elixir, taken every night before sleeping, can ward off the dreams and halt Corruption. But for some, the allure of the Dream Realm proves too strong. Esmer Havenfall desperately wants to escape her dreadful village. When her sister, Eden, succumbs to Corruption and their elixir-dealing parents are accused of a horrific crime, Esmer’s life unravels into a nightmare. Then she dreams of the Shadow Bringer and learns that his sinister magic might be a part of her, too. Enticed by the prospect of ending her kingdom’s curse and avenging her family, Esmer follows him deeper within the Dream Realm. But the prince of darkness has a haunted past, one that might change the fate of Esmer’s kingdom–and her heart–forever. Lush and vividly imagined, this seductive gothic fantasy is filled with magic, secrets, and dreamy shadow-haunted romance.

Oh boy oh boy. Where do I even begin. Okay to preface, I first read Dream by the Shadows back when it was first independently published and had some mixed feelings about it. Mainly in the department of it's editing and general cheesiness when it came to it's dialogue. But having spent a few years away from it, and now seeing it traditionally published, I am glad to say it has redeemed itself. In that I highly enjoyed it's current version.

What I liked most about both the self published edition and this one, is simply Erebus. Always and forever Erebus. I am always a sucker for a novel with a good monster figure or a dark and broody man that is secretly good. And though Erebus has his flaws, I found him to be the nice balance between spitefully (and rightfully) angry and broody and sweet.

One thing I did have a problem with both on my first read, and this re-read was the general transition between the real world and the dream world. Karlie has a way of just sucking the reader into the story, so much so it's hard to tell when the world is truly real and when it is not. Though this can be easily blamed on the general wishy-washiness of the worldbuilding, as at time I would read a passage and understand what was happening but NOT FULLY UNDERSTAND what was happening. I also think the writing style in general takes the fault of my confusion for about 80% of the time.

Regardless, Dream by the Shadows by Logan Karlie is a solid spooky read that is perfect for anyone wanting to dip their toes into the gothic side of fantasy.