Review Detail

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.