Review Detail

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.