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liisp_cvr2cvr's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Dreams of the Dying has all of my favourite elements: political intrigue, social commentary, human condition, personal demons and a main character who is equally as intelligent as he is flawed as he is sassy. Sounds like a winning combination already, am I right? Right. It’s bloody good, and I am here to tell you that it’s even better than you can possibly imagine.
Lietzau has taken a simple concept of a high stakes mission for unlikely heroes and braided into it strands of psychological aspect. An empire is on the verge of civil unrest – it is the powerful versus the powerless, the rich versus the poor, the haves versus the have-nots. The king, the only one that can potentially save the world from breaking and keep thousands of people from dying, is in a coma that seems to slowly be taking his life. Thus, on request of the queen, the unlikely heroes are called in to figure out what is going on with the king and how to stop it. A great mission indeed, all set on the foundation of the queen’s vision, faith and hope.
If I was to describe Dreams of the Dying as a whole, I would say that it is Fantasy’s and Philosophy’s love-child, the fruit of a loving symbiosis. A writhing mass of words that bring horror, hopelessness, truth and realisations all at once. A psychological obstacle course under the disguise of fiction.
The fantasy aspect of Dreams of the Dying comes across in the worldbuilding and the setting. Alongside the cultures that are introduced in the book, the personal demons named Past and Trauma materialize for MC Jespar Dal’Varek through nightmares. The flashes of discomfort feel like a fever-dream. Short snippets throughout the book but boy, do they have an effect. Jespar is only a regular man, though. The unique abilities are introduced through other characters, such as Kawu and Lysia and Agaam. They have their own set of skills and powers, like dreamwalking, healing capabilities and mind control, and they are equally important to the story as our main man Jespar.
The thing with Jespar’s story arc though, is that I got to know him so well through his thoughts, feelings and struggles, that when the ‘break’ came, I broke as well. It doesn’t happen often that a book delivers catharsis, but Dreams of the Dying did. The balance and harmony between overall and personal conflicts in this book is so beautifully seamless and rings painfully true; and perhaps this is what Lietzau wanted to show – the power of a single mind. Whether that mind is powerful or powerless, there is a consequence either way. Which takes us to the psychological and philosophical element of the book.
At times, the emotional turmoil felt like a purge and as terrible as it is to admit it – the mental health aspect was gloriously presented. The debilitating effect of guilt. The paralyzing effect of trauma. The fear. Redemption and atoning for one’s actions is a truly great motivator, but as Dreams of the Dying proves, great motivators may not lead to the best decisions. Great debates over what is wrong or right, just or immoral, are delivered via captivating dialogue, providing wonderful insight into the complexities of humanity.
That leads me to the writing… Let me summarise it this way: this is how a 700+ page book is written. Exactly this. Not a single page, not a single paragraph felt like a ‘necessary chore’ to get through for the purpose of the story – it was all so smooth, made to be devoured. The descriptions of people and places, of scenes both peaceful and warring, of anguish and hopelessness – masterfully put into words, into beautiful, well-considered words. It’s a rare gem among the millions and one I will heartily recommend. Except… Calling it a gem might give a little bit of a false sense of grandeur.
Let me try again… The writing is so good that when emotions and motivations behind every action and decision are truly admitted by our characters, it feels like you’re being peeled layer by layer, starting with the cuticle that has already run halfway up your finger. There are a lot of hard truths about the human condition in this book. No one likes to be told that their morally high ground is based on false pretenses. I simply loved exploring both sides of what we feel is right or wrong, good or evil. The dissecting of the perspective. So, can you see what I mean when I said fantasy + philosophy? I fucking loved this book so much. Best of both worlds in terms of exciting adventure and food for thought for days to come.
zeemonster's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
bymaniak's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
kingaion's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A bit too long for the content. Would have loved to see this tightened up by 150 pages or so. Could have been accomplished in planning, and trimming some of the scenes in the middle of the book, or even post main plot resolution chapters.
Overall, a decent fantasy book that explores depression, PTSD, anxiety, and obsessive thoughts. Doesn't shy away from the hard discussions, but gets a bit lost in philosophical debates (reminds one of Starship Troopers when these scenes drag on a bit too long).
Overall, a decent fantasy book that explores depression, PTSD, anxiety, and obsessive thoughts. Doesn't shy away from the hard discussions, but gets a bit lost in philosophical debates (reminds one of Starship Troopers when these scenes drag on a bit too long).
rohan_rohan's review
5.0
I have never read a book with such focus on mental health and depression. Yes, this book is not for light hearted as the author deals with sensitive issues.
The pay-off of reading such a beautifully written book is massive.
Really excited to read the next instalment of the series.
The pay-off of reading such a beautifully written book is massive.
Really excited to read the next instalment of the series.
capt_kirkles's review against another edition
5.0
Oh man, what a beautifully written book. I had to stop and write down several quotes as I read because they were so gorgeously crafted. All of the characters were immensely diverse, and their philosophical debates were very interesting and gave them depth I haven't encountered in novels previously. Jespar as a canonical bi/pansexual character was explored extremely well, and while his relationships are an integral part of the novel, his sexuality didn't feel forced or included for inclusivity sake.
If you're a fan of fantasy, and like it on the darker, grittier side (magic is complex and has real repercussions, gore in some places, and there are many sex references), you owe it to yourself to read this one. Knowledge of the game series it is based upon is not necessary at all, and this book actually rewrites certain aspects of the lore (as is explained in the foreword) so you could argue a fresh reader may be less confused than a returning fan.
Bonus point: I have never been moved to tears by an author's afterword before, but this one hit me in the feels. Well done, Nicolas.
My favourite quote:
“There was something unique about the silence that reigned those nights - a mixture of peace and the haunting but strangely beguiling notion that he was all alone during those nocturnal strolls as if some quiet, otherworldly occurrence had caused everyone but him to peacefully vanish, leaving behind a skeleton world where Jespar was the only person still alive. A boy sleep-walking on the bottom of the ocean.”
If you're a fan of fantasy, and like it on the darker, grittier side (magic is complex and has real repercussions, gore in some places, and there are many sex references), you owe it to yourself to read this one. Knowledge of the game series it is based upon is not necessary at all, and this book actually rewrites certain aspects of the lore (as is explained in the foreword) so you could argue a fresh reader may be less confused than a returning fan.
Bonus point: I have never been moved to tears by an author's afterword before, but this one hit me in the feels. Well done, Nicolas.
My favourite quote:
“There was something unique about the silence that reigned those nights - a mixture of peace and the haunting but strangely beguiling notion that he was all alone during those nocturnal strolls as if some quiet, otherworldly occurrence had caused everyone but him to peacefully vanish, leaving behind a skeleton world where Jespar was the only person still alive. A boy sleep-walking on the bottom of the ocean.”
courier's review against another edition
5.0
The author provided me with an ARC of the eBook in exchange for an honest review.
Formal things first: CW for discussions of depression and graphic displays of suicidal ideation, body horror, gore
5/5 Stars
All I’ve written for this review sounds really, really fake, but to tell the truth, I am just bad at talking about things I love. So when all I talk about now is positive, that’s not because I am not honest, I just adore this book through and through.
Ex-mercenary Jespar Dal’Varek is a drifter. After receiving a cryptic job offer though he finds himself in Kilay, a bustling country where tension and terrorism is on the rise. Dreams of the Dying tells a tale of political intrigue, philosophy and mental health, and does it very well.
This is a low fantasy book weaved together with mystery and psychological horror. It is filled with symbolism and descriptive scenery, making it a treat for the reader.
The overall very good reviews are definitely not lying with all the praise, that is for sure. My own (already pretty high) expectations were exceeded. It left me wanting more, even after 700 pages, and the fact that I basically breezed through it in less than a week should also show how much I liked this book.
First, let’s talk about the writing.
To get right to the point, it is amazingly vivid and picturesque. There’s a consistent effort in every sentence, they read like they have a purpose and are specifically crafted to fit that purpose. The voice of the main character was coherent throughout the story, and it made sense, which I appreciated a lot. The writing showed what Jespar felt, even when not flat out stating it, because it reflected the atmosphere, the emotions and so on. However, it did not come across as pretentious or unnecessarily bloated.Especially for someone who doesn’t speak English as a first language it was easily readable.
There were also a lot of little quirks and small things Jespar observed and I think it was a really nice touch to show the humanity and feelings of the characters around him.
Next, the plot. I don’t want to tell you a lot from it, because almost everything I could say would be a spoiler, and this book is something to enjoy without any knowledge beforehand. The twists and turns are worth looking forward to, so I don’t want to ruin that by telling everyone what happens.
The plot is, like the writing, coherent and well rounded. I don’t think I can point out any plot holes, because nothing is left unanswered. It’s a really, really well considered book.
On one side there were moments of great suspense, harrowing scenes (the dreams, oh, the dreams!), and on the other side there were almost sweet moments between the characters interacting with each other. There was a nice balance between action and dialogue.
The main themes were dealt with to a satisfying degree, and made me think a lot about the real world. Is Jespar right in his worldview? Is Lysia?
However, one thing that I didn’t like as much as other things, I thought the ending was a bit dragged out. After the main plot was resolved, there were still a lot of pages left that dealt with the aftermath and the character’s thoughts and feelings. Which, to be fair, I think was necessary, though I also think it could have been shorter.
The character’s were distinct and had their own personality. Jespar himself was a nice break from the usual brooding and mysterious main character. His mental health problems were handled believably, and he felt real - his thoughts, feelings and actions were very explained well. His relationship to the character’s around him were complex and reflected his mental state, with Kawu’s more optimistic worldview and the discussions between him and Lysia. The other main character (who shall remain unnamed) was engaging to read about, and made the whole story come together.
The side characters, namely Enkshi and Agaam, were also very nicely written and served a clear purpose. Without the two I mentioned the “Dream” in Kilayan culture would not have been understandable to me personally. They put things in perspective. Also, another plus for this book is the diverse cast - a mostly POC cast, as well as various LGBT+ Characters.
The worldbuilding was, what else would you expect at this point, through the roof. I loved reading about the culture, the history, the religion of the people of Kilay. Maheku culture was super interesting, and the language that was developed was so incredible. It totally felt like a real language. The magic system was fascinating and seemed like it had actual weight - there was no “special” character that somehow overrode the system like so many other books have, which I enjoyed a lot. The rules and boundaries were explained in a way that was satisfying and comprehensible. Overall, the worldbuilding was the thing I enjoyed the most about the book!
So, to bring my gushing to an end, here’s the tl;dr:
GO READ IT! Dreams of the Dying is an amazing fantasy book that does new things with the genre. Plot, Characters and Worldbuilding are beautiful, no real complaints from my side. Get to it!
And as a last thing, the hardcover has an appendix that features a lot of lore, drawings, and extra info that is, from what I already saw, extremely beautiful! Definitely a reason to get the hardcover and I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy.
Formal things first: CW for discussions of depression and graphic displays of suicidal ideation, body horror, gore
5/5 Stars
All I’ve written for this review sounds really, really fake, but to tell the truth, I am just bad at talking about things I love. So when all I talk about now is positive, that’s not because I am not honest, I just adore this book through and through.
Ex-mercenary Jespar Dal’Varek is a drifter. After receiving a cryptic job offer though he finds himself in Kilay, a bustling country where tension and terrorism is on the rise. Dreams of the Dying tells a tale of political intrigue, philosophy and mental health, and does it very well.
This is a low fantasy book weaved together with mystery and psychological horror. It is filled with symbolism and descriptive scenery, making it a treat for the reader.
The overall very good reviews are definitely not lying with all the praise, that is for sure. My own (already pretty high) expectations were exceeded. It left me wanting more, even after 700 pages, and the fact that I basically breezed through it in less than a week should also show how much I liked this book.
First, let’s talk about the writing.
To get right to the point, it is amazingly vivid and picturesque. There’s a consistent effort in every sentence, they read like they have a purpose and are specifically crafted to fit that purpose. The voice of the main character was coherent throughout the story, and it made sense, which I appreciated a lot. The writing showed what Jespar felt, even when not flat out stating it, because it reflected the atmosphere, the emotions and so on. However, it did not come across as pretentious or unnecessarily bloated.Especially for someone who doesn’t speak English as a first language it was easily readable.
There were also a lot of little quirks and small things Jespar observed and I think it was a really nice touch to show the humanity and feelings of the characters around him.
Next, the plot. I don’t want to tell you a lot from it, because almost everything I could say would be a spoiler, and this book is something to enjoy without any knowledge beforehand. The twists and turns are worth looking forward to, so I don’t want to ruin that by telling everyone what happens.
The plot is, like the writing, coherent and well rounded. I don’t think I can point out any plot holes, because nothing is left unanswered. It’s a really, really well considered book.
On one side there were moments of great suspense, harrowing scenes (the dreams, oh, the dreams!), and on the other side there were almost sweet moments between the characters interacting with each other. There was a nice balance between action and dialogue.
The main themes were dealt with to a satisfying degree, and made me think a lot about the real world. Is Jespar right in his worldview? Is Lysia?
However, one thing that I didn’t like as much as other things, I thought the ending was a bit dragged out. After the main plot was resolved, there were still a lot of pages left that dealt with the aftermath and the character’s thoughts and feelings. Which, to be fair, I think was necessary, though I also think it could have been shorter.
The character’s were distinct and had their own personality. Jespar himself was a nice break from the usual brooding and mysterious main character. His mental health problems were handled believably, and he felt real - his thoughts, feelings and actions were very explained well. His relationship to the character’s around him were complex and reflected his mental state, with Kawu’s more optimistic worldview and the discussions between him and Lysia. The other main character (who shall remain unnamed) was engaging to read about, and made the whole story come together.
The side characters, namely Enkshi and Agaam, were also very nicely written and served a clear purpose. Without the two I mentioned the “Dream” in Kilayan culture would not have been understandable to me personally. They put things in perspective. Also, another plus for this book is the diverse cast - a mostly POC cast, as well as various LGBT+ Characters.
The worldbuilding was, what else would you expect at this point, through the roof. I loved reading about the culture, the history, the religion of the people of Kilay. Maheku culture was super interesting, and the language that was developed was so incredible. It totally felt like a real language. The magic system was fascinating and seemed like it had actual weight - there was no “special” character that somehow overrode the system like so many other books have, which I enjoyed a lot. The rules and boundaries were explained in a way that was satisfying and comprehensible. Overall, the worldbuilding was the thing I enjoyed the most about the book!
So, to bring my gushing to an end, here’s the tl;dr:
GO READ IT! Dreams of the Dying is an amazing fantasy book that does new things with the genre. Plot, Characters and Worldbuilding are beautiful, no real complaints from my side. Get to it!
And as a last thing, the hardcover has an appendix that features a lot of lore, drawings, and extra info that is, from what I already saw, extremely beautiful! Definitely a reason to get the hardcover and I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy.
thelilbulldozer's review against another edition
Rant Incoming:
I had extremely high hopes going into this novel not only because the cover is absolutely gorgeous in my opinion but the overall premise of the story sounded very interesting and I just came out of a 700 page romance book when I started this book so I knew that if it was a good juicy fantasy story I would not be able to put it down. I was craving a fantasy book so bad when I started this and yet I could not get past 16% of this book.
The only thing you can really see from the Goodreads page of this novel is that it has so many 4 and 5 star ratings... however when you dig for those 1, 2 and 3 star ratings you can see a common theme: it's not well written.
There is no character development at the beginning of the book as there are no reasons for why our main character is going on this journey. And if Jespar's lack of character development drove me mad, don't even get me started on Lissja.
Lissja is supposed come off as this anti capitalist, defund the system, the "great American dream" sucks person, and yet she has no problem at all going on a mission to save a man who is--you guessed it--a rich man who built his wealthy off of the economic prosperity that thrives within a capitalist system. I apologize if you're somebody who is anti-capitalism but let me tell you that the man, the legend that is the founder of economics (Adam Smith) has said that the best economic system to use for a successful economy is capitalism. [The Wealth of Nations, 1776].
Back to Lissja however; it just does not make sense why someone who fundamentally disagrees with the idea of capitalism would be so willing to save one of the richest men in this world from an mysterious illness and no you cannot make me believe that it is out of curiosity because I mean come on, stick to your morals!
The world itself is extremely detailed I would say despite the fact that I have no idea what it looks like I just get the idea that the author spent a lot of time imagining this world (which is based off of a video game of his) because of the amount of info dumping.
It constantly felt like the story was info dumping, and not the type of info dumping that made sense to be told in that part of the story, just info dumps for the sake of it, and was thrown in their Willie Nelly to try and get across the fact that this world is so beautiful, so Majestic, so grand, so large, so rich, and so mean to those who don't look like themselves.
I am not saying that you cannot have a book that holds social justice messaging within it, go right on ahead, after all, you're someome who has actually published a novel while I am still someone who just has a bunch of drafts saved to her desktop, however: if you are going to include it, at least do it right.
I had extremely high hopes going into this novel not only because the cover is absolutely gorgeous in my opinion but the overall premise of the story sounded very interesting and I just came out of a 700 page romance book when I started this book so I knew that if it was a good juicy fantasy story I would not be able to put it down. I was craving a fantasy book so bad when I started this and yet I could not get past 16% of this book.
The only thing you can really see from the Goodreads page of this novel is that it has so many 4 and 5 star ratings... however when you dig for those 1, 2 and 3 star ratings you can see a common theme: it's not well written.
There is no character development at the beginning of the book as there are no reasons for why our main character is going on this journey. And if Jespar's lack of character development drove me mad, don't even get me started on Lissja.
Lissja is supposed come off as this anti capitalist, defund the system, the "great American dream" sucks person, and yet she has no problem at all going on a mission to save a man who is--you guessed it--a rich man who built his wealthy off of the economic prosperity that thrives within a capitalist system. I apologize if you're somebody who is anti-capitalism but let me tell you that the man, the legend that is the founder of economics (Adam Smith) has said that the best economic system to use for a successful economy is capitalism. [The Wealth of Nations, 1776].
Back to Lissja however; it just does not make sense why someone who fundamentally disagrees with the idea of capitalism would be so willing to save one of the richest men in this world from an mysterious illness and no you cannot make me believe that it is out of curiosity because I mean come on, stick to your morals!
The world itself is extremely detailed I would say despite the fact that I have no idea what it looks like I just get the idea that the author spent a lot of time imagining this world (which is based off of a video game of his) because of the amount of info dumping.
It constantly felt like the story was info dumping, and not the type of info dumping that made sense to be told in that part of the story, just info dumps for the sake of it, and was thrown in their Willie Nelly to try and get across the fact that this world is so beautiful, so Majestic, so grand, so large, so rich, and so mean to those who don't look like themselves.
I am not saying that you cannot have a book that holds social justice messaging within it, go right on ahead, after all, you're someome who has actually published a novel while I am still someone who just has a bunch of drafts saved to her desktop, however: if you are going to include it, at least do it right.
sheyri's review
5.0
TW:
LGBTQ rep:
So, I wrote a lengthy review for the Kindle edition and I don't feel like going into detail again. This fecking book though!
I enjoyed it a lot more the second time, though that might be due to it being the print version now. Me and long ebooks on phone just don't get along, it seems.
What I said in my other review still stands, for the most part at least. The middle part felt a lot better this time though and didn't drag at all.
I also forgot a few details and the first time I didn't realise this is slightly AU to the games. Makes sense though.
And can we please appreciate the artistic choices in the print? Like the titles of the swamp chapters that are woozy, backwards and/or upside down. And then there's chapter 29. I love ideas like that.
Spoiler
gore, murder, suicide, graphic suicidal thoughts, depression, PTSD, body horrorLGBTQ rep:
Spoiler
mostly bisexuality, also homosexualitySo, I wrote a lengthy review for the Kindle edition and I don't feel like going into detail again. This fecking book though!
I enjoyed it a lot more the second time, though that might be due to it being the print version now. Me and long ebooks on phone just don't get along, it seems.
What I said in my other review still stands, for the most part at least. The middle part felt a lot better this time though and didn't drag at all.
I also forgot a few details and the first time I didn't realise this is slightly AU to the games. Makes sense though.
And can we please appreciate the artistic choices in the print? Like the titles of the swamp chapters that are woozy, backwards and/or upside down. And then there's chapter 29. I love ideas like that.
sheyri's review against another edition
5.0
Update
While this review accurately represents my experience at the time, after a reread of Dreams it no longer holds true. I liked it a lot better the second time, so the hardcover review got 5 stars!
I blame the differences on three things: I read it on my phone, it took me almost 2 months (because it was a secondary read), and I was reading Brandon Sanderson at the same time (that's just unfair competition for a debut author).
Review for the Kindle edition
I debated for some time what rating to give Dreams of the Dying.
I love Enderal and admire the work the team at SureAI did there. I especially love Jespar Dal'Varek. Getting more of his backstory, in a book, is obviously something I couldn't resist, and I like the work it did on Jespar.
On the other hand, there were parts of the plot that, though interesting, just weren't written that well. The climax of the mission felt too fast, too rushed, and most of it felt like a filler anyway. It didn't get me as invested as it potentially could have.
In the end, I settled for a solid four stars.
Now, the characters:
Jespar is quite a bit different from how I remember him from the game. Still philosophical and pragmatic, but in the game he seemed more at peace with himself. There was one glance at a troubled past, but I wouldn't have thought it's that troubled. (Or I just forgot about that. I haven't played the game in ages, shame on me.) Either way, it was great getting to know him better.
The other characters lack a bit of depth, with the exception of Jaaros Oonai, possibly (but considering Jespar and Oonai are the only viewpoint characters, that's understandable). That doesn't mean they're two dimensional (no pun intended). They each have their unique personality and are nice to travel with, but experiencing them from only Jespar's perspective doesn't allow us to dive that deep into their characters. (Though that may change in future books, at least for Lysia)
I don't like Lysia that much, though it might play into it that I know a bit of what's happening between this book and the game.
Kawu is nice, a wholesome person and a gentle soul. I sometimes pictured him as slightly younger than he is, solely due to his apparent inexperience in relationships. Don't get me wrong, he is an adult and everything in his relationship with Jespar is consensual.
As for the plot:
I already said it, the whole mission around the mystery that is Oonai's coma felt more like a side plot, when the real focus should have been on the characters and their relationships. Written as it is, it takes away from both. The riot, revolution and recovery happened too fast. Sure, in-world it built up for years, but for the reader, it was only a few days. At the same time, the romance between Jespar and Lysia starts and ends within what feels like a day at best, and barely anything happens between Jespar and Kawu. That only changes once their mission is done, but at that point.
That aside, the build-up to Oonai's story was fantastic and shows how power can corrupt in a great way.
The riot, with the in-world build-up, is completely understandable (damn, I would be angry too! I am from only reading it!), and even without what's going on behind the scenes, they had it coming for a long time.
The idea of the dream-eater is absolutely terrifying, and I'm very glad they don't exist in our world.
To the writing itself:
The dialogue was pretty much as expected. Some scenes felt awkward, but those were exactly the ones you'd expect to be awkward (love and some such nonsense ;) ).
The lore and background information were excellent, just as I know it from Enderal. The way they were delivered left room for improvement, however. Several parts just didn't read smoothly.
The plot dragged on for quite a while. While a lot was happening, it didn't feel like there was much progress. Things just ... happened.
At the same time, the amount of days the mission took felt a bit too short, maybe even unbelievable. I also had the impression there were some small inconsistencies with the travel times. For example, it felt like the journey to Kaiawaika Manor took far longer than the journey back to the Alabaster City. I'm not quite sure, but I think they skipped a day there.
When the mission was done and the plot turned back to Jespar, his mental state, and the relationships with Lysia and Kawu, the writing, and with it my interest and enjoyment, got a lot better.
I'd say the writing has its strengths in exploring what's going on with Jespar, but less so then it comes to action.
All together this is a well-done book, not only for fans of Enderal, but for all Fantasy readers. Great work! Especially for self-published debut novel.
While this review accurately represents my experience at the time, after a reread of Dreams it no longer holds true. I liked it a lot better the second time, so the hardcover review got 5 stars!
I blame the differences on three things: I read it on my phone, it took me almost 2 months (because it was a secondary read), and I was reading Brandon Sanderson at the same time (that's just unfair competition for a debut author).
Review for the Kindle edition
I debated for some time what rating to give Dreams of the Dying.
I love Enderal and admire the work the team at SureAI did there. I especially love Jespar Dal'Varek. Getting more of his backstory, in a book, is obviously something I couldn't resist, and I like the work it did on Jespar.
On the other hand, there were parts of the plot that, though interesting, just weren't written that well. The climax of the mission felt too fast, too rushed, and most of it felt like a filler anyway. It didn't get me as invested as it potentially could have.
In the end, I settled for a solid four stars.
Now, the characters:
Jespar is quite a bit different from how I remember him from the game. Still philosophical and pragmatic, but in the game he seemed more at peace with himself. There was one glance at a troubled past, but I wouldn't have thought it's that troubled. (Or I just forgot about that. I haven't played the game in ages, shame on me.) Either way, it was great getting to know him better.
The other characters lack a bit of depth, with the exception of Jaaros Oonai, possibly (but considering Jespar and Oonai are the only viewpoint characters, that's understandable). That doesn't mean they're two dimensional (no pun intended). They each have their unique personality and are nice to travel with, but experiencing them from only Jespar's perspective doesn't allow us to dive that deep into their characters. (Though that may change in future books, at least for Lysia)
I don't like Lysia that much, though it might play into it that I know a bit of what's happening between this book and the game.
Kawu is nice, a wholesome person and a gentle soul. I sometimes pictured him as slightly younger than he is, solely due to his apparent inexperience in relationships. Don't get me wrong, he is an adult and everything in his relationship with Jespar is consensual.
As for the plot:
I already said it, the whole mission around the mystery that is Oonai's coma felt more like a side plot, when the real focus should have been on the characters and their relationships. Written as it is, it takes away from both. The riot, revolution and recovery happened too fast. Sure, in-world it built up for years, but for the reader, it was only a few days. At the same time, the romance between Jespar and Lysia starts and ends within what feels like a day at best, and barely anything happens between Jespar and Kawu. That only changes once their mission is done, but at that point
Spoiler
Jespar is a mess and Kawu is in a comaThat aside, the build-up to Oonai's story was fantastic and shows how power can corrupt in a great way.
The riot, with the in-world build-up, is completely understandable (damn, I would be angry too! I am from only reading it!), and even without what's going on behind the scenes, they had it coming for a long time.
The idea of the dream-eater is absolutely terrifying, and I'm very glad they don't exist in our world.
Spoiler
And then Jespar getting infected adds a whole new level of horror. Though, if you played Enderal, you already know Jespar is fine, or, at least, alive. That takes away some of the suspense again. Still, his declining sanity wasn't fun to read.To the writing itself:
The dialogue was pretty much as expected. Some scenes felt awkward, but those were exactly the ones you'd expect to be awkward (love and some such nonsense ;) ).
The lore and background information were excellent, just as I know it from Enderal. The way they were delivered left room for improvement, however. Several parts just didn't read smoothly.
The plot dragged on for quite a while. While a lot was happening, it didn't feel like there was much progress. Things just ... happened.
At the same time, the amount of days the mission took felt a bit too short, maybe even unbelievable. I also had the impression there were some small inconsistencies with the travel times. For example, it felt like the journey to Kaiawaika Manor took far longer than the journey back to the Alabaster City. I'm not quite sure, but I think they skipped a day there.
When the mission was done and the plot turned back to Jespar, his mental state, and the relationships with Lysia and Kawu, the writing, and with it my interest and enjoyment, got a lot better.
I'd say the writing has its strengths in exploring what's going on with Jespar, but less so then it comes to action.
All together this is a well-done book, not only for fans of Enderal, but for all Fantasy readers. Great work! Especially for self-published debut novel.