Scan barcode
knittyreader's review
4.0
'Dreamwielder' is the first part of The Dreamwielder Chronicles. The worldbuilding is subtle, not overly original or exotic, which means that there is more space to make this first part of a series a full and rounded novel. The characters seem age-appropriate, and most of them grow throughout this first book.
The writing-style of Calcaterra is just what I hope for in a good book: sentences not too long or too short, flowing and natural dialogues, and not too much emphasis on describing the surroundings or other things than what should be told at the moment it's signifigance appears.
I also like the way it's ending is a proper ending, even when I somehow cannot lay hands on the next installments. The problems that arise in this first part are solved, and although there are enough openings for new-problems-to-be in the next books of the series, there are no scary things left open for now.
The writing-style of Calcaterra is just what I hope for in a good book: sentences not too long or too short, flowing and natural dialogues, and not too much emphasis on describing the surroundings or other things than what should be told at the moment it's signifigance appears.
I also like the way it's ending is a proper ending, even when I somehow cannot lay hands on the next installments. The problems that arise in this first part are solved, and although there are enough openings for new-problems-to-be in the next books of the series, there are no scary things left open for now.
cindyc's review
3.0
At the beginning of the book this one felt like a classic High/Epic Fantasy tale with blue blood and a low born girl that has a certain gift. It is a gift, though, that I’d never read about before, which gives it something new, something fresh. I have to admit I was curious how the story would develop further and where the author would take us with this rather commonly used premise.
In the world Calcaterra created there are different kinds of magic, but magic is banned by a self-declared powerful emperor. One king and his family want to resist his rule, but more importantly, they want to keep each other safe, because the princess has the gift of premonition.
The youngest Prince, Caile, has been living in another kingdom most of his life under the patronage of one of the foremost allies of the ‘evil’ emperor. His older brother had the same faith, only he had to live under the patronage of the emperor himself. When he dies, Caile offers to take his place so his sister won’t have to come near the emperor. He also wants to find out how his brother died, because he doesn’t believe the story the emperor told them.
Meanwhile his sister has to flee to keep out of the emperor’s hands because his scent-hounds have picked up her magic trail. These scent-hounds are creatures that are part woman, part hound that can track magic used across the country. I loved what the author did with these creatures. It was painful and sad to read how they were used by the emperor’s right hand and I was really glad the author thought about them at the end of the book.
Lastly we have Makkaria. She is a farm girl with a special and very powerful gift. She is a Dreamwielder. She can dream things to reality. If she wants a new gown, she dreams about the new gown and there it is. The only problem is: she doesn’t know she has this gift. Her parents and her grandfather do know and try to prevent her from dreaming, but is that enough? When she is faced with an unbearable grief she unknowingly performs an extraordinary piece of magic which puts her right on the radar of the scent-hounds. She too has to flee now and try to outrun the emperor. But is that her destiny?
The story reads very fluently and there are a lot of twists and turns to keep the reader interested and to give the story that edge that it needs.
At the start of the story the descriptions sometimes felt a bit too extensive, too unattached with the rest of the ongoing tale. They come across as what they are: descriptions, not incorporated in the flow of the story. It was like everything stopped, we got a description and then the story continued. But honestly, I only noticed this in the beginning of the story, after that I didn’t have any problems like this again. Maybe the style just needed to grow on me a bit.
I didn’t feel a deep connection with the characters in this book, not with any of them. But for some reason it didn’t really bother me. I did care enough to want to find out what would happen to them and I was invested enough to keep being interested in the story’s further progress and the characters themselves.
This is certainly a solid Fantasy book that will please many readers. It is well written, with a familiar but still interesting plot and enough surprises to keep you turning the pages.
In the world Calcaterra created there are different kinds of magic, but magic is banned by a self-declared powerful emperor. One king and his family want to resist his rule, but more importantly, they want to keep each other safe, because the princess has the gift of premonition.
The youngest Prince, Caile, has been living in another kingdom most of his life under the patronage of one of the foremost allies of the ‘evil’ emperor. His older brother had the same faith, only he had to live under the patronage of the emperor himself. When he dies, Caile offers to take his place so his sister won’t have to come near the emperor. He also wants to find out how his brother died, because he doesn’t believe the story the emperor told them.
Meanwhile his sister has to flee to keep out of the emperor’s hands because his scent-hounds have picked up her magic trail. These scent-hounds are creatures that are part woman, part hound that can track magic used across the country. I loved what the author did with these creatures. It was painful and sad to read how they were used by the emperor’s right hand and I was really glad the author thought about them at the end of the book.
Lastly we have Makkaria. She is a farm girl with a special and very powerful gift. She is a Dreamwielder. She can dream things to reality. If she wants a new gown, she dreams about the new gown and there it is. The only problem is: she doesn’t know she has this gift. Her parents and her grandfather do know and try to prevent her from dreaming, but is that enough? When she is faced with an unbearable grief she unknowingly performs an extraordinary piece of magic which puts her right on the radar of the scent-hounds. She too has to flee now and try to outrun the emperor. But is that her destiny?
The story reads very fluently and there are a lot of twists and turns to keep the reader interested and to give the story that edge that it needs.
At the start of the story the descriptions sometimes felt a bit too extensive, too unattached with the rest of the ongoing tale. They come across as what they are: descriptions, not incorporated in the flow of the story. It was like everything stopped, we got a description and then the story continued. But honestly, I only noticed this in the beginning of the story, after that I didn’t have any problems like this again. Maybe the style just needed to grow on me a bit.
I didn’t feel a deep connection with the characters in this book, not with any of them. But for some reason it didn’t really bother me. I did care enough to want to find out what would happen to them and I was invested enough to keep being interested in the story’s further progress and the characters themselves.
This is certainly a solid Fantasy book that will please many readers. It is well written, with a familiar but still interesting plot and enough surprises to keep you turning the pages.
kyouen's review
4.0
All reviews are first found on [a cup of tea and an armful of books].
Dreamwielder started in the middle of the action, set in a world that had already been conquered and one where magic is outlawed. I love that that it started in the middle, because we’re thrown into a world that is dealing with the aftermath of this–dealing with the aftermath of wars, usurpations, and failed rebellions–but that is not the entire focus of the novel. We meet Makarria, a girl who has strange power in her dreams, as one of the people trying to eke out a life with her family. Far from the Emperor’s realm, Makarria believes that life is only about the small farmstead by the sea. Forbidden to dream by her parents, Makarria does her best to obey. When her dreams create something that put her on the Emperor’s map, she flees and begins to understand that her life is not as simple as she had thought. With a well-written cast of characters, Dreamwielder surpassed my expectations of what sort of fantasy novel this was.
I was really impressed with the characters in this. Divided between several characters of different backgrounds, Garrett Calcaterra blended each of their stories and lives into a cohesive narrative that I loved. It was a little slow at first because of the world-building, but as the world and characters built, I eventually couldn’t wait to see what Calcaterra came up with next. The cast was diverse in age, so that meant that their experiences were all different. I wasn’t treated to a book with characters that were so similar they may as well have been one. One of them was a prince who was a hostage–my particular favorite because he had no magic in this world of magic. I liked reading how he coped with having a sister who had visions and dealt with being a protector who had no powers other than his own fighting talent. On the opposite side of that was Makarria, a girl who had lost her family and was slowly discovering just what her talents could do. All of the characters were strong, and I appreciated that the female characters didn’t wait around to be rescued. I liked that they surprised the male characters with their actions.
I also enjoyed that there were secrets surrounding the characters and they were often unaware of these secrets themselves. I like when the author treats the reader to a little more information than what the characters know, because it’s fun to read how they’re revealed to the characters. Reading as their paths got closer together made for some exciting reading.
Although Dreamwielder has the potential to be entirely full of clichés, it’s well-written enough that you hardly notice there are even clichés. Dreamwielder begins with an idea of a series of kingdoms under siege and in a hostage situation. A ruler has come in and conquered these kingdoms but allows them to still have agency in their own cities, provided they send an heir to be held hostage at another location. There’s a focus on the political and the tensions that come with that, but that focus is also wrapped up in magic. Originally, the kingdoms were full of sorcerers who wielded magic for the good of their kingdoms. When the conqueror came in, he killed many of those who had magic and others went into hiding. It’s kind of like a young adult Game of Thrones, but done in a way where you don’t have the potential to mix up the vast cast of characters.
My favorite aspect of this novel was how magic was pitted against the mechanical. Magic is in the past and is viewed by the Emperor and his supporters as something that stands in the way of progress. By vilifying it, the Emperor maintains his control over the world. The repercussions of having it or protecting it are so severe that people are willing to turn in their neighbors in order to protect themselves. It’s entirely a way to keep people from rebelling. The Emperor’s home city is vastly different than that of the formerly magical cities. I really liked reading the industrial parts of it, because it was so different.
The world created in Dreamwielder is similar to other fantasy stories, but because of the strong characters and clear writing, it ended up being more than just another young adult fantasy novel. I wasn’t disappointed in how the book was divided between several characters because all of their smaller stories made up the whole. I was really interested in dreaming as a power and am interested in seeing how Makarria grows in the next novel. I recommend it for readers who like fantasy, magic, and the threat of overlords.
4 stars.
I received a copy of Dreamwielder from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Dreamwielder was published September 29th, 2015.
Dreamwielder started in the middle of the action, set in a world that had already been conquered and one where magic is outlawed. I love that that it started in the middle, because we’re thrown into a world that is dealing with the aftermath of this–dealing with the aftermath of wars, usurpations, and failed rebellions–but that is not the entire focus of the novel. We meet Makarria, a girl who has strange power in her dreams, as one of the people trying to eke out a life with her family. Far from the Emperor’s realm, Makarria believes that life is only about the small farmstead by the sea. Forbidden to dream by her parents, Makarria does her best to obey. When her dreams create something that put her on the Emperor’s map, she flees and begins to understand that her life is not as simple as she had thought. With a well-written cast of characters, Dreamwielder surpassed my expectations of what sort of fantasy novel this was.
I was really impressed with the characters in this. Divided between several characters of different backgrounds, Garrett Calcaterra blended each of their stories and lives into a cohesive narrative that I loved. It was a little slow at first because of the world-building, but as the world and characters built, I eventually couldn’t wait to see what Calcaterra came up with next. The cast was diverse in age, so that meant that their experiences were all different. I wasn’t treated to a book with characters that were so similar they may as well have been one. One of them was a prince who was a hostage–my particular favorite because he had no magic in this world of magic. I liked reading how he coped with having a sister who had visions and dealt with being a protector who had no powers other than his own fighting talent. On the opposite side of that was Makarria, a girl who had lost her family and was slowly discovering just what her talents could do. All of the characters were strong, and I appreciated that the female characters didn’t wait around to be rescued. I liked that they surprised the male characters with their actions.
I also enjoyed that there were secrets surrounding the characters and they were often unaware of these secrets themselves. I like when the author treats the reader to a little more information than what the characters know, because it’s fun to read how they’re revealed to the characters. Reading as their paths got closer together made for some exciting reading.
Although Dreamwielder has the potential to be entirely full of clichés, it’s well-written enough that you hardly notice there are even clichés. Dreamwielder begins with an idea of a series of kingdoms under siege and in a hostage situation. A ruler has come in and conquered these kingdoms but allows them to still have agency in their own cities, provided they send an heir to be held hostage at another location. There’s a focus on the political and the tensions that come with that, but that focus is also wrapped up in magic. Originally, the kingdoms were full of sorcerers who wielded magic for the good of their kingdoms. When the conqueror came in, he killed many of those who had magic and others went into hiding. It’s kind of like a young adult Game of Thrones, but done in a way where you don’t have the potential to mix up the vast cast of characters.
My favorite aspect of this novel was how magic was pitted against the mechanical. Magic is in the past and is viewed by the Emperor and his supporters as something that stands in the way of progress. By vilifying it, the Emperor maintains his control over the world. The repercussions of having it or protecting it are so severe that people are willing to turn in their neighbors in order to protect themselves. It’s entirely a way to keep people from rebelling. The Emperor’s home city is vastly different than that of the formerly magical cities. I really liked reading the industrial parts of it, because it was so different.
The world created in Dreamwielder is similar to other fantasy stories, but because of the strong characters and clear writing, it ended up being more than just another young adult fantasy novel. I wasn’t disappointed in how the book was divided between several characters because all of their smaller stories made up the whole. I was really interested in dreaming as a power and am interested in seeing how Makarria grows in the next novel. I recommend it for readers who like fantasy, magic, and the threat of overlords.
4 stars.
I received a copy of Dreamwielder from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Dreamwielder was published September 29th, 2015.
dyslexicreader's review
3.0
Dreamwielder is the first book in the Dreamwielder Chronicles by Garrett Calcaterra. The author brings us into a world where dreaming can get you killed.
Makarria is a farm girl living in a world ruled by Emperor Thedric Guderian a man who wishes to remove magic from the world. He believes that technology is the future and will stop at nothing to make his image of the world happen. Makarria life is no longer simple when she has to hide from the Emperor men who look for her as she is a Dreamwielder. Dreamwielder is the most powerful of all sorcerer, and the Emperor can not allow her to live as Dreamwielder have the power to create anything they dream. Makarria journey is intertwined with Princess Taera, her headstrong brother, Prince Caile. This three maybe the only hope that the Five Kingdoms have to stop Emperor Thedric dictatorship.
I enjoyed the author different take on sorcery, as I have never read another character with powers like a Dreamwielder, their abilities only restricted by their own imagination. Although I wouldn't want people to see what I was dreaming .
One of my favorite character evolutions is Princess Taera, for me once she accepted who she truly was, was when she started to come into her own.
I hope to see more of an evolution with Makarria in the next book, she has the most to come deal with but I felt with the smallest change in her character. This maybe more of an age thing as she is the youngest of the protagonists.
I am glad that this story was wrapped in this book, and I wasn't left on a cliff hanger. The story ended resolved this story arch but left the story open for the next book. It does make me wonder what will happen for our trio in Souldrifter.
I give this book 3.8
Makarria is a farm girl living in a world ruled by Emperor Thedric Guderian a man who wishes to remove magic from the world. He believes that technology is the future and will stop at nothing to make his image of the world happen. Makarria life is no longer simple when she has to hide from the Emperor men who look for her as she is a Dreamwielder. Dreamwielder is the most powerful of all sorcerer, and the Emperor can not allow her to live as Dreamwielder have the power to create anything they dream. Makarria journey is intertwined with Princess Taera, her headstrong brother, Prince Caile. This three maybe the only hope that the Five Kingdoms have to stop Emperor Thedric dictatorship.
I enjoyed the author different take on sorcery, as I have never read another character with powers like a Dreamwielder, their abilities only restricted by their own imagination. Although I wouldn't want people to see what I was dreaming .
One of my favorite character evolutions is Princess Taera, for me once she accepted who she truly was, was when she started to come into her own.
I hope to see more of an evolution with Makarria in the next book, she has the most to come deal with but I felt with the smallest change in her character. This maybe more of an age thing as she is the youngest of the protagonists.
I am glad that this story was wrapped in this book, and I wasn't left on a cliff hanger. The story ended resolved this story arch but left the story open for the next book. It does make me wonder what will happen for our trio in Souldrifter.
I give this book 3.8
More...