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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
There were a lot of things I really liked about this book: The interesting worldbuilding, the way every choice the MC made had (pretty dire) consequences, the chemistry between him and the leading lady (who still had problems and personality of her own). It was a fun read, and I really enjoyed the ride.
The biggest pitfall, I would say, is that it's just very long. I read it on Kindle, and didn't realize how long it was until I reached the end. Though the pacing is very tight and the story pulls you through quickly, it does feel rather massive by the end.
Nevertheless, I'd recommend this to any fantasy adventure lover!
The biggest pitfall, I would say, is that it's just very long. I read it on Kindle, and didn't realize how long it was until I reached the end. Though the pacing is very tight and the story pulls you through quickly, it does feel rather massive by the end.
Nevertheless, I'd recommend this to any fantasy adventure lover!
Well, I finished this book this morning at 4am so that kinda tells you everything you need to know about both the book and my own insomniac tendencies...
This book was really cool. I loved the concept (though now mildly concerned what my dream-self is up to 85% of the time XD), and the characters were all precious and they all had their inner demons to deal with.
Chris was a fun MC. I liked how he took responsibility for his actions all the way to the end. It was something I didn't expect (at least to see it carried through the story), but I really liked it.
Allara was also a cool character. She's a kick-butt woman, but I liked that she has her own insecurities, and her own softness.
Mactalde is scum, though I kind of pity him..?
ORIAS THOUGH. My heart. He was amazing and my heart died in his early POV scenes and he needs so many hugs. <3
The story felt long, but there was always enough happening that it didn't really feel dragged out. I loved the time spent in Lael. The worldbuilding was like, part strange and new (because fantasy) but at the same time it felt familiar, which was a neat experience. Their firearms had a super cool concept, too.
I also really liked the themes and messages conveyed. Like... I could sense Christian elements throughout the story, but they were very rarely obvious, but it still it's the story together. I loved it, and I admire Weiland's skill in it.
Even though my heart and my feels are not okay XD
One of my favorite quotes:
"Every time you make a move these days, you start a national emergency."
Which pretty much sums up Chris in this book and I died XD XD
Chris was a fun MC. I liked how he took responsibility for his actions all the way to the end. It was something I didn't expect (at least to see it carried through the story), but I really liked it.
Allara was also a cool character. She's a kick-butt woman, but I liked that she has her own insecurities, and her own softness.
Mactalde is scum, though I kind of pity him..?
ORIAS THOUGH. My heart. He was amazing and my heart died in his early POV scenes and he needs so many hugs. <3
The story felt long, but there was always enough happening that it didn't really feel dragged out. I loved the time spent in Lael. The worldbuilding was like, part strange and new (because fantasy) but at the same time it felt familiar, which was a neat experience. Their firearms had a super cool concept, too.
I also really liked the themes and messages conveyed. Like... I could sense Christian elements throughout the story, but they were very rarely obvious, but it still it's the story together. I loved it, and I admire Weiland's skill in it.
Even though my heart and my feels are not okay XD
One of my favorite quotes:
"Every time you make a move these days, you start a national emergency."
Which pretty much sums up Chris in this book and I died XD XD
This book. This. Book. When I first picked up Dreamlander, it was with a small amount of skepticism. I wasn't sure if it was really my "type" of book; sounded a bit like high fiction, which is hit or miss for me. While it does have tones of fantasy to it, I was not at all prepared for this. It is such a bizarre combination of genres; steampunk, mystery, sci-fi, fantasy... and it worked! The steam guns blended seamlessly with the waking dream world, with the Cherazii and a Princess.
I love how nothing comes across as being too easy. Chris Redston is far from perfect, and he makes things more difficult than they need to be. He makes mistakes... LOTS of world-altering mistakes. He is responsible for all of the destruction in this book. The Princess Allara tries her best to hate him for all of his faults, but nothing is ever so cut and dry. Dreamlander is light on the romance, and I am pleased to report that there is no insta-love. The chemistry between Chris and Allara is bordering on hatred, but that's half the fun!
I'm not going to spoil the ending, but I will say this: the set-up for the finale wasn't in-your-face obvious, but was a long term plan, right from the first page. And while it wasn't all sunshine and roses, it felt right to me.
So, on more than one occasion I found myself thinking "Gee, a map sure would be nice"... I reach the end of the story and find out that there were online maps all along! When you read this book, I would suggest you start here: http://www.kmweiland.com/dreamlander-extras/ There are tons of extra features (notes, maps, soundtrack) AND character dreamcast! I love when the author's description of a character is so precise that I can easily imagine actors in a role... and I find that the author picked the exact same ones!! :D
I'm so excited to see there are more books by this author! Now to pick which one will be next... Highly recommend!
I love how nothing comes across as being too easy. Chris Redston is far from perfect, and he makes things more difficult than they need to be. He makes mistakes... LOTS of world-altering mistakes. He is responsible for all of the destruction in this book. The Princess Allara tries her best to hate him for all of his faults, but nothing is ever so cut and dry. Dreamlander is light on the romance, and I am pleased to report that there is no insta-love. The chemistry between Chris and Allara is bordering on hatred, but that's half the fun!
I'm not going to spoil the ending, but I will say this: the set-up for the finale wasn't in-your-face obvious, but was a long term plan, right from the first page. And while it wasn't all sunshine and roses, it felt right to me.
So, on more than one occasion I found myself thinking "Gee, a map sure would be nice"... I reach the end of the story and find out that there were online maps all along! When you read this book, I would suggest you start here: http://www.kmweiland.com/dreamlander-extras/ There are tons of extra features (notes, maps, soundtrack) AND character dreamcast! I love when the author's description of a character is so precise that I can easily imagine actors in a role... and I find that the author picked the exact same ones!! :D
I'm so excited to see there are more books by this author! Now to pick which one will be next... Highly recommend!
This is not my usual genre. I like fantasy, but usually not the Eurocentric, fairytale princess sword-fighting on horseback kind. However, the story itself is well-written. It’s clear that Weiland worked hard to create well-rounded characters. She succeeded in that, but there were times when I felt like the character development was contrived, like she was hitting us over the head with, “This person is like this.” But, overall, I was entertained and I wanted to keep reading.
Given that her fantasy world is based on a long-standing tradition of what fantasy should look like, it’s also surprisingly creative. I won't go into the details of her world because that would mean spoilers.
Finally, the way she describes horseback riding reads like she is knowledgeable about the subject. I don’t know anything about it myself, but her horse and rider scenes had a confidence and precision that comes when someone truly knows what they’re talking about.
Given that her fantasy world is based on a long-standing tradition of what fantasy should look like, it’s also surprisingly creative. I won't go into the details of her world because that would mean spoilers.
Finally, the way she describes horseback riding reads like she is knowledgeable about the subject. I don’t know anything about it myself, but her horse and rider scenes had a confidence and precision that comes when someone truly knows what they’re talking about.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book on a number of different levels. At first glance, the premise of this story sounded a lot like The Circle Series by Ted Dekker (which I loved), and while there are certain similarities, the world and plot are very different.
There are almost two-intertwined plots going on here, one in each world. Each was as compelling as the other, but ultimately both were all connected. It was the interplay between these two worlds that brought about a lot of the fun in Dreamlander. I don't want to give anything away, but this interplay led to a very cool scene at one point in the novel where characters needed to get to the other side of the country in a hurry.
The setting of Dreamlander makes it one of the most unique fantasies I have read. In addition to the standard fare of castles, horses and swords, we have a little technology that I would normally consider out of place in a fantasy world - but given the actual story being told here it really works. From hydraulic pistols to steam-driven cable cars, this felt like a fresh and creative world - one running parallel to our own. I found myself wanting to spend time in Lael in my own dreams. Who knows - maybe I do!
Another interesting aspect of the setting was the various species that inhabited it. There were humans, Cherazim, Reivers and the mysterious Garowai. The creation of these new species helped the story to stand on its own in way that I don't think would have worked as nicely if the author had simply used Elves and Dwarves.
I found myself getting emotionally invested in the characters, and particularly in the relationships between them. Chris himself was a very relatable hero. He was a flawed character who made mistakes. His desire to set things right was at the heart of the story, and was what made him a hero in my eyes.
The people in this story are not simply good or bad. There's a lot of grey. Heros are not always apreciated and villains are not always opposed. Another deeply-flawed character that kept me guessing was Orias Tarn. There were times when I was angry at him for his actions, and others when I felt compassion for him in his plight.
I enjoyed the developing relationship between Chris and Allara, as they slowly moved from antagonistic strangers to allies, then friends. I found myself eager to find out if they might become more than friends. (if you want to know whether they do, you'll just have to read the book). The relationship between Chris and his father was also a favourite, and I enjoyed seeing how it played out. At one point, I found myself holding a personal grudge against one well-intentioned but ultimately troublesome character who caused a lot of difficulty for Chris.
There are a bunch of themes running through this book. I think the main one would be redemption and rehabilitation. We all make mistakes, but does that forever leave us with no choice but to continue down the dark path? Can we ever escape the consequences of our past? I also found a number of subtle analogies in the story that resonated with me spiritually. You will find these if you look for them.
The end of the book brought out lots of different emotions in me. Again, no spoilers, but I found myself yelling "no, don't do it!" to the author one minute, and smiling warmly the next. It was a roller-coaster. Ultimately, the book left me satisfied, but still wishing I could spend more time with this world and characters. Isn't that what every writer (and reader) wants?
If you like great world-building, relatable characters and compelling plots be sure to read Dreamlander.
I received a free advanced review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
There are almost two-intertwined plots going on here, one in each world. Each was as compelling as the other, but ultimately both were all connected. It was the interplay between these two worlds that brought about a lot of the fun in Dreamlander. I don't want to give anything away, but this interplay led to a very cool scene at one point in the novel where characters needed to get to the other side of the country in a hurry.
The setting of Dreamlander makes it one of the most unique fantasies I have read. In addition to the standard fare of castles, horses and swords, we have a little technology that I would normally consider out of place in a fantasy world - but given the actual story being told here it really works. From hydraulic pistols to steam-driven cable cars, this felt like a fresh and creative world - one running parallel to our own. I found myself wanting to spend time in Lael in my own dreams. Who knows - maybe I do!
Another interesting aspect of the setting was the various species that inhabited it. There were humans, Cherazim, Reivers and the mysterious Garowai. The creation of these new species helped the story to stand on its own in way that I don't think would have worked as nicely if the author had simply used Elves and Dwarves.
I found myself getting emotionally invested in the characters, and particularly in the relationships between them. Chris himself was a very relatable hero. He was a flawed character who made mistakes. His desire to set things right was at the heart of the story, and was what made him a hero in my eyes.
The people in this story are not simply good or bad. There's a lot of grey. Heros are not always apreciated and villains are not always opposed. Another deeply-flawed character that kept me guessing was Orias Tarn. There were times when I was angry at him for his actions, and others when I felt compassion for him in his plight.
I enjoyed the developing relationship between Chris and Allara, as they slowly moved from antagonistic strangers to allies, then friends. I found myself eager to find out if they might become more than friends. (if you want to know whether they do, you'll just have to read the book). The relationship between Chris and his father was also a favourite, and I enjoyed seeing how it played out. At one point, I found myself holding a personal grudge against one well-intentioned but ultimately troublesome character who caused a lot of difficulty for Chris.
There are a bunch of themes running through this book. I think the main one would be redemption and rehabilitation. We all make mistakes, but does that forever leave us with no choice but to continue down the dark path? Can we ever escape the consequences of our past? I also found a number of subtle analogies in the story that resonated with me spiritually. You will find these if you look for them.
The end of the book brought out lots of different emotions in me. Again, no spoilers, but I found myself yelling "no, don't do it!" to the author one minute, and smiling warmly the next. It was a roller-coaster. Ultimately, the book left me satisfied, but still wishing I could spend more time with this world and characters. Isn't that what every writer (and reader) wants?
If you like great world-building, relatable characters and compelling plots be sure to read Dreamlander.
I received a free advanced review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Where do we go when we dream?
Who hasn't asked that question? In author K.M. Weiland's latest fantasy Dreamlander, she takes an intriguing twist on an everyday occurrence and spins an epic tale of two worlds and righting wrongs.
Chris Redston is an underachieving writer in Chicago dealing with the loss of family in a car accident, except for his alcoholic father. Life is troubling enough, but now he is having dreams of a beautiful woman who rides up on a horse, warns him away, then shoots him between the eyes. And he's got a stalker leaving messages that show he knows far too much about Chris's life.
In the realm of Lael, the princess Allara is a Searcher, the chosen one to find and protect the Gifted, a person from the other side who comes once a generation to help in time of great need. Her situation is very rare as she dealt with a Gifted as a child, a man who almost sacrificed Lael in a treasonous act before he was killed. Most Searchers only have one Gifted, but now a new one is due to appear. Allara is scared of her previous failure and doesn't want a repeat of that event. If she can chase the new Gifted away, it will be for the best.
Chris confronts his stalker and is introduced to a psychologist who promises to rid him of the dreams forever. All he needs to do is sleep and it will be taken care of for him. Little does Chris know that the psychologist is Mactalde, a vanquished conqueror from Lael who is trying to return and exact his vengeance on Allara and her people.
The other bad news is that by bringing someone across the dreamland boundary, Chris has upset both worlds. If he can't correct the imbalance, both worlds will crumble under cataclysm.
Now Chris must stay alive on Earth and train in Lael with Allara, the warrior princess who tried to keep him away, in order to defeat Mactalde and save two worlds.
---
The premise may seem complicated, but it is entertaining and skillfully handled by Ms. Weiland. Chris and Allara are complicated heroes who battle internal demons along with their foes in Lael. The fish-out-of-water aspect of Chris crossing into a new world has been done many times, but she keeps it fresh and intriguing throughout the story. There are impressive layers in the plot, in most of the characters, and in the twists and turns that keep the reader in suspense.
The back and forth between Earth and Lael doesn't get confusing and plays an important factor in the story. Chris's friends in our world think he's going crazy, and he's forced to quickly assimilate a new world's culture and ways to effectively repair the damage he's wrought. There was a point about 3/4th the way through when I wondered if the story could have been trimmed by one battle sequence. By the time I reached the end I changed my mind and had forgotten my potential concern.
This was the first book I've read by K.M. Weiland. I've read a lot of fantasy, and I found Dreamlander to be a very entertaining read that kept me coming back and wanting more. I will definitely be watching for more by this author.
Disclaimer: I was sent an advance copy in exchange for a fair review.
Who hasn't asked that question? In author K.M. Weiland's latest fantasy Dreamlander, she takes an intriguing twist on an everyday occurrence and spins an epic tale of two worlds and righting wrongs.
Chris Redston is an underachieving writer in Chicago dealing with the loss of family in a car accident, except for his alcoholic father. Life is troubling enough, but now he is having dreams of a beautiful woman who rides up on a horse, warns him away, then shoots him between the eyes. And he's got a stalker leaving messages that show he knows far too much about Chris's life.
In the realm of Lael, the princess Allara is a Searcher, the chosen one to find and protect the Gifted, a person from the other side who comes once a generation to help in time of great need. Her situation is very rare as she dealt with a Gifted as a child, a man who almost sacrificed Lael in a treasonous act before he was killed. Most Searchers only have one Gifted, but now a new one is due to appear. Allara is scared of her previous failure and doesn't want a repeat of that event. If she can chase the new Gifted away, it will be for the best.
Chris confronts his stalker and is introduced to a psychologist who promises to rid him of the dreams forever. All he needs to do is sleep and it will be taken care of for him. Little does Chris know that the psychologist is Mactalde, a vanquished conqueror from Lael who is trying to return and exact his vengeance on Allara and her people.
The other bad news is that by bringing someone across the dreamland boundary, Chris has upset both worlds. If he can't correct the imbalance, both worlds will crumble under cataclysm.
Now Chris must stay alive on Earth and train in Lael with Allara, the warrior princess who tried to keep him away, in order to defeat Mactalde and save two worlds.
---
The premise may seem complicated, but it is entertaining and skillfully handled by Ms. Weiland. Chris and Allara are complicated heroes who battle internal demons along with their foes in Lael. The fish-out-of-water aspect of Chris crossing into a new world has been done many times, but she keeps it fresh and intriguing throughout the story. There are impressive layers in the plot, in most of the characters, and in the twists and turns that keep the reader in suspense.
The back and forth between Earth and Lael doesn't get confusing and plays an important factor in the story. Chris's friends in our world think he's going crazy, and he's forced to quickly assimilate a new world's culture and ways to effectively repair the damage he's wrought. There was a point about 3/4th the way through when I wondered if the story could have been trimmed by one battle sequence. By the time I reached the end I changed my mind and had forgotten my potential concern.
This was the first book I've read by K.M. Weiland. I've read a lot of fantasy, and I found Dreamlander to be a very entertaining read that kept me coming back and wanting more. I will definitely be watching for more by this author.
Disclaimer: I was sent an advance copy in exchange for a fair review.
Where do we go when we dream? Chris is about to find out as he discovers that he is The Gifted, a man who can travel back and forth between the real world and the dream realm and be completely aware of both.
I loved this story and it stuck with me after I completed it. I am not a huge fan of epic fantasy. While I love fantasy stories, I'm not really one for the swords and castles type. However, when reading this book, in which Chris jumps back and forth between Modern Day Chicago and the dream land of Lael, I found myself wishing to be back in Lael. K.M. painted that world in deliciously intriguing colors and I wanted all of it - the political intrigue, the war, the espionage, the sword fights, the fantastical creatures, the kick ass Princess, Allara - far more than I wanted Chicago and Chris' band of friends.
The characters drew me in, but mostly on the Lael side. While Chris' friends were alright, they didn't have quite the pull of the more complex characters in Lael. Despite this, I loved the way the story manages to draw both worlds together and make them interact. Though the premise left plenty of room for questions I would love to see solved that never were, I felt like things were brought to a satisfying conclusion and I was definitely strapped in for the ride, and waiting to see what would come next.
This one is a great read for any kind of fantasy lover.
I loved this story and it stuck with me after I completed it. I am not a huge fan of epic fantasy. While I love fantasy stories, I'm not really one for the swords and castles type. However, when reading this book, in which Chris jumps back and forth between Modern Day Chicago and the dream land of Lael, I found myself wishing to be back in Lael. K.M. painted that world in deliciously intriguing colors and I wanted all of it - the political intrigue, the war, the espionage, the sword fights, the fantastical creatures, the kick ass Princess, Allara - far more than I wanted Chicago and Chris' band of friends.
The characters drew me in, but mostly on the Lael side. While Chris' friends were alright, they didn't have quite the pull of the more complex characters in Lael. Despite this, I loved the way the story manages to draw both worlds together and make them interact. Though the premise left plenty of room for questions I would love to see solved that never were, I felt like things were brought to a satisfying conclusion and I was definitely strapped in for the ride, and waiting to see what would come next.
This one is a great read for any kind of fantasy lover.