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A review by sheyri
Dreams of the Dying by Nicolas Lietzau
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.