Book Warriors

While the book Dreamhunter by Elizabeth Knox is not a perfect book, it did get me so wrapped up in its world that I was dying to find out what happens in Book Two–Dreamquake. Lucky for me it is already out (the benefit of starting a series of books that is already published) and even better than Book One. Dreamquake picks up with the final scene of Dreamhunter and tells it from an alternative perspective, which both catches up the reader and gives a new angle to the scene. From there the plot picks up speed with Laura and her Sandman on the run for forcing her nightmare on the Dream Opera Crowd, the Dream Regulatory Body building a secret, dangerous project in the Place, and, not to be overshadowed, Rose’s debut into society. Laura and Sandy’s relationship blossoms, though her continued and deepening reliance on her Sandman causes tension with those around her. The pace is fast, the drama high, and once the pieces of the puzzle came together I was left astounded by the author’s imagination and storytelling abilities. Full of suspense, romance, and questions, this installment brings the duet to highly satisfying close.

Enter a world very like our own around the turn of the century (1900, not 2000). It is a world where automobiles are still newfangled toys for the rich, where ladies still wear long dresses, and where wealthy young girls attend finishing schools to prepare them for coming out into society. Laura and Rose are cousins living in this world of privilege each with one parent who is of high society and one parent who is a famous and rich dreamhunter. The dreamhunters are people who can enter an otherworld where dreams reside and bring the dreams back for sale to hospitals, the government, and public dream opera houses. Some dreams are used to heal, some to soothe, some to delight and the best dreamhunters (and Laura’s father and Rose’s mother are the best) can earn fortunes.

But all is not as it seems. Laura’s father is acting stranger and stranger, and Laura and Rose are about to make their Try to find out if they will become dreamhunters themselves. The girls’ charmed life is quickly spinning out of control and they soon have a dire mystery to solve.

The pacing on this novel is a little slow at times, but the premise is so interesting and the world so compelling that I plowed through and was rewarded with cliffhanger of an ending. The good news is that Book Two is already out and was named a Printz Honor book this year so I won’t have to wait to find out what happens next and the story is only going to get better. If you love fantasy, especially ones by Garth Nix and Libba Bray, you’ll definitely enjoy this imaginative and spellbinding tale by Elizabeth Knox.