Shannon's Library

LET’S GET EXCITED ABOUT THIS NOVEL!

Clementine Madigan is a magician. She and her father are the wardens of Hereswith, trained to protect its citizens from their own nightmares. The entire kingdom has been living under a terrible curse for over a century. Once a month, on the night of the new moon, nightmares can come alive and haunt the townsfolk. When two young magicians arrive in Hereswith and challenge Clementine’s father to a duel, life as she knows it is suddenly uprooted. With a heart set on revenge, Clementine will do whatever it takes to get her life back. But as long-buried secrets begin to surface, Clementine finds herself in the center of an epic conflict – where the fate of the realm’s curse is at stake. Keep reading below for my full review of this enchanting novel!

Shannon’s Rating — PG-13

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LET’S TALK ABOUT THIS NOVEL!

Do you dream at night? Or, I should say, do you remember your dreams?

Do you know…

• Everyone is thought to dream between 3-6 times per night.
• Each dream lasts about 5-20 minutes.
• Around 95 percent of dreams are forgotten.

So even if you think you aren’t a dreamer…you are probably dreaming. Just not remembering.

I’m a big dreamer. If I lay quietly for a few minutes in the morning, I can remember multiple dreams from my night in startling detail. Sometimes I love this strange talent of mine. It’s fun to look back and kind of re-experience my dreams each morning. But sometimes, this ability of mine can be a curse. Occasionally my dreams are disturbing, confusing, unsettling or just plain sad. When this happens, they can be hard to shake off during the day. On these kinds of mornings, I certainly wish I was one of those people who rarely remember their dreams (like my husband…)

Rebecca Ross, the author of “Dreams Lie Beneath,” is a vivid dreamer. She has kept a dream journal since she was a teenager in order to record and analyze all of her dreams and nightmares. She always knew she wanted to write a book that grappled with nightmares. (Fun fact… the first nightmare scene in this novel is an exact reoccurring nightmare that Ross has at night!)

The kingdom in “Dreams Lie Beneath,” has been cursed. Once a month, on the night of the new moon, nightmares can come alive. A group of magicians, called wardens, protect people from their worst dreams. Clementine Madigan is a warden-in-training with her father. Together they protect their town of Hereswith. When her father’s domain is challenged by two young magicians, Clem finds herself drawn into a centuries old conflict. Through disguise and intrigue, Clem seeks revenge against her enemies. But will she have to unite with these same enemies in order to break the realm’s curse?

It’s rare to find a stand-alone fantasy novel. Usually when you pick up a fantasy novel, it’s the first in a series. While I’m not against fantasy series, it’s refreshing to occasionally read a well-done fantasy story that is able to start and end in just one book. “Dreams Lie Beneath,” has everything I enjoy in a fantasy novel. Magic and magicians, secrets and disguises, castles and spells, romance without triangles, and even a creepy, yet likable, troll.

So… settle in, relax, unwind and enjoy this fun tale. But if it’s the night of the new moon – don’t get TOO comfortable that you fall asleep. You might start dreaming and some dreams tend to come alive…

“It was a quiet, peaceful night. A night for dreams. And magic teemed, thick and cold in the air.”

P.S. There is a card game, Seven Wraiths, played in the novel that I really wish was real. Could someone please work on designing that for me? And, if it’s not too much trouble, I would really like the characters on the cards to magically move as well. Thanks!