by K.M. Weiland
Story rating - 4.5
Chris Redston has been plagued by vivid dreams all his life,
dreams that are turning into nightmares. Worse, when he wakes up, someone is
leaving him notes about the dreams he’s having. But they couldn’t be real,
could they?
As a Searcher, Princess Allara is waiting for “The Gifted”
to cross the barrier between worlds, even though his appearance will spark a
war. A once in a lifetime occurrence, the new Gifted will be the second one in
her lifetime after the first Gifted nearly destroyed her home.
The story follows Chris on his journey as a reluctant hero,
never really sleeping but instead crossing from the world he knows into an alternate
universe each time he “falls asleep.” Initially he doesn’t believe what is
happening to him and is duped into creating a rift between the worlds. The
story that ensues is his journey from apathetic to champion, from blame to
forgiveness. The alternate world is drawn with beautiful clarity and the wars
that follow Chris’s arrival are intense and realistic. Through the alternate
world he is able to find peace in his real world, even as both worlds begin to
crumble. It’s up to him to find the key that will restore the balance between
the two.
On the plus side: I
really enjoyed the story. The author leaves enough bread crumbs to guess at the
final outcomes and resolutions. It was a compelling read, one that held me in
the story through to the end to a natural conclusion.
On the down side: Brooke’s
character didn’t really resonate with me, but she was probably the only one I
didn’t quite get (I think it could have been written without her). While Orias’s
motivation was explored in depth, there came a point where I became impatient
with him. As a “berserker,” I didn’t quite buy into the length of time/justification
he spent in voluntary captivity. It didn’t ring true, in spite of the author’s
attempts to convince me.
Overall, recommended. A time travel with an open door to a
world where dreams become realities.
No comments:
Post a Comment