Book Review: Dream Walker
A novel by Brittany Gossin
The young adult romantasy novel Dream Walker by Brittany Gossin is the first book in the Realm of Dreams series. I was provided a free copy of this book as an advanced reader copy (ARC) from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis
When Ella's nightmares become a living reality, her life as a mortal human is unhinged. She escapes through a portal with the mysterious Astral Guard, Ethan. Entering the Astral Realm, Ella must accept her new role as a Dream Walker, someone called to protect the different Realms from the living nightmares that threaten to overthrow reality. Ella discovers friendship, love, betrayal, and the plights and advantages of magic on her journey.
Review
Dream Walker gave off similar vibes to Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Harry Potter, the Shadow and Bone Trilogy, and the Gilded duology. Some of it was good, and some of it felt copied and pasted. While I have some thoughts about the book that are a mix of positive and negative comments, my intent is not to sway you from reading this book. I'm simply sharing my opinion about this book. I invite you to read Dream Walker and come to a conclusion of your own if this is a book you want to read.
I loved the description and imagery at the beginning of the book. I felt like I was there with Ella. I thought it was cool how the Astral Realm brings Dream Walkers from different worlds together in one place so that the army fighting against the nightmares is a collection of humans, elves, fae, dragons, vampires, and more. The world-building was also fairly easy enough to understand and follow.
I liked Ethan's character at first but disliked him later on. I appreciated Ella's character development and thought she was likable enough. Rhea was entertaining, but she started to get on my nerves near the end. Cole was a cool character and I liked him the best.
After Ella's parents die and she's taken into the Astral Realm, she doesn't seem as upset as I'd imagine someone to be after experiencing that horror. Perhaps it's her way of coping and taking her mind off it, but the immediate sass and flirty banter between Ella and Ethan felt off.
At times I felt like the author didn't trust the readers to pick up on what was going on in certain contexts, and stated or restated pieces from the story that I had already picked up on. Maybe some readers needed that extra hint (as I have needed with past books I've read), but for this one, to me as the reader, much of it felt unnecessary. For example, some revisited content could have been shortened instead of rambling on and restated. I also felt like some instances could have been expressed through dialogue between characters rather than as internal dialogue.
The first battle Ella was involved in ended so abruptly, I thought I was missing some pages. I wish there was an answer as to how the battle ended. So, unless I missed something, I was left confused and unsatisfied. The introduction of the main villain felt rushed and forced, too. Chapters 24 and 25 felt like a list of descriptions and expositions. They felt rushed, robotic, dull, and info-dumped.
There were three major plot twists, and I predicted two of them. The twists, though predictable, were interesting enough. The third twist I didn't predict felt cliché once it was revealed.
I enjoyed the book, but I had issues with the delivery of pacing and information, particularly from chapter 24 on. The book started with showing but transitioned into telling, turning into a list or a monologue instead of details unfurling naturally. The story became rushed and info-dumped, giving the impression the author was in a hurry to finish the manuscript, and I started skimming near the end of the book. The final chapter was a bit more tolerable, though. It wrapped everything up for the first book and set things up nicely for the second. However, I have no desire to continue reading the Realm of Dreams series.
Content Warnings
Brutal deaths, language, underage drinking, and sexual content.
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