(3.5 rounded up to a 4)
The Lost Dreamer is a debut YA fantasy based on ancient Mesoamerican folklore by Lizz Huerta. The eBook version is 384 pages and is told in the first person by alternating dual narrators, Indir and Saya.
Indir is a Dreamer who has grown up in the seclusion of a temple. Dreamers are seers who are able to see beyond reality while asleep. Indir has the rare gift of Dreaming truth, as most other Dreamers dream possibilities. She is called to Dream for the king just before he passes. When the king's son Alcan arrives to ascend to the throne, he does not respect the tradition of the Dreamers and wants to end their line.
Saya speaks to spirits while she dreams, but does not believe herself to be a Dreamer since she was never formally trained. She travels with her mother Celay, who keeps her safe but also exploits her gift while passing it off as her own. They are running from something, but Saya does not know what. But then Saya loses the protection necklace she's worn since birth and learns that she has other gifts and Celay has not been fully truthful with her.
The worldbuilding in this book is pretty cool! It took me until the 25% mark to really get into this, but it's still a pleasant read from start to finish. I guessed some of the twists, but that didn't dull the reveal for me. I'm definitely interested in reading more in this world, though this book can be read as a standalone.
Tropes in this book include: mythology/folklore, chosen family
CW: gaslighting, emotional abuse, animal abuse, death
The Lost Dreamer is a debut YA fantasy based on ancient Mesoamerican folklore by Lizz Huerta. The eBook version is 384 pages and is told in the first person by alternating dual narrators, Indir and Saya.
Indir is a Dreamer who has grown up in the seclusion of a temple. Dreamers are seers who are able to see beyond reality while asleep. Indir has the rare gift of Dreaming truth, as most other Dreamers dream possibilities. She is called to Dream for the king just before he passes. When the king's son Alcan arrives to ascend to the throne, he does not respect the tradition of the Dreamers and wants to end their line.
Saya speaks to spirits while she dreams, but does not believe herself to be a Dreamer since she was never formally trained. She travels with her mother Celay, who keeps her safe but also exploits her gift while passing it off as her own. They are running from something, but Saya does not know what. But then Saya loses the protection necklace she's worn since birth and learns that she has other gifts and Celay has not been fully truthful with her.
The worldbuilding in this book is pretty cool! It took me until the 25% mark to really get into this, but it's still a pleasant read from start to finish. I guessed some of the twists, but that didn't dull the reveal for me. I'm definitely interested in reading more in this world, though this book can be read as a standalone.
Tropes in this book include: mythology/folklore, chosen family
CW: gaslighting, emotional abuse, animal abuse, death