REVIEW: The Gods of Dreams, by Daniel Arenson

Title: The Gods of Dream
Author: Daniel Arenson
Format: Kindle/Hardback

This book was sent to me by Daniel to review and I really enjoyed it. It's a fantasy novel that will definitely warm your heart. It is centered around two young adults, Tasha and Cade. Cade has survived a terrible accident that scarred him and killed their parents. This has turned Tasha into an emotional wreck, trying to commit suicide multiple times. There is only one place they can be happy, and that is: Dream.

Dream is a beautiful place where our dreams are made. It has its own pantheon (group of Gods) and has a lot of different landscapes, some of which you are bound to have seen in one of your dreams as a reader. In my case that was The Crystal Caves. But there is a problem, called Phobetor, Lord of Nightmare. He has planned to take over Dream and turn it into a Nightmare. Everywhere he goes he is followed by monsters and horrors unimaginable. Cade is "recruited" by Windwhisper to challenge Phobetor and Tasha secretly joins him in the form of a mouse.

I really enjoyed reading this book because it reminded me of the fantasy books I used to read, like the Neverending Story. Throughout the book I kept on seeing hidden references to this book, especially when the Silkworms were introduced. Arenson has created a very rich world with a solid "religion". He has clearly put thought into how such a group of Gods should be structured, taking notes, I think, of the Greek Gods and how they are interlinked. I really liked the way he combined good and evil within these, making the "bad guys" spring from the good. The pegacats Starlight and Harmony were an adorable addition to the Gods. They really brought light to certain scenes.

What  Arenson did really well was describing his character Tasha. In the beginning she is depressed and can't deal with normal life. In the book she is a constant companion to Cade, who does the biggest part of the travelling because Tasha is now a mouse. As a reader you can feel her character grow and mature and in the end you really have a bond with her. Another character that goes through a strong character development is Moonlight, the Princess of the Begemmed City. In the beginning, although nice, she is a bit spoiled girl and easily scared. In the end, after having fought and almost died, she is strong and clearly a woman.

Overall, Arenson has a significant talent for story writing and knows how to guide a reader through a story and keep them interested. Maybe he had a little bit too many ideas for this book, making it seem rushed in some bits, yet all of this is only positive. It is better to have maybe too many good ideas instead of only two that are boring.  I give this book...


4 Universes!!!!


If you like fantasy books and don't mind being obsessed by this story until you finished it I definitely recommend it to you!! Arenson's writing is entertaining and definitely worth reading!

So, what do you think? Something you'd like to check out?