The Dream Alchemist (Somnus, #1) (2025)

Written December 30, 2014

3 1/2 Stars - Adventurous and kind of interesting but also 'strange'

Finished reading November 11, 2014
Full review closer to publishing date Dec 2. I need to collect my thoughts and think more about my impressions.

My recollection and current memory...
I was probably not fully involved in this love-story straight into my heart. I did not feel it was all that super exciting or compelling suspense. I was most confused and lacked that fantastic cheer feeling. Good, but not super in my opinion.

***********************************************************

The Dream Alchemist is Joanna Chambers (the great historical Enlightenment series author) new M/M romance this fall. An PNR published in the beginning of December.

I was so very glad and greateful when I got the chance to ARC read, and review, this book later this fall. ~ Thanks, Joanna!

“...my first foray into the paranormal genre. I hope you like it and look forward... (...) Best Joanna”

***********************************************************

This tale is mostly about Bryn Llewelyn. A young man with a secret

Sleep means Bryn lives in Somnus—an alternate reality constructed of the combined dreaming consciousness of ordinary humans. A place he’d rather avoid. Trouble is, his powers don’t include the ability to go without sleep indefinitely. At some point his eyes close…and his nightmare begins.

...Not only that, Bryn awakens feelings in Laszlo for the first time in years.

***********************************************************

It was a story about secrets, loneliness, longing and mysterious things. A fight against the evil that almost made this to an romantic 'fantasy adventure' towards the end. Quite honestly: it was a little scary.

A rather unique story but I wasn't completely mesmerized. I never really loved it. ~ I wish I could say I liked it much more... but sometimes is "good enough" just good enough.

I LIKE - ..as I just said

************
** I was given a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review. ** ["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>

Forgive my potty mouth, but this book fucking rocks.
Highly recommend!

4.25 stars!
Went in with fairly low expectations and was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this urban fantasy real world vs. dream world story. Other reviewers mention the world jumping was hard to follow, but I disagree completely as I had no trouble at all. The dreamwalker plot had me hooked throughout, and I would happily read a sequel if it existed. Nice attraction between the MCs even if their romance wasn't as strong as in Chamber's historical romance series. But the comparison might be unfair as that series happen to be among my very favourite romance books ever.

I felt for sure that this would be 5 star read. I asked for an ARC because of the blurb, it sounded really complex but fascinating. The storyline was great, really well written, the world building superb, the guy's eyes on the cover were so mesmerizing (hehe) and for 80% of the story, that was the case...I just couldn't stop reading it and then BOOM!! I hit a wall, it felt rushed and absolutely everything I'd thought would happen, the who, the why and the WTF?? actually did happen...And I was so disappointed at the way the story (to me anyhoo) seemed to fizzle out like a damp squib....BUT it won't stop me reading the rest of the series just to see what happens to everyone else. 4 stars from me.

Not doing a huge review, too many other books to deal with. The blurb does a grand job of letting you know what sort of a ride you're in for. Bryn Llewellyn is a DreamWalker, a person who can visit Somnus in his dreams. In his dream state, he is capable of all sorts of things including flying and much to his surprise, a recent gift appears to be alchemy...manifesting an object from Real Life to Somnus and back again. Dylan, who is on the DreamWalker Council, has suspected for some time that Bryn is really powerful, and isn't surprised by the new turn of events.

More and more often when Bryn visits Somnus, he sort of 'apparates' (Harry Potter fan here) near a tower where black shadowy figures float about (yep, sorta like Ring Wraithes for us LOTR fans) and a disembodied voice seems to be calling him into the Tower. He gets evil vibes from the Tower, and is about to 'disapparate' one day when a drone-like figure tries to catch him and do wickedly sexy things to him. The really weird thing is, he meets the 'drone-like' being in Real Life...at a cocktail party of all places where Bryn is waiting tables. Laszlo, the person, is even more sexy in RL, and stares at Bryn as though he knows him but has no idea from where. I have to say Bryn and Laszlo were sexy as all get out together, and I'll leave you to discover the who, the why and the WTF for yourselves. Brilliant but ultimately a tad disappointing.

Thank you to my Buddy Read partners Inge and Andrea.

ARC kindly donated by Samhain via Netgalley

Joanna Chambers is a genius.

4.5 Dreamwalker Dreams over on Prism Book Alliance

Dream walkers. Who are they? And why would one do all that he can to delay falling asleep? This is Bryn. Equally mysterious is an early question and Bryn’s reply… something is definitely not right. Color me intrigued.

Chambers is so good at using physicality, physical reactions, as a way of conveying emotion: churning stomach as opposed to simple fear, fisting hands as opposed to thin irritation. It allows me to feel connected and tuned in at a gut level, I feel grounded.

Natural humor at the expense of clumsiness, our reactions to unexpected shifts in our surroundings. In other words, we find it funny when someone turns and trips over that ottoman. Empathetic humor. This is something else Chambers does well. It’s placed smartly, cutting the tension at the right moment. That tension isn’t severed, just slightly diffused, turning our attention in a new direction.

The language. Chambers molds and nudges and crams and persuades, which means I got to revel and lounge and dance and sink down into it. Such a gift.

He bent his head, avoiding eye contact in case there were any dreamwalkers around, and kept moving, pulling the anonymity of the crowd around him like a cloak.

So, what do you get when you toss all of these things into a single story, the mystery and contemporary and fantasy and paranormal? A concept that is cool as hell. I was only in the middle of chapter four and I was grinning at all of the possibilities, wondering what everything meant, where it was all heading.

Know what else is cool? When I’m surprised by a character and it makes me readjust my interpretation of the entire world the author has built. Yep, cool.

Bryn, he’s trying desperately to hold it all together. Little does he realize, literally, how strong he just might be, and how dangerous and important he could be. Part of him knows because he’s survived, but he’s only seen the first ripple of the effects of that strength.

Laszlo. Ohhh, this is going to be gooood. Discovery, an awakening, everything you believed to be true may not be at all. That unpredictability that comes with being… human. Is he?

Dylan, you are a walking mystery with a slippery personality and secretive motivations. I want to know more. I need to know more.

This is a dense story with multiple planes of existence, several characters that qualify as the leads, and rules that attempt to govern these planes and the lines that are meant to separate them. Bryn, Dylan and Laszlo are all finding out that may things are not what they seem. Rigidity is losing its grip and they’re feeling that unavoidable slip and slide into the cracks between the truths they thought they knew and the truths fighting to be discovered and remain hidden away.

The supporting characters are just as mysterious, complex and humorous. I could probably write a review just about them. For as little as some may be on page, their all constant irritations or distractions or revelations.

I have to get back to this: amidst all of this density, I kept having moments of “omigosh, this is so cool. During the middle third of this story, I wrote hardly any notes. I was sucked in, all the way. And I didn’t want to miss a single thing. After all of the world(s) building, the threads connecting the characters started to thicken and reveal some complicated knots and unexpected fraying.

Even as I began to approach the end, I was unsure of exactly who to trust and believe in what they were saying. The exception was Bryn. And Laszlo, for the most part. See? I’m uncertain.

Speaking of Bryn and Laszlo, they are chemistry in human form. Electrified passion, that uncontrollable need to touch and see and be with someone is what I got every time they came together on page, no matter the circumstances.

This is an addictive mix of contemporary, fantasy, paranormal and mystery. I felt the tug between flying with Bryn and then literally being grounded on that old sofa when he came crashing back down. Dylan’s twisting and turning from seeming company man to friend, and Laszlo’s painful, abrupt and freeing transformation, kept me on my toes and I loved it.

There is still so much to learn about Somnus, the why and the how and the when. And the last sentence of this book? Damn. Damn. I’m ready to go back, right now.

Boys in Our Books tackled another group read...
I was looking forward to my first Chambers book.
*womp womp*

It didn't turn out as planned.
Check it out tomorrow...

4.5 STARS
I really enjoyed this book, it's a great UF/Fantasy mix with some PRN on top. It's very well written with quite a novel plot for it's genre which is always refreshing. The MC's and other prominent characters are all fantastic and one of my most alluring traits of any book is strong secretive sub plots, which this book was full of. There is loads more to come and I can't wait for book two. This has the potential to be an excellent series within it's genre. I need book two NOW.

I found the MC's really interesting and hot, but I got a little lost in the plot. At some point, I didn't knew how many realities there were. The idea of the book is good though...

3.5 stars

Bryn Llewelyn isn't living the best of life. He's working dead-end jobs, only has a roof over his head because he managed to become the sole heir of a family friend, and he's not too happy with his life as a 'dreamwalker' (someone who is conscious in Somnus, the dream world). Laszlo Grimm is successful, ambitious, and doesn't have to work hard to get someone to warm his bed. But he's unable to feel anything beyond the physical, a result of the abuse-like sleep disorder treatment he received as a teenager.

When the two first meet in Somnus, they don't get off to a great start. And when they finally meet in the real world, things really start going downhill. Somnus and the real world begin colliding, and they're surrounded by deceit and secrets.

What really stood out in this book was the world-building. Somnus is a really complex place, existing somewhere in-between reality and magic. Chambers does a great job of explaining various things related to Somnus, yet leaving enough unknown so that you're left wondering if you actually understood what was going on. The mystery itself appears to go much deeper than either Laszlo or Bryn think. I can't wait to see how it develops in book 2.

The romance wasn't insta-love, but it was definitely quick. Though that didn't really bother me. The two MCs were clearly so broken and alone, that I just wanted them to make each other happy. There also seemed to be a 'fated love' type of situation going on, so the easy jump from attraction to something more wasn't unbelievable. And they were smoking hot together, so I'm not complaining.

I enjoyed book 1 of Joanna Chambers' Somnus series quite a lot. I'm hoping to see more of Bryn and Laszlo in the sequel, and I can't wait to find out what's going on with Dylan and Finn!

I was lucky enough to be involved in this relatively early on, and I thought then, and think now that it's a great fun book, with a remarkable new world.

The premise of Somnus, is fantastic, a world within a world - a different reality.

Bryn, is an intriguing and attractive character, so believing that he's not up to much, when in reality he is so much more and better.
Lazslo, waiting for someone to melt the ice in his heart, he's trapped but only vaguely realises it.

These two, are the answers to each others puzzles. They have a wonderful attraction to each other, that takes it's time to develop, but when it does..

Oh, and there's a baddy as well.

I loved the layers as well, the romance, the suspense, the movement between the two worlds interlaced with a kind of fairy story elements, Sleeping Beauty meets The Ice Queen.

Its been 4 months since I last read this, and I still remember all of it, proof of good book.

I'm in. Question: should I wait for the other books in this series to be published FIRST? History would suggest YES. But ....... I can't wait!

***********************************
5.0 Stars
Holy hell. That was awesome. Susan is right. Joanna Chambers is a genius. When can I get book 2?!??!?

Review to come.

Hmm. Great concept as a whole, but too much exposition. Some bits felt like a lecture. Maybe the next one will be less so because the groundwork has been laid here.

3.5 stars - An interesting and imaginative read, although I had a few issues.

The story: It's our world, but there are those who exist who can "dreamwalk" or when they sleep, they enter the dreamworld of Somnus, lucid and having powers, while drone-like zombies mill around (that's us when we're sleeping.)

The first time dreamwalker Bryn meets Laszlo, it's when he's visiting this dream world. They don't know each other in the waking world, but that meeting starts a chain-reaction of realizations, as Bryn learns his skills in dreamwalking run much deeper (and dangerous) and Laszlo finds that he can't run from his dreams any longer, especially if it means risking never seeing Bryn again.

How were the MCs? Bryn was very likeable and it was easy to follow his journey, whether it was in the real world or when he was dreamwalking in Somnus. I felt less connection to Laszlo, where much of his journey was focused on coming to grips with who he really is. Together, they were fun, although I'll admit, it felt pretty "insta", so much so that I wondered if there was some greater meaning to their instant attraction--like if they had met before in Somnus, but couldn't remember. So far, that hasn't been spelled out.

What worked for me? Fun ideas, and good tension built up as Bryn and Laszlo are automatically pulled closer and closer to danger when they enter their dreams.

For those who are nervous about their couples and the endings, readers should feel safe here. Chambers does not pull a "Provoked" with this volume. (I say that will love, BTW.) :-)

What was harder for me? I found this book a bit frustrating, but I'm not sure how frustrated I'm supposed to be.

I like the pacing at first as the novel's world unspooled and you tried to figure out what was going on, but it did feel very "well-paced" or a little slow in development. Around 60% or so, I started thinking that I must be in a first book of a trilogy or a multi-book character arc, because I wasn't getting a feeling that we would get much character development in this first book. I was a little frustrated because it felt like much of this first volume was set-up, and didn't feel like a solid story on its own.

The last quarter, things speed up, but then I felt frustrated because it was almost too fast after that first half, and felt a bit anti-climactic after all the build-up before then.

I honestly don't know what to think of the book. Will Bryn and Laszlo have their story continue in book 2? If so, I feel more forgiving and will just wait for things to be developed further.

But I got the feeling that their love story is done at the end of this, even though so much of the novel felt like setting up something much longer. Side couples are also introduced here, so I'm wondering if the side couples are now going to be main characters in the next volume. If so, I feel more frustrated because I didn't feel enough development with the first couple, and don't really care about the side couples.

So for me, it was hard to understand how this first volume fit. It felt like mostly set-up, but then a fast close-up for the MCs. Will we get more with them to match that set-up? If so, I'll look forward to that. If it's progressing on with the conflicts between the side characters, then I care less.

Overall? An interesting and imaginative read. Those who like sci-fi-ish/speculative fiction with their m/m may dig it.

For me, the frustration over the pacing, the slow and then fast development, and the uncertainty of how things will progress make me pause when thinking about whether I should continue to vol. 2. I guess I'll wait for the blurb. If it's jumping to the next couple, I probably won't continue.

Reviewed first for Boys in our Books.

The Dream Alchemist is quite a detour for Chambers since she is known for her historical romance work. This is a paranormal romance, or maybe even romance with fantastical elements.

I was really looking forward to this story because description gave of Sandman vibe, but yeah... it was nothing like that.
Despite the promising blurb, this book simply didn't work for me the way I thought it would:

1)World building - considering this is first book in series and it's a series named after alternate dream realm, I was really expecting we would get more info on Somnus. Instead we got exactly one room and exactly one field with a Tower (Roland of Gilead says hi). Trust me, blurb gives you more information about Somnus than entire book. It's an "alternate reality constructed of the combined dreaming consciousness of ordinary humans." Let's think about this for a second: tumble this idea around your head: imagine a world where dreams are fusing into these incredible, crazy tableau scenes unconstrained by laws of physics or logic. Hell, think of last two dreams you had and imagine them being a part of big puzzle this world we were told it is. I mean, possibilities are endless! And yet, author never played with this. I just can't believe you would start with idea like this and never explore the possibilities or develop it further. And this is the biggest regret I have on this book. I kept waiting to see when will this world start being different and interesting to me. :\
Also, mechanics of Somnus functioning are rather vague and left to interpretation,Guardians. Hunters?????, but it's a first book in series, so I guess things will be explained in later books.
2)Romance - insta love. This is my personal peeve and I would mention it like that, but the way Bryn and Lazslo reacted when they met each other, the strong emotional response from both of them...it was described in way that implies that they are connected somehow... like they have a bond or they knew each other in some other life or whatever, but it was just plain old attraction. And when that turned up being the case, I just didn't buy the love any more. Lazslo is supposedly emotionally detached guy (you know the type...he doesn't do relationships, only hookups), but all that changed when he met Bryn. This was supposed to mean that there is something special about Bryn to Lazslo, but all I figured from this book was that Lazslo had to meet a dark haired guy with brown eyes for him to feel something. Maybe insta love should be excusable only when you meet your dream guy? :P
3) Hmm... I don't like the way Chambers wrote sex scenes here. There is something...flowery and overdone about it:

"....fingers circling and swirling as he drew out Bryn’s weeping, needy prick."

"Bryn was mesmerised by the man’s powerful, animal beauty."

"...and his natural masculine scent was so heady and good that Laszlo rub himself against Bryn till he was marked with it all over."

I have no idea what was with me and this book. I love Chambers usually, I read her other books and liked them, but something here just didn't click. I still think this has a great premise, but I regret author decided on less imaginative delivery. -__-

I will file this into Me Not You category.["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>

My reluctance to purchase and download this novel stems from my fear that an author able to write such a compelling historical m/m series,Enlightened meant that I wasn't sure she'd be able to pull off a modern day, alternative world story.
How wrong was I?
This was a great first novel in a to-be-written series of three. I use the term "Alternative World" but actually the story is set in current day London, the alternative world being the land-of-nod, or the place where we go when falling to sleep. Within this world, that we all inhabit at times, are Dream Walkers who live along side us in the real, conscious world and monitor us in our dream world. Interesting concept.
This is an exciting, fast paced, slightly scarey, complex novel. Falling into the m/m romance genre, the sexual coupling is apparent but not in the least pornographic nor abundant (thank god). Two great protagonists and some interesting secondary characters, which by the way they seem to be developing, look set to be the protagonists of Books 2 and 3. I certainly hope so.
4.5 stars. Climactic ending, just a teeny weeny bit rushed.

3.5 Stars

Three stars only because this is Joanna Chambers. And, to be fair, because this is the first book in a series (though I haven't seen any word of sequels, so this may have stalled), which always has a lot of extra work to do.
Anyway, my main gripe is that the world building didn't work for me: this is one of those fantasy worlds where additional rules suddenly come into play simply to serve the contrivances of the plot. I always feel wrong-footed by that approach. The relationship felt equally artificial.

I know it's really unfair of readers to try to pigeon-hole their favourite authors. But in Joanna Chambers' fantasy writings (this & the Master Wolf books) I haven't sensed the same sort of ease as in her historically-set books, and that puts me on edge as a reader.

3.5 stars

What would you do if your dreams could become a separate reality? What if you could control your dreams? And what if those dreams started slowly shifting into a waking nightmare?

Bryn has this ability to dream walk; he’s a dreamwalker. When he sleeps, he enters Somnus, or the dreamscapes of others. The ‘others’ are we common people, or drones, who can supply dream architecture but can’t manipulate it. Bryn can. He and his dreamwalker pals have lots of exciting skills when in Somnus. And it’s on these that the author is building this series.

Also existing in Somnus is a mysterious malevolent force that wants Bryn, calls to him. And the pull is getting stronger. It’s clear that Bryn has something this evil being desperately wants and needs, but that is the mystery… why, and for what end?

Lazlo Grimm, a powerful businessman, also has a tortured time with sleep and dreaming. Well, he claims he never dreams. What’s interesting is why this is so, and what his connection is to Bryn. To say more would be to give too much away.

I’m reminded of Ursula Le Guin’s The Lathe of Heaven… one of my all time favorite sci-fi books… In that book: ‘George, a man who discovers he has the peculiar ability to dream things into being -- for better or for worse. In desperation, he consults a psychotherapist who promises to help him -- but who, it soon becomes clear, has his own plans for George and his dreams.’

So, I was intrigued by the story blurb for Dream Alchemist. I love stories about altered states or dream-fuckery. Aren’t we all a bit mystified by what our minds get up to when we lose control? We still know so little about sleep, and the REM dream state, in particular. Well, we know it is essential to our mental sanity-- a way for our minds to unwind from the stresses of the waking world.

Unlike Le Guin’s work, I’m afraid the wonderful premise of Dream Alchemist is compromised by the telling. We get something of the world of Somnus and it’s a fascinating place with it’s shuffling drone-sleepers and it’s talented dreamwalkers. That is fun. Bryn and Lazlo’s hook-ups are both odd and sexy. I actually loved the whole meeting in Somnus and not knowing each other in RL thing. That made for some nice tension between them. But, I have to say that I was a little confused by the insta-super-gotta-have-him rabid attraction between them. They see each other, and it’s instantaneous… it’s whoosh-bang, gotta boink you now.

Ok, ok, it’s hot, yeah… but, why? What is it that attracts them, initially? I mean, before they know anything about their connection in Somnus… It has to be more than the usual physical thing because without a word between them, it so immediately manifests itself. It has to be something else because Lazlo explains, more than once, that Bryn is not his ‘type’. But the attraction is never really explained. (god, I don’t want it to be the shifter soul-mate trope…)

The story starts off strongly though it takes patience to figure out what is going on. Also, it suffers from pacing issues throughout the middle section. There is some extraneous information and repetition of information that muddies things. like how Bryn likes his tea, or what kind of lock he has on his door, or being told more than once what kind of building he lives in. And at least a couple weird plot devices really? Lazlo never took his necklace off; and he always drank that tea? that don’t help. I think with better editing, these issues could have been cleaned up and the story tightened significantly.

Still, this is a good beginning to the series. The premise is intriguing; I liked it, it kept my attention. I would say give Dream Alchemist a try for an interesting look at the interplay between reality and fantasy. We are also introduced to some colorful secondary characters (dreamwalkers: Dylan, Finn, Travis and Aron) who look like they’ll be featured in future installments to the series as they continue to battle the evil that lurks in Somnus. If you dig them and their hinted-at story lines, you’ll probably be back for more.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher/author in exchange for an honest review.

Joanna did it again! Another wonderfully written novel, sweet slow developing romance. Interesting and real feeling characters (even in a Paranormal environment..). Though I'm not sure I"d be able to explain this novel, I REALLY enjoyed it. It was such a RIDE! I was drawn into Somnus and into the main character's struggle unable to put the book down.

Joanna build a mesmerizing world of a dreams called Somnus. In there I think we all go when we sleep but most of us are "Drones", having our dreams disconnected from whatever is happening around us, other Drones or Dreamwalkers. Bryn is a dreamwalker but now that his mentor is dead and he is pulled toward a very scary Tower in Somnus whenever he falls asleep he tries not falling asleep at all. He is sick of it all. Yet compelled to return to the Tower and Somnus when he finally succumbs to sleep. His meetup with Laszlo is the beginning of a change on so many levels.

Laszlo has been treated for his "realistic" dreams for years leaving him a shell of a human being, incapable of feeling anything other than going through the motions. His first meetup with Bryn happens when he is in a Drone like state which means he doesn't remember any of it in the morning but when he is finally confronted in real life about everything he believed he knew about his "situation" shit starts hitting the fan for both him and Bryn.

I loved the relationship buildup between Bryn and Laszlo. Though they known each other for a short while I could really feel the way they are drawn to one another, the connection between the two, the way they felt when the other was around. Their romance was so so beautiful (without ever getting "mushy").

I don't know what the next installment is going to be about, haven't seen anything mentioned on it, but with the epilogue I have a feeling it's going to focus on Dylan Black (a very important side character in this one). I'm very intrigued to hear his and Finn's story.

A GREAT novel. A joy to read, impossible to put down and NO WAY falling asleep ;)

Can't wait for the next one!

More Reviews HERE

Yuri Batalova. Yuri, freaking, BatalovA! Is this person male or female? I am not talking about transgender. I am talking about Yuri - male, BatalovA - female.
Some research was done, but it was so sloppy, that it yanks a person right out of the story.
Yuri Batalov is the proper name. Yuri Batalova is a bad joke.
Disappointed.

Otherwise, a pretty enjoyable read, if a little predictable. 3.5 stars and rounding up to 4.

Teal, thank you for the rec!

While parts of this were well written, it lacked depth in world building. I just couldn't see the vision and it felt flat and 2 dimensional. Parts of the relationship seemed rushed and insta love. I really wanted to like this, I've loved this authors historicals and I adore paranormal and urban fantasy, but it just didn't work for me.

A Joyfully Jay review.

5 stars

Wow, this was an incredible story, you guys. I started it and I could barely put it down. Chambers has created such a wonderfully fascinating world in this book and I was blown away by the fabulous detail and the creative world building. I wish that my explanation of the plot could better capture how masterful this story is, and I really fear I am not doing it justice. Partly I am trying not to give too much aware here. As the story continues we learn more about Bryn’s abilities, Laszlo’s past, the evil in the tower, and the dreamwalkers in general. It all unfolds so beautifully that I am hesitant to say too much for fearing of spoiling your reading experience. But I worry I am not quite conveying how well Chambers builds this world and how clever and creative it all is.

For me the magic of this book starts with the fantasy and world building, but it wouldn’t have the same emotional pull without Laszlo and Bryn. They are the faces that help us navigate the story and we learn about the world through their experiences. I loved the contrast between them with Bryn as this prodigy who learns about his abilities at such a young age, the youngest person ever to come into their dreamwalking skills. As the story continues, we learn more and more about Bryn’s power and how strong he really is. Then we have Laszlo, who has had his skills buried and deadened and who is just now figuring out what he is and what has really been happening to him all these years. I loved the contrast and the way it builds this urgency for Bryn to help Laszlo learn about Somnus and his abilities so they can help stop the evil forces from pretty much destroying the world. The guys have a slow build to their relationship, but when they come together it is filled with so much heat, and I loved the way being together just awakens something inside each of these men.

Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.

Why you should read it: I've read a couple dream-walker books and love the idea. I mean, what happens when we dream? So I was happy to pick this one up. Joanna does a great job differentiating hers, and I enjoyed Bryn. Bryn can manipulate dreams in Somnus. He doesn't always trust his gift, though, and when he starts feeling a dark force at the edge of Somnus, he doesn't know what it wants. We also have Lazlo (poor guy), and the two together, both in Somnus and real life, are fun to watch. They seem to have some kind of connection chemistry that draws the two together for no other reason than to be together. Overall, I liked the book and look forward to seeing the next installment.

Head over to the HEA Blog for Joanna explaining just what Somnus is :)

http://www.usatoday.com/story/happyev...

Fantastic! A totally convincing world, compelling characters, and a unique story

Why didn't I read this book before? It's fantastic. The author creates a totally convincing world, compelling characters, and a unique story through elegant yet efficient prose.

The main characters are dreamwalkers, people whose conscious selves can shift to another dimension, called Somnus, where all of our dreams are projected when we sleep. Bryn Llewellyn is a slender, rough, down and out twenty-something struggling to keep his life in the real world together because his dreamwalking threatens to imprison him in a barren wasteland. He first meets Laszlo Grimm, a tall, muscular, strangely zombie-like man, in Somnus, where Laszlo attacks Bryn. Nevertheless, there's a disturbing spark of recognition between the two men, a frisson of emotion that leads both deeper into an oppressive mystery. The danger becomes too real when the men meet in real life.

It's the kind of book that pulls you in and doesn't let go. Please, please, please let there be sequels! I know this was written years ago - but, please?

3.5/5 stars...

Bryn Llewelyn lives on Red Bull with Vodka and caffeine in an attempt not to sleep. When he sleeps he doesn’t dream, he wakes in an alternate reality known as Somnus where Bryn is a sleepwalker. His gift in Somnus is continually evolving though, and most recently he has shown a talent for alchemy as well. When the shadow of a man tries to catch him in Somnus, intent on doing wickedly sexy things to Bryn, he tries harder to stay awake when he is in reality. Then he meets that man at a party and everything changes.

Laszlo Grimm was treated for a sleeping disorder when he was a child and since then, he doesn’t dream. He is completely unawares of his trips to Somnus while he sleeps, until he meets Bryn and is told that they are sharing their dreams. Laszlo can’t figure out if Bryn is crazy or if he is losing his own mind, but there is something in the back of his mind telling him that what Bryn is saying is true. And then Bryn proves it to him.

The world building and character development was very unique in this story, but it was also slightly overwhelming. It took a while for the connection between Somnus and reality to really start to blend, they weren’t cohesive in the beginning. Then the story sort of fell off toward the end, and there was so much content between the dream walking, alchemy and almost zombie esque persona of Laszlo when he was in Somnus that it was confusing and scattered at times. But then there were some seriously sexy and passionate moments between Bryn and Laszlo that makes me want to see where there story goes after this book.

This is the first book in a series and while it was a little chaotic and confusing, the world of Somnus and the relationship between Bryn and Laszlo has piqued my interest and I am curious to see where Chambers takes this story in the next book. If you are a fan of paranormal romance, the twilight zone and a touch of mystery and suspense then you’ll likely love this one.

*on a side note; apologies if this review is short or elusive, it’s a hard story to sum up and not give spoilers*

* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *

I thoroughly enjoyed this. Everyone goes to the same place when they sleep. The Dreamwalkers, those who are aware of the dream place, call it Somnus. This sounds a bit like The Killing Moon, by N.K. Jemisin. Probably an inspiration. But this takes place on our world. Something is killing Dreamwalkers in their sleep. And our main character gets drawn to that thing repeatedly, night after night. To the point where he avoids sleeping to avoid it. Until he meets a mysterious 'drone,' as they call those who aren't conscious of their dreams, near the site of the evil. There's an instant connection between them. Lust, mostly. Even though they wouldn't normally find each other attractive. Some sort of soulmates? Fated lovers? And they keep running into each other and working to solve the mysteries of Somnus.

DreamIng and awakening

I really enjoyed this book. Read it in one sitting, which is unusual for my ADD style of reading. It reminded me of great fantasy stories I used to read as a teenager - 100 years ago.
Bryn and Laszlo make an interesting couple. At first I thought it was a bit cliché: a rich, unfeeling guy awakened to true love by a poor but loving guy...but it turned out to be more. Laszlo isn't just unfeeling, he's been anesthetized to feeling, conditioned into an aggressive acquirer of businesses and narcissistic pleasure-seeking. Bryn has talked himself out of seeing his own powers and keeps himself on the edge. They are drawn to each other and their story is compelling. Plus, the alternative world of Somnus is really interesting and believable. The imagery in the book allowed me to see everything very clearly and the characters voices rang really true. I've found this to be true in many of Ms. Chambers' books and would highly recommend them. Here's hoping there's another in this series. I think I'll have interesting dreams tonight.

Enjoyed this more than I anticipated/expected. This was a kindle freebie that I decided to read on a whim because KU's been malfunctioning severely the last few days.

Though the story lagged at times, it was a pretty good read. I have chronic insomnia and have recently acquired super vivid dreams on top of that so this was an absolute trip. Have I been to Somnus? Who the fuck knows?!

The way the plot progressed was both fast and and slow-paced; sounds contradictory but it's the best way I've got of describing the experience. This is my first read by/from this author and from my initial observations & others' comments, this contemporary novel seems to be a detour from her usual historical fare. Usually, that's not my bag, but I'm curious enough to take a gander at them.

There's no book #2, despite the 7 years since this was written but I'm still crossing my fingers. Dylan & Finn seem to have something going on that'd make for an interesting love story. Not to mention creepy Morfan [shudders]. Lots of material there for a second or third book.

This was both fascinating and frustrating. Somnus, the dream world, had delightful potential but I didn't feel like it was explored well enough. There were many potentially-interesting characters, but I didn't quite feel like I got to know any of them well enough. And there were clearly-evil characters, and characters who were set up to be evil, and characters who were unintentionally evil, but no clear motivations for any of them.

Still interesting. And I thoroughly enjoyed the relationship between Bryn and Laszlo, sudden as it all was.

Favorite Quote:
The grief today was bad.