Alexis:
Dreams Lie Beneath follows Clementine, or Clem, who is her father’s apprentice magician in a small town. Each new moon, people’s nightmares come to life, and it’s Clem and her father’s job to not only record the townspeople’s dreams, but to fight any that come to life.
But then two strange magicians come to town, challenging Clem’s father for his position. When he loses, Clem seeks revenge on the two men who upended her life.
I absolutely loved the beginning of this book. Ross’ writing style is lovely, and I enjoyed the worldbuilding. Clem is a great main character, and even when she makes some questionable decisions, I found myself always rooting for her.
I enjoyed the magic system, and how Ross describes the nightmares coming to life. I also enjoyed the history of this world and the book’s plot.
This easily could have been a 5-star read for me. However, after the beginning of the book, some of the side characters begin to feel a little too flat for my liking. Phelan, the magician Clem ends up working with, was intriguing in the beginning, but as the story moved along, his character was just too flat. Despite his copious amount of page time, I felt like I knew Imonie, Clem’s family cook, and Mazarine, an old lady from Clem’s hometown, better than I knew Phelan.
Despite this, I really enjoyed this book. If you’re looking for a book full of dreams and nightmares, with a cool magic system and a dynamic main character, then you might enjoy this!
VERDICT: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
takes two to book review 