REVIEW: "The Gods of Dream" by Daniel Arenson

Cade and Tasha have endured tragedy and loss. Their daily lives are dismal, without an end in sight. But at night the siblings can meet in Dream. It's not only a state of mind, it's a magical, enchanting, physical place. There, they can forget their wretched pasts and bleak futures and focus on the peace and rapture to be found in Dream. This joy is short-lived, however, as the creatures of Nightmare start to invade Dream and threaten not only Dream, but Earth itself. Cade is chosen to save Dream, but can he do it?

Written by Daniel Arenson, "The Gods of Dream" is an epic fantasy with an exquisite and surreal feel. The author has a talent for description, and it's easy to picture the worlds of Dream and Nightmare. They're everything you thought they may be, and maybe even more. The storyline has a bit of a Biblical feel, a feeling which is heightened as the two sides draw closer to the battle that will determine the future of both realms, as well as the future of all humans. Each realm has a variety of different regions, and those in Nightmare almost felt like Dante's circles of hell. Each of the areas in Nightmare presents a different type of horror to be experienced, just as each area in Dream provides a special type of pleasure. The author has crafted his characters nicely, and the gods of each realm are distinct and fascinating. The hierarchy of the gods in Dream mirrors those found in Nightmare. The relationship between the various gods is somewhat reminiscent of the relationship between the Devil and his minions, and God and his angels. While I loved those two worlds and the characterization of each world, I wanted to understand a bit more the relationship between these realms and Earth.

The story started out somewhat slow for me. It took me some time to really get a feel for what was going on and where we were going. As I read on, my interest grew and I became much more entranced by, and committed to, the story. Taking such ethereal creations as dreams and nightmares and transforming them into actual physical places to be experienced and explored puts a new and exciting spin on something we only experience while we sleep. Although the story did drag for me at times, as we battled with all the lesser gods of Nightmare and walked for days and weeks and months, it was worth the read. The story itself didn't totally "wow" me, but the creativity of concepts and the beautifully flowing writing left me thinking about the ideas long after I'd finished reading. I wasn't completely captivated by the plot, but I was entranced by the worlds the author created. The gorgeous cover of the book really captures the feel of the story. I suspect I'll be thinking about the imagery and concepts woven into this story long after I've forgotten about Cade and Tasha and the details of their quest.

4.5 /5 stars (I originally was thinking 4 stars, but I bumped it up a bit just for the incredible worlds of Dream and Nightmare)

Available at Smashwords, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble

(Read my review of the "Flaming Dove" by Daniel Arenson here)

Teaser Tuesdays!

 This is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Here are the rules-- Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here's my truly random teaser (e.g., I opened to the page I happened to be reading and picked the only paragraph on the page that was exactly two sentences long): 

"The Incubus turned his great scaly head toward her, but said nothing. His drool hit the floor and hissed, raising steam." 

page 60, "The Gods of Dream" by Daniel Arenson

REVIEW: "Flaming Dove" by Daniel Arenson

Armageddon. We know this to be the day when good vanquishes evil, light triumphs over dark, and God wins out over Satan. Or does He? In Daniel Arenson's "Flaming Dove," the battle between Heaven and Hell has yielded no clear winners, and, 27 years later, we find both sides exhausted and unsure of the next step. Unsure, that is, until the day Laila, the half demon/half angel child of Armageddon's most powerful forces, returns to Jerusalem, and each side begins to formulate a plan.

Set against the backdrop of a post-apocalyptic Earth, where demons and angels have settled into an uneasy co-existence, and humans are all but extinct, Laila struggles to find her place. Heaven's godlight burns her, Hell's hellfires scorch her. She is of two worlds, but can belong to neither. Incredibly strong physically, emotionally vulnerable, and full of rage against both worlds, Laila unwillingly finds herself the key player in the continuing battle between good and evil.

Although filled with exciting battle scenes, and a cast of characters known to us all (Nathaniel, Lucifer, Beezlebub, Michael, to name a few), this is truly Laila's story. As Laila struggles to find her place, angels and demons alike try to use her for their own end. Each side believes Laila to be the key to victory. It is soon apparent that the entire outcome of Armageddon depends upon this one soul, and such an unwilling soul at that.

This book is a delightful read, with fluid writing and a nice pacing of action interspersed with tender moments. It was easy to get into this story, and hard to put it down. I love the way nothing is really cut and dry throughout this story; the Ruler of Hell is not without merits, and the archangels not without sin. The author really forces you to take a step back and question where the line between good and evil actually falls, if there is even such a line. The story seems predictable, but I was surprised many times with the events leading up to the climax of the story. Even when I thought I had finished the story, there was one last surprise waiting for me at the end, a surprise that really drove home a main theme of the story. Best of all, the ending did what all the best endings do; it left me with something to ponder.

I really enjoyed this story, and I believe Daniel Arenson is an author to watch! "Flaming Dove" is available on Smashwords, Amazon for Kindle, as well as in paperback.

5/5 stars