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gn2001's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Predictable ending, for a fast paced book so much detail is missing that the story gets lost and makes it a slow pace read
jvalentine1386's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
suzreadsalot's review
4.5
so close to a 5 for me. there was one part that was a little off and thats why it's not a 5 but overall i adored this book.
montigneyrules's review against another edition
1.0
#readingchallenge2023 (my book feat.mythology)
Initially drawn to the potential of the novel, I was looking forward to the world building & premises proposed for the plotline, but the execution never really went anywhere.
Woes:
-chosen as a novel feat a mythological background, I didn’t really get much on Hindu mythology
-inconsistent pacing; the book progressed extremely slow, with long-winded descriptions, where nothing much happened for the first two thirds, then the last third of the book rushed so much together- with twists & character relationships that hadn’t been culminated.
-the main character wasn’t likeable. I felt she was too repetitive, the bracelets over and over felt force-fed to the reader, focusing on one motivation while leaving the rest of the overall narrative underdeveloped.
-unnecessarily complex world- a lot was confusing, unexplained. ‘twists’ were attempted, but I didn’t really understand the ‘aha’ moment because I was struggling in the what is just baseline going on of it all
not a strong novel
Initially drawn to the potential of the novel, I was looking forward to the world building & premises proposed for the plotline, but the execution never really went anywhere.
Woes:
-chosen as a novel feat a mythological background, I didn’t really get much on Hindu mythology
-inconsistent pacing; the book progressed extremely slow, with long-winded descriptions, where nothing much happened for the first two thirds, then the last third of the book rushed so much together- with twists & character relationships that hadn’t been culminated.
-the main character wasn’t likeable. I felt she was too repetitive, the bracelets over and over felt force-fed to the reader, focusing on one motivation while leaving the rest of the overall narrative underdeveloped.
-unnecessarily complex world- a lot was confusing, unexplained. ‘twists’ were attempted, but I didn’t really understand the ‘aha’ moment because I was struggling in the what is just baseline going on of it all
not a strong novel
sherrios's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
I wanted to like this one a lot more than I actually did.
This story follows Tanvi and Venkat, two mortals embroiled in the world of Nagalok. Stolen away from Prithvi (Earth) as children, the two have very different experiences in this mystical world: Tanvi becomes a dream runner — someone who searches for and extracts the dreams of humans on Prithvi — whereas Venkat becomes the apprentice and adoptive son of one of the most powerful naga in Nagalok: Nayan. But what happens when Tanvi's heart begins to stir?
The premise itself was extremely eyecatching. I adore books about mythology, and I was excited to read this.
While I absolutely loved the mythology aspect of it, the worldbuilding was lacking. It wasn't even that the author was relying on knowledge of the mythos — there were aspects in Nagalok that just weren't fleshed out. What was the initiation ritual and why did the hearts of the runners have to be stilled? What is burnout? What was it about Venkat that made him a dream smith?
In addition to the haphazard worldbuilding, there were so many pacing issues. The first half of the book is extremely slow. It was almost a slog to get through. The conflict with the Garuda and Garudi attacking Asha and Tanvi on Prithvi seemingly comes out of nowhere, and the entire end of the novel felt unearned. The prose lends itself to being beautiful at times, but there is so much description, so much telling and not showing, that it almost feels overwhelmint at times.
Then, there's the slow-burn romance between Tanvi and Venkat. Venkat mentions several times in the beginning that he feels like he's the carer of the dream runners, and seemingly sees himself as a pseudo-father figure. Which just makes the relationship that buds between him and Tanvi that much more unnerving.
I don't know. This was something I really wanted to enjoy, and while the end of the book went a lot quicker, the subtance of the novel just felt wildly inconsistent.
This story follows Tanvi and Venkat, two mortals embroiled in the world of Nagalok. Stolen away from Prithvi (Earth) as children, the two have very different experiences in this mystical world: Tanvi becomes a dream runner — someone who searches for and extracts the dreams of humans on Prithvi — whereas Venkat becomes the apprentice and adoptive son of one of the most powerful naga in Nagalok: Nayan. But what happens when Tanvi's heart begins to stir?
The premise itself was extremely eyecatching. I adore books about mythology, and I was excited to read this.
While I absolutely loved the mythology aspect of it, the worldbuilding was lacking. It wasn't even that the author was relying on knowledge of the mythos — there were aspects in Nagalok that just weren't fleshed out. What was the initiation ritual and why did the hearts of the runners have to be stilled? What is burnout? What was it about Venkat that made him a dream smith?
In addition to the haphazard worldbuilding, there were so many pacing issues. The first half of the book is extremely slow. It was almost a slog to get through. The conflict with the Garuda and Garudi attacking Asha and Tanvi on Prithvi seemingly comes out of nowhere, and the entire end of the novel felt unearned. The prose lends itself to being beautiful at times, but there is so much description, so much telling and not showing, that it almost feels overwhelmint at times.
Then, there's the slow-burn romance between Tanvi and Venkat. Venkat mentions several times in the beginning that he feels like he's the carer of the dream runners, and seemingly sees himself as a pseudo-father figure. Which just makes the relationship that buds between him and Tanvi that much more unnerving.
I don't know. This was something I really wanted to enjoy, and while the end of the book went a lot quicker, the subtance of the novel just felt wildly inconsistent.
jase_0z's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
yourwitch_hekate's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
wendy327's review against another edition
3.0
I received a free copy from Harperteen in exchange for an honest review.
Shveta Thakrar’s The Dream Runners offers a unique glimpse into South Asian mythology, specifically the war between garudas and nagas.
Tanvi is a dream runner. As a human in Nagalok, her role is to return to Prithvi, the human world, and collect dreams from humans for the nagas who are unable to dream themselves. However, Tanvi’s world begins to unravel when she starts to remember her life before her initiation, a rite that stole her memories and feelings. Now Tanvi must turn to Venkat for help. Venkat, also human, cares deeply for the dream runners under his care. As a dreamsmith under the tutelage of Lord Nayan, his adopted father, he works to create objects that have the power to reshape Nagalok. But as Tanvi and Venkat embark on answers, they are thrust into an unexpected conflict, which threatens the distribution of power.
As a reader, I must admit that I don’t know much about the mythology mentioned in this book. The first few chapters felt like dunking my head underwater as I was thrust into this world. Even though I ran to Google a great deal initially, I began to enjoy the world that Thakrar created, even if I didn’t understand every aspect. And the world is certainly interesting, though I felt some aspects were underexplored, such as the Night Market and the gateways that allow travel between Prithvi and Nagalok. This was also true of the magic system. For example, the rules seemed unclear at points and objects of convenience seemed to pop up when needed, such as the glowing fireflies and the communication seeds. Delving more into the world of Nagalok and the Night Market, where many of these items were obtained, may have clarified some of the ways that magic operates.
As for the characters, I found both Tanvi and Venkat irritating in initial chapters. Tanvi was so single-minded that it was difficult to relate and Venkat was incredibly naive. However, as they embarked on their journey throughout the novel, I found myself enjoying my experience getting to know them both and seeing them grow. As Tanvi began to regain her memories, it was easier to empathize with her confusion and pain. Venkat’s loss of his family helped humanize him and it is clear that Lord Nayan and Nagalok offered him the love and connection that he had lost. Finally, supporting characters, like Nitya and Asha were appreciated as they provided friendship and sisterhood to both Tanvi and Venkat.
Overall, though I had the antagonist figured out pretty early, I found the The Dream Runners to be an interesting read. Even though this is my first experience reading Thakrar’s work, I hope to explore more of her novels and learn more about South Asian mythology and culture.
Shveta Thakrar’s The Dream Runners offers a unique glimpse into South Asian mythology, specifically the war between garudas and nagas.
Tanvi is a dream runner. As a human in Nagalok, her role is to return to Prithvi, the human world, and collect dreams from humans for the nagas who are unable to dream themselves. However, Tanvi’s world begins to unravel when she starts to remember her life before her initiation, a rite that stole her memories and feelings. Now Tanvi must turn to Venkat for help. Venkat, also human, cares deeply for the dream runners under his care. As a dreamsmith under the tutelage of Lord Nayan, his adopted father, he works to create objects that have the power to reshape Nagalok. But as Tanvi and Venkat embark on answers, they are thrust into an unexpected conflict, which threatens the distribution of power.
As a reader, I must admit that I don’t know much about the mythology mentioned in this book. The first few chapters felt like dunking my head underwater as I was thrust into this world. Even though I ran to Google a great deal initially, I began to enjoy the world that Thakrar created, even if I didn’t understand every aspect. And the world is certainly interesting, though I felt some aspects were underexplored, such as the Night Market and the gateways that allow travel between Prithvi and Nagalok. This was also true of the magic system. For example, the rules seemed unclear at points and objects of convenience seemed to pop up when needed, such as the glowing fireflies and the communication seeds. Delving more into the world of Nagalok and the Night Market, where many of these items were obtained, may have clarified some of the ways that magic operates.
As for the characters, I found both Tanvi and Venkat irritating in initial chapters. Tanvi was so single-minded that it was difficult to relate and Venkat was incredibly naive. However, as they embarked on their journey throughout the novel, I found myself enjoying my experience getting to know them both and seeing them grow. As Tanvi began to regain her memories, it was easier to empathize with her confusion and pain. Venkat’s loss of his family helped humanize him and it is clear that Lord Nayan and Nagalok offered him the love and connection that he had lost. Finally, supporting characters, like Nitya and Asha were appreciated as they provided friendship and sisterhood to both Tanvi and Venkat.
Overall, though I had the antagonist figured out pretty early, I found the The Dream Runners to be an interesting read. Even though this is my first experience reading Thakrar’s work, I hope to explore more of her novels and learn more about South Asian mythology and culture.
kerrygibbons's review against another edition
3.0
Really more like 2.75 stars. Horrendously disappointing and the ending was pretty horribly written. Would not recommend though the world-building is interesting.