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polly_zilhaver's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
raven8's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Antisemitism
yourbookishgamermom's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-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? Yes
5.0
kimaiya222's review against another edition
3.0
Not a bad book. Well written and engaging even though not much happens in it overall. I liked the characters and the concept but the plot felt a little dull. Still the author does a great job describing the feelings and thoughts in this world. A cool book but not for me.
jennifersuzette's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I have really enjoyed Mara's past work and this is no exception. This immediately caught my interest from the first chapter. A princess in a castle, but it all goes downhill very quickly. There is a plague, called the bloody plague, that has swept the world by storm and the King Stuart decided to bar the doors and windows and ride it out.
This book flip flops between Princess Imogen and Nico, a servant at a manor. His master, Mr Crane, is immune to the plague and has gathered others that are also immune and they live together there.
There were a lot of twists and turns to this book, and the outcome was really unexpected! The ending did drag slightly but overall I really liked this book!
I have really enjoyed Mara's past work and this is no exception. This immediately caught my interest from the first chapter. A princess in a castle, but it all goes downhill very quickly. There is a plague, called the bloody plague, that has swept the world by storm and the King Stuart decided to bar the doors and windows and ride it out.
This book flip flops between Princess Imogen and Nico, a servant at a manor. His master, Mr Crane, is immune to the plague and has gathered others that are also immune and they live together there.
There were a lot of twists and turns to this book, and the outcome was really unexpected! The ending did drag slightly but overall I really liked this book!
bookishlyzoe's review against another edition
2.0
This story just took too long to pick up for me. I felt like most of the characters were pretty one dimensional and the story took a long time to get to the point where I could call it compelling.
libraryofej's review against another edition
4.0
Overall, this book was a wild ride from start to finish that I enjoyed (for the most part)
A Multitude of Dreams is a dual POV that follows a charming grave digger and a Princess who is not what she seems in a world that has been ravaged by the Mori Roja - a plague known as the Bloody Three due to its method of killing. Seraphina has spent the past four years in a charade, pretending to be the king's youngest and favorite daughter Princess Imogen. In reality, she is just a Jewish girl who was essentially kidnapped from her family to put on this charade for the mad king by her "sisters". Every day that goes past makes her yearn more and more for the outside world and the life she once knew. Nico is a grave digger, servant, lackey, and whatever else he needs to be at his master's house. One other thing about him - he is immune to the mori roja. Everyone at Crane Manor is. When Lord Crane sends Nico out to find any survivors at the castle, Nico can't help but feel that his master has ulterior motives.
I really enjoyed this book. I was a little confused during Seraphina's first chapter before I knew what her situation was, why everyone was calling her the wrong name, and why she was having a 20th birthday party if she wasn't yet 18. However, once it was explained, it all made sense and I was fully on board with the plot again. I felt like she went through some real change throughout the book, as much as can happen to someone who has been trapped in a castle for four years. It wasn't as much as I would have hoped for, but she left the story different than how she started. She stopped using her planning for herself and instead started to help the castle and all the people in it.
Nico was easier to understand from the start, although I didn't quite get the undying loyalty to the man who "saved" him and then thrust him into his servitude. Not really giving benefactor vibes but sure. I will admit that he is charming and resourceful and all the things he is meant to be. However, it didn't really feel like he went through much change. He had the internal struggle over whether his master was really evil or not, and when that was over all that was left was what we had to begin with, minus that loyalty. I would have liked to see him trust Seraphina with her own safety more, or guide her on how to defend herself.
My biggest issue with this book is the ending, specifically the pacing. Right up until the last 20% is was hooked and enjoying the ride, it was a quick pace that was easy to understand and follow. However, once we got to the final conflict and resolution I was suddenly rushed through it and left wanting more. I feel like the final battle could have been drawn out more and planned better.
Overall, I did really like this book, I enjoyed the relationship between the characters and how they ended up helping each other. This was also my first book by this author, and it has convinced me to pick up her other books now!
I received this ARC from NetGalley and Inkyard Press in exchange for an honest review.
A Multitude of Dreams is a dual POV that follows a charming grave digger and a Princess who is not what she seems in a world that has been ravaged by the Mori Roja - a plague known as the Bloody Three due to its method of killing. Seraphina has spent the past four years in a charade, pretending to be the king's youngest and favorite daughter Princess Imogen. In reality, she is just a Jewish girl who was essentially kidnapped from her family to put on this charade for the mad king by her "sisters". Every day that goes past makes her yearn more and more for the outside world and the life she once knew. Nico is a grave digger, servant, lackey, and whatever else he needs to be at his master's house. One other thing about him - he is immune to the mori roja. Everyone at Crane Manor is. When Lord Crane sends Nico out to find any survivors at the castle, Nico can't help but feel that his master has ulterior motives.
I really enjoyed this book. I was a little confused during Seraphina's first chapter before I knew what her situation was, why everyone was calling her the wrong name, and why she was having a 20th birthday party if she wasn't yet 18. However, once it was explained, it all made sense and I was fully on board with the plot again. I felt like she went through some real change throughout the book, as much as can happen to someone who has been trapped in a castle for four years. It wasn't as much as I would have hoped for, but she left the story different than how she started. She stopped using her planning for herself and instead started to help the castle and all the people in it.
Nico was easier to understand from the start, although I didn't quite get the undying loyalty to the man who "saved" him and then thrust him into his servitude. Not really giving benefactor vibes but sure. I will admit that he is charming and resourceful and all the things he is meant to be. However, it didn't really feel like he went through much change. He had the internal struggle over whether his master was really evil or not, and when that was over all that was left was what we had to begin with, minus that loyalty. I would have liked to see him trust Seraphina with her own safety more, or guide her on how to defend herself.
My biggest issue with this book is the ending, specifically the pacing. Right up until the last 20% is was hooked and enjoying the ride, it was a quick pace that was easy to understand and follow. However, once we got to the final conflict and resolution I was suddenly rushed through it and left wanting more. I feel like the final battle could have been drawn out more and planned better.
Overall, I did really like this book, I enjoyed the relationship between the characters and how they ended up helping each other. This was also my first book by this author, and it has convinced me to pick up her other books now!
I received this ARC from NetGalley and Inkyard Press in exchange for an honest review.
novelty_reads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
For me, this book was alright.
Having read Luminous and The Poison Season, I was excited about A Multitude of Dreams. I've always had a fun time with this author's books and I had high hopes that I'd enjoy this one just as much as her other ones.
A Multitude of Dreams follows a post-plague world where people are just finding their feet and learning to live after illness ravaged the kingdom. Princess Imogen has lived a sheltered life in her palace keeping her true identity a secret. She runs into Nico, a boy told to find plague survivors. Together they need to work to uncover the secrets that surround them and the mysteries of the plague.
I thought the audiobook narrator was good but unfortunately this book failed to grab me much. My interest piqued at the end/last third of the book when the paranormal element was revealed. I really thought this element should've been hinted at earlier in the story which might've engaged me from the start. The characters were alright, but I wanted to connect with them more. I wasn't convinced on the romance aspect, wanting more chemistry from the main character and love interest.
All in all, this book was okay but I didn't love it as much as this author's previous books. I couldn't help wanting more from this story.
For me, this book was alright.
Having read Luminous and The Poison Season, I was excited about A Multitude of Dreams. I've always had a fun time with this author's books and I had high hopes that I'd enjoy this one just as much as her other ones.
A Multitude of Dreams follows a post-plague world where people are just finding their feet and learning to live after illness ravaged the kingdom. Princess Imogen has lived a sheltered life in her palace keeping her true identity a secret. She runs into Nico, a boy told to find plague survivors. Together they need to work to uncover the secrets that surround them and the mysteries of the plague.
I thought the audiobook narrator was good but unfortunately this book failed to grab me much. My interest piqued at the end/last third of the book when the paranormal element was revealed. I really thought this element should've been hinted at earlier in the story which might've engaged me from the start. The characters were alright, but I wanted to connect with them more. I wasn't convinced on the romance aspect, wanting more chemistry from the main character and love interest.
All in all, this book was okay but I didn't love it as much as this author's previous books. I couldn't help wanting more from this story.
worldsunlikeourown's review against another edition
4.0
Find this review and more on my blog at Worlds Unlike Our Own.
Some years ago, a deadly plague ravaged the kingdom of Goslind. Princess Imogen has lived in the boarded up castle with her family and much of the nobility of the land for three years to stay safe from the illness, but supplies are beginning to run short and the people are unhappy to be shut away from the world for so long. Dealing with a king on the verge of madness, Imogen is worried that her secret will be revealed. Meanwhile on the outside, Nico Mott, once a gentleman living a life of luxury, has lost his entire family to the plague but himself remained unscathed due to having a blood immunity. Lord Crane, who owned a nearby estate took him in, saving his life. When Nico is sent out to find out if there are survivors in the castle, he meets Imogen, who is determined to escape. Each of them is weaving a false story to get their way, but though the plague has passed, there are now far more dangerous things abroad in Goslind, and the two must team up if they hope to survive.
I enjoyed the Crown of Coral and Pearl duology a couple of years ago, but the author’s next book, Luminous didn’t work for me at all, so I was in two minds about picking up this book. The premise sounded too intriguing to pass up in the end, so I requested the eARC and now I’m quite glad I did. This review would have been up several weeks ago, but I managed to somehow get the release date mixed up with the date for the audiobook and only realized last week that I’d noted it down incorrectly.
“Eldridge Hall was a castle built on lies.”
The blurb says that this book is a retelling of Edgar Allan Poe’s short story The Masque of the Red Death, but I can’t really comment on that since I haven’t read it. This was a very intriguing plot however and it was a fascinating one to follow.
It did have a supernatural twist, which I usually don’t enjoy, but I didn’t mind it as much in this book mostly because it was very obvious where the story was heading. There were many major hints early on which made it easy enough to figure out, and despite it being perhaps a little unexpected given that there was no hint at it in the blurb, it was woven into the plot well in my opinion. Plus it was basically the only magical element that could classify this as a fantasy novel.
The world building was pretty standard for a YA fantasy novel, although there were several plot holes that were never fully explained, such as how the people inside the castle never contracted the plague if the servants were venturing out for food. Those were easily ignored but there was one aspect of the plot I really couldn’t wrap my head around. I appreciate that the author wanted to include Jewish representation in the book but having this in a fantasy world was very jarring, even more so given that the existence of Jews as a group of people in this world was just dropped on the reader with no explanation whatsoever, much less any background on exactly what sort of faith system or beliefs the characters in this world hold.
If the author really wanted to highlight historical antisemitism as a key element in this story, this book would have been better off as a historical fantasy novel set in our world, but doing it this way only ensured that it broke the mood of the story to have real events/people in this fictional world. All in all, the author really ought to have put some more thought into the setting because some of the side plots could have opened up some very interesting avenues, like building on the political intrigue that is certain to be present in a castle where the royals and nobility of a kingdom are shut in for years on end.
That said, the one thing this book did really well was set and held the mood perfectly throughout. The dark and eerie feel of the plot was excellent and the tension was well maintained right until the end, keeping me on the edge of my seat. The pacing was good and steady from start to finish, making this book very easy to read in one sitting.
The characters were rather average and there wasn’t much in terms of character arcs or development because they felt rather surface level. I didn’t find this to be too much of a problem however, as the plot was more than enough to hold my attention and keep me engaged in the story.
I wasn’t too invested in the characters to be honest, much less the romance which felt kind of forced, especially if you consider the timeline of this story. They weren’t unlikeable characters though, so it wasn’t too irritating to follow them either.
The final chapters of this book were quite rushed in my opinion and everything was resolved way too quickly. I also didn’t like that the last two chapters were basically used to further the romance subplot which is something that should have been woven into the story instead of being added on at the end. The conclusion also left many questions unanswered as it only solved the immediate threat to the characters and didn’t address the longer term implications of the plague on their society and how they are going to fix it and so much more.
Overall, this was an entertaining read, but one I think that needs some suspension of disbelief for a couple of plot points. If you’re in the mood for a book that is a quick and easy read, I would recommend A Multitude of Dreams. This would definitely be a great choice for your spooky season TBR this year!
Some years ago, a deadly plague ravaged the kingdom of Goslind. Princess Imogen has lived in the boarded up castle with her family and much of the nobility of the land for three years to stay safe from the illness, but supplies are beginning to run short and the people are unhappy to be shut away from the world for so long. Dealing with a king on the verge of madness, Imogen is worried that her secret will be revealed. Meanwhile on the outside, Nico Mott, once a gentleman living a life of luxury, has lost his entire family to the plague but himself remained unscathed due to having a blood immunity. Lord Crane, who owned a nearby estate took him in, saving his life. When Nico is sent out to find out if there are survivors in the castle, he meets Imogen, who is determined to escape. Each of them is weaving a false story to get their way, but though the plague has passed, there are now far more dangerous things abroad in Goslind, and the two must team up if they hope to survive.
I enjoyed the Crown of Coral and Pearl duology a couple of years ago, but the author’s next book, Luminous didn’t work for me at all, so I was in two minds about picking up this book. The premise sounded too intriguing to pass up in the end, so I requested the eARC and now I’m quite glad I did. This review would have been up several weeks ago, but I managed to somehow get the release date mixed up with the date for the audiobook and only realized last week that I’d noted it down incorrectly.
“Eldridge Hall was a castle built on lies.”
The blurb says that this book is a retelling of Edgar Allan Poe’s short story The Masque of the Red Death, but I can’t really comment on that since I haven’t read it. This was a very intriguing plot however and it was a fascinating one to follow.
It did have a supernatural twist, which I usually don’t enjoy, but I didn’t mind it as much in this book mostly because it was very obvious where the story was heading. There were many major hints early on which made it easy enough to figure out, and despite it being perhaps a little unexpected given that there was no hint at it in the blurb, it was woven into the plot well in my opinion. Plus it was basically the only magical element that could classify this as a fantasy novel.
The world building was pretty standard for a YA fantasy novel, although there were several plot holes that were never fully explained, such as how the people inside the castle never contracted the plague if the servants were venturing out for food. Those were easily ignored but there was one aspect of the plot I really couldn’t wrap my head around. I appreciate that the author wanted to include Jewish representation in the book but having this in a fantasy world was very jarring, even more so given that the existence of Jews as a group of people in this world was just dropped on the reader with no explanation whatsoever, much less any background on exactly what sort of faith system or beliefs the characters in this world hold.
If the author really wanted to highlight historical antisemitism as a key element in this story, this book would have been better off as a historical fantasy novel set in our world, but doing it this way only ensured that it broke the mood of the story to have real events/people in this fictional world. All in all, the author really ought to have put some more thought into the setting because some of the side plots could have opened up some very interesting avenues, like building on the political intrigue that is certain to be present in a castle where the royals and nobility of a kingdom are shut in for years on end.
That said, the one thing this book did really well was set and held the mood perfectly throughout. The dark and eerie feel of the plot was excellent and the tension was well maintained right until the end, keeping me on the edge of my seat. The pacing was good and steady from start to finish, making this book very easy to read in one sitting.
The characters were rather average and there wasn’t much in terms of character arcs or development because they felt rather surface level. I didn’t find this to be too much of a problem however, as the plot was more than enough to hold my attention and keep me engaged in the story.
I wasn’t too invested in the characters to be honest, much less the romance which felt kind of forced, especially if you consider the timeline of this story. They weren’t unlikeable characters though, so it wasn’t too irritating to follow them either.
The final chapters of this book were quite rushed in my opinion and everything was resolved way too quickly. I also didn’t like that the last two chapters were basically used to further the romance subplot which is something that should have been woven into the story instead of being added on at the end. The conclusion also left many questions unanswered as it only solved the immediate threat to the characters and didn’t address the longer term implications of the plague on their society and how they are going to fix it and so much more.
Overall, this was an entertaining read, but one I think that needs some suspension of disbelief for a couple of plot points. If you’re in the mood for a book that is a quick and easy read, I would recommend A Multitude of Dreams. This would definitely be a great choice for your spooky season TBR this year!