A review by jaclynder
Dreaming Death by J. Kathleen Cheney
4.0
Originally reviewed in a joint review at The Book Adventures.
I enjoyed Dreaming Death. Similar to Cheney’s previous trilogy The Golden City, Dreaming Death also combines a rich fantasy world with mystery. While there is a great deal of detail about the world that Cheney puts her readers into, at heart, Dreaming Death is a mystery and I like that. Anytime an author wants to defy the bounds of genre categorization I’m game. Unlike more traditional mysteries, this one is solved using unique measures, like two people with particular abilities that just so happen to feed off the other, making them quite the duo. Interestingly, Shironne and Mikael have not even met before they start their crime solving.
There is a lot of fear and apprehension surrounding Shironne and Mikael’s relationship even before they met. Shironne shares Mikael’s dreams and because of that she can help solve the murders he dreams about. However, the downside of this bond is that Mikael can influence Shironne and make her feel things that she just might not want to feel. Because of the nature of their bond, Shironne and Mikael have been kept separate but remain aware of each other. And therein lies my only frustration with Dreaming Death: how long it took for Shironne and Mikael to actually connect in person. The first half of the book keeps Shironne and Mikael separated. Readers get both of their points of view, but it’s not until much later that they actually interact. For me, it was when Shironne and Mikael finally met each other that the pace started to pick up. I had liked the story up to that point, but it was when these two met and started to explore their bond that I became truly hooked.
Separation of the main characters aside, the concept of individuals being bound to each other was really interesting with rather serious ramifications to individuality. Mikael is used to subduing his emotions since it discomforts the other sensitives that physically surround him, so in some ways he is more prepared for his bond to Shironne. Mikael is afraid of unduly influencing Shironne and forcing her to become someone that she’s not. Shironne, partly due to her blindness and her gender, has been shaped into a specific kind of person already, and again, Mikael recognizes this when he asks “Who are you when you’re alone?” (p. 233). Shironne does need to create her own sense of self as she has been very much shaped by her role in her family. Shironne's relationship to her family isn't a negative thing, but it does not allow Shironne to fully explore her abilities. By the end of the book, I think Shironne has come a long way to claiming her independence and I’m curious to see how the author explores Shironne’s personality considering the seemingly vulnerable position that she’s in. I think this concept will be much further explored in future books as Shironne and Mikael work with each other on a regular basis.
If you enjoy mystery, detailed world building and great characters, Dreaming Death will be a fun read. Shironne and Mikael are more subdued than you would expect of main characters, but I think it serves a purpose in the author’s questioning of fate and individuality. I can’t wait to see where this goes next!
I enjoyed Dreaming Death. Similar to Cheney’s previous trilogy The Golden City, Dreaming Death also combines a rich fantasy world with mystery. While there is a great deal of detail about the world that Cheney puts her readers into, at heart, Dreaming Death is a mystery and I like that. Anytime an author wants to defy the bounds of genre categorization I’m game. Unlike more traditional mysteries, this one is solved using unique measures, like two people with particular abilities that just so happen to feed off the other, making them quite the duo. Interestingly, Shironne and Mikael have not even met before they start their crime solving.
There is a lot of fear and apprehension surrounding Shironne and Mikael’s relationship even before they met. Shironne shares Mikael’s dreams and because of that she can help solve the murders he dreams about. However, the downside of this bond is that Mikael can influence Shironne and make her feel things that she just might not want to feel. Because of the nature of their bond, Shironne and Mikael have been kept separate but remain aware of each other. And therein lies my only frustration with Dreaming Death: how long it took for Shironne and Mikael to actually connect in person. The first half of the book keeps Shironne and Mikael separated. Readers get both of their points of view, but it’s not until much later that they actually interact. For me, it was when Shironne and Mikael finally met each other that the pace started to pick up. I had liked the story up to that point, but it was when these two met and started to explore their bond that I became truly hooked.
Separation of the main characters aside, the concept of individuals being bound to each other was really interesting with rather serious ramifications to individuality. Mikael is used to subduing his emotions since it discomforts the other sensitives that physically surround him, so in some ways he is more prepared for his bond to Shironne. Mikael is afraid of unduly influencing Shironne and forcing her to become someone that she’s not. Shironne, partly due to her blindness and her gender, has been shaped into a specific kind of person already, and again, Mikael recognizes this when he asks “Who are you when you’re alone?” (p. 233). Shironne does need to create her own sense of self as she has been very much shaped by her role in her family. Shironne's relationship to her family isn't a negative thing, but it does not allow Shironne to fully explore her abilities. By the end of the book, I think Shironne has come a long way to claiming her independence and I’m curious to see how the author explores Shironne’s personality considering the seemingly vulnerable position that she’s in. I think this concept will be much further explored in future books as Shironne and Mikael work with each other on a regular basis.
If you enjoy mystery, detailed world building and great characters, Dreaming Death will be a fun read. Shironne and Mikael are more subdued than you would expect of main characters, but I think it serves a purpose in the author’s questioning of fate and individuality. I can’t wait to see where this goes next!