When Byron Kidd’s twelve-year-old daughter vanishes, the only clue is a note claiming that she’s taken off to explore the Hidden World, a magical land from a series of popular novels. She is not the only child to seek out this imaginary realm in recent years, and Byron—a cynical and hard-nosed reporter—is determined to discover the whereabouts of dozens of missing kids.
Byron secures a high-profile interview with Annabelle Tobin, the eccentric author of the books, and heads off to her palatial home in the Hollywood Hills. But the truth Byron discovers is more fantastic than he ever could have dreamed.
As he unearths locations from the books that seem to be bleeding into the real world, he must shed his doubts and dive headfirst into the mystical secrets of Los Angeles if he hopes to reunite with his child. Soon Byron finds himself on his own epic journey—but if he’s not careful, he could be the next one to disappear.
Told through journal entries, transcripts, emails, and excerpts from Tobin’s novels, Dreambound is a spellbinding homage to Los Angeles and an immersive and fast-paced story of how far a father will go—even delving into impossible worlds—to save his daughter.
Thank you Penguin Random House for the free digital book!
🌻Dreambound by Dan Frey 🌻
One-word review: Powerful
Emojis: 🧝♀️📖👨👧
Rating: 5🌟s
My thoughts:
Wow! What a compelling story about the power of stories, a father’s love for his daughter, and what makes a hero. I didn’t know what to expect when I started the book, and now that I am finished, I’m just sitting here dumbfounded.
Dreambound may be a fantasy story about a fantasy world – the world of fae – but it is more raw and authentic than any contemporary story I’ve ever read. When Byron’s 12-year-old daughter vanishes, there’s no stone he won’t upturn to find her. Even if it means going to LA and entering the fictional Hidden World found in a popular fantasy series called Fairy Tale. How does one enter a fantasy world? It’s not easy; it takes sacrifice and enduring pain beyond belief. But when a dad wants to save his daughter, nothing will stop him.
Byron tells the story through emails, notes, and other written documents. This format is far from new and has grown stale for me. But in this story, there’s a fundamental reason for it, and the author handles it so expertly that I soon forgot that I wasn’t reading a traditional format. The story immersed, moved, and led me on a fast-paced journey with a perfect, surprising conclusion.
23 responses to “Dreambound by Dan Frey #BookReview #Fantasy #FairyTales”
sounds amazing, great review 😊
Fab review glad you enjoyed it so much!
I really did! 😊
Great review! I actually enjoy epistolary novels if they’re well done and it sounds like this one was.
It was! And there is a story reason for doing it that way, which I totally respected.
This sounds like something different in the fantasy genre with a lot of emotional heft. Wonderful review, Tessa💜
Completely! It’s such a great story and the fantasy aspect gave it such an interesting layer.
Amazing review, Tessa. The book sounds incredible. 😊
I highly recommend it! It’s complex, layered, and pulls at the heartstrings in ways I didn’t expect.
This sounds different than other normal fantasy. Amazing review!
It is very different and I loved that about it. It’s such a well-developed story that tugs at the heartstrings.
An amazing review, Tessa. I love the cover and though the format isn’t something I gravitate toward, it sounds like it works perfectly in this one. I do not need another book. Lol. But I have to pick this one up. 🙂
It does work perfectly and the author had a story reason for choosing it. I can respect that. It’s a really good story – complex, layered and pulls at the heartstrings in all the most meaningful ways.
I can’t wait to dive in.
I love the varying storytelling styles the author uses, great review!
I loved that he did that and had a story reason for it – not just because he thought it was a cool technique. It made me respect his choice.
Now I’m full on regretting not downloading this, Tessa! I loved another book by this author.
I think you would have loved it. It does such a great job pulling at the heartstrings with a complex and richly layered story.
I’ve seen three reviews for this in a row. I think the Universe is trying to tell me to read it, hahaha.
You definitely should! I take it the other two loved it as well? It’s just such a good story!
They did!
This sounds so unusual, Tessa. I really love the father/daughter connection, and the magical realism elements appeal to me. As if I didn’t have enough on my TBR, LOL!
The father-daughter angle makes this story stand out so much. I can’t rave about it enough.