Fern was born an outsider, and has had a lifetime of torment. But then she learns that dreams are real and everything starts to change.
Fern is an outsider, even to her own family. Her mum died when she was a baby, her twin brother is part of the pack of local kids that bullies her and that same brother has always been her dad's favorite. This causes Fern to not trust anyone but herself.
Fern has always been bullied for having bright red eyes. From kids at school, to strangers on the tube, she's always been treated differently, because of something she can't help or change. It was made even worse, when her face was scarred because her bullies went too far for their amusement.
When Fern turns 15, she discovers the world of Annwn, a place of dreams and imagination. Like her mother before her, she has the chance at becoming a knight, as there are nightmares, too. And the precious dreams need protecting
This story took a while to get into because I found it tricky at first to see the ever-changing Annwn, with its weird rules and creatures and if I'm honest, I was a little unsettled at how close to home the relationship between Fern and her brother was.
But once it got going, this was fantastic.
The world of Annwn is built by generations of dreamers, who bring it to life in the strength of their memories and in turn Annwn inspires them in their normal lives.
Not everything is as straight-forward as trainee-knight Fern originally thought and was told. There's more than nightmares, and there's an insidious presence threatening both worlds.
I loved the plot and the fast-action, as Fern and the other knights have to uncover what this person is after, and why it is linked to the death of her mum, fifteen years ago.
The risks are real - anyone who dies in Annwn, dies in the real world. And this story, for all of its light moments and camaraderie, is bloody brutal.
The story was also deeper than I expected. The way it looks at mob behaviour and how normal people can be stirred to violence by charismatic politicians. Or all the small little gestures and comments that make it clear that they don't trust anyone who looks different, because their dangerous belief has been encouraged by the wrong people.
No one is all good, or all bad.
I also liked Ollie's journey through this. In the real world, he's popular, good-looking, and people are always on his side.
When he becomes a knight of Annwn, it's the first time a group of people see his twin sister as his equal, and judge him for what he's done to her.
The hatred that has been festering between them for years finally has to be faced, if either of them will survive to dangers of the dream world.
I very much enjoyed this book, and I'm looking forward to reading the next part of the series.
Fern is an outsider, even to her own family. Her mum died when she was a baby, her twin brother is part of the pack of local kids that bullies her and that same brother has always been her dad's favorite. This causes Fern to not trust anyone but herself.
Fern has always been bullied for having bright red eyes. From kids at school, to strangers on the tube, she's always been treated differently, because of something she can't help or change. It was made even worse, when her face was scarred because her bullies went too far for their amusement.
When Fern turns 15, she discovers the world of Annwn, a place of dreams and imagination. Like her mother before her, she has the chance at becoming a knight, as there are nightmares, too. And the precious dreams need protecting
This story took a while to get into because I found it tricky at first to see the ever-changing Annwn, with its weird rules and creatures and if I'm honest, I was a little unsettled at how close to home the relationship between Fern and her brother was.
But once it got going, this was fantastic.
The world of Annwn is built by generations of dreamers, who bring it to life in the strength of their memories and in turn Annwn inspires them in their normal lives.
Not everything is as straight-forward as trainee-knight Fern originally thought and was told. There's more than nightmares, and there's an insidious presence threatening both worlds.
I loved the plot and the fast-action, as Fern and the other knights have to uncover what this person is after, and why it is linked to the death of her mum, fifteen years ago.
The risks are real - anyone who dies in Annwn, dies in the real world. And this story, for all of its light moments and camaraderie, is bloody brutal.
The story was also deeper than I expected. The way it looks at mob behaviour and how normal people can be stirred to violence by charismatic politicians. Or all the small little gestures and comments that make it clear that they don't trust anyone who looks different, because their dangerous belief has been encouraged by the wrong people.
No one is all good, or all bad.
I also liked Ollie's journey through this. In the real world, he's popular, good-looking, and people are always on his side.
When he becomes a knight of Annwn, it's the first time a group of people see his twin sister as his equal, and judge him for what he's done to her.
The hatred that has been festering between them for years finally has to be faced, if either of them will survive to dangers of the dream world.
I very much enjoyed this book, and I'm looking forward to reading the next part of the series.