An epic tale that totally engrosses you in the history! Even though it's a bit of a chunk of a book - over 500 pages - the time spent with these characters and in their worlds, just flies by and I loved every single minute of it!

Transported to the Welsh hills, we follow the story of a writer who is seeking solitude to complete his latest book. It is focused on the history of the area, specifically that of King Offa and his family, and what a story they have to tell! Their story comes to life when the author, Simon, starts hearing voices around the cottage he is living in and calls in a local woman, Bea, who has a 'gift' for being in touch with the spiritual world. But the dreams and voices she encounters at this cottage are like no other she's experienced before, and she finds herself fully immersed in the past through her dreams and visions.

I loved the setting and the characters of this book. You totally understood Simon and his need for quiet, but with the past connecting with the present he gets a little bit closer to the time period he is concentrating on. And in Bea, you can understand her battle in not really wanting to get too involved, but getting totally swept along in the romance and darkness of the past. The characters of Eadburh and Elisedd, are so captivating as we watch their stories play out too and I can't choose between which time period I loved reading about the most!!

With the added mix of family becoming involved in the drama and danger, and the present mirroring the past, I totally lost myself in these worlds and didn't want it all to end!! Enthralling and captivating!!

This story sweeps us from present day to the times of King Offa and the 12th century. It was an exciting read and gradually got darker and more threatening to our 21st century characters who were able to transcend time, see and interact with the spirits of King Offa’s time gone by.
I could feel the eeriness of the ghostly voice calling for her lost love and how this gradually drew in a teenage girl from the present, susceptible to spirits and feelings.
The interference from the woman dabbling in the occult made it all so much darker and fearful.
I love stories which cross centuries and this author is an absolute master at them.
Read this book and you will not be disappointed.

A very good well written book weaving in time between 760 AD and the present.. I enjoyed the read and would recommend this book to those interested in history.

Barbara Erskine back on form. I loved this tale of a part of Welsh history I knew nothing about. Characters are believable, historical detail well researched. Great read.

I'm a fan of Erskine's books. I definitely enjoyed this one too. The writing is very engaging, I love the plots and characters. I'd read anything from her.
Thanks a lot for the copy.

When the past collides with the present. A Princess calling out for her Prince, The books weaves between 788 AD and the present day as Bea looks to unravel the story. Beautiful, and sucks you deeper into the past hoping for the Princess to find her Prince and discover the truth. No write up could do this book justice. Really recommend.

This book is set in the present day but interwoven with the past. Well written characters and an interesting magical storyline. I would recommend to lovers of historical fiction my thanks to Net galley, the publisher and the author, for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

My first novel by this author was an enjoyable reading experience. The settings are atmospheric and immersive. The characters are complex and vibrant, drawing the reader into their respective worlds. The timeslip element is well-written, and both stories are compelling. The echoes across time are believable. The story is full of twists that keep the reader engaged.

I received a copy of this book from Harper Fiction via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

A fantastic read. I love Barbara Erskine’s novels and how she brings the past and present together in such intriguing stories.
A must read for any who love stories in the last and/ or time hop novels.

Bra and her husband Mark live in Herefordshire, Mark is the vicar at the cathedral while Bea is a paranormal expert. Getting a call from her friend to say there is a ghost at the cottage she rents out Bea goes to investigate, fall deep into the life of Offas daughter Eadburh Bea becomes entangled and keeps
Going back to the past to see what is happeneibg.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this book.

I'm sorry to say that I din't finish this one. I had big problems getting into it.

I loved this book! The Dream Weavers expertly weaves between the lives of Eadburh and Bea in the modern day, as well as Emma, a young girl who gets drawn into the life of Eadburh, Nesta the Anglo Saxon herb wife of Eadburh and a nosy cathedral volunteer.

I loved how the characters could reach out to each other through places or objects where significant events had occurred. Although Eadburh was clearly a fascinating woman of her time and her story was beautifully told by the author. I couldn’t wait to see how the story unfolded and it really made me want to discover more about some of the places mentioned and visit them one day.

#NetGalley #TheDreamWeavers
I absolutely love Barbara Erskine and this book does not disappoint.
You immerse yourself in the story and find yourself unable to put the book down.
Travelling through the centuries in total awe of the tale that this author weaves.
An incredible writer.

Oh I loved this book! I so wanted everyone to have happy endings! I want to reread it now immediately. An historian is writing a series of books on the history of Britain and specifically Wales - and King Offa's time particularly. He has a pattern of going to spend long periods of time in the area of which he is writing so he has hired an old cottage now far from Hereford. One wild stormy night he hears a woman calling out, desperately. In Hereford the wife of the cathedral's clergymen is a psychic and although he knows her gift they want to keep it that way. Her friend however asks for her help with the strange goings on a the cottage she has hired to the author. There are many characters involved and each one has such a strong story and As I said I wanted every single one to be happy - do read it is fantastic.

I really enjoyed this book, set in the present day and also in the court of King Offa. Ms Erskine interwove the two stories skilfully and you really felt that you were in the the ancient kingdoms. I also enjoyed finding out more about living within a modern ecclesiastical community. If I had any criticism it would be that it was slightly too long but an the whole an enjoyable historical read. Thank you for Net Galley for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

Barbara Erskine only publishes a book every 2 years or so, but they are so worth waiting for. She researches so thoroughly that her historical facts are amazingly accurate,and you really feel that you are back in that particular age. The story switches backwards and forwards, this time between Anglo-Saxon King Offa's daughter Eadburh and Bea a psychic who is also the wife of a Canon at the cathedral in Hereford.
Bea becomes obsessed with Eadburh and her life after trying to help Simon, a writer, who is renting a nearby cottage and who is disturbed each night by a voice calling the name Elise, but when he investigates there is never anyone there. Simon's children come to stay with him and his daughter Emma is caught between the past and the present through her dreams, as Bea "The Dream Weaver" desperately tries to ground her in the present, and solve the story of the doomed lovers Eadburh and Elisedd.
Well worth a read.

My thanks to Harper Collins and Net Galley for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review.

Author, Simon Armitage, has moved into a remote cottage close to what remains of Offa's Dyke on the English/Welsh border in order to finish writing his book about the Anglo Saxon King Offa. This isolated area is a place of secrets and shadows and with no obvious explanation for the distressed voices he starts to hear Simon calls on the help of Bea Dalloway, whose skill in dealing with paranormal activity is a closely guarded secret.

Unleashing the ancient power that swirls around this remote cottage has a profound effect on Bea and soon she is consumed by the turbulent story of Eadburh, the spirited younger daughter of King Offa, whose shadowy presence dominates, and whose history, it would seem, needs to be heard before she can find the peace she so desperately craves.

The Dream Weavers is beautifully written and so skilfully put together that even as you move seamlessly between past and present, the history, and the characters, which the author so skillfully brings to life, start to come alive in the imagination. And as neither the past nor the present is allowed to outshine the other, and with each time frame so scarily realistic, the ancient world of 775 AD is just as vivid as the paranormal events which start to unfold in 2021. As the shadows bloom and shimmer so the curtain to the past is lifted and time reveals its deadly secrets.

This is the first Of Barbara Erskine books that I have read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Historical fiction is one of my favourite genres and this book did not disappoint.
Barbara weaves the story from present-day to past and back again repeatedly throughout the book and although I initially found this difficult to follow, it soon became a natural way of reading for me.
Barbara writes in a style that I found easy to follow, entertaining, descriptive, and with subtle twists and turns throughout the plot, she endears you to the characters and at times I could feel myself being pulled into the story which for me is the sign of a good book and a great author.
I'm now going to investigate further books from Barbara Erskine, I highly recommend this book.

Barbara Erskiine has been a favorite author of mine ever since I was a teenager and borrowed my mother’s copy of Lady of Hay. That book was my first foray into the world of time-slip, which has been a favorite genre of mine ever since. So I was thrilled to get a copy of her new book The Dream Weavers.

Barbara once again takes the reader into ancient British history with a supernatural bent, The story follow Simon a historian who has rented a cottage on the Welsh border to finish a book he is writing in peace and quiet. Only he is not getting that peace and quiet. He keeps hearing a woman calling out the name Elise and banging on the door to the cottage, but when he looks, no one is there. The book he is writing is about the Saxon King Offa. After Simon complains to his landlady about the disturbances, she contacts her friend Bea, wife of of a Cannon at the local Cathedral. Bea can sense and contact spirits, a gift that she likes to keep on the down low, due to her husband’s occupation with the Church. She is a cleanser who helps lost souls find their way to peace, but she may have bitten off more than she can chew with this case. Bea finds herself slipping mentally into the past, viewing the life and trials of King Offa’s youngest daughter Eadburh. Is Eadburh the spirit that is haunting the area around the cottage? Is there anyway that Bea can help her find eternal peace? What could be an intriguing window into the past becomes a dangerous situation when Simon’s daughter is pulled into the mix. Is the spirit out for assistance or revenge?

The book is definitely among my favorites of Barbara Erskine. I love the historical aspect (as an American I had never heard of King Offa) and I love a supernatural twist with my historical books. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested on Saxon history or who loves a good supernatural time-slip.

Thanks to Netgalley, Harper Collins UK, and of course the author, Barbara Erskine for the chance to read and review this book.

Others have outlined the story, so I won't go into that here.

I mostly enjoyed this book - it is very atmospheric - but I found it a little long. At about 75% I was contemplating giving up, though I didn't and am glad I persevered. Overall there is a lot to recommend it - great writing and descriptions, a mixture of historical fact and fiction, an eerie atmosphere. I'm always happy to read books that introduce me to a different historical era, even if heavily fictionalised, and this is no exception.

I found the modern-day parts less enthralling - I found the references to a 17 year old as a 'child' grating. I know that legally, anyone under 18 is an 'infant' but in common parlance, 'teenager' or 'young woman' would seem more appropriate. That's a minor niggle, though, and generally I found this book to be enjoyable.