I would like to thank Little Brown Book Group/Orbit and Netgalley for the review copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is my first Charles Stross's book, and I am glad to listen to my friend's recommendation since she loved the Laundry Files series so much.

Dead Lies Dreaming is a bizarre, gripping story of heist and magic with a dash of dark fairytale retellings. Even when it was set in the same world as the Laundry Files series, readers could immediately jump into this without reading the previous books. Although the narrative is fast-paced, there was enough time to introduce characters. Speaking of characters, they were fleshed out and diverse.

A quick and interesting plot, urban fantasy readers will get easily sucked into this novel.

Set in the same world as The Laundry Files series but with a new cast of characters, Dead Lies Dreaming is an inventive and entertaining read!

It’s a tale of heist, magic, and corruption intertwined with some Peter Pan references and time travel. Dead Lies Dreaming has well-developed characters, a well-written and interesting plot, fast-paced, and I can’t believe it at first, but mathematics is some sort of magic here!

Highly recommended to fans of Charles Stross and urban fantasy readers who enjoy their book with twists (Cthulhu Mythos)!

Thank you, Little Brown Book Group/Orbit and Netgalley for the DRC of Dead Lies Dreaming. All thoughts and opinions are mine.

Caveat - I’m a fan of the Laundry Files so went into this expecting a minor reboot of that series and the great novels that were written. I was robbed. This feels like a run of the mill, almost bored rehash, like the author isn’t sure that he wants to continue writing in the Laundry-verse. So, if you like the Laundry Files, well, this is like them only half-hearted, a little forgettable, missing something. I’d read this if you’re a huge fan and want more of the same, otherwise, go back to the main series and remember what made these novels good in the first place!

Charles Stross is superb as ever. Dark, twisty storyline, interestingly flawed characters, and the tension really ramps up towards the endpiece. Fantastic stuff.

Contrary to the comments from other authors this book is neither funny nor hilarious. It starts with elves crucifying a Father Christmas outside Hamleys toy store just before Christmas and goes on much in that vein. It is, however, very good. It is set in the world of the Laundry Files but the Laundry does not figure in it at all and it is not even clear if it still exists. For those readers familiar with previous books set in this world CASE NIGHTMARE GREEN and CASE NIGHTMARE RED have come to pass: our world has been invaded by beings from another dimension (Elves) and magic has become widespread. The Elder God Nyarlathotep rules as Prime Minister and the 18th century code of justice has been reintroduced, mandating the death penalty for minor crimes upwards.

In this world Mr Bigge, a man of immense wealth, power and deviant sexual tastes is searching for the concordance to The Book of Dead names, an immensely magical and dangerous manuscript which would confer great power on him, useful in his capacity as High Priest of the Cult of the Mute Poet. To this end he employs a group of disparate individuals to retrieve it.

It's an excellent read but I did miss The Laundry and hope that it is regrouping somewhere hidden to emerge in later books.