I loved the premise of this book - the idea of dreams being an unsafe place, of nightmares being a way for demons to corrupt a soul and turn a human body into its vessel to escape from the dreamworld! The menace of the demons, particularly in the first few chapters of the book, was clear, and the tension every time Esmer slept was palpable. But so, also, was the longing to enter the dreamworld. It was easy, and believeable, that people might take the risk in order to dream. It was no surprise to see that two young girls would make the decision to push aside their elixir and take the occasional opportunity to see the wondrous world of dreams.

I loved the Shadow Bringer. Obviously, we've got forbidden romance brewing, so we were waiting for glimpses that he isn't quite the villain that Noctis believes, and the unravelling of his history was intriguing, as was his tangled relationships with the Light and the Weavers. I'm hoping we find out more about the Shadow and the Light in book 2!

All that said, the romance really fell a bit flat for me.
Esmer's feelings felt like they changed too abruptly, and I would have preferred a more subtle shifting as she starting seeing through his actions and memories that the Shadow wasn't the villain she'd been taught. Despite being marketed as a 'slow burn' romance, it didn't have the slow building of tension and the subtle feelings adjustments that I would associate with the trope.
Instead, the Shadow Bringers creeping threat and menace is suddenly dropped in favour of a pretty face and a stockholm scenario - it feels a little abrupt, and we don't see much of Esmer wrangling with her upbringing as she unveils the deceit in the histories of Noctis. There was a distinct element of pining that was missing from their relationship, so it all felt a little forced. Esmer's change is based in logic as she travels through memory, rather than in longing and attraction.
The romance is what dropped me down to a 3 star rating.

However, I absolutely will be picking up the second book. I'm looking forward to seeing how Esmer and the Shadow Bringer right the wrongs of the past, and how Noctis is saved from the corruption of the demons. I'm not really invested in their relationship, but I'm interested to see what Karlie does with the world.

Thanks to Netgalley, Headline books and Logan Karlie for the chance to read ahead of the August release.

I was amazed to find out that Dream By the Shadows was originally an indie book. Now picked up by Headline, this book was intriguing and set in the world of elixirs and dreams. With wholly original scenes, and a villain who gets the girl, I read this book with open-mouthed wonder. This book was filled with magic, dreams and a close sibling bond. Plot-wise, it was slightly confusing at certain parts but made sense in the end.

The characters and relationship between Esmer and the Shadow Bringer was a slow-burn and how delicious it was. Loved everything about this debut, and look forward to reading more books by this talented author. 🎊

Lost in between not dreaming for safety, and dreaming for the wonders the Dream Realm provides. Esmer lives in a land where actual dreaming can be lethal. Corruption sweeps over the land of Noctis and takes those who dream. Those who can take an expensive elixir before sleeping are safe from the Corruption, as long as they can afford to keep drinking the elixir. If not, the Corruption and the Shadow Bringer will take your soul to his castle in the Dream Realm and you will never be able to return.

The set up of the story takes inspiration of the powers we feel when we dream and the concept of Beauty and the Beast. A dangerous entity that lives in a castle, but it may not be as it all looks. Esmer has been told stories about the Dream Realm and their Weavers, gods, but maybe she should wonder if that is the honest truth...

I was intrigued by this story when I saw the indie release, with the stunning cover but didn't get the chance to read it. Happy I found the ARC here on Netgalley and was approved to read it. I really like the concept of the Dream Realm and that dreaming could be lethal, but the execution wasn't to what I hoped for or expected. I found the writing a bit messy in the beginning, descriptions were vague, world building was tried but it left me with many 'but that doesn't make sense'-thoughts. Which could be to the fact that Esmer is a unreliable narrator in the beginning. Her world is small and she knows only what she's been told. Halfway through the book tho we get more information and it really picks up. The last 25% of the book are what I expected when I started this book.

This book is story and fantasy first, romance as a sub-subplot. The forbidden romance trope is not as big as it may sound, Esmer is focused on surviving and trying to get rid of the Corruption after all. So don't go in expecting romance first. I was pleasantly surprised when the romance bedroom scene was a fade to black, which I found very tasteful and fitting. Refreshing to not read a book with (explicit) smut in it.

If you like the type of world building and explanation that Caraval uses and the wonders of two worlds that work together with a dash of gothic setting, this might be the book for you!

I am looking forward to part 2, curious to read how the story will come to a close. I give it 3,5 stars. I voted 4 stars on Netgalley/Goodreads to round it up.

The first 15/20% of this, I was locked in. The vibes were immaculate. It had an eerie, spooky atmosphere that immediately drew me in, a plot that made me want to keep reading and endearing, interesting characters. After that point though, it did lose me a little. There's so much world-building delivered in this and not all of it is clear. A lot happens without me ever really understanding why it was happening or what the purpose of it was or where it would go. The pace slowed right down and I found myself losing interest. Also, I struggled to get invested in the romantic storyline. It's definitely a subplot, but it went from 0-100 so quickly with no real on-page substance to back it up. That being said, the last 15% definitely picked up again. There's an Inception kind of dream-within-a-dream situation that happens and more in-depth exploration of the Dream Realm which I thought was really cool.
I finished the story intrigued about where it will go in book 2.

Dream by the Shadows is a dark and eerie fantasy that I really wanted to love. Unfortunately, the writing style just wasn't for me and I couldn't stand the main character. The plot was good though and I really do wish I'd enjoyed it more - definitely one to try if you're looking for something with real atmosphere!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

5⭐

Thank you Logan Karlie, Headline Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

Beauty and the Beast meets Labyrinth in this YA romantic fantasy about a deadly dream world and the shadow-cursed girl who must venture its depths to save her family, all while she falls in love with the prince of darkness.

The way the author entertained the fates of the main characters is so interesting, one seen even partially reminded me of a scene from Howl’s Moving Castle, which is one of my favorite movies. I loved reading about the relationship between the two main characters, and trying to come to my own conclusions as to what caused such Corruption and grief in their world.

Esmer and The Shadow Bringer are very complex characters with lots and lots of layers that we as readers get to uncover as the story progresses. The most beautiful thing about these layers is that the characters uncover them at the same time as us. We get to read about how one changes his views about the other according to every small piece of information they are presented with. The slow burn here is done perfectly! Even if the characters acknowledge the physical attraction to the other, neither of them allows themselves to feel it.

The ending makes me want the next book immediately, there was so much information given in the last few chapters but it didn’t feel overwhelming or like it was too much.

I don’t even know where to begin...
Normally I’d say I devoured this book — but this time, it 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥 me. I was completely enchanted, clinging to every word until I suddenly found myself staring at the word “Epilogue.”
𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨… 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘔𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘮𝘦 — 𝘐’𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵
We all have our cages.
For Esmer, it’s the village of Norhavellis — a place where joy and dreams have long since died, or worse, been haunted by demons.
Her sister, one of the many victims of this Corruption.
But never in her wildest dreams did Esmer imagine that her path to freedom would come through a “monster” imprisoned for 500 years, carrying darkness and sorrow in equal measure.
What begins as distrust blooms into something fragile and fated — a connection that feels written not in ink, but in starlight and by the Maker himself .
Their bond is slow, aching, and 𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴.
And when it burns… oh, how it burns
If ACOTAR and One Dark Window had a love child, this would be it.
I adored the gothic vibes, the world building is deep and alive, and Esmer — brave, angry, grieving — Esmer saw the monster — not with fear, but with 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.
Because sometimes, broken souls find each other in the dark and the things we’re taught to fear are the ones that understand us best.
So yeah, my five stars were never in question (I’d give a million if I could).
Now the only thing I need to know is: WHEN DO WE GET BOOK TWO?!
P.S. Worried about a cliffhanger? Don’t be — it’ll leave you craving more, not crushed!

dream by the shadows by logan karlie had a really promising concept - a haunting dream realm, mysterious powers, and a girl pulled between two worlds - but sadly, the execution didn’t live up to the idea for me

the world building was definitely one of the strongest aspects, but it also felt like the biggest hurdle. there was so much detail and lore packed in, especially in the first half, that it became overwhelming. it slowed the pacing to a crawl and made it hard to feel grounded in the story. instead of being swept away by the magic of noctis, i often found myself confused or having to reread passages to keep up

i also struggled to connect with the characters. esmer had the potential to be a compelling protagonist, but her internal voice didn’t quite resonate with me. i wanted to feel her fear, her wonder, her longing - but a lot of her emotional moments felt surface-level or rushed. the shadow bringer had intriguing layers, but the third-person chapters made it harder to feel close to him, and the switch between perspectives disrupted the flow. their romance was clearly meant to be a slow burn, but the chemistry didn’t quite hit. it felt more like i was told they had a connection rather than shown it through meaningful development

overall, this book had some really cool ideas and an impressive imagination behind it, but it didn’t fully land for me. i wanted to love it more than i did- i think with a tighter focus on character development and emotional payoff, the next book could be much stronger

Hey Bookwyrms👋🏻

So I heard about this from a bookstagram friend (@nabzrealbooktalk 👀) and I immediately requested an E-ARC😂 (thank you @netgalley and @headlinebooks 🥰) and I can say with absolute certainty that it did not disappoint!😏

I loved every single second of this book and it definitely gave me Labyrinth vibes which was one of my favourite films growing up!!😍

I loved the plot, the magic system and above all I ADORE Esmer and Eberus😍🖤 they’re two characters that go through and have gone through so much and, despite this, they keep pushing forward🫶🏻 their chemistry was on point and felt natural for their characters🙌🏻 Eberus is, dare I say it, DREAMY😍 (I’ll see myself out…)

I can’t wait for this to be out and have already pre-ordered a copy🤭 @authorlogankarlie thank you for brining Dream by the Shadows into the world 🫶🏻 I cannot wait to see where Esmer and Eberus go next and the battles they will face!👀😍

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I had originally read the indie pub version of this book, and the new content does not disappoint!! my favourite parts that I loved was the more detail added on the worlds mythology, and more moments between the FMC Esmer and her sister Eden! Specifically the two sisters reading stories about the Weavers with their brother Elliot and the apple cider they would drink together.

the strawberry scene was just as fun as the first time I had read it and i’m so so excited for when Dream by the Shadows releases in august!!

i loved this so goddamn much!!! such a fun debut fantasy novel and super sexy!!!! definitely gonna need more!!!!

This was sold as villain gets the girl romantasy and it absolutely isn't. There is very very little romance and the tiny bit that's there is not very believable, they have no chemistry whatsoever. There wasn't even really a plot just endless world building that was complicated for no reason and had holes. Feels like the author just saw what was popular and used that to market the book without delivering on any of it

The plotline of this book has a good layout and therefore a lot of potential but unfortunately the writing just couldn't capture my attention.

In the Kingdom of Noctis, dreams are lethal, spreading a soul-stealing curse known as Corruption. The only safeguard is an expensive elixir taken before sleep, which offers no cure for those already afflicted. Esmer Havenfall dreams of escaping her mundane village life, but when her sister dies from Corruption and her parents are accused of a grave crime, she's thrust into the perilous Dream Realm. There, she discovers she may share the terrifying powers of the Shadow Bringer, who resides in a foreboding castle. Together, Esmer and the Shadow Bringer must fight to save their kingdom and their souls, racing against time as more dreamers fall victim to Corruption. Failure means being forever lost to the Dream Realm.

Good premise. I wasn't too keen on the writing style. Still a good book though.

Dream by the Shadows follows Esmer who lives in a curse ridden world where dreams could be your downfall. After the curse spreads in her town, Esmer must do what it takes to save her brother and ultimately herself.

What I liked about this book was that it was incredibly atmospheric and had an interesting plot. I do feel like the world building could be expanded upon a little, and sometimes the writing felt a little choppy. However, overall I thought it was quite an enjoyable read. I liked the relationship between the two main characters and hope that it’s expanded on further in the next book.

This book had so much potential. The magic system was interesting, the shadows and the dreams. This book promises a gothic fantasy filled with magic and a slow burn romance. For fans of Beauty and the Beast and Labyrinth, this book sounded perfect for me. However, I found it rather boring and a slog to read.
The premise sounded fantastic, but unfortunately the execution wasn’t what I wanted out of the book.

DNF @ 54%

I was loving this book so much when I started it. The world building was a lot, as it switches between reality and a dream state but it’s fairly easy to follow along.

Once I hit the 54% mark I’ve found it difficult to continue- I feel like a lot is happening without anything actually happening…or being explained well enough to even get an idea. While the building is heavy throughout, I actually have no idea about anything that is going on

This book has so much potential but unfortunately not something for me to continue.

In the land of Noctis, to dream is to risk being corrupted by the demons of the dream realm.

Esmer finds herself caught in the events that unfold in her village as corruption takes over, and caught in the dream realm at the mercy of the shadow bringer, keeper of demons. Through layers of dreams and reality, Esmer must do all she can to save her brother, stop the spread of corruption, and escape the shadow bringer's castle.

Set within the two worlds, of dreams and reality, both are visceral in their details and haunting. The un-realities of dreams and nightmares are captured in a way that's spellbinding.

I really enjoyed this story, how it explored the vulnerabilities of the characters through their dreams and how the shadow bringer's history unfolded.

Dream by the Shadows is a bewitching gothic fantasy, by Logan Karlie. An atmospheric tale set in the Kingdom of Noctis, a land plagued by a dream-induced curse known as Corruption. The story follows Esmer Havenfall, a young woman whose life takes a dark turn when her sister succumbs to the curse and her family is accused of a heinous crime.

Esmer's journey into the Dream Realm, ruled by the enigmatic Shadow Bringer, is both haunting and mesmerising. The narrative is steeped in vivid imagery, with the Dream Realm coming alive as a place of terror and wonder. Esmer and the Shadow Bringers romance is well written, emotive and allows the readers to share in their depth of emotion for each other.

Logan Karlie's prose is lush and evocative, drawing readers into a world where magic and shadows intertwine. The first half of the story is more character focused, following Esmer as she navigates the new world she finds herself in, the latter half has a whirlwind of action and revelations.

The world building has been done in a way that allows the readers to be fully immersed whilst also leaving room for further exploration in the sequel.

Dream by the Shadows is a enjoyable dark fantasy and gothic romance. Themes of love, sacrifice and the battle against inner darkness resonate deeply, making it a memorable start to the Shadow Weavers Duology.

I wanted to love it, I really did. It just fell a bit short unfortunately.

Set in a kingdom where dreaming leaves you Corrupt and taken over by a demon, FMC gets trapped in dream land with MMC. I really struggled with understanding what was a dream and what was awake at the beginning (it was more of a mix of both at the start, and ended up all dream, or dream on dream towards the end). I feel like italics or bold or just something to differentiate would have helped, because I honestly didn’t understand what was happening in the first half.

There is a lot of lore and world building. Like my kindle was marked at 70% and there was still lore unfolding. A duology doesn’t need that much lore IMO, it needed to be trimmed down a bit. The writing style was a bit confusing, so I do genuinely think that with more editing the world building could have been a lot shorter yet made more sense than it actually did.

It’s also a massive slow burn. I don’t think they kiss until around the 80% mark? Which I didn’t mind, but from the looks of it it’s being pushed as a romantasy so 80% in book one of a duology feels a bit late?

That being said, I did enjoy it. The concept of the dream world and dreams on dreams was good, the plot did pick up right at the very end, and I’m interested in how it resolves itself. I will read the second one when it comes out - hoping that since there’s been so much lore in this one that the next one will be quite plot driven!

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC.