Dreams of Verdure
by David Pariseau
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Pub Date 1 Nov 2025 | Archive Date 31 Mar 2026
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Description
He reached for the stars. The jungle claimed him instead.
Dashin grew up on a harsh desert world, always the youngest, always alone. When the chance for adventure finally came, he signed onto a mining ship to prospect uncharted space. But his search for freedom ends in disaster when he crash-lands on a lush jungle planet and wakes in a treetop village among a people unlike any he has ever known—some of whom wield gifts that defy logic.
He is thrust into a series of ritual trials, deadly ones he’s entirely untrained for, even before the attempts on his life begin.
Alina grew up in a canopy village, yearning for something beyond the life she knew. That “something” may just have fallen from the sky. To follow that path, she must embrace the gift she’s always feared and trust in impossible visions and an unlikely ally. And, she must do it before it all slips through her fingers.
Perfect for fans of found-family stories, rich alien worlds, and YA fantasy with a sci-fi twist. Dreams of Verdure delivers high-stakes adventure, a touch of romance (without spice), and the timeless question: What does it mean to belong?
A Note From the Publisher
David Pariseau spent years chasing a dream: to write the kind of stories he grew up loving. Dreams of Verdure is the culmination of that journey and the first, he hopes, of many books on that path.
David spent years in High-Tech as an engineer, wrangling electrons and debugging unruly code—skills that unexpectedly proved useful in worldbuilding.
He lives in the Bay Area with his wife Janis and his writing partner Coco, who's been invaluable in developing the series, though he still doesn't understand why Pritha in the novel had to be a cat and not a Shih-Tzu.
David spent years in High-Tech as an engineer, wrangling electrons and debugging unruly code—skills that unexpectedly proved useful in worldbuilding.
He lives in the Bay Area with his wife Janis and his writing partner Coco, who's been invaluable in developing the series, though he still doesn't understand why Pritha in the novel had to be a cat and not a Shih-Tzu.
Advance Praise
Dreams of Verdure is a MUST-READ, fantastic start to what promises to be an epic fantasy series!
I was hooked from the opening scene, where Dashin and Gralan’s ship disaster had me on edge, vividly crafted like a movie.
The plot, centered on an outsider proving themselves to the Treepeople through trials, is fresh and engaging, with twists I didn’t see coming and a deeply satisfying ending.
The characters are a highlight—Dashin and Alina are brave, caring, and easy to root for, while secondary characters like Rigin and the adorable pet Pritha add heart. Even the villain, Hendrick, gets a compelling arc.
The romance between Dashin and Alina feels natural, never overshadowing the main story, which I loved.
The writing flows beautifully, with vivid descriptions, witty dialogue, and perfectly paced cliffhangers that kept me reading late into the night.
The pacing balances action, training, and character development without a dull moment.
I’m already eager for the next book and highly recommend this to fantasy fans, especially for YA readers! A must-read I’ll be sharing with my daughters.
Kristen on GoodReads (kristenreads79 on Instagram)
This young adult fantasy drops you into a world of breathtaking forests that is both beautiful yet dangerous, where every shadow feels alive.
I quickly fell in love with the main characters of this dual narrative, Dashin and Alina. Dashin has to fight for his life, alone in a world designed to defeat him and tribe members who want him gone. Alina, on the other hand, is torn between the traditions of her people and the pull of her own uncharted identify. Throughout the book, you watch them wrestle with survival, friendship, belonging, and the courage to face who they really are.
The side characters aren't just for scenery or to drive the plot forward, but they each have their own motives and secrets which makes the village and day to day life realistic. The pacing is exactly what I look for in a YA fantasy- brisk enough to keep me turning pages yet filled with rich detail. I never wanted to put the book down while I was lost in the lush forests of Ndesa.
If you love immersive worlds, characters you can't stop rooting for, and high stakes adventure, this is the book for you!
Sophia on GoodReads (the_kraakin on Instagram)
Marketing Plan
I'm building a multi-platform strategy to reach sci-fi/fantasy readers:
Digital Presence:
Building a presence on Instagram and TikTok, sharing behind-the-scenes content, worldbuilding details, and engaging there with the bookish community.
GoodReads engagement with readers and participation in genre-specific groups
Publisher website (Dkp-Books.com) with book information and updates (and a monthly newsletter).
Review & Buzz Building:
NetGalley ARC distribution to generate pre-launch reviews and word-of-mouth
Outreach to book bloggers and BookTubers in the sci-fi/fantasy space
Building early reader reviews on GoodReads and Amazon
Distribution & Availability:
Launching on Amazon for ebook and print-on-demand
Expanding to wider distribution (bookstores, libraries) through IngramSpark in the coming months
Launch & Beyond:
Email outreach to personal network and early supporters
Continued social media engagement and content creation
Series momentum: Book 1 paperback and eBook are ready and scheduled to release on November 1st. The audiobook for Book 1 is in the works with the same target release date. Book 2 (Songs of Flint) is in final edits, with Books 3-5 drafted
Target Audience: YA and adult readers who love found-family stories, immersive alien worlds, character-driven fantasy with sci-fi elements, and high-stakes adventure without explicit content.
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