A Thrilling Post-Apocalyptic Fantasy Novel ~ @LaurieKozlowski ‘s Review of “Dying Dreams” by @KatharineSadler

Liza Simmons has just learned she is a banshee who dreams of death. Problem is, the government knows what she is and they want her to work for them, touching dead bodies and dreaming of how the victims died. In 2070, in a world ravaged by climate change, the fae have few rights and Liza doesn’t have any other options than to do what the government wants. Agent Sloane Rice works for the supernatural protection agency, or SPA, and it’s his fault the government knows what Liza can do. He convinces her to sign on with SPA, as an agent, to avoid becoming a government science experiment. Liza works with Rice to find out why several mermaids have disappeared or died in recent weeks. During their investigation, they uncover a larger crime and a possible fae rebellion. They both know they need to focus on the job and ignore the mutual attraction growing between them, but trying to fight it may get them killed. Especially when the fae rebel behind all of the recent violence discovers that they are on his trail.

Dying Dreams Series Book One

Dying Dreams Series
Book One  * AMAZON *

❇~❇~REVIEW ~❇~❇

A Thrilling Post-Apocalyptic Fantasy Novel

I didn’t know what to expect when I read the blurb to “Dying Dreams”, but I knew this story was something completely different from what I usually read. As I began to dig into the novel…my assumption was an understatement!

In the beginning, I had a glimpse of what Liza’s life was like. It was an unusual opening, to see a dead mermaid on the beach. The dark and ominous setting pulled me in, as Liza met Sloane, a hunky agent working for SPA (a human government agency) and his partner, Folsom.
I liked how the author laid out ‘clues’ to build the fairy world in opposition to the human world. When Liza noticed her friend had hooves instead of legs, I had to smile. Her ‘friend’ didn’t turn out to be who she thought he was, and so then my mind began to try and solve this mystery of fae worlds, shapeshifter dominance, and human conspiracy.

By the last few chapters, I wanted to scream at the villain and go into the story and kick his ass for making Liza suffer. It was torture to read what the jerk did to her! However, this book had a great ending and left enough suspense to make me want to read the next book. So, the story ends in a way where the ties are all secured but leaves a tiny bit of mystery to drive me crazy!!

I fell in love with Sloane and Liza earned my respect. “Dying Dreams” is a HOT book that is deceptively sweet to begin with, and then BOOM. There were a few word and punctuation inconsistencies that I noticed in the very beginning; they made me pause and wonder. Overall, this book is a MUST READ for those who enjoy urban fantasy, heavy on the romance, with wonderful characters and a storyline that will make you sigh, cry, and (possibly) scream at the villain! Great book!

RATING: Four out of Five Stars * * * * 

****** ARC was given by the author in exchange for an honest review ******

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❇~❇~ More Books by Katharine Sadler ~❇~❇

THE REAPERS SERIES

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The Reaping Series, book ONE

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The Reaping Series, Book TWO

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The Reaping Series, Book THREE

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The Reaping Series, Book FOUR

For more info on The Reapers series and Dying Dreams series, visit Katharine’s website.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: I have loved books for as long as I can remember. Growing up in rural Virginia, books were a way to visit other lives and other worlds. As an itty-bitty I adored The Little Match Girl and asked my father to read it to me again and again. As I got older, and I could read to myself, I discovered an entire magical world of books. I read whatever I could get my hands on and loved everything from the books of Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters, to the horror of Christopher Pike, to the magic of Anne McCaffrey and her dragons of Pern. I remember waking up on Saturday mornings, excited to go to the library and get new books. When I got home with my books, I’d stack them in the order I intended to read them (usually alphabetical by author). I started writing when I was ten. I wrote a poem on the school bus and, for a little while, thought I would be a poet. As I got older, though, I realized that my poetry was not very good, and I started writing stories. I think my first story involved a pirate and a damsel in distress. I wrote fantasy for a while, then tried to write something more literary, before switching back to my first love, fantasy. I earned a degree in English from the University of Virginia. I had worked retail jobs while I was in school and, after I graduated, I remained in the retail field because I felt it would allow me more time to write. I think I spent more time in the gym than I did writing, but I did manage to almost finish one book before putting it in the proverbial trunk and starting another. In 2001, I went backpacking around Europe for six weeks. I saw a lot of really amazing places and had a lot of fun, while learning that I am probably more of a hotel and suitcase than hostel and backpack kind of girl. When I got back from Europe, I moved to Colorado and lived the ski bum lifestyle for two seasons. I fell in love with the Rocky Mountains and with snow so deep I could disappear in it. I moved back to Virginia in 2003, and met my husband several months later. He has helped me to settle down and discover the focus and the discipline I needed to finish the book I’d been working on, what is now The Reaping. His belief in me and my abilities has never faltered, and he convinced me to self-publish my first book in February of 2014.