Giveaway & Book Review : Dreamscape (Netherworld Book 1)

Dreamscape by Christie Rich (Tarser Publishing, 2013)

Genre: paranormal romance, new adult

Dreamscape is a New Adult novel due to the age of the protagonist and mature situations in the book. There are mild sexual situations and mild language. This book is recommended for readers 16+.

Every night before Amelia falls asleep she makes a wish to dream of him – the man who calls her to their beautiful private oasis, her sanctuary where she is free of her greedy landlord’s threats. But tonight, he will not call Amelia to him. Tonight, another man will step into her world to claim her. Tonight, Amelia’s shattering reality will crumble – and disappear into the Dreamscape…along with her freedom.

When Amelia dreams tonight, her nightmare becomes her new world where Seth is her captor and anything is possible…except escape. Seth needs Amelia to break the curse that binds him to the Dreamscape. He must convince her that she was made to free him, that she was made to join him.

For if he fails, he will never escape his prison, and he will lose Earth to the Netherworld where the evil Erobos wait to consume the human realm and everything in it. If he fails, Seth will lose the one thing that matters to him: Amelia.

This book is not what I expected. Dreamscape is an interesting twist on what some would call the subconscious. In fact, our dreams come from a completely different world – and are orchestrated by individuals who can’t escape their life.

In time, all will be revealed. 

I don’t even know where to start about this book. I have nothing to reference it to in all of my history of reading. That is most definitely an intriguing sign!

Amelia is a recent high school graduate who had a rough life. She spent time in foster care and doesn’t trust anyone. She knows nobody sticks around – except her grandmother Justine, who rescued her from foster life. But now Justine’s gone too.

Jason, the boyfriend in her dreams for years, no longer comes to her when sleep does. He’s left her too. She is truly on her own, with very little money and nowhere to go…until a strange man seizes her – and takes her to another world. Netherworld.

Friend is the real F word in my book. 

He is a strange man, with instantaneous healing powers, and the ability to make things appear. He tells her she also has supernatural capabilities…and that our dreams are sent to us by him and his dwindled team, called Oneiroi. They are working diligently to protect Earth from darkness, from the Erobos. Many Oneiroi have turned dark, changing allegiance and feeding off of fear and other dark emotions. The Oneiroi think Amelia is their saving grace.

Amelia, my realm is the only thing separating Earth from the Erobos. If my realm falls, so will Earth. 

But will she allow herself to believe in him?  To trust them? To take down the mask she wears and be her true self? Especially after she finds out he’s not exactly who he says he is; she knows this man very much, but doesn’t recognize him.

Will she betray Seth and walk into the darkness, like the one before her?

I enjoyed this book immensely; it was quite a different and refreshing read. It definitely keeps readers on their toes.

It was slow going at first, with Amelia being held captive by Seth in his house – a house with no escape. During this time Seth is slowly trying to explain things to Amelia: the history of the Oneiri, their jobs, the various places, the way the Eros (“shattered remains of one being that was cursed and eventually transformed from substance into energy”) came to possess Oeniri and turned them into Erobos. This section was a little slow going and slightly repetitive, but this was the transition and adjustment period in the book, and Seth’s attempts at gaining Amelia’s trust.

I did have difficulty understanding the mechanics of the Netherworld, the Dreamscape, Metaspace, the networks, and Seth’s “realm.” Toward the end it became easier as the characters are moving through these places, but I still didn’t feel confident I could explain this information satisfactorily to another person.

From beginning to end, Amelia flourishes as a character. She grows and expands her cognitive processes, and I feel like I connected well with her character. She wasn’t a turn off; she enticed readers into her mindset. She is strong before Seth steals her away from Earth, and she grows much stronger in many ways from her journey.

About Christie Rich:

I grew up daydreaming about fairytales, and my love for discovering new worlds has never died. I am not one of those writers who always knew I would write. I thought that was what other people did until one day, a few years ago, I took a challenge from a friend and typed my first words. My journey has been wonderful, and I cannot imagine a day where I would ever give up writing. My love for reading is what fueled my imagination in the first place and still does. When I am not writing or reading, I enjoy family time with my husband and two children.  My family and I live in a quiet community  in Northern Utah, and I am so thankful for the rich life I have been blessed with.

Find the author: Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads

Enter for a chance to win!

There is a beautiful necklace custom-made by Primal Painter along with a signed paperback copy of Dreamscape. There is also a second prize of a $30 gift card.  Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway to win!

Thanks for stopping by my blog for the Dreamscape tour! This tour is hosted by CBB Book Promotions and you can find the tour page with the schedule and links HERE.