Dreamhunter is a complex, but wonderful book. I often re-read books just to experience the story again, but I think I may have to re-read Dreamhunter simply to better understand the rich and layered world author Elizabeth Knox has created.
Dreamhunter and it's companion novel, Dreamquake, take place in a world very much like turn-of-the-century New Zealand, except with one significant difference: in Knox's world, dreams are a trade commodoty caught in a mysterious region known as The Place, and carried back to the real world to be sold to private buyers or performed for the public in opulent theatres or exclusive dream parlors. Not everyone can catch a dream, though, or even enter The Place. And the government regulates the country's dream resources and their stewards, the Dreamhunters, through rigorous oversight -- for the public good, of course.
Dreamhunters make a good living chasing dreams or working with other dreamhunters to amplify their performances, but none are so famous as Tziga Hame, the original dreamhunter and discoverer of The Place.
The story follows Hame's 15-year-old daughter, Laura, as she and her cousin, Rose, come of age to attempt their first Try as dreamhunters. Unfortunately, just before this important rite of passage, Laura's father's increasingly strange behavior culminates in his disappearance and presumed death. According to the government, Tziga was trying to cross The Place -- a dangerous and impossible journey. But Laura believes something more sinister is at work, and knows that she needs to become a dreamhunter herself to unravel the mysteries of her father's disappearance and the secret her family has kept for generations.
I really enjoyed this imaginative story. It reminded me a bit of Libba Bray's Gemma Doyle series in its merging of fantasy and historical fiction, and I enjoyed the rich atmosphere Knox weaves throughout the tale. The behind-the-scenes political intrigue was wonderfully developed and added a lot of tension to the story, and a surprising sub-plot that I really enjoyed along with the more fantastic elements of the book.
However, if Dreamhunter falls short in any area, it's in character development. I just couldn't bring myself to care much about Laura, the book's heroine. She is kind of flat throughout the tale, despite the fantastic situations she finds herself in. The supporting cast eclipses her throughout, and helps move the action of the story along much better than Laura herself.
Overall, I liked Dreamhunter, but I can't say that I loved it. Something is missing that I just can't put my finger on. I hope that I'll find that missing magic in the book's companion novel, Dreamquake. (And some more answers about Nown... I am scratching my head over that mysterious plot point!)
Dreamhunter and it's companion novel, Dreamquake, take place in a world very much like turn-of-the-century New Zealand, except with one significant difference: in Knox's world, dreams are a trade commodoty caught in a mysterious region known as The Place, and carried back to the real world to be sold to private buyers or performed for the public in opulent theatres or exclusive dream parlors. Not everyone can catch a dream, though, or even enter The Place. And the government regulates the country's dream resources and their stewards, the Dreamhunters, through rigorous oversight -- for the public good, of course.
Dreamhunters make a good living chasing dreams or working with other dreamhunters to amplify their performances, but none are so famous as Tziga Hame, the original dreamhunter and discoverer of The Place.
The story follows Hame's 15-year-old daughter, Laura, as she and her cousin, Rose, come of age to attempt their first Try as dreamhunters. Unfortunately, just before this important rite of passage, Laura's father's increasingly strange behavior culminates in his disappearance and presumed death. According to the government, Tziga was trying to cross The Place -- a dangerous and impossible journey. But Laura believes something more sinister is at work, and knows that she needs to become a dreamhunter herself to unravel the mysteries of her father's disappearance and the secret her family has kept for generations.
I really enjoyed this imaginative story. It reminded me a bit of Libba Bray's Gemma Doyle series in its merging of fantasy and historical fiction, and I enjoyed the rich atmosphere Knox weaves throughout the tale. The behind-the-scenes political intrigue was wonderfully developed and added a lot of tension to the story, and a surprising sub-plot that I really enjoyed along with the more fantastic elements of the book.
However, if Dreamhunter falls short in any area, it's in character development. I just couldn't bring myself to care much about Laura, the book's heroine. She is kind of flat throughout the tale, despite the fantastic situations she finds herself in. The supporting cast eclipses her throughout, and helps move the action of the story along much better than Laura herself.
Overall, I liked Dreamhunter, but I can't say that I loved it. Something is missing that I just can't put my finger on. I hope that I'll find that missing magic in the book's companion novel, Dreamquake. (And some more answers about Nown... I am scratching my head over that mysterious plot point!)
