Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie R. Wheadon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Demon-filled dream realm tale is curious and confusing.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In DREAM BY THE SHADOWS, no one in the Kingdom of Noctis is allowed to dream because that's how the demons possess you and turn you Corrupted. The only cure is to send for Mithras, the Light Bringer, who purifies souls before the bodies are killed. But still, Esmer convinces her sister Eden to forgo the elixir that stops the dreams, just for a few nights, just to experience the delights of the dreamworld that have always been hidden from them. Five years after Eden's Corruption and death, Esmer's parents and most of the village turn Corrupted from a bad supply of elixir. With the dreams Esmer's been having, she should be Corrupted, too. But instead she finds herself in the realm of the Shadow Bringer and his demons. At first she wants to kill him for what he's done to her family, until she learns that she has the power to wield shadows too, and he's just a captive in his kingdom and has been for 500 years. Freeing him with Esmer's shadow magic will either destroy the entire Kingdom of Noctis or save it, she doesn't know which. The answer can only be found in the Shadow Bringer's dreams.
Is It Any Good?
Stories that weave through dreams are tricky to write, and this debut fantasy-romance fascinates in its detail and world building, but feels as confusing as a half-remembered dream throughout. Part of the problem is that some of the best world building happens far too late, well into the last third of the novel. The result is that readers are never grounded in how the dream realm operates, or used to operate before all those demons showed up—the map inside the back cover and the glossary helps some, but it's not intuitive to flip to the back of the book during the many head-scratching moments of Dream by the Shadows. Esmer is a resilient and intriguing character however, and her growing kinship with the Shadow Bringer drives the heart of the story. It's almost easy to forget their half-millennia age difference—almost. They've got Twilight's Edward and Bella beat by a lot. Esmer's burgeoning shadow powers are also intriguing, and deserve to be explored more in Book 2.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Esmer's shadows in Dream by the Shadows. Why do you think she wields them, and why does she have so much in common with the Shadow Bringer? How does her growing empathy for the Shadow Bringer help her see herself in a better, uh, light?
Esmer is 18 and the Shadow Bringer is around 500 years old. Should they be dating? How many books besides Twilight does this massive age difference come in to play? Have you ever seen it reversed, where the woman is 500 and her male love interest is barely an adult?
How do Esmer and the Shadow Bringer use teamwork to handle the demons? What do you think is next for them as the duology concludes?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Adventures , Fantasy ( Dragons , Fairies , Magic , Monsters ) , Friendship
- Character Strengths : Courage , Empathy , Perseverance , Teamwork
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Christy Ottaviano Books
- Publication date : August 26, 2025
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 14 - 18
- Number of pages : 352
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 4, 2025
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