Customer Reviews

Dreamhunter (The Dreamhunter Duet, Book 1)

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Laura Hame and Rose Tiebold's 15th birthdays are approaching. While many people their age would be excited about parties and presents, this birthday is different for the two cousins. They are eligible to test themselves at the Place and see if they're qualified to be Dreamhunters. The Place is a vast, extraordinary land where dreams of every kind are only accessible to Dreamhunters. A Dreamhunter is a person who can cross over and catch impressive dreams that can be relayed to other people.

Dreamhunting runs in the cousins' families. Laura's father Tziga and Rose's mother Grace are famous Dreamhunters whose collections of dreams bring large audiences far and wide to experience them at the Rainbow Opera, a famous dream palace. Despite the fame and wealth, dreamhunting is not always a glamorous occupation, and oftentimes a dreamhunter is on a different schedule from that of their own family. On many occasions, Grace's husband Chorley is the primary caretaker of the Hame-Tiebold household.

When it is the girls' turn to try, they each have different expectations. Laura feels anxious while Rose hopes to be a famous dreamhunter like her mother. When the day arrives, both are surprised at the results. Rose doesn't cross to the Place, but Laura does. However, for Laura the occasion is bittersweet; instead of having a pleasant dream called the Wild River, she has a nightmare, and her father has mysteriously disappeared after going on an official job for the government.

The family is baffled by the Dream Regulatory Body's explanation and doesn't understand why Tziga would decide to enter the Place without telling his family. Meanwhile, strange events have been occurring that defy explanation. Laura and Rose begin their own investigation, but when Laura continues having unusual dreams and discovers a mysterious letter from her father in the Place, it becomes apparent that there's a far bigger and deadlier secret involving corrupt government officials and their families that no one ever could have dreamed.

Set in the beginning of 20th-century Australia, DREAMHUNTER tells the story of a family whose members make surprising discoveries both in and beyond their world, while changing within themselves. A stunning fantasy set in a world of high society, politics and intrigue, it is destined to be a classic that readers anxiously will want to see continue.

--- Reviewed by Sarah Sawtelle (SdarksideG@aol.com)

"Dreamhunter", wow it sounds so mysterious. Elizabeth Knox has really outdone herself. She wrote a 365 page book (hardcover), and made it sound like a fairytale written in perfect english.
Laura Hame's father, Tziga Hame, is a famous dreamhunter. He takes dreams from a magical place called the "Place" and performs them to people to either entertain them, or heal them. There are very few dreamhunters, each with their own special talents. However, not all is as it seems. Laura must learn the truth about her father when he disappears, and what she learns could change the course of the future.
Through magic, fiction, and politics, Elizabeth Knox writes an elegant fantasy that keeps READERS ENTERTAINED! READ IT!

The Place, a land that seems utterly different from the real world, but it is so close. Laura and her cousin, Rose, are both fifteen. At fifteen they are qualified to go into the Place but they must past the test first, the Try. But before they could enter, they discover a dark secret hidden in the Place. As Laura and Rose try to figure out the secret, Laura's father disappears. Now Laura and Rose have to find Laura's father and the secret before time runs out...

I thought this book was fairly good. I loved the plot and how the setting connected with the story line. All the characters had their distinct features and personalities about themselves. However, I wish the story was told in someone's point of veiw, not third person. It was a little difficult to get a sense of their emotions. Overall, Elizabeth Knox kept the story in line and did not go off track. It was a good book!

Reviewed by Flamingnet Book Reviews.
www.flamingnet.com
Preteen, teen, and young adult book reviews and recommendations.

As an adult with a penchant for YA fiction I am accustomed to a certain tone from these books. Upon reading "Dreamhunter" I found myself having nightmares for a few nights - not surprising given the subject matter. I wondered why one would tell such a story to children. Let me be clear that these books are a work of distopian fiction, a cautionary tale about the destruction of a society through the greed and selfishness of it's rulers. Though not gorey and certainly not horror particularly more savvy readers will definitely find this a disturbing read (it is all done in an extremely subtle way and the most disturbing aspects might be over the heads of many young readers). However, this first book especially is upsetting. As I came to the conclusion of the second volume I understood - these works are decidedly activist in the same tradition as Pullman's "His Dark Materials". Unlike Pullman, Knox is not so much trying to convey a certain theological and philosophical perspective as she has written a rallying cry for word change. Taken in the context of our current world climate - the erosion of civil liberties and the middle class in the United States - it is easy to see that this series is talking about the present day. She could certainly have marketed them as adult books with no changes, but the choice to present "The Dreamhunter Duet" to children first shows remarkable intent. Definitely "His Dark Materials good", strongly recommended.

The Rainbow Opera is young adults at it's finest. The fantastic prose rolls over your eyes and the story is astounding, it is literature. Elizabeth Knox has been writing since she was sixteen, and this is her first young adult's novel - but do not turn away from this book in Genre-disgust! It can be read by adults, and those who have have enjoyed it fully. It tells the story of two fifteen year-old cousins, Laura and Rose. These girls are nearing the age in their country when they can have...(meaningless suspense)... A Try.
That is what you should do, give this book a try, you will enjoy it. Even if you are The Dark Master Of Scorn.

Pros
-The characters are fleshed out fully
-The dream sequences are phenomenal
-Sandman ROCKS!

Cons
-The books starts out very slow
-Laura falls too quickly for a character
-The beginning drags on and on


Writing:
Elizabeth Knox is a brilliant writer. Every word is chosen carefully and with great precision. Each word is strong and forceful that brings the world into focus. With such a masterfully skill of words and world building I can see even greater books coming from Elizabeth Knox. The one big issue I have with the entire book, is that for the first 100 or so pages the story just drags on and seems really slow.

Characters:
Knox holds the story together by brining out characters that make you feel and want to be the characters. Each character is bold, strong and independent in there own way. You can see and feel the characters grow and continually move forward in their relationships. From the timid to the strong, from the brave to the cowardly, and from the honest to the deceiving each character will rock your socks off.

Dialogue:
The dialouge helps drive the story, but Elizabeth Knox drives the story forward by some scenes being so written so well that there is little need for dialouge.

Book Excerpt:
"He ran to the edge of the pier and flung himself off of it, headfirst, like someone diving into deep water. Except that the tide was right out, and there was no water, only slick black stones at the base of the thirty-foot piles."

"It is like nothing else I've ever read. The characters are so real, you'll feel like you know exactly what they look like and how their voices sound and what they would say or do in any given situation. More than that, you'll want to hang out with them. Then the world is so amazing and unique. You will want to go there. You will want to walk into `the Place.' And you will want to sleep in a dream opera."--Stephenie Meyer, The Twilight Saga

Stephenie Meyer is right. Dreamhunter is a wonderful book. The writing is beautiful, and the world and the characters are vivid and real. You really do want to go with Laura into the Place and catch a dream yourself, then ride the rail lines to the Rainbow Opera, lie down and experience a dream opera.

There is also a complex plot, with a missing father, corrupt government officials, and facinating trips into the dangers of the Place. There is a lot going on here, and I'm really looking forward to reading the sequel, Dreamquake, and learning how the story ends.

I'd been meaning to read this for a while, and it finally found its way to the top of my reading stack. I'm so glad it did! The premise is fantastic: highly original and beautifully realized. The mysteries strummed at my mind even while I wasn't actively reading. When I finished this book I was desperate to get my hands on Dreamquake, which unfortunately took a few days. But I DID get it, and loved it too. If you're going to read this (and you should), have Dreamquake ready and waiting, as this is really one book split into two volumes, and you're going to want to keep reading.

Highly recommended!

A great read. I won't repeat a synopsis of the story as other reviewers have done that well.

Loved that it was a NZ author and set in an alternate NZ. Knox did not push the place because it really is not relevant. This story could happen anywhere (and is!). However, it is sad to see that some people still mistake us for Australia!!! How do they arrive at that?

Definitely an adult novel in theme but Knox obviously expects her YA readers to be intelligent young people and interested in the state of the world, as are her protagonists. She has something also to say about young people, who like Laura and Rose, are frustrated in their efforts to deal with a frightening situation by the adults who underestimate and over protect them.

Highly recommended.

Though it is thoroughly different in concept, this book reminded me throughout of Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials series: His Dark Materials Trilogy: "Northern Lights", "Subtle Knife", "Amber Spyglass". As those are the best books I've ever read, I praise this book highly. The story concept is very original and moving, and the writing is simply excellent. The relationships between the members of the Hame and Tiebold families are touching. I enjoy an author who can utilize completely un-clicheed similes--do you know what I mean? If you do, then you will probably like this book! Her turns of phrase surprised me consistently with their eloquence. This was a joy.