StarHearts, as fans of Josephine Angelini call themselves, will stay up all night reading Dreamless, the second book in the bestselling Starcrossed series. The saga mixes mythology, romance, action, and intrigue in a completely original way.
Dreamless continues the story of Helen Hamilton, a shy girl living on Nantucket Island whose desire for an ordinary life was thwarted when she discovered she is a Scion, a descendant of a Greek god and a mortal. Each Scion has a power, and Helen’s is the ability to travel to Hades.
Helen is determined to use her talent to stop a war amongst the gods and change her destiny, which is to live a life patterned after that of the tragic Helen of Troy. But her quest may cost her Lucas Delios, the boy she loves.
Dreamless (Starcrossed)
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Book Description
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Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
Gr 9 Up-This paranormal sequel to Starcrossed (HarperCollins, 2011) continues demigod Helen's quest to descend into the Underworld to try to defeat the Furies and end thousands of years of endless killing among her kin. In this world, Helen and her demigod cousins are descended from one of Four Houses, and the Furies make them all enemies of one another. Despite the fact that Helen and Lucas were from enemy Houses and wanted to kill each other in Starcrossed, they fell in love and then discovered that they were first cousins. Now, they're finding it hard to resist their mutual attration, despite knowing its wrong. Then Orion shows up to rival Lucas for Helen's affections. Helen can fly and throw lightning bolts but makes mistakes and, like all the Gods, is guilty of hubris. She finds herself in horrific situations and the only way she can end each night so she can wake up to try again is to die - by quicksand, falling, etc.-and this is taking a terrible physical toll on her. The violence that the Gods and demigods inflict upon one another is compelling, but also brutal. Enough of the events from Starcrossed are recounted that it's not essential to have read it first. Unfinished events in this book guarantee another installment in this series that's loosely based on the Helen of Troy myth. The family dynamics in this romantic, action-packed tale are reminiscent of the "Twilight" series and will appeal to "Percy Jackson" fans who are ready for more mature fare.-Sharon Rawlins, New Jersey State Library, Trentonα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review
“A gorgeous, haunting saga that completely swept me away.” (Lauren Kate, New York Times bestselilng author of Fallen )
“A supreme mix of mythology, brutal action and heart rending romance. The perfect summer read.” (Chicklish (blog) )
“One of the most cinematic books I’ve ever read. Dramatic and intense! I can’t tell you how many times I gasped while reading this book. Starcrossed plays out like a movie in your head.” (Sophie Jordan, New York Times bestselling author of FIRELIGHT )
Romance alternates with fast-paced action from above and below. There is a healthy dose of classical deus ex machine and tantalizing hints of a third book in which all-out war erupts. Dreamless and its sequel will be well-liked by fans of contemporary renderings of classical mythology. (Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) )
This fantastical dual-world page-turner introduces more abhorrent mythological creatures while reuniting readers with Helen’s supportive high-school friends, as well as the crazy Delos family, who anchor her between the real and mythological worlds. (Booklist )
“Compelling…Brutal…This romantic, action-packed tale will appeal to ‘Percy Jackson’ fans who are ready for more mature fare.” (School Library Journal )
“A supreme mix of mythology, brutal action and heart rending romance. The perfect summer read.” (Chicklish (blog) )
“One of the most cinematic books I’ve ever read. Dramatic and intense! I can’t tell you how many times I gasped while reading this book. Starcrossed plays out like a movie in your head.” (Sophie Jordan, New York Times bestselling author of FIRELIGHT )
Romance alternates with fast-paced action from above and below. There is a healthy dose of classical deus ex machine and tantalizing hints of a third book in which all-out war erupts. Dreamless and its sequel will be well-liked by fans of contemporary renderings of classical mythology. (Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) )
This fantastical dual-world page-turner introduces more abhorrent mythological creatures while reuniting readers with Helen’s supportive high-school friends, as well as the crazy Delos family, who anchor her between the real and mythological worlds. (Booklist )
“Compelling…Brutal…This romantic, action-packed tale will appeal to ‘Percy Jackson’ fans who are ready for more mature fare.” (School Library Journal )
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More About the Author
Josie was born in a tiny town in Massachusetts called Ashland. When she meets people from Massachusetts and tells them 'what part' she hails from, she usually gets one of two answers. The first is: "Isn't that in Oregon?" And the second is: "I drove by it once on Rt. 9, I think."
Her next stop was about as different from Ashland as it gets without leaving the country. As soon as Josie was legal, she packed a bag and moved to New York City to attend NYU. Somehow, she managed to squeeze in a little higher learning between bartending shifts and graduated with a BFA.
Massively in debt with college loans, she then moved to Los Angeles for reasons that are still a little blurry. Something about the weather was mentioned, and a vague idea to write poetry and find herself. She found that she is a terrible poet, but she never gave up on the writing bit.
Josie still lives in Los Angeles with her husband and now writes YA fiction.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
First Impressions: I love books that revolve around mythology, so I knew I needed to read Dreamless. I really enjoyed Starcrossed last year when I borrowed it from a friend, even though it wasn't the best book I had ever read. I was so looking forward to seeing how the story would progress and I felt like it took forever for me to get my grubby little hands on a copy of Dreamless. It was definitely one of most highly anticipated novels so far this year, so I was hoping that it wouldn't let me down or fall into the dreaded sophomore slump.
First 50 Pages: There is an odd phenomenon going on with writers lately. For some reason, there are a lot of books coming out that have main characters that are possibly related falling in love with each other. If you have read Starcrossed, then you know that Helen and Lucas believe they might be cousins, even though the math doesn't really add up properly, and as the reader, YOU KNOW that it isn't true. This was the most frustrating aspect of both books, because it continues into Dreamless, this odd guessing game. I'm not going to tell you if this pseudo-mystery gets resolved in this book. Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't...but it is extremely annoying all the same. Sorry, I just had to get that out of my system before I continued with my review because other than the whole inbreeding thing, I really liked this book.
Characters & Plot: Poor Helen in Dreamless looks like she is wasting away. She is so thin, completely drained from all of her nights spent in hell, quite literally. The poor thing is so stressed out and it has begun to take its toll on Helen physically and mentally. Helen also still believes that the love of her life is her cousin, which is also taking a toll on her and her relationship with Lucas. Neither Helen or Lucas wants to loose what they have together, but how can they continue to be a couple when the world feels like it is wrong for them to love each other the way that they do?
Dreamless also introduced a love triangle. I know, I know....WHY? I wasn't exactly jumping for joy when I found out about this, but I do have to say that Josephine Angelini really made it difficult for me to choose between the two boys. The new guy, Orion, is simply wonderful and is described as a total hottie. I really despise love triangles because they are so overdone now in young adult literature, but I have to say that I enjoyed the interactions between Orion and Helen, and there isn't as many hurtles stacked up against them as there is with Helen and Lucas, but where is the fun in that? I'm curious to see how this will play out in the third and (I think?) final book. Some people may be a little disappointed to know that Lucas isn't a huge part of this book since he doesn't get as much page time as he did in Starcrossed.
The author takes the mythology aspect to a whole new higher level in Dreamless, which I ADORED! There are new Scions, new Gods, and all sorts of new stuff that wasn't in the first book. I just love how she weaves everything together so perfectly and she makes it so easy to understand. For anyone who has ever studied Greek Mythology, it isn't the easiest subject to follow, but the way this author incorporates everything, it IS easy.
Final Thoughts: Overall, Dreamless was a really good read. I love the author's writing style, the book was set at a good pace, and the mythology was outstanding. Even the new love triangle didn't bother me too much. If you are a fan of Starcrossed, you are definitely going to want to pick up Dreamless. If you are a fan of mythology like me, this series would be great to look into more. Josephine Angelini is super talented and these books aren't at all disappointing in my opinion. I'm dying for the next book now!
First 50 Pages: There is an odd phenomenon going on with writers lately. For some reason, there are a lot of books coming out that have main characters that are possibly related falling in love with each other. If you have read Starcrossed, then you know that Helen and Lucas believe they might be cousins, even though the math doesn't really add up properly, and as the reader, YOU KNOW that it isn't true. This was the most frustrating aspect of both books, because it continues into Dreamless, this odd guessing game. I'm not going to tell you if this pseudo-mystery gets resolved in this book. Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't...but it is extremely annoying all the same. Sorry, I just had to get that out of my system before I continued with my review because other than the whole inbreeding thing, I really liked this book.
Characters & Plot: Poor Helen in Dreamless looks like she is wasting away. She is so thin, completely drained from all of her nights spent in hell, quite literally. The poor thing is so stressed out and it has begun to take its toll on Helen physically and mentally. Helen also still believes that the love of her life is her cousin, which is also taking a toll on her and her relationship with Lucas. Neither Helen or Lucas wants to loose what they have together, but how can they continue to be a couple when the world feels like it is wrong for them to love each other the way that they do?
Dreamless also introduced a love triangle. I know, I know....WHY? I wasn't exactly jumping for joy when I found out about this, but I do have to say that Josephine Angelini really made it difficult for me to choose between the two boys. The new guy, Orion, is simply wonderful and is described as a total hottie. I really despise love triangles because they are so overdone now in young adult literature, but I have to say that I enjoyed the interactions between Orion and Helen, and there isn't as many hurtles stacked up against them as there is with Helen and Lucas, but where is the fun in that? I'm curious to see how this will play out in the third and (I think?) final book. Some people may be a little disappointed to know that Lucas isn't a huge part of this book since he doesn't get as much page time as he did in Starcrossed.
The author takes the mythology aspect to a whole new higher level in Dreamless, which I ADORED! There are new Scions, new Gods, and all sorts of new stuff that wasn't in the first book. I just love how she weaves everything together so perfectly and she makes it so easy to understand. For anyone who has ever studied Greek Mythology, it isn't the easiest subject to follow, but the way this author incorporates everything, it IS easy.
Final Thoughts: Overall, Dreamless was a really good read. I love the author's writing style, the book was set at a good pace, and the mythology was outstanding. Even the new love triangle didn't bother me too much. If you are a fan of Starcrossed, you are definitely going to want to pick up Dreamless. If you are a fan of mythology like me, this series would be great to look into more. Josephine Angelini is super talented and these books aren't at all disappointing in my opinion. I'm dying for the next book now!
8 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I was slightly disappointed with Dreamless. I could not get into it. Starcrossed blew me away, and I could not wait to get my hands on the next novel in this series. However, Dreamless fell flat for me.
Helen and Lucas were separated at the end of Starcrossed because they are cousins. So what does Helen do? Spend the entire book pining away after Lucas. Oh sure, she met Orion, then she loved him, too. But she still wanted to bang her cousin. I was hoping this would have been handled differently and without a love triangle, honestly. I hoped that they'd find out that Helen's mom is a big liar and that they weren't really cousins. Then they could live happily ever after. But nope! I know Cassandra Clare played with this idea some in the Mortal Instruments series, but she just did it much better than Angelini did. The way Clare handled everything made it seem like it was unnatural for Clary and Jace to be apart. This was handled in a way that made it seem unnatural for Lucas and Helen to be together.
I did love Orion, though. I was hoping that Helen would quit running for emo child of the year and decide she wanted to be with him instead. Lucas was annoying in this book. I didn't like him at all. He was all broody and bratty. Orion was great. He was the main source of entertainment for the book.
Also, the book just jumped around too much. It was third person limited, but it switched POVs constantly. I could keep up because it stated who the narrator was following, but it was annoying. Every time I'd get into what was happening to one character, it'd switch. Usually, I'd get frustrated and put the book down. Because of that, it took me FOREVER to finish this book.
Additionally, I felt that things were dragged out too long. Sure, there was a lot of action, and I know I should have cared more what happened during these action scenes... especially since I loved the first book so much, but I just didn't like the characters that much (outside of Orion) in this novel. Therefore, all of the action and suspense was wasted on me. Furthermore, the characters tried to be funny a lot and they just weren't. There were many places where a character would say something not-funny-at-all and then the other character would just die laughing. I sat there like, "um why are you laughing? THIS IS NOT FUNNY!" I'm assuming these were attempts at humor, but they were not successful.
Other than Orion, the one shining part of this novel was Angelini's writing. She has a way of describing things that makes you feel like you're there. She also words things very gracefully. Because of her ability to write, I have hopes that book three in the series will be much better than this one.
I didn't hate this book, but I just liked it okay. I mostly talked about what I didn't like because I feel that the good stuff has already been mentioned, and the negative things would make me check this book out from the library first instead of buying it outright. Do I recommend this book? Absolutely. Anyone who read Starcrossed has to read this book. Also, if you haven't read Starcrossed and want a good mythology series that deals with Helen of Troy, then you should start the series. Will I continue this series? Most definitely. While Dreamless wasn't my favorite book, and I feel that Angelini had a bit of a sophmore slump issue with this novel, I have faith that the third book in the series will blow my mind. A lot of things have been introduced, but the novel didn't end on a cliffhanger. The ending did, however, make you curious to see what happens next. I can't wait to see how it plays out.
Helen and Lucas were separated at the end of Starcrossed because they are cousins. So what does Helen do? Spend the entire book pining away after Lucas. Oh sure, she met Orion, then she loved him, too. But she still wanted to bang her cousin. I was hoping this would have been handled differently and without a love triangle, honestly. I hoped that they'd find out that Helen's mom is a big liar and that they weren't really cousins. Then they could live happily ever after. But nope! I know Cassandra Clare played with this idea some in the Mortal Instruments series, but she just did it much better than Angelini did. The way Clare handled everything made it seem like it was unnatural for Clary and Jace to be apart. This was handled in a way that made it seem unnatural for Lucas and Helen to be together.
I did love Orion, though. I was hoping that Helen would quit running for emo child of the year and decide she wanted to be with him instead. Lucas was annoying in this book. I didn't like him at all. He was all broody and bratty. Orion was great. He was the main source of entertainment for the book.
Also, the book just jumped around too much. It was third person limited, but it switched POVs constantly. I could keep up because it stated who the narrator was following, but it was annoying. Every time I'd get into what was happening to one character, it'd switch. Usually, I'd get frustrated and put the book down. Because of that, it took me FOREVER to finish this book.
Additionally, I felt that things were dragged out too long. Sure, there was a lot of action, and I know I should have cared more what happened during these action scenes... especially since I loved the first book so much, but I just didn't like the characters that much (outside of Orion) in this novel. Therefore, all of the action and suspense was wasted on me. Furthermore, the characters tried to be funny a lot and they just weren't. There were many places where a character would say something not-funny-at-all and then the other character would just die laughing. I sat there like, "um why are you laughing? THIS IS NOT FUNNY!" I'm assuming these were attempts at humor, but they were not successful.
Other than Orion, the one shining part of this novel was Angelini's writing. She has a way of describing things that makes you feel like you're there. She also words things very gracefully. Because of her ability to write, I have hopes that book three in the series will be much better than this one.
I didn't hate this book, but I just liked it okay. I mostly talked about what I didn't like because I feel that the good stuff has already been mentioned, and the negative things would make me check this book out from the library first instead of buying it outright. Do I recommend this book? Absolutely. Anyone who read Starcrossed has to read this book. Also, if you haven't read Starcrossed and want a good mythology series that deals with Helen of Troy, then you should start the series. Will I continue this series? Most definitely. While Dreamless wasn't my favorite book, and I feel that Angelini had a bit of a sophmore slump issue with this novel, I have faith that the third book in the series will blow my mind. A lot of things have been introduced, but the novel didn't end on a cliffhanger. The ending did, however, make you curious to see what happens next. I can't wait to see how it plays out.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By hellomisty
Format:Kindle Edition
I won a Goodreads Contest and received an ARC of Dreamless. My review could be a little spoilery, so take caution while reading!
Dreamless was as I had expected, full of action, plot twists, romance, and anger. Most second books in trilogies are filler novels that move along slowly, but Angelini did not give us a standard sequel.
The plot was fantastic. Helen has to find the Furies to rid the Scions of their need to kill each other. Helen faced so many obstacles being the only descender. My heart broke for her with every page. She is a true heroine -- never giving up in the face of constant failure, having her heart all but ripped from her chest, facing betrayal and loneliness. She is a tough chick. I also loved how there was so much more Greek Mythology intertwined into the story with each turn of the page. It was truly fascinating and kept me wanting more.
Characters -
Lucas just pissed me off beyond belief. I understand why he was so angry and hurt, but I couldn't stand his hot and cold attitude towards Helen. He's supposed to be strong for her and he fails in that aspect.
Orion... oh wow. I fell in love with him. He never once faltered in his quest to help Helen in the Underworld. He is a beautiful, sweet soul just looking for justice in the world of Scions. His life was never easy, with hardships most people would not be able to bare. I loved Helen and his relationship. How close they seemed to be, over such a short amount of time. I can't wait to see more of Orion in the last book.
Claire also pissed me off. She was not a true friend to Helen in Dreamless. She was so infatuated with Jason that she wasn't there to support Helen as she was entirely alone. Then, when she was supposedly trying to help Helen, she was either yelling at her, making fun of her, or getting her into more trouble with the rest of the Delos family with her asenine requests. I was very disappointed in her and Jason for their attitudes towards Helen.
Matt is who I fell in love with in Dreamless. He is just trying to cope with being a mortal surrounded by supernaturals. He is so strong and brave. It was breathtaking. And of course Hector! I was so excited to get to see more of him, even though anytime he was around all hell broke loose. I still love him though.
All and all, I have very high expectations for the next installment. I know I will be disappointed with what I want, but that won't stop me from hoping it comes true! This action packed, breathtakingly beautiful novel definitely deserves 5 out of 5 stars. Thank you Angelini for a great series so far!
Dreamless was as I had expected, full of action, plot twists, romance, and anger. Most second books in trilogies are filler novels that move along slowly, but Angelini did not give us a standard sequel.
The plot was fantastic. Helen has to find the Furies to rid the Scions of their need to kill each other. Helen faced so many obstacles being the only descender. My heart broke for her with every page. She is a true heroine -- never giving up in the face of constant failure, having her heart all but ripped from her chest, facing betrayal and loneliness. She is a tough chick. I also loved how there was so much more Greek Mythology intertwined into the story with each turn of the page. It was truly fascinating and kept me wanting more.
Characters -
Lucas just pissed me off beyond belief. I understand why he was so angry and hurt, but I couldn't stand his hot and cold attitude towards Helen. He's supposed to be strong for her and he fails in that aspect.
Orion... oh wow. I fell in love with him. He never once faltered in his quest to help Helen in the Underworld. He is a beautiful, sweet soul just looking for justice in the world of Scions. His life was never easy, with hardships most people would not be able to bare. I loved Helen and his relationship. How close they seemed to be, over such a short amount of time. I can't wait to see more of Orion in the last book.
Claire also pissed me off. She was not a true friend to Helen in Dreamless. She was so infatuated with Jason that she wasn't there to support Helen as she was entirely alone. Then, when she was supposedly trying to help Helen, she was either yelling at her, making fun of her, or getting her into more trouble with the rest of the Delos family with her asenine requests. I was very disappointed in her and Jason for their attitudes towards Helen.
Matt is who I fell in love with in Dreamless. He is just trying to cope with being a mortal surrounded by supernaturals. He is so strong and brave. It was breathtaking. And of course Hector! I was so excited to get to see more of him, even though anytime he was around all hell broke loose. I still love him though.
All and all, I have very high expectations for the next installment. I know I will be disappointed with what I want, but that won't stop me from hoping it comes true! This action packed, breathtakingly beautiful novel definitely deserves 5 out of 5 stars. Thank you Angelini for a great series so far!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another Great Book for Starcrossed Fans!
For More Information, visit my blog http://suchanovelidea.wordpress.com
Why You Should Buy It
This second book in the Starcrossed trilogy takes Helen, Lucas,... Read more
Why You Should Buy It
This second book in the Starcrossed trilogy takes Helen, Lucas,... Read more
Published 4 hours ago by heartJESS
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Second Book
I have found that with a lot of series like Matched, Delirium, and The Hunger Games that the second book often falls flat. Read more
Published 1 day ago by bookworm
5.0 out of 5 stars
A gorgeously haunting tale of true love and broken hearts...
This beautiful story, which began in `Starcrossed' and now, continues in `Dreamless' is the kind of book which gets under your skin. Read more
Published 3 days ago by Lucinda
5.0 out of 5 stars
Oh.My.God! Now that's what I'm talking about! Simply Brilliant!!!
Everytime I pick up a Josephine Angelini book, I'm amazed with how cleverly she plots the mythology in her stories. Read more
Published 4 days ago by Aman @ Enticed by Books
4.0 out of 5 stars
Shaky start, but great ending...
★★★˝
It has been awhile since I'd last seen Lucas & Helen, so I've been eager to get back to their story to see what happened on the heels of Daphne's shocking... Read more
It has been awhile since I'd last seen Lucas & Helen, so I've been eager to get back to their story to see what happened on the heels of Daphne's shocking... Read more
Published 6 days ago by Danielle
5.0 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up
I can't wait for the next of the series. I love fantasy, mythology and wish i could have magical powers. Read more
Published 9 days ago by chiara d'egidio
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love This Book
This is the second of three books and when I finished this book I was so sad to see that a third one was not available yet. Such a great story. Read more
Published 15 days ago by Frequent_Buyer
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great book
I would recommend this book to anyone. I love it. I read this book the second that i got it.
Published 1 month ago by amy prior
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love it!
This was such a interesting book. It is one of my new favorite books. Some action and some romance. I can't wait for the next book.
Published 1 month ago by candy
5.0 out of 5 stars
AMAZING
I'm in love with this book and preordered the 3rd one. Even though it was a sequel, it had a completely different feel from the first book. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Veronica dexter
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