In Your Dreams (Holt, Tom) (Hardcover)

by Tom Holt (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
Paul Carpenter would prefer to ignore the really weird aspects of his job, but that proves impossible in pest control at J. W. Wells, because pest control is a matter of dragon slaying, and Beowulf is a useful procedural manual. Better this than taking deposits to the Bank of the Dead, though, and it keeps Paul's mind off being dumped by Sophie, the love of his life. Judy di Castel Blanco, partner in charge of entertainment (and queen of the Fay), sends Paul--the only qualified Hero available--to rescue cashier Shumway and the partner in charge of pest control, who have apparently been kidnapped. Paul fails but starts uncovering the truth about his role at Wells and the war among the Fay, in which he is the Chosen One, whatever that means. Judy isn't on the human-friendly side of the conflict, and her plans for Paul and Sophie are diabolical. Paul's sometimes effective but never expected methods of Hero-ing make for a good read, one that Holt's bizarre humor and sense of detail render terrifically funny. Regina Schroeder
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
“A good read, one that Holt’s bizarre humor and sense of detail render terrifically funny.” -- Booklist

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 474 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group (January 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841491594
• ISBN-13: 978-1841491592
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.1 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #780,012 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I LOVED this book, September 28, 2004

By	James B. Kelty - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book, the sequel to The Portable Door, is absolutely one of the BEST books I have ever read. I said the same thing about The Portable Door, but that is now my second favorite book of all time.

Tom Holt is an excellent author. If I could choose to be an author of great caliber, I would choose to be Tom Holt. I know that Mr. Holt has been in the game for a while, and I have read several of his Omnibus edition novels (All of which I loved), but this latest foray into the wonderful world he has created was excellent.

I could not put this book down. Finished it in three days. My wife complained that I was ignoring my family, but, when she finished the book, she completely understood.

There are so many issues left open for a third book, that I find myself hoping time will fly by, and I can get the 'next' book.

Please! Please! Please! Keep up the amazing work, Mr. Holt.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Fun For Youngies and Oldies Alike, May 19, 2005

By	Steve S (Framingham, MA) - See all my reviews

A superior entry by Tom Holt which moves at a fast pace from beginning to end. This book is a sequel to "The Portable Door", but it can be easily read as a standalone. Son of the world's worst parents may have something to do with Paul's lack of confidence. His coworkers at J W Wells are an odd assortment of wizards, goblins, dwarves, and even the Queen of the Fey. Paul is still a trainee and has recently been assigned to pest control, but these pests include fire breathing dragons, wyverns,etc. His duties also include assisting in the companies banking at the Bank of the Dead, which is a bit tricky and also a "bit of a tax fiddle". "In Your Dreams" answers the following important questions:
1. Can you take it with you? Yes, merely setup an account at the Bank of the Dead and deposit, making sure you burn cash and deposit slips thoroughly.
2. Is your company car really the bosses sister? Yes.
3. Does life ever produce happy endings? Nah.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "His men would follow him anywhere, but only out of curiosity...", January 16, 2006

By	Akethan (Arlington, VA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In Your Dreams (Paperback)

This was my first Tom Holt (by way of a Christmas present).

I have mixed feelings about this one - it started off clever and sharp and had some great twists - think office/corporation meets Harry Potter [think Roberty Lynn Asprin's Myth Adventures]. It plays nicely with ideas of myth and fairytale and magic - but most of the last chapters involve characters just re-hashing to other characters what has just taken place in the previous chapter in which the other characters weren't involved.

Typically books just gloss over this rather than have the reader sit all the way through the re-enactment again. And again.

It could have been a few hundred pages shorter and cleaner sparing the above - and then it would have been 5 Stars. I'll try another in the series and see how it goes.