Dreamer (The Dream World Chronicles #1) by Camille Peters

 

Eden has a secret: she has the ability to see and enter others’ dreams, a most inconvenient power when one is an outcast living in a magic-phobic village and yearning to fit in. When she accidentally exposes her powers, Eden discovers that her uncanny abilities connect her to the Dream World, home to the magical beings responsible for creating dreams, and the first place Eden has felt she truly belongs.

Standing in her way is the formidable Dream Council, which questions whether she should remain in their world. Unless Eden can prove she’s truly a Dreamer, she’ll lose all her magical powers and be forced to return to Earth. Proving herself turns out to be more difficult than she anticipated. When Eden is assigned to create dreams for a newborn mortal, her opponent—the talented Nightmare Darius—makes it his personal mission to uncover her secrets, which could result in her permanent banishment.

Eden struggles not only to outwit her foe, but also to prevent herself from falling in love with him, all while finding herself entangled in mysterious events as the Nightmare Realm begins to eclipse the Dream Realm, threatening not just her chances of remaining in her new home, but the balance of the universe itself. As Eden fights to fit into this world of dreams and magic, she finds herself on a journey of self-discovery that will take her down a path that forces her to confront an unknown darkness within herself, leading her to realize she’s not who she initially believed, nor does she belong where she thinks she does.

 * Amazon * Goodreads *

Happy new release to this book and this author!

First, I have to shout out my love for the cover of this book.  It so perfectly represents what is inside and I think it is beautiful.  

I have to admit that fantasy books can be a bit hit or miss for me.  I thought the premise of this book sounded cool though so I wanted to try it out and I've read books by this author before and enjoyed them.  This book is a YA book, with a target age of 12-18.  That sounds about right.  The characters come across young.  Even the older ones.  So yeah, target range is spot on except this book is LONG.  Over 400 pages, which makes it not really great for most 12 year old's (and sometimes even adults like me!)  There was a LOT of description and the plot moves forward slowly.  If you love descriptive books, you will love this one.  

The author clearly put a lot of thought and effort into this idea.  It is creative and imaginative.  I liked many parts of it.  I didn't have a lot of emotional investment in the characters but the story concept and the cover?  Two thumbs up.

- I received a complimentary copy of this book.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Identity (Kingdom Chronicles #3) by Camille Peters

 

Anwen's uncanny resemblance to Princess Lavena has been a curse since the moment she entered her service, as the spoiled princess has frequently used it to her advantage by forcing Anwen to switch places with her. But Princess Lavena’s latest scheme is her worst—and most dangerous—yet: compelling Anwen to take the princess’s place in her marriage to her loathed fiancé, Prince Liam.

Bound by an enchanted contract not to reveal the charade, Anwen is forced to go through with the masquerade and endure a marriage to a man who despises the woman he believes her to be. As time goes on, Anwen struggles not only to maintain her identity, but to fight her deepening feelings as she begins to fall in love with her new husband, a man who not only isn't hers to keep, but who has no idea who she really is.

 * Goodreads * Amazon * 

First, I need to say how much I love this cover.  Not only is it beautiful but it represents perfectly what is found inside.   

This is the third book in the Kingdom Chronicles series and it is easily my favorite so far.  I loved how sweetly the friendship and romance developed between Anwen and Liam.  Because I just really loved both of these characters, it made it easy to become invested in their story and their happiness.  Anwen has to be the kindest person ever.  Her gentle personality was so refreshing.  And Liam?  He is fun, adventurous and so desperately wants to be accepted and loved.  Anwen is the perfect fit for him.  

This book (and this series) is the perfect fit for even the younger readers in the YA spectrum.  It has that spark of magic, romance and the perfect happily ever after.  I really enjoyed it!

- I picked up this book through Kindle Unlimited

 

Spelled (Kingdom Chronicles #2) by Camille Peters

Rosie is fairly certain that there’s nothing wrong with putting a love spell on a foreign prince. At least she hopes there's not, because such a drastic measure is necessary in order for her to ensure that the perfect fairy tale romance she’s dreamt about her entire life includes her own prince charming. As the heroine in her story, she won’t be deterred by well-meaning friends, royal betrothals, hungry dragons, or the intriguing guard who stands in her way.

Luckily, Rosie has access to an enchanted bakery and a recipe book of spells, one of which will ensure she’ll win the royal heart she desires. Unfortunately, no story is complete without a few obstacles, and Rosie’s comes in the form of a most formidable foe—a stoic guard whom Rosie may or may not be developing feelings for, one who is committed to thwarting her at every turn. But nothing will stand in the way of Rosie’s happily ever after. After all, what harm can a simple love spell do?

 * Amazon * Goodreads * 

Wow.  Rosie.  I think I'm just going to say that I struggled with Rosie, she wasn't my favorite character, and leave it at that.  I did love the continuation of characters in this book from the first.  It gave me a sense of family and community.

The whole tone and voice of this book is young.  It reads as more of a middle grade than young adult.  Maybe that contributed to how I felt about Rosie?  She felt very immature.

I enjoyed the first book in this series, Pathways, although I did mention in my review of that book that it also felt "younger".  While I didn't enjoy this book as much, I still have hope for the next book and know who I hope the main character will be!

The cover for this book is pretty!  

- I received a complimentary copy of this book.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Pathways (Kingdom Chronicles #1) by Camille Peters

Eileen has never been interested in love. Ever since her father's abandonment, she's vowed to never experience such pain again. But the enchanted forest has different ideas. When the continuously shifting pathways lead her to a mysterious stranger, Eileen finds her promise to fiercely guard her heart increasingly difficult to keep.

One night when she becomes lost in a storm, the enchanted forest's pathways lead her to the castle, home to the kingdom's Dark Prince, where Eileen finds herself entangled in what many consider an opportunity but which Eileen believes to be a curse: competing for the Dark Prince’s hand through a series of tests that judge one’s royal worth. Eileen is neither royal nor interested in becoming a princess. But the mysterious stranger she met in the woods has his own reasons for helping her succeed, although the cost of his assistance may be too high: that of Eileen's heart, the one thing she's vowed never to give.

 * Amazon * Goodreads * 

Wow, I love this pretty cover!  It is a perfect representation of what is inside this book.  😍

I thought this was a sweet story.  I loved the whole idea and feel of the forest being a living entity- guiding, helping, responding.  The forest gave Eileen a home- a place of refuge and security after she lost her father and I could really feel her attachment and love for it. The enchanted forest gave the story a magical and romantic feel.

The characters felt very young with some immaturity showing through.  This is a YA book and I would say probably on the younger end of that spectrum.  I often felt frustrated with the characters and their reasoning but when I put back into perspective that this is a "young" young adult book, it didn't feel so off.  Both main characters show growth and that felt really good as a reader.  There is a good cast of secondary characters which had me hoping that maybe their story would be coming next.  Overall I really enjoyed this debut novel from Camille Peters and I'm looking forward to more!

This is a book that I would easily recommend to a young teenager and feel good about it.

This book is just $.99 on Amazon right now (make sure and check price before purchasing) and it is also on Kindle Unlimited!  

Content:  clean, kissing

- I received a complimentary copy of this book.  All opinions expressed are my own.