3.🌟. Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for the e-arc of Mara Rutherford’s newest novel, A Multitude of Dreams, in exchange for my honest review.

A Multitude of Dreams is a fantastical retelling of Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Masque of the Red Death”. It follows a (fake) Princess named Seraphina and a grave digger, Nico, as they strive to survive the aftermath of a plague- that’s reminicisnt of Europe during the Black Death (jewish communities blamed for the spread & massacres occurring).

Summary **some spoilers**
As a deadly plague sweeps through a kingdom, the king barricades himself and his wealthy subjects in the castle along with his (4) daughters. Princess Imogen is the King’s favorite, but she has a secret- she’s actually a Jewish girl named Seraphina. She finally decides to make her escape after 4years of waiting out the plague. The castle kingdom is falling apart- with food supplies dwindling & servants vacating.

Meanwhile, a days walk away, Nico, a son of a butcher (& want-to-be physician), is working as a grave digger at Lord Crane’s manor. Him and another character, Colin, are burying those who died in the plague. Note: the plague has a few outcomes- 1. Immunity, 2. Death, & 3. Those who have not come into contact (Immaculates). Lord Crane is drawn to immaculates and eventually sends Nico, Colin, & Branson to the castle to find other plague survivors.

&& our two worlds collide.
Nico & Seraphina team up to save themselves and stop the “vampire”-like folks (including Lord Crane & some other gentleman). Yes, that’s right, vampires. Apparently, those who succumb to the plague, can basically drink the blood of immaculates and live on?! It wasn’t entirely clear.

Tropes & Themes
-Dual POV
-Plague
-Jewish representation
-Vampires
-Romance- very instalove (strangers to lovers)
-Edgar Allen Poe & dark fairy tale vibes

TW: blood, gore, fight scenes (axes, swords, knifes), plague, antisemitism, sex (fade to black), murder, abuse (self injuries//child labor)

The writing is beautiful, however for me it isn’t entirely memorable.

<i>Hundreds of men and women, hundreds of different opinions and expectations, a multitude of dreams and nightmares...<br> All waiting for her. </i><br>
What an adventure.
This book is told in a dual POV.
We follow Princess Ingrid who has a secret that she is trying to keep hidden while also trying to escape the castle that has been her prison for the past 4 years. In the castle where she has been hiding from the mori roja, she dreams of venturing back into the outside world. Her perspective shows her hot-headedness and determination to do whatever it takes to get out.
We also follow Nico Mott who after the mori roja is taken in by a Lord who becomes almost like a father figure to him. His lord sends him on a journey to the castle to see if there are any survivors inside. Along the way he encounters horrors he could not have expected.
When their stories cross lies are told, feelings are on the rise, and betrayal becomes apparent.
This book was so much fun to read. It does start out a little slow as we learn the background for Nico and the princess but a book filled with mystery, horror, and love? Whats not to love?
Read a multitude of dreams and find out.
Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for an advanced e-copy of this book.

I didn’t feel that this book had a firm grasp on its worldbuilding or character relationships. Conflict would occur between characters, but because their relationships were not set up strongly enough, the conflict had no stakes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Happy release day to A Multitude of Dreams by Mara Rutherford! It is a novel that is a fantasy reimagining of Edgar Allen Poe's The Masque of the Red Death. Intriguing, right??

You'll meet a princess and a grave digger in a land that has been ravaged by a plague and a mad king trapping everyone inside the castle. In the novel, Jews are persecuted, being blamed as the spreaders of the plague.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars to this gothic and spooky novel. It features dual POV which was artfully written. The characters were interesting and the plot was the perfect pace.

Thank you to the publisher Inkyard Press and Netgalley for the arc.

I’ll admit this story was a little bizarre, but I thought it was a creative take on a vampire story which is hard to find. It also had the feel of a retold fairy tale (although it is truly a reimagined Edgar Allen Poe story) which is one of my secret favorites so I enjoyed this bizarre and wild ride. The story feels like it could hav been set in Europe when the plague was occurring, but with a slightly mythical twist. There are three ways to survive the plague: lock the doors and stay away, hope for natural immunity, or die and be reborn. A simple nursery rhyme holding a warning as well. Seraphina is living the life of a princess, but she is actually a poor born Jewish girl who happens to look like the princess who died early in the plague. Nico is currently a gravedigger serving a lord who saved him when he was alone and desperate. The two of them both have a lot to learn of the world and what changes the plague brought several years before. I’ll admit the last couple of chapters didn’t totally fit for me, but I did like the slight romantic plot in between the monsters and bloodshed.

I was immediately drawn to this book with its inspiration by Edgar Allan Poe’s Masque of the Red Death, this YA gothic fantasy absolutely delivered. Horror, fantasy, vampires, and a bit of found family… all of my favorites. The nobles are locked away in the castle while a plague wreaks havoc across the kingdom…. There are strong lead characters and the jump scares the last half are some of the best I’ve read.

I absolutely loved this book and Mara Rutherford is a new auto buy author, thank you so much for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

It is a book that starts as a fairytale and turns in to a nightmare. Princess Emmagene is her fathers favorite daughter and with her birthday coming up they’re going to have a masquerade ball that everyone seems to be looking forward to especially the king. The king is even pushing the affections of Lord Graymont who is vying for the first dance. This all sounds all normal and poor for the course in royal families but the only problem is this royal family and the lords servants and everyone else in the castle or locked in even the windows or boarded up. That is because in the past four years the land has been ravaged by the three deaths A plague that has wiped out most of humanity and before I forget princess imaging isn’t really the king‘s daughter. Her name is really Sarah Fina and she comes from a poor Jewish family that the kings other three daughters bought due to her striking resemblance to Imogene. This is because King Steward of Goslin Hall is a little mentally unstable and the girls feared if he learned about his favorite daughter‘s demise due to the plague he would then lose all of his marbles. About a weeks walk away lives Lord Crane and on his estate he has allowed many people considered the immune‘s to live there as long as they did their part they would have a nice place to stay and food to eat this is where Nicodemus Mott and his best friend Collin live. Colin used to be a gentleman and Nico wanted to study medicine but since the plague they do whatever they have to to keep the house running because it wouldn’t have been for Lord crane they would’ve both starved to death. One day when they hear Lord Crane is having an immaculate for dinner they were excited that they will have company at the Manor Nico feels an immediate connection with their guest Elizabeth it is also the first time he seen his Savior Lord crane get angry and it is when a stranger knocks on the door claiming to be looking for his wife Lord Crane immediately gets angry and slays the door in his face and for bees Nico from answering it and allowing the man entrance. It will be Elizabeth disappearance and the light in the window that causes the two houses to come together and although Nico and Collin Theo indebted to Lord crane the loyalty only goes so far. This was a wonderful book just think of the red death by Edgar Allan Poe with lots more flair in detail and you have a multitude of dreams it is an awesome awesome book and one I spent the whole day reading . I found it hard to put down and although I don’t want to give much away because if you’re like me you like to go in not knowing the whole story before reading the story I absolutely love this book and it is definitely one of my favorites and one I will probably read again I was hoping it was the first of a series but it doesn’t look as if it is. Because for the most part it is all wrapped up at the end this is a stellar read and one I highly recommend. I want to thank ink yard press Ann Net Galley for my free Ark copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I'm not sure what I was expecting, but A Multitude of Dreams blew me away. Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and Mara Rutherford for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

The mad king, his four daughters, and the other nobels have been holed up in the castle for four years due to the mori roja plague that has decimated the population. The trouble is, they're running out of food, their staff is deserting, and nothing is entirely what it seems. Princess Imogen devises a plan to escape the castle since the plague is over. Unfortunately, since they haven't been outside the castle, they have no idea about the horrors that await them.

This book is labeled YA Fantasy, but it was much darker and creepier than I expected from a YA novel. The writing was excellent and atmospheric. I will most definitely be reading more by Mara Rutherford.

*Note this is a retelling of The Mask of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe.

A Multitude of Dreams comes out on August 29, 2023.

"A Multitude of Dreams" by Mara Rutherford is an enthralling Sci-Fi & Fantasy novel perfectly suited for the Teens & YA audience. The book's imaginative world-building and dynamic characters transport readers to a realm where dreams and reality intertwine. Mara Rutherford's skillful storytelling weaves a narrative filled with intrigue, magic, and self-discovery, making it a captivating read for young adults. "A Multitude of Dreams" offers an enchanting escape into a world where the boundaries between the ordinary and the extraordinary blur, leaving readers eagerly anticipating each twist and turn.

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for this ARC of A Multitude of Dreams.

Princess Imogen has a secret. The Kingdom is bathed in secrets. And soon those secrets will find their way out. Imogen has lived for three years boarded up in a castle with the upper class of society and her royal family, including the king who is getting sicker and more volatile by the moment. Nico experienced the plague up close and personal, and when he finds himself in the castle, cloaked in lies, and with a warning, he finds the Princess Imogen he has met is quite different from the spoiled princess he believed her to be. Perhaps because all may not be what it seems.

A Multitude of Dreams strikes an important balance. As it centers around a plague, I found myself reflecting on my own experience of the Covid-19 pandemic, giving me the ability to empathize even more with the characters, while adding enough fantasy, mystery, and story to not make it feel like a covid novel. I enjoyed this read.

A big thanks to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

You had me at a retelling of "The Masque of the Red Death," but lost me with the sudden intrusion of vampires.

A Multitude of Dreams by Mara Rutherford is a young adult gothic fantasy about Princess Imogen of Goslind, who has lived a sheltered life for three years at the boarded-up castle—she and the rest of its inhabitants safe from the bloody mori roja plague that’s ravaged the kingdom. But Princess Imogen has a secret, and as King Stuart descends further into madness, it’s at great risk of being revealed. Rations dwindle each day, and unhappy murmurings threaten to crack the facade of the years-long charade being played within the castle walls. Nico Mott once enjoyed a comfortable life of status, but the plague took everyone and everything from him. If not for the generosity of a nearby lord, Nico may not have survived the mori roja’s aftermath. But does owing Lord Crane his life mean he owes him his silence? When Lord Crane sends Nico to search for more plague survivors in the castle, Nico collides with a princess who wants to break out. They will each have to navigate the web of lies they’ve woven if they’re going to survive the nightmares ahead.

I really wanted to LOVE this book as it was compared to Dana Schwartz's Anatomy and The Poison Season. but it just wasn't doing it for me. This book was giving Spinning Silver vibes, but not to the extent that I wanted. But at the same time, the supposed "monsters" of this book. Was nothing than vampires that needed to be shipped back to the era of Twilight and all the other vampire-crazed books of the early 2000's YA genre.

Overall, I think this book just didn't match my expectations. Which is not the fault of Mara Rutherford. But my own.

A sinister and engaging gothic story with well developed and interesting characters. A really good Poe re-telling!

Overall, this book was a wild ride from start to finish that I enjoyed (for the most part)

A Multitude of Dreams is a dual POV that follows a charming grave digger and a Princess who is not what she seems in a world that has been ravaged by the Mori Roja - a plague known as the Bloody Three due to its method of killing. Seraphina has spent the past four years in a charade, pretending to be the king's youngest and favorite daughter Princess Imogen. In reality, she is just a Jewish girl who was essentially kidnapped from her family to put on this charade for the mad king by her "sisters". Every day that goes past makes her yearn more and more for the outside world and the life she once knew. Nico is a grave digger, servant, lackey, and whatever else he needs to be at his master's house. One other thing about him - he is immune to the mori roja. Everyone at Crane Manor is. When Lord Crane sends Nico out to find any survivors at the castle, Nico can't help but feel that his master has ulterior motives.

I really enjoyed this book. I was a little confused during Seraphina's first chapter before I knew what her situation was, why everyone was calling her the wrong name, and why she was having a 20th birthday party if she wasn't yet 18. However, once it was explained, it all made sense and I was fully on board with the plot again. I felt like she went through some real change throughout the book, as much as can happen to someone who has been trapped in a castle for four years. It wasn't as much as I would have hoped for, but she left the story different than how she started. She stopped using her planning for herself and instead started to help the castle and all the people in it.
Nico was easier to understand from the start, although I didn't quite get the undying loyalty to the man who "saved" him and then thrust him into his servitude. Not really giving benefactor vibes but sure. I will admit that he is charming and resourceful and all the things he is meant to be. However, it didn't really feel like he went through much change. He had the internal struggle over whether his master was really evil or not, and when that was over all that was left was what we had to begin with, minus that loyalty. I would have liked to see him trust Seraphina with her own safety more, or guide her on how to defend herself.

My biggest issue with this book is the ending, specifically the pacing. Right up until the last 20% is was hooked and enjoying the ride, it was a quick pace that was easy to understand and follow. However, once we got to the final conflict and resolution I was suddenly rushed through it and left wanting more. I feel like the final battle could have been drawn out more and planned better.

Overall, I did really like this book, I enjoyed the relationship between the characters and how they ended up helping each other. This was also my first book by this author, and it has convinced me to pick up her other books now!

I received this ARC from NetGalley and Inkyard Press in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have really enjoyed Mara's past work and this is no exception. This immediately caught my interest from the first chapter. A princess in a castle, but it all goes downhill very quickly. There is a plague, called the bloody plague, that has swept the world by storm and the King Stuart decided to bar the doors and windows and ride it out.

This book flip flops between Princess Imogen and Nico, a servant at a manor. His master, Mr Crane, is immune to the plague and has gathered others that are also immune and they live together there.

There were a lot of twists and turns to this book, and the outcome was really unexpected! The ending did drag slightly but overall I really liked this book!

I was super excited to read this, especially since I really enjoyed The Poison Season and while I didn’t dislike the story, it wasn’t as good as I had hoped for.

The characters were good but the story felt a bit lacking but also forced. If that makes any sense. Nico was a little bland but I could see him and Seraphina’s relationship growing.
Towards the end I was a little confused about what happened to Henry and then he appeared again at the literal end- but where was he?!

Again, I don’t think this was bad, just a bit meh.
But that cover is fantastic!

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC!

A dark, mysterious, and gothic story, Mara Rutherford's A Multitude of Dreams deals with heavy topics such as identity, religion, and the aftermath of something as devastating as a pandemic. The story, coming on the coattails of the worldwide COVID pandemic felt poignant and necessary. The characters, all struggling to realize their goals and regain the identities in the wake of disease, felt very relatable. Many struggled with feelings of vulnerability and helplessness as they fought for solutions to their larger problems. Love this adaptation!!!!

I started reading this book at the perfect time. The autumnal air has been making its appearance this week, and that meant the perfect atmosphere to "crack open" a book about a plague called the Red Death. This is an ARC I got from NetGalley (so thank you!) and I've been really intrigued by the premise. For all who are curious, it comes out on Tuesday (the 29th). It is apparently a retelling of the Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allen Poe, but I'm unfamiliar with that work of his. (So I apologize for not being able to go into that comparison!)

With that said, the beginning is a little confusing - in a good way! You're left intrigued by these odd situations and peculiar wordings. There are two view points: one is Nico - a scholar turned grave digger at an estate run by a Lord Crane - and the other is "Seraphina", a princess who goes by Imogen who is locked in a castle thanks to the mad king (her father). The king had barred the castle when he took refuge, thus imprisoning several hundred lords and ladies, and servants. For four years, they've all be trapped. If they were to leave, the King would have had them killed. In fact, the area just outside the castle is littered with bodies in various stages of decay.

But here, the real dilemmas begin to unfold. The food is running out inside the castle, and a new kind of predator appears to be on the loose in the woods.

While the beginning needs to be taken at face value, you do get everything sorted in good time! It made for an intriguing book, and I am so glad I was able to enjoy it all. It's been a long time since a book in this genre has held my interest. It's gothic with a bit of a romance. (But don't worry, the fade to black spice doesn't happen until the last few chapters.)

I cannot wait until this is officially released so I can buy myself a copy. I'm not inclined to read the original work by Edgar Allen Poe, just so I can see the references! (Well, the references beyond the Red Death, anyway.) If you're in the mood for a masquerade, an ole-fashioned plague, imposters, vampires, and impending starvation - then this is the book for you! (Lol)

Retelling of Masque of the Red Death with a Jewish take.

This book hooked me from the start. I love a gothic inspired setting with a hint of mystery! The kingdom has been taken over by the mori roja and the king refuses to believe it. He holes up in the castle with his 4 daughters and subjects. The problem is one of his daughters is not his read daughter. She died with the mori roja. This book follows Seraphina AKA princess Imogen.

After everything was let of of the bag I think the story started going a little downhill as well. It wasn't bad per say just not at entertaining as the beginning.

Actual Rating 1.5

Princess Imogen has spent the last three years of her life with other nobles who have boarded themselves up into a castle to avoid the plague. But Princess Imogen isn’t really a princess, and while her “sisters” know this, King Stuart doesn’t know the truth and they hope to keep it that way. Food runs short and rumors fly, causing tensions to rise. When they receive a visitor from the outside world who claims to be a prince, Imogen wonders if there’s more going on inside and outside the castle than she realized.

This story is told from a dual POV of Serephina and Nico. One thing I disliked was that the parameters of this world were so muddled. It begins reading like a traditional fantasy, likely pseudo-European. But then the Jewish people/culture are introduced as part of this world but just casually in passing. But then, there are also vampires? I enjoy it when real-world aspects can be incorporated into a fantasy setting in a way that is immersive and adds to the setting AND adds to the real-world aspect. However, I don’t think the author did a good job with either of these things.

First, the introduction to the fact that there are Jewish people in this world is jarring and comes from left field, then it’s hardly incorporated again until halfway through the book. And the way it was used, it felt like the author could have taken any cultural identity or minority that has been persecuted in the past and insert it – there was nothing that explored or added to the history or struggles of the Jewish people the way this was used. God was only mentioned once, and with no other mention of religion or deities, it left a large chunk of necessary information out. Side note, the author also used the word “pogrom,” which wasn’t really in use until the late nineteenth century, further confusing the world of this book.

Second, including vampires changed the story drastically, and not for the better. It made the plague itself less impactful, there was no real explanation of why vampirism and the plague were connected in some cases, and the author’s vampires basically could just do whatever they wanted. They weren’t a classic portrayal of the monster, nor was there a good explanation for why daylight didn’t affect them, they could just waltz in and out of wherever they pleased, and why their sense of smell was super heightened except when the author needed it not to be for the plot to move forward (these are just a few examples).

The characters were unfortunately not well written. They were lacking in depth and development, which made it impossible to connect emotionally to any of them. It almost felt like they were each given one trait and that was made their entire personality (there’s even an instance where the author lists out singular traits for some of the secondary characters, and it really is the extent of how they’re written). There were also several plot holes that led to an unsatisfying experience by the end of the story. I think I could have enjoyed this one slightly more if I hadn’t been told it was based on Poe’s story (and one of my favorites of his). But this interpretation lacked the atmosphere, tension, and immersive setting of the original.

I don’t mind suspending belief to enjoy a story, but this one was lacking in so many important places that it read like more of a draft than a finished work. Unfortunately, even if you tend to enjoy YA fantasy and retellings of classic stories, I don’t think this one would be enjoyable. The cover is lovely, though, so at least there’s that. My thanks to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for allowing me to read this work, which will be published August 29, 2023. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

SUCH a fun take on Masque of the Red Death. We have a tale of a fake princess, a gravedigger and a setting that very much feels like a medieval plague.

A Multitude of Dreams is definitely a very readable book and I found the POV characters to be engaging and move the story along in a good way. The beginning was a slow build but I found it to be very atmospheric and engaging.

Problems I had were that the ending to be extremely rushed and didn’t feel the fear or tension of the locked door scenario. The story ended up moving so fast that the build up and tension I felt in the beginning was totally lost.

Overall, a good read. I had a fun time and did enjoy the Jewish representation with a bit of a history lesson.