“Dreambound” by Dan Frey-(4 Stars) (Out Now!) is a fun, quick-paced, homage to stories and the power they have to not simply entertain, but become real to millions of readers and generations of listeners.

Positives: This story was told in the form of emails, recording transcripts, story excerpts, and journal entries, and as such the room for interpretation was there, while still guiding the reader through the story with a firm attachment to likable and dynamic characters. The format could be considered the “pieces’ of the story, that a future author can stitch together for a reader, but that’s exactly what every story is at its roots…a skillful and creative patchwork quilt of others stories brought together in new and inventive ways using translations and narratives, snippets and imagery from everything that’s come before. Enjoyed it simple, and have loved the occasional, “wait, that’s just like _____ movie that I watched when I was child in the 1980’s”.

Wish List: Because the story was a story about stories, I occasionally got bogged down in comparisons in my head…”wait, this is playing out just like _____” but that is also one of the positives of this story, and my inability to not hyperfixate on patterns is recognizably my own issue. I also wanted to care a little more about the damsel in distress, but it could be that the only ‘mother’ in this story is NOT one that I would identify with at all, so there were great characters but a single one that I felt similar to. It is also not the author's job to make me feel included, so…no real negatives.

As always, I appreciate the opportunity afforded me to have an early read by netgalley and Del Rey Books. The opinions in this review are expressly those of ButIDigressBookClub and are intended for use by my followers and friends when choosing their next book. #butidigress #butidigressbookclub #Dreambound #netgalley #netgalleyreviewer #delreybooks #DanFrey @delreybooks

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Publishing Review 9/18/2023

Byron Kidd’s world was turned upside down when his twelve-year-old daughter, Liza, disappeared. But he soon has hope. Then, an Instagram picture of his daughter in Los Angeles surfaces. Using his investigative journalist skills, Byron heads to Los Angeles to find his daughter. When it becomes apparent that the fantasy series his daughter loved has roots in reality, Byron must discard everything he knew about the world to save his daughter. Can he find Liza? Or will he disappear like his daughter?

I was not prepared for how much I enjoyed reading this book. I had seen it on the Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine’s NetGalley page, read the blurb, thought it was exciting, and wished for it. When I got the email that the wish was granted, I was happy but not overly so. Then I read the book, and I was hooked.

Dreambound isn’t written in your standard novel format. The author chose to write it differently. He used interviews, journal entries, text messages, emails, excerpts from Annabelle Tobin’s books (it is a series), and excerpts from a folktale book to tell the story. At first, I admit, I was a little iffy about it. I had read several books in this format (mainly journal entries) and wasn’t impressed with them. But the author made it work and did it in a way that kept me glued to the book.

The main storyline of Dreambound centers around Liza, her disappearance, and Byron’s search for her. It is a fast-paced storyline that has a ton of twists and turns to it. It is also well-written, and I loved the lore the author created.

I didn’t like Byron at first. I sympathized with him, but he was such a dick during the book’s first half (and well into the second). His ego was enormous, and his drinking was out of control. But, even though I didn’t like him, his love for his daughter showed through. He was willing to do whatever it took (faking emails from a publisher/breaking and entering) to find Liza. By the end of the book, my dislike of him did lift a little, but it never went away.

Liza broke my heart because I could see myself (at twelve) in her. She was awkward, loved reading, and loved anything fantasy. Liza used fantasy to cope with her father’s drinking and her parents fighting. So, it wasn’t a stretch for me to believe she could have been groomed by someone she met online and lured to Los Angeles.

The fantasy angle of Dreambound was fantastic. I couldn’t get enough of it. The author used a lot of folklore/myths to create the Hidden World and explain some of what was going on in the real world.

The end of Dreambound seemed almost fever-dreamish. What happened to Byron and what he did was nothing short of heroic for the Hidden World and Earth. I liked that the author had Byron’s story turn out the way it did. After everything that he went through and did, it made sense for what happened. The book section (where Annabelle reads the first chapter of her new book) of the ending was trippy, too. And lastly, what Liza did at the end made me wonder if there will be a book two or another book in this universe.

I would recommend Dreambound for anyone over 16. There is no sex or sexual situations. But there is language and violence.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Rey, NetGalley, and Dan Frey for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Dreambound. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

Actual rating: 4.5 stars

This book was phenomenal. I also received an ARC of Dan Frey's debut novel, The Future is Yours, which I sped through in a matter of days and enjoyed for its unusual format. The same goes for Dreambound. I love stories told in unconventional ways. We learn about the world of Fairy Tale and its influence, Liza and Byron's relationship, and many other story elements through recordings, transcripts, phone calls, text messaging, emails, and first person POV. The Fairy Tale novels are extremely fleshed out, as well as the mythology surrounding it. I can't help but think these fictional books were inspired by the real-world fictional Harry Potter series. The ending was a perfect fit and drums up a conflicting mix of emotions: sadness, hopefulness, excitement, awe, and satisfaction. I can't wait to see what Frey writes next!

I LOVE the concept of Dreambound, while the execution wasn't perfect, I still was enthralled by the story and had to know what was going to happen. I love when my fantasy reads a bit like a thriller, and that is what I found here.

I actually really enjoyed the concept of this story. It reminded me of a fantasy stranger Things, (I did see someone mention that in a previous review and that’s totally accurate but I’m not sure which review said it). I thought it was pretty fun especially with an adult dealing with fairies and fantasies rather than just the child.

The thing that fell short for me was that I hate epistolary formats because it makes me feel disconnected from the story. Maybe that’s just me but I’ve always hated that and didn’t know it was written this way. That being said I did like this but the letters made it less enjoyable for me.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.

Having read and loved Dan Frey’s The Future is Yours, I knew I wanted to read whatever he came up with next.

As with his last book, Dreambound is written as emails, texts, articles, journals, interviews, etc. It’s described as a thrilling contemporary fantasy book and the description does fit. I do enjoy this writing style which Dan does a good job at while relaying the story.

Byron’s 12 year old daughter, Liza, disappears and is presumed dead. Byron won’t accept this so he ventures to Los Angeles to do whatever it takes to find his daughter and encounters unimaginable things that his brain and heart just won’t accept. Does Fairy Tale actually exist?

About 80% in, the story becomes very full on fantasy with some surprising twists along the way, especially at the end which I enjoyed.

To be honest, I’m more of a science fiction fan, so while Dreambound held my attention as a contemporary fantasy and I did enjoy it overall, I was hoping for more sci-fi from Dan Frey. I do look forward to seeing what he comes up with next.

If you’re a fantasy lover, you will enjoy this book!

*Thank you so much to Del Rey Books and NetGalley for the gifted eGalley!*

DNF - i thought the premise sounded intriguing, but I just could not get into the book. I really disliked the dad, and didn't care for the format of a collection of emails, news clippings, excerpts from the book, and the occasional actual storyline thrown in. I really wanted to like it, but this one was just not for me.

Let’s just get this out of the way really quick: This book didn’t get five stars because I thought it was too long and I didn’t think the ending was earned. There we are. I don’t want to spend any more time talking about those negatives, because I want space to talk about other things.

This book is a manuscript mash-up that reminds me a pinch of The Starless Sea (in that sense that stories are being written all the time, are always in progress, and are mutable), every portal fantasy I’ve ever read, and every fantastical detective story I’ve ever read (except make them darker, more like Nick Harkaway’s cyber noir novels). Dreambound has a great balance of plot, characters, worldbuilding, and atmosphere, which is a tough juggling act to keep up. That may be why the book ended up being too long for my tastes.

Frey had gifted us an incredible book with a deep, rich tapestry: journal entries, audio transcripts, emails, text messages, investigative notes, short stories, fairy tales, book excerpts, newspaper and magazine articles excerpts, and more. This book, this story, wouldn’t have been possible to write without mixing the written media formats like this. The book would’ve been a long, boring slag had it been approached any other way. There were other parties who needed to have a voice in this story besides Byron, our main protagonist.

It was a nice touch for Frey to name his main protagonist Byron, for he literally does meet the definition of a Byronic hero: sullen, withdrawn, hard to like, hard to get to know, but a softy on the inside for the precious few who can get close. He has a drinking problem, his wife divorced him, and his relationship with his daughter had become fraught with tension. The thing is, it’s not hard to write a Byronic hero. Byronic heroes are a dime a dozen and have been around as a trope since before they were even called Byronic heroes. Ergo, Byron is a predictable character. Which makes for a pretty predictable story.

That’s not to say the book as a whole is predictable. That’s why we have supporting characters. And to Frey’s credit, all the supporting characters in this book are female. The supporting characters add all the color, all the unpredictability, all the surprises, provide all the guidance, and provide almost all the push back and intervention as well. There are a few interesting male supporting characters, but none stick around as long as the females. Now, this does create another trope-trap where we have a male stumbling through needing females to guide all his movements in order for him to get anywhere, but it doesn’t seem toxic in this story since a great deal of book is about the fandom for books by a female author where a female is the main protagonist of the series, so it makes sense females would be the guide posts for a dad whose daughter was a member of that fandom.

Frey really did put together a lovely story that’s woven together like a crazy quilt of folklore, fairy tales, modern narrative prose, urban fantasy, supernatural entities, memoirs, and what would be nonfiction in the world of this book. It’s a good read if you are willing to put in the time.

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All opinions, thoughts, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: Dark Fantasy/Epistolary/Fantasy/Fairy Tale/Folklore/Standalone Novel/Supernatural Fantasy/Urban Fantasy

Reporter Byron Kidd’s twelve-year-old daughter vanishes, leaving behind a note saying she left to explore the Hidden World. This is a magical land from a series of novels, and she's not the only one to have done so. Byron is determined to find the children and gets an interview with the eccentric author of the series. The truth is more fantastic than he ever could have dreamed, and trying to find his daughter might have him losing himself.

Told in epistolary format, we see the emails, journal entries, and interview transcripts as Byron searches LA. He meets a scholar of the series and host of the fansite and wrangled an interview with the reclusive author herself. He's overbearing and incredibly logic-minded from the start so his approach easily can turn others away. His persistence keeps him going, and as he finds clues that his daughter went from Boston to LA, the oddities continue piling up and start to defy a logical explanation. Magic and the fairy lands of the Hidden World start to bleed through, and it's by making the leap of faith of belief Byron can find his daughter.

I lost myself in this book much like Byron lost sight of objectivity in the search. This format feels at once close and distant because it puts us at a remove even as we're present for the journey. We're along for the ride, and it's quite a ride indeed. The parallels and overlap between the two worlds are fascinating and remind me very much of other novels that use parallel worlds and realities.

Rating: 4.21 leaves out of 5
-Characters: 3.5/5
-Cover: 5/5
-Story: 3.75/5
-Writing: 5/5
Genre: Fantasy, Scifi
-Fantasy: 5/5
-Scifi: 3/5
Type: Ebook
Worth?: Yes

Want to thank Netgalley and publishers for giving me the chance to read this book.

Dan you are a jerk. A jerk for making me miss my dad. A jerk for having me cry.

Now on to the book, I have been hitting the mark with these kind of books where it is formatted in text, emails, articles. etc. I really enjoyed following the dad but it was slow. I won't lie. I did struggle in some areas but when the action started to roll out it got so much better. I tool off some points for that and the mother. I hate her. A lot. How do you move on so quickly from your daughter missing? Iunno she just seemed like a very shit parent. Other than that it was a good book that is worth the read!

This one takes place partly in our world, and partly in a “Hidden World,” with a main theme being the ability to travel between the two. We are introduced to an author, Annabelle, whose best-selling fantasy books are revered by many. Several diehard fans – all kids – have gone missing over the years, and some conspiracy theorists think the disappearances are connected to the books. Did these kids successfully cross over into the Hidden World, and can they get back?

Our lead character is Byron Kidd, whose daughter is one of the missing. He’s a journalist, and starts out thinking these books and fans are all nonsense. But he’s desperate to find his daughter, so he’s willing to follow the clues… which lead him to weirder and weirder experiences.

Most of the book is really this “following the clues,” as Byron delves deeper and deeper into the mythology in the books. But the clues are also kind of like a scavenger hunt around Los Angeles, where the author lives. Byron is helped by Misha, a grad student in the area who runs a fan site dedicated to Annabelle’s books. Thankfully, she also knows her way around L.A., and can help Byron figure out where the clues are leading next.

There is also a nod to “Taken” here, as Misha teases Byron about being in his own “dad after his daughter” story. Pop culture references abound.

I enjoyed this book, as it is fast-paced and easy to read. The hunt around L.A., complete with many Hollywood references, was also fun – and I think it would have even more appeal to people who live in or have a love for the area. Obviously, it would also appeal to SFF fans looking for a fresh read.

Dreambound by Dan Frey is the story of Byron Kidd, an investigative journalist who has fallen on hard times, as he searches for his missing 12 year old daughter, Liza. The only clue to Liza's disappearance is a note, claiming Liza has gone to explore the Hidden World, which is a magical place from the girl's favorite book series. Byron discovers that Liza is not the only kid to go missing in conjunction with the Hidden World, and sets out to investigate the reclusive author of the series, Annabelle Tobin, and find his daughter through any means necessary.

The book is epistolary style, told through emails, book excerpts, journal articles, and more. I'm a big fan of these kinds of novels, but I just didn't connect with the story as told in this fashion. The premise of the novel is amazing, and the story has great elements, but I just wasn't compelled to finish it. I ended up giving up on the book at 68%, because it felt like a slog, with little to no stakes. I think I will go on to finish it, eventually, but I just wasn't interested enough to drag on. Thank you to Netgalley and Del Rey books for the chance to review this advance copy. Dreambound is on sale now!

A terrific, twisty journey into the world of fantasy fandom... and into the fantasy world itself. This story of a father's desperate search for his missing daughter explores the power of stories and belief, and is a complex, compelling read.

This book definitely found the right audience in me. I adore all things related to fairy tales and storytelling; old books and the stories that surround them are of great interest to me. Give me all of this in one story plus a toxic main character that is on a hero’s journey and I am all in.

I found it very refreshing to not be rooting for all the characters, even if what they are trying to accomplish is, in the end, the right thing, I didn’t feel the need to like them. I can root for a happy resolution to the story without the need for happy endings for everyone involved.

I loved the epilogue; it has the feel of the start of another great magical adventure.

Recommended for: adult readers that never outgrew their love for fairy tales

Content warning: child endangerment, violence, profanity

I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was completely captivated by this book. It sucked me right in and I just kept reading until I was finished. Couldn’t put it down. A very twisty story that is a delight to read. The less said the better as I don’t want to spoil the plot for anyone.

Dreambound is a novel within a novel. And while that may seem complicated or initially off-putting, the plot was acting like that.

The heart of the book is a father’s desperation and faith to find his missing teenage daughter. He literally goes across the country and beyond that. The journal and interview style formatting helped propel the story.

I liked this one. I think it could make into a great mini-series. At times it was thought-provoking and sentimental.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

The story is told through documents such as emails, journal entries, transcripts, etc. While this is somewhat interesting, I quickly got tired of slogging through several nonfiction formats. I'm a grad student and read plenty of that on my own. This book wasn't for me.

(This review is based on an uncorrected e-galley of this novel)

I wasn't sure what rollercoaster I was getting on when I started this novel, but it was an absolute ride from start to finish.

Imagine if elements of Peter Pan, Harry Potter, and Narnia were smashed into one book, especially the parts where fantasy and reality intersect. This may not be everyone's favorite kind of fantasy, but I absolutely love fantasy worlds that interact with the real world.

Instead of being written as a traditional novel, Frey chose to tell the story through various media: interview transcripts, letters, journal entries, etc. which gave this novel a unique presentation that honestly made it more enjoyable for me. I can tell that this author is comfortable with writing in this style (probably because he's also a screenwriter) and this novel would translate easily into a movie (or a movie within a book within a movie if you get what I mean).

Dreambound follows the story of Byron Kidd as he desperately searches for his missing 12 year-old daughter, Liza, who disappeared after leaving a note in her favorite book, Fairy Tale. Despite the fact that no one believes him when he swears that she's alive and needs help, he presses on, far beyond what most would deem sane. But that insanity may just pay off in the end. You'll have to read it to see. Byron is not an extremely loveable character overall, but I followed his sentiment and like any hero's journey, he grows along the way, so he gets a pass on this one.

This novel was so trippy and mixed reality and fantasy incredibly well. I couldn't put it down after I started even though there were some points where it was slow (which was largely due to world building and backstories).

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an e-ARC of this novel.

Byron's 12 year old daughter Liza has run away and he's on a quest to find her. I'm going to be the odd one out- perhaps because fantasy isn't really my genre- but he lost me. Byron goes to Liza's favorite fantasy writer Annabelle for help and she's an intriguing character. This is told via a combination of emails, journals, and other formats, and that's also interesting, Unfortunately, the plot itself wasn't. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Perhaps if I'd read Harry Potter or the Neverendng Story.....

Dreambound by Dan Frey (Del Rey, $18.00 Paperback, 9780593158241 September 12, 2023)
As startling as it may seem, there are portals linking Los Angeles, California to the world of fairies, dryads and other mythical creatures. Author Dan Frey puts forth a thought provoking, fantastical story of what happens when a misunderstood young girl crosses over and her cynical reporter Dad commits to bringing her back or die trying in Dreambound.

Rabid fans clamor for the sixth and final installment and inevitable movie adaptation of a popular fantasy series called Hidden World by author Annabelle Tobin. Fact-based journalist Bryon Kidd chides his daughter Liza’s over her obsession with the books that focus on a troubled young girl who falls through a portal to an imaginary land fraught with danger and adventure. Convinced this other world exists, twelve-year-old Liza leaves a note to her parents and sets off to find a way to crossover.

The police conduct a fruitless search. Even taking to the airwaves and making an appeal to the public, Liza cannot be found. The last ping on Liza’s cellphone was in Venice Beach, then nothing. Byron’s wife Val accepts Liza is gone. Byron doesn’t. Their marriage dissolves. Positive author Annabelle Tobin has something to do with whatever happened to Liza, Byron rushes off to find his daughter on his own. The unimaginable forces of a new blended reality rise up to stop him.

Dreambound author Dan Frey takes a meta approach in grounding his prose with enough reality to capture both young and old alike in this powerfully written novel about our need to believe.
–Paul Dinh-McCrillis, freelance reviewer for Shelf-Awareness.com

Discover: An obsession over a fantasy book series blurs reality just enough to convince a young girl to leave home for a better life in the dark thriller Dreambound.