Thank you to Disney Hyperion Publishing for granting me an ARC copy of the book via Netgalley and Graci Kim for writing it!

What a whirlwind of dreams, ideologies, and learning about family. I was already ecstatic to read Graci Kim's newest book, Dreamslinger, but I never knew how much I really needed it. In a world of chaos and turmoil, it's so nice to have a book this whimsical and imaginative. For some context, Dreamslinger takes place in our world with a key difference: Some people are born with a special genetic mutation that allows them to enter the Asleep, a magical realm that takes place in their dreams. This gene also allows them special powers. Aria Loveridge is a fourteen-year-old girl who goes undercover in an effort to save her father and her home, entering the dangerous Dreamslinger Trials in the mysterious and secretive kingdom of Royal Hanguk.

First off, what a magical first entry. It is jaw-droppingly inspiring how much work Graci and Disney have put into this book. I found myself stopping to Google multiple Korean terms and games throughout my reading. Also, dreampanions?! 10/10, I need one in my life NOW. The political aspect of this book is also so prevalent in the book, especially when seeing how the trials that Aria enters challenge not only her viewpoints, but also how readers can see the faults of the Dreamslinger League as well. It was also great to see all of the diversity in the novel as well, I'm a sucker for kids being able to see themselves in stories, it's so important to feel represented.

The magical school aspects of the novel take center stage as well. The way the Asleep is woven together with Aria's trialeer life and the daily lives of Royal Hanguk is super well-done, and the worldbuilding, while simple, leaves enough out for readers to truly get immersed. It's also, of course, refreshing to see another novel give their take on the magical school genre; more books in it are needed more than ever.

Overall, I loved the book. While some parts of the dialogue were a bit lackluster and boring, any reader in the age group is gonna be absolutely enthralled with this new series. And I look very, very forward to the next book in the series. Alas, there's nothing in the Asleep that can make time go faster, is there? :D

3.5 stars. This book reminded me a lot of Harry Potter. Aria is a girl who has magic dreamslinging abilities but lives in a place and with people that make her feel she should hide this part of herself. In trying to help her father, she gets a chance to go to Royal Hanguk, a small kingdom within Korea where Dreamslingers are revered. She enters the trials to become part of the Royal League of Dreamslingers. She meets friends who become like family and learns secrets along the way.

The world building in this was wonderful. I’m still not 100% sure what a Dreamslingers does or why but I look forward to finding out!! While I enjoyed the characters, I would have liked to have learned more about them. I think the book was a little too short to do that, but hopefully there will be more characterization in the sequels.

Overall, a great book that I think fantasy loving middle schoolers will enjoy. I will definitely recommend to my students!

Thanks to the author, Disney Hyperion and NetGalley for opportunity to read the ARC.

Dreamslinger by Graci Kim is a magical school adventure full of wonder. Aria is young and having only grown up a certain way she is forced to find out the truth about everything she thought she knew and with a whole host of strong supporting characters to back her up she finds grows and finds herself.

This book did start out a little predicatable. It was giving "Harry Potter vibes", but but the end it had morphed into an impressive world unlike others I had read before. I think that my favorite parts of this book were the same things I loved about her Last Fallen Star Series and that was the Korean culture sprinkled throughout the book. I was also impressed by all the different (original) magical elements that Kim was able to come up with. They gave the story a sense of wonder that I love finding in middle grade books. I will be honest, Aria was not my favorite character but her growth is very evident throughout the story and I think in the next one she may be able to win me over. The supporting characters were what really made this story for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

What an absolutely charming read! Dreamslinger by Graci Kim has everything you’d hope for in a middle-grade fantasy—imagination, heart, and adventure—but with a unique twist of Korean history, rich cultural details, and magical lore that makes it truly stand out. It’s a whimsical story that had me chuckling one moment and tearing up the next.

Graci Kim’s storytelling shines in how beautifully she weaves Korean culture into the narrative. The descriptions of traditional clothing, food, and homes bring the world to life in a way that adds depth to both the setting and characters. You can feel the love and care poured into every detail.
At the center of the story is Aria Loveridge, a young dreamslinger tasked with helping to control and restrain dangerous dream magic. When an important event for her father—who’s been working on a project to help dreamslingers—takes a sudden and chaotic turn, Aria finds herself entangled in a mystery involving two dreamslingers who’ve harnessed forbidden power from the world of Asleep. Her journey leads her to the dreamslinger trials, where she goes undercover as a spy in hopes of making her father proud.

But nothing is as it seems. Along the way, Aria uncovers secrets, makes unexpected friends, and learns powerful lessons about identity, trust, and the true meaning of family. Her growth throughout the story is heartfelt and rewarding to witness.

I especially loved the supporting characters—Librarian Yong and her snackpan tree, Lion, and Tui—each one vibrant and memorable in their own way. They brought warmth, humor, and emotional resonance to the story.

For a middle-grade novel, Dreamslinger packed in more twists than I expected, and I genuinely didn’t see them coming! They added so much excitement and made the story even more enjoyable.

If you’re a fan of Harry Potter, Amari and the Night Brothers, or Nevermoor, you’ll find so much to love in Dreamslinger. And yes… I think I need my own dreampanion too.

Dreamslinger presents a vividly imagined world with a rich mythology that uniquely blends dreamscapes with reality. The integration of the four elemental guardians at the beginning effectively establishes the stakes and adds a sense of foreboding that resonates throughout the story. Aria's character arc was compelling and her struggles with identity, loyalty, and power were deeply engaging.

10 years ago, 14-year-old, Aria Loveridge lost her mother in the Great Outburst. Her father is the leading expert on Dreamslinger Welfare. Together, the two live at the Resthaven Home for Dreamslingers. Born with the Dreamslinger gene, Aria doesn’t get along with her father. When the Royal Hanguk’s Dreamslinger League announces the opening of trials for teenage Dreamslingers, Aria knows she must go. Not only to learn about her powers, but also to prove to her father she’s not cursed. Things at the trial don’t go as planned. Her dreampanion Rio is born missing part of its tail and struggles to fly. The two have trouble working together. The longer she spends in Royal Hanguk, the more she discovers secrets from her mother’s past. Who was her mother, really?

The mystery-filled plot is engaging and well written. The characters are sassy, realistic, and well developed. The world building is fantastical, creative, and draws readers into the novel. Readers who like Rick Riordan, Korean mythology, fantasy, and adventure will want to pick this one up. Recommended for most library collections. Grades 5 to 9, 5 stars

I first became acquainted with Graci Kim's work in the world of Rick Riordan Presents. Dreamslinger is a wonderful story in this author's own universe -- fantasy-oriented with a strong central character who is relatable, and prose that is well worth enjoying with young readers. I recommend this for school and classroom libraries.

As the first in a new middle-grades fantasy series, this set the stage for exciting adventures to come. I think that this book will appeal to pre-teens who enjoy Keeper of the Lost Cities, Percy Jackson, and learning about Korean culture.
While the world-building was fun and the characters were wholesome, I do wish that a bit more happened in the story and that some events had more fleshing out. Hopefully the next in the series will do even more to draw the reader in.

Thank you NetGalley for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
This book is similar to other middle grade novels that follow the same formula of having to go through trials or tests in order to prove their powers. The world building was different in that it surrounds the four seasons, and each trainee grows their own familiar or sidekick pet. The writing felt a bit strained at times or lacking. However, the plot twists at the end were surprising and exciting, leaving a nice cliffhanger that will pull in readers to wanting to read the next book.
The setting and imagery are fun with an Asian influence, and while some parts were slow, the pace did pick up towards the end. The theme of found family is a common theme seen in middle grade novels, but I wish the author wouldn’t have TOLD us the theme and would have just SHOWN us the theme. I think kids are smart enough to know this is the theme without having the be so explicit, almost insulting. I think the author needs to trust the readers a little more. It makes it feel forced when the author lays it out with so much talking about “found family” instead of just letting it happen organically and giving it more time to breathe and develop.
Overall, I ended up enjoying it after getting more into the story and getting to know the characters more.

I was fortunate enough to be added to Graci Kim's official Dreamslinger group, which included receiving a six chapter sampler of this title.

However, there was no way that I was going to be content with only reading six chapters, and I am so grateful to Netgalley and the Disney Publishing group for allowing me to read the full ARC.

I was absolutely enchanted by the world that Kim was able to create and build as the story went on. Some of my favorite elements being:
Butterfly Mail
Mood Menus
A Harry Potter Sorting Hat-esque experience

There were parts of this story that were predictable, but I was really happy with how the plot played out, and how it left burning questions that will (hopefully) be answered in the next book.

I am always on the lookout for a Fantasy series to recommend besides Harry Potter, Wings of Fire, and Percy Jackson, and this will be one of them.

This was so, so good. I usually don't expect this level of world building in a middle grade and I was pleasantly surprised. Loved it.

If you have young readers who are enthralled with magic, dragons, Harry Potter and Asian culture, then this is the book to recommend to them.
Aria has always been ashamed of the uncontrollable powers that the nightmares give her and fortunately, her father runs a "home" for people who have similar disadvantages where they are taught ton control, contain and maintain so as not to hurt society in general. But when an opportunity arises for Aria to attend the most secretive and elite Dreamslinger training school near Seoul, Korea as a spy, she goes with the intention of providing information back to her father for the destruction of the center. Aria experiences true friendship for the first time there and comes to understand something about her past and that of her dead mother which will turn her world inside out. Not knowing where she fits between these two different worlds, Aria must find her true self in order to claim her own happiness.
With an interesting blend of modern day and ancient Korean lifestyles and folklore, Dreamslinger is the perfect vehicle for kids who may think they are outsiders but who may indeed be the wisest of their peers.
Can't wait for the sequel!

This book was really well done, cleverly world build but not too dense for kids to love, full of heart and a little suspense but not too much. I love the pokemon feel it had too. My favorite part was the other language words for emotions strewn throughout.

This book is full of imaginative characters and the author paints a picture filled with Korean culture. It also highlights prejudices and how being different can impact a person. The theme of perseverance and being true to oneself is rich in this novel. I look for to the series, and will recommend it to students that enjoy reading mythology and other cultures.

A wild, magical, petal-strewn fizz of a book! DREAMSLINGER is one banger of a series opener, with the kind of in-depth lore (and personality-based factions, let's be real) that I love reading about in middle grade fantasy. It's cute, accessible, and chock-full of joyful details! Some of the worldbuilding was a little harder to parse (like, I don't know, it's weirdly valid to be afraid of people who are VERY MAGICALLY DANGEROUS? Bigotry, not okay. Caution in the face of something, again, VERY MAGICALLY DANGEROUS? I mean ... yeah?). The plot swirls and whirls, and while it occasionally felt bogged down by too many threads, it was nevertheless super enjoyable. I can see this being a hit with kids--and, above all, LOOK AT THAT COVER!

This fun new fantasy book is perfect for fans of Amari and the Night Brothers or The Marvellers. Kim has crafted a unique magical system and world that seems relatively well-fleshed out for a first in a series and the characters are complex and engaging. Aria's understanding shifting from what her dad has taught her to a grasp on the outside world felt pretty realistic and her difficulties reconciling her original mission with her newfound friendships and learning was engaging and accurate. Overall, a definite recommend, especially for readers looking to broaden their magical horizons outside of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson.

This is the first novel in what will clearly be a series. It's an alternative to the Harry Potter series and features a female hapa main character and set in a secret magical contemporary Korea. Lots of the now well established secret magic school for kids tropes are present, including houses with a single primary characteristic, magic sorting, magic pet, pureblood (in this case “legacy kids”) bullies, teachers who hate the MC for something their parent did, and even an invisibility-cloak-turned-hanbok. The plot is extremely predictable, but still fun. I felt the reading level feels low for a book about 14 and 15 year olds, but it is being marketed at 10 and up so YMMV.

**e-ARC received in exchange for an honest review.**

This is a super cute late elementary school-early middle school novel. It touches on themes of belonging, the tension between home values and the values one experiences out in the world, and personal identity. It has very accessible languages for the most part.

I loved a lot of the individual pieces of this book, but as a whole, I'm realizing how little I was invested in it. I found myself bored often and putting the book down. I am Korean and was excited to read another Korean fantasy MG chapter book (I had read and enjoyed Kim's The Last Fallen Star, though I haven't yet finished the trilogy), so I found my lack of interest in this one to be disheartening. Points for the goooooooorgeous cover, though.

Thanks to NetGalley & Disney Publishing Worldwide for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.

A fun fantasy series that kids are sure to devour quickly. It's pretty easy to get into and the protagonist is emotional yet sweet.

My main issue is the writing isn't super great but it's got a lot of potential. The worldbuilding was a bit shaky and it still seems pretty messed up to just take away a kid's dream...animal...pet thing because of arbitrary rules. I still feel bad for the one kid whose seedling got axed by a maniac! It wasn't the kid's fault at all but he still got kicked out...

It also doesn't help that Dreamslingers are pretty overpowered and it's no wonder the rest of the world are afraid of them. It's the typical Zootopia problem--half the population is scared of the other population when they have claws and giant teeth. In this case, the protagonist accidentally set a guy's leg on fire and another Dreamslinger early in the book almost kills a kid by having them fall onto ice headfirst. You get why Dreamslingers are feared but often the book portrays them positively. It's not bad, it's just...iffy.

Still, an enjoyable read.