DNF at 21%

Cool concept, but the writing was as lackluster as the character development. Writing is for a younger audience and tries to have a storybook-type voice but it isn't strong enough. We are introduced to our main character and her immediate family but they all feel flat. Other reviewers mention that it is slow moving and I agree. By 20% in I would prefer to have moved solidly into the next scene, but we're still in development and thinking about rising action.
I picked up the ARC of this because one of my book subs had it on the roster for this year. I'm glad that I didn't spend the money.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown for the free ARC in exchange or my honest review.

Thank you so much Little Brown Books for the e-arc of this book!! I read Dream by the Shadows when it was indie published in October 2023 and fell in love with it. Young adult gothic fantasy is my favorite genre and this book alone makes me so excited to be a reader. The imagery in this book was beyond stunning and it’s very descriptive to create a dream-like state. The imagery is both gothic and celestial which is so cool. I think Logan has such a great way of making you flip the pages and unable to predict what’s going to happen next. The world building happens over time and a lot is revealed towards the end. The different kinds of characters were interesting like the humans, weavers, bringers and the demons. Esmer is such a great FMC who is troubled after her town is plagued by corruption in dreams but she is also a determined person too. The book explores themes such as deception and not everything being as it seems. It also explores self-acceptance. The Shadow Bringer is broody and tortured as well, and I love the similarities between him and Esmer. I think we need more broody MMCs in literature. My favorite scenes were the parties and dinners to show a different side of him beneath the mask. The romance is so sweet in this story. I’m such a big fan of this story! I wish I could give it more than five stars!

I feel like this story had a lot of potential but fell a little flat. The beginning was well paced and you got to know the FMC. The middle was slow paced while learning about the MMC. Then the end was fast paced and felt like everything was shoved together for a quick end.

I have so many unanswered questions and the epilogue has me wanting more. I hope there is another book because I would like to find out what happens next.

I really enjoyed watching Esmer grow into herself and find her inner powers. After she blamed herself for what happened to her family I was glad she was able to figure out that it wasn't her fault. It was the demon who is haunting her family.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Dream by the Shadows pulled me in from the very beginning. This mysterious darker fantasy romance full of twists will keep you guessing and turning the page to find out what happens next. I love a good misunderstood villain-gets-the-girl romance, and am dying to continue their story! The only thing I wish for is some dual PoV in the future - I would love to see some of the story from the Shadow Bringer’s side! Definitely one I recommend reading!!

***mild spoilers***

I loved the concept and the characters, I loved the lore that surrounded the dream world and its inhabitants. However I did feel like the relationship between Esmer and the Shadow Bringer was underdeveloped. Esmer would mention her attraction to or the pull or the tension with the Shadow Bringer, but it was never backed up within the text.

I would also say that the plot was a bit confusing about 30-50% in... the rules of what demons were inside versus outside and what was the difference and what was the purpose, as well as the interaction in the tomb felt very disconnected and confusing to the rest of the story.

I also did feel like the ending where the curse was broken... I don't feel like it was adequately explained how that even occurred other than he remembered? I just feel like there needed to be more development of the plot and character relationships within the text.

I did however enjoy the dreams, and the ball. It felt very ethereal and well done, the tension for them in that moment was very good and then when they came together and shared their feelings, that was also really nice and made me very happy to see.

I was genuinely surprised by how much I enjoyed this book, especially since it’s a YA novel. Personally, I usually gravitate toward adult reads with heavy spice, but despite that, this book felt perfect as it was. I didn’t feel like I was missing anything at all.
I was shocked to learn that this is the author’s debut book. Based on how incredible it was, I can confidently say I’ll be eagerly reading whatever she writes next.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good gothic romantasy...you won’t be disappointed! The story follows a young girl named Esmer, who lives in a world where dreaming is forbidden, unless you want to risk being consumed by darkness and demons. Esmer endures deep personal trials and failures that convince her she deserves the evil lurking in her dreams. Then, in the midst of one of her darkest moments, she meets someone she believes is the greatest evil of all...a punishment for her mistakes. But in truth, he turns out to be the one person who understands her more than anyone ever has.
If you love a good plot twist like I do, you’ll be hooked. Without spoiling anything, I’ll just say, sometimes people with good intentions still make terrible mistakes. The characters in this book carry such heavy emotional burdens that they begin to see themselves as the villains. But the true “villains” of the story must go on their own journey to find the redemption they desperately need. All it takes is the courage to do the right thing.
Side note to author - I need book 2 asap ! Keep up the good work, you are doing amazing!!!

DNF 15% 1.5⭐️ (simply because it has potential)

Thank you to net gallery for providing me with an e-arc copy of this book.

I was so excited for this one after seeing some of the promotional material and reading the description. The premise/idea has a lot of potential, and with some serious editing and reworking, could be great. However, I will be DNFing this one because the pacing is all over the place and I simply don’t understand what’s going on. I just felt overwhelmed and frustrated because nothing was fully fleshed out at this point, it felt very much like a first draft. Unfortunately, I just can’t commit to finishing a book that makes no sense after 15%. This is not ready for publication, but I definitely hope the author will rework it because it has a lot of potential.

*Thank you to the Publisher, the author, and Netgalley for providing me with a E-ARC of " Dream by the Shadows" in exchange for an honest review*


I liked the characters and the romance, but the world building needed to be fleshed out by....alot. I felt very confused by most of the book.

I've had the amazing pleasure of reading an ARC of @authorlogankarlie's DREAM BY THE SHADOWS, a self-published turned trad story following Esmer Havenfall and her journey through the land of the living and dreams to save her family, herself, and her world. This YA gothic fantasy tale features themes of loss/grief, redemption, and finding one's self from within (through the shadows).

Esmer embarks on a journey to save her enemy, the man of which stole her present and her future, the Shadow Bringer. He sends his demons through the dream world and claims the souls of innocent dreamers. Esmer finds that she is one with the shadows, somehow controlling them without her knowing. To overcome this plight, Esmer has to face the truths hidden within the Shadow Bringer's gothic castle prison while working together with the unlikely foe. Although most of the story consists of plot, rivalry, and discoveries of truth, it's Beauty and the Beast meets The Labyrinth.

The story is rather slow and sometimes its difficult to tell what's going on - which might be the whole point considering the book centers around dreams. In the future, it might help to identify exactly when Esmer is awake or dreaming since its difficult to tell sometimes. I'd also say the book is being advertised incorrectly. There aren't many romantic elements presented until around Act 3 of the book, unless this is intentional and the second book will be brimming with romance and lore. This book also reads as a predominantly fantasy based book with romance undertones instead of being a solid romantasy.

Logan Karlie has a beautifully descriptive writing style. You are instantly transported into all the dreams and layers of dreams Esmer and the Shadow Bringer have.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
☑️unique dream worlds
☑️descriptive writing
☑️shadow magic
☑️enemies to lovers

I loved the unique dream magic in this book. It was a really refreshing type of magic. The only part I didn’t love is that everything seemed to just come easily to Esmer; I wanted more learning of how to use the shadows she was given. I also think an explanation of why she has shadows would be helpful. How did she get chosen to have them? Random? Magic? I feel like so many things in this book are close to being perfect if they’re just explained slightly more or thought out slightly more. However, I still really enjoyed this book and would read a sequel!

It’ll be exciting to read the next book in the series when it comes out and see if Esmer can reunite with her family.

Dream by the Shadows is a beautiful, haunting gothic story with Beauty and the Beast Vibes. I really enjoyed this book and our two MCs.
The world and plot is unique and different from anything I’ve read before yet does have the enemies to lovers vibes I love. The beginning is a little slow moving but the author lays the world and background perfectly. I’m excited to get a beautiful copy to add to my shelf. Just look at the cover! I am definitely looking forward to book 2.
Thank you Netgalley and Little Brown Books for the ARC.

Something about this book immediately intrigued me. Not sure if it was the cover, the Beauty and the Beast comparison or the Labyrinth one.

I enjoyed the premise of this book immensely. It was full of twists, turns and layers with strong world building! Kind of gives off an Inception vibe, because as you enter the Dream World, you go deeper and deeper and you lose track of if you ever climb all the way back out. This element of the story really kept you wondering what would happen next and if it was even all real. To go along with the storytelling, there are a handful of characters that I enjoyed. The concept of the Weavers, the Dreamers, the Light and Shadow Bringers and the Corruption was also refreshing as it was just different enough from what see in other books to be all its own! Trying to unravel the story as we moved through the dream layers was engaging and kept me guessing.

Huge thank you to the team at Little, Brown Books for the opportunity to read this as an eARC via NetGalley! I’ll be keeping an eye out for book 2, especially after that last chapter!!

Karlie weaves a rich and mystical world that feels, at turns, like a glittering fever dream and shadow-threaded nightmare. As with dreams and nightmares, the story infuses its reader with aching sorrow, loneliness, and longing. Dream by the Shadows brings to mind all of the gothic stories it compares to: Beauty and the Beast, The Phantom of the Opera, and The Labyrinth, and it modernizes while simultaneously offering an entirely new tome to the library of beloved tales readers are bound to pull from the shelf for generations to come. I loved the magic and power system the story offers and its hero and heroine who walk its darkness-tinged blade. This series-opener presents a beautiful introduction to the world of Norhavelis, Noctis, and the dreaming spheres beneath, above, and beyond.

Dream by shadows was such a wonderful, fun read. It was a mix of a Beauty and the beast retelling and a Labyrinth. I loved the magic, love, romance of it all.

A really fun concept and such a fun blend of Labyrinth and Beauty and the Beast and the imagery of Duskwalker Bride series. There were times that it was definitely hard to get into--maybe it was just me but I found it hard to follow at times--but it was well worth it the struggle. The first half of the book is mostly dedicated to world building and fleshing out the characters leaving the second half to have more of the action and the things I had personally been looking for in terms of the dream walking and the mystery and romance aspects being explored. The imagery and descriptions in the book were insane, specifically the first chunk being so scary which is super good! The last maybe 70 pages of the book were hard to put down especially, really really enjoyed the pacing and height of the climax. Can't wait for the next installments!

Gorgeously written and emotionally charged, Dream by the Shadows is a tale of sacrifice, power, and heartache—perfect for fans of gothic love stories, slow-burn enemies-to-lovers, and immersive world building. This one lingers like a dream you half hope to forget and half long to return to.

I had very high expectations for this story and was extremely excited to receive the ARC. However, for weeks I've been feeling like I've had to force myself to pick it up, and I'm still just under halfway finished.

I feel like the plot is intriguing, but not well thought out because I'm often confused and wondering if I've missed something. The plot is creative and quite unique, but the writing feels adolescent and repetitive.

Unfortunately, I'm going to have to DNF this story but will rate it based off of what I've read.

Dream By The Shadows Review

My rating 2.5

The plot and vibes were there! I was really excited to apply for this arc after seeing it on TikTok. However it fell flat for me.

I found the overall book very slow. I had a hard time getting into it! Which is sad because the first few chapters were promising and then it seemed to be switching directions and not sucking me in as it did before. There also seemed to be a lot of repetition in scenes. This is a YA book though and that may have been for driving certain points home. I found myself skipping over it though as an older reader.

The concept is a good one, for me though it just wasn’t executed. I will be giving it a 3 star in my online reviews simply because I think I’m the wrong audience for this. It is a YA book and perhaps that’s why I had trouble with it.

Thank you Netgalley for the earc!

Logan Karlie breathes fresh new life into old tropes IN DREAM BY THE SHADOWS. This book is an exhilarating read, complete with a riveting enemies-to-lovers romance and smart fantasy plot.

The story line and plot did not align as well as the character development. The world building was off and I feel as though it should’ve been more developed.