Fantasy

Dreams of the Dying

Downloads：4129
Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
Create Date：2021-08-22 09:53:23
Update Date：2025-09-06
Status：finish
Author：Nicolas Lietzau
ISBN：3982216737
Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary

If your mind is the enemy， where do you run？

Years after a harrowing war experience， ex-mercenary Jespar Dal'Varek has taken to drifting。 It's a lonely existence， but， barring the occasional bout of melancholia， he has found the closest thing to peace a man like him deserves。 Life is "all right。"

Or so he believes。 Hoping to turn the page， Jespar accepts a mysterious invitation into the beautiful but dangerous archipelago of Kilay-and everything changes。

Plagued by explosive social tensions and terrorism， the tropical empire is edging ever closer to civil war。 Kilay's merchant king is the only person able to prevent this catastrophe， but he has fallen into a preternatural coma-and it's Jespar's task to figure out what or who caused it。 As the investigation takes him across the archipelago and into the king's nightmares， unexpected events not only tie Jespar's own life to the mystery but also unearth inner demons he believed to be long exorcised。

Battling old trauma while fighting for his life， his sanity， and the fate of Kilay， the line between dream and reality blurs until only one question remains: If your mind is the enemy， where do you run？

Described as "Inception in a Polynesian fantasy setting，" Dreams of the Dying is a slow-burning， haunting blend of fantasy， mystery， and psychological horror， that explores mental illness， morality， and the dark corners of our minds。

The hardcover edition comes with an illustrated appendix that includes:

A short geographical overview of the Kilayan Archipelago
An essay on the history of the Archipelago and the Illumined World
A bestiary of the Archipelago's native creatures
Pencil sketches of the characters， as envisioned by another in-universe character
An overview of the seven Light-Born， the pantheon of the Illumined World
A Nehrimese tailor's impressions of Kilayan fashion
A guide to Makehu， the language spoken by the Makehu people， designed by a professional linguist
The Great Umbra and the Resurrection of the World， the creation myth of the Makehu
To the Moon I Say Farewell， a poem by Jespar's sister

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Reviews

Emmy Russ ， 2021-08-20 00:00

Alright， im not the best writer， but here you go。 I know your Work， im playing Enderal since it came out in 2016， spent hundreds of hours on it and its my favourite Game to this Day。 The Story and everything with it is just perfect in my Eyes。 So when i found out that you are writing on a Book roughly based or similar to Enderal i had to look out for it。 First i listened to the several hours long Youtube Videos and back then i loved the story， it was just amazing。 I followed or am following your Alright， im not the best writer， but here you go。 I know your Work， im playing Enderal since it came out in 2016， spent hundreds of hours on it and its my favourite Game to this Day。 The Story and everything with it is just perfect in my Eyes。 So when i found out that you are writing on a Book roughly based or similar to Enderal i had to look out for it。 First i listened to the several hours long Youtube Videos and back then i loved the story， it was just amazing。 I followed or am following your Project since then and now even listened to the newer Version on Youtube and read also the Preview， whatever i could find to get more of it。 I dont own the Book yet， but soon i will and oh my god i can not wait to read it all - this comes from a Person that never read a Book in her life apart from 2 Books in my Childhood。 I know this Book will fascinate me and im sure gonna tell anyone i know who loves these kind of Genres to read it。 Much love and keep doing what your doing Nicolas！。。。more

Bryan ， 2021-08-15 00:00

This was a great book and I can't wait for the sequel， but （view spoiler）[ why did 3 important characters 'fake die'， that was kinda lame。（hide spoiler）] This was a great book and I can't wait for the sequel， but （view spoiler）[ why did 3 important characters 'fake die'， that was kinda lame。（hide spoiler）] 。。。more

Monica Rodrigues ， 2021-08-14 00:00

So， I finished Dreams of the Dying， I had a high level of anticipation because I had read some very positive reviews， but the reality of reading far surpassed what I was expecting。 The author directs most of the narrative from the psychological aspect， and this was exceptionally executed。 Philosophical discussions， humour， metaphors are used with extreme skill， every sentence was written with impact， and nothing felt wasted， random， or exaggerated。“If you fight injustice with injustice， no matte So， I finished Dreams of the Dying， I had a high level of anticipation because I had read some very positive reviews， but the reality of reading far surpassed what I was expecting。 The author directs most of the narrative from the psychological aspect， and this was exceptionally executed。 Philosophical discussions， humour， metaphors are used with extreme skill， every sentence was written with impact， and nothing felt wasted， random， or exaggerated。“If you fight injustice with injustice， no matter how deserved it may feel， you’ll always end up as just another turn of the wheel。” Dreams of the Dying is an incredibly character-driven story， covering difficult issues such as mental illness and trauma， as well as themes such as power， politics， ambition， friendship， love and redemption。 The characters are very attractive， flawed， complex and morally gray， their emotions were palpable and vivid， and the philosophical discussions did much to enrich the plot and characterizations。 The dream sequences and frightening visions， which could be confusing， were on the contrary incredibly well made， easy to follow and disturbing。“The mind is a malleable thing。 Soil， if you're feeling poetic。 Depending on the seed， anything will grow in it， from graceful gardens to idyllic meadows， from weedy forests to foggy swamps。 Harmonious or chaotic， peaceful or perilous， healthy or ill – it's all a matter of seeds。” The Interludes in Dreams of the Dying are particularly interesting， I was immediately hooked by the vision of the character known primarily only as The Boy or The Man， they are like short chapters that provide much of the characterization and development of the anti-hero whose story is dark， visceral and incredibly captivating。The construction of the world is intricately and meticulously well done。 I can't wait to explore more of this world and see where our characters go。 There's also the magical system and its users， biomancer， psychomancer and the best and best explored， dreamwalker - that can enter someone else's dreams。The narrative can be bleak when it comes to depression and the ending was heartbreaking and touching。 Very well done Nicolas Lietzau， I read this book in kindle unlimited because I can't buy the physical edition， imported books are expensive in Brazil， but definitely when things get better financially I will insist on having your book series on my shelf。“You won't find out if you give up。” 。。。more

Alex Six ， 2021-08-14 00:00

Five years ago， the total conversion mod Enderal came out for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim。 To call it a mod is a disservice。 Enderal is an entirely new game built in Skyrim's engine by a team of dedicated professionals。 One of those professionals， Nicolas Lietzau， has since expanded the world of Vyn in the self-published novel Dreams of the Dying。Dreams of the Dying follows Jespar， a companion from Enderal， a few years before the events of the game。 He is a devout follower of determinist philoso Five years ago， the total conversion mod Enderal came out for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim。 To call it a mod is a disservice。 Enderal is an entirely new game built in Skyrim's engine by a team of dedicated professionals。 One of those professionals， Nicolas Lietzau， has since expanded the world of Vyn in the self-published novel Dreams of the Dying。Dreams of the Dying follows Jespar， a companion from Enderal， a few years before the events of the game。 He is a devout follower of determinist philosophy， a lover of beautiful men and women， an indulger of alcohol and drugs， and a sufferer of acute mental illness。 Without going into spoiler territory， Jespar has had a rough life。 Some of it's his fault， some not。 All of it weighs on him。 But， as he so often tells himself， life is all right。The story begins with Jespar in the Philippines-inspired island nation of Kilay， on his way to meet Nayima Oonai， wife of the capitalist-king Jaaros。 Jaaros has fallen into an inexplicable coma， and there couldn't have been a worse time。 Kilay is a mecca of social inequality， of rampant poverty。 Even the streams that run through the jungles are being privatized by the nation's Magnate ruling class。 With unrest reaching a fever pitch， Nayima has turned to Jespar and the doctor Lysia to find a solution before word of Jaaros's illness reaches the masses and bitter sentiment turns to open rebellion。I loved this book。 I've been struggling to read lately， but I burned through Dreams of the Dying's 700 pages in two days。 Jespar's characterization resonated with me （as a sufferer of mental illness） in a way that no other character has managed。 There were moments where Jespar's words and actions mirrored my own darkest moments to an eerie degree。 His depression-driven decisions never felt forced or unrealistic。 This is probably conjecture， but I think the freedom of independent publishing allowed Lietzau to write Jespar so honestly。 Every other novel I've read with a mentally ill character seems to hold back， as if the publishers worried that a character this self-destructive would hurt sales。 I'm thankful Lietzau didn't hold back。I'm loath to say much about the second POV character， The Man， but his story， told in fragments and flashbacks， is similarly engaging。The other characters， such as Lysia， Nayima， Jaaros， and others introduced later， are all strong voices。 No one felt There are a one or two moments where their actions feel more in service to advancing the plot than their characterization， but none were particularly egregious。 For example， I didn't totally buy Agaam's reasons near the end of the book， and the Big Speech， although good， felt a little anticlimactic。 I've noticed similar things in Eastern European scifi novels， such as Roadside Picnic and Solaris， both books that balance philosophy and story on a knife's edge。The worldbuilding is similarly impressive。 Lietzau worked with a cartographer and linguist to build a world that really felt alive。 Each interaction reveals a little more of Kilay in an organic fashion。 I can't recall any exposition dumps that made me zone out， as I have with some other worldbuilding-heavy novels。 Another strong point is how Lietzau uses the setting to explore powerful social issues， such as economic inequality， family strife， relationships （romantic， familial， and platonic）， sexuality， loyalty， mental illness and society's views of it。 As with the philo-scifi I mentioned in the last paragraph， this is the kind of book I want to talk about with someone。 Each character contributes a unique view on the world and its issues， which leads to some wonderfully heated debates。In theory， the magic system of Dimensionism is fascinating。 I didn't love it in practice， as it often felt like the characters just happened to have the powers that needed to exist for the story to progress。 It's always set up that they have these powers， and nothing comes across as， "Wow， I suddenly learned that I can shoot lasers from my fingers。" It's more。。。 well， like I mentioned earlier， things happening in service to the plot that strain characterization。Dreams of the Dying is dark。 It's brutal， blunt， and often uncomfortable， but rarely gratuitous。 Jespar drew me in like few characters have， and the tropical Kilayan Archipelago is an exciting setting in a genre saturated by medieval Europe analogues。 Not a moment feels wasted， and every question finds a satisfying answer。 One of my favorite games during reading was piecing together who was who on the front cover （it's a really good cover）。I'd highly recommend this novel to anyone who loves grimdark， or for anyone trying to better understand a friend or family member's mental illness。 I wouldn't recommend this to someone looking for a light read， or someone in a dark place mentally。 I am eagerly anticipating the audiobook， which is read by the voice of Jespar in Enderal。 5/5， and in serious competition with Hyperion for my best read this year。。。。more

Philip Crowther ， 2021-08-12 00:00

Practically a treatise on the experience of PTSD and a collection of essays on social/ethical philosophy framed in a fantasy setting。 This novel had a lot of high points for me: It is very much in that vein of contemporary fantasy writing that places a large focus on the internal movements of the characters' minds， emphasizing how they came to be who they are and how the factors that built up their particular personhoods direct their actions and beliefs， with much of the strength of the plot bei Practically a treatise on the experience of PTSD and a collection of essays on social/ethical philosophy framed in a fantasy setting。 This novel had a lot of high points for me: It is very much in that vein of contemporary fantasy writing that places a large focus on the internal movements of the characters' minds， emphasizing how they came to be who they are and how the factors that built up their particular personhoods direct their actions and beliefs， with much of the strength of the plot being tied to developments in the inner worlds of the characters and their responses/relations in regards to the strong external narrarative that is just as compelling。If any of my friends （or other random folks who may read this review） are into fantasy I would strongly recommend， if not buying this book rn， at the very least reading the other reviews of Dreams of the Dying as they are generally very consistent with the assertion I'm about to make in the tail-end of this sentence that this could be one of the best fantasy novels produced in the past few years and it's a shame that。 And， seeing as it is a self-published novel， much of the publicity for Dreams of the Dying will have to rely on word-of-mouth recommendations and chance encounters with the book， so I'm certain every potential reader helps。The books also gets a couple of big plus signs from me for these things as well: a fantasy setting that isn't just a rehashing of the same old tropes handed down to us from Tolkien and other European-style fantasy/fairytales; actual inclusion of main LGBTQ+ characters and actual plot-significant explorations of their relationships instead of keeping the gays as side-characters where their queer identities/relationships get mentioned but never really truly play a role in the story; the aforementioned treatment of PTSD/mental health; the （also aforementioned） focus on ethics/morality; and then， lastly （at least as far as this list goes bc I'm running out of the time I set aside to write this review，） the feeling that the book somehow changed me for the better， that somehow some of its musings on life are going to stick with me in some important way that I'm the better for。。。。more

Francois ， 2021-08-11 00:00

Just finished reading the book from Petrik Leo's book suggestions。 The central theme of mental illness along the lines of the book was treated with respect and was heartbreaking to read。 I like the magic system and how succeeding books can even build on it。 If you need someone to convince you to read this book， just head on over to Petrik Leo's page。 If you do decide to get it the book， just know there's an ongoing issue with the publisher who released a placeholder edition with the publishing d Just finished reading the book from Petrik Leo's book suggestions。 The central theme of mental illness along the lines of the book was treated with respect and was heartbreaking to read。 I like the magic system and how succeeding books can even build on it。 If you need someone to convince you to read this book， just head on over to Petrik Leo's page。 If you do decide to get it the book， just know there's an ongoing issue with the publisher who released a placeholder edition with the publishing date of October 28。 The version that the author wanted to release to the world is dated December 3 so just check that on the book details before you check out。 Please， this info has to get out into the world otherwise readers will be missing out on refinements the author and his team did to make the book a masterpiece。。。。more

An Phú ， 2021-08-09 00:00

5。0*！！！！！My favorite ！！！

Alexandru ， 2021-08-06 00:00

This book was massive mixed bag for me and also a rather unpleasant surprise。 The reviews are overwhelmingly stellar， I don't think I have seen a book with better reviews than Nicolas Lietzau's debut novel Dreams of the Dying。 When I started reading it I was almost sure that I would love the book because everyone seemed to praise it， including well known booktubers and reviewers。So why was it a mixed bag？ First of all it is pretty obvious that this is a debut work， there are some very innovative This book was massive mixed bag for me and also a rather unpleasant surprise。 The reviews are overwhelmingly stellar， I don't think I have seen a book with better reviews than Nicolas Lietzau's debut novel Dreams of the Dying。 When I started reading it I was almost sure that I would love the book because everyone seemed to praise it， including well known booktubers and reviewers。So why was it a mixed bag？ First of all it is pretty obvious that this is a debut work， there are some very innovative ideas and some interesting social commentaries but they don't really work well within the overall story and sometimes they don't fit in。 The language and thinking of the characters are so modern that it breaks the immersion。 The story is supposed to take place in a medieval setting but it feels like everyone in the world comes from our own times。 Characters use immersion breaking terms like 'whistleblower' or 'terrorist'。 There are also parts when the characters seem to talk about complex topics such as the effects of capitalism， rich vs poor， cause and effect etc but it feels very out of character。 It's as if the author just wanted to make some political statements and inserted them in the book。 Of course， many authors do that but it feels quite jarring and in your face in this book。The romantic and sexual aspects of the book feel very weird and almost modern day Western teenager-like。 The book would have been better without them。 I know the author worked with a linguist to create a new language but all the names and words in this language are quite immersion breaking。 Sometimes there are way too many made-up words in a dialogue。The final 20% or so of the book is also very disappointing as the main story is already finished， the mystery is solved and the author just uses this last part to talk about mental illness。 It feels more like an appendix。 It is a very important topic and should have been more integrated within the main storyline。Despite all the drawbacks there are some very good parts of the book。 First of all the magic system and the dream sequences are very cool。 Actually wished there were more dream sequences as they were very well done。 Also， the switching between main chapters with main storyline and small sub chapters with past events is very well done and builds on the mystery。 It is also one of the first fantasy books that deals with mental health issues such as depression and suicide and the author deserves praise for this。Even though there are some good aspects in this book I will not continue with this series or with other books from this author。。。。more

Sven Risse ， 2021-07-30 00:00

4。75/5

Randy ， 2021-07-30 00:00

Phenomenal deep thought mode。

Tyson Kampenhout ， 2021-07-29 00:00

Fun， well-written （with one exception） Adult fantasy。 The characters feel real， and the creativity， action， and philosophical content has depth。 The only aspect that felt juvenile to me were the romantic relationships。 The romance aspect seem reminiscent of teenage angst， and the typical romantic arcs and tropes that my 15 year old son is going through right this moment。 "Does she/he like me？ She/he can't POSSIBLY like me， because I'm not worthy" type of stuff。 Other than that， I enjoyed the boo Fun， well-written （with one exception） Adult fantasy。 The characters feel real， and the creativity， action， and philosophical content has depth。 The only aspect that felt juvenile to me were the romantic relationships。 The romance aspect seem reminiscent of teenage angst， and the typical romantic arcs and tropes that my 15 year old son is going through right this moment。 "Does she/he like me？ She/he can't POSSIBLY like me， because I'm not worthy" type of stuff。 Other than that， I enjoyed the book。。。。more

Jitesh M ， 2021-07-28 00:00

An exceptional fantasy tale that explores various themes like dream worlds， magic， horror， mental trauma。Eagerly waiting for the next installment。

Katharina ， 2021-07-27 00:00

Wow！ What an unexpected read。

Samwise Banjee ， 2021-07-24 00:00

I DNF’d this about 80% in。 I really enjoyed the first half but the second half slowly fell apart for me。 I took a break from it thinking that might help but the opposite happened。 I struggled through another 70 pages before calling it’s time of death。 Really sucks because it’s one of the most beautiful and well made books that I own。

tina ， 2021-07-22 00:00

4。5 starsshow me the sunset trees when all this is over。

jasmin • febrvaryfriday ， 2021-07-21 00:00

I haven't been this conflicted on a rating in a long while。 This was one of my 5-star-predictions and， as you can tell， it sadly didn't meet my （very high） expectations。 But that's fine！ Nicolas Lietzau did an amazing job with this book and its themes and I understand why so many people fell head over heels in love with the story and characters he has crafted。 However， it just didn't completely match my personal taste。 I can't even pinpoint it because it's more of an overall feeling， or a vibe I haven't been this conflicted on a rating in a long while。 This was one of my 5-star-predictions and， as you can tell， it sadly didn't meet my （very high） expectations。 But that's fine！ Nicolas Lietzau did an amazing job with this book and its themes and I understand why so many people fell head over heels in love with the story and characters he has crafted。 However， it just didn't completely match my personal taste。 I can't even pinpoint it because it's more of an overall feeling， or a vibe if you will。 I didn't really connect with any of the characters and found myself not caring very much about what was happening to them。 I love a good plot and world building with all my heart， but if I don't care about at least one of the main characters， chances are I'm not gonna care about anything else either。 And this is exactly what happened with Dreams of the Dying。 The world building is beautifully done， as are the political commentary and the exploration of mental health。 But there was just something missing to make it a new favourite; it didn't quite hit the spot for me。 One thing this made me realize about my reading tastes， though， is that I LOVEEE （body） horror in fantasy！！ I will definitely be looking for more books with horror elements in the future！So， 3。75/4 stars it is， because I appreciate this novel for what it is and does， even though it wasn't exactly the novel for me personally！ I'm a little sad， not gonna lie， but it happens :） If you're thinking about giving this book a go， I highly recommend you do！。。。more

Sean ， 2021-07-19 00:00

In most fantasy novels with a grizzled veteran main character， they usually start out quite cold/unfeeling， and become more likeable as the plot progresses and they open up; Jespar on the other hand， starts out charming and likeable， and gradually becomes more closed off and unlikeable as the book goes on， there were parts of the book where I really hated Jespar and the decisions he was making。 So why did I enjoy this book so much？Its because the characters feel so real， Jespar， Agaam， everyone In most fantasy novels with a grizzled veteran main character， they usually start out quite cold/unfeeling， and become more likeable as the plot progresses and they open up; Jespar on the other hand， starts out charming and likeable， and gradually becomes more closed off and unlikeable as the book goes on， there were parts of the book where I really hated Jespar and the decisions he was making。 So why did I enjoy this book so much？Its because the characters feel so real， Jespar， Agaam， everyone is a product of both the people they used to be， and the people they （think they're） going to become。 What this results in a very organic story in which every time the plot is driven forward， it feels like a direct consequence of the character relationships advancing; and not just 'X' betrayed 'Y' because the writer didn't know how else to advance the plot。Its so satisfying for me as reader， to hear two characters arguing over their contrasting philosophies， on classism， for example。 Then to have the same argument revisited later on and having the two views changed based on significant plot events that occurred in between。 You really notice how the characters evolve as the page count goes up。Overall Dreams of the Dying is an unusual dark fantasy that drew me in with remarkably well thought out characters， witty dialogue and some really interesting themes of class inequality and trying to become more than just a product of your past。I would recommend it to anyone looking for a new fantasy to get stuck into。。。。more

T ， 2021-07-18 00:00

I should preface this by admitting that I'm not the most avid reader， my preferences in media are quite specific and thus， books rarely manage to capture me for their entirety。 This one did。Nicolas Lietzau's novel manages to tie philosophy， psychology and horror together in this one-of-a-kind fantasy story。 The Polynesian-inspired Kilay is fascinating and feels like a breath of fresh air compared to the typical setting that often feels closer to Medieval Europe - when thinking of islands like Ha I should preface this by admitting that I'm not the most avid reader， my preferences in media are quite specific and thus， books rarely manage to capture me for their entirety。 This one did。Nicolas Lietzau's novel manages to tie philosophy， psychology and horror together in this one-of-a-kind fantasy story。 The Polynesian-inspired Kilay is fascinating and feels like a breath of fresh air compared to the typical setting that often feels closer to Medieval Europe - when thinking of islands like Hawaii， I sure don't think political corruption and trips to the darkest corners of the human mind。 The diverse characters （quite a few part of the LGBT community and treated just as anyone else） are all memorable and deal with their individual problems - Jespar， the protagonist， especially resonated with me。 As someone who has also struggled with anxiety and self-hatred in the past， many of his unhealthy thought patterns reminded me of myself， but after many， many punches to the gut， the conclusion to his arc brought a smile to my face and a mantra that I'll keep in mind - "You won't find out if you give up"。That being said， if you're uncomfortable with heavy topics （self-harm， suicide， rape， depression， anxiety， body horror）， this book very likely won't be for you。 Though I can say with certainty that I love the book， there are a handful of things that could be improved。 Aside from Jespar and Jaaros Oonai， the characters occasionally feel underdeveloped and reduced to their function for Jespar's emotional rollercoaster。 The pacing feels odd at times; while the mystery's build-up seemed to take quite long， its conclusion felt brief。 These complaints might be more obvious and more of a bother to others， but despite these problems， Dreams was an incredible read; one that I have already recommended to friends and that I can only continue to recommend to anyone interested in the topics mentioned above - no matter if you have or haven't played Enderal before。。。。more

Chelsey ， 2021-07-16 00:00

"What is right and what is just is sometimes not the same thing" "You wont find out if you give up" These two sentences and more will live rent free in my head。 This book is in a league of its own and there's a reason for that。 It was monumental and meaningful and it tackled hard conversations。 If you havent read this book， what are you waiting for？！ "What is right and what is just is sometimes not the same thing" "You wont find out if you give up" These two sentences and more will live rent free in my head。 This book is in a league of its own and there's a reason for that。 It was monumental and meaningful and it tackled hard conversations。 If you havent read this book， what are you waiting for？！。。。more

M ， 2021-07-15 00:00

This book was so amazing。 It is gritty， character driven with super interesting politics。 The horror and body gore elements mixed with the fantasy were so perfect。。。 It kind of gave me the vibes of "A Nightmare on Elm Street" but make it fantasy and I loved it。 The characters and their journey and their relationships with each other mixed very well together。 And that ending。。。！！！！ This book was so amazing。 It is gritty， character driven with super interesting politics。 The horror and body gore elements mixed with the fantasy were so perfect。。。 It kind of gave me the vibes of "A Nightmare on Elm Street" but make it fantasy and I loved it。 The characters and their journey and their relationships with each other mixed very well together。 And that ending。。。！！！！。。。more

Thomas Bilodeau ， 2021-07-12 00:00

This was probably the most excited I had ever been about a book， which may have also contributed to my greatest disappointment。 To begin with， there was far， far too much information given about the characters and world。 The magic/fantasy was explained so extensively that at times it felt I was reading a medical journal。 At what point does magic become science or science fiction？ Character relationships felt flat and scripted， in other words， fake。 Modern day dialogue and gestures felt completel This was probably the most excited I had ever been about a book， which may have also contributed to my greatest disappointment。 To begin with， there was far， far too much information given about the characters and world。 The magic/fantasy was explained so extensively that at times it felt I was reading a medical journal。 At what point does magic become science or science fiction？ Character relationships felt flat and scripted， in other words， fake。 Modern day dialogue and gestures felt completely out of place in an old world setting， for example "Something moved in his guts， crawled up his esophagus"， "we already shagged"， "ditched in the worse way"， "cadavers" instead of bodies or corpes"， "wanna"， pinky swears， "given him the finger"， etc。I would've probably given it 3 stars if it had been set in the 1960's or 1970's and/or described as a psychic， horror， sci-fi， thriller。Too be fair， my review is based on the first 53% of the book。 I just could not continue reading it after that。。。。more

Lexi ， 2021-07-12 00:00

Not rating this。 It was good and I think id like to come back to it， but every time I picked it up， i was searching for something else to do/got distracted。 It put me in a huge slump despite being very cool and well written。

Arin ， 2021-07-09 00:00

4。5 out of 5 starsI thought that Dreams of the Dying was a really well done book。 I have never read anything quite like it。 We follow the main character， Jesper Dal'Varek， who is an ex-mercenary who suffers from bouts of melancholic depression。 He accepts an invitation where he must travel to the archipelago of Kilay， which is on the brink of civil war。 Once he arrives he learns that the merchant King has fallen into a mysterious coma and he is tasked with finding out who or what caused it。 As h 4。5 out of 5 starsI thought that Dreams of the Dying was a really well done book。 I have never read anything quite like it。 We follow the main character， Jesper Dal'Varek， who is an ex-mercenary who suffers from bouts of melancholic depression。 He accepts an invitation where he must travel to the archipelago of Kilay， which is on the brink of civil war。 Once he arrives he learns that the merchant King has fallen into a mysterious coma and he is tasked with finding out who or what caused it。 As he digs deeper into the investigation and meets people along the way， he unearths hidden demons from his past that cause him to question his sanity and make it difficult to tell the difference between nightmares and reality。I liked so much about this！ The nightmares were so vivid and creepy， and all of those scenes were my favorite parts of the book。 There was a lot of world building throughout， which I thought was done really well and really brought everything to life。 Overall， the story was slow paced and the book seemed to climax a little early which made the ending a little confusing。 The magic system was interesting and fun to read about。 This book was painful to read at times mainly due to main character's self sabotaging behavior （and he is the main POV that we follow）， but it definitely added to the dark tone of the story in a good way。In the hardcover edition there is a large appendix with tons of information about the world including maps， language info， bestiary， info about the clothes， sketches of the main characters， and more。I think people who love horror and reading about dark themes would enjoy this book。 Trigger warnings for suicide， depression， body horror， gross INSECTS。。。。more

Taylor ， 2021-07-08 00:00

4。5 stars。I haven't read anything like this before， and it was glorious。 I'm not familiar with the video game world this is based on， but you don't have to be to fall in love with this world， the story， and these characters。 This is a story about mental health， the subjective nature of reality， and how our actions cause a ripple effect。The setting of this book is lush， bursting with life （and death）， and the descriptions are vividly beautiful。 I could fully picture the archipelago with its varyi 4。5 stars。I haven't read anything like this before， and it was glorious。 I'm not familiar with the video game world this is based on， but you don't have to be to fall in love with this world， the story， and these characters。 This is a story about mental health， the subjective nature of reality， and how our actions cause a ripple effect。The setting of this book is lush， bursting with life （and death）， and the descriptions are vividly beautiful。 I could fully picture the archipelago with its varying cultures and tiered cities。 The characters were also extremely well fleshed out， and I felt connected to all of our main POVs。 My favorite part of this book was the political and philosophical debates that our characters had throughout the story。 Lietzau used these situations to lay all different perspectives of an issue on the table， and let the reader decide what they believed。 There was no overly dogmatic aspect to this book and it trusted the reader to draw their own conclusions; I love when authors do that。The final arc of the story and all of the characters were extremely satisfying to me。。。I love where everything ended up （and a few plot twists has me gasping out loud）！ The only thing that keeps this from a 5 star for me is I felt the conclusion of Jespar's （our main character） arc took too long。 I understand the author wanted to show how our mind traps us in cycles we feel we will never escape， but I found myself getting bored by those cycles in the last 100 pages。 Overall， if you want an introspective book that will make you think， and take a look at yourself from a different perspective， while immersing you in a descriptive fantasy world， this book is for you。I will definitely be supporting the author and purchasing physical copy。。。。more

Stefan Andrei ， 2021-07-08 00:00

I was late to the party picking this one up but I'm sure glad I did。 I came into the story with a bit of background from playing the Enderal video game and at least for one part， I remembered Jespar as a side character but little else。 It's been more than a year since I played it and is now due another playthrough after reading Dreams of the Dying。Nicolas Lietzau did an amazing job and created one of the most original fantasy works I have had the pleasure of reading。 It's dark， complex， and tack I was late to the party picking this one up but I'm sure glad I did。 I came into the story with a bit of background from playing the Enderal video game and at least for one part， I remembered Jespar as a side character but little else。 It's been more than a year since I played it and is now due another playthrough after reading Dreams of the Dying。Nicolas Lietzau did an amazing job and created one of the most original fantasy works I have had the pleasure of reading。 It's dark， complex， and tackles more difficult subjects than I would have expected in a fantasy setting。 Mental health， philosophy， social issues are some of the fun subjects interwoven within the story。 I cannot wait to see what's next after reading this one。What I liked most:I had no clue what was going to happen next and the reveals all surprised me。 It turned into a page-turner after the first half。What I didn't like:Start slow， takes a while to get your bearing。Uses modern language， not always appropriate for the fantasy setting。I bought both the Kindle and the hardcover edition。 The hardcover edition is an absolute treat。。。。more

Esmay Rosalyne ， 2021-07-04 00:00

3。5 starsWhat I liked:The themes， the mystery/intrigue， the engaging writing & the fact that this book has queer characters。What I didn't like as much:The political aspect of the plot， the characterwork， and some of the gory imagery （but I am a whimp， so do with that what you will）。 3。5 starsWhat I liked:The themes， the mystery/intrigue， the engaging writing & the fact that this book has queer characters。What I didn't like as much:The political aspect of the plot， the characterwork， and some of the gory imagery （but I am a whimp， so do with that what you will）。。。。more

Dennis Eoffe ， 2021-07-01 00:00

Well this was an interesting read - not quiet what I expected。 One it was really long and it felt like it ran out of steam towards the endthe best part of the book were the nightmares - there should have been more cool dream stuffand while the book revolves around mental instability - the main character is a whiny runt - all the romance was also not cutting it for meso overall it was ok but not as good as the hype

Jon ， 2021-06-30 00:00

Disclaimer: This book has a lot of content that might disturb sensitive readers。 Trigger warnings for: Rape， depression， suicide and suicidal ideation， body horror， vomiting， child abuse， and bugs。 Lots and lots of bugs。 This was a very， very taxing book emotionally。 Also just a behemoth in general- standing at just over 700 pages， it was my longest read of the month。I'll start with a broad， more face-value assessment before I dig into everything this book made me feel and contemplate; Nicolas L Disclaimer: This book has a lot of content that might disturb sensitive readers。 Trigger warnings for: Rape， depression， suicide and suicidal ideation， body horror， vomiting， child abuse， and bugs。 Lots and lots of bugs。 This was a very， very taxing book emotionally。 Also just a behemoth in general- standing at just over 700 pages， it was my longest read of the month。I'll start with a broad， more face-value assessment before I dig into everything this book made me feel and contemplate; Nicolas Leitzau is a gifted writer with some of the most beautiful prose that I've read in recent memory。 Seriously， this thing reads smooth as butter。 Even when the plot lulls （which isn't often） it's so easy to coast on because the writing is just wonderful。 Another thing that Leitzau really excels at is character building- apart from a complex and compelling protagonist， all of the side characters feel really solid and there are even a couple standouts that I'll remember for a long time coming。 Lastly， the worldbuilding is grounded and complex without feeling confusing or introducing too much information at once （I don't consider myself to be particularly gifted at following worldbuilding which has led me to struggle with books like Seth Dickinson's Masquerade） and Leitzau makes his world feel rich and vivid。 I really enjoyed seeing the influence of Polynesian culture on the setting and characters and appreciate Leitzau's research and attention to detail。On to a more emotional note: This book hurts。 Not only is the main character in a massive amount of repressed emotional pain， but the entire atmosphere of the book is tinged by his perspective as the lens through which we view the world。 Jespar Dal'Varek's trauma is so well written with such an intimate understanding of mental health that at times the book becomes uncomfortable to read。 Leitzau is able to portray depression in such an authentic and heartbreaking way that I actually did end up crying， which I almost never do。 I have very few criticisms of this book， but they are: 1） I felt it had minor pacing issues and hit the climax around the 80% mark， which made the last 20% of the book feel strange， almost like an epilogue。 I also felt that the last 20% was a bit of a rollercoaster and had strange tonal issues。2） The ending of this book and the resolution of （view spoiler）[ the relationship between Kawu and Jesper （hide spoiler）] felt strangely rushed or forced to me？ I may feel differently about this over time but it just doesn't sit quite right with me personally。A few other details I really loved were the flashbacks， dream scenes， and use of conlang。 Everything was constructed so well and Leitzau's attention to detail really shines through here as well。Overall this book was beautiful， emotionally exhausting， and just。。。 such a well-done fantasy book on all levels。 I know Leitzau has done work on the Enderal video game （for which this book is a companion） and can't wait to see what he does next。 I'll definitely be picking up the next installment of this series， but can't say I'm not grateful for a breather in between the two。 What a ride。。。。more

Tamara ， 2021-06-29 00:00

2。5 if I'm generous。 This actually pains me， because I was really expecting to love this book。 And I did really enjoy it， up until about 150 pages from the end。 Those last pages just put the heel of their boot to all my previous enjoyment， and stomped。 Sad。 2。5 if I'm generous。 This actually pains me， because I was really expecting to love this book。 And I did really enjoy it， up until about 150 pages from the end。 Those last pages just put the heel of their boot to all my previous enjoyment， and stomped。 Sad。。。。more

Paul ， 2021-06-28 00:00

3。75/5The first and second half of this book really are two different things entirely。 It made a slow climb from nearly DNF'd 2 stars to the rating it is now because the second half was so good。The first half is bogged down by an insta-love， love triangle。 In the second half that went away until it was actually relevant to the story for it to be there。The first half had a bunch of navel-gazing discussion that seemed tacked on。 In the second half they actually made sense to be there and were， aga 3。75/5The first and second half of this book really are two different things entirely。 It made a slow climb from nearly DNF'd 2 stars to the rating it is now because the second half was so good。The first half is bogged down by an insta-love， love triangle。 In the second half that went away until it was actually relevant to the story for it to be there。The first half had a bunch of navel-gazing discussion that seemed tacked on。 In the second half they actually made sense to be there and were， again， relevant to what was happening。The dialogue in the first half was horrible。 I don't know if Lietzau suddenly was a better writer but the second half had much better conversations。（And fewer weird modern phrases was well。 The phrase 'true that' does not fit in a fantasy book lmao。）And after a couple of events the plot really just flew by the for the last 350 pages， with the last 100 being what I can only describe a 'rewarding trudge' through the head of the main character。 The character work with Jespar and 'The Man' really really do shine in this book。 Watching both their stories/backstories unfold was really compelling。 I couldn't help but wonder if I would have been connected to Jespar sooner if I had been given more of his backstory sooner as well。 But that would be such a dramatic shift to the novel that it's impossible to tell。 And as it stands， it turned out amazingly anyways。And its also hard not to give the book mega points for worldbuilding when there are 100ish pages of drawings and extras in the back of the hardcover。 The tropical archipelago setting was truly unique and wonderful throughout。。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Dreams of the Dying

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Dreams of the Dying&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Dreams of the Dying&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0

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