The Call of Dreamwalkers
by Rafaele Desire
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Pub Date 3 Sep 2023 | Archive Date 3 Oct 2023
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Description
Every shy ninth-grader has dreams—to fit in, to talk to their crush, maybe even to become popular. For Ana, those dreams are overshadowed by a nightmare when her only friend, Heloise, falls into a coma after a suspicious bus accident. Her world crumbles. School becomes unbearable. Until one fateful night, a strange dream becomes her lifeline.
Meet Arcadion, a mysterious light being who unveils a chilling reality—dark forces known as “Mind Worms” exist, feasting on the vulnerability of young minds, pushing them to unimaginable lengths of destruction. They targeted Heloise, and now they’ve set their eyes on Ana. But here’s the twist—Ana is destined to fight, to become a “Virtue,” an envoy of good in a world teetering on the brink of darkness.
Her mission? Save Heloise, save her school, and save herself. To do this, she must enlist her classmates to stand with her, confronting their deepest fears to triumph over evil.
It’s more than just a fight for survival—it’s a battle for their souls. But do they have what it takes to face the hideous Mind Worms in their own realm? Or will they be enslaved forever?
Advance Praise
Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite
The Call of the Dreamwalkers is a work of fiction in the urban fantasy, action, and adventure subgenres. It is aimed at the young adult reading audience but can also be enjoyed by mature middlegrade and adult readers alike. Penned by author Rafaele Desire, we follow our protagonist, Ana, a shy ninth-grader whose dreams of fitting in are shattered when her only friend, Heloise, falls into a coma after a strange bus accident. Ana's life takes a dark turn until a fateful dream introduces her to Arcadian, a mysterious light being who reveals the existence of malevolent entities called Mind Worms that prey on vulnerable young minds. Ana discovers her destiny as a Virtue, tasked with fighting against these dark forces. To save Heloise, her school, and herself, Ana must rally her classmates to face their deepest fears and confront the hideous Mind Worms in a battle for their souls.
Author Rafaele Desire masterfully combines elements of mystery, friendship, and supernatural encounters to craft a captivating narrative that is sure to have readers engaged from start to finish. The concept of dreamwalking and the existence of the Mind Worms add a unique and intriguing twist to the plot, building a sense of urgency and suspense through some excellent cinematic descriptions and atmospheric lexis. One of the features which impressed me the most was the thought put into exploring the psyche of young minds, exposing their fears and vulnerabilities while emphasizing the power of unity and inner strength to overcome darkness.
Overall, The Call of the Dreamwalkers is a thrilling adventure that explores the depths of friendship, selfdiscovery, and the battle between good and evil, and I would not hesitate to recommend it to YA fantasy fans everywhere.
Reviewed by Pikasho Deka for Readers' Favorite
The Call of the Dreamwalkers is an urban fantasy by Rafaele Desire. When a freak accident puts her best friend, Heloise, into a coma, Anael (Ana), a fourteen-year-old teenager, struggles to navigate her daily life. But after she comes across a light named Acradion, Ana learns that she is a dormant Light Warrior who has to find the other Virtues and awaken them to defeat the Mind Worms responsible for Heloise's predicament. Ana, with the help of her friend, Joe, recruits other Virtues, Mike, Isa, Emmy, Gabe, and Rafi, to help in their fight against the Mind Worms.
Now, the friends must train their bodies and minds for a final confrontation with the Mind Worms before everyone they know succumbs to their influence. However, first, they must overcome their own insecurities and weaknesses.
If you're a fan of Neil Gaiman's The Sandman comics, you will absolutely love The Call of the Dreamwalkers. This urban fantasy features teenage friendships, romance, and a ferocious ultimate battle between light and dark bound to be relished by young adult readers. With a captivating story, author Rafaele Desire makes a vital point about not letting fear and doubt take control of your mind, emotions, and feelings. Desire's characters display a wide range of personalities and emotions that make them feel like real teenagers. The members of the V group share a powerful bond of friendship, and you can't help rooting for them every step of the way. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and highly recommend it to young adult fantasy readers who enjoy stories with empathy and compassion as their core themes.
Reviewed by Ronel Steyn for Readers' Favorite
Rafaele Desire brings us a young-adult urban fantasy in The Call of the Dreamwalkers. Anael and Heloise are best friends and freshmen at Liberty High and should be looking forward to an exciting new time in their lives. However, there is a dark cloud over the school. When Heloise is hit by a bus, Ana is devastated. One night, a being of light called Arcadian visits Ana in her dream and tells her that Mind Worms are why Heloise won't wake up from her coma.
Given a mission to find Virtues and fight the infestation at her school, Ana discovers a world where anything is possible. A world where the darkness can end you. Who can she trust? Will she be able to save her best friend and her school?
Author Rafaele Desire has brought to life a true dream universe. Written in the first-person narrative meant that I was privy to the innermost thoughts and feelings of the main protagonist. Be prepared to experience a range of emotions. I loved the colorful scenery, which emphasized the dream-world reality. The plot is solid, and character development is clear.
Characters are relatable and described vividly. Even though there are a few instances of swearing, I gladly recommend this book to young adults. It has some valuable insights that everyone should know at a young age. This book is also quite fun. Imagine what you could do in your dreams if you were truly aware of them.
Available Editions
| ISBN | 4321567890321 |
| PRICE | |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Reviewer 1065861
"The Call of Dreamwalkers" by Rafaele Desire promises an intriguing and imaginative young adult fantasy adventure that delves into the realm of dreams, nightmares, and the battle between good and evil. This description sets the stage for a captivating story that explores the inner struggles of teenagers while intertwining them with a supernatural and suspenseful plot.
The protagonist, Ana, faces the common struggles of fitting in and navigating the complexities of high school, but her world takes a dark turn when her friend, Heloise, falls into a mysterious coma. The introduction of Arcadion, a mysterious light being, and the revelation of malevolent forces known as "Mind Worms" add a layer of intrigue and danger to the narrative.
The concept of young minds being targeted by these sinister entities, pushing them toward destruction, is both eerie and compelling. Ana's destiny as a "Virtue," an envoy of good, adds a hero's journey element to the story, as she must save her friend and confront her own fears.
The idea of Ana enlisting her classmates to join her in this battle against evil is reminiscent of classic coming-of-age tales where a group of unlikely heroes must band together to face a common enemy. This promises not only action and adventure but also themes of friendship, bravery, and self-discovery.
Overall, "The Call of Dreamwalkers" appears to be a promising young adult fantasy novel that combines relatable teenage experiences with a unique and supernatural twist. It offers readers an opportunity to explore the power of dreams and the resilience of youth in the face of darkness, making it a potentially engaging and thought-provoking read for fans of the genre.
Amy H, Reviewer
Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and of course the author for gifting me this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
What an incredible and moving book - it will definitely stay with me for a long time. Full of emotions that have you on your rollercoaster throughout filled with love, heartbreak, tears and adventure and really opens up your mind to another dimension. I cannot wait to read more by this author.
George T, Reviewer
Firstly, I would like to thank NetGalley and BooksGoSocial publishing for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of this childrens/young adults book.
4 out of 5 stars,
Would have been 5 out of 5 if the book had been properly edited. There are problems with grammar, punctuation and repetitive words. There were also lots of cases where the author was obviously going to say one thing but changed their mind and ended up leaving un-needed and extra words through-out.
Now let's look at the story rather than all the technical guff.
Good Ole Mike! He has to be one of my favourite characters and his GROWTH! I like it.
This isn't an idea that I've seen before so it was really enjoyable to read.
This book holds great messages for teens and children alike. The story touches on bullying, sexual abuse, bad home lives, honesty, kindness, and many more things that need to be talked about in life.
I pretty much read this book in a single sitting, the first 20 pages was last night and once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down again and ended up reading until 6am in the morning. Whoops.
The colourful beams and rainbow kind of remind me of the television show 'Captain Planet'.
Thanks for a really enjoyable read.
Ashley N, Reviewer
This YA Urban Fantasy was compelling and moving. I was touched by the themes and topics weaved throughout, and the trials the characters went through. Technically, there are a lot of issues that need to be addressed--from punctuation, grammar, and just some oddly structured sentences. But there is so much potential for this to connect with a lot of young people today.
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