Review: Anna Undreaming

I finally finished Anna Undreaming and I loved it. Here’s my review, and I will also be revealing the title for the next book!

Title: Anna Undreaming

Author: Thomas Welch

Rating: 4 stars

Format: Paperback

Publisher: Owl Hollow Press

Date Published: 20 March 2018

Goodreads Description:

Anna is a student surviving the city, and she lives by a simple credo, “Never play their game; their game is always rigged.” For every man she has ever known, it’s a saying that has served her well.

That all changes on the night of “The Big Storm,” when Anna is slipped a date rape drug. Though she saves herself and her best friend, Anna is lost to the dark heart of the city and finds herself hunted by The Night Collectors. Unsure if these monsters are real or hallucinations, Anna nonetheless fights them as best she can. The battle attracts a stranger—Teej—who saves her using powers she cannot understand. He explains that she is an Undreamer and possesses the same powers, and in the future, he will not be the one to save her. She will save him.

But Anna is not yet ready to join Teej and stand against The Dreamers. She has difficult decisions of her own to make. Decisions she has always run from. She still has her partner’s suicide letter. It remains unopened. She still wears his ring, though she can’t seem to remember his face.

Anna learns of The Dreamers – artists so preeminent in their respective fields that they can paint, dance, sew or sing new realities – and as she travels through their creations, she learns that there’s as much beauty in the world as there is horror. With a complex conspiracy at work within the community of Dreamers that threatens to undermine reality itself, Anna will have to look deep within herself, and eventually have to face the horrors of her own past, to save her old world as well as her new one.

Anna Undreaming is a dark urban fantasy and the first book in The Metiks Fade trilogy.

A huge thank you to the author for sending me a copy to review.

Spoiler Free

What a rollercoaster ride of a book. I enjoyed every minute of it. Welch created a believable world that I would love to get lost in. I love urban fantasy and this book blended the real world and the fantasy worlds created by the Dreamers together seamlessly. The book comes with a glossary of terms, but I never once looked at it because it was so easy to follow Teej’s explanations and understand the mythology of the world. Exposition is done really well and in a way that seems completely natural.

Welch brings nightmares to life with a truly terrifying antagonist and horrifying dreams and creatures. His writing is so vivid and clear, this book was a joy to read. The only complaint I have is some weird pacing here and there, but overall the book was stunning. Welch created a haze and pulled all his readers in for a journey of a lifetime. His characters are well developed and at home in the world they live in. Anna’s journey is believable and easy to follow and I can’t wait for it to continue in the second book.

Characters

Anna is an older character not typically seen in YA fantasy. We only get a small insight into her life before the book and she has realistic reactions to everything that happens to her. Her strength and determination really shine through and I loved the fact that she wasn’t a “damsel in distress”. Anna’s powers also grow throughout the book and I liked the fact that she stumbled in the beginning. It’s clear she’s talented, but she’s not an expert from the get-go.

Teej is another interesting character. At first, he was mainly used for exposition and I felt like he was pushed aside a lot. Anna often cuts him off from her life and he spends a big part of the book either hurt, injured or unconscious. I also really didn’t feel a romantic connection between the two and I hope it stays that way. They have a deep emotional bond because of everything they’ve been through, but I don’t want to see it turn to romance.

Spoilers

So I mentioned the pacing earlier. Anna kills what’s basically the main antagonist in this story, the Midnight Man, about halfway through the book. I mean, the Midnight Man was a truly terrifying monster. That name! He was wickedly awesome, with terrifying creatures and a terrifying imagination. I know the real villains here are the Doxa, but damn, an opportunity was missed with the Midnight Man. He is killed off so easily, I would really have liked to see more of him.

Story and Plot

Besides the weird pacing, Welch’s writing is incredible. His descriptions are truly vivid and pull you right into the world he’s created. His writing is effortless and I enjoyed the story very much.

General Thoughts

Have you read Anna Undreaming? How do you feel about urban fantasy? You can find more of my reviews here.

Here is a sneak peek at The Metiks Fade Trilogy Book TWO:

Broken, beaten, and exiled to the Sump, Anna has battled her way back to reality, but she returns to find her friends scattered and her enemies have grown in strength and number. Though she’s learned that in the world of Dreamers, sometimes the darkness is just a different type of light, she still hasn’t found her way out. And just like in nightmares, every time she runs away, the monsters lie in wait ahead.

Anna’s only hope for survival lies with new friends and a desperate plan to walk the Moonlight Road—a ghostly passage of frozen moonlight through worlds she can never touch—straight into the arms of the most dangerous Dreamer alive.

But no one, neither friend nor enemy, is prepared for the power Anna now wields. Her flame has kindled, and when they threaten those she loves, she’ll burn them to the ground.

Anna and the Moonlight Road is book two of The Metiks Fade trilogy.

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