Title: The Cure for Dreaming
Author: Cat Winters (Twitter)
Publisher: Amulet Books
Publish Date: October 14, 2014
Genre: YA, Historical Fantasy
Pages: 368
Source: Publisher

Olivia Mead is a headstrong, independent girl—a suffragist—in an age that prefers its girls to be docile. It’s 1900 in Oregon, and Olivia’s father, concerned that she’s headed for trouble, convinces a stage mesmerist to try to hypnotize the rebellion out of her. But the hypnotist, an intriguing young man named Henri Reverie, gives her a terrible gift instead: she’s able to see people’s true natures, manifesting as visions of darkness and goodness, while also unable to speak her true thoughts out loud.

These supernatural challenges only make Olivia more determined to speak her mind, and so she’s drawn into a dangerous relationship with the hypnotist and his mysterious motives, all while secretly fighting for the rights of women. Winters breathes new life into history once again with an atmospheric, vividly real story, including archival photos and art from the period throughout.

Cat Winters is the type of author who, when she crafts a new novel, you can't help but stand up and take notice. After reading The Cure for Dreaming, I am completely certain of this. It's no secret that I'm a fan of paranormal novels, and I've always loved historical fiction, but there's something about this novel that creates such a rich, intoxicating blend of the two that just captures you wholeheartedly. This is the type of novel that whisks you back to another time and place, but it gives you the a rich added layer by adding that deceitful paranormal element that really makes you think twice. Done this beautifully though, you can't help but be mesmerized and under its spell, as well.

The Cure for Dreaming was such a multi-faceted novel that it's truly difficult to break it down into the story structure, but in terms of plot, it's one of the most original and fascinating I've read in a long while. We're given a young protagonist who dreams of a better life, a father who is so afraid of losing his only daughter that he'll manipulate her into staying quiet and a mysterious hypnotist who could change everything forever. I was completely enthralled by how vivid and real this time period seemed, and I was thoroughly impressed by the detail that Ms. Winters put into her story. We weren't simply offered a time period with no real backing. Rather, the time and place are as powerful as the characters themselves - oppressive, overbearing and the driving force of change in our characters' lives. By offering us this black and white backdrop with characters full of life and colour, we can see these stark contrasts in all their glory.

Olivia was the perfect heroine for this story. Rather than painting her simply as a rebellious teen with lofty dreams, we see her as this multi-faceted young lady with dreams of more than what she's privy to in her everyday life. In start contrast, we're given her father, rigid and uptight, who's both unwilling and unable to see the beauty of his daughter's dreams and instead hires a hypnotist to cure her of her dreams of grandeur. I wanted so badly to hate him throughout the entire novel, but there was a deep-seeded sadness within him that sort of spoke to me through it all. And, of course, The Cure for Dreaming gives us Henri, our hypnotist who sets the story in motion. There was something beautiful, dark and mysterious about his character, but as his relationship and the truth of his plan is unraveled, we can't help but be mesmerized.

The Cure for Dreaming is the type of story that will ultimately suck you in from start to finish. Ms. Winters does an incredible job, as usual, of painting the perfect setup for well-developed characters to bloom and flourish through the story. And, in the end, it really won me over from start to finish. I give it a 4.5 out of 5, and I highly recommend it to all fans of YA, especially those who enjoy paranormal and historical fiction stories.

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book. 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine, and specifically spotlights upcoming novels we can't wait to read. As always, there are some amazing upcoming books, but this week I'm particularly excited for…

Title: Promise of Shadows

Author: Justina Ireland (Twitter)

Publisher: Simon & Schuster BYR

Publish Date: March 11, 2014

Genre: YA, Paranormal Fantasy

Pages: 371

Zephyr Mourning has never been very good at being a Harpy. She’d rather watch reality TV than learn forty-seven ways to kill a man, and she pretty much sucks at wielding magic. Zephyr was ready for a future pretending to be a normal human instead of a half-god assassin. But all that changes when her sister is murdered—and she uses a forbidden dark power to save herself from the same fate.

Zephyr is on the run from a punishment worse than death when an unexpected reunion with a childhood friend (a surprisingly HOT friend) changes everything. Because it seems like Zephyr might just be the Nyx, a dark goddess made flesh that is prophesied to change the power balance. For hundreds of years the half-gods have lived in fear, and Zephyr is supposed to change that. But how is she supposed to save everyone when she can’t even save herself?

I'm all for a good paranormal novel, but I haven't found one lately to become invested in. Promise of Shadows sounds like it might be exactly what I'm looking for. Zephyr sounds like a badass in her own right, and a half-god assassin? Colour me extremely intrigued. I have a thing for dark powers, plot twists and good vs. evil, so you'd better believe this one is high on my list for 2014. What do you think, and what are you waiting on this week?

Title: When the Sea is Rising Red
Author: Cat Hellisen
Publisher: FSG
Publish Date: Februrary 28, 2012
Genre: YA, Paranormal Fantsy
Pages: 296
Source: Publisher

After seventeen-year-old Felicita’s dearest friend, Ilven, kills herself to escape an arranged marriage, Felicita chooses freedom over privilege. She fakes her own death and leaves her sheltered life as one of Pelimburg’s magical elite behind. Living in the slums, scrubbing dishes for a living, she falls for charismatic Dash while also becoming fascinated with vampire Jannik.

Then something shocking washes up on the beach: Ilven's death has called out of the sea a dangerous, wild magic. Felicita must decide whether her loyalties lie with the family she abandoned . . . or with those who would twist this dark power to destroy Pelimburg's caste system, and the whole city along with it.

Felicita was born into a life of luxury and privilege in a magical family. However, because she is a girl, her life is destined to be one of choices made by others and a severe lack of control. She's to have an arranged marriage, and once she settles in with a new husband, she'll have somewhat of a new puppet master. When Felicita's best friend kills herself to escape this fate, Felicita chooses to do the same, in a sense. She fakes her death and escapes to the slums, finding freedom for the first time in her seventeen years. But peace doesn't last long. Ilven's rash decision called up an old dark magic, and Felicita must decide whether she belongs in her old life or her new one before it's too late.

I've read a lot of YA books in my time on this blog. And, frankly, there are times when I think I've seen and read it all. paranormal books have been tested, tried and true, and it's a very crowded genre, so when a novel dares to be paranormal fantasy, toe the line between adult and young adult, but reads just as well for all ages, I'm floored. Cat Hellisen took her imagination to the next level with When the Sea is Rising Red, creating a world that's every bit an illusion yet, at the same time tangible. Intricate and detailed, vivid and pronounced, the world of Pelimburg is dark and twisted, with a creative and fascinating world with an underbelly teeming with unanswered questions. It's a world in which you will become utterly absorbed.

Felicita was a brilliant character. She was rich and emote, rife with internal struggles. Yet, throughout it all, you could sense the desire to be free and happy. She truly wanted a place for herself in a world where she was controlled every day. Likewise, Dash was the epitome of charisma. Charming and intriguing, Dash was a well-rounded character that brought Felicita's strengths to the surface, allowing them to sing through every moment of tension in When the Sea is Rising Red. As much as the characters epitomized excellence, it must be said that the novel is very much an enigma. In once sense, the world of Pelimburg is entirely foreign and confusing. In another sense, it's brilliant, exciting and quaint. The two make for an immensely satisfying backdrop for a maze of an adventure. I think the beauty of When the Sea is Rising Red lies within the unanswered questions within the novel though. Rather than serving you a cut and dried plot that simply connects the dots, this story almost leaves those answers for you to decide, which is a power not often given to the readers.

In many ways, When the Sea is Rising Red soars. Rich and powerful, it's slow-burning, and it has me thinking days later. It's definitely one I'll be re-reading. I give it a very strong 4.5 out of 5, and I highly recommend it to both YA and adult audiences who enjoy paranormal fantasies.

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.