Dream by the Shadows by Logan Karlie - 2/5

This one wasn’t quite for me, but it had a genuinely interesting premise: a dream-realm fantasy, a cursed “prince of darkness,” a doomed kingdom, and that classic light-versus-darkness theme. The opening chapters showed real promise, and the concept itself had so much potential.

Where it fell short for me was in the execution. The plot often felt a little unfocused, and the world-building didn’t get the development it needed, which made it hard to understand the stakes or even what the characters were working toward. I found myself confused at times, not because the story was complex, but because key details weren’t fully fleshed out. Even the ending left me unsure how I was meant to feel about it.

The romance also didn’t land for me, though I did appreciate that the author kept the scenes between the MC and the love interest varied, especially since so much of the book centres on them. This is aimed at younger readers just getting into fantasy and romantasy, which is lovely, but a younger audience still deserves an evolved plot.

Overall, despite a strong idea and some engaging moments, this one simply didn’t click with me.