‘Dreambound’ Review – An Endlessly Captivating Mystery That Explores The Power Of Stories

Imagine, for a moment, that you’re a father with a voracious reader for a child. And one day, that child disappears, leaving only the vaguest of notes behind. What lengths would you go to to find that child? And just how far would you go to bring them home? That’s the question at the heart of Dan Frey’s new fantasy thriller, Dreambound. A strange, magical look at the darker side of fandom, wrapped around a mind-bending mystery of other-worldly proportions. It’s a fast-paced, heart-pumping mystery and a story that explores the lengths we’d go to for our children, the dangers of fiction mixing with reality, and the power of stories. Wholly original, endlessly captivating, and surprisingly emotional, Dreambound is an absolute must-read.

A Mystery of Otherworldly Proportions

When journalist Byron Kidd’s daughter, Liza, mysteriously disappears, Byron’s whole world falls apart. All he can think about is finding his daughter, proving she’s alive, and bringing her home. And so he sets out to find her, a journey that takes him right to the heart of L.A. A city as seedy as it is beautiful; a place full of magic and deception. And, perhaps, a place where even the strangest stories might find life. For as Byron unravels the mystery of his daughter’s disappearance, and the disappearances of countless other children, he uncovers something far beyond his understanding. Something that suggests his daughter’s favorite books might just be creeping into our own world. And what role does its author play in these disappearances? It’s a mystery of otherworldly proportions and a race against time as Byron tries to find Liza before it’s too late.

Dreambound is one of those books that’s a bit difficult to explain on paper. It’s a fantasy-tinged thriller all about the lengths a parent will go to save their child, and about the ways that reality and fiction often blur together. But it’s told almost exclusively through texts, emails, interview transcripts, journal entries, and excerpts from an in-universe novel, “Fairy Tale”. All of which makes it a bit difficult to wrap your head around. The narrative itself isn’t hard to follow, but the execution can be a little tricky. If you’ve ever read an epistolary novel – think along the lines of Dracula, Go Ask Alice, or even Frey’s previous novel, The Future is Now – then you’ve got a pretty good idea of what to expect here. It’s a mind-bending, endlessly captivating thrill ride filled with enough twists and turns to keep you hanging onto every last word.

A Magical, Unusual Multimedia Narrative

What makes Dreambound such a thrilling read is exactly what makes it a challenging one – its structure. Epistolary novels have long been a part of the literary tradition, stretching back literal centuries at this point. And they always prove to be an immensely immersive way to experience a story. Here, Frey puts readers right in the action. We get to unravel the mystery alongside Bryce, questioning each piece of evidence exactly the way he does. And it’s just such a fun way to experience a story like this. But it’s also easy to get a bit confused at first since Dreambound doesn’t really waste any time establishing the world. You’re just thrown right into the heart of the story, left to try and keep up as Bryce unravels this mystery. But honestly, that’s half the fun of Dreambound. And what a mystery this is.

While investigating his daughter’s disappearance, Bryce uncovers evidence of an epidemic of missing kids. And all of these missing kids have ties to a megapopular book series – “Fairy Tale”. The reclusive author of that series has all but faded from public view, choosing instead to write in total secrecy. But as she nears the release of her long-awaited final installment of the series, Bryce crosses paths with her and influences that final story in ways neither of them could possibly have predicted. Throughout Dreambound, Frey plays with ideas of inspiration and the power of stories. What role do stories play in our understanding of the world, and what responsibilities do storytellers hold in the telling of those stories? Frey explores those ideas quite well and ultimately crafts a story that’s so thrilling and satisfying it has to be read to be believed.

The Downside of Epistolary Stories

Unfortunately, Dreambound occasionally runs into some of the bigger constraints of epistolary stories. Anytime Dreambound makes use of excerpts from “Fairy Tale” or Byron’s ongoing investigation journal, the pace tends to grind to a screeching halt. Sure, these sections are needed to amp up the central metaphor and provide exposition. But the “Fairy Tale” excerpts frequently feel quite derivative of any number of existing YA franchises. And Byron’s journal entries have a bad habit of just rambling on and on, almost running in circles. Neither of these are book-killing problems, of course. It’s just that they tend to stick out like sore thumbs. And they didn’t have to. Had Frey leaned harder into Byron’s unreliability as a narrator, for example, really playing up the idea that he might be slowly losing his mind, his more rambling journal entries would have felt perfectly at home here.

And the same is true for the more derivative parts of the book. Frey hints at the idea that all stories are derivative. That they’re all merely retellings of existing stories remixed to suit the needs of the current storyteller and audience. But he doesn’t really stick the landing with that idea. Instead, it kind of floats in the ether; an idea introduced but never fully followed up on. And there are a few other examples scattered throughout the book; red herrings that don’t feel like red herrings and, instead, feel like orphaned ideas. But in all honesty, these aren’t huge problems. You’ll notice them, to be sure. But Dreambound is just so darn captivating, so wholly enjoyable that it’s easy to look past them and find yourself swept up in the world Frey’s created.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, Dreambound is an absolutely enthralling read. It’s a mystery told through journal entries, interview transcripts, emails, and book excerpts. A story all about the power of stories, the danger of unbridled fandom, and the lengths a parent will go to for their children. It’s action-packed, stuffed to the brim with enough twists and turns to make you sit on the very edges of your seat. It’s the kind of story that makes you question what you’re reading and if you can trust the characters’ points of view. If you’re looking for a wholly unique mystery, then look no further. And if you’re a big fantasy fan, there’s plenty here for you to like too. No spoilers or anything, but there’s something magic lurking in Los Angeles. And it’s well worth reading Dreambound to discover exactly what that magic is.

Dreambound is available now in paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Penguin Random House/Del Rey.

DISCLAIMER: A review copy of Dreambound was provided by the publisher. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.