Gordon Dahlquist

Determined to find out why her engagement to Roger Bascombe was abruptly terminated, Celeste Temple disguises herself to follow her erstwhile fianc to forbidding Harschmont Manor, which becomes a terrifying gate into a seductive and shocking world linked to a terrifying conspiracy. A first novel. 100,000 first printing.

The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters

A Spy. A Killer. An Imposter. Three extraordinary heroes. One unique novel. In The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters . . . three most-unlikely but nevertheless extraordinary heroes become inadvertently involved in the diabolical machinations of a cabal bent upon enslaving thousands through a devilish 'process': Miss Temple is a feisty young woman with corkscrew curls who wishes only to learn why her fiancé Roger broke off their engagement . . . Cardinal Chang was asked to kill a man, but finding his quarry already dead he is determined to learn who beat him to it and why . . . And Dr Svenson is chaperone to a dissolute Prince who has become involved with some most unsavoury individuals . . . An adventure like no other, in a mysterious city few have travelled to, featuring a heroine and two heroes you will never ever forget.

Ed Kay

Reminded me of Strange and Norrell. Interesting, promising and ultimately a massive disappointment. Overlong and under edited.

The glass books of the dream eaters

Sian

Me, rereading this for the fifth time? What a surprise

Blending science fiction and dark fantasy, this monumental Victorian thriller is a dazzling feast for the senses: an action-packed roller-coaster ride of suspense, betrayal, and richly fevered dreams. It starts with a simple note. Roger Bascombe regretfully wishes to inform Celeste Temple that their engagement is forthwith terminated. Determined to find out why, Miss Temple takes the first step in a journey that will propel her into a dizzyingly seductive, utterly shocking world beyond her imagining. Nothing could have prepared Miss Temple for the things she would find behind the closed doors of forbidding Harschmort Manor: men and women in provocative disguise, acts of licentiousness and violence, heroism and awakening. But she will also find two allies: Cardinal Chang, a brutal assassin with the heart of a poet, and a royal doctor named Svenson, at once fumbling and heroic—both of whom, like her, lost someone at Harschmort Manor. As the unlikely trio search for answers, hurtling them from elegant brothels to gaslit alleyways to shocking moments of self-discovery, they are confronted by puzzles within puzzles. And the closer they get to the truth, the more their lives are in danger. For the conspiracy they face—an astonishing alchemy of science, perverted religion, and lust for power—is so terrifying as to be beyond belief. Praise for The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters “The most original thing I’ve read in years: deftly executed, relentlessly inventive, and with a trio of the most unusual and engaging heroes who ever took on a sinister cabal out to rule the world by means of sex and dreams.”—Diana Gabaldon “A tale that combines swashbuckling adventure, a big dose of science fiction and burgeoning romance.”—USA Today “Rich . . . studded with treats . . . beautifully written.”—Entertainment Weekly “Sweeping, highly original and absorbing . . . defies categorization.”—The Dallas Morning News

Sarah Escorsa

dnf at 61%

For once I am glad I didn’t read the book description carefully before buying said book! That’s something I usually regret as I unavoidably end up reading books that do nothing for me. Well, when I saw that this book was subtitled “Chapter 1” I naively thought that it was a fancy way of saying “part 1” or “episode 1”, as in the first instalment in the series. Had I read the description thoroughly I would I found out what I had purchased was actually the first chapter in the book and only the first chapter. Who buys a book by chapters? Anyway, I’m glad I only found out afterwards otherwise I would have gone and bought the whole book which would have been a total waste of my time & money. I couldn’t even get through the first chapter and stopped reading at 61% because I was bored to death so the idea of trying to read the whole book is pretty awe-inspiring.

The premise of the book didn’t do anything for me and Miss Temple’s character just comes across as dull and terribly silly. I don’t know if the author wanted to make her a kick-butt heroine but from what I read I can only find her uninspiring and ordinary. 

When I gave up on reading this I still didn’t know where the story was going and frankly I couldn’t have cared less. The style certainly didn’t help and the pages and pages of unnecessary descriptions left me thinking the book deserved a better editor. 

Overall a very tedious, uneventful read.

Pam Sartain

Very much a gothic novel - think Sherlock Holmes, with some different views, and you have the book.

It was long but enjoyable - I liked the way you have 3 heroes, and they take it in turns to have a chapter each, so you are following 3 story lines, but they all intersect- the tissue that the first person finds could be dropped by the second person, and the third one could pick it up, as it's useful to staunch a wound.

Basically, someone has alchemically made some blue glass that has mind control properties - the people who undergo The Process are left with scars around their eyes, like glasses. It's in a made up world, but the Cabal which is involved is trying to gain control of countries.

Michael Cowell

Kate Lillie

Nora 

Rohan Uddin

Tylar M

Determined to find out why her engagement to Roger Bascombe was abruptly terminated, Celeste Temple disguises herself to follow her erstwhile fiancé to forbidding Harschmont Manor, which becomes a terrifying gate into a seductive and shocking world linked to a terrifying conspiracy. A first novel. Reprint.

The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters

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