"From Hurston/Wright Legacy Award-winning author Rita Woods, The Last Dreamwalker tells the story of two women, separated by nearly two centuries yet inextricably linked by the Gullah-Geechee Islands off the coast of South Carolina - and their connection to a mysterious and extraordinary gift passed from generation to generation.

In the wake of her mother's passing, Layla Hurley unexpectedly reconnects with her mother's sisters, women she hasn't been allowed to speak to, or of, in years.

Her aunts reveal to Layla that a Gullah-Geechee island off the shore of South Carolina now belongs to her. As Layla digs deeper into her mother's past and the mysterious island's history, she discovers that the terrifying nightmares that have plagued her throughout her life and tainted her relationship with her mother and all of her family, is actually a power passed down through generations of her Gullah ancestors. She is a Dreamwalker, able to inhabit the dreams of others - and to manipulate them.

As Layla uncovers increasingly dark secrets about her family's past, she finds herself thrust into the center of a potentially deadly, decades-old feud fought in the dark corridor of dreams.

The Last Dreamwalker is a gripping, contemporary read about power and agency; family and legacy; and the ways trauma, secrets, and magic take shape across generations."

A little Southern magic.

Thank you Netgalley and Forge Books for the chance to read an advance copy of The last dreamwalker by Rita Woods. This book is written in two timelines; in the present: Layla has been estranged from her Mother for years, whose constant vivid dreams has been dismissed for years, but when her mother passes away, she learns the truth about her dreams, and her Mother's family. The 2nd timeline, Gemma, Layla's ancestor who was a slave on a rice plantation in South Carolina. This is a beautiful but creepy book which talks about slavery, family history and magic,

An intriguing story focused around a girl named Layla and her relationship with her mother. Her mother has many secrets that Layla soon discovers will help her answer many lifelong mysteries. This book is really well written and it held my attention. Thank you to the publishers for an advance copy of this book.

I love the concept of this book, I have always been fascinated by dreams. The mystery of the island and the family legacy is interesting and keeps you wanting to uncover more about the mother’s past.

I loved Layla’s feisty aunts, they made me chuckle. The book switches back and forth between Layla in the present and Gemma in the past. I always love a dual timeline in a book.

While I enjoyed this book, there were times that I was a bit bored. I think I was hoping for a little more action and a faster pace. I loved the whole family legacy thing and how walking in dreams could be dangerous for both the dreamer and the walker.

3 stars. An interesting premise but in the end I'm afraid it just wasn't the book for me.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me take a peek at an early copy. My views are my own.

PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE:

What are the chances that one day, you are talking to your mother about your “Natural” Grandfather! And she tells you that all she knows is hearsay, she heard that he was Geechee. Now to a New Yorker, from Brooklyn. She may as well say he was from Mars. Had she said Cooley, I would have understood that growing up amongst West Indians. But she said Geechee, what is that? Then along came the kids show Gullah-Gullah Island when my son was about 3, and this “Geechee” word comes up again. Hmmm! “Interesting I said to myself.” Had not thought about it since then, even though we had been doing our genealogy. Now I am doing an ARC for this book. Coincidence? Woods are you Dreamwalking and telling me something? (SMILE) Time to be like Layla and get to investigating my own maternal line.

On to my review::

Woods’ story follows Layla Hurley, who only after the passing of her mother, is reconnected with her maternal side of the family. After her mother’s funeral, her estranged Aunts come bearing this interesting information for Layla. Information that Layla’s mother had been hiding the entire time she had been alive.

For all her life strange dreams had affected Layla, but her mother never acknowledged them and would
dismiss them. Come to find out, Layla needed to know about these dreams
.
These dreams are a magical gift, that the woman from the Gullah Geechee ancestral lineage she is part of carry.

The gift is dreamwalking, where one can inhabit and manipulate dreams of others.

Layla had never dreamwalked before, because her mother never taught her, or explained it, and downright functioned as if nothing was happening. This was only part of her aunt’s news
.
The second half was, that Layla had inherited a part of land off an Island known a Gullah Geechee, off the shore in South Carolina and it was hers.

Her aunt’s come with their interesting accents, and interesting tales and an inheritance that she now owns. This all-sets Layla on a journey to discover who she finally, truly is.
Not to mention she can begin to put together the pieces of her maternal side of the family.

Aunt’s and Layla in tow, she embarks on a trip to South Carolina. Only one teeny, tiny problem. There is another person who does not anyone in her house, “WHATSOEVER!”

Gemma 1800

Gemma has the ancestral gift also, she can dreamwalk you know? But she is a slave and she’s got a plan.” When master goes to sleep, I’m gonna use my magic and have him sign this land and this house to me, can’t no one ever take it from me”

Gemma uses her magical abilities to enter the mind of her master, manipulate his mind to signing over the parcel of land into her name, along with the house, making her the rightful owner of the Gullah Geechee estate.

Gemma takes full custody of the property deadly serious, so much so that she never, ever wants to leave!.

She wants to know why people are even leaving for this “so called freedom” when they have freedom right there, where they are.

Layla cannot believe that she has dreamwalking abilities and that her mother had been hiding it from her all those years, until she runs into cuckoo Charlotte.

When Charlotte gives Layla a taste of “Charlotte’s dreamwalking abilities “

She almost understands why, her mother did not want her part of their world.

“NO ONE IS SAFE FROM THAT WOMAN” YIKES!

Woods gives the most brilliantly told historical based, fictional novel.

This book is chock full of suspense, mayhem, and mystery.

And yet, Woods can bring you right back to tranquil lush lawns, set you a drift with your favorite blanket while lounging on the sand, while the most beautiful costal breeze practically lulls you to sleep
.
Wood’s word building is phenomenal!

Her eloquence to detail and her impressively descriptive, picturesque view of Gullah Geechee Island, South Carolina is Breathtaking.

You can almost reach out and touch it literally!

Wood’s dual point of view is stellar, and the transition was effortless.

The dual timeline was perfection personified, intelligently crafted, and flowed seamlessly.

Wood’s characters were endearing, believable, true to life and thoroughly loveable
.
The familial ties and strength of women illuminated and was masterfully expressive throughout the novel.

Absolutely thought-provoking novel inspires you to want to learn more about the Gullah Geechee History.

This one shines bright like a “DIAMOND”

WOODS HAS THAT “IT” FACTOR

AND STILL, WE RISE! YOU DEFINETLY DID MS. WOODS!!!!

ALL PRAISE! ALL GLORY!! SPLENDID! (INDEED)

Thank you NetGalley/Rita Woods/MacMillan-Tor/Forge-Forge.Books For this remarkable eARC for my honest review. All opinions are of my own volition.

After her mother’s death, Layla Hurley’s world is turned upside down. Her whole life she had been plagued by vivid dreams that her family dismissed as a child’s active imagination but now she discovers they are so much more. She’s introduced to family she had never known, and her mother’s past that her mother worked so hard to keep hidden. The inheritance of a mysterious island, and the introduction to her families history gives her the strength to face an unseen enemy that threatens everyone she loves.
This is an atmospheric Gothic tale that delves into the Gullah-Geechee culture of the islands off the coast of South Carolina. The descriptions were vivid and captivating. The characters were well rounded and endearing. Normally I don’t care for stories that flash back and forth through time, but this one is so well written that I enjoyed every bit of it. The author takes the reader on a historic trip through time as the main character explores her family history. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves historic mysteries and Gothic mysteries. Thank you to Netgalley and Forge books for the opportunity to review this novel.

After Layla's mother dies, her estranged aunts enter her life to tell her that she has inherited an island house that has been in her family for generations. In an alternate voice, we learn that the house was a former plantation signed over to a slave who used her magical ability to enter her master's dreams to obtain his property. In the present, Layla travels to the house she never knew about and is confronted by another relative who refuses to allow Layla entrance. As Layla gradually realizes her own dreamwalking powers, and becomes closer to her aunts, she claims her own place in this family of strong women along with her artistic self.

An interesting, atmospheric novel. The main character, Layla, reconnects with the maternal side of her family at her mother's funeral. She learns she has inherited an island in the Gullah-Geechee area of South Carolina and travels there. She also comes to learn that she is a "dreamwalker", someone who can enter other's dreams and manipulate them.

Round up to 4.5
Southern fiction at its best - atmospheric, mysterious, full of traditions. I loved the idea of dream walking, but even more than that, I loved the way the characters were drawn in this unusual story.

Layla can't be the last dreamwalker because that's a skill I could use. There are a few people I'd like to give a piece of my mind to in their dreams. I wonder if Layla is interested in giving lessons.

The third daughters in this family have the unique ability to enter other folks' dreams and interact with them. Layla's mother tried to deny the skill, Layla's cousin uses it to terrify people. Layla herself didn't know she had the ability until two barely known aunts come into her life. Chaos ensues! Crazy cousin Charlotte doesn't want to share her island with anybody, so she wreaks havoc in dreamland near and far. Don't you hate it when you can't get any sleep because you know your dreams will be nightmares? Pretty much everybody in the story gets touched by crazy cousin Charlotte's dreamwalking. Can't she give anyone a break?

Of course, she can't because this is horror! And there is nothing more horrifying than horrifying dreams, especially if the dreams can be deadly.

I'd change only two things. The storm coming up the Atlantic could be a lot more frightening. The other is my oft-mentioned pet peeve, eyeball rolling. Every character manages to roll their eyes at some point. Layla's eyeballs almost roll away with so much eyerolling. My eyeball-roll-o-meter went off the charts.

Love that cover. Not only do I want to be a dreamwalker, I want my hair to swing around like that!

Thanks to Forge and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review an eARC of The Last Dreamwalker.

The Last Dreamwalker by Rita Woods was quite an interesting book. It starts out strong, setting up the mystical concept of “dream walking”. Entering other peoples’ dreams and using this as a means to influence them in sleep. The story bounces back and forth between two points of view. In the present day there is Layla and then in the past is her ancestor, Gemma. I love stories set in the South and I felt the author did a great job of conveying Gullah language and traditions to make the story feel authentic. Overall, a solid story.

This was a really interesting book! I was intrigued by the dreamwalking theme and it didn't disappoint. Imagine being able to walk amongst the dreamers, insert yourself in their dreams and bend them to your wishes. Such an interesting idea.

There are a lot of timelines in this one - current day, Layla learns she inherits an island off the coast of South Carolina when her mother passes. And island she knows nothing about, but it's tied to her heritage. There is also a historical timeline of Layla's ancestors and how they used dreamwalking to obtain the island. The Gullah-Geechee are interesting people, I've read about previously. The history and family tales here will keep you wondering what's happening. The characters are well developed and I just loved the Aunts!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

Beautifully written book. Seamless transitions from Gemma's time to Layla''s. Enjoy books about the low country of S. Carolina, and the descriptions of the setting put you right there.

This is a story about Layla , the last dreamwalker. After her mom's death, she reconnects with her aunts and travels to South Carolina in search for answers. In the book, we also have Gemma's POV, Layla's ancestor and one chapter of Lavender's POV (also her ancestor). They aren't crucial to the story but they add nice touch of family history into the view and blend well. I really loved the whole concept of dreamwalking , trespassing into other people's heads and influencing them while they sleep . I've loved the Aunts and their perky personalities and the whole setting of South Carolina was great. The thing that bothered me a bit (hence 4 stars) was that Layla was too passive for my taste. I know that she was just discovering who she was and what she can do but i feel like we could've seen more . On that note, i wish that the story was a bit longer . Otherwise , the conclusion was nice and i had a great time dreamwalking with Layla .