ARC review expected publication September 20, 2022

3.5 stars round up to 4.

This is an truly atmospheric magical realism novel, that really brings you to the Carolina coast including the Gullah coast is something not often seen in novels but anyone that’s spent time in that area knows is a big part of the culture.

The story focuses on the main character Layla, who is dealing with the recent death of her mother who she struggles to connect with in life. With her passing she’s discovering that even the parts of her mother she thought she knew where not what they seemed.

Layla has always had intense dreams with side affects that blend into real life, and she was raised to hide and medicate this. After her mothers death she learns she owns half of a small island off the Carolina coast , where she connects with her extended family and learns that her dream walking is genetic and controllable. While her aunts are overjoyed to bring her into the community, not everyone wants her to own the island and she must face the darker side of dream walking as well.

There is a side story taking place in the past describing how her family came to own the island and some dreamwalkers of the past. Gullah Geechee heritage and language, could have been explored more if the author choose to lean a little harder into the historical fiction element

All and all the story is well written and engaging. There are some things I think are missing or could be expanded upon in the story such as the story of the past other than being within the same family does not truly connected to Layla’s story despite many opportunities for such,I also believe the ending could have been stronger which i can’t really say more on without getting into spoilers.

Despite these things I think the writing style is wonderful, and the characters are engaging. Dr Woods truly knows how to transport her readers to her setting, and connect with her characters on a human level. She effectively explores the familial relationships and intergenerational trauma. I’d definitely read more of her work.

Nedra Marie Taylor provides the narration for the audiobook, and does a fantastic job of switching between the dialects in the story.

Big thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with a chance to get in on this book early. I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Last Dreamwalker
by Rita Woods
Audio book, Narrated by Nedra Marie Taylor. The story of a southern island owned by an ex-slave family that has inherited more then just the old slave plantation. The Beauty of the island is overwhelmed by the dark history of slavery, and magic. The story is enchanting of the charms of south, haunted by the old fingers of slavery, and the darkness of human nature. The triumph of a young girl tricked into slavery through a marriage contract. And the exploitation of the slaves, their women and children by the old slave owners. the book shows the darkness of human nature, and the magic of trying to change the energy and force of the world.

The unexpected death of her mother causes Layla to reconnect with her maternal family, where she begins to understand her inheritance. She can exist in the dreams of other people - a gift with a thread of darkness running through it.
At its heart The Last Dreamwalker is an exploration of family ties. The story shares a peek into the lives of each woman in Layla's lineage, some quick snapshots and others longer explorations. Generational trauma unfurls a little differently for each person, and the ways in which they choose to face or ignore it have consequences for those around them.
The lack of romance here is underrated - there's a hint of possibility, but no attempt to speed build a dream relationship off a short acquaintance. An instalove situation would have been unnecessary and lessening to the impact of the story.
Nedra Marie Taylor does a great job with the narration!
Perhaps the ending was meant to be hopeful, but I found its dark possibilities quietly disturbing. The entire book is a fascinating look at personal autonomy, at those who violate the will of others for their own purposes and those who live through that violation.

This is a beautiful and atmospheric novel. I'm glad I experienced this book as an audiobook. The narrator used voices and inflections to make it clear whether the story was in the past or the present, which the narrative made confusing at some points. The storyline was very predictable, but I did enjoy the story. The concept of entering people's dreams and them having real world consequences was very compelling. It speaks to the concepts of family and home - and to the realities of generational trauma. It's a short, quick read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forge Books for this ARC.

Layla hasn’t spoken to her mother since their last big fight, and now, with her mother’s unexpected death, she never will again. Her mother’s two sisters visit for the funeral and give Layla some unforeseen news: she’s inherited half of a Gullah-Geechee island off the coast of South Carolina. She soon learns that she’s inherited more than that. Her vivid and sometimes terrifying dreams are part of her unexplained inheritance as a dreamwalker. When she travels to South Carolina looking for answers, she uncovers long buried secrets, some of which are filled with danger.

I loved that the author chose to focus on the Gullah-Geechee culture for this work of magical realism. The incorporation of their culture and history throughout this work brought the whole thing to life in a wonderful way. There was a secondary plot that was given its own chapters throughout the book that focused on the history of Layla’s family who were slaves on the island around the time of the Civil War. The author paced this perfectly, having the family’s past revealed in a way that paralleled Layla’s discovery of her family’s history and her abilities.

The characters were well written and relatable. Layla made a wonderful protagonist, and the difficult relationship she had with her mother added meaningful depth to her. The secondary characters were all well written with their own depth and development - I loved the aunts and what they brought to the story, and Charlotte was extremely well written.

I listened to the audiobook version of this work, and the narrator excelled at bringing the characters and their stories to life. I highly recommend this read! My thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to read and review this book, which will be published on September 20th, 2022. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This book reminded me a lot of The Giver for some reason. It creates this world where people are able to get into other people’s dreams and can alter their lives forever. Honestly, it’s a super interesting thing to think about!

🌀Synopsis
Layla has always had strange dreams, even as a child. Her relationship with her mother is strained and when her mom dies Layla reconnects to that side of her family.

Her Aunts let her know she has inherited half of an island, and island Layla knows she must visit. When she returns to South Carolina there are strange happenings and her mother’s secrets are finally revealed. Layla realizes her true power and what she must do to make sure her family is kept safe.

(4.5 /5.0) The Last Dreamwalker by Rita Woods was an attention-getting blend of family discovery and historical fiction, with a touch of magical realism. I loved so much about this book. I am drawn to family discovery and books that center on ancestry, and I loved getting to know Layla and her family. So many characters start this path after the death of a parent, and it always breaks my heart. In terms of the family story, if you enjoyed Black Cake I feel confident you’ll enjoy this story too.

The magical realism and historical fiction were important to the story, but secondary to the family lineage. Even if you don’t normally read fantasy, this book would still be a good option. It’s about ancestral gifts and the history of this family’s survival through enslavement to current day, not a fantasy world.

My only wish was for more on the Gullah Geechee heritage and language, with a deeper historical fiction element. There is a cultural heritage center website (gullahgeecheecorridor.org) that has loads of information and there are national heritage centers in NC, SC, GA, FL coastal areas, if you want to learn more.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my review – I really enjoyed listening! This book is available in print and audio on September 20.

Content warnings: Death of parent, Intergenerational trauma, Slavery, Self-harm

Thank you Net Galley for an audio ARC of The Last Dreamwalker by Rita Woods. The author wrote this in 2 timelines,, Layla's present and Gemma's past. Good audiobook with great sound effects that really set the mood for the story.

This is an intriguing story that delves into Layla's struggles with vivid dreams that she has been plagued with since childhood. Layla reconnects with her estranged Aunts after her Mother’s passing and she discovers that her dreams are actually an inherited power that has been passed down to women in her family for generations, Layla is a dreamwalker.

The story straddles Layla’s life in the 21st century and Layla’s ancestor Jemma in the 1800’s, both of whom are Dreamwalkers. Jemma is fighting to stay on the island and plantation she calls home as others are leaving to establish a fresh life as newly freed slaves. Layla learns her inheritance includes shared ownership of this island with a distant cousin who is also a dreamwalker. Layla learns the island has been shrouded in mystery and neglect due to multiple strange deaths and disappearances throughout the years. As Layla digs into her inheritance she inadvertently places her family and herself in danger.

The back and forth between timelines was a little challenging for me to follow at times in this audiobook. The beginning was a little slow but I felt the second half of the book had more attention grabbing details to engage me. Overall I enjoyed the mystery, magic, emphasis on family and historical aspect of the book.

This is my opinion based on an audiobook ARC provided by NetGalley.

After her mother’s death, Layla learns she has inherited a Gullah-Geechee Island off the coast of South Carolina. The island, and her heritage prove to be the source of the nightmares that have plagued her all her life, as Layla has inherited both inherited trauma and a unique “gift” from her ancestors. An intriguing look at the Gullah- Geechee culture in an engaging story