The plague known as mori roja has devastated the world that Rutherford has created. There are two options that Nico Mott knows of if you catch the plague of mori roja. Death will find you in three days time, or you have immunity and watch everyone around you die. Nico is one of the few who have immunity. Luckily it seems as though the plaque is over as immaculates who have avoided the touch of the plague are beginning to show up. Hidden away in the tower of the palace is Seraphina who is an immaculate along with many other nobles to avoid the plaque. Due to her appearance she was kidnapped to replace the Princess Imogen, who was a victim of the mori roja, and is waiting to find out who survived in her Jewish community and escape from the palace where supplies to survive are dwindling. Princess Imogen is the King's favorite child, and Seraphina is looking for any chance she find to escape the lie. This book is told following the two perspectives of Nico who has seen how the plague has ravaged the land and Seraphina, who has only been able to imagine the worst. Little do they know that the nursery rhyme that children sing shows a third option that results from the mori roja and threaten what remains.

Overall, I enjoyed this read. The pacing was enough to keep me engaged and keep me on the edge of my seat. I appreciated how at the end of the book Rutherford included why she included the Jewish community in the book. It was a bit of disconnect in the beginning to understand why something in the real world was in this fantasy world, but it was established why in the end of the book and will be good to start a conversation. This gothic fantasy is perfect for the fall season.

Thank you to Inkyard Press and NetGalley for a copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I will want to read anything inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's work, and while there were things that I enjoyed in this story, there were other elements that left a lot to be desired.

I liked how the hidden identity storylines played out, as well as the initial set-up of the plague and the king and other nobles retreating inside the castle. But that is where I started to have a lot of questions.

First, 500 people locked inside a castle for 4 years? The logistics of that alone is a little hard to imagine. There are a lot of aspects of their survival during that time that are never really explained, so it made me feel as if the reader is not supposed to think too hard on it (or else the whole central conflict just kind of falls apart),

Also... the plague leading to vampire-zombies? Cool in concept, but only okay in execution.

And finally, I appreciate the author wanting to include historical aspects of her Jewish heritage in this story, but since this is a complete fantasy setting with no semblance to the real world or real history... it felt awkward to be talking about Jews and gentiles.

The story was intriguing enough, with well done gothic elements and bloody bits to make it a good spooky read, but for me as an adult reader of YA fantasy, it was only okay.

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Genre: Fantasy
Age Level: Young Adult
Content: some violence/mild gore, mild fade=to-black

I did not read this one due to the Goodreads ratings dropping below a 4. I am screening books for our Battle of the Books list, and that is one of our criteria. I think it had a lot of promise initially, but it hasn’t held up as time went on.

This was a wonderful YA fantasy to start off the fall season! I didn’t think Edgar Allan Poe retellings were missing from my life until I read this, and now I want more.

I really enjoyed the gothic vibe and incorporation of horror, which I think makes this book stand out. The characters themselves were pretty typical for YA, but I found them likable and was invested in their stories. Inspired by Poe’s The Masque of Red Death, the story itself was very unique and has an interesting twist I wasn’t expecting!

Overall, I would recommend for fans of YA fantasy who are looking for something just a little bit scary and creepy!

If you enjoy fake princesses, vampires, romance and Edgar Alan Poe, this novel is for you. A gripping gothic drama, Multitude has all the hallmarks of Rutherford's unique style of storytelling.

Looking for a creepy read for the fall? Well… you can read this one.
A plague is ravaging the land and only the isolated, immune or reborn survive. This book features a unique take on a monster. It did get a little gorey towards the end. This could be the perfect halloween read for some.
The story is told in two points of view. The first being from the perpective of an imposter princess - not of her choosing, having been stolen away from her family. The second point of view comes from a noble turned gravedigger after the loss of his family. Their stories start apart and then join together. There is some romance buried in the pages. There is some very well executed character development and the plot unfolds at a good pace.
There is much to enjoy here for many. Beware of trigger warnings; it is not a particularly happy book.
Thank you to Netgalley and Inkyard press for a e-arc of this book. The opinions expressed are honest and my own.

Mara is slowly becoming an author where I want all her books. I love her writing style and how all her characters are developed. Before I finished this book I went out and bought it. I really loved this dark take and everything about religion in this book.

4 Stars

A bit slow at first, but definitely worth the read! Pitched as a YA fantasy inspired by Poe’s Masque of the Red Death, A Multitude of Dreams is part horror, part dystopian, part survival story, part fairytale, all with a dash of mystery and romance. Oh. And maybe vampires *wink*

Seraphina is not really a princess. In fact, she was apparently a dead ringer for the mad king’s favorite daughter, Imogen, and was stolen from her family and Jewish community, to pose as Imogen to keep the king happy. Then a deadly plague hit and she was trapped inside the castle with the king, the princesses and all the Lords and Ladies of court as they waited out death.

Nico was the son of a gentleman, and the only surviving family member of said plague. Half starved and dying, he is saved by Lord Crane, who becomes a father figure to Nico. His unwavering loyalty to Crane is put to question when a guest mysteriously and suspiciously disappears, and it ultimately shattered when Crane requests Nico go to the mad king’s castle and see if there is anyone alive.

Once our two character meet, pieces of a puzzles start to come together and it’s a race of survival all the way through the end.

I loved the characters and how flawed and messy they were. I really appreciated the side characters and their loyalties. Overall, this story is a good reminder of actively choosing the life we want to live and the legacy we can leave behind.

A note on the romance: it’s quick and sweet and secondary to the survival plot. I love kissing and books and was not disappointed in the least! I highly recommend if you need a good palate cleanser from anything heavy on romance.

This book is PERFECT for fall and the spooky season.

Different premise snd really interesting characters. A bit slow to start but hooked me very quickly. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

Trigger Warnings: plague, death, blood, racism, murder, self harm, genocide, survivors guilt

A Multitude of Dreams is a reimagining of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death. Four years ago, King Stuart gathered his royals, noblemen, and daughters and locked them into the safety of the castle walls. Every window was boarded up and every door sealed shut - all to protect those within of the horrible mori roja plague ravaging the land outside.

Told in third person, this novel follows Seraphina, a Jewish girl, who is also the (fake) Princess Imogene, and Nico, who once lived a comfortable life but now works for Lord Crane, the man who saved his life after he lost everything. When Lord Crane sends Nico and two others on the search for survivors, Nico meets a princess who wants out. But both are living in giant webs of lies and deception that they must unravel if they’re going to survive.

I wanted this title because I read The Poison Season and I really enjoyed it. So, when I saw Mara Rutherford had another YA novel coming out, I immediately put it on my TBR list. It’s also listed as Fantasy Gothic and
I was all about it and also the cover - like, I love it!

There were a few twists in here I didn’t quite see right away, which was nice. And, even some of the ones that I did see coming, I still enjoyed Rutherford’s storytelling and it kept me interested. And yes, there is some romance in this, but it wasn’t the main focus of the story - surviving and getting out of the castle was.

Overall, I would recommend this to anyone who’s in need of a good gothic fantasy with a hidden identity, Jewish representation, a masquerade, and the fight of survival.

*Thank you Inkyard Press and NetGalley for a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review

This is a fantasy story inspired by the Black Death of the middle ages. It's also unique in that there is Jewish representation, and antisemitism, in this fantasy world.

I really got sucked in at first, although the story lost steam toward the end. Still a book I'd recommend, and it fits well into the YA Fantasy / horror genre. Not too scary for a wimp like me, but impeccable vibes.

If you like stories part of the terror is characters being confined to a space (such as a castle), you'll probably love this. Rutherford captured some of the cabin-fever, trapped feeling many of us had during the Covid pandemic.

I enjoyed having a healer character (although I wish we could have seen that more), and having characters that subverted expectations. Who is good and evil isn't obvious!

A Multitude of Dreams grabbed my attention from it's very first pages but ultimately felt forgettable by the end.

Hidden away in a castle, protected by a devastating plague, Princess Imogen works tirelessly to hide a secret. Nico, once a boy of wealth and prestige, spends his days indebted to the lord that took him in after the plague took virtually everything from him. As their stories unfold readers are plunged into a world filled with lies,death, and the supernatural.

This is the second book from this author that sadly didn't work for me. Her worlds and characters seem to follow a linear and predictable path making them feel like they land on the youngest side of the YA genre. A multitude of Dreams felt particularly jarring for my liking because the violence and romance all read a tad older but the actual bones of the story remained underdeveloped.

I think this could be a quick and easy weekend read but if your looking for something with an atmospheric and gothic vibe to usher the fall reading season in there are much better choices out there.

Atmospheric, creepy, haunted, paired with decadent gothic vibes this book sinks its teeth into the reader from the very first page. A full cast of characters whose intentions can't be trusted and something nefarious lurking in plain sight... Slow paced, our two main MC's don't meet until nearly the 50% mark but the payoff it so worth the wait.

Didn't have falling in love with a grave digger on my bingo card this year...yet here we are.

Forced Proximity
Found Family
Gothic Vibes
Hidden Identities
Jewish Rep
Vampires

Mara Rutherford is just all vibes in this book ( + plot + character). She's exceptional at worldbuilding and writing with such a specific, compelling mood. I will continue to read her books and I'm definitely going to go through her backlog.

It's been 4 years since the bloody mori roja began, a plague that has wiped out entire towns, except in King Stuart's palace, where nobles, princesses, and servants have spent all this time locked up.

Princess Imogen of Goslind is the king's favorite daughter but lives a false life, in reality, she is not Imogen but Seraphina, a Jewish girl kidnapped to take the place of the princess, always alert in case someone discovers her secret, she wants to leave the castle and look for her family.

Nico Mott was infected and survived, he is immune and now lives as a servant in Lord Crane's manor, One day a girl appears, she was abroad and was not exposed to the plague, she is an immaculate. Crane discovers King Stuart's palace, and he sends Nico to investigate, he says he wants to help them but in reality, has dark plans.

It’s mysterious, dark, creepy, and has gothic vibes, perfect for the spooky season, It's Dual POV, and I enjoy both voices, Seraphina's chapters have an air of claustrophobia and decadence, she is witty and spunky. Nico was a sweetheart, smart and brave.

There is romance but it's not the central theme, it's more of a mystery at the beginning and action towards the end, the characters are busy solving clues and staying alive. At first, both have secrets and don't trust each other, but to achieve their goal, they must reveal themselves and work as a team.

The author's prose feels like a dark fairytale, I enjoy the suspense and how the story is built little by little, along with the characters we discover the villain and how to beat them. The beginning is slow, atmospheric, and suspenseful, it has you hooked, the last quarter is where the action starts, there are twists and turns, fights, blood, and violence. It’s a dark world, where the greatest enemy is no longer the plague, but the nightmare creatures that were born from it.

It’s a fantasy world, inspired by a Poe short story, the world feels medieval but has one element of our world, Jewish people, The author is Jewish and wanted to expose how they were treated during the black plague and other pandemics.

Read it if you want:
• Gothic aesthetic
• Hidden identity
• Haunted Castles
• Poe retelling (The Masque of the Red Death)
• Just a little of Romance
• YA fantasy stand-alone

A Multitude of Dreams is a loose gothic fantasy retelling of Edgar Allen Poe's The Masque of the Red Death. It's upper YA, bordering on NA, has unique Jewish representation, vampiric creatures, and a dash of closed door romance. It follows a princess with a hidden identity and a nobleman turned gravedigger during a plague, both of whom are trapped in their situations in different ways. As the narrative progresses, both protagonists discover secrets & truths that lead them to rebel against their captors.

The first 60% of the book has great pacing, character development & easy writing style that is descriptive but not pretentious. I wish the world building had been fleshed out more, particularly with regards to the vampiric creatures and the plague. I'm still confused if they were separate issues or one and the same.

I was also excited to have a Jewish protagonist and give tremendous credit to the author for tackling the difficult subject of antisemitism in a YA novel. Unfortunately, it fell flat & shoehorned in with only the FL's perspective, awkward conversations, and very little actionable response from the other characters in regards to the antisemitism being described. It didn't seem to be of much significance with the story, other than to include representation. I did appreciate that the author focused mostly on Jewish perseverance rather than pain, joy & triumph rather than defeat. And this is no easy task with the YA genre.

The main relationship also felt a little rushed because we only got to know the characters separately for most of the book, with not as much on-screen time together. The relationship development felt underwhelming as a result.

Lastly, the pacing in final 30% of the book felt off. There was a long succession of twists and turns with little breathing room. Some of the events seemed redundant & could've been omitted entirely. The ending was ambiguous and unfortunately fell a little flat because of the pacing issues.

Overall, I enjoyed this retelling and give it a solid 3/5 stars. Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for the advanced review copy of this book.

A Multitude of Dreams by Mara Rutherford, 384 pages. Inkyard Press, 2023. $16.
Language: R (48 swears, 0 “f” + British swears); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
After three years of hiding from the plague, Seraphina (17yo) is anxious to be able to leave the castle again, but the king isn’t so keen on popping their secure bubble. Meanwhile, Nico (19yo) is working for Lord Crane in gratitude for taking him in when he lost everything—and everyone—to the plague. In this world where everyone is starting over, Seraphina and Nico have to decide whether to be pawns or to take their lives into their own hands.
For the first half of the book, Rutherford builds a compelling tension of the unknown for readers. Through each chapter, readers can feel that something bad is happening, but they don’t know what. Each change in perspective comes at a cliffhanger placed at the perfect moment readers are desperate to return to. When the unknown becomes known, the characters focus on overcoming the obstacle, and a little of the magic was lost for me. The story ends well, but the first half was more enjoyable.
Seraphina is Jewish and is depicted as White on the cover. The mature content rating is for alcohol use and innuendo. The violence rating is for death, self-harm, gun use, murder, and blood and gore.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

It took me a little while to get into this book but once I got going there was no turning back. It's my first read from this author as well. The book is centered around Seraphina a Jew who is unexpectedly taken from her family and placed in position to become Princess Imogen (daughter of the King at Eldridge Hall, a Gentile). The setting is from another time with Kings and castles. There is a black plague that has wiped out most of civilization with mythological creatures lurking in the shadows. Seraphina believes she will return to her life and longs for the day to be herself again but as other characters are introduced specifically Lord Crane and Nicodemus (Nico) Mott we learn and see fantasy vs reality. There are so many secrets and twists within in Eldrige Hall and Crane Manner. The irony, thrills, chills and suspense, will keep you zoned in until the very end. I could not get enough. I wish there was a sequel!

This is a great read for this fall time of year. It was dark and mysterious. Overall, written well and i enjoyed the style of writing. I do think the romance subplot felt a little rushed and out of place especially near the end. Overall, i enjoyed it but didn’t blow my mind like i expected it to.

A Multitude of Dreams by Mara Rutherford doesn't look like a complicated story. The plot is straightforward - survivors of a plague go out into the world and discover what remains of post-plague society. While not exactly a tale as old as time, it certainly is a tale told often.

Except, A Multitude of Dreams is anything but simple. In one novel, Ms. Rutherford combines themes of plague and survival, isolationism, anti-semitism, mistaken identities, fresh beginnings, coming-of-age, and vampires. It is a lot.

In fact, it is too much. Ms. Rutherford threw in so many themes and tropes that it was impossible for her to develop any of them. It is like one of those "hold my beer" memes. I feel like Ms. Rutherford was laughing to herself the entire time she was writing A Multitude of Dreams, cackling over the idea of adding vampires to themes of anti-semitism. (By the way, the two have nothing to do with one another. Vampirism doesn't discriminate!)

Moreover, she is so busy adding these plot points that character development suffers. I never clicked with either main character and didn't care whether they lived or died. Without the synopsis, I couldn't tell you their names, and I certainly cannot give you any other details about them. They were just there, our love-struck heroes, as generic as possible.

A Multitude of Dreams is a victim of its own ambition. Or, to put it another way, there is too much going on, and the individual elements suffer. There is no depth to any of the characters or the plot. The story is so ridiculous that you can either quit reading it and move on to something better or continue reading it to find out how Ms. Rutherford ties all of it together. I chose the latter and don't regret it, only because cramming that many themes and tropes into one novel is a marvel all its own.