One Sentence Summary: Months after his 12 year old daughter disappeared, journalist Byron Kidd travels to her last known location and will do everything to find her, even if it means having to believe the fantasy world in her favorite book series is real.

I love books that are set in LA since that’s where I live, and I just love seeing the places I know and have visited throughout my life popping up in books. The only thing I really knew about Dreambound before I started reading it was that it’s set in LA, but, once I started reading, I really adored it. Told through emails, book excerpts, interviews, and Byron’s investigative journal, Dreambound tells the story of a devoted father who will do anything to find his missing daughter even as his estranged wife tries to move on with the belief their daughter is dead and tries to persuade Byron to give up. In some ways, Dreambound felt like a father’s slow spiral into madness, but, in others, it just shows what lengths a parent will go to find their child. As much as I enjoyed this and loved so many aspects of it, I failed to thoroughly love it as I often felt the use of mixed media didn’t exactly do the story justice.

Dreambound is about a 12 year old girl who mysteriously vanished one day months ago. But she wasn’t the only one. Over several years, spanning the publication of an exceedingly popular YA fantasy series by a now reclusive author, children and teens have completely vanished. Byron Kidd is an investigative journalist who believes his daughter is still out there somewhere despite his estranged wife’s misgivings, and he’s convinced it has to do with the books and the films that were adapted from the books. With nothing else to lose, he heads to LA and, with the aid of a UCLA graduate student who runs the fan website for the books, as well as some other interesting characters, Byron doggedly follows the clues only to discover a fantastical world overlaid our own that just might have all the answers he’s been looking for. He only has to believe.

First of all, I adored the setting. It was easily my favorite part of the book. It was so much fun to see Byron visit areas I’ve been to and know of, and many of the swipes he took at the city and people were both funny and true, so I was tickled by them. I also loved that actual locations that have actually been used for filming were seen since I thought it tied in well with the films based on the hit fantasy series. It did sometimes feel a little too contrived, which knocked me out of the story a little, but I enjoyed it since I enjoy traveling around LA without actually having to go anywhere and deal with traffic. I was less enthralled with the world crafted in the fantasy books as I found it difficult to picture and most of it just felt like stereotypical fantasy stuff. So I’m glad most of the story was actually set in LA, and I loved it when the characters visited “hidden” pockets.

What worked less for me was, actually, Byron’s investigative journal. On one hand, I really liked watching his slow spiral into what felt like madness. As the story went along, he started to lose his edge and started to just feel like a desperate father, which was nice as that’s what felt like the heart of the story was. On the other, it felt like it was a way to get around not actually having a narrative. Details and feelings are difficult to put into mixed media, especially the kind put into this book, so the journal neatly dealt with that. But the downside of that for me was that it made me think a more traditional way of storytelling might have worked better. There were times when it felt like it was just begging to be told with paragraphs and dialogue, but the only thing on hand was the journal. Sometimes the journal seemed to stray into that traditional storytelling, but then had to be abruptly pulled back because that’s not how the story was being told. I actually found myself enjoying everything else more than the journal because there’s where most of the interesting information and fascinating characters happened.

But I liked Byron. As a parent, I could relate to him, and his estranged wife. I really felt for both of them, having to deal with the loss and moving forward, or not. I could feel his desperation and him slowly losing his grip on reality. Except, was he really? I loved the lengths he was willing to go in order to rescue his daughter, even if it made him look completely unhinged. But it really was a beautiful exploration of that father-daughter relationship. I loved that, through his investigation, Byron really came to know both himself and his daughter. I loved that he was able to discover everything about her and how she felt and thought because he was so fully devoted to his investigation. And yet he still cared about all the other children. There’s clearly a lot of space in his heart, even if he is almost singlemindedly focused on his daughter.

For the most part I did enjoy how this story was told, but sometimes I felt like it was taking a little too long. With the use of mixed media it felt like it should have been faster paced and snappier, but the journal felt like it weighed it down a little. I really enjoyed the excerpts, even if some of it felt rather contrived, because most of them felt like they really captured the voice of the supposed storyteller. That was probably the most impressive part to me, that the different excerpts could feel like they actually came from certain time periods and people. But, again, I felt like part of the story dragged and the whole middle part could have been condensed to better bridge the more exciting beginning and end.

Dreambound was quite an experience to read. There were times when it made me feel like I was right and magic really does exist. Then there were times when I felt like I was losing my mind a little. It was kind of a surreal experience sometimes, and there were times when it definitely felt a little wacky. It reminded me of another crazy book I’ve read, but in a much more logical and linear way. This was definitely easier to follow, but still managed to boggle my mind at times. I think the one thing that truly disappointed me was that I found it ridiculously easy to piece the information together, well before any of it even occurred to Byron, who’s job it was to put information together. It kind of made me question how good of a journalist he actually was because, by the end, I sometimes felt a little fed up with him.

Dreambound is a lovely story of a devoted father and the father-daughter relationship. I mostly enjoyed the way the story was told and laid out, and there were a lot of small touches I really enjoyed. The setting was, of course, the highlight for me, but I really did enjoy how everything in the story tied together, and the ending was definitely bittersweet and made my eyes tear up. Despite the problems I had with this book, I still found much of it to be sweet and touching.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

This book took me on a fantastical journey through every open doorway a child questing for knowledge could go. Breadcrumbs of media.....notes, blogs, texts.....build the clues this father must follow to find his daughter and the other missing children who have journeyed before him. The synopsis does not do the book justice. It's as if we've followef through the looking glass and found our own Wonderland, with no way to get home.

This might be my most favorite book that I have read this year, and if I happen to read something better in the few months left in the year than it will be the best portal fantasy book I have ever read. The author uses a mixed media format to deliver an incredibly well thought out and heartfelt story of a father’s quest to find his missing daughter. Byron Kidd is an investigative journalist who uncovers his daughter’s “goodbye” letter tucked inside of her favorite fantasy book series. Unable to believe that his daughter would just run away from home he begins to investigate things and discovers hundreds of missing kids all tied to the book series. Byron travels to the last place his daughter’s cell phone pinged, Los Angeles, which also happens to be the home of Annabelle Tobin, the Eccentric author of the book series at the center of it all. The more Byron uncovers the more the lines between fiction and reality begin to blur. The book reads like a fast-paced thriller, but still managed to have me bawling my eyes out by the last page. I would recommend this book to everyone I know.

This contemporary fantasy novel revolves around a hit fantasy series titled Fairy Tale by author Annabelle Tobin (the details are different, but the setup resembles J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter novels). Journalist Byron Kidd becomes involved after his daughter Liza disappears, leaving a note saying that she is going to the Hidden World of the novels. He discovers that a number of children have disappeared in a similar fashion, all around the world. In the beginning, he is completely skeptical about the existence of the Hidden World (as any journalist would be): but he follows the leads doggedly, and strange things start happening.

He befriends the webmaster of a hugely popular fan site called TheQueendom.com, certain that Liza had been an active user. Finally, he convinced the webmaster to give him access to his daughter's account, and what they find is unsettling. It is enough to verify that Liza was lured to Los Angeles, and they go off to seek further clues. It becomes clear that key landmarks in the Hidden World can be mapped onto contemporary L.A. Before long Byron starts having experiences that only magic can explain. His search for his daughter and the publication of the highly anticipated sixth (and final) book of the Fairy Tale series become entwined in a very surprising (yet logical) way.

Like his 2021 novel The Future Is Yours, Frey constructed the book like a contemporary epistolary novel. Instead of actual letters (although there are a few) the tale is told by a series of emails, transcripts, and excerpts from magazine articles and books. However formal that might sound, the storytelling builds tension before reaching its explosive conclusion.

Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader's Copy

An amazing story connecting father and daughter. I got finding Nemo vibes from this book. How far will a dad go to save his child? This book explores those boundaries…

I really enjoyed the story of Dreambound but I have to start by saying I LOVED the audiobook production! If you are at all interested in this story, I HIGHLY recommend reading on audio. Often people will ask about the narrator of an audiobook - but being very honest, I don't usually notice. I read a lot and the majority of it is audio - so unless it stands out as particularly good or bad, it feels the same to me as if someone asked about the font in a paper book I read. I usually don't notice. But Dreambound - this is the exception to that. This is a full cast audiobook with around 15 narrators and they are all cast SO WELL.

As far as the actual story - the premise drew me right in. Byron's daughter, 12 year old Liza, went missing 6 months ago after leaving a note that she was going to the Hidden World which is a reference to her favorite book series. The Fairy Tale book series is currently 5 books and everyone is eagerly awaiting the 6th book - there are Fairy Tale conventions, sites of fan fiction, a huge fandom.

Byron is frustrated because he feels like the police aren't doing enough to find Liza - so he starts digging into it himself. As a journalist, he's not new to uncovering a story and he is doggedly determined to find out what happened. He quickly learns she is not the only kid to go missing who is obsessed with the Fairy Tale books - are they all connected?

This story is told through Byron's journal entries, transcripts of interviews, copies of email messages. I can't stress enough how well done the audio was - thank you so much to PRH Audio for the free audiobook. Thank you to Netgalley and Del Rey for the free ebook. This might not make my list of favorite books for the year but will ABSOLUTELY be one of my favorite audiobooks.

“Dreambound” by Dan Frey-(4 Stars) (Out Now!) is a fun, quick-paced, homage to stories and the power they have to not simply entertain, but become real to millions of readers and generations of listeners.

Positives: This story was told in the form of emails, recording transcripts, story excerpts, and journal entries, and as such the room for interpretation was there, while still guiding the reader through the story with a firm attachment to likable and dynamic characters. The format could be considered the “pieces’ of the story, that a future author can stitch together for a reader, but that’s exactly what every story is at its roots…a skillful and creative patchwork quilt of others stories brought together in new and inventive ways using translations and narratives, snippets and imagery from everything that’s come before. Enjoyed it simple, and have loved the occasional, “wait, that’s just like _____ movie that I watched when I was child in the 1980’s”.

Wish List: Because the story was a story about stories, I occasionally got bogged down in comparisons in my head…”wait, this is playing out just like _____” but that is also one of the positives of this story, and my inability to not hyperfixate on patterns is recognizably my own issue. I also wanted to care a little more about the damsel in distress, but it could be that the only ‘mother’ in this story is NOT one that I would identify with at all, so there were great characters but a single one that I felt similar to. It is also not the author's job to make me feel included, so…no real negatives.

As always, I appreciate the opportunity afforded me to have an early read by netgalley and Del Rey Books. The opinions in this review are expressly those of ButIDigressBookClub and are intended for use by my followers and friends when choosing their next book. #butidigress #butidigressbookclub #Dreambound #netgalley #netgalleyreviewer #delreybooks #DanFrey @delreybooks

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Publishing Review 9/18/2023

Byron Kidd’s world was turned upside down when his twelve-year-old daughter, Liza, disappeared. But he soon has hope. Then, an Instagram picture of his daughter in Los Angeles surfaces. Using his investigative journalist skills, Byron heads to Los Angeles to find his daughter. When it becomes apparent that the fantasy series his daughter loved has roots in reality, Byron must discard everything he knew about the world to save his daughter. Can he find Liza? Or will he disappear like his daughter?

I was not prepared for how much I enjoyed reading this book. I had seen it on the Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine’s NetGalley page, read the blurb, thought it was exciting, and wished for it. When I got the email that the wish was granted, I was happy but not overly so. Then I read the book, and I was hooked.

Dreambound isn’t written in your standard novel format. The author chose to write it differently. He used interviews, journal entries, text messages, emails, excerpts from Annabelle Tobin’s books (it is a series), and excerpts from a folktale book to tell the story. At first, I admit, I was a little iffy about it. I had read several books in this format (mainly journal entries) and wasn’t impressed with them. But the author made it work and did it in a way that kept me glued to the book.

The main storyline of Dreambound centers around Liza, her disappearance, and Byron’s search for her. It is a fast-paced storyline that has a ton of twists and turns to it. It is also well-written, and I loved the lore the author created.

I didn’t like Byron at first. I sympathized with him, but he was such a dick during the book’s first half (and well into the second). His ego was enormous, and his drinking was out of control. But, even though I didn’t like him, his love for his daughter showed through. He was willing to do whatever it took (faking emails from a publisher/breaking and entering) to find Liza. By the end of the book, my dislike of him did lift a little, but it never went away.

Liza broke my heart because I could see myself (at twelve) in her. She was awkward, loved reading, and loved anything fantasy. Liza used fantasy to cope with her father’s drinking and her parents fighting. So, it wasn’t a stretch for me to believe she could have been groomed by someone she met online and lured to Los Angeles.

The fantasy angle of Dreambound was fantastic. I couldn’t get enough of it. The author used a lot of folklore/myths to create the Hidden World and explain some of what was going on in the real world.

The end of Dreambound seemed almost fever-dreamish. What happened to Byron and what he did was nothing short of heroic for the Hidden World and Earth. I liked that the author had Byron’s story turn out the way it did. After everything that he went through and did, it made sense for what happened. The book section (where Annabelle reads the first chapter of her new book) of the ending was trippy, too. And lastly, what Liza did at the end made me wonder if there will be a book two or another book in this universe.

I would recommend Dreambound for anyone over 16. There is no sex or sexual situations. But there is language and violence.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Rey, NetGalley, and Dan Frey for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Dreambound. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

Actual rating: 4.5 stars

This book was phenomenal. I also received an ARC of Dan Frey's debut novel, The Future is Yours, which I sped through in a matter of days and enjoyed for its unusual format. The same goes for Dreambound. I love stories told in unconventional ways. We learn about the world of Fairy Tale and its influence, Liza and Byron's relationship, and many other story elements through recordings, transcripts, phone calls, text messaging, emails, and first person POV. The Fairy Tale novels are extremely fleshed out, as well as the mythology surrounding it. I can't help but think these fictional books were inspired by the real-world fictional Harry Potter series. The ending was a perfect fit and drums up a conflicting mix of emotions: sadness, hopefulness, excitement, awe, and satisfaction. I can't wait to see what Frey writes next!

I LOVE the concept of Dreambound, while the execution wasn't perfect, I still was enthralled by the story and had to know what was going to happen. I love when my fantasy reads a bit like a thriller, and that is what I found here.

I actually really enjoyed the concept of this story. It reminded me of a fantasy stranger Things, (I did see someone mention that in a previous review and that’s totally accurate but I’m not sure which review said it). I thought it was pretty fun especially with an adult dealing with fairies and fantasies rather than just the child.

The thing that fell short for me was that I hate epistolary formats because it makes me feel disconnected from the story. Maybe that’s just me but I’ve always hated that and didn’t know it was written this way. That being said I did like this but the letters made it less enjoyable for me.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.

Having read and loved Dan Frey’s The Future is Yours, I knew I wanted to read whatever he came up with next.

As with his last book, Dreambound is written as emails, texts, articles, journals, interviews, etc. It’s described as a thrilling contemporary fantasy book and the description does fit. I do enjoy this writing style which Dan does a good job at while relaying the story.

Byron’s 12 year old daughter, Liza, disappears and is presumed dead. Byron won’t accept this so he ventures to Los Angeles to do whatever it takes to find his daughter and encounters unimaginable things that his brain and heart just won’t accept. Does Fairy Tale actually exist?

About 80% in, the story becomes very full on fantasy with some surprising twists along the way, especially at the end which I enjoyed.

To be honest, I’m more of a science fiction fan, so while Dreambound held my attention as a contemporary fantasy and I did enjoy it overall, I was hoping for more sci-fi from Dan Frey. I do look forward to seeing what he comes up with next.

If you’re a fantasy lover, you will enjoy this book!

*Thank you so much to Del Rey Books and NetGalley for the gifted eGalley!*

DNF - i thought the premise sounded intriguing, but I just could not get into the book. I really disliked the dad, and didn't care for the format of a collection of emails, news clippings, excerpts from the book, and the occasional actual storyline thrown in. I really wanted to like it, but this one was just not for me.

Let’s just get this out of the way really quick: This book didn’t get five stars because I thought it was too long and I didn’t think the ending was earned. There we are. I don’t want to spend any more time talking about those negatives, because I want space to talk about other things.

This book is a manuscript mash-up that reminds me a pinch of The Starless Sea (in that sense that stories are being written all the time, are always in progress, and are mutable), every portal fantasy I’ve ever read, and every fantastical detective story I’ve ever read (except make them darker, more like Nick Harkaway’s cyber noir novels). Dreambound has a great balance of plot, characters, worldbuilding, and atmosphere, which is a tough juggling act to keep up. That may be why the book ended up being too long for my tastes.

Frey had gifted us an incredible book with a deep, rich tapestry: journal entries, audio transcripts, emails, text messages, investigative notes, short stories, fairy tales, book excerpts, newspaper and magazine articles excerpts, and more. This book, this story, wouldn’t have been possible to write without mixing the written media formats like this. The book would’ve been a long, boring slag had it been approached any other way. There were other parties who needed to have a voice in this story besides Byron, our main protagonist.

It was a nice touch for Frey to name his main protagonist Byron, for he literally does meet the definition of a Byronic hero: sullen, withdrawn, hard to like, hard to get to know, but a softy on the inside for the precious few who can get close. He has a drinking problem, his wife divorced him, and his relationship with his daughter had become fraught with tension. The thing is, it’s not hard to write a Byronic hero. Byronic heroes are a dime a dozen and have been around as a trope since before they were even called Byronic heroes. Ergo, Byron is a predictable character. Which makes for a pretty predictable story.

That’s not to say the book as a whole is predictable. That’s why we have supporting characters. And to Frey’s credit, all the supporting characters in this book are female. The supporting characters add all the color, all the unpredictability, all the surprises, provide all the guidance, and provide almost all the push back and intervention as well. There are a few interesting male supporting characters, but none stick around as long as the females. Now, this does create another trope-trap where we have a male stumbling through needing females to guide all his movements in order for him to get anywhere, but it doesn’t seem toxic in this story since a great deal of book is about the fandom for books by a female author where a female is the main protagonist of the series, so it makes sense females would be the guide posts for a dad whose daughter was a member of that fandom.

Frey really did put together a lovely story that’s woven together like a crazy quilt of folklore, fairy tales, modern narrative prose, urban fantasy, supernatural entities, memoirs, and what would be nonfiction in the world of this book. It’s a good read if you are willing to put in the time.

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All opinions, thoughts, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: Dark Fantasy/Epistolary/Fantasy/Fairy Tale/Folklore/Standalone Novel/Supernatural Fantasy/Urban Fantasy

Reporter Byron Kidd’s twelve-year-old daughter vanishes, leaving behind a note saying she left to explore the Hidden World. This is a magical land from a series of novels, and she's not the only one to have done so. Byron is determined to find the children and gets an interview with the eccentric author of the series. The truth is more fantastic than he ever could have dreamed, and trying to find his daughter might have him losing himself.

Told in epistolary format, we see the emails, journal entries, and interview transcripts as Byron searches LA. He meets a scholar of the series and host of the fansite and wrangled an interview with the reclusive author herself. He's overbearing and incredibly logic-minded from the start so his approach easily can turn others away. His persistence keeps him going, and as he finds clues that his daughter went from Boston to LA, the oddities continue piling up and start to defy a logical explanation. Magic and the fairy lands of the Hidden World start to bleed through, and it's by making the leap of faith of belief Byron can find his daughter.

I lost myself in this book much like Byron lost sight of objectivity in the search. This format feels at once close and distant because it puts us at a remove even as we're present for the journey. We're along for the ride, and it's quite a ride indeed. The parallels and overlap between the two worlds are fascinating and remind me very much of other novels that use parallel worlds and realities.

Rating: 4.21 leaves out of 5
-Characters: 3.5/5
-Cover: 5/5
-Story: 3.75/5
-Writing: 5/5
Genre: Fantasy, Scifi
-Fantasy: 5/5
-Scifi: 3/5
Type: Ebook
Worth?: Yes

Want to thank Netgalley and publishers for giving me the chance to read this book.

Dan you are a jerk. A jerk for making me miss my dad. A jerk for having me cry.

Now on to the book, I have been hitting the mark with these kind of books where it is formatted in text, emails, articles. etc. I really enjoyed following the dad but it was slow. I won't lie. I did struggle in some areas but when the action started to roll out it got so much better. I tool off some points for that and the mother. I hate her. A lot. How do you move on so quickly from your daughter missing? Iunno she just seemed like a very shit parent. Other than that it was a good book that is worth the read!

This one takes place partly in our world, and partly in a “Hidden World,” with a main theme being the ability to travel between the two. We are introduced to an author, Annabelle, whose best-selling fantasy books are revered by many. Several diehard fans – all kids – have gone missing over the years, and some conspiracy theorists think the disappearances are connected to the books. Did these kids successfully cross over into the Hidden World, and can they get back?

Our lead character is Byron Kidd, whose daughter is one of the missing. He’s a journalist, and starts out thinking these books and fans are all nonsense. But he’s desperate to find his daughter, so he’s willing to follow the clues… which lead him to weirder and weirder experiences.

Most of the book is really this “following the clues,” as Byron delves deeper and deeper into the mythology in the books. But the clues are also kind of like a scavenger hunt around Los Angeles, where the author lives. Byron is helped by Misha, a grad student in the area who runs a fan site dedicated to Annabelle’s books. Thankfully, she also knows her way around L.A., and can help Byron figure out where the clues are leading next.

There is also a nod to “Taken” here, as Misha teases Byron about being in his own “dad after his daughter” story. Pop culture references abound.

I enjoyed this book, as it is fast-paced and easy to read. The hunt around L.A., complete with many Hollywood references, was also fun – and I think it would have even more appeal to people who live in or have a love for the area. Obviously, it would also appeal to SFF fans looking for a fresh read.

Dreambound by Dan Frey is the story of Byron Kidd, an investigative journalist who has fallen on hard times, as he searches for his missing 12 year old daughter, Liza. The only clue to Liza's disappearance is a note, claiming Liza has gone to explore the Hidden World, which is a magical place from the girl's favorite book series. Byron discovers that Liza is not the only kid to go missing in conjunction with the Hidden World, and sets out to investigate the reclusive author of the series, Annabelle Tobin, and find his daughter through any means necessary.

The book is epistolary style, told through emails, book excerpts, journal articles, and more. I'm a big fan of these kinds of novels, but I just didn't connect with the story as told in this fashion. The premise of the novel is amazing, and the story has great elements, but I just wasn't compelled to finish it. I ended up giving up on the book at 68%, because it felt like a slog, with little to no stakes. I think I will go on to finish it, eventually, but I just wasn't interested enough to drag on. Thank you to Netgalley and Del Rey books for the chance to review this advance copy. Dreambound is on sale now!

A terrific, twisty journey into the world of fantasy fandom... and into the fantasy world itself. This story of a father's desperate search for his missing daughter explores the power of stories and belief, and is a complex, compelling read.

This book definitely found the right audience in me. I adore all things related to fairy tales and storytelling; old books and the stories that surround them are of great interest to me. Give me all of this in one story plus a toxic main character that is on a hero’s journey and I am all in.

I found it very refreshing to not be rooting for all the characters, even if what they are trying to accomplish is, in the end, the right thing, I didn’t feel the need to like them. I can root for a happy resolution to the story without the need for happy endings for everyone involved.

I loved the epilogue; it has the feel of the start of another great magical adventure.

Recommended for: adult readers that never outgrew their love for fairy tales

Content warning: child endangerment, violence, profanity

I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.