A wild, magical, petal-strewn fizz of a book! DREAMSLINGER is one banger of a series opener, with the kind of in-depth lore (and personality-based factions, let's be real) that I love reading about in middle grade fantasy. It's cute, accessible, and chock-full of joyful details! Some of the worldbuilding was a little harder to parse (like, I don't know, it's weirdly valid to be afraid of people who are VERY MAGICALLY DANGEROUS? Bigotry, not okay. Caution in the face of something, again, VERY MAGICALLY DANGEROUS? I mean ... yeah?). The plot swirls and whirls, and while it occasionally felt bogged down by too many threads, it was nevertheless super enjoyable. I can see this being a hit with kids--and, above all, LOOK AT THAT COVER!

This fun new fantasy book is perfect for fans of Amari and the Night Brothers or The Marvellers. Kim has crafted a unique magical system and world that seems relatively well-fleshed out for a first in a series and the characters are complex and engaging. Aria's understanding shifting from what her dad has taught her to a grasp on the outside world felt pretty realistic and her difficulties reconciling her original mission with her newfound friendships and learning was engaging and accurate. Overall, a definite recommend, especially for readers looking to broaden their magical horizons outside of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson.

This is the first novel in what will clearly be a series. It's an alternative to the Harry Potter series and features a female hapa main character and set in a secret magical contemporary Korea. Lots of the now well established secret magic school for kids tropes are present, including houses with a single primary characteristic, magic sorting, magic pet, pureblood (in this case “legacy kids”) bullies, teachers who hate the MC for something their parent did, and even an invisibility-cloak-turned-hanbok. The plot is extremely predictable, but still fun. I felt the reading level feels low for a book about 14 and 15 year olds, but it is being marketed at 10 and up so YMMV.

**e-ARC received in exchange for an honest review.**

This is a super cute late elementary school-early middle school novel. It touches on themes of belonging, the tension between home values and the values one experiences out in the world, and personal identity. It has very accessible languages for the most part.

I loved a lot of the individual pieces of this book, but as a whole, I'm realizing how little I was invested in it. I found myself bored often and putting the book down. I am Korean and was excited to read another Korean fantasy MG chapter book (I had read and enjoyed Kim's The Last Fallen Star, though I haven't yet finished the trilogy), so I found my lack of interest in this one to be disheartening. Points for the goooooooorgeous cover, though.

Thanks to NetGalley & Disney Publishing Worldwide for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.

A fun fantasy series that kids are sure to devour quickly. It's pretty easy to get into and the protagonist is emotional yet sweet.

My main issue is the writing isn't super great but it's got a lot of potential. The worldbuilding was a bit shaky and it still seems pretty messed up to just take away a kid's dream...animal...pet thing because of arbitrary rules. I still feel bad for the one kid whose seedling got axed by a maniac! It wasn't the kid's fault at all but he still got kicked out...

It also doesn't help that Dreamslingers are pretty overpowered and it's no wonder the rest of the world are afraid of them. It's the typical Zootopia problem--half the population is scared of the other population when they have claws and giant teeth. In this case, the protagonist accidentally set a guy's leg on fire and another Dreamslinger early in the book almost kills a kid by having them fall onto ice headfirst. You get why Dreamslingers are feared but often the book portrays them positively. It's not bad, it's just...iffy.

Still, an enjoyable read.

I need book two yesterday!! I am all in my feels with this book and just so grateful I got the opportunity to read it. This is an incredible and important story and I cannot wait to see where Aria and friends go next.

I recieved a free eARC of this book. Thank you for the opportunity to read it!


“Conceal not feel, don’r let them know, but now they’ll know?”

Aria is a Dreamslinger. In her dreams, she travels to a different world,,,and brings back powers with her. She’s learned to control them, sort of. Unfortunately, she loses control af exactly the wrong time…which leads to her being “volunteered” to go to the Kingdom of Royal Hanguk, home of the dreamslinger league…and to take them down from the inside. Except that she discovers that maybe, just maybe, things aren’t as she’s been told they are.

This is an exciting start to what is hopefully a series. There is a lot of Korean culture built into the fantasy setting, i think kids who love Percy Jackson, dragons, mythology, magical school, and adventure stories will love it. I look forward to the next installment.

This is a very creative YA world that anyone struggling with emotions is sure to vibe with. Immersive fantasy with relatable characters.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. This was another action packed read from Graci Kim! I loved the various words thrown in the book with their origin and meanings. I love that Aria takes a stand for herself and doesn’t let either of her parents decide for her. I love how the book weaves magic and myth.

Aria Loveridge has grown up knowing that she was born with a dangerous genetic mutation that accesses a magical realm, that her mother was killed during an outbreak of this magic and that has worked very hard to help her suppress her powers. Then she finds out everything she ever thought was true is wrong.
Fantastic magical story! Aria is a great protagonist caught between many choices. I love that she doesn’t over-react when faced with choices, is stubborn and loving. I’m looking forward to more in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Publishing Worldwide for this DRC.
#Dreamslinger #NetGalley

Wow!!! This book was amazing! It used a delightful creative blend of magical world building mixed with Korean traditions. As someone who has always had vivid dreams, the concept of a whole other dream world is really incredible and intriguing. Middle graders will fall in love with this series (and the idea of having their own baby bloom dragon!).