This book had an interesting premise—time travelers, faeries, and a prophecy-driven plot—but in the end, it was just mid for me. The world-building was ambitious, with the concept of a dream-eating World Tree and a rebellion against its tyranny, but it sometimes felt overwhelming rather than immersive. There were a lot of fascinating ideas, but they didn’t always come together smoothly.

Saya and Andreas had potential as characters, especially with their past connection, but their dynamic didn’t fully grab me. Their trust issues and slow-building alliance had moments of intrigue, yet their relationship felt underdeveloped compared to the grand scope of the plot. I also would have liked a deeper emotional connection between them to make their journey more compelling.

The writing itself was fluid and easy to follow, which made the book an enjoyable read despite its flaws. However, the pacing was inconsistent—some parts dragged while others felt rushed, making it hard to stay fully engaged.

Overall, it wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either. If you love intricate fantasy worlds and don’t mind a story that takes a while to find its footing, it might still be worth a read. The book gets 3 ⭐ from me.

Once upon a time a section of land separated and lifted into the sky. The Floating City as it’s called requires all its citizens to sacrifice their dreams to fuel this landmass from falling back down to the flat lands to ensures the safety.

This book offers a lot of unique depth and complexity. The intricate world-building and poetic writing really bring the story to life. There is a heavy use of timelines and time loops which made it slightly hard to follow at times in the beginning. I swear just hang in there. The effort to understand the story pays off in the end. It’s worth the slight confusion. I loved the character development—especially Saya’s backstory. The book's ambition and creativity are worth the effort if you're into more complex, high-fantasy stories. I loved the theme of finding your true self and the in-depth dreams and their meanings. I even found myself crying at a few different moments toward the end. (I literally never cry over books!)

I will say I think a map of the world would be helpful to have. Navigationally I was lost at times in relation to other places in the story.

Loved the Title, the premise of the story, and the art on the book.

I think this was a good idea for a story. The writing is poetic, the world building is there, I like that we are in the heads of both characters, and pacing was fine.

The world building and time travel was the hardest to follow at time especially in the beginning. Though the writing was descriptive, the dialog needs work.

Thank you to Author for letting me read this and happy release month.

This is a beautiful but heart wrenching story of fated love. We have great world building and deep, complex characters.
I loved the chemistry between Saya and Andreas, noticeable from the very first moment the crossed paths in the book.
I have to admit that the first 42 pages were a bit heavy, but necessary to understand how things worked and not get lost deeper in the story.
I don't have more to say than: It is so well written it was a pleasure to read it, to learn about and with the characters how the story evolved.

DNF @ 45%

I really, really wanted to like this book. The cover was appealing, the title was gorgeous, and the premise was intriguing.

Essentially, we follow our two main characters: Saya and Andreas. Saya is a faerie, a shape shifter, who was captured and her wings removed, and has now been sent into the world on a mission to capture a time traveller. Andreas… Well, he’s the time traveller. And somehow, Saya can’t quite work out why he feels so familiar. He might be the man from her dreams who gave her wings once upon a time…

The first 10-20% was confusing. There’s a lot of lore, backstory, and world-building kind of dumped on you, and it can be difficult to work out what’s what. After that, I was reassured by other reviews, it gets better.

For me, that wasn’t the case, unfortunately. It got less confusing, yes, but I still struggled to connect with the characters and the plot. The initial confusion I experienced left me constantly trying to figure certain things out while also trying to absorb new information as the story progressed. I can push myself through books like there is no tomorrow, but I just could not get into this one, and it was so frustrating and upsetting.


I think the potential here is MASSIVE. The writing is beautiful and the concept could be truly excellent. I just feel that it needed some refinement to allow a smoother entry into the story, giving the reader time to connect and process the starting point of the plot, so that when it does kick off at the 20% mark, you get to enjoy the ride more.

No-one is more disappointed than me for not falling in love with this. I had really high hopes. And I’m not saying I won’t go back and try again in future - maybe I will - but if I’m not enjoying a book when I’m almost halfway through, I feel that forcing myself through it rarely ends with a changed mind.

Maybe my brain wasn’t in the right headspace for this, maybe I read it at the wrong time. Others seem to have enjoyed it, so maybe I’m just the exception. If you think this sounds like it’s for you, don’t let my bad experience stop you from picking it up!

Across Time and Starlight by Alessandro Candotti os a masterpiece! I loved this book so much. I couldn't stop reading this book and I couldn't put it down for a bit. So so good.

The premise and artwork really sucked me in. This book had a lot of over explanation that slowed down me really being able to enjoy the full story.

Favorite Quote: "“I’ll find you, in this world or any other.”

Thank you to Netgalley for one of my very first e-arcs.

First and foremost, the premise from the description was really what drew me in as well as the multi-perspective. The beginning of the book was quite lore heavy, but it also made me want to keep reading to find out more about Saya when she gets introduced. Once the story gets going a few chapters in, it was evident that I needed to ensure I kept track of which perspective I was reading and the information presented (which took a little bit away from the reading experience). Some were important, some not. I did appreciate the flourishing descriptions of the world and of course, Saya and Andreas' journey and timeless hope and passion for each other.

"And we have found each other, across time and starlight. Is it any wonder, then, we want to run away together?"

This book is definitely a unique and ambitious read, blending time travel, fate, lost dreams, and mythical origins into one sweeping high-fantasy story. It follows Saya and Andreas, two people who once met in a dream and are now trying to find each other again—though, of course, it’s not that simple.

The writing itself is poetic and beautifully descriptive, which really helps bring the world to life. That said, the storytelling can be a bit of a challenge. There are a lot of timelines, flashbacks, and time loops that sometimes make it hard to follow, and I found myself flipping back to reread sections just to keep track of everything. Saya’s backstory is mostly crammed into the first chapter, which made it harder to connect with her early on, whereas Andreas’ development is spread out, making him feel much more fleshed out as a character.

One thing that really pulled me out of the experience was the poor ebook formatting. It was frustrating to deal with and made an already complex story even harder to follow. On top of that, there are some darker elements, including violence, explicit scenes, and a dream sequence where consent is ignored, which some readers might find uncomfortable.

Overall, this book has a lot to offer if you enjoy lyrical prose and intricate world-building, but it does require some patience. If you don’t mind working through a dense narrative (and some formatting issues), it’s worth checking out!

Thanks to NetGalley, Greenleaf Book Group, and River Grove Books for this e-arc!

The cover art is beautiful! The premise sounds promising. This book was beautifully written, lush, and poetic! I did have trouble getting into the story and pacing. There was too much over explanation in the beginning and the time travel lost me tbh. Definitely took my time reading this, It's pretty heavy in the world building and descriptions that you forget what the story is even about.

This book had a really interesting premise and I think readers who love very poetic prose and some ambiguity will really like it. The prose is lovely and proves rich descriptions.

Personally I found the story rather frustrating. The time travel led to a lot of circular logic and despite the story already taking place in multiple times periods there were so many flashbacks. I found myself often having to go back a couple pages and reread sections to follow the plot.

Most of Saya's backstory was all in the first chapter which I found very hard to follow but Andreas' was spread more throughout. This made Andreas feel much more real as a character. I wish Saya had had more agency as it often felt like her whole existence was just being his dream girl.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

The cover, the title and the topic of time travel made me expect more of a sci-fi book than a fantasy one, but that wasn't a problem in the end - the fantasy world presented had such a fresh and in parts alien feel to it I really enjoyed getting lost in it. Candotti came up with some beautiful and beautifully strange visuals that he managed to put into words wonderfully.

I had some trouble getting into the story at first. A lot of exposition, explaining the setting and its past and constant flash backs of previous experiences of the characters were a bit of a hindrance to really get into a flow while reading. But I did enjoy the general switch of perspectives between the "Old Time" and the "New Time" in the first part of the book. Especially since so much of what happened and who we met in the "Old Time" did actually have an impact on the story and the world of the "New Time".

Once the setting and the characters were set up, the story managed to really intrigue me. There were passages where I didn't want to put the book down at all because I just HAD to find out what was going to happen next. Sadly, towards the end, the plot kind of lost me. It felt like some things were overexplained while others weren't explained or set up enough, making me really struggle to understand what whas happening and why certain characters did the things they did.

To end on a positive note: the central themes of hope and love really work for me. More than that, I loved how important self-love and self-acceptance became to the plot as well.

ACROSS TIME AND STARLIGHT comes in ambitious - which can be a fantastic thing for a fantasy novel. The worldbuilding, at least on the back end and in the author's mind, is clearly very lush: two time periods in one setting, ruled by a World Tree that seeks meaning through stories. Saya and Andreas, the lovers divided by time, are passionate individuals with intriguing stories. And their ultimate foe, the giant Melasquez (and the Dark Fate that feeds into and from him) is a terrifying enemy: somehow both childlike and controlling.

Tackling a bootstrap paradox like this one is daunting. Adding multiple strands to that paradox - multiple paradoxes, even - muddies the waters even further. While there are glimmers of beauty and romance, it feels like there are too many plates spinning. The reader is occasionally left feeling like something is missing - not like there are threads yet to be untangled, but like something didn't make it to the page that's necessary for full appreciation of the story. Perhaps it's a side effect of dual first-person narrators, necessitating shifts in perspective and occasionally leaving out context, but much of the book reads like something key has been left on the cutting room floor. It's a story I would love to see fleshed out and given more attention. And, in fact, if something was lost in the process, it would be lovely to see it restored.

This book has very poetic prose. It can get a bit dense at times. It was mostly well written but could benefit from some cutting.

This is a truly enjoyable read that pulls the reader into a fantastical but fraught world. Our two main characters Saya and Andreas are time travelers who are desperate to remember the past they shared together while working together to change a world that is a falling apart and a future that is doomed.

For most of the beginning of the book there are two separate timelines /worlds.and because of that there is heavy description, trying to establish the worlds and make it as immersive as possible. It can be a little hard to figure out what is going on initially because the world building takes precedent but once the characters are fully introduced the story really kicks into gear. Individually Saya and Andreas are great character but when they are together is when they truly shine. Their love story is bittersweet and tinged with a sense that will never get to be happy but they keeping fighting for their future. There are many side characters, some more memorable than others but it is a great cast of friends and foes.

The plot is strong. Time travel is something i haven't seen too much in fantasy and certainly not used in the way it was here. The pacing was good. The stakes were high so it never felt like their was a lull in what was happening. Overall a good book!.

This was an interesting read! This story follows Saya and Andreas, two characters who met in a dream once, trying to find each other again, but it's not so easy.

The beginning starts with a mythical origin story then continues to develop into the New Time. There's Fate, territory wars, time traveling, lost dreams, and magical beings. This is definitely a high-fantasy read and might take some time getting used to. I definitely had to slow my reading down to make sure I am grasping and following the story. But it was beautifully written and even poetic at times.

There is some violence and gory imagery, as well as explicit spice and a scene where the FMC is dreaming and says "no" but the man in her dreams continues to make advances regardless. I personally didn't really like that, even if it was just a dream.

I thought the book was good though and I definitely recommend checking it out! It's a different and unique type of story!

A magical world! The time travelers are destined to love Faeries. Saya was a Faerie whose wings were stolen from her. Saya forms an alliance with Andreas to save the city. Will they be able to rescue the souls of their people? I loved the adventure and the relationship between Saya and Andreas! If you are looking for a fantasy book with a little romance that transports you to another world, this is your book! This is so different than anything I’ve read in a very long time! I also loved the cover of this book, once of the reasons I requested it!

Be sure to check this out on February 4th 2025!

Thank you NetGalley, Alessandro and Greenleaf Book Group for the E-ARC!

#NetGalley

This is a STELLAR premise!
Truly!! I often find Fantasy books reuse the premise of others over and over and over. Especially to remain relevant in online spaces.

However, I found this book to be a bit lacking for a few reason.

The first being despite its Publication growing ever closer it is still full of typos and misspellings.
The second being this book tosses and turns you all around. I think it almost becomes too in depth in terms of descriptions that the plot seems to be forgotten.
In the very beginning you aren’t really given much of a basis about the main character. I felt like I was struggling to keep up with what was happening every scene change instead of things blending and melding together smoothly.

I think the book needed just a bit more time, with a few more edits. But I truly think the premise is amazing and hope to see what else this author releases!



EDIT: I’ve re-read this ARC and truly do enjoy this book, for a Debut novel it’s stellar and the premise is amazing and one I personally haven’t seen before! The typos do take me a bit out of the story but overlooking them and it’s so worth it!

Magical, immersive, and riveting. With mythical origin stories, prophesied time travelers, missing dreams, and magical beings, this high fantasy is a thrilling ride that instantly makes the reader root for Saya and Andreas.

I was immediately hooked by the opening, which drew me in with both the writing style and direct introduction to the premise of the story:

“There was only one thing I remembered about the boy I loved. He didn’t believe I existed. Perhaps that was only natural, since we met in a dream. Mine or his, or the World Trees’, who dreamed our lives into existence, that I never truly figured out.”

From here, the writing only becomes more immersive and almost poetic, appealing to the senses with its vivid depiction of drifting through the skies and falling to black seas and waiting nets. The reader is thrust first into a dream, clearly laid out as such, and afterward informed that not all dream, and those that do are doomed to have theirs devoured by the Black Tree, or in the case of Saya, doomed to see every dream become reality.

The story first follows Saya, who is not free and has a secret of her own. Saya has a deep and tragic backstory, one I would have liked to see spread out more evenly throughout the book. We get much of her backstory right out of the gate in chapter one in the form of memories. While intriguing, troubling, and effective at making the reader sympathetic, it does detract from the story at hand and what she’s currently doing in the priestess temple. I think it could have been shortened here and sprinkled in later. The reader is given a slew of new terms and backstory for the different lands, Saya’s land in particular, and it’s a lot to take in for chapter one.

The story features dual perspectives from Saya and Andreas, as well as a rich narrative involving the past and present, looping it all together in a tapestry of in-the-moment action, immersive flashbacks, and intriguing philosophical arguments to support the theme of fated destiny vs. choice.

In the old time, we are introduced to Melasquez, a beggar who discovers a black World Tree, using it to rip open a rift across planes. When the rift closes, and the elders forbid its reopening, the dream connection between worlds is lost, and Andreas is desperate to bring it back to find the girl of his dreams.

The threat of annihilation looms over their heads as soldiers from the neighboring lands threaten their very existence. In the New Time, we learn how this story plays out, and in exchange for safety, the people must give their dreams to the black World Tree to power their floating land. Though there’s a steep price for parting with your dreams.

Imaginative, hard to put down, and nail-biting. This story engages the reader until the end. As a fair warning, this novel is perhaps not for those who demand clean, wrapped-up endings, as it leaves the reader with some food for thought but not necessarily a happily ever after.

Explicit content warnings: Infrequent but fairly explicit for the spice level. Fairly clean language (one instance of “arse” and some book-invented phrases). Some violence with gory imagery. I wasn’t a fan of one of Saya’s dreams in which she clearly tells the man in the dream “no,” but he continues to make sexual advances anyway. This can possibly be considered a gray area since it is her dream and may represent fear of intimacy, but it will likely turn some readers off.

A note to the publisher: The cover is fine but could be better. With this kind of story, I think there is often an expectation of a more vibrant, eye-catchy color scheme. Some examples would be Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan or The Starlight Heir.