My thanks to NetGalley and Aconyte Books for an advance copy of this novel, the second in a series about a plague of illness that descends on the town of Arkham, Massachusetts, one that makes people sleep, trapped in nightmares that can be used to deluge the world in horror and destruction.

Sleep and I have never been boon companions. My mother called me a colicky child, one that fussed being laid down, kicked away blankets, climbed out of cribs, and would force my parents to take midnight rides to get me to sleep, usually when my father had found a great parking spot outside our apartment. My father had another name for me when not sleeping, something not used in polite society. In addition to my getting to sleep problems, I am a lucid dreamer who, as much as I remember has always had long convoluted dreams, usually weird, occasionally violent, many times just depressing. Funerals for family, friends declaring their hatred at me, bones coming out of my body, living in a yurt in the woods, chased by robots. The Dreamlands and I have agreed to disagree, for probably all my life. That's probably why I found this tale so disturbing, so uncomfortable. The idea of being trapped in my dreams really does fill me with fear .Add in other elements and one has a very good tale, guaranteed to ruin sleep for many. The Nightmare Quest of April May: An Arkham Horror Novel by Rosemary Jones is a story about a city filling with water, sleepers not awaking and Elder Gods turning their eyes to our mortal plain, and thinking the time might be now to visit.

April May is working at the Arkham Advertiser, the newspaper of record for Arkham, Massachusetts, answering phones at the classified desk. This is not her dream job, but it beats working in her uncle's store, though her dream is to be a painter. May and her best friend from kindergarten Nella, share a dream. To go to Paris, and live the life they want to live, but for now May places ads in the newspaper. And business is good. There seems to be a lot of missing dogs in town, and a call from a psychologist brings even more information. There seems to be a lot of people having nightmares in town. Dark ideas making it hard for people to sleep. May herself has had odd dreams, of a tower with a man in a golden mask, trying to tell her something. Soon the nightmares are replaced with somethings worse, people are falling asleep and not waking up. The hospitals are overwhelmed with sleepers, just as the rain comes. A deluge that might soon flood the town. May can sense something wrong, a feeling felt by others in the town, but somehow important facts are forgotten, like dreams upon awakening. As the waters run, people keep sleeping, dogs keep disappearing, May has to trust in something she fears most to free her friends from a never ending sleep.

Another great entry in a series that has become my favorite. I love the Aconyte line of stories for both the authors and the diversity they bring to the stories. Diversity I know that H. P. Lovecraft would have hated. The story is well done, eerie, spooky unsettling. The added danger to animals, adds something special to the story. There is a good mix of magic, esoteric knowledge and discussions on cake, which I also liked. Rosemary Jones is a very good writer, one I have read a bit before, and Jones can create characters that one cares about. Also Jones has a good ear and feeling for the era, dropping in a lot of stories and authors from the 20's and adding to the story's atmosphere. And I will again mention its a spooky, scary fun story.

This is the second in a series called The Drowned City series, but on does not have to have read the first one to understand it. Though one should, as it was good, as are all the books in this series. I quite enjoyed this one, and look forward to more by Rosemary Jones.