Reviews with content warning for Murder - Dreams Lie Beneath

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Dreams Lie Beneath by Rebecca Ross

10 reviews

caitlin_bookchats's review

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Another Rebecca Ross 4 star for me. What can I say, her books are imperfect but also extremely my jam. This one I did really struggle to get into, I like to think it's because the plot takes a little bit to find its feet.

Once we settle into the main routine of the novel though I was intrigued enough in knowing why these characters were making the decisions they were to be engrossed.

Although If I were to rank Ross's novels this might actually be the bottom of the list for me. The world is very intriguing but we see a very limited amount of it. Common Ross themes around the value of art are present but more peripheral? And themes she later explores in more depth about who is telling the narrative and the complacency of power are more under developed here.

The strong thread of romantic love between a couple and the ways they understand and support each other is, as is typical for Ross, a significant thread.

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doahdancer's review against another edition

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emotional funny mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Went into this with no expectations and nearly blind. I've never read anything by Ross and only picked this up because a bookstagramer I usually agree with recommended it and said it had similar vibes to the Shepherd King duology (One Dark Window).

She was right!!

This book has a great whodunit plot surrounded by the dark, ethereal vibes of mist and shadow, dreams and nightmares. I loved that it packed so much intrigue and mystery into a standalone, that also wasn't incredibly long. The slow burn romance was a great addition on top. It was very strong in the romantic category, but no spice. The romantic swoon here didn't need it and the softer development of their relationship was well suited to the overall feel of the book.

I really loved this, possibly a lot more than I realize.

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sophiesmallhands's review

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adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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beautifulpaxielreads's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Dreams Lie Beneath is a really solid fantasy standalone novel and one that I thoroughly enjoyed reading.

It had just about everything a fantasy novel needs - good plotting, strong worldbuilding and a magic system that is actually consistent and easy to understand (I've read enough fantasy in my time to know that this is really difficult to achieve). I did have some trouble understanding the intricacies of

the curse that drives the plot

but that might have been more due to my own reading experience than the writing.

The

romance

was well-written and credible, if not spectacular. I also thought

the ending was interesting and unexpected

.

Rebecca Ross has done an excellent job here - but given all the other books I've read of hers, I shouldn't be surprised. This was a very good read.

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camiandkitread's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Rebecca Ross is has one of the most talented writers of her generation. Her characters are all charming, her plots are always compelling, and her writing style is achingly beautiful.

“Dreams Lie Beneath” was a stunning standalone novel and kept me engaged the entire time. I went in to it not knowing anything about the plot, coming off my book hangover from “Divine Rivals,” and hoping that anything could fill that void. I was not disappointed!

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