# Visited Narnia and Middle Earth? Now visit Dream.



## Daniel Arenson (Apr 11, 2010)

*THE GODS OF DREAM*

*a fantasy novel by Daniel Arenson
author of Blood of Requiem*​
What are dreams? Some think they are figments of our mind. But what if they were wisps of a distant, magical world&#8230; a world you could visit?

Twins Cade and Tasha discover Dream, the land dreams come from. It is a realm of misty forests, of verdant mountains, of mysterious gods who send dreams into our sleep. Cade and Tasha seek solace there; they are refugees, scarred and haunted with memories of war. In Dream, they can forget their past, escape the world, and find joy.

Phobetor, the god of Nightmare, was outcast from Dream. Now he seeks to destroy it. He sends his monsters into Dream, and Cade and Tasha find their sanctuary threatened, dying. To save it, the twins must overcome their past, journey into the heart of Nightmare, and face Phobetor himself.

Discover a world of light and darkness, of hope and fear, of dreams and nightmares. Discover The Gods of Dream.

*"I'm hooked. It's fantastic. The descriptions of Nightmare will stay with you all day long."* -- Michael Crane, author of _Lessons and Other Morbid Drabbles_

*Buy from Kindle store*

*Buy from Kindle UK*

*The Gods of Dream Website*


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Hello again, Daniel, and congratulations on your book.

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## Daniel Arenson (Apr 11, 2010)

Eliven, Demon Queen of Nightmare, Chief Villainess of _The Gods of Dream_, is being interviewed tonight at _From the Shadows_. Please swing by for a visit: http://www.fromtheshadows.info/2011/01/character-interview-eliven-of-gods-of.html


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## Joel Arnold (May 3, 2010)

Daniel Arenson said:


> Eliven, Demon Queen of Nightmare, Chief Villainess of _The Gods of Dream_, is being interviewed tonight at _From the Shadows_. Please swing by for a visit: http://www.fromtheshadows.info/2011/01/character-interview-eliven-of-gods-of.html


What a cool idea!


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## Daniel Arenson (Apr 11, 2010)

Joel Arnold said:


> What a cool idea!


Eliven says thanks!


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## Daniel Arenson (Apr 11, 2010)

_The Gods of Dream_ received its second Amazon review -- for five stars. Mary writes: "What an experience! A book to make you smile, cry, laugh, despair, sigh, and dream. Beautifully flowing quest of a brother and his twin sister."

Learn more about _The Gods of Dream_ here.


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## Daniel Arenson (Apr 11, 2010)

What was the inspiration for _The Gods of Dream_?

With this novel, I tried to create a "Narnia for older readers". If you escaped into Narnia in your childhood, now--as an adult or teenager--you might want a new world to explore. The world of Dream is my Narnia, an enchanted sanctuary few can visit. There is beauty and magic there, but danger and adventure too. If you loved C.S. Lewis's Narnia or Tolkien's Middle Earth, I'm hoping you enjoy discovering Dream.


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## Daniel Arenson (Apr 11, 2010)

_The Gods of Dream _now has three Amazon reviews -- each for five stars.


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## Daniel Arenson (Apr 11, 2010)

_The Gods of Dream _received a new five-star review on Amazon. Here's a quote:

"A very moving tale that perfectly captures the essence of dreams and nightmares. A beautiful surreal and epic fantasy in the vein of Lewis and Tolkien, with a light-hearted touch. After reading _The Gods of Dream_, I can't wait to read the rest of Daniel Arenson's novels!"


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## Daniel Arenson (Apr 11, 2010)

New Amazon five-star review for _The Gods of Dream_. Here's a quote:

"One of my favorite things to find in a fantasy or sci-fi novel is a well-crafted world. The world of Dream in Arenson's book is filled with beautiful imagery. Even Nightmare, while not a place one would want to visit, felt like a real place. These worlds help me to get into a book, when I can imagine myself walking the same paths as the characters. The characters were also great. This was my first time reading Arenson's work, and now I would definitely read more."

Have you visited Dream yet?


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## Joseph Robert Lewis (Oct 31, 2010)

Hi Daniel,

Is it wrong that I just love looking at this cover? It's gorgeous. Great composition, colors, textures. I love her hair especially. Is her hair an important feature in the story? Long feathery white hair?


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## jenwylie (Feb 10, 2011)

How have I missed these books!
Looks like a def. must read!
Love the cover!


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## Daniel Arenson (Apr 11, 2010)

Joseph Robert Lewis said:


> Is it wrong that I just love looking at this cover? It's gorgeous. Great composition, colors, textures.


Have you seen the full version?



Joseph Robert Lewis said:


> I love her hair especially. Is her hair an important feature in the story? Long feathery white hair?


The world of Dream is where good dreams come from. Various magical deities and creatures live there. I didn't want to populate Dream with elves, dwarves, and the same old fantasy beings, so I created my own creatures. The Elorians are people who live in western Dream, near the border with the kingdom of Nightmare. They look like humans, but long feathers grow from their heads instead of hair. The girl on the cover, Moonmist, indeed has long, golden feathers in the book.

The hawk on her shoulder also appears in the book. His name is Windwhisper, known as the Eyes of Eloria; he flies across Dream and watches over it.

I worked carefully with my artist, Elena, to get these details just right. At first, Elena had trouble creating the feathers, and we thought we'd have to settle for regular hair. But Elena managed to pull it off beautifully.


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## Daniel Arenson (Apr 11, 2010)

jenwylie said:


> How have I missed these books!
> Looks like a def. must read!
> Love the cover!


Thanks, Jen! I hope you enjoy the book. When you've read it, please let me know what you think.


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## robertduperre (Jun 13, 2010)

Well, the Journal checks in with a review of this fantastic book:

http://journalofalways.blogspot.com/2011/02/review-gods-of-dream-by-daniel-arenson.html


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## Daniel Arenson (Apr 11, 2010)

robertduperre said:


> Well, the Journal checks in with a review of this fantastic book:
> 
> http://journalofalways.blogspot.com/2011/02/review-gods-of-dream-by-daniel-arenson.html


Thank you for this lovely review, Rob. You wrote very eloquently. I especially enjoyed reading this paragraph:

"The creative inventions of the world aside, the emotional threads are spectacularly done as well, in fact more so. Cade and Tasha really feel like damaged souls. They're full of doubt and guilt. Tasha is nearly pathetic in her unhappiness, and you pity Cade for how hard he tries, even while he's doubting his every action. In every way it makes sense that these two were the ones chosen to save Dream, because they needed to be saved just as much. They needed to rediscover beauty even in the face of ugliness and evil. And I think that might be the main point: that there is splendor all around you, that if only you'd take the time to actually deal with the hardships that come upon you, you'd bust out on the other side realizing all you've had and all you could have. Tasha, herself, embodies this. She is small in soul and scope at the start of the novel. In this way, it's no wonder that she chooses to be a mouse when she crosses into Dream. For she is afraid of everything, her fear and sorrow have made her as insignificant as a creature that makes its home in shredded bits of discarded paper. In this case, that discarded paper is her life, both former and present."

Besides being written beautifully, this paragraph perfectly describes the tone and ideas I tried to convey in the book.


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## robertduperre (Jun 13, 2010)

The funny thing is, there was so much more I could've written.  As it is the review is just over 2000 words long, and I had to cut some things just to get it to that length!  There's so much good stuff in there I could have gone on and on and on.


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## Daniel Arenson (Apr 11, 2010)

robertduperre said:


> The funny thing is, there was so much more I could've written. As it is the review is just over 2000 words long, and I had to cut some things just to get it to that length! There's so much good stuff in there I could have gone on and on and on.


Thanks, Rob. There's definitely a lot going on in the book. Did you have a favorite place in Dream and Nightmare? Was it the dark, surreal subway system beneath Nightmare?


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## robertduperre (Jun 13, 2010)

Daniel Arenson said:


> Thanks, Rob. There's definitely a lot going on in the book. Did you have a favorite place in Dream and Nightmare? Was it the dark, surreal subway system beneath Nightmare?


Yeah, the subway might have been my overall favorite. It was just so creatively done. However, I also liked the "field of the universe" section. The men covered with stars and planets, becoming one with the cosmos? NIIIIICCCE. And the white lion and wood fairies were excellent, as well. And the panda in the Autumnal forest (talk about an unexplained plot point that really makes you wonder about what the real makeup of this word is!). And the factories in Nightmare. Speaking of the factories, the whale and the reverse allusions to the biblical story (Johah is fleeing his duty to God, while Cade and Tasha are driven and just rediscovering their "faith", even when surrounded by scores of Doubting Thomases). Oh, one more point - the Dreamweavers and Light Dragons. Fantastic creations.

See what I mean? Could've gone on forever.


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## Daniel Arenson (Apr 11, 2010)

robertduperre said:


> Yeah, the subway might have been my overall favorite. It was just so creatively done.


The subways in Nightmare are, I think, tied to the real-world subways Cade travels in the first chapter. To Cade, Earth's subways are a place of melancholy, of feeling lost and scared -- he travels them between the hospital (where Tasha is hurt) and the cemetery. In a way, Dream and Nightmare are symbolic of Cade and Tasha's real life. Therefore, surreal and freakish subways power Nightmare, the place where Cade and Tasha face their demons -- literally and figuratively.



robertduperre said:


> However, I also liked the "field of the universe" section. The men covered with stars and planets, becoming one with the cosmos? NIIIIICCCE.


This is a recurring dream of mine. I don't know why, but many times, I dreamed that I looked into the sky, and saw the universe too clear and close above me. Neptune, Saturn, Mars, and other planets are the size of the moon. Stars and galaxies flow above me, almost close enough to touch. I feel pulled in, as if the night sky will envelope me, or I'll fall into it. The "old men of the universe" from the novel have appeared in one of my dreams -- cranky people covered in stars and planets like barnacles, infested with the heavens. I don't know that this dream means, but I had to include it in Dream.



robertduperre said:


> And the white lion and wood fairies were excellent, as well.


The White Lioness, who appears in western Dream, is inspired by a real white lioness. The real one lives in the Toronto zoo. I have a photo of her somewhere at home; I'll dig around for it tonight, and upload.



robertduperre said:


> And the panda in the Autumnal forest (talk about an unexplained plot point that really makes you wonder about what the real makeup of this word is!).


Panda is probably the most mysterious being in Dream and Nightmare. I don't know if anyone knows who he is. He is older than Yor, the King of Dream; possibly the only creature who is older. Some think Panda created Dream, but since he doesn't talk, nobody really knows.



robertduperre said:


> And the factories in Nightmare. Speaking of the factories, the whale and the reverse allusions to the biblical story (Johah is fleeing his duty to God, while Cade and Tasha are driven and just rediscovering their "faith", even when surrounded by scores of Doubting Thomases).


There are definitely references to Jonah there. To me, however, the whale is primarily a reference to Joseph Campbell's "monomyth" or "the hero's journey". Campbell speaks of a stage of the journey when things are darkest, hopeless. He calls this "in the belly of the whale".

Campbell: "The idea that the passage of the magical threshold is a transit into a sphere of rebirth is symbolized in the worldwide womb image of the belly of the whale. The hero, instead of conquering or conciliating the power of the threshold, is swallowed into the unknown and would appear to have died. This popular motif gives emphasis to the lesson that the passage of the threshold is a form of self-annihilation. Instead of passing outward, beyond the confines of the visible world, the hero goes inward, to be born again. The disappearance corresponds to the passing of a worshipper into a temple - where he is to be quickened by the recollection of who and what he is, namely dust and ashes unless immortal. The temple interior, the belly of the whale, and the heavenly land beyond, above, and below the confines of the world, are one and the same. That is why the approaches and entrances to temples are flanked and defended by colossal gargoyles: dragons, lions, devil-slayers with drawn swords, resentful dwarfs, winged bulls. The devotee at the moment of entry into a temple undergoes a metamorphosis. Once inside he may be said to have died to time and returned to the World Womb, the World Navel, the Earthly Paradise. Allegorically, then, the passage into a temple and the hero-dive through the jaws of the whale are identical adventures, both denoting in picture language, the life-centering, life-renewing act."

I decided to take this literally. 



robertduperre said:


> Oh, one more point - the Dreamweavers and Light Dragons. Fantastic creations.


The Dreamloomers are a late addition. The book was written, revised, beta-read, ready to publish. Then I thought of the Dreamloomers, and realized how important they are, and added them. I like the Dreamloomers so much, that cousins of theirs appear in my current work-in-progress.

The Light Dragons are there to sing the Dreamsong, which is how the world of Dream began. Before there was a novel, I wrote the epic poem of Dream. I didn't even know it would be a novel until the poem grew so long, it needed to become a book.



robertduperre said:


> See what I mean? Could've gone on forever.


The original draft had even more places. I have a file with thousands of words of "deleted scenes". There was an octopus (one of Nightmare's Incubi) who challenged Cade and Tasha to a game of riddles, ala Gollum and Frodo. This scene didn't make the final draft, since I wanted to get Cade and Tasha to the pegacats' waterfall faster. There was a land of flying bulldogs; these were cut because they were just too silly, and didn't fit the more somber scenes. There were also more landscapes, which I cut because they slowed down the pace. Dream and Nightmare are huge. Cade and Tasha travel for a year, but see only a small part of these worlds. Someday maybe I should write a sequel, and show more of these places.


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## Daniel Arenson (Apr 11, 2010)

_The Gods of Dream_ received a lovely review today at Geek Speak Magazine.

Here are some highlights:

"This is such a glorious story, I cannot even tell you.... There are larger themes to the book, themes of self-determination and sacrifice and faith and loyalty, optimism and redemption and courage and love -- but above all of that it is just a really great quest adventure.... It is an epic journey through an unknowable land, a smart allegory about life and death and everything in between, and a truly beautiful piece of work with emotional depth, tremendous heart and a more than occasional thrill of discovery."

You can read the full review here.

Thanks for reading!


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## Daniel Arenson (Apr 11, 2010)

If you're looking for a new epic fantasy novel, please give _The Gods of Dream_ a try.


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## Daniel Arenson (Apr 11, 2010)

New review for _The Gods of Dream_ on Amazon: "The cadence is right so it flows like a fairy tale even when it delves into some very harsh subjects. It's dark, it's entertaining and very well constructed. I enjoyed it for the same reasons I like Orson Scott Card's _Hart's Hope_ and Neil Gaiman's _Stardust_...."


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## Daniel Arenson (Apr 11, 2010)

New review for _The Gods of Dream_ on Amazon.co.uk.

"I'm surprised this book hasn't had more recognition! This was the first book I bought for my Kindle, and it's brilliant.... A really creative and brilliant book that will keep you interested for sure!"


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## Daniel Arenson (Apr 11, 2010)

_The Gods of Dream_ is featured today on Ereader News Today. Take a look.


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## Aaron Mahnke (Mar 27, 2011)

Very nicely done. Your covers have made me feel a little less confident in my own book cover, but you've set a fine example for me and other writers to follow. I'll be sure to check out your books today!

- Aaron Mahnke


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## Daniel Arenson (Apr 11, 2010)

Aaron Mahnke said:


> Very nicely done. Your covers have made me feel a little less confident in my own book cover, but you've set a fine example for me and other writers to follow. I'll be sure to check out your books today!
> 
> - Aaron Mahnke


Thanks, Aaron! I hope you enjoy my work.


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## Daniel Arenson (Apr 11, 2010)

_The Gods of Dream_ is featured today on Pixel of Ink! Take a look.


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

Daniel, this looks really great.  A thoroughly detailed world, vivid enough to stay with us in our sleep!


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## Daniel Arenson (Apr 11, 2010)

Steverino said:


> Daniel, this looks really great. A thoroughly detailed world, vivid enough to stay with us in our sleep!


Thanks! If you choose to read it, I hope you enjoy it.


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## Daniel Arenson (Apr 11, 2010)

New five star review for _The Gods of Dream_ on Amazon:

*BREATHTAKING:* Finally - a kindle author who writes breathtaking prose. The language in this book is worth it alone - even without the carefully crafted plot. I can't rate this book highly enough. A true master in the epic fantasy genre.


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## Daniel Arenson (Apr 11, 2010)

Cool new Amazon review for _The Gods of Dream_:

"_The Gods of Dream_ is a fantastic book with amazing descriptions and connectable characters. From the moment the books starts, the fun and fantasy begins. It's characters are easy to relate to in their struggles and their desires. The world created for the stage the characters preform on, is on that I would not hesitate to live in, given the chance. If you love fantasy and stories of quests, this is definitely a "must read". It's a book that leaves you breathless, and wanting more."


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