Review Dreamwalker by J D Oswald

I'm going to be very honest now: I wasn't much of a reader back when I was a kid of like 7 or 8.
I wasn't even much of a writer. I liked doing it, but I always wanted to do something else, something that was far from where my heart actually lay. I wanted to be a singer - WHAT.
I mean, it's not that I can't sing - it's just the fact that I don't like doing it in front of people. With people. Without people. Meh.
Anywaayyyyss.
What I'm trying to say is that I've never actually read a children's book, other than Geronimo Stilton or a few other books, which I can't remember the name of. Of course I also didn't read in English back then - I could understand it a little bit, but reading an English book would probably have destroyed my tiny brains. 
But still, it's a shame that I never came across this one - Dreamwalker by J D Oswald, because I'm pretty sure I would've loved it and dream about it every single night and tell all my friends about it and jump around the house thinking I'm a dragon or that I can see the Grym and... Yeah, basically.

Summary

The story's about these two boys, from which one is a dragon called Benfro and the other is a human boy called Errol. We follow their lives seperately, starting with the birth of both of them, which was at the same time and place.

Many years later their lives go on without knowing that they've ever met each other, but both being very important for the future of the Twin Kingdoms.

Errol lives in a small village with his mother, who's trying to find his way in the world.

He's a bit of a strange boy to the villagers - looks different from the other children and never knew his real father nor do the villagers.

And Benfro resides deep in the forest where he and his mother mother Morgwm, a great Mage, with the other residual dragons. He begins his training in the subtle arts and is destined to be just as a great Mage his mother is.

But evil lurks in every corner and the peaceful lives of the young boys threaten to be disturbed, by the same destiny they share...

My opinion

Rate: 8.5/10

What a lovely children's book!

First of all - Oswald's writing style. His vocabulary and his descriptions really draws me into the world he has created on these pages, whilst managing to make sure that we experience everything the same way as the characters do. I loved how he used different perspectives and even though Oswald himself is the narrator in every perspective, he still made sure that we were in the minds of these characters, seeing the world through their eyes and learning how they are as persons. We don't just get to see our heroes and theur struggles and discoveries, but also the bad guys as Melyn and Beulah. And with each perspective he slightly adjusted his writing style to make it set a certain mood or feeling that fits these characters which is amazing.

I think the construction of the story was great.

I felt like I had no idea where it was going and in this case, it was definitely a good thing. We made many discoveries which made the truth about mankind and dragons clearer and clearer, we've seen our characters planning out their moves or wondering what to do, without knowing ourselves what would actually come up next. But as a reader I wanted to keep going - I wanted to find out. And I believe that if a book does that to you, it's one hell of a book.

But I do have one minus-point to the construction of the story:

The whole story is kind of a build-up of tension, which is, usually, a very good thing. We need tension. We need that plot twist somewhere in the book. We need to be shocked and we need to scream and die at the end of the book and wanting to read the sequel immediately because otherwise we're going to die and we'll never come back and we'll just be dead and yeah. 

*takes a deep breath*

*Holds her breath for five seconds*

*Lets out her breath after two*

But that didn't happen with this book. It was just a build-up and when I reached the end I was like: Wait, that's all? WHERE'S THE REST?

BUUTTT - I think the second book will make up for it. Hopefully.

(You better make up for it, sequel.)

Another thing I didn't really like was Errol.

No, wait, hold up. Sshh. 

I love Errol the way he is, but I think the writer has "painted" him as a grown up in this story. Errol's word choice, feelings and thoughts don't always really fit his age and it makes him slightly less realistic.

I get it - he's a smart kid, different from the rest, interested in books (GOOD, ERROL, VERY GOOD :D) and everything, but he's still somewhat a kid. So if he had been given some more of these childlike characteristics he would be perfect.

Benfro on the other hand is the real representation of a child. He has the curiosity, the instinct, and many other childlike characteristics that make him a child. (HE'S SO CUTE.)

But let's get back to the things I do like about this book.

Like the magic!

I loved how the magic is in this book and how it perfectly fits the story. It's kind of based on some elements of the nature, books, history and the mind and it fits this old fashioned story. Like the Grym - the basic form magic has nearly all the elements in it and it's so fascinating to see how all the characters - yes, the bad guys too - use and experience it so differently.

And the tiny pieces of books the author puts in every opening of a new chapter. They're non-existent parts of non-existent books that either has something to with dragons or with mankind or with both. I love how sometimes these parts come back in the chapter and in nearly every perspective very strongly and other times more underground and nearly unnoticable. It gives this historical effect to this story which I really like.

Another interesting thing to see, are the many perceptions the characters have on the world they live. Not only the characters, who's perspective the story is told, but also the other characters. They all have different opinions and theories on how mankind is and will be or how dragonkind is and will be and it's very interesting to see these opinions laid against it each in the story.

Overall I really liked this book. I highly recommend it if you like a bit of an old fashioned, children's fantasy story! I'm looking forward to reading the sequel, The Rose Cord!

Until the next blogpost, then! :)