As a person who gobbles up fantasies as if they were candy, and therefore has explored many worlds and tropes, Reverie was breathtakingly original. Not that there isn’t anything wrong with not being original—I enjoy those stories too—but I have honestly never read of a concept like this one before. I was so enthralled in this book that I binged it in under three hours.
Reverie by Ryan La Sala
All Kane Montgomery knows for certain is that the police found him half-dead in the river. He can’t remember how he got there, what happened after, and why his life seems so different now. And it’s not just Kane who’s different, the world feels off, reality itself seems different.
As Kane pieces together clues, three almost-strangers claim to be his friends and the only people who can truly tell him what’s going on. But as he and the others are dragged into unimaginable worlds that materialize out of nowhere—the gym warps into a subterranean temple, a historical home nearby blooms into a Victorian romance rife with scandal and sorcery—Kane realizes that nothing in his life is an accident. And when a sinister force threatens to alter reality for good, they will have to do everything they can to stop it before it unravels everything they know.
This wildly imaginative debut explores what happens when the secret worlds that people hide within themselves come to light.
Review: 5 butterflies
Reverie’s whole concept was so intriguing to me, especially as a queer woman who lives most of the time in her daydreams. I loved the idea that a reverie was a manifestation of your dreams. Essentially, the universe’s power (or etheria) taps into those desires and makes them real. This doesn’t necessarily bode well for our reality, since the two can’t co-exist for too long, but the premise itself called to me in a way that my childhood yearned for.
Ryan La Sala’s worldbuilding and main characters are so wonderfully three-dimensional, though the villain seemed to lack a little bit of that three dimension. I do wish we knew more about said villain, since they seemed whittled down to a power-hungry being. But even then, I didn’t care too much about the villain and cared a lot more about Kane and his relationship with himself and his friends.
As a person who normally hates amnesia arcs, it’s this type of amnesia arc that I actually enjoy. I felt that it was used very well, not only for the plot, but also for Kane and his journey. I liked how we started with him not remembering, and we were able to go on this journey of rediscovery with him. I felt the betrayal, shock, and loss that Kane felt every step of the way. I still mourn a little for the memories he lost, especially those with Ursula and Dean.
All of the characters’ hurt from Kane not remembering is impactful, but the two that were most meaningful to me were Ursula and Dean. I feel like those two had the closest relationships with Kane, and I really wish he would’ve recovered those memories.
Not only do I love Ursula’s name—it reminds me of The Little Mermaid and its villain (inspired by a drag queen! I’m sure that’s not a coincidence)—but I loved her loyalty to Kane. She’s the type of friend I aspire to have. And Dean—oh, this sweet, sweet boy—I loved him from the start. I truly loved all of the interactions between Dean and Kane [insert heart emoji here].
I was less attached to Adeline and Elliot, likely because we got less “screen time” from them, but I still enjoyed them a lot. I loved how their powers came from their insecurities and/or hatred of parts of themselves—that was such a novel concept that it got me thinking of what power I would have! (No clue, honestly).
If you enjoy fantasy with love sprinkled in (of the platonic, familial, and romantic variety), this is your book. The imagery in this novel is beautiful, and though I’m saddened that their stories are over, I do feel like it had the perfect ending. It had a somewhat open ending, so I’m not sure if there will be another book, but if there is, I hope it’s from a different POV than Kane’s—I’d love to see other people’s journey in the world that La Sala built.
Book links: Goodreads * Amazon * B&N * Book Depository * Indiebound
Books, Lines, and Sinkers 