Dreaming Anastasia

by Joy Preeble

[Suz @ Bookish Revelations]

Joy Preble pens an intriguing novel that is daring, original, and emotionally powerful. Dreaming Anastasia is hauntingly beautiful, dark and rich, and filled with secrets and mysteriously conflicting dreams that haunt Anastasia's nights. Beautifully written, both Anastasia and Anne possess a strong bond that will alter their lives forever. Written in a dreamstate quality, Joy Preble explores an old Russian fairytale into her own modernized story with compelling characters and beguiling imagery filled with vivid life and spark that ignites the pages. Dreaming Anastasia is an unpredictable book of wonder filled with many unexpected suspenseful twists and turns.

The challenge of trusting one another seems to be an occurring theme, throughout the book. The secrecy of bloodlines, pacts made with an ancient evil witch, illegitimate relatives, and magic gives so much depth, layers, and intrigue to this dark fantasy being told. Ethan and Anne are at the heart of this book, as they save one another over and over. The awkward tension that occurrs between these two at the beginning of their relationship is beautifully written and full of sweeping intense emotion. It makes falling in love with them and the relationship as it develops, that much more enjoyable.

Dreaming Anastasia is a novel that is incredibly easy to connect with, where all of the characters are likable and the villians are delightfully evil and fun to hate as they should be. Joy Preble did such a wonderful job crossing the two dreamworld's as she works to connect both Anne and Anastasia. Anne is the one who is destined to save her, but at what cost and to whom? There is dangerous peril, life altering moments, romance, and so much crackling chemistry that this book is hard to put down. It practically calls to the reader to finish it, as it leaves a few questions unanswered and takes them on an interesting rollercoaster ride of emotions.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys haunting paranormal historical fairytales, with dark undertones, beautiful dreamscapes, and intriguing mystery.