Review - Perchance to Dream

Title:  Perchance to Dream

Author:  Lisa Mantchev

Review Copy Provided by:  Feiwel and Friends

About the Book:  From the critically acclaimed author of Eyes Like Stars

We are such stuff as dreams are made on.

Act Two, Scene One

Growing up in the enchanted Thèâtre Illuminata, Beatrice Shakespeare Smith learned everything about every play ever written. She knew the Players and their parts, but she didn’t know that she, too, had magic. Now, she is the Mistress of Revels, the Teller of Tales, and determined to follow her stars. She is ready for the outside world. 

Enter BERTIE AND COMPANY


But the outside world soon proves more topsy-turvy than any stage production. Bertie can make things happen by writing them, but outside the protective walls of the Thèâtre, nothing goes as planned. And her magic cannot help her make a decision between—

 Nate: Her suave and swashbuckling pirate, now in mortal peril.

 Ariel: A brooding, yet seductive, air spirit whose true motives remain unclear.

When Nate is kidnapped and taken prisoner by the Sea Goddess, only Bertie can free him. She and her fairy sidekicks embark on a journey aboard the Thèâtre’s caravan, using Bertie’s word magic to guide them. Along the way, they collect a sneak-thief, who has in his possession something most valuable, and meet The Mysterious Stranger, Bertie’s father—and the creator of the scrimshaw medallion. Bertie’s dreams are haunted by Nate, whose love for Bertie is keeping him alive, but in the daytime, it’s Ariel who is tantalizingly close, and the one she is falling for. Who does Bertie love the most? And will her magic be powerful enough to save her once she enters the Sea Goddess’s lair?

My Review:  Perchance to Dream is a delectable read!  I first fell in love with Bertie and the fairies in Eyes Like Stars, and after reading this one, I'm even more in love with them!  They are characters like no others I've read; so funny, so charming, so full of life!

Bertie is such a strong-willed, bull-headed character, and I can relate.  What's so fascinating about her is she's this way as a teenager.  She sure seems to know her way around the stage, of which the world is her stage.  Bertie left the theatre to rescue Nate.  She's never been outside the theatre, so she's not quite sure how to go about things, but she knows she can write.  She is the Mistress of Revels, the Teller of Tales, and her writing helps her create the stage she wants and needs to get to where she's going.  Her writing doesn't always work out the way she plans though, and that tends to get her into trouble.  But the trouble is the fun part!  Will she ever make her way to Sedna's lair and Nate?  Will she realize her true feelings for Ariel?  Perchance, but only time will tell.

Did I mention that the fairies were my favorites?  They add so much comedy to the story.  I love how they are so food driven.  You can get them to do anything for pie!  Bertie relies on the faeries and they look out for her, but will she be able to make it own her own, without them there to be her conscience?

Lisa Mantchev is such a phenomenal writer!  From the very first page, I was drawn back into the story, right where Eyes Like Stars had left off.  Her writing is so different from other writers, so unusually compelling.  She mixes words like the fairies would mix a pie...a little of this, a little of that, and when you put it all together, it is a tasty treat!  There are so many words in this book that I want to go back and explore.  When you read them, you want to say them out loud and hear the way they roll off your tongue.  Many of them are delicious sounding to the ear!  It's amazing how words can do that!

I can't say enough about this book; it is just an awesome read!  Lisa, like Bertie, is a Teller of Tales, and this one is a Broadway hit!  Bravo Lisa, Bravo!

Perchance to Dream has a release date of June 2010, but Amazon says it will be available May 25, 2010.  So, if you haven't read Eyes Like Stars, get busy so you're ready.  If you have read Eyes, then pre-order Perchance and be one of the first to read this delightful tale of comedy, tragedy, and magic!