Spotlight: Dreamless by Josephine Angelini

As the only Scion that can enter Hades at will, Helen descends to the Underworld in search of a way to overcome the Furies and end the cycle of revenge that has cursed the Scions. But she’s running out of time. Each descent weakens her both in mind and spirit. A mysterious stranger might be her only salvation, but the price may be her love for Lucas Delos.

As an unforgettable love triangle emerges, Josephine Angelini’s compelling saga becomes ever more intricate and spellbinding. The eagerly awaited sequel to the internationally bestselling Starcrossed, Dreamless delivers with a huge emotional impact that will leave readers satisfied—and longing for more.

 

Warning! Major gushing ahead. If you’re looking for a smart, detailed review for this novel, this is not it. Please exit to the left. Thank you.

SQUUUUEEEEEEEEE! And OMG holy hot Orion! Angelini left me flustered, a bit, with (spoiler) Helen and Lucas thinking they were cousins at the end of the first novel. But, if you did your math—that even I, who sucks at math, could figure out—then you realized that they’d soon discover this wasn’t so. Okay, so I thought surely we’d be in for some amazing, swoon-worthy moments in the second novel with them fighting the temptation to be together, but I never thought a hot new dreamy character would swoop in and rival my affections for Lucas. Well, hands down, the scenes with Orion were some of my favorites.

As much as I loved Helen and Orion’s struggle in the Underworld, (I heart Orion!) I also loved that we’re given time with the rest of the characters, especially Hector. He’s truly one of my favorites, in the original story and this one, and he made this story that much more enjoyable. Claire and Matt are given more “screen” time, which I liked. And there was major character growth from most of the main players. Well done. Usually I get perturbed when too many new characters are introduced into a story, especially in a sequel, but I loved all the additions and drama they brought. Morpheus, for one! They were woven into this story perfectly, and they helped heighten the tension. There’s some mention of Achilles near the end, and that made my heart go all crazy, simply because he’s my favorite from the Greek myth, and I’m dying to see how Angelini portrays his character.

I do have to say this: a lot of sequel books fall flat. Whether they spend too much time recapping what happened in the first novel, or they struggle to find a purpose, merely holding out in anticipation for the last book. But that didn’t happen with Dreamless. From the start, the reader dives head first into the action, and it doesn’t let up through the story. Helen takes a pretty good beating, and she’s tested over and over. I was impressed that Angelini didn’t hold back on the carnage. All I can say is it’s perfect for what this story is based on. It’s needed, and was worked into this plotline seamlessly. I admit that I was anxiously turning the pages, demanding more romance, because I’m a romance junkie. But the action, drama, suspense and romance was well balanced throughout, and only makes me want the next book all the more in hopes to get my swoon fix! If you loved or even only liked the first book, then you’re going to freak out over Dreamless. It has everything, simply everything, and in my humble opinion, it’s brilliant. In short: epic. 

TRISH

Josephine Angelini is a graduate of the Tisch School of the Arts, where she studied theater with a focus in the classics. A native of Massachusetts, Angelini now resides in Los Angeles with her screenwriter husband and three shelter cats. You can visit her online on Facebook or Twitter or at www.josephineangelini.com