Monday, March 9, 2009

Dreams of Beauty Book Review

This is written by a fellow author, Christine Rains. If you are interested in her writing, follow the link below.

Dreams of Beauty by Aubrie Dionne

If you enjoy elegantly told fairy tales, then you should search out Dreams of Beauty. It's a story that wraps up several old tales, weaves them together and spins out something wonderfully new. This isn't one where the prince boldly rides up and saves the helpless princess. Emme is a brave young maiden who starts to have strange dreams about a handsome man and her family's mysterious past. These dreams lead her to discover an evil secret and only she can make it right. Emme is a well written character that the reader cannot help but care for and cheer when she strikes out to help those who need her. She isn't a heroine above the reader's understanding with fantastic powers or personal problems beyond our every day woes, but someone who is real and lovable, and who's real power lies in the strength of her heart.

Dionne paints a rich landscape in the small town and woods, and uses that same brush to color the characters that share Emme's world. Emme's brother and sister-in-law are sweet in a humble way. Her two friends add for some nice tension as they pair off leaving Emme as the third wheel. Even the stubborn horse, Snowdrop, is vivid in the reader's mind. Davian is the perfect compliment to Emme. Though he is young and daring, he's not over the top with his bravado. He's genuine and far more likable than the many overly masculine male leads that we see in many tales of romance these days. Rosalie is a terror with her ambition and a striking picture of a fairy tale villain. Like all fairy tales, there's a moral to the story. Dionne brings it out in a humble way rather than mashing it into the reader's face. Her style has a dream-like quality. It is similar to another author I greatly admire, Patricia McKillip. If you like stories that have a hard and fast edge, this one isn't for you. Dreams of Beauty is sumptuous read that reminds you of fairy tales you use to read as a child, but now you can appreciate them on a whole new level. Christine Rains http://christinerains.net/

2 comments:

Outte Law said...

Hi Aubrie,
Way to go! Your novel sounds great.
Ta
Bliss

Aubrie said...

Thanks Bliss!