Written by Sarina Langer
I can’t believe it’s been a year since I read A Dream of Death and Magic (although a little less time since I posted my review; you can read it here). If I’m being completely accurate, it’s been a year and two days (thank you, Goodreads, for aiding my compulsive ways). I read a lot of books—both for review on this website, and purely for the sake of reading. While I won’t backtrack and work out exactly how many books I’ve read between these two, I will say that Sarina Langer’s A Dream of Stars and Curses is the 116th book I’ve read this year (thanks again, Goodreads, for aiding my compulsive ways). I bring this up, not as a gauge of how well-read I may or may not be. Instead, because between the distance between books and the number of books I filled that distance with, within the first paragraph, that first book came flooding back to me. I was reminded of how much joy the first Chaos of Esta Anderson book brought me, and I was immediately filled with that joy again.
When reading a sequel to a book you love, there’s always a concern that it won’t live up to what came before. As A Dream of Stars and Curses reminded me of why I love the first book, that concern was soon abated. A Dream of Stars and Curses is just as strong as its predecessor, and dare I say it, slightly better. The book feels more comfortable in its skin, and with the background of protagonist Esta and her world (or worlds, considering the living, breathing realm we’re all familiar with and the dream world) already established, it leaves the book free to launch straight into its story.
Given the deliberate vagueness of the book’s blurb, I won’t discuss A Dream of Stars and Curses’ plot in detail. I don’t want to spoil the book, and it is worth going into it, if not blindly, with your vision obscured. The book picks up in the aftermath of its predecessor, features return visits to the dreamscape, and deepens Esta’s connection to, and the overarching lore of, the “Veiled”—creatures of myth who exist in the real world, hiding in plain sight from humanity. The elements come together well, combining to tell a thoroughly entertaining and engaging story.
If you clicked through to my A Dream of Death and Magic review, you’ll know that this book is the second of a mind bogglingly epic ten-part series. To put that into perspective, this sits squarely in Chaos of Esta Anderson’s first act. A Dream of Stars and Curses doesn’t feel like it’s stalling for time; it instead builds on what came before. The slow burn romance that began bubbling in the previous book starts to warm up (albeit without any heat; the introduction promises that will happen in book three). It’s just one area the book continues the story, escalating it at a pace that feels natural to not just the story, but the characters.
Once again, all the book’s characters shine. Love interest Leverett, best friend Bonnie and neighbour Kate are all fantastically realised, and continue to grow. Mischief, Esta’s cat in the dream world, continues to delight, and her pet dog, Lady, continues to entertain. The new characters, particularly the villainous Chiara, are wonderfully drawn and easy to get to know. As the sole point of view character who narrates the story in first person, Esta is by far the most important character. She’s a wonderful protagonist who adds colour to the book by simply being present. She’s smart, witty, and shares my love of a certain F-bomb, but most importantly, she feels like a real person in an unreal situation. Through this, she continues to evolve, but remains the same lovable character.
At an estimated 261 pages on Kindle, this is a little longer than the first book, but it is as easily digestible. A Dream of Stars and Curses feels shorter than its page count suggests, thanks to the natural flow of the prose. As strong as Esta’s voice in the first book is, it feels even stronger here, as though Langer has grown more comfortable with the character. The dialogue works wonderfully, with each character having their own voices and vocal patterns, that both feel real, and convey the humour Langer brings to the book. The prose and dialogue fit together perfectly, making the book a joy to read, regardless of the story specifics (which are also a joy, just to be clear).
As enjoyable as it all is, without strong fantastical elements, the book would be lacking the magic touch that brings everything together. Whether it’s the urban fantasy setting in the real world, or the mythologically driven world of the dreamscape, Langer has built upon an already strong setting. Whether Esta’s falling further in love with a vampire, or dealing with some lesser known mythological creatures, suspending one’s disbelief is never difficult. It is too easy to get lost in the book’s world.
Being the second part of Chaos of Esta Anderson, A Dream of Stars and Curses doesn’t stand entirely alone. If you’re one of those strange people who read a second volume before the first, the book does, however, catch you up quickly. Langer does a fantastic job of briefly getting readers up to speed without bogging the story down, or spoiling the first book. While this is part of an ongoing epic, it stands alone, feeling like a complete story, rather than the second chapter of act one.
If you follow these reviews, you’ll no doubt know I’m a fan of supplementary material in the back matter. While the original book provided a guide to lucid dreaming, this presents a guide to scrying, which is just as entertaining and educational as the first book. On top of this, it even provides some information on the mythological brownie and boggart.
If you’ve read the first book in the series, you’ll know what a wonderful story the author created, and all I can do is assure you that you’ll get more of what made that book so great, with a little extra refinement. If you’re unfamiliar with it, if you enjoy urban fantasy, lucid dreaming and mythology, as well as wonderful characters, an entertaining plot and s great sense of humour, A Dream of Stars and Curses pulls it all off in spades.
Favourite Passage
If there are any secret passages, I don’t see them; though I suppose that’s the point of a secret passage.
The way I see it, I have two options: I can either spend my time looking for a hidden tunnel that may not exist, or I can try my luck with the door, which definitely exists but which is also definitely locked, and there’s a good chance that Chiara is home. I don’t fancy either option, but there isn’t a third except waiting for Kate and Leverett to arrive, but I don’t know that they’ll find me. I can’t rely on them for this.
A Dream of Death and Magic: Chaos of Esta Anderson, Book 2, Chapter Twenty-Three
A Dream of Stars and Curses: Chaos of Esta Anderson, Book 2 was provided by the author for the purpose of an honest review.
A Dream of Stars and Curses will be available in both paperback and Kindle forms, exclusive to Amazon, from 23 August, 2023.
Note: I do not post scores for reviews on this website, but do post them on my Amazon and Goodreads reviews:
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Interested in purchasing A Dream of Stars and Curses?
Please find a link below; please note I do not collect any proceeds from the sale.
A Dream of Stars and Curses (Chaos of Esta Anderson Book 2)
wastanley.com 