Mike Rhynard

Dangerous Dreams started slow for me but was worth it! This book contains a lot of history along with a lot of imagination. I loved the story of Emily and Ishna. I wasn’t so engrossed in Allie. The author did a lot of research to make the book as close to what happened to the Lost Colony of Roanoke as possible. I could imagine much of what he wrote as really happening. His descriptions and inclusion of the Lakota language helped bring the book to life. I appreciate him including the Sioux rites, cultures from multiple Native American tribes, the medicine wheel as well as the Viking and Spanish explorations. There is so much that went into this book! While it started slowly for me, once it picked up, it was impossible to put down.
This book does have mature themes and graphic violence. Please keep your feelings about that in mind when you are deciding to read this book. If you are uncertain about it, I suggest you request a sample or borrow it from the library. I believe the book would make a good book club read. The author has book club questions on his website. Reviews are opinions that may differ from yours. I recommend that if you are reading these reviews, which suggests you have an interest, you should read the book. I won this book from Goodreads. I appreciate the generosity of Goodreads and the author. All opinions expressed are from my feelings while reading the book.… (más)

I received this novel as an advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The excitement I approached this novel with quickly waned as I began to read this story. Perhaps it was the version that I was reading but I had a very difficult time following along with the story. Everything was very choppy and sometimes it was difficult to tell what exactly was going on and who exactly was talking. The conversations itself seemed very stilted and awkward, making the story and the characters seem even more one-dimensional than they already were. There were also a great deal of subplots, which made it very difficult to keep things straight. With every page, I was getting introduced to new characters and new events and new information, so much so that they all began to blend together and I became extremely confused and frustrated. Also, some of the elements really didn't work. For example, using Emily, a virgin who is from a well-respected family, as a wet nurse made no sense to me. And why was there so much interest in her choosing a suitor?! Shouldn't she - and all other people - be focusing on something more important, like their SURVIVAL?! When the third love interest was introduced, I literally rolled my eyes; I hate when characters suddenly see a person and know that "he is THE ONE". It is just so unbelievable and throws credibility for the whole story out the window. I enjoyed hearing about the survival aspects but sometimes the way it was described didn't make sense to me; if we are reading about the Roanoke survivors through these dreams that are from Emily's perspectives, then how can we be seeing and hearing conversations happening when she is not present? That was something that kept popping into my mind. There weren't too many mentions of Allie, who is the young woman from the 21st century, and whenever she was part of the story, all she seemed to do was say "wow, what a weird dream" and "oh no, not this!" and then fall back asleep and keep dreaming; she really didn't have much substance as a character. Because of all of these reasons, I couldn't push myself to finish this novel and stopped reading at 35%.… (más)

Allie is having dreams...vivid, crazy, realistic dreams after a breakup with her boyfriend. Allie cannot seem to shake the feeling that she knows the people she dreams of . These dreams are like a movie and they happen every night, continuing the story of a young girl named Emily who lives in the colony of Virginia in 1587. As Allie continues to dream of Emily, she becomes obsessed with the desire to know what happens to Emily and those around her. Just as Emily is facing the dangers of early colonial life in America, Allie is also facing dangers in the 20th century: the need to sleep in order to dream, the need to dream to find out what happens to Emily...no matter what the cost to herself or to those who love her.

This was really a great book that tied the history of Roanoke colony and the Native Americans with the many theories surrounding what may have happened to result in their disappearance. I loved the history and the fiction of the possibilities of what could have been to those poor settlers. Mr. Rhynard, I hope you continue the story of Allie the Dream Woman, and her ancestors! Would love to have a complete series of books dedicated to that line of genealogy! Thank you for the copy of your book!… (más)