Even as Vickie finally arrived safely through dream travel into a different world, Micah and Shanti promised to help her return home. Not knowing how she had traveled through her dreams in the first place made it more difficult to know how to get back. With the addition of a new friend (Dafyyd), they decided that what they needed was information, and so they found a way to go to the town of Cerulea, the land of the blue eyed, where they were know for the pursuit of knowledge and the advancement of each of the special gifts that they had been given. Being in Cerulea proved more difficult than they expected because of the telepathy that the Cerulean’s used as a form of communication. With both Micah and Shanti (having one blue eye) were mentally prepared to block the noise, but forgot that Vickie lacked that skill as well as the one needed to stop her own thoughts from being projected out to everyone, loudly. While the arrival of another (Roland) to this land went almost unnoticed until the time that Roland decided Vickie was the key to realizing his big plans. Big hopes of a powerful future, in his own opinion, he knew what he wanted, he knew how to plan it, he knew what he needed, he knew what he deserved and he knew what he was born for, he just had to find a way to get Vickie to help him fulfill that destiny.

Book 2 ….. This book was a lot easier to follow than the first book was. I am pretty sure that it is because I knew the characters a little better, and the I understand the concept and the direction of the story. While each of the characters have a unique personality to them, I just don’t completely get the motivation behind some of them. Vickie wants to go home, Dafyyd is just in it for the adventure I think, but what about Micah and Shanti, do they feel guilty for getting Vickie stuck in their world? This story does still do a lot of jumping around like the first book did, with all of Vickie’s friends doing the journal (which was kind of a neat way of portraying their feelings), all of the dream seeing even with her mom, the bits of Roland with his planning and even his daughters diary entries, while less confusing than the first book, still bounced from place to place quite a bit. I am interested in seeing more - like Tricia (one of Vickie’s friends) apologizing for being jealous - as well as seeing if Vickie finally finds a way home, in the next book (Behold the Eye: Viridia) . ( )

Behold the Eye: Cerulea, the second of this very thrilling trilogy, is just a wonderfully fun and exciting as Behold the Eye: Braumaru! We open again with a letter to Vickie’s local librarian, not only addressing one book, but two books now being misplaced as ‘fiction’ as she experienced the tale. We also learn that our ‘evil’ character, Roland, has left behind a daughter. Through various journal entries, one concludes that she is feeling some anger and frustration at her father for leaving her and her mother for so long without a word.

It was through a series of unfortunate events that Roland trapped a young girl to help him “dream travel” into an ancient realm to gain what he felt was rightfully his. Now, the young girl, Vickie is trapped in this ancient realm. Luckily, she has the assistance of young Micah and her new friend Shanti to help her adjust and fit in. Micah and Shanti found it best to help her get back home by going to the land of Cerulea, which is the land where everyone goes to study. Here, Vickie learns a valuable lesson about even thinking negative thoughts can bring you trouble.

Back at home, Vickie’s other friends decide the best way to track the events that she missed is to journal them for her. The three girls take turns with the journal respectively and the reader can see the emotions these girls feel as they deal with the loss of their close friend. They refuse to believe that she is truly gone, as they still feel there is a connection to Vickie – in their dreams. It is most interesting when they attempt to contact her to send her a message regarding her mother and Heaven forbid – repeating the sixth grade… that would split the group up.

In Cerulea, Vicki and her new friends search in vain for the answer to get her home, but are delayed, as they must teach the young girl to control her thoughts. Much unbeknownst to the group, Roland has been following Vickie as despite all the efforts of training, he can easily track her. Since he was able to trap her earlier, he recalls her weaknesses and attempts to do so again to continue with his ‘royal’ plans.

This is certainly a very quick and simple book for most ages. I for one, am very much considering honoring my young son’s requests as he has been asking to read these books with me. There is plenty of suspense and action, but nothing so terrifying that it could cause a young child (like mine) distress. Just like the first installment, this book was packed with imagination and I truly enjoy the message of watching your dreams, as well as the fact that one can control what they dream. I have the final book in this trilogy and I can hardly wait to see how this wonderful, amazing story comes to a close! ( )

Reviewed by Joan Stradling for TeensReadToo.com

Vickie, Michah, and the other characters introduced in BRAUMARU continue their adventures in this, the second book of the BEHOLD THE EYE series.

Vickie wakes in a new world, confused and lost, but grateful to have three new friends to help her find her way.

They travel to the land of Cerulea in hopes of finding the secrets of dream travel needed to help Vickie return to her world. But what they find in Cerulea is not what they hoped for.

Roland has also traveled to the land of Cerulea and hopes to use Vickie for his own devious plot to gain power and become King.

Like the first book, CERULEA is told from many different points of view. The reader travels from one character to the other as the story fluctuates between worlds on a journey to find answers and secrets of a long-ago time and people.

CERULEA leaves the reader with questions sure to be answered in Tabares' next installment, VIRIDIA. ( )