The Labyrinth of Waking Dreams

Gr 10 Up–Thea LaGuerre is struggling to earn her GED while supporting her disabled and depressed father in Barren’s Peak, WV. Oliver White is a vagabond and a magician who has been searching for places known as Sanctuary and Labyrinth, all while fighting monsters who have a thirst for his blood, literally. He finds himself in Barren’s Peak, where he meets Thea and recognizes a ring she wears around her neck. Meanwhile, Callum is the talk of Barren’s Peak after his recent arrival. When danger erupts at a party, Thea flees with Oliver and Callum. They get transported through a portal and into the Labyrinth, a melancholic, lethal place where all of the magical creatures from childhood stories live. Oliver doesn’t have his magic, Callum is injured, and Thea doesn’t know anything about magic, so they’re moving targets as they journey to find a way out. Readers of the genre will appreciate this dark fantasy novel, and especially the revelation towards the end, which hints at a sequel. However, the story drags in the middle. Thea, Callum, and Oliver are white.