Dreams of the Dying: The Dark Corners of Our Minds (The Twelfth World) Paperback – December 3, 2020

Note: I have played through Nehrim and Enderal.I've read the book twice. All 700 plus pages of it. There's four things that really itch me in the right way in a story: a rich universe, politics, well-written tangible characters, and psychological horror. This book hits all four nails on the head in just the right ways. As someone who likes to write in my spare time, I have to start by saying that the writing itself is beautiful, poetic, and brilliant. There's a lovely flow to the prose and it's utterly satisfying to read while not using language that's overly difficult to parse. Lietzau has inspired my own writing in so many ways and I'm forever grateful for all I've learned simply by reading his book. Other authors have been unsuccessful in inspiring me in the same way.The story itself follows two PoV characters, Jespar Dal'Varek and The Man, primarily focusing on the former. For those who have not played the game, Jespar is a former nobleman that's thrown his riches and status behind in favor of the mercenary life. He suffers from addiction, PDST, depression, grief, heartbreak, and many of the other emotions and experiences we suffer as humans throughout our lives. Of all the books I've read, none have portrayed the horrors of these experiences in a more breathtaking and realistic way than Dreams of the Dying. This book takes a very dark dive into the human mind, and this will maintain an important focus throughout the story. Despite this, Jespar is fun, witty, relatable, and has all the flaws and shortcomings that I seek in a main character. It's hard not to love him.The plot itself is something of an emotional roller coaster. It'll pull you through highs and send you through the depths of tragedy and trauma. Action sequences will suck you right in with fast-paced decision making and consequences. Dialogue is witty and extremely fun to follow.Now, the setting. Holy WOW, Vyn might be the most rich world I've ever witnessed in a story. The magic system has so many dimensions (no pun intended, for those who know how it works!) and is well fleshed out. There's such an enriching history in the Kilayan Archipelago while also throwing in some great tidbits from other locations, such as the continent of Enderal (where Jespar is from). I feel like Lietzau could build a wiki containing the collective lore that he's established, and not only would said wiki be enormous, but it would have such a vivid wealth of information that you'd be tempted to believe Vyn is a real place. It's clear that Lietzau has been brewing the world of Vyn for years, and he's thought of everything. From the various species native to Vyn, to the Makehu language (which the author sought assistance from a linguist for—and it shows!), to the religion and its wealth of a history, to the architecture and politics, it feels like the world of Vyn is truly infinite. And it's only just begun! I'm sure there will be so much more to dive into when book 2 comes around, which I am endlessly excited for.As for cons, I think there are few, but of course every piece has some. The romance can occasionally come across as corny, and I would argue that the book is probably longer than it needs to be. That being said, I love a slow burn and many of those "unneeded" pages are filled with that lore that I've come to love so much. It's a bit of a slow start, but once the story revs up, it's truly divine, but I'm afraid there are probably a handful of folks that didn't make it through the beginning because Lietzau does spend a lot of time setting up the rules and the universe.That being said, this book is my favorite novel to date, and I suspect that will only change when book 2 comes around. Considering this is Lietzau's first published novel, this piece is incredible, and I can't wait to see where he will go, both within this series and beyond.Thank you, Lietzau, for gracing us with this masterpiece. You've not only taken me on a brilliant journey with my favorite character from my favorite video game, but you've rekindled my love for storytelling.

It is very hard to find a good fantasy book for adults - but I'm glad I found this one. The protagonists are very easy to relate to and you end up falling in love with their strengths as well as their flaws. The magic system is both mysterious/mystical but also grounded. The psychological influences are apparent and I like the way the author sets up different perspectives on the events in the story without sounding like he is trying to tell you one perspective is correct.The Vyn universe is quite unique - it's set in a medieval era but the scientific/academic space is far more advanced than the technological space. This story takes place on a single continent that has it's own history and culture unique from other regions on Vyn. Very few fantasy universes are this complex and still feel unique.I'm not much of a reader, but I found the book thoroughly easy to follow. Writing was detailed enough for me to form an image of what was happening but not so detailed that I zoned out or felt like the author was wasting my time. The author does a good job of explaining the greater Vyn universe without taking you out of the experience of the actual story. Overall, what you're going to like most about this book will be the characters you meet.As mentioned in other reviews, this book is set in a universe that was originally created for an indie RPG video game called Enderal. However, the book is a deviation from this universe and you do not need to have any prior experience with this universe to enjoy this book.The book has a satisfying conclusion and I'm really hoping for more books set in this universe.

My favorite part of this book was honestly the bestiary, although a bit small, was a GREAT touch that set it apart from others. I am always trying to picture the creatures in fantasy books and my brain gets lost when they’re like it has legs like a spider a head like A llama and a tortoise shell (just a random example). I’m always like wtf I can’t picture that those don’t even go together. I enjoyed this book. The premise was extremely interesting to me. I thought the dream that jespar first enters is so atmospheric, he could write horror! the summary on the back of the paperback version was the most interesting compared the other one I saw. I do feel like the characters were well written and seemed different from each other. Jespar could grate on my nerves sometimes. Sometimes his inner monologue was so philosophical and lengthy I was more interested in seeing the action and what comes next. It did suffer a bit from pacing issues: the dream part doesn’t start until around 100 pages in and then at the end there was bit too much nothing going on and Jespar being depressed. He did a great job actually addressing mental health in a realistic way, (even if it wasn’t always enjoyable reading from his perspective) don’t always see that in fantasy. This book almost seems more like a character book with a small fantasy bit thrown in. I found it to be a bit unbelievable how quickly everyone got together with the romance bits. Jespar hooks up with Lysia 2 days after he meets her and then meets Kawu and is like hmmm nope I know I made a promise to someone I just met 2 days ago saying we’d be exclusive but nope I had a nightmare and I don’t like her anymore. And then at the end of the book he waxes on about how horrible of a person he was and it got to be a bit tiresome. I liked Lysia the best out of them all. She put up with a lot. Having said that I’m interested to see where this goes in the future. The writing was good and the action was well written and believable.Really wishing I had a PC that could run the Enderal mod though.Also the author was extremely kind to me when I realized the paperback version I bought doesn’t include the appendix with pictures of the creatures in the world and supplied this to me in exchange for an honest review. I think more authors should include a bestiary!!!

Très bon livre je le recommande à tous. Pour les francophones, cette lecture est pour les intermédiaires à avancés car il est d'une bonne grosse épaisseur donc peut prendre un certain temps pour terminer la lecture.

Livro veio rapido e bem embalado, em perfeito estado! Minha maior surpresa é por já estar no Brasil e ser a edição original.E finalmente coloquei minhas mãos nesse livro! Agora é ler!

Having played Enderal, I got into the book with some preestablished knowledge, but I am certain it'd be perfectly enjoyable for someone who hasn't played the game as it introduces the necessary concepts very well (they have also been changed quite a lot from those in the game).I loved the rich world, the magic system, the language for the makehu, and the tropical setting in general. The evocative writing really helped me see the colours, almost smell the smells (and stenches), and feel the heat. The humour was superb too.The main cast of characters are complex with real flaws and weaknesses, backgrounds and a fair share of traumas. The more you find out about these things the more you understand the characters and their motivations.The social commentary was interesting and explored a lot of topics from multiple angles which was a breath of fresh air.I really enjoyed the pacing and how gripping it all was, I was always so curious to know what happens next, I had a hard time putting the book down.The hard cover edition is wonderfully well-made, and the 100-something extra illustrated appendix not found in the ebook version is well-worth the price.I've finished the ebook version and have been listening to the music version of the audiobook, while re-reading the hardcover. The audiobook narration is superb, and really love that the voice actor of Jespar is reading it out, he has an amazing range and just makes me not want to stop listening! Upon rereading, a lot of foreshadowing is dropped which now make a lot more sense to me, and have been having a lot of "aha!" moments on the re-listen.This book is an obvious work of passion, and I will remember it fondly for a long time. Cannot wait for the second book!

Honestly this book has to be the highest of quality of self published books.This edition is one of my favourite ever hardbacks, the dust jacket is a work of art & not only that the naked hardback also has the same artwork and the texture is divine. I can’t stop admiring it, I love it so much..I know this edition is pricey, but is worth every penny. If you love dark rich fantasy & a character driven story & a passion to support indie authors, please treat yourself to Dreams of the Dying hardback. You won’t regret it, it’s a hidden gem that deserves much more recognition!.I know nothing of the game Enderal so I went into this book blind. The raving reviews & the books cover had me completely intrigued..Dreams of the Dying is a psychological horror fantasy. So there’s a great deal of attention on mental health and isn’t for a younger audience, it’s definitely more for the mature minds..The book is a meandering slow burn, especially the beginning but the creation is worth it, the world building, the characters and the storytelling is all phenomenal. The author has a talent for depth, vividness and exploration. His writing is realistically raw and deeply breathtaking, he really knows how to get into the readers mind, engrossing us by the dynamics and narration. The characters especially the protagonist Jesper are so well fleshed out, I couldn’t help feeling utterly immersed in their thoughts & emotions. Jesper is a relatable character who has suffered tremendously and you can tell he’s been written with a lot of care.

It's really difficult to write a review for this book without making it personal, because I feel that this book will resonate deeply with anyone who was exposed to chronic mental illness.I don't see this book mentioned too much on social media but I hope that can change because it has not only an incredible fantasy world building and the exploration of dream worlds, but the most immersive aspect is the characters and how deeply you get to see their thought process, their crippling struggles, which often felt almost "too intimate", making me think "am I even allowed to know this character and what's going on through his mind at such a profound level".I felt a very special bond with several characters but especially Jespar and the second part of the book was impossible to put down. As incredible as this might sound, the 700 pages felt so raw and real that it'll definitely be very hard to move on now that I've finished it. I'm counting down the days til Book 2 and the rest of the series 🙂