Dreamless by Josephine Angelini
Release Date – May 29, 2012
Publisher Website – Harper Collins
Pages - 487 pages
My Rating- 4.5/5
**obtained from the publisher for an honest review**
**********SPOILERS FOR STARCROSSED**************
Here is the Goodreads synopsis
Can true love be forgotten?
As the only Scion who can descend into the Underworld, Helen Hamilton has been given a nearly impossible task. By night she wanders through Hades, trying to stop the endless cycle of revenge that has cursed her family. By day she struggles to overcome the fatigue that is rapidly eroding her sanity. Without Lucas by her side, Helen is not sure she has the strength to go on.
Just as Helen is pushed to her breaking point, a mysterious new Scion comes to her rescue. Funny and brave, Orion shields her from the dangers of the Underworld. But time is running out—a ruthless foe plots against them, and the Furies’ cry for blood is growing louder.
As the ancient Greek world collides with the mortal one, Helen’s sheltered life on Nantucket descends into chaos. But the hardest task of all will be forgetting Lucas Delos.
Josephine Angelini’s compelling saga becomes ever more intricate and spellbinding as an unforgettable love triangle emerges and the eternal cycle of revenge intensifies. Eagerly awaited, this sequel to the internationally bestselling STARCROSSED delivers a gritty, action-packed love story that exceeds expectation.
Some books are just written to be enjoyed at the beach. Dreamless is a scorching read that is perfect for those hot days of summer. The romance is steamier, the action more intense and the mythology dives deeper.
The mythology is explored, revealed and developed in even greater details in this book. I felt like we got some insight into the Greek myths and how they are going to intertwine with Josephine’s story. Josephine’s writing is as addictive as it was in Starcrossed. The paces her chapters well, and it makes you want to turn the pages quicker.
Helen showed how strong she is in this instalment. She suffered going into to Underworld night after night all to benefit the other Scions and prevent further pain for people she cares about. Her decisions may aggravate you, or you may want to shake her and say “LISTEN TO PEOPLE”, but you can understand her actions and motives. I like that she didn’t sit around and wait. She embraces her destiny and is determined to fulfill it, even it comes at the cost of her life. She took action and did what she felt she needed to. It was also refreshing to see her not being treated as weak or incapable by the people around her. They still wanted to protect her, and help, but it never felt patronizing.
The addition of Orion is one that I am sure is going to cause people to react very strongly. Lucas fans, watch out! Orion is charming, sexy and will steal your heart. He’s there for Helen when she needs him most, and while their relationship is tricky for it’s own reasons, he is a good fit for her. I felt the bond between them was made by their experience together. Lucas is still very present and, while he and Helen know they can not be together, they can't stay away from each other either. This is a triangle that feels natural, and not overwhelming to the story.
Matt intrigued me in this novel. I couldn’t help but love how honourable, caring and what a fantastic friend he was. I think there is more than meets the eye to this character, and I hope to learn more about him in book three.
Dreamless is a much more intense novel than Starcrossed. The stakes seem higher, the characters are in real danger, and real consequences come from actions. The action sequences are plentiful and make for a fast paced, quick read.
I enjoyed Dreamless even more than I enjoyed Starcrossed. Josephine Angelini gives a second novel that has everything you want from this series. Romance, action, and deeper mythology. She moves the plot along and actually has real consequences for the characters, which is rare for the second book in a series. At the end the characters are irrevocably changed and the impact is going to be felt in the third book. I am breathless waiting to see how this story will end.
