Title: In an Absent Dream

Author: Seanan McGuire

Release date: January 8th, 2019

What started out as a series following a school of children who ended up somewhere they weren’t expecting, has morphed and transformed into a sprawling, expansive, metaphoric phenomenon that has me completely captivated.

I wanted to read these books, but I wasn’t sure if I’d enjoy them. Then, my pal Jen, aka Book Den Jen, said I had to read them and that I would absolutely love them. And she was right. Then, my pal Jen, upon learning I was reading Book Four, said that this was her favorite of the series so far and that I’d love this one. And she was right. And I think this is also my favorite of the series, because of the struggle we see within our main character, Lundy.

Side note – today I released my list of top reads of 2021 NOT from 2021. I wish I would’ve waited a day, because this one would absolutely have been on the list.

What I liked: McGuire writes so sublimely that the second you return to this series you return to the sights and sounds and smells of ‘over there,’ of the worlds beyond the doors. With this, the fourth entry, we get to visit the Goblin Market and McGuire does a stunning job of educating us on fair value and debt.

The relationship between Lundy and Moon is an absolute highlight within this. It’s interesting because watching their relationship unfold, between Lundy’s coming’s and going’s made me well up and cry a few times. McGuire really showcased the reality that family isn’t always blood. But you know what? Seanan then crushes us with what happens when Lundy returns and discovers how upset and hurt her sister has been, each and every time Lundy has disappeared. It was a fascinating aspect that added an extra layer as well as really drove the story towards the heartache and emotional develops at the end.

I loved seeing the subtle sub-plots towards how a girl grows up but is forced to be molded into what society expects. Lundy was dealing with both her body changing, as she got older, but also how the vendors at the Goblin Market perceived her each time she returned. I also loved the way McGuire used the feather’s as a symbol towards change and how people perceive each other. This was highlighted when Lundy returned to her home and her father spotted them growing. Just pristine story-telling and McGuire has to be one of the all-time masters at crafting a story with the bare-minimum words used. Even just the glimpses and hints we get at the battle with the Wasp Queen had my imagination going. Phenomenal stuff.

What I didn’t like: While, to me at least, this book read perfectly, the only thing I didn’t really enjoy was how her family responded to Lundy when she’d leave and come back. It’s a hard thing to write out, especially trying to remain spoiler free, but I feel like the father could’ve done a better job of setting up a back story for Lundy’s leaving, especially with his previous history.

Why you should buy this: Well, if you’ve read the first three, you’ll be loving these books as much as I do and will be getting to this anyways. If you’ve not read any of them yet, you’re in for such a treat and truthfully, these are worlds that sparkle and shine, are covered in darkness and dirt, but have such amazing characters that weave back and forth. McGuire has created something truly remarkable with these books and this one just may be the best so far.

Phenomenal.

5/5