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Flita is alone in a hostile world. Abandoned by her mother, betrayed by her stepmother and her best friend, and sentenced to death, she is now trapped in the poisonous air outside the safe boundaries of the Protectorate. If the air doesn't kill her, the hideously deformed monsters that dwell Outside will. Her only hope is to find the Dreamer's Way that will lead her to the Golden City and safety. But the monsters have already attacked and wrapped their deadly tendrils around her. Even if she knew the location of the Dreamer's Way, she has no way to get there...or does she?
Mari Atherton lives in the DFW Metroplex with her six cats, one dog and husband. She fell in love with Science Fiction when she read The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury at the age of ten. She promptly wrote her own science fiction novel that, mercifully, has long since been consigned to the recycling bin. She can be reached at mariatherton@sbcglobal.net
Mari Atherton's MySpace page
"The Dreamer's Way is a fascinating fantasy tale with a background that actually has some basis in historical fact. Traditionally, those who see beyond have been ostracized, maimed, even murdered. Alodi's danger is therefore not exceptional. What is new in this tale is the depth and breadth and vividness of her visions, and the world that author Mari Atherton has built up around her independent and loving heroine. "
"Good. Evil. Black. White. Perspectives. Point-of-views. "Dreamer's Way" by Mari Atherton is a bit of both. 4 1/2 dreamers up"
- Lillian Caudwell (Full review here)
Haunted by dreams.
We open up with Alodi, our heroine, denying she is a Dreamer. She knows the danger she would place her husband and daughter if anyone discovered this. Citizens living within the protective borders of the Protectorate (a safe haven against the poisonous air of the Outside) despise Dreamers, believing they are directly responsible for many deaths. Visions come and go as they please until a particular one shows Alodi the end result if she remains alongside her family. Fearful her dream would turn to reality, she sets out on a journey, outside the Protectorate, to seek out the ‘good' Dreamers and discover how to control and understand the visions that have disrupted her life. Atherton does a remarkable job keeping the suspense up there. Although a fantasy book, the elements of romance, loss, and discovery are all present. Alodi comes to meet several characters who will become either her ally or her enemy...but she never figured her daughter would be the one on the opposition. Fighting against time, Alodi needs to somehow get to her daughter and make her see the light before all opposing Dreamers face execution.
I can see this book appealing not only to fantasy readers but also to those who love a good romantic pull and family drama. An excellent read.
"Mari Atherton delivers a fantastic, imaginative fantasy worthy of attention!" –USABookNews.com
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