Paranormal Fantasy Early Review: Tree of Dreams by Mel Sterling

Tree of Dreams by Mel Sterling (The River: After Dark #1)

ecopy courtesy of the author

Synopsis from Goodreads
It's said that if you sleep under a willow tree, you'll dream of your true love.

Emma Leighton doesn't believe in fairy tales or monsters until a bolt of lightning from a freak summer storm reveals a glimpse of a river creature so fantastical, she can't be certain he's real.

Stranded by the storm, she spends the night in eerie Willow Cottage where terrified guests check out early, vowing never to return. Emma sees nothing out of the ordinary, but her dreams bring her a secret lover like no other, disturbing and alluring in equal measure. Moss is half man, half water serpent. His kisses are cool and deep as the Columbia River itself, and he's been in love with Emma for a long time.

What begins as a dream becomes flesh, an erotic fusing of hearts, souls and bodies. But when others learn the secret sheltered by Willow Cottage, they'll do anything—including kill—to possess it.

Welcome to The River: After Dark.

First in a new series.

Release date: February 15th 2019

Amazon Kindle US/UK

8/10

* * *

 Tree of Dreams is lovely, peeps. It has this sleepy, dreamy, poetic cadence which makes you enjoy not only the plot and the characters but the way we are told about them as well.

Also, fae sex. LKH, eat your heart out! There was something really magical and gentle about it.

Emma is a sweet soul, no surprise that Moss, Columbia river monster falls in love with her brown eyes. Moss living in symbiosis with a giant magical tree, Mother Willow, is an interesting creature. He is obviously some kind of fae who feeds on lightning and people's dreams, but he is solitary and very lonely.

One thing I wished this book had more is the backstory. It's very short, and I longed to get to know more of Emma or Moss' background and histories. Even secondary characters like Linnea or Gray were very interesting and engaging. Also, there is another mysterious character who I think might get his own book as well...

Overall, the story is short and simple but beautifully written. I loved Mel Sterling's Portland After Dark series, and this spin-off is just as good. If you like your fae dark and otherworldly (is there any other kind?), read it. Thank me later. *grins*

* * *

 Дерево Снов - красивая книга, мелодичная, поэтичная. Радуешься не только сюжету и героям, но и самому слогу.

И еще, секс с фэйри. Написан так, как Лорелл К. Гамильтон мечтает писать, но никак не может! Волшебно и пронзительно.

Эмма - просто душенька, и сразу понятно почему ее полюбил Мосс, монстр реки Колумбии. Мосс, живущий в симбиозе с огромным волшебным деревом - Матью Ивушкой,очень интересный фэ. Он набирает энергию, питаясь молнией и снами людей, спящими в коттедже, окруженном корнями ивы. Однако фэ он одиночный и одинокий.

Вот чего мне здесь не хватало - это истории Эммы и Мосса, без них книга получилась очень короткой. Даже такие интригующие второстепенные персонажи как Грэй и Линнеа только раздразнили мой аппетит.

Однако хоть и написано кратко, но красиво и душевно. Фэйри у Мел Стерлинг получаются неординарными, и этот спин офф серии Портланд После Темноты ничуть не хуже по качеству. Читайте, рекомендую.