Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles | Book Review
I won an Uncorrected Bound Manuscript from a giveaway hosted by the author herself, so thank you Janella Angeles!
My Rating: 3 / 5 🌟
Once I started the first page of Where Dreams Descend, I was instantly transported into the magical atmosphere that Janella has created. From the first scene that was bursting with the lively aspects of a show performance, the love that Janella had for these spectacular shows was undeniable, as well as her passion to tell a story revolving around them.
Janella's writing in this book further proves why Where Dreams Descend was her story to write. Her intricate way of storytelling was the perfect approach to tell this story, as it brought out a sense of liveliness to the book. There was also an atmospheric magical touch in her writing that heightens the show and the performance aspect of the book.
While the book has its strong suits, the aspects that I didn't find quite as charming overshadowed the good parts and ended up making this book a disappointing read.
I think the main problem I had with this book was the plot, or should I say, the lack of one. There were times while I was reading the book where I had to look up the synopsis and reread it again and again because I had no idea where the storyline was going or what the actual plot was. The whole story felt messy and all over the place, which ended up confusing me more than mesmerizing me as I hoped it would.
Another problem that I encountered with this book was the main characters. As the lead roles of the story, they were naturally given more time in the spotlight than the other side characters. And yet, those added moments ended up being wasted, as they barely added any depth to the main characters. All of them didn’t seem to have a distinct personality, and my lack of connection with any of them only added to my detachment to the story. Added that with the absence of a plot, it seems as if the main characters didn’t really have a clear motive in the book, which leaves little room for them to have any sort of development.
On the other hand, the side characters outshine the main characters. In most YA Fantasy books, the side characters don’t get as much attention and sometimes, doesn’t even get a personality. And yet Janella managed to push through that problem, which ended up surprising me with how much I love reading about them when they’re in a scene. Although the side characters were also not well written, they still became the driving factor to why I was absorbed enough to finish the book.
Another aspect that surprised me was the feminist theme that was incorporated in the story and how big of a role it had in the book. As the story progresses, it was hard not to notice that Janella wanted to put an emphasize on how women are often underestimated and not given the same opportunities as men. I find that the theme was poorly executed throughout the book. It was obvious how Janella intentionally set up the story in a certain way to really make sure this theme was distinct throughout the book; and personally, it did not work at all for me. I think the reason why I didn’t really appreciate this aspect was because I couldn’t care less about our main female character, Kallia. Granted, this theme may have been personal to Janella which made her compelled to include it in the book, but it still did not justify how loosely the theme was being used for the story.
All in all, Where Dreams Descend did manage to bring out something new and different in the YA Fantasy genre, and being a debut novel, I think Janella did a good job. Even so, I still think that it could have been done better considering how this is the first book in a duology. Nevertheless, I do look forward to reading the sequel, as it will be the finale to the story, but it’s definitely not a sequel I’ll be highly anticipating.
And to those who are interested in reading Where Dreams Descend, do pick it up and give it a go. Despite not enjoying it as much as I hoped, I do see its potential to entertain people that are interested in the story that is promised, and I hope you enjoy the book much more than I did.
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