Mel Hartman - When the dead speak

Certain authors know how to make a deep impression on their readers. Many people know that one (or two) book(s) they read as a child that they have never forgotten, because the world created has carried you away and rooted itself in you. Effortlessly recall the feeling you had while reading, see the resulting images again before you and for a moment you are there again, in that world you couldn't get enough of.
As adults, books also touch us, but almost never as deeply as they did then. With me, this was initially changed by Stephen King, although I was still a child when I discovered him. But I was in my twenties when I was able to add Mel Hartman to that minuscule list. Her writing touched something, her style took me, and I fell head over heels in love with the universe she created in her stories.
So when she announced that she had picked up her pen again, after a writing break, my joy was beyond great! Slowly but surely, the day approached when I could once again enjoy her latest book, As the Dead Dreams. Not only is it a prequel to Fantasy Hunters, a series I could not get enough of, but it is also a completely different story, standalone and as icing on the cake a Young Adult. So my expectations were high. Would Mel succeed again?
I can say a resounding yes to that! Once again she manages to win over the reader and transport them into literally a dream world: Terr.
In this urban fantasy you are introduced to April. Unlike in most YA, she is delightfully unsubtle, not exactly cheerful and you would think because of this combination not too sympathetic, but the opposite is true. With her heart on her sleeve, impulsive and at times sarcastic, deep down she is actually quite a feeling person. Or, well, half ripper and half siren, but that's a minor thing. What's also a little bit against it is that she can (temporarily) bring the dead back to life with her voice. And so that happens by accident. Because yes, even she sometimes makes a mistake.
Soon she wishes it had never happened, for this thoughtless action sets in motion a series of events that April is dragged into without pardon.
April lives and lives on Earth and the dead person has a small and simple request for her: to bring her watch to her brother on Terr. Generally speaking, she is not the badass, so she complies with this request. Hup, through the dimensional crack and quickly back to her loved ones. But things turn out to be very different. She discovers that Terr is in grave danger and she must do everything in her power to save her world from its destruction. Both on Terr and on Earth, creatures are in great danger. With a few clues, but mostly many question marks, she sets out to find out the true cause at the risk of her own life.
On the one hand, the fantasy splashes off the pages. The most bizarre creatures pass by, and that's where Mel's strength comes in. With her down-to-earth description, almost casually, it's believable too. Because of her story, even the most level-headed person would almost reluctantly admit that they could very well exist. Mel knows, like no other, how to portray another dimension and weave it into our world with logic and particularly good explanations. I think that is precisely why she manages to touch me so much. With her effortless and fluent writing style, I think she is the queen of putting a world on paper.
Besides these factors, everything is right. The setting, the diverse and well thought out characters and, of course, the story itself. Because that stands as a house. So I cheerfully continue to rejoice that Mel treats us to a new and also old familiar world and with verve and obviously a writer's heart gives her characters a voice and shape again and brings the dream world to life. Because that dreaming huh? That will take on a whole new dimension after reading this story. You have been warned ;-).

Fancy being sucked into an imaginative dream world filled with extraordinary creatures and subtle references to existing reality? That happens in Mel Hartman's latest book When the Dead Dream. Hartman already has a number of books to her credit, but this is her debut with Hamley Books. In Like Dead Dreams, you read about April Charles who accidentally brings a dead person to life, which causes a major turn in her life. Together with a mixed group of friends, she takes responsibility for countering the threat to her own world Terr.
This book covers two worlds: Earth and Terr. Terr is the world where Earthlings come when they dream, and Hartman manages to put a cool and creative spin on it. There are all kinds of special creatures, completely made up or slightly inspired by existing people or characters, and different (unwritten) laws apply on Terr than on Earth. It is therefore a joy to discover and understand this world. Hartman depicts this world very clearly with short, concise descriptions and a little bit of humor: "You should know how many people in dream state walk around in their underpants in my world [...]" (2020: 14).
You can read the book with lightning speed. This is firstly because of the fluent writing style. Hartman alternates dialogue, monologue and description frequently, the chapters are short and the book contains illustrations that indicate the world in which the story takes place. Sometimes the book does contain some tricky words (but it does explain dark web again...) and the author forgets to name small details so April "suddenly" has keys to an apartment or a drink in her hand. In addition, the author puts in a cliffhanger incredibly often, making the book hard to put away. Who doesn't want to know what's going on when a chapter ends with "Now I was the one screaming it out." (2020: 62) or "Red beauty, come as soon as you can. I just received disturbing news about Terr." (2020: 87) The story is chronological so the reader gets answers right away in the next chapter and then you might as well read the chapter right away, right?
When Dead Dreams not only takes the reader into an extraordinary world, it also subtly makes you think. The incorporated themes such as deceit and intolerance, and statements such as "They [people] hide behind a facade of technology, power and money and see that as civilization, while true civilization comes from within, from the soul and the heart" (2020: 151) make the reader think. Slight comments with social criticism add a nice touch to this book.
April is initially portrayed as an awkward and absent-minded 18-year-old, which is also reflected in the writing style. As the story takes on a more serious tone, April also undergoes a development, which benefits the writing style. In the end, I didn't really think her age matched her behavior, choice of words, living situation and relationships. I would have estimated her to be older. Additionally, what I find quite disturbing is the excessive drinking. As an 18-year-old, April is not drinking the lightest of alcoholic refreshments, and there is no story-related justification for that. As a YA book, I don't really find that appropriate, even though she is 18.
Finally, overall the storyline is refreshing, unusual and surprising due to the author's creative (bizarre?) ideas. The ending is somewhat predictable as an observant reader quickly figures out who can be trusted and who cannot, but it is not disturbing. In summary, in When the dead dream, the author has made sure that the reader will soon want to return to Terr to read what else there is to discover. Fortunately, that can be done in the sequel, As the Dead Whisper.

Mel Hartman is a name that no longer sounds at all unfamiliar to me as a blogger. Numerous times I have seen her pass by on social media, or her various writings discussed by fellow bloggers. With a writing career that saw the light of day around 2007 with the first volume of the Fantasy Hunter series, she can already fill a nice index with all the stories she has penned. However, I myself had not yet laid eyes on any of her stories. Fortunately, that changed this time.
When I first saw the cover of Hartman's newest addition, this time hosted by Hamley Books, my heart leapt. A marvelous cover design (as we are more used to from Sandra and the hairs) and a blurb that had every fantasy lover drooling. A combination that will at least manage to score in any shop window or bookshelf. But of course it takes more than that to be a success and I was looking forward to the day when I could discover the writing style and plot that were unknown to me.
When Dead Dreams is the first volume in the Dead series and was actually written (for fans) as a prequel to the Fantasy Hunters series with which Hartman debuted. Fortunately, the story is conceived in such a way that you don't need any prior knowledge at all to immerse yourself in the story to the fullest. The whole thing incorporates some of the elements that made Chronicles of the Underworld and IZombie so successful, without feeling like a decoction of the aforementioned titles. On the contrary, the story feels very fresh and original, even for a genre where just about everything has already been written down.
The author immerses her readers in a fantasy world where just about every creature you've ever heard of (or even not heard of) is represented, and that makes the setting at times balance on the edge of "overloaded." Fortunately, Hartman introduces everything in a spaced-out, spaced-out fashion throughout the story, allowing the reader to keep an overview at all times. Incidentally, she takes her time nicely to provide much-needed background and emotional charge to the main characters, although the protagonist's relationship status, which is emphatically highlighted several times, adds little to no value to the whole.
The story pace is quite fast and will not give any reader time to put the book aside. Together with an intelligent storyline that was put forward with much sense of internal logic, the tight and haunting writing style ensures that this book far exceeds mediocrity. As a first introduction to the skills of this writer, this can count. It will therefore undoubtedly cause a renewed interest in her debut series. At least with me.
A highly accessible story for both fantasy adepts, and newcomers to the genre, the book is situated on the border between young adult and heavier fantasy work for seasoned genre readers.
Anyone who still dares to claim that the Low Countries have no understanding of urban fantasy has not read this book. Three cheers for Hartman and keep that sequel coming.
And very seriously : Where can I still obtain the Fantasy Hunters anywhere?

April was born half Siren and half Ripper. Of her group of friends, only a few know this about her. Consequently, she doesn't do much with her gifts until she accidentally wakes up a dead person while working in a funeral home.
The awakened dead lead her down a path from which she falls from one surprise into another struggle. Her home world Terr appears to be in danger and she can't just let this happen. April wants to help but can she? And what does this mean for herself?
"With power comes responsibility" (p.206)
Looking at the cover, the veil-covered world immediately stands out. On the one hand, we see a beautiful field of flowers, but in the silhouette of the girl, the broken buildings also stand out quite a bit. The dreamy atmosphere with the golden letters makes the cover very attractive. It is clear that a lot of care was taken on the cover, but the inside also features beautiful details.
There are many fantasy creatures in the story, some of which have been given sparkling roles in the story. For fantasy connoisseurs, the creatures may already be familiar, yet they are used beautifully in "When the Dead Dream. April is the main character in the book whose character we unfortunately don't get to know much about "before this." I would have liked to have been drawn more into her as a person. It does show what an incisive young woman she is, who fights for good while also being at odds with herself.
'When Dead Dreams' has a fine pace in a reasonably short narrated time. There is a nice build-up toward the battle. The short chapters make it pleasantly quick to read, although the appeal will almost always result in more than one chapter being read. The book has an ending that gives openings for a sequel, part 2 of the death series, yet this is also a nice stand-alone completed story.
The story is certainly original, multifaceted and very strong in its use of the fantasy genre mixed with spiritual elements. Most of the time the suspense arc was very nicely built up but at times it did lapse a bit or was stretched just a bit too long.
Mel Hartman writes accessibly in a pleasant tone. She is able to make the world so real that as a reader you are sucked in and can imagine everything very vividly. The use of spiritual elements enhances this story, with lucid dreams forming a basis for 'When the dead dream'. Throughout the book you can tell that Hartman is definitely at home in the spiritual world, or that she is well informed in it.
The book can be compared to a YA in terms of writing style, but to fully pass for that it may be a little too sexual at times.
When Dead Dreams is the first volume in the death series. We can expect the second volume in the spring of 2021.
'As the dead dream' is definitely recommended to fans of YA and fantasy. I did feel, however, that this is only a taste of what the author is planning with the series, and thus the "final feel" is yet to come.
Just about 4 stars.

Characters:
April is a very fascinating character especially as the main character. Precisely because she is different from the others and precisely because of her lazy character, it was not a good choice in the beginning for my opinion. This soon changed because of the way she draws things out of Terr to her. This makes her more sympathetic and suitable as a main character. What is a big plus in this story is that April is very contemporary in life and relationships and that makes it a special character to me because you don't see that often. I didn't get much height from other characters like April's loved ones occasionally they pass by but not enough to get to know them and I thought that was a shame, I always just like getting to know the people around the main character. What stood out is that it is an urban fantasy but I found the characters to be more from the early stages of young adult. That does not diminish the fact that they are good characters that you can still take any direction with me and that is what makes it interesting.
I didn't care that I would dream terribly, because even if you kept your eyes open you were constantly living in an oppressive dream.
The story:
Very original that's the first word that comes to mind. So much happens, but not things you've read 100x before. It is very humorously put down with many elements of fantasy. You get pulled into April's world and don't want to get out. The chapters were beautifully rendered, it is shaped so that you knew what world you were in and I thought that was very good, that way you never doubted and had certainty a big plus. The beginning is fine, you are right into the story because the core that it all starts with comes out pretty quickly here. This gets you into the story and you fly through the core, in fact it is very nice to read about this other world where mythical creatures still exist and that is great. The ending was very strong. It closed well but there remained a good open ending that you can continue on in the next part. Conclusion very original and a fantastic build up.
All our dreams can come true - if we have the courage to pursue them.
The writing style:
Something I have never seen before is how Mel Hartman has set this story. It's a way that I haven't come across before and that makes it peers and sets you apart from the rest. The strength is that Mel has put it in such a way that you don't feel like you are reading something but more like April himself is sitting next to you telling it and that is very cool. What stood out even more were the small chapters and that was very nice you flew through it that way, the quotes that are used at the beginning of a chapter I also thought were very cool, this makes the story its own and gives it more momentum.
What I would like to add is that LGTBQ+ are very well presented in this book, it is not dismissed as something weird but as something common and that is how it is. I hope more people will come to see that. Great that there are still authors who think this just belongs in a book, wonderful!
Don't forget to fight for your dreams. You must know what you want in life. There is only one thing that makes your dream become impossible: the fear of failure
Rating:
It won't be a shock if this gets a high rating. I give it *4 out of 5* stars. Precisely because I still want to leave room for the second part and don't want to rush right away. That said, it is a fantastic book and probably a fantastic series as well.
Let me not say this is love give me but gently your little warm hands; we will wander through the twilight lands, where dreams are life.

When Dead Dreams is Mel Hartman's debut novel from Hamley Books Publishers. It is a Young Adult book about dreams, diversity, magical creatures and bad guys! Mel Hartman's writing style is very catchy and smooth. Occasionally she has the main character, April, talk directly to the reader, which is really incredibly cool. It makes you a part of When the dead dream and the story gets under your skin.
There is quite a bit of diversity incorporated in When Dead Dreams, and I like that part of the story. Among other things, you come across homosexuality, bisexuality and polygamy. Mel Hartman lets this pass by in a very unforced way and makes sure it doesn't come across as forced at all. It fits into the story, suits the characters and makes When the Dead Dreams unique.
What I do find a little unfortunate is that the (romantic) relationships in When Dead Dreams are not really explored. It all remains rather superficial and that is a missed opportunity. Mel Hartman could have gotten so much more out of the story with this, especially since she distinguishes herself by incorporating a lot of diversity into her story. This would have come across even better to the reader if you know why 3 people want to be together. And why they fell in love with each other.
Of course, this was not the most important part of When Dead Dreams, because that, in my eyes, is the worldbuilding, and I think Mel Hartman did that incredibly well. She has created a unique world with Terr (the dream world) and while reading it, it just really seems like you are walking around it yourself. There are an awful lot of magical creatures and Mel Hartman makes them come alive for the reader with enough detail. Actually, When Dead Dreams is just like a movie you are watching!
In conclusion, I can tell you that When the Dead Dreams is a very exciting book, actually from the very first page. Mel Hartman manages to grab the reader's attention effortlessly and not let go. With everything she tells you, you become more and more curious and evil is always lurking. When Dead Dreams has a beautiful ending, yet Mel Hartman manages to leave the reader longing for the sequel. In February 2021, When the dead speak will be published.