Poignant, raw, original, and thoroughly absorbing…
Vivid characters, a dash of romance, and ratcheted-up stakes keep readers invested in Bernstein’s gripping coming-of-age novel. Sixteen-year-old Ell Gossamer has always struggled with her human-mermaid hybrid identity. When Ahr and Per, her two mothers, mysteriously disappear, Ell is quick to realize that her own life is also in danger. She immediately flees home with little more than a mysterious family keepsake, a book called Dreams of Song Times. But the danger is far from over. Bernstein’s writing is assured, pacing swift, and she develops her fantasy settings in vivid detail, with the action picking up later in the novel. Ell is a compelling heroine, relatable in her vulnerabilities as she tries to make sense of herself, her identity, and the world she lives in. This riveting tale, with its convincing plot twists, will satisfy readers who crave something original and unique in their story.
A layered LGBT fantasy that is far more than the sum of its parts.
Dreams of Song Times
Amy L. Bernstein
Ash Snake Press
Pub date September 23, 2022
ISBN 979-8201773267
Price $12.99 (USD) Paperback, $5.09 Kindle edition