Review: The Dream and the Muse

The Dream and the Muse by Jake Burnett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A delightful and original portal fantasy with a heroine who is not in any way conventional, in the process of discovering her potential.

Her mentor is an out-and-out rogue, but his caper turns out to be laudable. The whole thing is pretty much an ode to chaotic good.

Along the way, the characters visit a number of different worlds, including one where everyone is some kind of undead, a shattered planet where witches can each have their own asteroid, and a bastion of lawfulness/awfulness. Thirteen worlds are connected by a nexus, but we only hear about half a dozen by name, so there's scope for more adventures in this universe. The different worlds only really have one idea each - there's not much depth to them - but they're fun anyway.

The heroine's exploits are ingenious, her character is appealing, and all in all it's a good ride.

I received a copy via Netgalley for review.

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