Dreams Unleashed (The Prophecies, #1)

Oct 28, 2011 Jackie Jones rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is definitely intriguing...that's probably the best word for it. Intriguing and thought-provoking. The meat of the book concerns remote viewing and the link between the main character's subconscious and reality. Yeah, that's deep stuff. It forces you to think, and I love books like that.

I'm also a big fan of books concerning dystopian societies, and Dreams Unleashed definitely falls within that category. But it's interesting because it's not way into the future like most dystopian boo...more This book is definitely intriguing...that's probably the best word for it. Intriguing and thought-provoking. The meat of the book concerns remote viewing and the link between the main character's subconscious and reality. Yeah, that's deep stuff. It forces you to think, and I love books like that.

I'm also a big fan of books concerning dystopian societies, and Dreams Unleashed definitely falls within that category. But it's interesting because it's not way into the future like most dystopian books are. The present day of this book is 2015, and the government is right at the beginning of a downhill slope into a freedomless society. The author mentions real events happening today and uses those as the beginnings of a dystopia, so it hits close to home; this isn't so far-fetched.

But probably what this author does best is character development. You REALLY get to know every facet of the main character. And there are A LOT of facets. She's about 45 years old and has done a lot of different things in her lifetime so far. She's already a widow (that is of course a rather sad part in the book), she was in the Air Force, she worked for the CIA, she's lived on both U.S. coasts, she is apart of an underground freedom-fighting society, she works for an up-and-coming alternative energy company, and she's a bit of a hippie. Like I said...lots of facets. You also get to know the people she works with, her friends, her family, and her love interest. This story is definitely not lacking in interesting characters.

This is the first book in a trilogy, so the author gives plenty of back story in order to sufficiently introduce us to the characters. I've encountered that plenty of times before, when reading Terry Brooks. Most of his stuff is organized into trilogies, and I've found that the first book always introduces the characters and shows them preparing for the journey, the second book introduces all of the crazy problems and chaos, and then the third book is non-stop action and of course resolves all the problems. I have a feeling that this author will work like that also. This book does end with a pretty crazy cliff-hanger, and I can't wait to see where the second book picks up!(less)

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Oct 28, 2011 Linda Hawley rated it 5 of 5 stars · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopia-thrillers

The 2nd Edition of this book has been re-written, and re-edited, and is a very smooth read. Here are some reviewer quotes:

"A real thought provoker. If you liked the Bourne Identity or Inception you'll love this!"

“Ann is one of the most complex characters I’ve ever read…. The world is dystopian: the government is the evil Big Brother keeping people safe even against their will. Yet, the characters aren’t depressed or desperate. They try to live their normal lives which includes laughter, too.”

“Th...more The 2nd Edition of this book has been re-written, and re-edited, and is a very smooth read. Here are some reviewer quotes:

"A real thought provoker. If you liked the Bourne Identity or Inception you'll love this!"

“Ann is one of the most complex characters I’ve ever read…. The world is dystopian: the government is the evil Big Brother keeping people safe even against their will. Yet, the characters aren’t depressed or desperate. They try to live their normal lives which includes laughter, too.”

“The book really pushed me out of my comfort zone as I’ve never read any other book similar to this…. From the very beginning, the book kept me intrigued by its mystifying plot and excellent narration. I must laud the author for her ability to write her story in the finest detail, which makes the story sound somewhat believable. Everything was described superbly…. Overall, this novel is a real and pure page-turner.”

“The book has some references to current political figures and situations that make it very easy to get sucked into the story. The book is extremely well written and had my attention from the beginning to the end.”

“It's like a present that you are slowly unwrapping layer by layer.”

“If you put Dana Scully and Fox Mulder into a blender and hit puree, they’d make a mean Ann Torgeson. Dreams Unleashed was a great start to what I’m sure will be a fantastic book series. It poked fun at the TSA, and gave a frightful vision into a not-too-distant world where privacy truly is a thing of the past.”

“Linda Hawley blends science and metaphysics well together and creates a thinking story that kept me turning the pages. Action and suspense combined with philosophical discussion makes this book a winner.”

"Linda Hawley crafts a detailed and compelling story with a richly textured and multidimensional heroine."

"This is a suspense-filled journey into our potential future that leaves you hanging for more and eagerly awaiting book two."(less)

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Oct 28, 2011 Edwin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've never read anything like this before! The whole concept of remote viewing is mind-boggling. I remember seeing a TV show once that talked about it and how the government had studied that sort of thing, but of course they didn't expound on it or anything. So it's really interesting to get an inside look at it, even if it's from a fictional novel. I loved the parts involving the CIA; they kept me completely hooked, and when it ended with a cliff-hanger, I knew I'd be reading the next one. I de...more

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Oct 28, 2011 Collette Scott rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

With the passing of the Patriot Act in what seems a lifetime ago, I think many Americans thought everything would be okay. However, Linda Hawley presents a different spin on the invasion of government into the private sector. What if the government was monitoring us via microchip inserted in our driver's licenses? What if the government was listening to every word we said at every time? Ms.Hawley has taken that line of thought one step further with the first book in her series, Dreams Unleashed....more With the passing of the Patriot Act in what seems a lifetime ago, I think many Americans thought everything would be okay. However, Linda Hawley presents a different spin on the invasion of government into the private sector. What if the government was monitoring us via microchip inserted in our driver's licenses? What if the government was listening to every word we said at every time? Ms.Hawley has taken that line of thought one step further with the first book in her series, Dreams Unleashed. In this tale, Ann is a normal every day woman with special powers that lives in the not too distant future. She resents the government spying on her and is secretly a member of the GOG, an anti-government rebellion group in her secret life, while maintaining an average daily existence as a technical writer in her public one. Our classy heroine also has another secret, and that is that her dreams are potent and powerful and could be used as a government weapon. So there is where the drama begins...

In this first installment we meet Ann: woman, widow, mother of a college student, and hard-worker with a mysterious past. That prior life consists of work in the CIA, where she has been taught remote viewing. With that career long over, she tries to fit into a normal existence, fending off her flirty boss, struggling with the decision to begin an office romance,and making sure her home is safe from government spies. Suddenly she begins having dreams again, and the next thing she knows the government is after her. By the end of Book 1, we are anxiously gripping our seats wondering what is going to happen next. Will she meet the GOG parents? Will the FBI really catchher? Most importantly - is she going to be used as a weapon?

This story flashes back from the past, e.g. 2011 to the present 2015, to fill in the gaps of Ann's existence and give credence to her current plight. In a world that is truly a possible future, Ms. Hawley adds a taste of the paranormal into a frightening social concern. A woman with powerful dreams that leaves the reader unsure who really is trustworthy and who is not, you will eagerly turn each page to find the answers. This is a suspense-filled journey into our potential future that leaves you hanging for more and eagerly awaiting book two. (less)

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Oct 28, 2011 Paul rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This second edition of Dreams Unleashed really moves along well, and is written beautifully.

The main character, Ann, is really appealing to me. She's independent, a free spirit who's not set in her ways, is mature but still growing. I think there is nothing more beautiful than a woman with her dog, so Ann's dog, Lulu, adds to the story.

I found the remote viewing very interesting, as it explores the potential of the human mind. Of course the Herkimer crystals in the story were facinating. There...more

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Oct 12, 2011 Rosie Cochran rated it 5 of 5 stars

Dreams Unleashed draws the reader into its intriguing subject matter. It delves into the paranormal. It adds fuel to paranoid concerns of too much government control and invasion of privacy. It also shows that people will only stand for so much before they rebel.

The central figure, Ann, a widow in her forties, appears an unlikely candidate for the anti-government subversive group called GOG. As the story unfolds, we find Ann to be not only a member, but a vital member with paranormal skills hone...more

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Jul 07, 2011 Sarah (Workaday Reads) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011, canadian

Ann is a former CIA agent who worked for a secret project using paranormal skills. She currents writes technical manuals, and is a member of the secret group GOG. GOG is all about perserving personal privacy and other first amendment rights. These rights are fast disappearing in this technology obsessed world of 2015 where everyone is tracked through RFID chips in all their id. Ann's life begins to turn upside down when her paranormal skills begin to transform and her dreams seem to turn true.

Wh...more

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Nov 08, 2011 Alleluialu rated it 4 of 5 stars

I received this book from the author and read it on Kindle for the PC. I had never used Kindle for the PC before and I was a little worried about losing my place when my mouse took off on its own, but it was okay. For the first third of the book, I had to really concentrate to keep straight whether I was in the present, past or a dream. Eventually I got all the threads on the right needles and then the book started to get exciting. The action just kept accelerating right up to the end! Or, shoul...more

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Jul 26, 2011 Jackie rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of Dystopian genre, Anyone looking for a book dealing with Paranormal Phenomena

Recommended to Jackie by: Author Linda Hawley

Shelves: e-book-edition-for-review, book-from-author-for-review, read-in-2011

Book Synopsis

It’s the near-future year of 2015, where technology governs life. In this dystopian world, governments control their citizens by tracking them with RFID. The right to personal privacy does not exist. The heroine, Ann Torgeson, having been trained by the CIA as a paranormal spy at nineteen years old, has enhanced abilities. Twenty-five years later, she lives a double life: first, as a technical writer for a tidal energy company in the Pacific Northwest, and second, as a member of th...more

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Nov 08, 2011 Vanessa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: tbb-review

To begin with, the book really pushed me out of my comfort zone as I’ve never read any other book similar to this. Politics never fail to bore me, which I reckoned is the main theme of the story, although other readers and perhaps even the author herself may not agree with me. So when I read this book, I was forced to understand everything. Nonetheless, from the very beginning, the book kept me intrigued by its mystifying plot and excellent narration. I must laud the author for her ability to wr...more

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Nov 28, 2011 Stephen England rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Dreams Unleashed is one of those rare books that seem to defy easy categorization, yet manage to enchant, nonetheless.
Written in the first-person, Dreams is told through the eyes of Ann Torgeson, a former member of the CIA's Project Stargate--the Agency's research into remote viewing and psychic prediction of threats against the nation.
Fast-forward to the year 2015 and Torgeson is a member of an underground organization, fighting against the totalitarian government she once served. To the gove...more

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Nov 08, 2011 Alleluialu rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read the 1st edition of this book last summer, so I was prepared for the cliff-hanger ending and I didn't have to concentrate as hard to keep straight whether I was in the present, past or a dream. So as the book progressed it was exciting to me right away. I can't pinpoint the actual editing of the 1st edition, but I did feel that the text was more cohesive and flowed well in the 2nd edition. As I stated earlier, after you get in sync with the dates and time, the action just keeps acceleratin...more

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Oct 29, 2011 Rosie Cochran rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Dreams Unleashed draws the reader into its intriguing subject matter. It delves into the paranormal. It adds fuel to paranoid concerns of too much government control and invasion of privacy. It also shows that people will only stand for so much before they rebel.

The central figure, Ann, a widow in her forties, appears an unlikely candidate for the anti-government subversive group called GOG. As the story unfolds, we find Ann to be not only a member, but a vital member with paranormal skills hone...more

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Oct 17, 2011 Jodie rated it 5 of 5 stars

The plot of Dreams Unleashed is off and running from the opening scene.

Linda Hawley presents a dystopian view of the Patriot Act, with microchip technology providing a means for government to monitor everyone's lives and undermine their privacy. Set in Washington in 2015, the plot shifts back in time, and switches into dreams, revealing information and posing questions as the plot unfolds.

The heroine, Ann Torgeson, is a woman with a mysterious background and a special power; her dreams are a pot...more

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Aug 15, 2011 Anjali rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011, the-new-author-challenge-2011, women-authors, women-protagonists

I am not a big fan of fantasy or sci-fi, so when I was requested to review ‘Dreams Unleashed’, I tried to read with no prejudice. I was not sure I would be able to do a good review of this book since I don’t read sci-fi. I took this up as a challenge for me as a reader and in the end, I am very glad I did.

Dreams Unleashed is the first book in The Prophecies Trilogy. We have Anne as the main protagonist who is no less than a superwoman. She is an ex-CIA agent who was born with the amazing skill o...more I am not a big fan of fantasy or sci-fi, so when I was requested to review ‘Dreams Unleashed’, I tried to read with no prejudice. I was not sure I would be able to do a good review of this book since I don’t read sci-fi. I took this up as a challenge for me as a reader and in the end, I am very glad I did.

Dreams Unleashed is the first book in The Prophecies Trilogy. We have Anne as the main protagonist who is no less than a superwoman. She is an ex-CIA agent who was born with the amazing skill of moving between the dream world and the real one. She is part of the team which does ‘remote viewing’ – transporting yourself to a place to spy on others, but all this in your dream which is almost like real. Confused? Read the book to clear that confusion.

The action in the book starts from the word go and does not end till the book is over. We see Anne as a trainee in the defence and in the CIA’s secret team and her relatively boring job as a technical writer in an organization. We also get a glimpse of her personal life – her lovely relationship with her dad, her husband’s untimely demise and her daughter’s upbringing. Anne comes across as a woman of strength and amazing self-confidence. The other characters are not that drawn out to my taste, but I guess characterization is not that important in a sci-fi book. The structure of the book is quite interesting. It does not flow a chronological order and we keep skipping back and forth in time and also into and out of Anne’s dreams and her real world.

The language is easy and flows smoothly. The one part which I had trouble with were the dialogues. Almost all dialogues end with the name which I found a bit artifical and irritating. Again, the focus of sci-fi books is on the plot rather than the literature, so I guess this is acceptable.

The book is interesting and engaging. For a novice sci-fi reader, this book was very enojoyable. There is an element of suspense that runs through the entire thread which keeps the reader yearning for more.(less)

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Jul 10, 2011 Alan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

I saw Linda Hawley’s book mentioned on Twitter and was intrigued by the title, so I downloaded the Kindle version. It was the first time I had read a full length book on my iPhone. I found the story well written and gripping. I would willingly advise people to read it and I will certainly read the next book in the trilogy. Having said that, a couple of things troubled me in the book and in my relationship to it, so I will try to explore them in what follows.

The story moves backwards and forwards...more I saw Linda Hawley’s book mentioned on Twitter and was intrigued by the title, so I downloaded the Kindle version. It was the first time I had read a full length book on my iPhone. I found the story well written and gripping. I would willingly advise people to read it and I will certainly read the next book in the trilogy. Having said that, a couple of things troubled me in the book and in my relationship to it, so I will try to explore them in what follows.

The story moves backwards and forwards from a future present to several recent pasts. At first I was troubled by this shifting in time. It wasn’t too difficult, however, to ignore the confusion it caused in me because the story was sufficiently engrossing that I quickly forgot about my momentary feelings of being lost. Later I noticed that the author had put clear markers in the chapter titles to let the reader know what time the chapter took place in. It was then that I realised that I had not been reading the titles as, at a cursory glance, I mistakenly took them for being similar. If I had been reading the print version, I might well have glanced back over the contents page to compare chapter titles, but as this was my first experience reading an ebook I was concerned I might lose my place in the book.

The more I read of the book, the more I had a niggling feeling that the story was yet to begin. Great care was taken in describing the main character and her relationships to those around her: her colleagues at work, her family, her friends where she used to live and her dog. From time to time, I wondered why certain episodes of her life were described in such detail, but that they were didn’t disturb me so much as they were well crafted and brought the character and her surroundings alive. There were moments when the story accelerated brusquely, carrying the reader away in a whirlwind of breath-taking action. Then things settled back to a more sedate rhythm. As a dystopian novel, Dreams Unleashed, bears the tell-tale marks of deep-seated anxiety that has its roots in the ever-growing threat of the nameless, faceless authorities to its citizens. In many such novels, the Hunger Games, for example, that anxiety chases the reader forward through the story. In Dreams Unleashed, we are periodically reminded of this tension but it tends to fade from view when relationships and dinner and the character’s dog get the upper hand.

When the book abruptly came to an end with a screaming cliffhanger, the underlying feeling of coming up short finally took on a tangible form. It was as if the book had ended before it had really got underway. To say so is unfair on the author. As I have described above, the book is full of all manner of things and the story is gripping. The only explanation I can find for this mismatch lies in the balance between story telling that is static, that builds on description and memories from the past, and breathtaking action that drives the story forward helter-skelter to the catastrophe everyone is expecting yet earnestly wishes to avoid.(less)

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Jun 30, 2011 Birgit rated it 3 of 5 stars

An intriguing premise, the dystopian genre, and my love for narratives in which the author is jumping back and forth in time to tell the story, always manage to lure me in quite successfully. This was also the case with Dreams Unleashed by Linda Hawley.
The story revolves around Ann Torgeson, a technical writer, with a past of working for a secret project with the CIA and it's this past that is suddenly catching up with her through disturbing and real-to-life dreams.
This first part of The Prophec...more

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Jun 15, 2011 Jackie Jones rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone who likes interesting characters and likes to think

Shelves: dystopia, adventure, science-fiction

Someone on Amazon said this book was intriguing...that's probably the best word for it. Intriguing and thought-provoking. The meat of the book concerns remote viewing and the link between the main character's subconscious and reality. Yeah, that's deep stuff. It forces you to think, and I love books like that.

I'm also a big fan of books concerning dystopian societies, and Dreams Unleashed definitely falls within that category. But it's interesting because it's not way into the future like most...more Someone on Amazon said this book was intriguing...that's probably the best word for it. Intriguing and thought-provoking. The meat of the book concerns remote viewing and the link between the main character's subconscious and reality. Yeah, that's deep stuff. It forces you to think, and I love books like that.

I'm also a big fan of books concerning dystopian societies, and Dreams Unleashed definitely falls within that category. But it's interesting because it's not way into the future like most dystopian books are. The present day of this book is 2015, and the government is right at the beginning of a downhill slope into a freedomless society. The author mentions real events happening today and uses those as the beginnings of a dystopia, so it hits close to home; this isn't so far-fetched.

But probably what this author does best is character development. You REALLY get to know every facet of the main character. And there are A LOT of facets. She's about 45 years old and has done a lot of different things in her lifetime so far. She's already a widow (that is of course a rather sad part in the book), she was in the Air Force, she worked for the CIA, she's lived on both U.S. coasts, she is apart of an underground freedom-fighting society, she works for an up-and-coming alternative energy company, and she's a bit of a hippie. Like I said...lots of facets. You also get to know the people she works with, her friends, her family, and her love interest. This story is definitely not lacking in interesting characters.

This is the first book in a trilogy, so the author gives plenty of back story in order to sufficiently introduce us to the characters. I've encountered that plenty of times before, when reading Terry Brooks. Most of his stuff is organized into trilogies, and I've found that the first book always introduces the characters and shows them preparing for the journey, the second book introduces all of the crazy problems and chaos, and then the third book is non-stop action and of course resolves all the problems. I have a feeling that this author will work like that also. This book does end with a pretty crazy cliff-hanger, and I can't wait to see where the second book picks up!(less)

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Jun 13, 2011 Scott rated it 4 of 5 stars

Dreams Unleashed by Linda Hawley is the gripping story of Ann. She has a bit of a unique history and some abilities that are far from the norm. Her current job has her writing technical manuals for an alternative energy company harvesting the power of the ocean, her job while she was in the service however is highly classified.

Linda has the book nicely organized with each chapter also having a date heading. The dates range from her distant past, recent past, and current day. The book has some r...more

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Jun 12, 2011 Mervi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, thriller, science-fiction

Ann Torgeson is a technical writer for AlterHydro, a company that specializes in alternate energy. She has also vivid dreams of other places where she’s hunted by US government agents. Years ago, she was a CIA agent and trained in the use of her paranormal abilities. Now, she’s starting to suspect that dreams might be more than just dreams.

It’s the year 2015 and because of the threat of terrorism, all countries are monitoring their citizens. RFID chips are commonplace on driver’s licenses and ID...more Ann Torgeson is a technical writer for AlterHydro, a company that specializes in alternate energy. She has also vivid dreams of other places where she’s hunted by US government agents. Years ago, she was a CIA agent and trained in the use of her paranormal abilities. Now, she’s starting to suspect that dreams might be more than just dreams.

It’s the year 2015 and because of the threat of terrorism, all countries are monitoring their citizens. RFID chips are commonplace on driver’s licenses and ID cards, and even in some people. Since houses usually have a central computer, the government can monitor the occupants, too. One organization is striking back: GOG, Get Out, Government!. It provides its members with technology that can defeat the house listening devices but can also give the members dangerous missions. Ann is a member of GOG and she’s sent on a mission to Canada, to interview a new member candidate. The US government considers GOG terrorists so if the members are captured, the cost is high.

The book focuses on Ann’s past and present. She seems to be an atypical main character: she’s in her forties, a widow, and has a daughter who is in college. She has a Brittany dog called Lulu and Ann can even take her dog with her to her job. She’s attracted to one of her co-workers but is fighting the attraction because she doesn’t think that dating a co-worker is a good idea. She’s also determined and stubborn when she’s hunting for answers. She feels that the US government is on the wrong path when it restricts civil liberties and she’s feels that she’s a patriot when she fights the government as a member of the GOG. Ever since Ann was a child, she has been able to dream vividly. However, during her years in the CIA, she was trained to use her abilities and now her dreams feel almost real. Ann is one of the most complex characters I’ve ever read about.

Her late husband Armand is in many flashbacks and they seem to have a happy, almost idyllic, life together before his tragic death a few years ago. Her daughter Elinor is away on collage and is mostly seen in the flashbacks when she’s younger. Ann has a pretty eclectic group of friends raging from her nerdy co-workers, to green energy enthusiasts, and to her ex-boss in the CIA’s paranormal office. As a dog-lover, I really enjoyed Ann’s dog Lulu who runs on the treadmill next to Ann and travel with her to conventions.

The world is dystopian: the government is the evil Big Brother keeping people safe even against their will. Yet, the characters aren’t depressed or desperate. They try to live their normal lives which includes laughter, too.

Since the book is set in the near future, current day events and politics are referenced.

The book ends in a cliffhanger, so I’m glad that the rest of the series is coming out this year.

The author kindly sent me review copy.(less)

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Jun 16, 2011 ABookVacation rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a really cool novel. It’s well written, complex, interesting, funny, scary—this novel has it all! Hawley has written a wonderful debut novel depicting the not so distant future with a “Big Brother is watching you” mentality. The government’s involvement in individual lives is scary and, though the book is fictitious, the references to real/current political issues and people aides in making the novel that much scarier for the reader. I was actually very impressed by Hawley’s ability to a...more

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Feb 05, 2012 Raymond rated it 5 of 5 stars

I started with The Guardian of Time, then read Dreams Unleashed. So by the end of book 2 I already liked the heroine and very much disliked all the scumbags she had to deal with. So when those folks are introduced in book 1, I already had a bias against them. I guess that's why things should be read in order. The first thing that stood out for me was how smoothly the story moves along. We might be moving three or twenty-three years back and then forward again and there is absolutely no stiltedne...more

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Jun 17, 2011 Single Country rated it 5 of 5 stars

Dreams Unleashed Synopsis:
It’s the near-future year of 2015, where technology governs life. In this dystopian world, governments control their citizens by tracking them with RFID. The right to personal privacy does not exist. The heroine, Ann Torgeson, having been trained by the CIA as a paranormal spy at nineteen years old, has enhanced abilities. Twenty-five years later, she lives a double life: first, as a technical writer for a tidal energy company in the Pacific Northwest, and second, as a...more Dreams Unleashed Synopsis:
It’s the near-future year of 2015, where technology governs life. In this dystopian world, governments control their citizens by tracking them with RFID. The right to personal privacy does not exist. The heroine, Ann Torgeson, having been trained by the CIA as a paranormal spy at nineteen years old, has enhanced abilities. Twenty-five years later, she lives a double life: first, as a technical writer for a tidal energy company in the Pacific Northwest, and second, as a member of the worldwide anti-government subversive organization, called GOG. When Ann’s vivid dreams turn real, she questions whether the doorway between her subconscious and reality has been permanently altered. When she starts to dig into her past, her present begins to unravel, leading the reader through events that twist and turn everything upside down. Question everything you know is essential in this trilogy.

My thoughts.

Dreams Unleashed is a edge of your seat Dystopian thriller! Ann Torgeson has all the attributes that I wish that I had as a single 30 something female!

Hawley, did a great job with Dreams Unleashed main character Ann Torgeson. Ann is a successful , bright, independent woman in her 40's that knows what she wants and will go after it. Ann works for the company
AlterHydro. writing instructional manuals. But little do we all know that Ann has a past and there is more to her than the eye can see.

I really did fall in love with the character of Ann, As I did with all of the key characters of Dreams Unleashed. I just love that fact that Hawley made sure that it the a clean language, no sex novel. I had read somewhere Linda had did that so her young daughters could read the trilogy if they wanted. I give my hat off to her for that, because there are many times when I reading "Why in the heck did the have to use the Fword or OK why couldn't they say that they just made love and leave it at that ." Because many times some of the words or scenes in the book, in my opinion don not lend anything to the plot of the story. So I applauded Linda Hawley for omitting those type of scenarios and still giving her readers a AWESOME, INTUITIVE, RIVETING you seat novel.

I would recommend Dreams unleashed to any reader from 12 to 100 and the only reason that I would not recommend it for a younger reader is because I feel that the might see it as hard to follow or comprehend and maybe a little scary as the over all concept of the novel is Big Brother (the government) is tracking every one of your movements. I for one can't wait for book 2 of The Prophecies Trilogy to come out in late summer.

(less)

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Nov 02, 2011 Lisa (Bookworm Lisa) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, adult, dystopian, received-to-review

I am very happy that Linda asked me to read the Second Edition of Dreams Unleashed. I found it to be clever and well written. She is able to write with enough description and definition to hold the interest of her reader.

Ann is a complex woman. She has had many unique and interesting experiences throughout her life to make her the perfect freedom fighter. She is fighting against Governments who have systematically taken away or limited the basic rights of their citizens. She was trained by the C...more

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Jun 07, 2011 Christi Snow rated it 3 of 5 stars

Full review to come...

My Review:
Okay, up-front, this is absolutely NOT my normal type of read. The author contacted me to review her book and after glancing at the first couple of chapters, I was intrigued. After reading it, I am still not sure exactly how to classify the book- probably suspense.

The book is made up of vignettes in time. As the reader, you are jumping around the life of Ann- anywhere from 1988-2015. For the first half of the book, these jumps don't make a whole lot of sense, but...more

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Aug 04, 2011 Charlie rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5 Stars
For those who like suspense thrillers that alternate between past, present and future, you'll likely enjoy the format of Dreams Unleashed. The presentation provides the dream-like sensation of being somewhere else before 'waking' up. There are brief moments of confusion and wondering what is real, what is now and where am I? Much like a dream it’s difficult for the rational mind to reconcile these two perceptions, yet they exist. This story has a strong female character, Ann Torgeson, t...more

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Jul 01, 2011 Lisa (Bookworm Lisa) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, received-to-review

I'm reeling from the books ending. I'm just grateful that the second book is due to be released this summer. Linda has definitely left me wanting more.

This book is set in 2015 in the state of Washington. Ann is in her mid 40's. She is a widow and the mother of one daughter. The story deals with a US Government that has taken away the right of privacy. Ann is part of a group that is fighting to regain the privacy of the citizens of the US.

Through flashbacks we are able to view her life and the ev...more

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Jun 07, 2011 Alice rated it 5 of 5 stars

SPOILERS
i loved this book, i was a bit unsure at the begining as i was confused, didnt know what was real and what were dreams.

i loved ann's character and it was wonderfull to see a character who wasnt a teenager, but someone who had a daughter elinor in her first year of college.

the year this book is set in is 2015 and thats not far away, you can see how whats in this book could really happen in real life.

dreams unleashed has an amazing storyline and i cannot wait for book two. i connected wi...more

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Jan 20, 2012 Tima rated it 5 of 5 stars

Life has changed in the United States. Freedoms are being lost under the guise of protection and health. Ann has dreams that are becoming reality and she isn't sure what to do. She belongs to a grassroots organization that is trying to stop the control the government is taking. She must learn to use her organization and her dreams to control the world around her as it seemingly spirals out of control.

This book was really great. I enjoyed the characters and story plot. Even though I'm not a tech...more

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Jun 14, 2011 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-and-reviewed

Dreams Unleashed Synopsis:
It’s the future year of 2015, where technology governs life. No one on the globe is free from being tracked through government RFID. The worldwide underground organization, GOG, is the one group equipped to fight against citizens’ loss of privacy. Ann Torgeson is a technical writer working for a tidal energy company—living a seemingly normal life in the Pacific Northwest—when her vivid dreams turn real. Is her training as a paranormal CIA agent when she was only ninetee...more Dreams Unleashed Synopsis:
It’s the future year of 2015, where technology governs life. No one on the globe is free from being tracked through government RFID. The worldwide underground organization, GOG, is the one group equipped to fight against citizens’ loss of privacy. Ann Torgeson is a technical writer working for a tidal energy company—living a seemingly normal life in the Pacific Northwest—when her vivid dreams turn real. Is her training as a paranormal CIA agent when she was only nineteen years old now altering the doorway between her subconscious and reality? When Ann starts to dig into her past, her present begins to unravel, leading the reader through events that twist and turn everything upside down. It's the not-so-distant future, and question everything you know is the theme of Dreams Unleashed, book one of this paranormal trilogy.

I must confess this book was a little hard to get into at first. The main character Ann is jumping different realities in the book and it's a challenge to follow. After the first few chapters, I was drawn into the story. This was also my first dystopian novel and I was impressed by the content. I'm always a sucker for woman heroines Ann is no different. She is former CIA special unit personnel and the book does get into technical stuff about it. This book was a good read for me because it makes me think and the premise is plausible in the technological based world we live in today.
This isn't a quick read by any means. You have to really take your time to read to absorb the massive amounts of data you glean from the book. The writing is pretty formal and you have to be a clear thinker to understand what is being written.
Ann's ability to cross over into her dreams and bring them back has a metaphysical element to it that appeals to my spiritual nature. Science and spiritual meld together into a intricate pattern. A lot of metaphysical ideas are introduced in the book such as chakras and energy fields and I can relate to them as I follow some of them in my real life.
The only critique I have is the formal structure of the words as this is difficult to follow if you aren't well versed in the English language. Other than that, the story is intriguing and makes me want to jump into it and travel with her on her spiritual journey to enlightenment.
Linda Hawley blends science and metaphysics well together and creates a thinking story that kept me turning the pages. Action and suspense combined with philosophical discussion makes this book a winner.

I would recommend this book to readers interested in dystopian novels and want to “think outside the box”. Also for those who enjoy reading about metaphysics.
I look forward to reading more about Ann and her abilities.
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Dystopias and Soc...: Free Dystopian Thriller	10	69	Jan 02, 2012 02:21pm

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Dreams Unleashed (The Prophecies #1)

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