Dreaming Dangerously (Children of the Psi, #1)

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Dreaming Dangerously (Children of the Psi #1)

by Kathleen Harsch (Goodreads Author)

3.98 of 5 stars 3.98 · rating details · 66 ratings · 27 reviews

What if you could HEAR thoughts?

Thanks to her ability to mind-drop, Cassie can hear the thoughts of everyone around her. But sometimes her telepathy is more of a curse than a psychic gift, especially when it comes to Will Rossi.

Reason #1: He pushes his thoughts at her, whether she wants to hear them or not.

Reason #2: His sexy, vindictive ex-girlfriend.

Reason #3: His dim...more

Paperback, 258 pages

Published September 10th 2011 by Createspace (first published September 5th 2011)

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Oct 26, 2011 Brea rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. *Edited to say this was a goodreads firstread.*

Hey Psi Child...

Cassie is not the ordinary teenage girl. No, you won't find any vampires or werewolves here Twi-hards. What Cassie has in 'Dreaming Dangerously' is the ability to read minds. More specifically she can mind-drop or mind-scan a crowd to look for someone she recognizes. Upon entering her new high school she feels drawn to this one particular guy, Will.(view spoiler)...more

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Jan 10, 2012 Tempest rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: gave-3-5-stars, readandratedindiebooks

*I received this book through Goodreads first reads* I loved this book. It's probably one of the best things I've read in a long time. The characters all had distinctive personalities, and the plot moved smoothly. Mind reading is one of those things that authors tend to either hit or miss on portraying in books. I can't even list all the times I've read one where it was painfully obvious the author just used it when it suited them and pretended it away every other time. That was definitely NOT t...more

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Oct 13, 2011 Leanna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

I got this book in the mail yesterday and I am currently reading it for the second time. I don't HAVE to read it a second time, I WANT to read it again.

I think this is a very good book for Young Adults. I have an 11 year old daughter that has asked to read it next and I'm going to let her. I can't WAIT until the next one comes out!!

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Jun 11, 2012 Shane rated it 3 of 5 stars

-Itching for Books Reviews

Dreaming Dangerously completely surprised me. For one, I failed to see the transparent effect of the girl on the cover (I know, it's shameless, but I'm not really loving the design), and for two, I didn't really think I was going to like this story. It did grow on me though, after I got over the constant drama of the school setting and the pitifulness of its main character.

Cassie, Cassie, Cassie. Where do I begin? Well, I could start by saying that I disliked her a lot...more -Itching for Books Reviews

Dreaming Dangerously completely surprised me. For one, I failed to see the transparent effect of the girl on the cover (I know, it's shameless, but I'm not really loving the design), and for two, I didn't really think I was going to like this story. It did grow on me though, after I got over the constant drama of the school setting and the pitifulness of its main character.

Cassie, Cassie, Cassie. Where do I begin? Well, I could start by saying that I disliked her a lot throughout the book. Her depressive persona and trust issues just irritated me so much at times, not to mention how inconsiderate she was toward other peoples feelings. She got upset quite frequently over foolishness and that pissed me off, a lot. I get that her "gift/curse" is really difficult to live with, but she's not even trying to give herself a chance at a normal life. However, aside from wanting to punch her sometimes, there were moments I actually felt sorry for her, and Will, whom she forgets has issues to deal with just like her, though he's not so perfect himself.

Oh, Will. I actually liked him throughout the book. Though all the experimenting made my feelings for him waver a bit, I still loved his boldness; his ability to admit his feelings so publicly, while Cassie hesitated and allowed fear to determine how she'd live. I'm not taking sides here, just interpreting how they came across to me. Will is so lovable. Cassie on the other hand...gosh!

The story wasn't exactly consistent with excitement either, putting aside the kind of genre its based in. There were several occasions where I was absolutely bored with what was going on and even though I kept on reading, nothing was getting through much less staying in my mind. I don't want it to seem like I'm butchering your book, Kathleen, but I'm keeping it real. The story had ups and downs; when its up it's really interesting, but when its down its beyond draggy and predictable. Thankfully, the good outweighed the boring.

In terms of the plot, it made sense and was really convincing. You rarely get books based on such phenom these days, amongst all the vampire, wolves, magic, and dystopian novels, it was a refreshing air away from all that. I just wish the story was much stronger. I'll probably read the second book, when I have nothing else to read. Sorry.

Find more: http://itchingforbooks.blogspot.com (less)

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Apr 09, 2012 Kristin Hafling rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

Ok, so I was really excited when Kathleen Harsch contacted me to review this book. (She is the first author to do so) I didn't know what to expect from this book after reading the summary of it but it did seem really interesting to me. It felt new and different because it was still a paranormal type of book but without many of the aspects I usually expect and read about (no vampires, werewolves, or faeries lol) I really, really enjoyed reading this book. For me it was a short and quick read, and...more Ok, so I was really excited when Kathleen Harsch contacted me to review this book. (She is the first author to do so) I didn't know what to expect from this book after reading the summary of it but it did seem really interesting to me. It felt new and different because it was still a paranormal type of book but without many of the aspects I usually expect and read about (no vampires, werewolves, or faeries lol) I really, really enjoyed reading this book. For me it was a short and quick read, and once I started reading I couldn't put it down and I just flew through it.
The first thing that I really like about this book is that the plot flowed really well. It didn't drag at any parts and it kept my attention and I never felt bored at any point. I connected with the main character Cassie right away. I couldn't imagine having to deal with everything that she had to go through on a daily basis. She could read people's minds and know what they were thinking at any time and even when they were telling her the truth or a lie. Nobody knows her secret and she has learned that she can't tell anybody her secret, who would want to be friends with or trust someone who knows all their private thoughts and their secrets. Cassie is forced to move to a new town and a new school because her parents are opening their own restaraunt and she is not happy about it. In the very beginning of the book, she meets a guy named Will who she learns has a crush on her, and he forces his thoughts into her head without her having to want to learn what he is thinking. Will, I really enjoyed him and thought he as a really cute and sweet guy and I immediately liked it him. One of things I really liked about his relationship with Cassie is it felt more real to me then some relationships do when you a read a book, yes their relationship moved fast but, Cassie didn't just fall in love with him and that was the end of it she questioned herself and their relationship, admitting that she hadn't known him for a long time and she didn't automatically trust him and that definitely made me enjoy the book more when I really felt their relationship grow and not just have them instantly in love. There was definitely a few twists and turns to the story and I really liked it. I enjoyed the ending a lot also, it tied up all the loose ends but also gave you a little bit of a teaser and cliff hanger of what was to happen next.
I would like to thank Kathleen for giving me the chance to review her book and I cannot wait until he sequel comes out to see what happens in Cassie and Will's story.
(less)

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Jun 07, 2012 Marissa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Let me say first, I thought this was a fantastic book! I really, really liked this story. It was just interesting throughout to read what Cassie's and Will's gifts or talents are like, and to see how they deal with them, when they try to live a normal life as well, but are so lucky to find one another and actually talk about something that they kept to themselves. Now, would I want to hear what people's thoughts are? Would I want to be a telepath? I was thinking those questions as I was reading,...more

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May 08, 2012 Morgan rated it 5 of 5 stars

I’ve received this book from goodreads first reads and I absolutely loved it!! Truthfully I’ve never really heard of this book until now and I absolutely loved it!! As soon as it came in the mail I put all of my other books down and just started reading this one! Kathleen is just such an amazing author!
This story is about a girl named Cassie she’s just moved into a new town. She can read peoples minds and basically find out who’s fake and who’s not. Also as soon as her family arrives in town th...more

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Apr 27, 2012 Annie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-book, psychics, ya, annoying-protagonists

While I found this book entertaining, it had some issues for me.

The story revolves around Cassie who has the ability to read minds. Unfortunately for her it is an overwhelming ability that tends to make her very ill. She starts to gain better control of her abilities when she meets Will who has some abilities of his own.

One of my first issues with the book is that the plot seemed to be a very long whine fest for Cassie. This is a problem I seem to have with a lot of young adult books lately (a...more While I found this book entertaining, it had some issues for me.

The story revolves around Cassie who has the ability to read minds. Unfortunately for her it is an overwhelming ability that tends to make her very ill. She starts to gain better control of her abilities when she meets Will who has some abilities of his own.

One of my first issues with the book is that the plot seemed to be a very long whine fest for Cassie. This is a problem I seem to have with a lot of young adult books lately (at least the ones with female protagonists). The protagonist has something in her life that makes her suppressed and/or unhappy and then proceeds to whine about it for the rest of the novel. The hero in this story on the other hand seemed to be on the opposite spectrum. He was perfect and always right. Cassie mentions this quite a number of times actually (although in my opinion he was a little controlling, a quality that whenever she noticed she would proceed to brush off). So the question I kept asking myself in this book was; if the hero (Will) was so darn perfect why in the world was he staying with this whiny pitiful girl who just kept pushing him away?

This leads me into my second issue with this book. It had some uncanny resemblances to Twilight. In fact, at one point in the novel the author has Cassie reading Twilight. I know originality is hard to come by in novels these days but taking specific ideas (versus general plot lines) from other books still irritates me.

Finally, the book seemed devoid of a real plot. As I said earlier, the plot of this book seems to be based entirely on Will and Cassie's unequal relationship. I find it hard to even pinpoint a specific climax in the novel. The author did throw in a couple "dangerous" scenes in the story to create tension, but this seemed to make the story more disjointed and no tension was really evoked.

After all of this, I surprisingly still enjoyed the book as long as I allowed myself to read it on a surface and airy level and didn't try to invest too much in the story. (less)

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Jun 11, 2012 Jill Swanson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-and-giveaway, young-adult, blog-review

Look for my review and author interview on my blog!
http://littlehyuts.blogspot.com/2012/...

I received this book from the author in an exchange for a review.

I have given this book a well deserved four stars!
There are many young adult novels based on psychic ability however, none that seemed to fit so well into that theme as Dreaming Dangerously does. It is a difficult topic to write on and is often a hit or miss kind of thing. This book was a definite hit!
The author does a wonderful job of incorp...more Look for my review and author interview on my blog!
http://littlehyuts.blogspot.com/2012/...

I received this book from the author in an exchange for a review.

I have given this book a well deserved four stars!
There are many young adult novels based on psychic ability however, none that seemed to fit so well into that theme as Dreaming Dangerously does. It is a difficult topic to write on and is often a hit or miss kind of thing. This book was a definite hit!
The author does a wonderful job of incorporating her characters abilities into the story. They flow and grow along with the characters making for a realistic portrayal of what life would be like for a Psi child.
Kathleen Harsch has a unique perception of this particular psychic ability and does a great job explaining it's inner workings. Not only do you know her characters can use psychic powers but you get to understand how they can expand on them and the different ways they use them.
The reader gets an excellent look into teenage life as well. The frustrations and trust issues that face the main character Cassie, are spot on.
You get to experience the joys of falling in love and being a teenager and the pain that goes right along with it. I would enjoy reading about Cassie's day to day life in school and home even if she wasn't gifted with her psychic ability.
The characters in this book are easily relatable, which is something that I loved about it. It is so much easier to take a journey through a book when you can connect with the characters you are following.
Both Will and Cassie have known loss and have had to overcome obstacles while growing up. Their background stories really add to their personalities and the reader's understanding of them.
Cassie is a strong girl who is not afraid to do what is right. She makes for a good role model!
I am so glad that her relationship is not the typical dependent one often portrayed in young adult books. Will is there to support her not be her knight in shining armor.
The world of dreams is something that has always intrigued me as well. It is unique subject matter for a book and originally what drew my attention towards this novel. I think the author does a good job of implementing the use of dreams into the plot. Each dream is like a bit of foreshadowing except you don't know which part of it will come true.
This was the perfect book to get comfy on the couch with and I read it in one sitting. I am looking forward to reading the upcoming installments in this series! The ending definitely leaves you wanting the sequel!
I would gladly recommend Dreaming Dangerously for anyone looking for a sci-fi read that is light and fun and full of surprises!(less)

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Mar 09, 2012 Lenore Kosinski rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, found-b-c-of-giveaway

On the fence...I loved the way Will felt about Cassie, but Cassie just made me tired and cranky.... Her behavior was so inexplicable, and even though there was a bit of an explanation near the end, she still struggled to behave... So yeah, unsure how I feel....

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Apr 20, 2012 Haidi rated it 4 of 5 stars

I actually really liked this book considering it is a YA book. I came across this book after making a comment about the beautiful cover to the author - Kathleen Harsch. She offered me a copy and I read it and said I would help promote it afterwards if I liked it. Which I did.

I enjoyed the fact that the mind reading was a secret for two people in the book and I really enjoyed Will's personality.

I liked Cassie however at times she reminded me of Ever from the Everlasting series, but only because...more

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Feb 11, 2012 Dominique Alvarez rated it 5 of 5 stars

Once I read the first page, I couldn't put it down until I finished it. Dreaming Dangerously is a book I would recommend to anyone to read. As I personally say, if an Author can break down my barriers and get me to cry when a character does, or feel the anger of another character, the Author is skilled and has my approval. And I honestly hope there is a sequel in the future! I love the Characters Will and Cassie. Kathleen uses a lot of descriptive details that made me feel as if I was watching a...more

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Jul 11, 2012 Michelle's Paranormal Vault of Books rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned-e-books, favorites, auth-req-read

Originally Posted at my Book Blog Michelle's Paranormal Vault of Books

My Review:

I really, really enjoyed this book, I was pleasantly surprised, but should not have been, but I actually just started reading, really, without reading the summary’s or any reviews. I knew it was a type of book I would like when I first checked it out at Goodreads, and then when I got it, to read, I didn’t refresh my memory, just read.
I was mesmerized right from the start and hooked. Cassie is a great character, and...more

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Feb 24, 2012 Anna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: review, books-i-own

You can find more of my reviews on my blog: Literary Exploration

Typically, I'm not one to pick up books about psychics or mind readers or things like that, but when the author contacted me about her book I was pretty intrigued. Although some things didn't work too well for me, the overall book was pretty good. I did have some issues with characters and certain aspects of the story, but overall it was a quick read and I enjoyed it.

The characters were pretty tame. Cassie can read minds, and once s...more You can find more of my reviews on my blog: Literary Exploration

Typically, I'm not one to pick up books about psychics or mind readers or things like that, but when the author contacted me about her book I was pretty intrigued. Although some things didn't work too well for me, the overall book was pretty good. I did have some issues with characters and certain aspects of the story, but overall it was a quick read and I enjoyed it.

The characters were pretty tame. Cassie can read minds, and once she meets Will she has these prophetic dreams that sort of end up happening, only not the exact way she dreams them. This situation kind of confused me because I didn't really understand the point of Cassie having the dreams, but mostly they put her in really dangerous situations where Will had to save her or something. Will was your typical alpha-overprotective-male who felt like he needed to "save" Cassie from the world or something. It was cute at first but then it just felt like he was being overbearing. Cassie was hurt by her last boyfriend, whom she loved, so she has a hard time trusting Will, but I was really pulling for him!

The story itself was fast-paced and definitely kept me reading. Cassie ends up in a lot of dangerous situations that had me seriously worried for her! She really thinks about others more than herself which is definitely heroic, and I liked that she never let Will tell her what to do. Some parts of the story were a little confusing, or slow, but the overall pace of the book was definitely exciting. I know there are going to be more books in this series so I am looking forward to finding out what happens next! One of the more obvious issues I actually had was the story's resemblance to Twilight. Some situations were almost exact copies, and because I'm not a big Twilight fan I had a hard time with that.

Although I'm not a big fan of Psychic books, Dreaming Dangerously is one of the better ones. I do wish some things, like the dreams, were explained a little more because I'm still not sure what's causing them or why Cassie is having them, but Cassie isn't sure either so I'm hoping that will be explained in the next book. I liked the idea of different types of mind-reading being the focus of the story. I do feel like the story itself was a bit rushed, but overall I enjoyed reading this one!(less)

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Jun 29, 2012 Levina Goon rated it 4 of 5 stars

*Received from author for review through We love YA Goodreads group
**Review also posted at amazon.com (under Levina)

Dreaming Dangerously was a fun, fast read. The plot centers around Cassie who can read other people’s thoughts and her journey to acceptance and adaptation of her gift with the help of a fellow psychic, Will. Because her gift can overwhelm her, especially in high school and crowded situations, she suffers alienation and insecurity. Harsch decribes Cassie’s emotions very well. When...more

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Dec 01, 2011 Kaitlyn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook-read

Quite Good, I really enjoyed it. I read it in one sitting, glad there will be another one. Didn't leave a sense of amazement or epicness but that is rare. I quite liked Will and how he kept true to her even when she was freaking out. The ending left questions I want resolved asap but I guess I have to wait. Happy I bought and read it and will be anticipating the next one. :)

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Dec 04, 2011 Linda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: magic-paranormalcy-romance-vampi, romance, young-adult

Cassie is a teenager who has been uprooted from a life that she knew due to her parents' career move. They are opening a pizzaria and she is expected to help them run the place. Cassie has always felt like a freak and she can't talk to anyone about what troubles her.
Then... she meets Will at her new school. Will is a star football player and somehow they seem attuned to each other. How can that be possible?
I highly recommend this book for young adults. LOL! I'm 58 and I enjoyed it also...
This...more

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Feb 29, 2012 Hmr28 marked it as to-read

I'd like to read this but it is not available for the nook (Barnes and noble). It seems like something I'd like and it has good reviews. I love reading indie authors and I wish more of them would publish for the Nook. There is no way I am buying another device (never mind Amazon's predatory tactics). Too bad.

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Feb 21, 2012 Tjala rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: jade - if you still like twilight!

Shelves: easy-reads, paranormal-romance

this is exactly how it sounds, a romance. a bit twillighty but ok. not my kind of thing but i enjoyed it and read it in a shoprt amount of time. a good book when youve just finished somthing and dont know what to read next. and uits really cheap too!

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Apr 25, 2012 Beth Adams rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, paranormal

I really enjoyed Dreaming Dangerously...a teen /young adult novel about a girl who struggles with her ability to read minds. Kathleen writes the character of Cassie very well....there's pain in knowing what others think of you (and others) all the time. Then Will comes along and shares her gift. There's an additional element of her dreams and how they affect her family and friends. And overall I found the story to have enough twists and turns to be a great page turner. Looking forward to more by...more

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Dec 24, 2011 Erin Sunshine rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: any teen-aged girl who likes romance

Recommended to Erin by: a classmate at my school

I like how descriptive this book is, and I can be so relatable to Cassie. I think that it's nice that Will is nice to Cassie from the beginning, instead of being a jerk to her. I can't wait to read the next one!

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May 09, 2012 Kristen N. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads-giveaway

I loved Dreaming Dangerously. The characters all had distinctive personalities, and the plot moved smoothly. Mind reading is one of those things not all authors can write about. I love the way the characters interact and how both Will and Cassie have their issues. They're not perfect, and most importantly she doesn't need him to rush in and save her everytime the time. I don't entirely trust Will or his motives. I look forward to reading the second installment when it comes out. I hope we will l...more

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May 04, 2012 DaemonBlack (bookfreak) rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book. It was a quick light read.
I would say this book is a must read with a twist I did not see coming. I would Recommend this book to anyone who likes Evermore aka Mind reading other people's thought.

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Mar 26, 2012 Lauren marked it as to-read

Shelves: ya-fantasy

I’m gutted that the first-reads giveaway only applies to the US :( It looks awesome!!

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Dec 21, 2011 Alice Cline added it

Great read!

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May 20, 2012 Christy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: won-own

Cassie the main character can read other people's thoughts. Then she meets a boy who can read her thoughts when they are touching. Good book and an easy read. I did not get that emotionally attached to the characters though. Won on goodreads.

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Nov 14, 2012 Kori rated it 5 of 5 stars

I had to say, this book was good. I was wondering throughout somethings, but it was still good. I think that this series will get popular even more if the cover was better, but overall the book was good.!!!!!! <3

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Apr 22, 2013 Iroulito91 marked it as to-read

Apr 07, 2013 Ðɑηηɑ marked it as li_unfiltered

Apr 06, 2013 Fran Bennewith added it

Shelves: justine

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topics	posts	views	last activity
What do you dream about?	2	2	Aug 17, 2012 02:44am
Do you have advice for a book signing?	2	3	Jul 13, 2012 01:34am
YA Paranormal and...: Virtual Book Tour for Dreaming Dangerously GIVEAWAYS!!!	1	7	Jun 11, 2012 10:31pm
Did you know it's the last day for Book Giveaway?	2	6	Apr 22, 2012 10:40pm
What are your thoughts on this book?	1	3	Apr 17, 2012 04:43am
Do you like Smashwords?	1	2	Apr 06, 2012 12:09am
Favorite Character	2	5	Jan 10, 2012 10:16pm

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About Kathleen Harsch

Kathleen Harsch is a wife, mother of two and middle school English teacher as well as a writer.

In her spare time, she's currently working on the next book in the Children of the Psi Series.

Current books available:
DREAMING DANGEROUSLY:Young Adult Science Fiction Thriller series Book 1

DARKNESS DESCENDS: Young Adult Science Fiction Thriller series Book 2

More about Kathleen Harsch...

Books by Kathleen Harsch

Darkness Descends (Children of the Psi, #2)

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Dreaming Dangerously (Children of the Psi #1)

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