Dream Caster (Dream Cycle, #1)
read excerpt

Dream Caster (Dream Cycle #1)

by
4.51 of 5 stars 4.51  ·  rating details  ·  63 ratings  ·  45 reviews
Life couldn’t possibly get any worse. Or could it?

Haunted by memories of his massacred settlement, sixteen year old Weaver seeks cover in a hidden refuge among the remains of a ruined city once known as Toronto. In the midst of building a new life, Weaver discovers he can do something strange: cast dreams into reality. Convinced it’s just an anomaly, Weaver ignores it. Th...more
Paperback, 362 pages
Published December 19th 2012
more details... edit details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.
Dream Caster by Najeev Raj NadarajahCity of Bones by Cassandra ClareFallen by Lauren KateThe Steward by Christopher  ShieldsPassion by Lauren Kate
Anything but vampires, please?
1st out of 398 books — 179 voters
Angels & Demons by Dan BrownHarry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. RowlingThe Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk KiddA Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled HosseiniHarry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
What To Read Next
423rd out of 6,988 books — 15,850 voters


More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 1,038)
filter  |  sort: default (?)  |  rating details
Rebecca ♥ Ash, Jem, Warner ♥
I would like to thank the author for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I would give this a 3.5-4/5. Its best feature is easily the original story idea and unique combo of genres. It is in a post-apocalyptic setting, set in Toronto, Canada, approximately 60 years after a cataclysmic war. But despite the futuristic setting, and even before taking Weaver's powers into consideration, it felt like a fantasy in theme, characters, and adventure. With the mysterious, seemin...more
Sharmini Jesudas
Dec 10, 2012 Sharmini Jesudas rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone and Everyone !!!
I've got two things to say. Remember the name of the book & remember the name of the author.
In another 3 years, the whole world will know his name. That much I can assure everyone.
December 19th when this book hits Amazon Kindle online, it wouldn't surprise me if Nadarajah shakes the young adult fantasy world the way authors like Christopher Paolini did with the debut of Eragon.
Bran Arnoldson
I would recommend this book to children, preteens, young adults, parents, and to all those that stay children in their hearts.

Some books are almost impossible to review. If a book is bad, how easily can we dwell on its flaws! But if the book is good, how do you give any recommendation that is equal the book? Unless you are an author of equal worth to the one whose work you review, what powers of prose and observation are you likely to have to fitly adorn the work?

Dream Caster is at one level s...more
Carrie Penney
First of all I want to say thank you to Najeev Raj Nadarajah for gifting me a copy of Dream Caster thus giving me the chance to read and review your book, and wow what a book it is. I see big things for Najeev, and this series. I can only hope that more and more people find out about this book and this author.

I completely loved it. What can I say it is unique, fantastic, wonderful, amazing. Those are just some of the words I could use when talking about this book. Very well written, with many h...more
Tracy Elizabeth Morvow
this is offically my very first review on Good Reads

I found Dream Caster during a promotion on Amazon and I'm glad I downloaded it.

Having read a few other reviews here so far, I won't go into how great the characters were, or the beutiful imagery, the well written dialogues, the uniqueness of the genre combination and themes or anything along those lines. Instead, I'm going to talk about something entirely different. Something bold that Najeev Raj Nadarajah did in this book, which hardly anyone...more
Wendy
Feb 04, 2013 Wendy rated it 5 of 5 stars
Shelves: scfy
I liked this book. At first I thought it was a little slow as the author introduced the characters and the story line began to unfold, but it quickly became addictive to read. Like the Lord of the Rings Trilogy the story was filled with a lot of unique and interesting creatures like the Berserker trolls and new weapons like dream catchers which dissolve magic apparitions. The hero- Weaver- is not your average warrior. At sixteen, struggling with his own fears and desires, he learns to weave drea...more
Sahana Reddy
i'd like to thank Mr.Najeev Raj for this book.. And getting to the review, Dream Caster was a very interesting read. Though in places it reminded me of plots of other books like say the Shatter Me trilogy by Tahereh Mafi or even Prophecy Girl by Faith Mackay all those books are original in their own way and each of them differ greatly in plot except the few that i noticed in terms of powers pertaining to a lead character or maybe the plot set in future where mankind is being driven to extinction...more
Mallory Anne-Marie Forbes
Review of Dream Caster
Dream Cycle #1`

This post-apocalyptic fantasy paints a grim picture of the world to come—a world beyond and without what we today think of as contemporary society and culture. It is almost, but not quite, a world such as our Neanderthal ancestors might have experienced, and yet, it is very different, because for some the memories remain, more as tales told rather than actual remembrance. Then too, this “new” world is remarkably and unexpectedly dangerous. One would assume th...more
Gillian Bernard
Let me start off by saying this is one of the best Young Adult novels I have read in a very, very long time. Not only is the setting crafted expertly, but the characters are amazing, and the plot is riveting. My favorite aspect of the novel was definitely the characters. Najeev Raj Nadarajah’s ability to weave (lol) utterly believable characters (such as Weaver) is astounding. Each character had their own discernible personality, crafted through description, dialogue and their actions. Their mot...more
Joanne Corrin
I recently met Nadarajah in a YA forum was asked to review Dream Caster as an ARC.


It didn’t take long (perhaps 4-5 pages) before I fell in love with the style and flow of the story. The characters are truly believable and share realistic bonds (although i felt like at times their relationship could've used a bit more building).

There was a point in the novel when I had to stop and realize that this was only a story and these characters were only fictional. The dialogue flows very easily and con...more
Damgaard78
Was offered to read the book for free if I would review it, but have no connection to the author else.

I devour fantasy and SF books so this book was right down my alley. It’s an interesting new take on the urban fantasy genre, which has a bit of doomsday scenario over it as well with the world having ended as we knew it. This up and coming author has a vivid imagination and it gives for a great read. It is clearly targeted for a young adult crowd, and being in the 30s myself I realized I sometim...more
Simone Erika
this story is about a 16 year old boy who lives in a settlement in the future. the world is post-apocalyptic and no one knows how it came to an end. Weaver, the protagonist, lives a life where he's mistreated and kept stupid by his owner/guardian.
Then just as his life begins to turn around and he gets chosen to be a Watcher of the Night, something terrible happens.
He and a stranger named Abanel take off into the unknown and they come to a refuge where they are taken in.
Abanel pursues her goal...more
Laura Mosamar
Oh. My. Holy. WOW. Amazing? Brilliant? Wonderful? All of those and more. This book is one of my all-time favorites now.
I haven't really been reading since school started because well my life is crazy. I have to be at school for more than 12 hours most days ....not a lot of time to read and get books from the library. But this book made me make time. I hope Nadarajah keeps the pace going and wows us with a wonderful series.

i would also like to say i love Toggen and i love Dell and i hate Cringe....more
Annie Shanks
i received Dream Caster as an ARC. I wasn't going to get to it for a few books but a day after I got it, i sat down and read the first 3-4 pages.
before i knew it, i was on chapter 5!

2 days later, i was done the book lol. so much for waiting to read and write a review.

first of all, there was something unique about the authors style of writing. his characters (although teenagers) all had an olden, archaic style of speech. the story is about 60 yrs in the future, and all slang, watered down engl...more
Andrea Korelenko
I almost gave this book a 3.5-4 because of the spelling.
BUT WAIT. it then hit me. Canadian author, duh! lol. No wonder why certain words were spelled differently.
Once I got beyond that, this book was fantastic.
There were many hidden puns and word plays that (for the author's sake) I hope his readers 'get it'.
A young teen might be able to read it and enjoy it, but only someone a bit older with a higher reading standard could truly appreciate it.

The characters and the plot was what i loved the m...more
Melissa Ryenman
It seems I'm one of the lucky few who received an advanced reader copy through a site where I signed up as a reviewer a long while ago.
I picked up this novel because the blurb sounded cool and I figured I'd give the novel a shot.

I can summarize this book in one word: WOW!

Dream Caster has great potential for becoming a great series. It lacks the romance that girls these days seem to crave, but there are hints, and many hints of romance in the works between certain characters.

I was barely able...more
Stacey
Dream Caster
Thank you to the author who sent me a free copy for an honest review.
STARS: 3.5-4/5
Genre: YA, dystopian urban fantasy

Dream Caster takes place in post-apocalyptic Toronto after a great war ( or the Cloaked War) that destroyed everything. Very few survived. Weaver, a boy who is the first survivor that the village had seen when he arrived 16 years ago. Now it’s his turn to gain the grey cloak and be a watcher for other survivors of the settlement. On his first night of duty, he sees a...more
Deborah
I am one of the lucky ones who was offered the book free in exchange for an honest review.

I am a fan of fantasy/young adult fiction, so this book was one that I was looking forward to reading.

I loved the first chapter and introduction into Weaver's world, but shortly after the intro, the world changes and things began to slow down slightly. I found that the interaction between characters was a little awkward at first...and the story a little slow to get started (after the beginning chapter)

As I...more
Cher Green
Dream Caster, Book One of the Dream Cycle, is a young adult fantasy. Although it starts a little slow, once this story gets going, it grabs you carries you along for a wonderful journey.

Weaver, orphaned and under the care of a selfish man named Ruben, has only one goal, to become a guard in the small village where he's grown up. In one night, he obtains this position and in the matter of hours loses everything, his home, family and friends.

Forced to move on as the only survival of a devastatin...more
Esna Parik
I picked this book up not expecting too much - Young Adult, likely to be mildly entertaining and all about girl empowerment (WAY overdone).

Instead, I found an excellent dystopian urban fantasy world that gripped me from beginning to end.

The characters were likable and sharply drawn characters as well as the overall plot kept me thinking about it for a few days, wondering what will happen when the second book in the series comes out.

Nadarajah paints the picture of dystopian Toronto very well eno...more
Jennie Hanson
An entirely fresh novel with a new take on things. Witty, funny, suspenseful, has lots of meaningful interactions between the main characters, and a great Great GREAT start to what could potentially be a terrific series.

Dream Caster tells of a future where the world has gone dark and cold. Fire and electricity are gone and in their presence dark creatures appear if fire and electricity are used. people have found a way to survive.

*SPOILER*




To make matters worse, there’s a dream caster out ther...more
Niro
I picked this book up not expecting too much - Young Adult, likely to be mildly entertaining and all about girl empowerment (WAY overdone). Instead, I found an excellent dystopian world filled with fantasy and wonder that gripped me from beginning to end.
My measure of a good story is how long it sticks in your head after you're done reading it, and in this case, we're going on a day and a half.
What made such a big impression? I would say the action didn't hurt, but more than that, the likable a...more
Melissa
What i really enjoyed about this novel was the pace at which it was written. The story tells itself and flows very quickly.
Brevity, brevity, brevity. That is what I loved about this novel. everything was tight and the development of the story was very well done.
The characters were very real. you either loved them or hated them. Weaver is just an ordinary kid but you can tell that he has greatness lurking within him. by the second if not third book, we're about to see just how great he can be.....more
Lauren
Apr 28, 2013 Lauren marked it as to-read
I want to thank the author of this book for letting me review it was really good i enjoyed it.
TL Jeffcoat
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book when I started reading, and I was a little worried when the description of the protagonist came across a little cartoony to me. After reading a while, I became very interested in the little teenager. He had a lot of hope and dreams, but he was a bit on the unlucky side. He was too impulsive, as most teens are. This gave him plenty of room to grow, and he did. The story takes place in a post-apocalyptic Canada, where an unknown human called the Dream Ea...more
Prami
I got ARC of the book. It took me some days to finish the book because I was reading another book simultaneously but I'm really glad I got the chance to read this one.

One of my favorite genre of books is dystopian. This book is about a settlement of people who survived and now live in the dark days waiting for survivors to show up and let them know that they are not the only ones living in this world. Sixteen years ago, a boy stumbles upon the village, Weaver who has an ability to cast his dream...more
Siva Kumar S A
Dream caster is a fantasy set in post apocalyptic world. It is full of fresh concepts and is unique in many ways. The story is interesting and entertaining.
The story begins with weaver preparing for his first day as night guard a position has worked hard to attain .He finds a survivor on his very first day. But his dream is short lived as his settlement is attacked and he flees with the girl he found the previous day.
They find a new home and along the way he develops strange powers .He meets new...more
Erika Manglior
Wow. I was barely able to put this book down for a second after the first few pages got me completely hooked.
N.R.Nadarajah’s narrative here has immediacy to it that, when combined with the very dramatic plot is incredibly compelling. It's entertaining. If this was merely a good read, I would have given it 4 stars, but they say great art leaves you changed after you experience it... and this book definitely did that. Najeev Raj Nadarajah has, with one amazing work, propelled himself onto my top...more
Maghon Thomas
Well, this was a fun little read. It’s starts out with Weaver, who’s the main character. He’s a “foreign” boy who is the first and only survivor in an aftermath-apocalyptic world. He lives in a small village and unfortunately has had the worse luck in who his rescuer is. But he seems quite easy about his abuse. He actually thought about it in terms of give and take type thing- he gave me a surviving chance so it’s ok that he beats me sometimes… Boooo! At first, because of that timid attitude I t...more
« previous 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 34 35 next »
topics  posts  views  last activity   
Young Adult Reads: * Dream Caster by Najeev Raj Nadarajah - r2r (100) signups 19 50 May 16, 2013 07:43pm  
Life without Fire and Electricity 2 6 Apr 22, 2013 12:51pm  
Bookkus Publishing: Hidden Gem 5 10 Feb 14, 2013 08:26pm  
Book Haven: Dream Caster 2 30 Feb 09, 2013 09:55am  
SciFi and Fantasy...: Dream Caster 3 10 Feb 07, 2013 04:23pm  
Worlds of Dystopi...: Life without Fire and Electricity 2 9 Dec 10, 2012 10:15am  
Dream Caster (Dream Cycle, #1)
6552431
Want to know more about this crazy brown guy?

Then feel free to visit http://www.nrnadarajah.com/that-crazy... .
More about Najeev Raj Nadarajah...
Dreamweaver (Dream Cycle, #2) Uncle Jeever's Morbid Tales, Volume One The Halfwit Knight - An Uncle Jeever's Morbid Tale

Share This Book

Your website

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »