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Dream Hunters
Set in a fantasy, reimagined India where dreams can be captured and bottled, a young girl adventures to save the king and rescue her parents.
Twelve-year-old Mimi lives with her Aunt Moyna in a centuries-old Citadel where she studies the ancient practice of making, capturing and recycling dreams. The Citadel was once run by Mimi’s parents who have been imprisoned by the king, accused of treason.
When Mimi spies a royal visitor, she uncovers a plot to transform the Citadel from a place of gentle, healing dream craft and a dangerous plot – the crown prince is purchasing nightmares from her aunt to poison the king.
With only her dream creature, Lalu, and her best friend Rafi, Mimi must escape the Citadel and begin a perilous journey across India. There are few people she can trust, but saving the life of the king and foiling her aunt’s scheme is in Mimi’s hands alone...
Twelve-year-old Mimi lives with her Aunt Moyna in a centuries-old Citadel where she studies the ancient practice of making, capturing and recycling dreams. The Citadel was once run by Mimi’s parents who have been imprisoned by the king, accused of treason.
When Mimi spies a royal visitor, she uncovers a plot to transform the Citadel from a place of gentle, healing dream craft and a dangerous plot – the crown prince is purchasing nightmares from her aunt to poison the king.
With only her dream creature, Lalu, and her best friend Rafi, Mimi must escape the Citadel and begin a perilous journey across India. There are few people she can trust, but saving the life of the king and foiling her aunt’s scheme is in Mimi’s hands alone...
304 pages, Paperback
Published August 1, 2024
7 people are currently reading
89 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
July 18, 2024
Nazima Pathan’s Dream Hunters is a fantasy, set in a reimagined India where dreams can be captured, bottled, used as currency or as a political weapon…We follow the story of Mimi Malou as she begins to uncover a dark secret and plot that involves nightmares, her incarcerated parents, and the failing health of a King…
I thought this book was really well written! It was fun, engaging, witty, and had a great amount of depth to the characters and plot too. I liked that we had a large group of characters (although sometimes it did get a bit confusing with the friends and the teachers, some of the personalities blended at times). I think the plot was really well done and the pacing was excellent, the reveals were timely and I liked how everything unfolded. It was great.
What I really loved were the little illustrations in some of the chapters! They were so pretty and added such a nice extra to the story, getting to see places like the library and the places imagined was brilliant and damn, this book would be a beautiful masterpiece if fully illustrated in colour.
I have to shoutout the dream creatures because I thought they were cool.
I think this was a fantastic read, I know that I really enjoyed it, and I think for children (the audience it was written for haha) this is fabulous! Kids deserve stories like this and I’ll definitely be recommending this to the kids I work/volunteer with.
Thanks to Simon and Schuster UK Children's | Simon & Schuster Children's UK for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review
I thought this book was really well written! It was fun, engaging, witty, and had a great amount of depth to the characters and plot too. I liked that we had a large group of characters (although sometimes it did get a bit confusing with the friends and the teachers, some of the personalities blended at times). I think the plot was really well done and the pacing was excellent, the reveals were timely and I liked how everything unfolded. It was great.
What I really loved were the little illustrations in some of the chapters! They were so pretty and added such a nice extra to the story, getting to see places like the library and the places imagined was brilliant and damn, this book would be a beautiful masterpiece if fully illustrated in colour.
I have to shoutout the dream creatures because I thought they were cool.
I think this was a fantastic read, I know that I really enjoyed it, and I think for children (the audience it was written for haha) this is fabulous! Kids deserve stories like this and I’ll definitely be recommending this to the kids I work/volunteer with.
Thanks to Simon and Schuster UK Children's | Simon & Schuster Children's UK for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review
July 18, 2024
Nazima Pathan's remarkably assured debut, Dream Hunters, tells the story of 12 year-old Mimi Malou as she battles to save the king and rescue her parents.
I highly-recommend this story! Set in a magically re-imagined India, with citadels and narrow alleys, bustling streets (and a magnificent train sequence), Mimi's world is brought vividly to life with wonderfully observed sensory details (I NEED that freshly-baked bread). Mimi herself is brave and clever and strong and her sidekick, Rafi, is the bestfriend every kid dreams of: loyal and funny and not exactly well-behaved. Both children's sense of love and loss and longing is so well portrayed and the author creates a dreamlike uncertainty as they risk everything they know to take on a host of wickedly imagined adversaries and learn eventually, not only who they can and cannot trust, but also of the importance and power of dreaming.
Oh, and did I mention the dream creatures? Little Lalu...
I highly-recommend this story! Set in a magically re-imagined India, with citadels and narrow alleys, bustling streets (and a magnificent train sequence), Mimi's world is brought vividly to life with wonderfully observed sensory details (I NEED that freshly-baked bread). Mimi herself is brave and clever and strong and her sidekick, Rafi, is the bestfriend every kid dreams of: loyal and funny and not exactly well-behaved. Both children's sense of love and loss and longing is so well portrayed and the author creates a dreamlike uncertainty as they risk everything they know to take on a host of wickedly imagined adversaries and learn eventually, not only who they can and cannot trust, but also of the importance and power of dreaming.
Oh, and did I mention the dream creatures? Little Lalu...
August 19, 2024
A fun fantasy tale set in a reimagined India. Think a graduated BFG with more high stakes, more politics, and no snozzcumbers.
A story full of friendship, determination, and adventure! Slimmer side for a fantasy novel, but would still recommend 9+ due to murderous intentions and family betrayals
A story full of friendship, determination, and adventure! Slimmer side for a fantasy novel, but would still recommend 9+ due to murderous intentions and family betrayals
September 7, 2024
When I heard about Nazima Pathan’s magical debut Dream Hunters takes place in a reimagined India where dreams can be captured and bottled. I was drawn back to my childhood and the love I had for Dahl's BFG – because who doesn’t love the idea of the wonderful dreams we have been given to experience?
Pathan takes the idea of bottled dreams up a notch however, and I loved how they were more than just dreams but something to be used in a form of currency or bargaining chip. With that, they’re also a commodity that can be used against people and that’s what happens in Dream Hunters.
The world-building we do have is wonderful, though I kind of wish there had been more of the almost ethereal beauty of the history of Mumbai etcetera even with the reality of poverty in both the fictional and reality of the city and those around it to show how the street children we encounter survive. Even in fantasy, not everything is perfect and children may not comprehend what Rafi, one of the main characters has endured.
The magical elements are so well done, from the schooling about dreams that we get glimpses of, to the way these dreams are caught, and then used by the populace. It will have many a child wondering if they too may have one of these dreams brought to them – but hopefully not the awful nightmares!
There’s adventure, and enough mystery to keep a reader or perhaps listener if this is a bedtime read. Captivated and eager to find out if Mimi, Rafi and their magical companions can save the day. Additionally, the gorgeous artwork throughout the book weaves this tale together – I always love it when books have sporadic artwork, can they bring it into adult books more, please?
This is a wonderful book and a unique spin on the idea of dreams and I look forward to seeing what else comes from Nazima Pathan’s dreams in their next book.
Pathan takes the idea of bottled dreams up a notch however, and I loved how they were more than just dreams but something to be used in a form of currency or bargaining chip. With that, they’re also a commodity that can be used against people and that’s what happens in Dream Hunters.
The world-building we do have is wonderful, though I kind of wish there had been more of the almost ethereal beauty of the history of Mumbai etcetera even with the reality of poverty in both the fictional and reality of the city and those around it to show how the street children we encounter survive. Even in fantasy, not everything is perfect and children may not comprehend what Rafi, one of the main characters has endured.
The magical elements are so well done, from the schooling about dreams that we get glimpses of, to the way these dreams are caught, and then used by the populace. It will have many a child wondering if they too may have one of these dreams brought to them – but hopefully not the awful nightmares!
There’s adventure, and enough mystery to keep a reader or perhaps listener if this is a bedtime read. Captivated and eager to find out if Mimi, Rafi and their magical companions can save the day. Additionally, the gorgeous artwork throughout the book weaves this tale together – I always love it when books have sporadic artwork, can they bring it into adult books more, please?
This is a wonderful book and a unique spin on the idea of dreams and I look forward to seeing what else comes from Nazima Pathan’s dreams in their next book.
September 21, 2025
Author Zazima Pathan is an incredible new children’s author with an incredible imagination. It’s hard to imagine that Dream Hunters is Zazima’s debut children’s novel. The paperback is currently on sale on Amazon for just £1.98, that is well worth buying for your child. This amazing fantasy adventure is incredible from page one until the very last page.
Here’s a little of that fantastic imagination from Dream Hunters.
A circular, windowless building where we work in shifts, scouring the globe for forgotten dreams. We hunt in pairs. One to navigate the hunt, the other to catch our prey, snaring dream threads on long-stemmed hooks and bottling them away.
Here’s a little of that fantastic imagination from Dream Hunters.
A circular, windowless building where we work in shifts, scouring the globe for forgotten dreams. We hunt in pairs. One to navigate the hunt, the other to catch our prey, snaring dream threads on long-stemmed hooks and bottling them away.
October 24, 2025
Simply Delightful
This middle grade fantasy novel is simply delightful . Children and adults would love all the empathy it evokes. The writing is great, and so is the story, which is children centred without belittling them.
This middle grade fantasy novel is simply delightful . Children and adults would love all the empathy it evokes. The writing is great, and so is the story, which is children centred without belittling them.
June 20, 2025
Dream Hunters.
Written by Nazima Pathan.
Set in a fantasy, reimagined India where dreams can be captured and bottled, a young girl adventures to save the king and rescue her parents.
Twelve-year-old Mimi lives with her Aunt Moyna in a centuries-old Citadel where she studies the ancient practice of making, capturing and recycling dreams. The Citadel was once run by Mimi’s parents who have been imprisoned by the king, accused of treason.
When Mimi spies a royal visitor, she uncovers a plot to transform the Citadel from a place of gentle, healing dream craft and a dangerous plot – the crown prince is purchasing nightmares from her aunt to poison the king.
With only her dream creature, Lalu, and her best friend Rafi, Mimi must escape the Citadel and begin a perilous journey across India. There are few people she can trust, but saving the life of the king and foiling her aunt’s scheme is in Mimi’s hands alone...
s. The Citadel was once run by Mimi’s parents who had been imprisoned by the king, accused of treason.
When Mimi spies a royal visitor, she uncovers a plot to transform the Citadel from a place of gentle, healing dream craft and a dangerous plot – the crown prince is purchasing nightmares from her aunt to poison the king.
With only her dream creature, Lalu, and her best friend Rafi, Mimi must escape the Citadel and begin a perilous journey across India. There are few people she can trust, but saving the life of the king and foiling her aunt’s scheme is in Mimi’s hands alone...
I think the first thing that needs to be mentioned is that this is a debut book.
By the standard of the writing it’s like the author had written a lot of books,
This did remind me a little of The BFG, with all the dream catching and bottling up of dreams.
This book goes one step further in that dreams are used as a type of currency, something that you can use as a bargaining tool.
The world building is something special and a lot of thought has gone into this. It was an interesting look at Mumbai and we got a look at the reality of poverty and living conditions. And how hard street children have it. And it was an interesting concept that one of the main characters had endured this.
This is something not often seen in MG books.
As a reader who loves magic, I thought this was excellently done
The adventure and mystery was gripping and I wanted more.
The amazing illustrations brought the characters and world to life.
This is an amazing story that will leave the reader wanting more from the author.
Written by Nazima Pathan.
Set in a fantasy, reimagined India where dreams can be captured and bottled, a young girl adventures to save the king and rescue her parents.
Twelve-year-old Mimi lives with her Aunt Moyna in a centuries-old Citadel where she studies the ancient practice of making, capturing and recycling dreams. The Citadel was once run by Mimi’s parents who have been imprisoned by the king, accused of treason.
When Mimi spies a royal visitor, she uncovers a plot to transform the Citadel from a place of gentle, healing dream craft and a dangerous plot – the crown prince is purchasing nightmares from her aunt to poison the king.
With only her dream creature, Lalu, and her best friend Rafi, Mimi must escape the Citadel and begin a perilous journey across India. There are few people she can trust, but saving the life of the king and foiling her aunt’s scheme is in Mimi’s hands alone...
s. The Citadel was once run by Mimi’s parents who had been imprisoned by the king, accused of treason.
When Mimi spies a royal visitor, she uncovers a plot to transform the Citadel from a place of gentle, healing dream craft and a dangerous plot – the crown prince is purchasing nightmares from her aunt to poison the king.
With only her dream creature, Lalu, and her best friend Rafi, Mimi must escape the Citadel and begin a perilous journey across India. There are few people she can trust, but saving the life of the king and foiling her aunt’s scheme is in Mimi’s hands alone...
I think the first thing that needs to be mentioned is that this is a debut book.
By the standard of the writing it’s like the author had written a lot of books,
This did remind me a little of The BFG, with all the dream catching and bottling up of dreams.
This book goes one step further in that dreams are used as a type of currency, something that you can use as a bargaining tool.
The world building is something special and a lot of thought has gone into this. It was an interesting look at Mumbai and we got a look at the reality of poverty and living conditions. And how hard street children have it. And it was an interesting concept that one of the main characters had endured this.
This is something not often seen in MG books.
As a reader who loves magic, I thought this was excellently done
The adventure and mystery was gripping and I wanted more.
The amazing illustrations brought the characters and world to life.
This is an amazing story that will leave the reader wanting more from the author.
November 23, 2024
Fantasy is not my usual choices of book but this was October’s Primary School Twitter Book Club Read and I absolutely loved it.
Read the first half in one sitting last weekend and finished today on the train.
Absolutely loved the idea, built attachments to the characters and loved the idea that our dreams are caught to help others.
Read the first half in one sitting last weekend and finished today on the train.
Absolutely loved the idea, built attachments to the characters and loved the idea that our dreams are caught to help others.
August 5, 2025
Het verhaal en de sfeer zijn origineel, betoverend en sprookjesachtig. Het element van de dromen en het avontuur waar Mimi en Rafi in terechtkomen zijn heel beeldend beschreven.
De reden dat ik niet het volle aantal sterren geef, is dat het einde afgeraffeld aanvoelt en, voor mij, té zoet is. Natuurlijk is het een kinderboek en loopt het goed af, maar soms verpest een overdaad aan goedheid en liefde het einde van een verhaal.
De reden dat ik niet het volle aantal sterren geef, is dat het einde afgeraffeld aanvoelt en, voor mij, té zoet is. Natuurlijk is het een kinderboek en loopt het goed af, maar soms verpest een overdaad aan goedheid en liefde het einde van een verhaal.
July 19, 2024
Properly loved this! Action, magic, dreams, companions, enemies, unexpected friends. A reimagined India where dreams are a thing to be caught and sold… and abused. Loved the characters and their story. This is a total page turner and I can’t wait for people to get to experience this.
January 27, 2025
Ik was heel blij om te zien dat De Fontein besloten heeft om een titel toe te voegen aan dit boek en het niet gewoon op 'Dromenjagers' te houden. Dat apprecieer ik!
De vertaling is van Mechteld Jansen, die zo nu en dan wel eens bij me opduikt - nu was het al even geleden dat ik haar nog was tegengekomen. De Nederlandse versie zit wel snor. Al bij al was ik gewoon niet erg onder de indruk van de schrijfstijl van Pathan; echt bijzonder is die niet, dus als vertaler kun je er ook niet veel mee. Soms zat er een zin in de dialogen die niet helemaal spreektalig klonk, maar dat komt volgens mij ook puur door wat te formeel Engels.
Ook het verhaal zelf kon me maar matig bekoren. Helemaal op het einde, in de laatste 50 bladzijdes ongeveer, werd ik er meer ingezogen, maar voor de rest heb ik het voornamelijk op automatische piloot gelezen. Erg spannend was het meestal niet, op een paar scènes na, zoals in het station. Ik zag al van mijlenver aankomen wie juist Mimi's tegenstanders zouden zijn, dat lag er echt vingerdik bovenop.
De personages zijn wel tof, maar meer ook niet. Ik werd nooit echt door Mimi meegesleurd in haar avontuur, en Rafi vond ik maar een saaie piet. Zaini en Kantar komen de boel wat opvrolijken maar maken feitelijk hun opwachting te laat in het verhaal om echt een blijvende indruk achter te laten. De koning zelf, ook al was hij maar heel even aanwezig, was daarentegen wel sterk neergezet - hem vond ik gek genoeg het beste personage van het boek.
Het verhaal speelt zich af in een India dat half het onze is en half ook weer niet. Dat was een beetje gek - waarom niet gewoon alles hetzelfde houden? Ik was nu op een gegeven moment verward omdat er ineens namen als Delhi en Mumbai werd vermeld en ik me afvroeg of ik me nu vergist had en alle plaatsen toch echt bestonden, maar dat bleek dus toch niet zo te zien.
De dromen zijn op zich wel interessant, maar op de een of andere manier blijft ook dat hele aspect tamelijk op de vlakte.
Kort gezegd: er zijn betere magische avonturenboeken voor kinderen dat dit, als je 't mij vraagt. Een positief punt is wel dat dit boek dan wel het eerste is van een reeks, maar dat je het ook afzonderlijk kunt lezen. Tof om een paar uur mee te spenderen, maar daar houdt het dan ook op.
6/10
De vertaling is van Mechteld Jansen, die zo nu en dan wel eens bij me opduikt - nu was het al even geleden dat ik haar nog was tegengekomen. De Nederlandse versie zit wel snor. Al bij al was ik gewoon niet erg onder de indruk van de schrijfstijl van Pathan; echt bijzonder is die niet, dus als vertaler kun je er ook niet veel mee. Soms zat er een zin in de dialogen die niet helemaal spreektalig klonk, maar dat komt volgens mij ook puur door wat te formeel Engels.
Ook het verhaal zelf kon me maar matig bekoren. Helemaal op het einde, in de laatste 50 bladzijdes ongeveer, werd ik er meer ingezogen, maar voor de rest heb ik het voornamelijk op automatische piloot gelezen. Erg spannend was het meestal niet, op een paar scènes na, zoals in het station. Ik zag al van mijlenver aankomen wie juist Mimi's tegenstanders zouden zijn, dat lag er echt vingerdik bovenop.
De personages zijn wel tof, maar meer ook niet. Ik werd nooit echt door Mimi meegesleurd in haar avontuur, en Rafi vond ik maar een saaie piet. Zaini en Kantar komen de boel wat opvrolijken maar maken feitelijk hun opwachting te laat in het verhaal om echt een blijvende indruk achter te laten. De koning zelf, ook al was hij maar heel even aanwezig, was daarentegen wel sterk neergezet - hem vond ik gek genoeg het beste personage van het boek.
Het verhaal speelt zich af in een India dat half het onze is en half ook weer niet. Dat was een beetje gek - waarom niet gewoon alles hetzelfde houden? Ik was nu op een gegeven moment verward omdat er ineens namen als Delhi en Mumbai werd vermeld en ik me afvroeg of ik me nu vergist had en alle plaatsen toch echt bestonden, maar dat bleek dus toch niet zo te zien.
De dromen zijn op zich wel interessant, maar op de een of andere manier blijft ook dat hele aspect tamelijk op de vlakte.
Kort gezegd: er zijn betere magische avonturenboeken voor kinderen dat dit, als je 't mij vraagt. Een positief punt is wel dat dit boek dan wel het eerste is van een reeks, maar dat je het ook afzonderlijk kunt lezen. Tof om een paar uur mee te spenderen, maar daar houdt het dan ook op.
6/10
September 17, 2024
Guaranteed to make children want to hunt dreams themselves!
In the ancient Citadel, all is not quite as it should be. But will Mimi and Rafi… along with their adorable dream creatures and friends in Mumbai… be able to thwart the plot to kill the king, and restore the Citadel to its former glory? You’ll have to read Dream Hunters yourself if you want to find that out!
I polished this wonderful book off in no time, the pages seemingly turning themselves as I raced from one to the next. Nazima has a gift for drawing the reader right into the heart of the story from the very first page. It took me no time at all to fall in love with the main characters, Mimi and Rafi. They're both so relatable, and I loved their character dynamic. But the villains in this story are perfectly cast, too. You’ll find yourself instantly despising them and willing Mimi and Rafi on even more! The concept itself is magical, the world building is so imaginative, and the ending is brilliant. This story is the perfect combination of dreaminess, mystery, and intrigue. A guaranteed hit with all children… and adults, too!
In the ancient Citadel, all is not quite as it should be. But will Mimi and Rafi… along with their adorable dream creatures and friends in Mumbai… be able to thwart the plot to kill the king, and restore the Citadel to its former glory? You’ll have to read Dream Hunters yourself if you want to find that out!
I polished this wonderful book off in no time, the pages seemingly turning themselves as I raced from one to the next. Nazima has a gift for drawing the reader right into the heart of the story from the very first page. It took me no time at all to fall in love with the main characters, Mimi and Rafi. They're both so relatable, and I loved their character dynamic. But the villains in this story are perfectly cast, too. You’ll find yourself instantly despising them and willing Mimi and Rafi on even more! The concept itself is magical, the world building is so imaginative, and the ending is brilliant. This story is the perfect combination of dreaminess, mystery, and intrigue. A guaranteed hit with all children… and adults, too!
October 21, 2024
Such a brilliant concept that I was excited to see unfurl! However… I found after the first few chapters that built on characterisation and worldbuilding, the rest of the story felt… lacking.It was a fun world with interesting animals and some gorgeous illustrations that made it worth the slog through. I think the pacing felt all over the place and the reveals, even for the age it was aimed at created no suspense or intrigue. It felt predictable and unlikeable. I had to really force myself to read to the end. The one shining light was our MC Mimi Malou seemed like a great character and her relationships and how she looked after the other kids within the tale was lovely, and a good role-model.
September 2, 2024
Dream Hunters by Nazima Pathan has been one of my most anticipated books of 2024, and it was even better than I expected. A fast paced, highly imaginative adventure, with gorgeous worldbuilding and lovely illustrations, this is a story that both children and adults will enjoy. My favourite detail has to be the dream creatures, but there are so many aspects of the world to love, and I would happily keep on reading about Mimi and her friends!
September 3, 2024
A fast paced magical adventure in an alternate India. Fantasy, great characters and a twisty plot. I loved it
September 23, 2024
Daughter enjoyed it :) Got to meet the author in Waterstones as well and she put on a great session about writing stories :)
Looking forward to reading my daughter more stories from this world!
Looking forward to reading my daughter more stories from this world!
March 18, 2025
I loved the reimagined India of Nazima Pathan’s magical middle-grade debut novel, and it’s a world where dreams can be captured, jarred and sold, should you be lucky enough have the training and the ability. Mimi – whose disgraced and jailed parents were once high up in the Citadel – does indeed have the knack, but her friend Rafi has made one too many mistakes and is due to be expelled back to the streets, and when Mimi discovers a nefarious plot to displace the king himself, they embark on a perilous journey across the country. The friendships especially are beautifully drawn, and children will be rooting for the resourceful Mimi and Rafi from the start.
February 23, 2025
The idea of a library of dreams and hunters who job it is to hook these mystical imaginings made me jump straight in. I wasn’t disappointed. Pathan weaves a magical tale featuring twelve-year-old Mimi, a young dream hunter who must foil an evil plot which seeks to kill a king and use nightmares to control anyone who gets in the way.
There’s so much to enjoy with beautifully drawn characters and magical dream creatures. There are also wonderful messages about friendship, trust and never giving up hope. This is a treat of a story. Don’t miss it!
There’s so much to enjoy with beautifully drawn characters and magical dream creatures. There are also wonderful messages about friendship, trust and never giving up hope. This is a treat of a story. Don’t miss it!
February 5, 2025
Magical adventure set in an alternate India.
Loved this tale of dreams and nightmares with beautiful imagery and a group of friends who pull together to save a king from being poisoned to death by nightmares.
Loved this tale of dreams and nightmares with beautiful imagery and a group of friends who pull together to save a king from being poisoned to death by nightmares.
October 31, 2024
Immersive and spellbinding. A glorious read.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews