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Soul Dreams
Edward McDaniel has never been part of the popular crowd; in fact, he is pretty much shunned by his peers, forced to go through his high school years as a loner. He is privately—and at times publicly—humiliated as part of a running gag with his classmates. One summer afternoon, Jeremy Taylor takes one of these pranks too far and Edward drowns in a boating accident. Right before Edward breathes his final breath, he makes one last urgent to live on. The wish is granted, to a certain extent, but only by capturing his soul inside a mysterious amulet Edward’s grandfather had given to him before passing away. Eighteen years later, Tyler Curtis moves to the city of Silver Ridge. Knowing no one, but able to make friends easily, Tyler is quickly pulled into a new circle of friends. Through a chain of events, Edward’s amulet finds its way into Tyler’s possession. After partying with his new friends, Tyler is in an extremely bad car accident and finds himself making the same wish as to live on. Tyler’s wish is also granted, but the power of the charm releases Edward’s soul into Tyler. Using Tyler’s body as his puppet, Edward takes Tyler on a trip through madness as Edward seeks out each of the classmates that made his life a living hell while he was alive. Edward takes revenge to a whole new level, and Tyler finds himself right in the middle of it all until it comes down to the final confrontation between Edward McDaniel and Jeremy Taylor, the man who caused his death.
763 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 30, 2017
2 people are currently reading
30 people want to read
About the author
Wofford Lee Jones
15 books68 followersWofford Lee Jones is a horror/thriller writer who loves coffee, a good book, and a great story. His love for horror grew from watching movies in the late 70s/early 80s. However, it was only in his 20s that he started reading horror. He enjoys art, drawing/painting, watching live theatre and movies, traveling, reading, and supporting his fellow writers.
He works as a designer at Yates Construction by day, but engineering is different from where his true passion lies. Nightly and on the weekends, he can be found with a hot cup of coffee, studiously banging out that next chilling tale. He always strives to keep it dark, disturbing, and a little bit creepy. Welcome to his darkness. With four books to his credit, and the honor of being featured in a few anthologies with some respected authors, he's not stopping there. More stories are coming down the pike
He lives in Greenville, South Carolina, with his wife Laurie and their Boxer, Baxter. He is working on his fifth and sixth books, a collection of stories titled These Bloody Games We Play and a novel Becoming Ally Winter. Stay tuned; there is more coming down the pike.
For more information about the author, please see www.woffordleejones.com. Consider signing up for his monthly newsletter. It comes out on the 3rd of every month, and a free flash fiction story comes out on the 18th of each month for his subscribers.
He works as a designer at Yates Construction by day, but engineering is different from where his true passion lies. Nightly and on the weekends, he can be found with a hot cup of coffee, studiously banging out that next chilling tale. He always strives to keep it dark, disturbing, and a little bit creepy. Welcome to his darkness. With four books to his credit, and the honor of being featured in a few anthologies with some respected authors, he's not stopping there. More stories are coming down the pike
He lives in Greenville, South Carolina, with his wife Laurie and their Boxer, Baxter. He is working on his fifth and sixth books, a collection of stories titled These Bloody Games We Play and a novel Becoming Ally Winter. Stay tuned; there is more coming down the pike.
For more information about the author, please see www.woffordleejones.com. Consider signing up for his monthly newsletter. It comes out on the 3rd of every month, and a free flash fiction story comes out on the 18th of each month for his subscribers.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 25, 2019
This book has SO much going for it. It has coming-of-age elements, a supernatural element, vengeful murders, friendship, loss, love, DOGS, and so much more. I was hesitant at first when I received this book because I have been reading a lot of ~250 page books for some time now and this book is MASSIVE. It's not Game of Thrones length or IT/The Stand length, but it is definitely a big book not only in number of pages but size of pages, too. But I am so glad that it was a bigger book because I was that much more pulled into the story and lives of the characters.
Jones writes a story that you just want to keep reading. It was hard for me to find a good stopping point, even between chapters, because I just wanted to keep going. He really does a great job at painting a picture that you can see, touch, smell, and hear. You will really like some characters and there are some you will despise and shake your head at while you just wait for them to get what's coming.
I really enjoyed the concept of the book. A bullied and trouble young man in the past makes a wish and it comes true. His soul gets transported to an amulet and years later a boy finds the amulet. They end up "sharing" a body and all the people from the bullied teen's past are now adults and still living in the same town. And he is not happy. I don't want to say TOO much more because there are definitely some good twists and turns that I did not see coming that I do not want to spoil!
5 stars for me! Thank you to the author for this copy in exchange for an honest review!
Jones writes a story that you just want to keep reading. It was hard for me to find a good stopping point, even between chapters, because I just wanted to keep going. He really does a great job at painting a picture that you can see, touch, smell, and hear. You will really like some characters and there are some you will despise and shake your head at while you just wait for them to get what's coming.
I really enjoyed the concept of the book. A bullied and trouble young man in the past makes a wish and it comes true. His soul gets transported to an amulet and years later a boy finds the amulet. They end up "sharing" a body and all the people from the bullied teen's past are now adults and still living in the same town. And he is not happy. I don't want to say TOO much more because there are definitely some good twists and turns that I did not see coming that I do not want to spoil!
5 stars for me! Thank you to the author for this copy in exchange for an honest review!
February 19, 2021
Soul Dreams is a great mixture of horror, mystery, and suspense. Every chapter has you rooting for the protagonist and then making you feel sorry for the antagonist. There were times I almost wanted him to win because I understood his struggle so well. Wofford Lee Jones has crafted a fun, exciting, and horrific tale about what happens when someone is pushed a little too far. It's a great story of revenge and a great warning against it. Jones has a strong sense of human emotion and captures the split personalities and emotions of Edward and Tyler in great detail. I'll refrain from spoilers in my review, but I'll say this. There's one particular moment that Edward and Tyler share together that really stuck with me and it creeped me out to think about! This was a fun read and I can't wait to dive into some more of Jones' universe.
September 18, 2019
This is horror writing at it's best! In a world of ever-increasing copycat tales, SOUL DREAMS stands out as an original horror thriller that will grab you and demand not to be put down. In haunting detail, Wofford Lee Jones weaves a story that takes a journey through the supernatural yet feels firmly rooted in a reality that will shudder you to the core, all while pulling at your every emotion. Master storytelling worthy to be on the shelf with King and Koontz. Well done, sir.
November 6, 2019
What happens to your soul after you die? What if you're not ready to die? Soul Dreams takes on these questions. The feud of Souls and what is right and wrong has you laughing and cheering for justice!! Check out Soul of Dreams!
September 4, 2019
When I picked up this book, I was enthusiastic about two aspects: the length (over 600 pages) and the premise. I love a big read and was attracted to the modern-day story of possession and revenge exacted by the spirit of a high school outcast who waited 18 years to avenge his death.
I wish that I could say that my enthusiasm for this book continued, but it didn't. The storyline remained interesting and the characters were likable enough. But, I was appalled at the significant number of errors in spelling, punctuation, words used out of context, words omitted or duplicated in sentences, inconsistencies in the story, and laughable dialogue.
Authors can and should be forgiven for the occasional error in grammar or punctuation, but this book had so many that it distracted me from the story. I found myself tallying up the errors until even that grew tiresome. For instance, misspellings included "break" for (car) brakes; "hear" instead of "heard"; "ridged" instead of "rigid"; "re-cooperate" instead of recuperate. Commas were missing or misused throughout the book.
Frequently, the detail offered was not essential. For instance, as a reader, I don't need the author to explain, step-by-step, how a character exits his car. Much of the details printed could have been left to the imagination of the reader, which would have decreased the number of pages but would have added flow and strength to the plotline. I found myself skipping entire paragraphs in order to avoid senseless details that didn't lend anything to the story.
My biggest issue with the book, though, was the dialogue. In too many places, it was stiff and out of sync with how people (high school students, in particular) talk. In one scene, Tyler's parents have been waiting at the hospital for hours to receive news about their son's condition. When the doctor arrives at 3 a.m., the state trooper who found Tyler spends an inordinate amount of time reminiscing with the doctor about their high school days. Then, when the parents approach, he spends even more time explaining to the parents how he knows the doctor. Really? From that point, he spends even more time patting the back of the EMTs for doing their job and, in turn, they praise him for doing his job.
The characters' thoughts were just as laughable. I understood that the author was trying to provide the back story in conversation with others as well as in their inner dialogues, but it ended up being comical instead of informing.
I think this author has a great imagination. Based on the list of folks who contributed to his novel, it's evident that he did research to write the logistics of the premise. There is also evidence that he had readers (friends and family?) review the book. While friends and family mean well, they often don't offer constructive advice and suggestions and may ignore fallacies like those I've mentioned.
I hope this author will continue to write because, as I said, he has interesting stories to tell. I cannot identify a publisher, so I'm guessing this is a self-publication. I would strongly encourage the author to invest in a professional editor for his future tomes. But at this point, it's doubtful that I will seek out his other, future or existing publications.
I wish that I could say that my enthusiasm for this book continued, but it didn't. The storyline remained interesting and the characters were likable enough. But, I was appalled at the significant number of errors in spelling, punctuation, words used out of context, words omitted or duplicated in sentences, inconsistencies in the story, and laughable dialogue.
Authors can and should be forgiven for the occasional error in grammar or punctuation, but this book had so many that it distracted me from the story. I found myself tallying up the errors until even that grew tiresome. For instance, misspellings included "break" for (car) brakes; "hear" instead of "heard"; "ridged" instead of "rigid"; "re-cooperate" instead of recuperate. Commas were missing or misused throughout the book.
Frequently, the detail offered was not essential. For instance, as a reader, I don't need the author to explain, step-by-step, how a character exits his car. Much of the details printed could have been left to the imagination of the reader, which would have decreased the number of pages but would have added flow and strength to the plotline. I found myself skipping entire paragraphs in order to avoid senseless details that didn't lend anything to the story.
My biggest issue with the book, though, was the dialogue. In too many places, it was stiff and out of sync with how people (high school students, in particular) talk. In one scene, Tyler's parents have been waiting at the hospital for hours to receive news about their son's condition. When the doctor arrives at 3 a.m., the state trooper who found Tyler spends an inordinate amount of time reminiscing with the doctor about their high school days. Then, when the parents approach, he spends even more time explaining to the parents how he knows the doctor. Really? From that point, he spends even more time patting the back of the EMTs for doing their job and, in turn, they praise him for doing his job.
The characters' thoughts were just as laughable. I understood that the author was trying to provide the back story in conversation with others as well as in their inner dialogues, but it ended up being comical instead of informing.
I think this author has a great imagination. Based on the list of folks who contributed to his novel, it's evident that he did research to write the logistics of the premise. There is also evidence that he had readers (friends and family?) review the book. While friends and family mean well, they often don't offer constructive advice and suggestions and may ignore fallacies like those I've mentioned.
I hope this author will continue to write because, as I said, he has interesting stories to tell. I cannot identify a publisher, so I'm guessing this is a self-publication. I would strongly encourage the author to invest in a professional editor for his future tomes. But at this point, it's doubtful that I will seek out his other, future or existing publications.
June 9, 2025
Soul Dreams by Wofford Lee Jones is a haunting blend of supernatural horror and psychological suspense—and easily one of my favorite books Wofford has written so far.
The story follows two teenage boys bound by fate: Edward, an outcast who died tragically in an accident, and Tyler, an ordinary teen who becomes the vessel for Edward’s return. With that, Tyler's life begins to unravel as Edward awakens within him, determined to settle old scores and make those who wronged him pay. What follows is a chilling story of possession and revenge. Watching Edward manipulate Tyler’s body, mind, and relationships is both unsettling and deeply compelling. The horror doesn’t rely on cheap thrills—it’s slow-burning, psychological, and at times heart-wrenching. You begin to wonder if Edward’s pain justifies his actions.
There’s a real Dean Koontz-like energy to this novel—and the tension never lets up. But it’s the emotional complexity that really sticks. Edward wasn’t just a villain—he was a broken boy, shaped by trauma and desperation. That depth makes this more than just a horror novel—it’s a story about grief and injustice.
With Soul Dreams, Wofford Lee Jones delivers a chilling and compelling story that’s equal parts eerie and emotional. A must-read for fans of supernatural horror, revenge thrillers, and character-driven storytelling.
I definitely give it a 4.8/5 and recommend it to add to your next TBR.
The story follows two teenage boys bound by fate: Edward, an outcast who died tragically in an accident, and Tyler, an ordinary teen who becomes the vessel for Edward’s return. With that, Tyler's life begins to unravel as Edward awakens within him, determined to settle old scores and make those who wronged him pay. What follows is a chilling story of possession and revenge. Watching Edward manipulate Tyler’s body, mind, and relationships is both unsettling and deeply compelling. The horror doesn’t rely on cheap thrills—it’s slow-burning, psychological, and at times heart-wrenching. You begin to wonder if Edward’s pain justifies his actions.
There’s a real Dean Koontz-like energy to this novel—and the tension never lets up. But it’s the emotional complexity that really sticks. Edward wasn’t just a villain—he was a broken boy, shaped by trauma and desperation. That depth makes this more than just a horror novel—it’s a story about grief and injustice.
With Soul Dreams, Wofford Lee Jones delivers a chilling and compelling story that’s equal parts eerie and emotional. A must-read for fans of supernatural horror, revenge thrillers, and character-driven storytelling.
I definitely give it a 4.8/5 and recommend it to add to your next TBR.
May 11, 2020
A passionate portrayal of possession, Jones takes readers on a journey that is at once haunting and heartbreaking. The juxtaposition of Edward McDaniel and Tyler Curtis’ characters sets the stage for a horror novel which is both delightfully unsettling and psychologically gripping. Edward’s character gleans our sympathy one moment and our horror the next, while we continually root for Tyler and his strong moral center (contrasted smartly with his still-teenage outbursts). This story has many coming-of-age elements for both Edward and Tyler as they struggle through a world in which they both feel wronged (Edward by the other teens around him and Tyler by Edward, who though a spirit, we can consider as Tyler’s teenage contemporary). Would definitely recommend this slow burning yet fast-paced book to those seeking a unique take on possession as well as horror fans in general.
September 3, 2021
This tale of bullying, revenge and possession will have you alternately rooting for and against the villain. I literally could not put this book down! I even finished it by flashlight because my power went off and I had to get to the ending. The way Wofford Lee Jones weaves a tale is truly amazing; you will experience and visualize the story so clearly, it will break your heart at times. The unexpected twists and turns of this story will keep you frantically turning those pages until you arrive at what I consider one of the best story endings ever.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews