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Dormia #1
Dormia
Introducing Alfonso Perplexon, hero of the epic fantasy tale Dormia!
Alfonso Perplexon is an unusual sleeper. He climbs trees, raises falcons, even shoots deadly accurate arrows, all in his sleep. No one can figure out why.
Then one evening a man arrives at Alfonso’s door, claiming to be Alfonso’s long-lost uncle Hill. This uncle tells a fantastical tale: Alfonso’s ancestors hail from Dormia—an ancient kingdom of gifted sleepers—which is hidden in the snowy peaks of the Ural Mountains. According to Hill, Dormia exists thanks to a tree known as the Founding Tree, with roots that pump life into the frozen valley. But the Founding Tree is now dying, and in a matter of days, Dormia faces an icy apocalypse.
Dormia’s salvation lies with the Great Sleeper, who possesses the special powers to enter a sleep trance and grow a new Founding Tree. Hill suspects that Alfonso is just such a person. In fact, Alfonso’s sleeping-self has already hatched this tree. Now the question is: Can Alfonso and his uncle deliver it in time? They must hurry, but they also must be careful not to be followed by Dormia’s age-old enemy, the Dragoonya, who are always hunting for one of the secret entryways into Dormia.
Alfonso agrees to take the tree to Dormia, and thus begins one of the greatest adventures a twelve-year-old boy could ever wish for.
As he woke up from a late afternoon nap, Alfonso blinked open his eyes and discovered that he was perched at the top of a gigantic pine tree – some two-hundred feet above the ground. The view was spectacular. Alfonso could see for miles in every direction and he could even make out his house in the distant hamlet of World’s End, Minnesota. Unfortunately, there was no time to enjoy the view. The small branch that Alfonso stood upon was covered with gleaming snow and creaked dangerously under the pressure of his weight. Icy gusts of wind shook the entire treetop. Alfonso looked down grimly at the ground far below. If he fell, he would most certainly die.
“Oh brother,” muttered Alfonso to himself. “Not again.”
Alfonso Perplexon is an unusual sleeper. He climbs trees, raises falcons, even shoots deadly accurate arrows, all in his sleep. No one can figure out why.
Then one evening a man arrives at Alfonso’s door, claiming to be Alfonso’s long-lost uncle Hill. This uncle tells a fantastical tale: Alfonso’s ancestors hail from Dormia—an ancient kingdom of gifted sleepers—which is hidden in the snowy peaks of the Ural Mountains. According to Hill, Dormia exists thanks to a tree known as the Founding Tree, with roots that pump life into the frozen valley. But the Founding Tree is now dying, and in a matter of days, Dormia faces an icy apocalypse.
Dormia’s salvation lies with the Great Sleeper, who possesses the special powers to enter a sleep trance and grow a new Founding Tree. Hill suspects that Alfonso is just such a person. In fact, Alfonso’s sleeping-self has already hatched this tree. Now the question is: Can Alfonso and his uncle deliver it in time? They must hurry, but they also must be careful not to be followed by Dormia’s age-old enemy, the Dragoonya, who are always hunting for one of the secret entryways into Dormia.
Alfonso agrees to take the tree to Dormia, and thus begins one of the greatest adventures a twelve-year-old boy could ever wish for.
As he woke up from a late afternoon nap, Alfonso blinked open his eyes and discovered that he was perched at the top of a gigantic pine tree – some two-hundred feet above the ground. The view was spectacular. Alfonso could see for miles in every direction and he could even make out his house in the distant hamlet of World’s End, Minnesota. Unfortunately, there was no time to enjoy the view. The small branch that Alfonso stood upon was covered with gleaming snow and creaked dangerously under the pressure of his weight. Icy gusts of wind shook the entire treetop. Alfonso looked down grimly at the ground far below. If he fell, he would most certainly die.
“Oh brother,” muttered Alfonso to himself. “Not again.”
528 pages, Hardcover
First published May 4, 2009
50 people are currently reading
845 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 144 reviews
November 11, 2012
Reviewed by Theresa L. Stowell for TeensReadToo.com
Alfonso Perplexon is not just any kid. He does things in his sleep that most people can't do.
For example, he wakes up in the top branches of a tree. Unfortunately, he has a harder time getting down when he is awake than he had climbing it when he was asleep. One morning, when he climbs down from his tree, he meets a stranger named Kiril, who understands his sleepwalking abilities and warns him of an adventure that he may soon undertake.
Not long after this strange visitation, Alfonso's uncle, Hill Persplexy, shows up at the greenhouse owned by Pappy Eubanks, Alfonso's grandfather. Uncle Hill tells Alfonso a tale of a lost city that needs a very special, one-of-a-kind plant that Alfonso has grown. If Alfonso does not deliver the bloom to the mysterious city of Dormia, the city and its inhabitants will wither away.
This bit of news begins Alfonso's journey to find the mythological city. Along the way, he meets a number of strange and amusing characters, including one old woman who sleeps in a casket for long periods of time and a pair of old ladies who act only on the advice of their cat. He and Uncle Hill also run into a number of dangerous situations that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Alfonso must learn to trust his own judgment about who is on his side and who is really out to harm him and destroy his bloom.
Readers will enjoy traveling alongside Alfonso in this quest to not only save a city but to find his heritage in this unique story. Halpern and Kujawinski have created a quirky set of characters and a fascinating place that readers will want to return to time and again.
Alfonso Perplexon is not just any kid. He does things in his sleep that most people can't do.
For example, he wakes up in the top branches of a tree. Unfortunately, he has a harder time getting down when he is awake than he had climbing it when he was asleep. One morning, when he climbs down from his tree, he meets a stranger named Kiril, who understands his sleepwalking abilities and warns him of an adventure that he may soon undertake.
Not long after this strange visitation, Alfonso's uncle, Hill Persplexy, shows up at the greenhouse owned by Pappy Eubanks, Alfonso's grandfather. Uncle Hill tells Alfonso a tale of a lost city that needs a very special, one-of-a-kind plant that Alfonso has grown. If Alfonso does not deliver the bloom to the mysterious city of Dormia, the city and its inhabitants will wither away.
This bit of news begins Alfonso's journey to find the mythological city. Along the way, he meets a number of strange and amusing characters, including one old woman who sleeps in a casket for long periods of time and a pair of old ladies who act only on the advice of their cat. He and Uncle Hill also run into a number of dangerous situations that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Alfonso must learn to trust his own judgment about who is on his side and who is really out to harm him and destroy his bloom.
Readers will enjoy traveling alongside Alfonso in this quest to not only save a city but to find his heritage in this unique story. Halpern and Kujawinski have created a quirky set of characters and a fascinating place that readers will want to return to time and again.
May 22, 2012
For most people, sleeping is, well, sleeping. Not much happens besides an occasional mumble and a strange dream. But for 12 year old Alfonso Perplexon, its when he sleeps that he truly comes alive. He climbs trees, grows peculiar plants, and many other things his waking self could never do. Alfonso soon discovers he's a Dormian--an ancient race of extreme sleep walkers. His journey back to his ancestor's land of Dormia is filled with action, puzzles, and plot twists.
The only reason I gave this book three stars instead of five is due to the writing. Dormia is told in third person omniscient, semi-understandably (Things happen while Alfonso is unconscious, so I guess I can see why). BUT the constant head-hopping really took me out of the story. Which is a bummer because the plot is so great. Now don't get me wrong. I LOVE, I mean LOVE third person novels with multiple perspectives. But switching POV mid scene makes me cringe. Also, the authors spent a great deal of time telling me how things happened rather than showing. The lengthy data dump had me skimming until I got confused enough to backtrack.
However, if you can handle the prose, Dormia is a very enjoyable read. I adore puzzles, and this book is chalk full of them. The characters are distinct and lovable. Some elements may be hard for a skeptic reader to handle, so leave your disbelief at the door. This is a middle grade fantasy, not a history book.
All in all, I enjoyed it immensely, and will be picking up the second in the series.
-Lyndsey
The only reason I gave this book three stars instead of five is due to the writing. Dormia is told in third person omniscient, semi-understandably (Things happen while Alfonso is unconscious, so I guess I can see why). BUT the constant head-hopping really took me out of the story. Which is a bummer because the plot is so great. Now don't get me wrong. I LOVE, I mean LOVE third person novels with multiple perspectives. But switching POV mid scene makes me cringe. Also, the authors spent a great deal of time telling me how things happened rather than showing. The lengthy data dump had me skimming until I got confused enough to backtrack.
However, if you can handle the prose, Dormia is a very enjoyable read. I adore puzzles, and this book is chalk full of them. The characters are distinct and lovable. Some elements may be hard for a skeptic reader to handle, so leave your disbelief at the door. This is a middle grade fantasy, not a history book.
All in all, I enjoyed it immensely, and will be picking up the second in the series.
-Lyndsey
December 11, 2012
12-10-12
Dormia
A while back I read a book called Dormia by Jake Halpern. In the book Alfonso Perplexon is an weird sleeper. He climbs trees, tightrope walks, and shoots arrows all in his sleep. No one can figure out why. Then one day a man arrives at Alfonso’s door, saying he's Alfonso’s dads brother and his his long lost uncle Hill that he never knew about. Uncle Hill tells him the reason he does amazing things is because Alfonso’s ancestors come from a magical land called Dormia. A long forgotten kingdom of gifted sleepers. Which resides hidden in the snowy peaks of the Ural Mountains in Russia. Dormia only survives thanks to a magical tree known as the Founding Tree with roots that pumps the necessary life needed in the valley. But the Founding Tree is now dying, and it's Alfonso's job as the Great Sleeper to bring the Dormian Bloom which he grew in his sleep back to Dormia so it can grow into a Founding Tree. I liked this book because it was action packed and fast paced. Especially at the end. In the story Alfonso is expected to do a very hard job that he doesn't know if he can do. A job that most full grown men wouldn't be able to do. So how can a 12 year old boy be expected to do it? Luckily he'll have help from an old guy (His Uncle Hill), a guy with a lot of muscles, and a girl who has many skills and talents. I can relate because I do a lot of hard stuff at school that I don't know if I can do but I can just ask a friend for help.
Dormia
A while back I read a book called Dormia by Jake Halpern. In the book Alfonso Perplexon is an weird sleeper. He climbs trees, tightrope walks, and shoots arrows all in his sleep. No one can figure out why. Then one day a man arrives at Alfonso’s door, saying he's Alfonso’s dads brother and his his long lost uncle Hill that he never knew about. Uncle Hill tells him the reason he does amazing things is because Alfonso’s ancestors come from a magical land called Dormia. A long forgotten kingdom of gifted sleepers. Which resides hidden in the snowy peaks of the Ural Mountains in Russia. Dormia only survives thanks to a magical tree known as the Founding Tree with roots that pumps the necessary life needed in the valley. But the Founding Tree is now dying, and it's Alfonso's job as the Great Sleeper to bring the Dormian Bloom which he grew in his sleep back to Dormia so it can grow into a Founding Tree. I liked this book because it was action packed and fast paced. Especially at the end. In the story Alfonso is expected to do a very hard job that he doesn't know if he can do. A job that most full grown men wouldn't be able to do. So how can a 12 year old boy be expected to do it? Luckily he'll have help from an old guy (His Uncle Hill), a guy with a lot of muscles, and a girl who has many skills and talents. I can relate because I do a lot of hard stuff at school that I don't know if I can do but I can just ask a friend for help.
July 13, 2010
The premise seemed pretty awesome, but the (place) names a little hokey, until I realized that they did fit quite well. This was a fun adventure story, but it got a bit confusing with the number of characters towards the end (perhaps that's why a few of them were killed off?), and I wish there had been enough storyline to at least get the main character back to his mother.
June 1, 2009
YOU HAVE TO READ THIS BOOK! It is absolutely amazing. It is by far my favorite book EVER. I am so sad it is over I can't wait for the second book. This book is good for ages 12-90. I am so happy this book caught my eye at the store.
IT'S A MUST READ
IT'S A MUST READ
December 17, 2023
this book is a heck no
Tried to read it and never finished. Won't be trying again. Hate it. Goodbye.
Tried to read it and never finished. Won't be trying again. Hate it. Goodbye.
February 16, 2018
I read this book out loud to my 10 year old son. This was a creative and engaging adventure fantasy. The style that it was written in made it incredibly easy to read out loud; I didn't find myself stumbling over strange speech patterns or awkward dialogue.
The story is based on the creative premise of a society that performs exceptional activities while they sleep; for them wakefulness is a state of laziness. It was interesting and full of a ton of adventure and excellent action scenes.
There are quite a few plot holes and inconsistencies throughout the story. However, those didn’t bother my son. So this is probably one of those reads that kids will really love but adults will only feel so-so about.
The story is a bit drawn out and at times it felt like there was too much detail. However, the whole family enjoyed this and my son would like to continue with the series.
Overall this was a fun middle grade adventure read. My whole family ended up enjoying it. There are some plot holes and inconsistencies throughout the story but these didn’t bother my son. Only other complaint would be that at points the story gets a bit long because there is too much detail. Generally this was a good read and I might continue on with the series if my son wants to.
June 9, 2018
In the words of someone I know, meh.
The concept was interesting enough, and there were plenty of sleep related jokes in Dormia, but the whole story seemed rushed and the ending seemed abrupt and vague (I’m sure since there is a continuation to the series).
The story was interesting enough however to merit 3 rather than 2, but I’m not sure if it was enough to get me to read the sequel. Who knows?
If you have time to kill, go ahead and read this, otherwise, don’t go out of your way. (It sat on my bookshelf for 3 years.)
The concept was interesting enough, and there were plenty of sleep related jokes in Dormia, but the whole story seemed rushed and the ending seemed abrupt and vague (I’m sure since there is a continuation to the series).
The story was interesting enough however to merit 3 rather than 2, but I’m not sure if it was enough to get me to read the sequel. Who knows?
If you have time to kill, go ahead and read this, otherwise, don’t go out of your way. (It sat on my bookshelf for 3 years.)
May 25, 2010
The cover art is wicked awesome; the book was not so much. It was a pleasant read, but not a particularly compelling one and I felt that there were too many plot holes and elements that weren't thought through all the way (Ash granules that will dissolve into your eye, but can be kept safely in a pocket--wouldn't the ash just mash into the fabric? A river big enough to row a boat on, inside a tree root? I mean, I wasn't a biology major and I know this is a magic tree, but...and how could the roots extend so far beyond the city walls? I could go on.) The motives didn't match the people, the adventures didn't make sense with the plot, and too many interesting sub-elements were completely ignored (why were *both* brothers unable to locate each other? What happened to the sister? Was the cat actually supernatural or just the object of the sisters' senility? What's the history of the strange sphere, and why was it in the middle of the woods?) I had high hopes for the book, but it reads like a first draft, not a fully finished novel.
Read
October 2, 2014Dormia is a about a boy who lives in World's End and that has a special power that let's him do stuff in his sleep he wouldn't normally do it awake. He got this special power by his father before he passed away. He does this crazy stuff but when he wakes up, he does not remember a single thing that he did. Then one sudden he noticed that he planted a plant in his Garden, it was different than any other plant, it glowed and it changed color. He didn't what it is but other traveler went to his house to buy the plant, but Alfonso believes it is a gift from his dad. One day this man knocked on the front door of his house, and said he was Alfonso's father brother. He then sees the magic plant that Alfonso had grown. And tell's them everything about the plant and where it comes from. They then make a long journey to return the plant back to where it belong's before it is late. And if they don't make it, Dormia and possible Earth may be destroyed forever. Get this book and read it to see the actual story.
I recommend this book to people who like Adventure and Mystery Books.
I recommend this book to people who like Adventure and Mystery Books.
November 21, 2010
Co-author Peter Kujawinski introduced me to his book as he stopped in the store to sign stock. Gave it to my ten-year-old first, who said it was just as great as the Percy Jackson series, which, coming from him, is a huge compliment. Read it myself and am hugely impressed by the clean writing, thought-provoking context, and quick pace. I'm holding back on the last star a bit reluctantly, but the conclusion dragged on a bit for me -- took a while to get to where I knew we were going anyway. Loved the forest scene smack in the middle. I will recommend this title to other fans of Percy Jackson, Potter and childrens' fantasy/adventure. Serious sequel potential here...
December 3, 2012
I'm reading Dormia by Jake Halpern and Peter Kujawinski so far, the main character Alfonso has woken up in a pine tree in the middle of a forest swarmed with falcons. i love this book because it has the perfect amount of fantasy where it dose not make any sense (example:flying unicorns eating a rainbow)but just enough to be fun. so far this book is very fast paced with Alfonso learning that he is the only person who can save this place called dormia, and this unusual man who wants his plant.
May 17, 2009
It is a really interesting book
October 24, 2012
This is a really good book! You should all read it
August 1, 2014
This makes the maze runner look good and I think even god himself can't do that
September 7, 2016
Omg i remember this book ahahha so much was going on i was so confused
May 10, 2017
Dormia is the first of three books written by two authors Jake Halpern and Peter Kujawinski. The setting is in World’s End, Minnesota, and then they go to the Ural Mountains. Jake is an award winning young adult author, and Peter Kujawinski has literary awards. These two authors combined make a wonderful book.
The setting in the story is on earth in the time where tension between Russia and the United States is growing. At the beginning is The World’s End, Minnesota which is sure to be meaningful in what it is called and what happens in the book. The author tell us that there are very tall trees, a forest, and a lake nearby. They live at the end a of gravel road, with a greenhouse behind there house. The main character”s grandpa growes exotic plants for a living. They do not spend that much time explaining the setting of the World’s End Minnesota, but they do leave this place very early.
The main characters are, Alfonso Perplexy, and Hill Perplexy. They are both related to ancestors of Dormia, they have a special power that allows them to do very complex things in there sleep. Hill is Alfonso uncle. Alfonso is a kid who is a great puzzle solver, and grew a special plant that could save a city of Dormia. The conflict in the story that the main character's face is one of the Dormian Trees is dying, and a new Dormian Bloom has to be given to the old one to keep the city alive. Alfonso is a dynamic character he changes throughout the story. Alfonso at the beginning he does not like his inherited gene of doing amazing things in his sleep. He called it a disability, but then he changes and learns how to work with his sleeping self, and then changes his mind about his special ability. Hill changes, because he used to have no one, and didn’t have a family or life, but then he changes, he joins up with his long lost brothers family, and meets Resuza.
Together Hill and Alfonso, and later on Resuza, and Paks. They together go through the Ural mountains facing treacherous obstacles, trying to find Dormia, and the city that is dying. They are also followed by the antagonist Kiril, on their journey he is part of the Dragoonya people, which have been the sworn enemy of the Dormian People for centuries. They then fight a huge battle at the city, for the tree and the people of Dormia
The book has many themes imbedded in it, but I think that the best and most important one is that you can overcome any obstacle it your believe and try your hardest. This is displayed many times throughout the book. When The characters encounters obstacles on his way. At the climax where they have a battle to save the tree. This book is worth reading, because of all of the theme, and life lesson that a subtle but in the book.
In this book there were many things I liked about it. I thought that it was a very good book overall and would recommend it, but I think that what could've been made better is the description of the character in the beginning he talks a lot about the setting and what special skill Alfonso has, and he kinda forgets to go into detail about what alfonso, pappy, and his mother look like. Other then that I believe that he did a great job on the plot, themes, character, and the story in general. I believe that this book was complete, and it got everything in it, and that the author achieved everything in the book.
I would definitely recommend this book, it is one of three books in the series, and I have just started the second book, and it feels like it is going to be good, so I would definitely read this book if you like fantasy books, books that are part real, or like adventure. I believe the authors did a great job on this book, and it really got me into the book. They did a great job with all aspect of a story, and created a great book.
The setting in the story is on earth in the time where tension between Russia and the United States is growing. At the beginning is The World’s End, Minnesota which is sure to be meaningful in what it is called and what happens in the book. The author tell us that there are very tall trees, a forest, and a lake nearby. They live at the end a of gravel road, with a greenhouse behind there house. The main character”s grandpa growes exotic plants for a living. They do not spend that much time explaining the setting of the World’s End Minnesota, but they do leave this place very early.
The main characters are, Alfonso Perplexy, and Hill Perplexy. They are both related to ancestors of Dormia, they have a special power that allows them to do very complex things in there sleep. Hill is Alfonso uncle. Alfonso is a kid who is a great puzzle solver, and grew a special plant that could save a city of Dormia. The conflict in the story that the main character's face is one of the Dormian Trees is dying, and a new Dormian Bloom has to be given to the old one to keep the city alive. Alfonso is a dynamic character he changes throughout the story. Alfonso at the beginning he does not like his inherited gene of doing amazing things in his sleep. He called it a disability, but then he changes and learns how to work with his sleeping self, and then changes his mind about his special ability. Hill changes, because he used to have no one, and didn’t have a family or life, but then he changes, he joins up with his long lost brothers family, and meets Resuza.
Together Hill and Alfonso, and later on Resuza, and Paks. They together go through the Ural mountains facing treacherous obstacles, trying to find Dormia, and the city that is dying. They are also followed by the antagonist Kiril, on their journey he is part of the Dragoonya people, which have been the sworn enemy of the Dormian People for centuries. They then fight a huge battle at the city, for the tree and the people of Dormia
The book has many themes imbedded in it, but I think that the best and most important one is that you can overcome any obstacle it your believe and try your hardest. This is displayed many times throughout the book. When The characters encounters obstacles on his way. At the climax where they have a battle to save the tree. This book is worth reading, because of all of the theme, and life lesson that a subtle but in the book.
In this book there were many things I liked about it. I thought that it was a very good book overall and would recommend it, but I think that what could've been made better is the description of the character in the beginning he talks a lot about the setting and what special skill Alfonso has, and he kinda forgets to go into detail about what alfonso, pappy, and his mother look like. Other then that I believe that he did a great job on the plot, themes, character, and the story in general. I believe that this book was complete, and it got everything in it, and that the author achieved everything in the book.
I would definitely recommend this book, it is one of three books in the series, and I have just started the second book, and it feels like it is going to be good, so I would definitely read this book if you like fantasy books, books that are part real, or like adventure. I believe the authors did a great job on this book, and it really got me into the book. They did a great job with all aspect of a story, and created a great book.
October 25, 2014
Alfonso is cursed with a strange kind of sleepwalking. Where other people might find themselves walking down a street, he finds himself climbing trees or tightrope-walking power lines. He can't figure out why his sleeping-self does so many crazy things, but when his sleeping-self grows a mysterious plant, he finds himself on a wild adventure across the globe. The plant he has grown is a rare bloom that must be planted in its home city before its parent tree dies, or hundreds of people who depend on the tree will perish.
Well, I finished.
It took me a while to figure out what exactly made this adventure something I plowed through more than enjoyed. Sure, Alfonso's sleep-based powers are fairly formulaic, but I don't usually have a problem with that. I think part of the issue was that I never fully bought into the premise. A special form of sleepwalking that makes you do additional/crazy things, yes. A society of people who never sleep the way we would understand sleep because their "sleep" is more active than their waking hours---maybe. Given all the advantages for sleepers, it's amazing anyone would wake up at all. Additionally, since it seems most people don't really remember what they do while asleep, life would be mostly unconscious in these cities, which seems problematic. Doesn't any daring soul want to enjoy his sports prowess or other skill by being aware of what he's doing?
Also, what happens when your waking self is active all day and your sleeping self is active all night? Sleep is treated as a mostly mental process with little regard to the physical impact of spending all your sleeping hours active. And if you never remember what you did while asleep, how would the fact that you live most of your life oblivious of others affect your ability to have relationships? Also, why would it matter what you did while asleep, since no one not a knight can remember anyway? Which is a plot hole for a certain character because if no one can remember what you did while asleep they certainly shouldn't care if you were on their sleeping team for some sport.
This disregard of the physical touches other areas too. For example, Hill talks about flying around the world while sleeping---and never mentions refueling. A 56+ hour flight on one tank? Forget the pilot, that aircraft ought to make history. If he did somehow refuel the plane while sleeping, apparently no one he dealt with at airports noticed he was asleep. Hill also later regrets he didn't try to fly a rickety old seaplane across the ocean to shorten the journey, which even if the plane was capable still implies he intended to make the trip using a single tank of fuel.
Another thing that bothered me was that the only character who has an actual arc is Bilblox, and he's supposed to be a secondary character. Even for Alfonso, the only struggle that isn't related to staying alive is about Bilblox and how much he can afford to trust the man. Bilblox is a moral man, but he's got some interesting battles that pit his morals against his desire and his need to see. Especially after he learns that "just one more time" is what made the bad guys as evil as they are.
There were hints that something more interesting might happen with other characters---Kiril showed some signs of being more than the flat evil everyone said he was, except it was all a bluff. It would've been more interesting if he actually had been helping Alfonso. Frankly I was hoping Hill would turn out to be the traitor, but he's depressingly straightforward. He's pretty well the same character at the end as he was when you first meet him. After his stunt with testing the woods, it seemed he was trying to waste time to make sure they arrived as late as possible, but turns out he was just being careful.
Third, the book is too long. Too much of the middle is random adventure that may reveal another facet of Dormian life but does nothing to promote either the growth of the characters or spur on the plot. The tension arc feels like this: problem is introduced, someone solves the problem, everyone moves to the next destination. Over and over again. Bilblox is the only long-term unresolved point of character tension (Kiril would count except no one thinks about him outside the rare times he actually shows up).
Basically everyone but Bilblox and Alfonso feels unnecessary to the plot. Or at least I was hoping people with a lot of page time would turn out to be more important. Lars gets a decent chunk of page time, and he only shows up for a little while, imparts a small amount of information, and then never shows up again. The ship captain and crew have a fairly substantial part of the book, but they're just a taxi service getting Alfonso and company from point A to point B. The focus is all over the place, as Alfonso isn't even primarily at odds with the Dragoonya. For most of the trip his biggest problems are trying to get the next person in line to give him what he needs to travel a little further.
This leads to problems like the war-plants that show up in the very beginning getting dropped for over 400 pages until they show up again near the end. Why do the Dragoonya have such a neat little weapon and only use it in those two places? What other interesting weapons might they possess? And why, if the Dragoonya are supposed to be the point, do they have the smallest role in the actual plot?
Fourth, there are some pretty bad plot holes. The book has a few riddles, which are okay (though I'm unimpressed with the translation for "I am the Great Sleeper". . . that's really what it sounds like?) . . . but although Alfonso has spent the whole book focusing on and solving riddles which are key plot details, he ignores one of the most crucial ones simply because the plot doesn't want him to figure it out until it's too late. Alfonso solves riddles like the Cyclops that aren't even relevant to his journey. Why completely ignore this, when at a minimum he should've mistaken it as a clue for someone's death?
Also, a certain character is wearing sunglasses in a dark room while they're in a city known to be populated by enemy agents, the worst of which are easily identifiable by their white eyes . . . yet no one tries to peek behind those glasses to determine if this person really is friend or foe.
The bad guy is eventually identified by . . . his fingernails. From a picture that was drawn several hundred years ago. I understand the aging process works differently, but nobody said hair and fingernails stopped growing (or, conversely, no one recognizes how stupidly easy it is to change that detail, if the man ever breaks a nail or trims them). Or that there's only one person in the world who could possibly have fingernails like that.
Overall this isn't completely terrible, but there really isn't anything I would point out to someone as being good. There's almost certainly a sequel planned, and I would wager Nartam is going to be in it (no dead body = not dead, in my book, although I suppose it might be slightly possible he actually died). I rate this book Neutral.
Well, I finished.
It took me a while to figure out what exactly made this adventure something I plowed through more than enjoyed. Sure, Alfonso's sleep-based powers are fairly formulaic, but I don't usually have a problem with that. I think part of the issue was that I never fully bought into the premise. A special form of sleepwalking that makes you do additional/crazy things, yes. A society of people who never sleep the way we would understand sleep because their "sleep" is more active than their waking hours---maybe. Given all the advantages for sleepers, it's amazing anyone would wake up at all. Additionally, since it seems most people don't really remember what they do while asleep, life would be mostly unconscious in these cities, which seems problematic. Doesn't any daring soul want to enjoy his sports prowess or other skill by being aware of what he's doing?
Also, what happens when your waking self is active all day and your sleeping self is active all night? Sleep is treated as a mostly mental process with little regard to the physical impact of spending all your sleeping hours active. And if you never remember what you did while asleep, how would the fact that you live most of your life oblivious of others affect your ability to have relationships? Also, why would it matter what you did while asleep, since no one not a knight can remember anyway? Which is a plot hole for a certain character because if no one can remember what you did while asleep they certainly shouldn't care if you were on their sleeping team for some sport.
This disregard of the physical touches other areas too. For example, Hill talks about flying around the world while sleeping---and never mentions refueling. A 56+ hour flight on one tank? Forget the pilot, that aircraft ought to make history. If he did somehow refuel the plane while sleeping, apparently no one he dealt with at airports noticed he was asleep. Hill also later regrets he didn't try to fly a rickety old seaplane across the ocean to shorten the journey, which even if the plane was capable still implies he intended to make the trip using a single tank of fuel.
Another thing that bothered me was that the only character who has an actual arc is Bilblox, and he's supposed to be a secondary character. Even for Alfonso, the only struggle that isn't related to staying alive is about Bilblox and how much he can afford to trust the man. Bilblox is a moral man, but he's got some interesting battles that pit his morals against his desire and his need to see. Especially after he learns that "just one more time" is what made the bad guys as evil as they are.
There were hints that something more interesting might happen with other characters---Kiril showed some signs of being more than the flat evil everyone said he was, except it was all a bluff. It would've been more interesting if he actually had been helping Alfonso. Frankly I was hoping Hill would turn out to be the traitor, but he's depressingly straightforward. He's pretty well the same character at the end as he was when you first meet him. After his stunt with testing the woods, it seemed he was trying to waste time to make sure they arrived as late as possible, but turns out he was just being careful.
Third, the book is too long. Too much of the middle is random adventure that may reveal another facet of Dormian life but does nothing to promote either the growth of the characters or spur on the plot. The tension arc feels like this: problem is introduced, someone solves the problem, everyone moves to the next destination. Over and over again. Bilblox is the only long-term unresolved point of character tension (Kiril would count except no one thinks about him outside the rare times he actually shows up).
Basically everyone but Bilblox and Alfonso feels unnecessary to the plot. Or at least I was hoping people with a lot of page time would turn out to be more important. Lars gets a decent chunk of page time, and he only shows up for a little while, imparts a small amount of information, and then never shows up again. The ship captain and crew have a fairly substantial part of the book, but they're just a taxi service getting Alfonso and company from point A to point B. The focus is all over the place, as Alfonso isn't even primarily at odds with the Dragoonya. For most of the trip his biggest problems are trying to get the next person in line to give him what he needs to travel a little further.
This leads to problems like the war-plants that show up in the very beginning getting dropped for over 400 pages until they show up again near the end. Why do the Dragoonya have such a neat little weapon and only use it in those two places? What other interesting weapons might they possess? And why, if the Dragoonya are supposed to be the point, do they have the smallest role in the actual plot?
Fourth, there are some pretty bad plot holes. The book has a few riddles, which are okay (though I'm unimpressed with the translation for "I am the Great Sleeper". . . that's really what it sounds like?) . . . but although Alfonso has spent the whole book focusing on and solving riddles which are key plot details, he ignores one of the most crucial ones simply because the plot doesn't want him to figure it out until it's too late. Alfonso solves riddles like the Cyclops that aren't even relevant to his journey. Why completely ignore this, when at a minimum he should've mistaken it as a clue for someone's death?
Also, a certain character is wearing sunglasses in a dark room while they're in a city known to be populated by enemy agents, the worst of which are easily identifiable by their white eyes . . . yet no one tries to peek behind those glasses to determine if this person really is friend or foe.
The bad guy is eventually identified by . . . his fingernails. From a picture that was drawn several hundred years ago. I understand the aging process works differently, but nobody said hair and fingernails stopped growing (or, conversely, no one recognizes how stupidly easy it is to change that detail, if the man ever breaks a nail or trims them). Or that there's only one person in the world who could possibly have fingernails like that.
Overall this isn't completely terrible, but there really isn't anything I would point out to someone as being good. There's almost certainly a sequel planned, and I would wager Nartam is going to be in it (no dead body = not dead, in my book, although I suppose it might be slightly possible he actually died). I rate this book Neutral.
February 6, 2018
More of a 3.5 Star book - this was a fairly solid YA read. I’m not too into YA, it just reads too immature for my normal taste, but a friend of mine’s husband co-wrote this book. I bought it and started it years ago and never finished it- I don’t think it was the books fault, I think I wasn’t in a reading place then. I picked it up again this month and read it in a few days. The premise is interesting - a hidden/lost/dying land of super talented people whose talents only appear when they are asleep, and the boy who is rushing to save this dying world. The action was engaging, the characters interesting, the narrative pulled you through the book. The strange world views were explained well enough to familiarize you with everything without being too expositiony. I do have to admit that by the time I got to the last battle scene, I was sort of bored and didn’t really care about the outcome. Nonetheless it was overall a good read and I would recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy or YA.
February 11, 2019
This books was quite the adventure, as it follows a young hero braving multiple hardships to try and save a city and her people. I really enjoyed this book, as the idea for a book such as this was very original, and one that I have never read about before. The book immerses you into a world unlike any you will ever read about, filing your mind with many questions that you will still carry once you finish this book. The story has many twists and turns, and there are scenes where you can literally picture in your mind what’s happening. It’s truly quite an amazing read, and I just found out that this book is part of a trilogy, so I definitely will be looking for the rest of the series. I’m regards to this book though, it held onto me and didn’t let me go until I had read the final pages. Highly recommend to anyone looking for adventure and excitement, and of course for anyone looking for a good read.
July 8, 2021
This book was so good! It was so interesting and suspenseful and the plot line was really well written. It's not very often that the books we find are original. A lot of the books I have read sound like another book nowadays. Buy this book is a completely new idea. The plot is so unique and so different from any book I have ever read. I loved the traditions, the people and the things that happened in Dormia. I also find it quite interesting that the name of this sleeping city is called Dormia, similar to the French word Dormir which means to sleep.
I'm not going to explain what happens in the book or the basic summary, because I've learned that sometimes when you don't read the summary, and give the book a try, it ends up being really fantastic.
Anyways, if you're reading my review and you're questioning if you should read it, definitely add it to your list. This is a book worth reading.
I'm not going to explain what happens in the book or the basic summary, because I've learned that sometimes when you don't read the summary, and give the book a try, it ends up being really fantastic.
Anyways, if you're reading my review and you're questioning if you should read it, definitely add it to your list. This is a book worth reading.
January 24, 2024
The first interesting thing about this book for me was that I pictured the world building and characters in an anime setting(which is new)for most parts of the book maybe because the first time of me hearing the name Alphonso was in Full Metal Alchemist.
This book really deserves more recognition because I totally enjoyed reading it! My husband couldn’t wait for me to be done so we had to share reading time😂
The book is quite long but i didn’t mind because it was interesting and quite unique/Original!The last few chapters kept me on the brink of my seat until I was done.
I’m so glad I picked it up and I feel sad that there are books like this out there that I haven’t read yet and people don’t even talk about them.
🤎🤎🤎💯💯
This book really deserves more recognition because I totally enjoyed reading it! My husband couldn’t wait for me to be done so we had to share reading time😂
The book is quite long but i didn’t mind because it was interesting and quite unique/Original!The last few chapters kept me on the brink of my seat until I was done.
I’m so glad I picked it up and I feel sad that there are books like this out there that I haven’t read yet and people don’t even talk about them.
🤎🤎🤎💯💯
March 14, 2020
My favourite book. I have read it time and again, and not gotten bored (I do space out the readings, of course). Unfortunately a difficult book to find in physical copy. You wouldn't be able to guess the events that unfold, and neither are they repetitive. A great read.
November 19, 2019
This book is great
September 10, 2020
A marvelous adventure with a delightful hero and a ragtag band.
January 30, 2021
2nd read through and still really enjoyable! Very original adventure story. Looking forward to book 2!
October 23, 2021
Sleeeep. My rating is actually 4.75.
May 11, 2022
Read this in 5th grade. Don't remember much but I remember it was good.
March 15, 2023
read this book fully the summer of 22 and i was obsessed. i couldn’t put it down
March 6, 2025
2.5⭐️ I probably would have loved this book about 15 years ago
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