Katherine Jenkins, Senior
Back in sophmore year, I was scrolling on the internet and came across Sophia Slade and became incredibly interested in her trilogy Vinyl. When I was finally able to start, I was instantly enthralled in the world Slade had created, and I ended up reading the trilogy twice that year. Finally, Slade released the first book in her newest series Nightstrider last July.
In the fantasy world of Nightsrider, there are two worlds split by a thin barrier. One world, which would be considered the “real” world (known as the Wake), and the other the manifestation of dreams and nightmares (the Reverie). Only a few creatures have the ability to travel through the boundary. These creatures are an alliance of women known as “weavers,” who strive to protect the separation of the two worlds. A “Para” may also have the ability to cross the boundary; however, these creatures are incredibly rare and are some of the most powerful beings in the Reverie, often becoming the rulers of the Reverie.
Para Warwick is both the king of the Reverie and a regional king in the Wake, working to conquer as much of the realm as he can. In the Reverie, Warwick is searching for a weapon that will allow him to take total control of both realms. The weapon is a child by the name of Saoirse, who is the most powerful, rarest type of creature in the Reverie, and the only being strong enough to take down Warwick. The story primarily revolves around the rebellious prince and the “Mare” who had once been Warwick’s right hand, but who has now turned to the side of the rebellion and Queen Ila of Galesborough, the weaver guardian of the dreambreaker. The characters all share one main goal: to find the dreambreaker before the Para and take him out of power.
Slade narrates the book from four main perspectives, which allows the reader to see the story from many different angles, adding intrigue and a personal connection to multiple characters. While it seems that so many perspectives would cause the story to be hard to follow and confuse the reader, Slade does a wonderful job at keeping them separate enough to not cause them to blend together, while being connected enough to keep the plotline easy to follow. The world Slade creates in Nightstrider is immersive and fully formed, allowing the story to come to life.