Matthew maybe unable to walk due to his disability, but what he lacks in physical strength he substitutes with his strength of character, courage, intellect and extraordinary will power. Since the earliest times, people have always admired and rooted for an underdog in any story. Be it in the myth of David and Goliath, Percy Jackson or even Harry Potter. Set in a similar fantastical world where the waking world co-exists with the Dreamworld, Matthew along with his two best friends, Amanda and Alex, struggle to put an end to the conspiracies of the Ministry of Nightmares.

In the beginning of the story, as a disabled young boy, Matthew is often bullied by his schoolmates. Unable to fight back physically and burdened with ideas of ‘not asking others for help’ as a sign of bravado, he experiences the desperation and helplessness of disabled children first hand. The author has portrayed Matt as a strong, independent protagonist despite his disability. When he goes into the Dreamworld Matt turns into an able-bodied child, where his battles are ultimately fought and won. This is entertaining, and imaginative, but I would have liked to have seen a scene where Matt fights and wins even with his disabled body. This is book one so I expect there is a larger character arc for Matt then what we see here and I can’t wait to see how his character evolves throughout the series. I really enjoyed the inclusion of disabled characters in this story, as I find them lacking in mainstream media. I think this novel stands out among the rest of the young adult fantasy genre because of the fantastic way it utilizes that in the story.

On one hand, the story has a wide spectrum of representation and on the other, it is seriously quite addictive, keeping readers hooked until the end. This alone demonstrates the fact that the author has a gift for storytelling. Towards the end, there is a certain feel-good effect, a kind of satisfaction in seeing the weak, the fallen, the beaten, rise up and confront a force of greater power and evil.

The message the author shares in this heartening story seems to reflect the old saying, “united we stand, divided we fall”, because relying on others or being interdependent is not necessarily a bad thing. Instead, for a teenager this might actually be one of the most important life lessons. The Slayer, the Seer, and the Dream Stealer is an enchanting coming-of-age adventure story that is an epic start to what is sure to be a rousing fantasy series.

Pages: 337 | ASIN: B0B5M9TBXC