In an Absent Dream

Taylor Drew reviewed In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire (Wayward Children, #4)

A lesson in what's fair

3 stars

I've loved all of the previous entries to The Wayward Children series and was really excited to continue the journey with kids going through doors to different worlds. Perhaps because of the nature of the world that is shown in this story or just my own mood at the time of reading, but I didn't really find myself interested in knowing what would happen or particularly interested in the characters. It felt more like a novella that consisted of a morality lesson if you will. Not really the kind of thing I wanted to be reading right now.

I'll admit that the Goblin Market and it's rules were very compelling, but there was never enough time to really become attached to anything that was going on because of how the story was structured.

I'm still interested in hearing more about these kids though, so on to the next book!

sifuCJC reviewed In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire (Wayward Children, #4)

This one was so sad

4 stars

Really good though. I'm still enjoying the different worlds of the series.

WardenRed reviewed In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire (Wayward Children, #4)

None

5 stars

Home always shrinks in times of absence, always bleeds away some of its majesty, because what is home, after all, apart from the place one returns to when the adventure is over? Home is an end to glory, a stopping point when the tale is done.

I initially skipped this book on my journey through the Wayward Children series, because I was more interested in knowing what was going to happen after Beneath the Sugar Sky and to meet Jack and Jill again in Come Tumbling Down. With the nature of this series—installments that form a continuous narrative alternating with "what happened before" books—it's easy to make skips like that. I'm glad that I went back to it and read it, because it's a great addition to the multiverse. I loved getting immersed in the Goblin market with all its rules. I wish I could hang out there for …

Home always shrinks in times of absence, always bleeds away some of its majesty, because what is home, after all, apart from the place one returns to when the adventure is over? Home is an end to glory, a stopping point when the tale is done.

I initially skipped this book on my journey through the Wayward Children series, because I was more interested in knowing what was going to happen after Beneath the Sugar Sky and to meet Jack and Jill again in Come Tumbling Down. With the nature of this series—installments that form a continuous narrative alternating with "what happened before" books—it's easy to make skips like that. I'm glad that I went back to it and read it, because it's a great addition to the multiverse. I loved getting immersed in the Goblin market with all its rules. I wish I could hang out there for a little longer.

One thing that I found both interesting and somewhat frustrating about the book: how it for the most part skipped the big adventures in favor of showing their effect on Lundi, the metaphorical and literal scars they left, the changes they brought forth. It worked pretty well, but it also left me wishing that I could read a full novel with all of those events. Then again, absolutely every installment in this series has left me with the same feeling, except maybe for the very first book. Show me more! Let me explore all these fascinating worlds from every angle! Don't push me out of it so soon! And that works perfectly with the nature of the series, come to think about it.

Wetdryvac reviewed In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire (Wayward Children, #4)

Review of 'In an Absent Dream' on 'Goodreads'

2 stars

Somehow, unlike the other books in the series, this one struck me as deliberately contrived towards error. Probably personal bias - the writing is just as good, the descriptions probably the best so far - just not thing perhaps?

Michael Goodine reviewed In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire (Wayward Children, #4)

Review of 'In an Absent Dream' on 'GoodReads'

4 stars

There's an interesting take on modern economics in here. Young Lundy goes through the magic portal and arrives in the "Goblin Market" and the next decade of her life is consumed by the peculiar economic system they've got in the market.

Mild spoilers follow.

Everything one receives in the market comes at a cost. This includes finding a place to sleep for the night, having a glass of water, a bit of food, or just enjoying a warm bath. The cost is always referred to as "fair value" but that's on a sliding scale depending on how desperate you are. For the characters in the story this usually ends up being taken on as debt, and people in the Goblin Market who don't pay their debts your are magically disfigured, part by part, into a freakish bird thing. At first, our protagonist wonders how people let this disfigurement happen to …

There's an interesting take on modern economics in here. Young Lundy goes through the magic portal and arrives in the "Goblin Market" and the next decade of her life is consumed by the peculiar economic system they've got in the market.

Mild spoilers follow.

Everything one receives in the market comes at a cost. This includes finding a place to sleep for the night, having a glass of water, a bit of food, or just enjoying a warm bath. The cost is always referred to as "fair value" but that's on a sliding scale depending on how desperate you are. For the characters in the story this usually ends up being taken on as debt, and people in the Goblin Market who don't pay their debts your are magically disfigured, part by part, into a freakish bird thing. At first, our protagonist wonders how people let this disfigurement happen to them when it is so easy to just work a little bit and avoid debt-disfigurement. If only it was that easy. People living in a magical world don't want to just spend every day doing other people's dirty laundry (as the characters here do for a time) they want to go out and have adventures. There's your markets-are-terrible message.

Anyways, I do like that all of the action takes place off-page. That allows for a laser-sharp focus on the messages about work and debt and markets. It's a short novel, afterall.

Note that the book does start out a bit slow, as the author spends the first 20% of so talking in great detail about how different the protagonist is from all the other little children. That part was a bit on the nose.

This is a prequel to the other three books in the "Wayward Children" series. I guess you can read it first. Or not.

Books That Burn reviewed In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire (Wayward Children, #4)

Review of 'In an Absent Dream' on 'Storygraph'

5 stars

There's a strange calm in already knowing how a story ends. In An Absent Dream is filled with sadness and wonder, too-clever bargains and barely-survived scrapes. Lessons of friendship, loss, fair value, and the weight of promises. Welcome to the Goblin Market.

This focuses on someone whom we met earlier in the series as far as the reader is concerned, but in her own timeline she is barely getting started. This creates a sense of tragedy and wonder all tangled together as we slowly learn the reason for the bargain waiting in the end of the story. The pacing is very well handled, skipping what would only bog the story down, lingering on her indecision just enough to make the reader understand what would drive here to her eventual choice. I love Moon's wildness contrasting Lundy's steady attention and determination.

The story is great, I like this version of the …

There's a strange calm in already knowing how a story ends. In An Absent Dream is filled with sadness and wonder, too-clever bargains and barely-survived scrapes. Lessons of friendship, loss, fair value, and the weight of promises. Welcome to the Goblin Market.

This focuses on someone whom we met earlier in the series as far as the reader is concerned, but in her own timeline she is barely getting started. This creates a sense of tragedy and wonder all tangled together as we slowly learn the reason for the bargain waiting in the end of the story. The pacing is very well handled, skipping what would only bog the story down, lingering on her indecision just enough to make the reader understand what would drive here to her eventual choice. I love Moon's wildness contrasting Lundy's steady attention and determination.

The story is great, I like this version of the Goblin Market and it has the nebulous mix of rules and capriciousness that makes the setting feel otherworldly, which is perfect for this series. There was a moment partway through where I was torn between rooting for success and failure because both options seemed to have a terrible cost. The slow unfolding of rules helped convey how much Lundy was growing up, it helps to keep the reader from getting an info-dump while still making sure the character knows what she ought.

settingshadow reviewed In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire (Wayward Children, #4)

Review of 'In an Absent Dream' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

Ok, so this just isn't how books work. McGuire leads us up to the climactic battle and then...the next chapter opens the next day as they recouped from their wounds. Not just once but again and again throughout the book. I know this is a Thing she's doing on purpose, perhaps focusing on the interstitial days that actually make up a life? But it's jarring and distracting and I never did like Lundy that much anyway. The setting, as always, is fascinating and creative but I just could not get into this.

luddite reviewed In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire (Wayward Children, #4)

Review of 'In an Absent Dream' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

This is a fascinating series.

Zivan reviewed In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire (Wayward Children, #4)

Review of 'In an Absent Dream' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Kattas reviewed In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire (Wayward Children, #4)

Review of 'In an Absent Dream' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Oof... This one. Right in the feels.

I think this captures some of what McGuire does best, but I loved it less because it wasn't as directly connected to my favourite characters from the first part of the series. Still amazing, and worth the read.