Review: Dreamless by Josephine Angelini

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Title:  Dreamless
Author:  Josephine Angelini
Series:  2nd book in the Starcrossed series
Publisher:  HarperTeen
Publication Date:  May 29, 2012
Source:  egalley from publisher

Can true love be forgotten?

As the only Scion who can descend into the Underworld, Helen Hamilton has been given a nearly impossible task. By night she wanders through Hades, trying to stop the endless cycle of revenge that has cursed her family. By day she struggles to overcome the fatigue that is rapidly eroding her sanity. Without Lucas by her side, Helen is not sure she has the strength to go on.

Just as Helen is pushed to her breaking point, a mysterious new Scion comes to her rescue. Funny and brave, Orion shields her from the dangers of the Underworld. But time is running out—a ruthless foe plots against them, and the Furies’ cry for blood is growing louder.

As the ancient Greek world collides with the mortal one, Helen’s sheltered life on Nantucket descends into chaos. But the hardest task of all will be forgetting Lucas Delos.

Josephine Angelini’s compelling saga becomes ever more intricate and spellbinding as an unforgettable love triangle emerges and the eternal cycle of revenge intensifies. Eagerly awaited, this sequel to the internationally bestselling STARCROSSED delivers a gritty, action-packed love story that exceeds expectation.

I was kind of afraid going into this one.  I’ll admit that.  After reading Starcrossed and loving it last year, I read some other not-so-postive reviews of the book and began questioning if I had read the same book as everyone else.  So, naturally, I began Dreamless with some reservations and lowered my expectations because it seems that with a lot of the books I gushed about this time last year, I’m finding myself a little less wowed with their sequels.  But I shouldn’t have worried.

Dreamless picks up right where Starcrossed left off.  As you’d expect, there’s a lot of angst and avoidance after what happened at the end of the first novel.  Everyone’s emotionally charged and ready to lash out, most especially Helen and Lucas.  But they try to be friends.  Until it’s obvious to everyone that that’s not the best decision.  So what does Lucas do?  The thing most fictional guys do at this point:  pushes the girl he loves away to protect her.  I usually hate this tactic…and I didn’t particularly like it in this instance, but considering the circumstances and the impressions these characters are working under, I’ll let it slide this time.  Also, this approach paved the way for hunky Orion to enter the picture.

In this installment, Helen is travelling to the Underworld each night when she sleeps, trying to reach the Furies in order to stop the bloodlust between the Houses.  But she’s having no luck.  Enter Orion.  He’s gorgeous, helpful, and, oh yeah, he can influence emotions.  Just what our starcrossed lovebirds need right about now, right?  Maybe not.  I know there are some die-hard Lucas fans out there, but I like to reserve judgment on the love interests until the third book.  But that’s just me.

There’s plenty of action, romance, and betrayal to go around in this novel.  There was considerable character growth, as well, especially in Hector’s case.  There’s a peppering of mythology, too, but I love the subject myself and can never really get enough.  I loved revisiting these characters, though, and am eagerly anticipating the next book.  Overall, a solid sequel, and if you enjoyed Starcrossed, you’ll most assuredly enjoy this book.


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