"Will be considered among youth fantasy's most significant recent works. Knox's haunting, invigorating storytelling will leave readers eager to return to its puzzles--and to reap its rewards." --Starred, Booklist
The dreamhunting began as a beautiful thing, when Tziga Hame discovered that he could enter the Place and share the dreams he found there with other people. But Tziga Hame has disappeared and Laura, his daughter, knows that the art of projecting dreams has turned sour. On St. Lazarus’s Eve, when elite citizens gather at the Rainbow Opera to experience the sweet dream of Homecoming, Laura, determined to show them the truth, plunges them into the nightmare used to control the convict workers. The event marks the first blow in the battle for control of the Place, the source of dreams. Then, when Laura’s cousin, Rose, uncovers evidence that the government has been building a secret rail line deep into the Place, Laura follows it to find out what lies at its end. As she struggles to counter the government’s sinister plans, a deeper mystery surfaces, a puzzle only Laura can unravel, a puzzle having to do with the very nature of the Place. What is the Place, after all? And what does it want from her?
Inventive and richly imagined, Elizabeth Knox’s dramatic conclusion will satisfy readers - whether or not they’ve read Book One.
Reviews
"This title begins where Dreamhunter (Farrar, 2006) left off, and is written in the same detailed, eloquent prose. Dreamhunter Laura Hame has just inflicted the sleeping patrons at the Rainbow Opera dream palace with a nightmare that blows a government conspiracy wide open. Now everyone knows about the sickening, horrific dreams used by Cas Doran and his Regulatory Body to control prison convicts. But mysteries remain about the origins of The Place, the invisible geographic area a rare dreamhunter is able to enter for the purpose of acquiring dreams, and Doran's secret railroad being built there. As Laura and her family attempt to uncover secrets and bring Doran to justice, they deal with internal divisions about the right course of action to take. Passions run deep between these complicated characters, and Knox beautifully portrays a family dynamic infused with genuine affection. Laura's tender relationship with her Sandman, a creature she created, is further developed and becomes an integral piece in the puzzle of The Place. The reality that is ultimately revealed catches readers by surprise yet manages to tie all loose ends together in an emotionally satisfying way. Richly layered and thoroughly enthralling, Knox's literary duet is a unique blend of fantasy and history that stands out as a stunning achievement in recent young adult literature." Kirkus Reviews
"Will be considered among youth fantasy's most significant recent works. Knox's haunting, invigorating storytelling will leave readers eager to return to its puzzles--and to reap its rewards." --Starred, Booklist
"Unexpected plot turns and a rewarding and engaging read."--The Chicago Tribune
“Thoroughly impressive-for its sure, literary prose, nuanced characters, and fully realized Edwardian setting, but even more so for its original, surprising imagery and plot. An involving-and challenging-read, Knox’s fantasy is outstanding in its ability to make us think both poetically and analytically about human nature.” --The Horn Book
"Richly layered and thoroughly enthralling, Knox's literary duet is a unique blend of fantasy and history that stands out as a stunning achievement in recent young adult literature."--School Library Journal
Accolades
Dreamquake won a Michael L Printz Award in 2008 and an ALA Best book award in the same year.
Author Biography
Elizabeth Knox is the prize-winning author of numerous adult novels, including the bestselling The Vintner's Luck (1999, Chatto). The Dream Quake is her second novel for young adults. She lives in New Zealand with her husband and son.
