Perchance to Dream: Theatre Illuminata #2 by Lisa Mantchev

Title: Perchance to Dream
Series: Theatre Illuminata

Book #: 2
Author: Lisa Mantchev
Pages: 337
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Reading Level: Young Adult

Rating: .7

"The stuff that dreams are made on."

Act Two, Scene One Growing up in the enchanted Thèâtre Illuminata, Beatrice Shakespeare Smith learned everything about every play ever written. She knew the players and their parts, but she didn’t know that she, too, had magic. Now, she is the Mistress of Revels, the Teller of Tales. She is ready for the outside world.

Enter BERTIE AND COMPANY And it is nothing like the one she has come to expect. Bertie can make things happen by writing them, but outside the protective walls of the Thèâtre, they don’t go as planned. And her magic cannot help her make a decision between— Nate: Her suave and swashbuckling pirate. Is now in mortal peril. Ariel: A brooding, yet seductive, air spirit. Loves Bertie enough to die for her.

When Nate is kidnapped and taken prisoner by the Sea Witch, only Bertie can free him. She and her fairy sidekicks embark on a journey aboard the Thèâtre’s locomotive caravan, using Bertie’s word magic to guide them. Along the way, they collect a sneak-thief, who has in his possession something most valuable, and meet a bird that might be Bertie’s father—and the maker of the magical Scrimshaw. Bertie’s dreams are haunted by Nate, whose love for Bertie is keeping him alive, but in the daytime, it’s Ariel who is tantalizingly close, and the one she is falling for. Who does Bertie love the most? And will her magic be powerful enough to save her once she enters the Sea Witch’s lair?

Once again, LISA MANTCHEV has spun a tale like no other—full of romance, magic, adventure, and fairies, too—that readers won’t want to put down, even after the curtain has closed.

Taschima:

Shut the lights, draw open the curtains, and shut your mouths. The show is about to commence.

Enter stage right: Bertie and her necklace; Ariel and his wind; The fairies and their pastries; Nate and his water; new people and their stuff.

We are on a journey to rescue the body and soul of Nate. Am... That's kind of it. Also Bertie is trying to figure out her 'powers'. Which are very confusing to say the least.

Perchance to Dream was as always odd, weird, and enchanting. Lisa Mantchev is really good with words, unlike Bertie lol Bertie was the powerful, strong, and confident heroine we all love, right until you ask her to put her words on paper. Then everything falls apart. So get ready for a lot of mishaps in the novel.

And though the story was a good sequel to Eyes Like Stars in some parts of the novel I felt lost; The turns were so quick, and I wasn't fast enough. Realities, dreams, magic, everything on the same place, and it's very hard to differentiate whats real and what's not.

Also, I felt like I was sleep walking for the first part of the novel. Going through the motions. That is, until Bertie FINALLY leaves the Company and starts going after Nate on her own, which leads to lots of fun.

I think this whole series would do great if turned into a movie. Kind of like a high definition movie. Some sort of Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland thing, but less Gothic. The scenes that were depicted as kind of like a play? Oh, wonderful.

Also this book was more about love and the power of words than the first one. The first one was more adventurous. And I'm sad to say that the love triangle that Bertie has going on it's definitely not enough for me. Ariel is romantic yet possessive, and Nate is kind of a blur; if Nate plans to win Bertie's heart (which I think will happen at the end) he needs to be more assertive about his love for Bertie.

The ending was awesome! My favorite part of the book (and not because it ended). There was a fight; there were vows; there was blood.

This book was a dream, a mildly confusing one at that but still lovely. Eyes Like Stars is still my fav. I really don't know what conflict there will be on the third installment, but I am rooting for it.

All in all, a bit disappointed but not enough to wish I'd not read it. I liked it, but didn't love it. It needed to be a bit more complicated (something I think the third book has a shot at) and have a little more action.