Dream Slayer

ACTION ADVENTURE:  A military experimental study on sleep has army captain Pierce Aldin crossing paths with police psychiatrist Cassie O’Neil in the dream world.  They soon realize their repeated meeting in dreams has elements of truth and leads to their meeting in an awakened state. A maniacal master mind is using his experiment to settle a score and causes Cassie to question meeting Pierce.  Can she help Pierce break free from the experiment and build a relationship with him that will lead her to a new way of life?

A sinister tale, “Dream Slayer" is an original one that mixes elements of paranormal, military and sci-fi in equal parts.  After a beginning filled with realm whiplash this story line evolves to one that flows with a steady rhythm.  Pierce, who is recovering from PTSD, plays out his hero complex trying to save Cassie in their sleep world, but the here-and-now Pierce isn’t as confident leading.  Cassie is a police psychiatrist bored with her job and lives out her save-the-world alter ego in the sandman state as well.  Both roles may cause readers to wonder how these two characters end up saving each other. 

Many readers may be puzzled over the shift from reality to the dream state Cassie/Cassandra finds herself in, and all dream walkers' ability to fall asleep and enter REM at will.  The tie between the deranged researcher and the overall plot could use a few more stitches to magically weave the elements together in a stronger cohesive manner.  The depiction of loss and survival will tug at the hearts of readers. 

Roberta Gordon