Dreamquake, by Elizabeth Knox, is the sequel to Dreamhunter. In a country much like New Zealand at the turn of the last, last century, young people train to be Dreamhunters. Dreamhunters are the select few who are able to make the journey into a barren world and find dreams. The dreamhunter is then able to capture these dreams and bring them back to civilization. There they perform them for audiences in large halls. Much like an opera house, these halls have enclosed balconies that contain beds. The performer is able to bring the audience along with them on these dream journeys. The most powerful dream hunters have a range, or ‘parabola’ that can reach everyone in a large hall – and sometimes can seep out beyond the walls. It’s a lovely form of entertainment, but what happens when an unknown dreamhunter is able to over-dream the performer and send out a message of terror?
I was so pleased to find the first book Dreamhunter. Not since Pullman’s The Golden Compass, had I read such a compelling fantasy. I’m only a few chapters into this one, but I’m loving it. I think we’ll see much more of the dark side of dreamhunting. Parallels can be drawn between the fame of the dreamhunter and America’s fascination with stars, as well as between the manipulation of the dreamhunter’s power and the nefarious uses entertainment can be put to.
