The Labyrinth of Waking Dreams - by Michelle Kulwicki (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

In this adventure-packed portal fantasy, three teens discover a gateway to a mythical Labyrinth in the Appalachian Mountains

Barren's Peak, West Virginia, is not a place anyone would call magical, but Thea
LaGuerre calls it home. A high school drop-out whose mother died in an accident, Thea is stuck working part-time jobs just to make ends meet. The most she has to look forward to are barn parties where she can make out with Callum, the one interesting boy who moved to town six months ago.

Thea doesn't know it yet, but Callum was sent to Barren's Peak to watch her. He was raised within the magicians' order, a shadowy organization meant to keep humanity safe from an underworld of monsters. Callum would sacrifice anyone, including himself, to help their cause, but he still can't help falling into Thea's orbit. She's the first person he's felt seen by since his childhood sweetheart, Oliver--who he hasn't seen since Oliver's banishment from the order.

But Oliver hasn't given up on Callum or on magic. Following a magical creature's trail to Barren's Peak, Oliver happens upon Callum and Thea at a barn party that turns into a monster-overrun massacre. To save Callum and the girl he's protecting from a wave of deadly fairies, Oliver opens a portal for the three of them to flee into the Labyrinth.

To get home again, Thea, Oliver, and Callum will have to work together to survive the Labyrinth's trials and discover the threads that brought them there.

Review Quotes

"The Labyrinth of Waking Dreams, hits like buckshot: hard, fast, and where it matters most. Beautiful display of rough Americana and exhilarating magic that feels as fresh as it does grounded. A truly unique fantasy novel well deserving of a fandom of its own."
--K. Ankrum, National Book Award longlisted author of The Corruption of Hollis Brown, Icarus, and The Wicker King

"The Labyrinth of Waking Dreams sets the stage for a stunning duology of magic and monsters--including those within ourselves. Filled with Kulwicki's signature queer yearning, readers will be pining for a continuation of Oliver and Thea's story."
--Cass Biehn, author of Vesuvius

"Transporting you into an atmospheric world of bloody magic, ravenous monsters, and nightmares given teeth, The Labyrinth of Waking Dreams oozes shadows with every word, but the humanity and resilience of the characters shine through the darkness. Prepare to be ensnared at every twist and turn, until the final pages rip your heart out and leave you aching for the sequel."
--Camilla Raines, author of The Hollow and the Haunted and The Forsaken and the Fated

About the Author

Michelle Kulwicki (she/they) grew up in the Pacific Northwest overturning every rock and stick in an unending quest to find portals to worlds far more exciting than her own. After moving to the mountainless Midwest, she earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in music performance and spent years in the symphony and musical theater pit circuit. She's now a mom by day, musician by night, and writer in all the spaces in between--a life that is somewhat lacking in portals, but is still full of magic. She's the author of At the End of the River Styx.