The Lost Dreamer - (Lost Dreamer Duology) by Lizz Huerta (Hardcover)

About the Book

In this fantasy inspired by ancient Mesoamerica, a lineage of seers defiantly resists the shifting patriarchal state that would see them destroyed.

Book Synopsis

A lush, immersive debut fantasy about a group of women whose way of life is threatened by a new king; a fierce celebration of community, sisterhood, and finding our power.

Indir is a Dreamer, descended from a long line of seers; able to see beyond reality, she carries the rare gift of Dreaming truth. But when the beloved king dies, his son has no respect for this time-honored tradition. King Alcan wants an opportunity to bring the Dreamers to a permanent end--an opportunity Indir will give him if he discovers the two secrets she is struggling to keep. As violent change shakes Indir's world to its core, she is forced to make an impossible choice: fight for her home or fight to survive.

Saya is a seer, but not a Dreamer--she has never been formally trained. Her mother exploits her daughter's gift, passing it off as her own as they travel from village to village, never staying in one place too long. Almost as if they're running from something. Almost as if they're being hunted. When Saya loses the necklace she's worn since birth, she discovers that seeing isn't her only gift--and begins to suspect that everything she knows about her life has been a carefully-constructed lie. As she comes to distrust the only family she's ever known, Saya will do what she's never done before, go where she's never been, and risk it all in the search of answers.

With a detailed, supernaturally-charged setting and topical themes of patriarchal power and female strength, Lizz Huerta's The Lost Dreamer brings an ancient world to life, mirroring the challenges of our modern one.

Review Quotes

A "Most Anticipated 2022" selection by Buzzfeed, TOR.com, HipLatina, The Portalist, The Nerd Daily, and Forever Young Adult!

"A transcendent story of community, sisterhood, and resilience set in a richly drawn world. Lizz Huerta is a powerful new voice in fantasy." --Katy Rose Pool, author of There Will Come a Darkness

"Lizz Huerta's radiant debut reminds us that our power is in our own instincts, even in moments of chaotic change." --Xochitl González, author of Olga Dies Dreaming

"The ancient Mesoamerican setting for this complex fantasy is a stunner, exquisitely described in subtle, steady ways that ultimately build to a full world with histories, cultural details, mythology, and politics." --Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (BCCB), STARRED REVIEW

"Next Spring's buzziest fantasy debut." --Entertainment Weekly

"Glorious worldbuilding and powerful leads make this a can't-miss read!" --Buzzfeed

"Perfect for readers who love rich worldbuilding and want to see patriarchal systems burn down." --The Portalist

About the Author

Lizz Huerta is a widely-admired Mexi-Rican short story writer and essayist, published in Lightspeed, The Cut, The Portland Review, The Rumpus, Miami Rail, and more. Her short story "The Wall" is included in the anthology A People's Future of the United States. Huerta has also been a 2018 Bread Loaf Fellow, a five-time VONA Fellow, and the winner of the LUMINA fiction contest, selected by Roxane Gay, who called her writing "a menacing inescapable seduction." She has appeared on CSPAN's BookTV to discuss the erasure of Mexican American Studies in Arizona, and has taught creative writing to homeless youth through San Diego nonprofit So Say We All.