I'm not sure how to review this book because I'm not sure how to describe it. The author definitely gets props for creativity and originality. The story focuses around four people and the nightmares that they are living, triggered by a mysterious singer/song. I liked that a polyamorous family was featured as just that: a family. Not a threesome, but a unit that deals with 'regular' relationship issues, along with having to put up with people discriminating against this non-traditional family.
The parts of the book that I had trouble with consisted mainly of lulls in between adventure. The first few pages were definitely attention-grabbing, but after that it took awhile to get back into the story, and I felt like that was a common occurrence throughout. Also, sometimes it was unclear whether a nightmare was happening or whether it was just a regular day.

This book does have lots of violence, and the author is talented and great at painting graphic pictures. I also want to say there's a rape scene or an attempted rape scene but I'm not 100% sure about that. ( )

This is the story of a husband with two wives and an outside friend. They begin experiencing things that only can be explained away in dreams and nightmares. They find themselves caught in waking nightmares over and over again as a ballad forms in their minds, and the resulting horror lingers even after the nightmare has ended. They have to survive to find their way out of the nightmares and deal with the aftermath.

Starting the book, I didn't know how I felt about the husband with two wives situation, but as the story went on, I understood the family better and I wasn't as disconcerted with it. The outside friend, Johnny, is an arrogant jerk and I found myself disliking him from the very first introduction to him, but he begins redeeming himself by the end of the book and I found myself appreciating and understanding his character better. It was confusing to read sometimes and I found myself skimming through some of the Choruses and Refrains without fully understanding what I was reading. The book correlates with dreams, and dreams flow seamlessly without sense sometimes, so I understand the reason for the confusion, but that didn't make it any easier to read.

The book was written with vivid descriptions and I could picture the town and events quite clearly. There were plenty of times that I was drawn into the story and I was wondering what kind of nightmare would surface next. I did enjoy the second half of the book better than the first. It was hard to get into the idea of nightmares happening in reality at first, but as the story develops, it becomes more conceivable and clear, so you can follow along easier.

I found myself going back and forth between enjoying and disliking the book as I read, but now that I've finished, I find that I enjoyed it more than I thought. The ending leaves you eagerly waiting for the next book to find out what happens next as more characters are pulled into the story. Quite the cliffhanger, I must say, so I would definitely like to read the next book after its release.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers Program in exchange for an honest review. ( )

Book Info: Genre: Horror/Lovecraftian
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: fans of horror, Lovecraftian fiction
Trigger Warnings: deaths

My Thoughts: One of the things I liked best about this book is that it features a functioning polyamorous relationship, in which two women and a man are all married to each other. It doesn't show this in the “threesome” sense, either, but realistically with all the sorts of compromises and difficulties that such a relationship entails, as well as the beauty when it works properly.

I have designated this Lovecraftian, but not in the sense of tentacled Elder Gods (although there is an octopus at one point), but in the sense of skewed reality, unknown things in the dark, dreams and nightmares. This is an incredibly creepy story, and fans of horror should enjoy this.

It is not truly stand alone, however. While this book wraps up with a denouement, not everything is solved. A sequel, called Nightmare Serenade, is planned, although I am not certain when it will be out. I, for one, plan to acquire a copy of it, because I really enjoyed this book. If you live in fear of your nightmares, if you enjoy Lovecraftian fiction, if you're a fan of horror, definitely check out this book.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers Program in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis: One day, while instructing a swim class, Luke Rhodes hears a strange ballad in his head that twists reality. After a series of terrifying events, he escapes through a black curtain and leaves a living nightmare behind.

The ballad hasn't left him though. Pieces remain. And when the song surfaces… the nightmare returns. Joined by Luke’s two wives and his miscreant friend Johnny Cruz, they resolve to discover the source of these “Lifemares,” and, more importantly, how to escape them.

But time is against them. Innocent people are dying and these freakish disturbances are devastating the world they know.

Will Luke and his family find the singer of the Ballad before it’s too late? Or will horrifying nightmares roam the world… forever? ( )

This book goes from one time frame to another instantly making it very difficult to keep track of the story line. Although a long time Sci fi fan I could not stay with the stoey line and complete the book. ( )

I've been putting off writing this review since I just can't make myself give it a positive spin. It reminds me of a high school friend who was schizophrenic and was once exposed to far too much LSD all at once. The story is very vivid, already well developed at the start, seeming a bit like you're dropping into the middle of things, a little hard to follow from one section to another, and the ending comes at you from absolutely no where. The major characters are developed enough individually to stand on their own, but in relating to each other, they seem to be lacking.