Dreams of the Muse by Vala Kaye
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal
Length: Full Length (177 pgs)
Heat Level: Hot
Rated: 4 stars
Reviewed by Snapdragon
Evil is always listening. Frustrated writer Zach Moore vows he “would trade his soul” if he could write the way he always wanted to. In an attempt to overcome his crippling writer’s block, Zach and his wife Nikki move from New York City to the Hudson Valley, land of the legendary Sleepy Hollow, where he meets Kendra Evans, a beautiful and mysterious young Satan-worshiper. Kendra offers Zach the creativity he longs for. But will getting everything he’s ever wanted cost him everything … and everyone … he already has? Filled with vivid imagery and adult themes, Dreams of the Muse is intended for mature readers only.
The plight of a ‘blocked’ writer is not so hard to imagine, and this desperation fuels author Zach Moore. He’s already a success, but desperate to hang on to it. Does this become the old “sell your soul” story? Well no…because there is a further temptation by the beautiful evil Kendra, and the intrigue develops from there.
We understand Zach, but admire his resilient wife Nikki. Their relationship is everyday, down-to-earth, and somehow nicely parallels their sex life. Dreams of the Muse is entirely unpredictable, largely because of these powerful characters.
Kendra, who would be his muse, his possessor (she is too complex to be simply evil) circles in, gaining power as we somehow grasp her motive. The eerie start is great although the further opening is not at the pace of the rest of the novel but, once past the beginning, the haunting setting, unpredictable plot, and our own desperate hopes all make this a page-turner.
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