The Dream Engine

Publisher's Summary

A truth terrible enough to bury for a millennium

A mysterious boy calling in her sleep

A secret city that shouldn't exist

When Eila Doyle first sees the strange boy beckoning in whispers from somewhere deep in her imagination, she questioned her sanity. She was used to seeing strange things with her eyes closed - that's what Eila did all day while strapped to the Blunderbuss, building whatever the Ministry of Manifestation required - but never before have those images felt so real, or so dangerous. After Eila learns the terrible truth about her reality and the monsters inside it, she thinks that maybe madness might be her only escape.

This thrilling young adult steampunk adventure is the first in the Dream Engine series by masters of story Platt & Truant, authors of The Beam, Unicorn Western, and many more.

©2014 Sean Platt and Johnny B. Truant (P)2014 Sterling & Stone

Stunning and Engaging - Both Story and Performance

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

ABSOLUTELY - Excellent story and writing, delivered by expert performance of narrator.

What did you like best about this story?

SEE COMMENTS BELOW

What does Ray Chase bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Ray Chase delivers unparalleled versatility with his vocal performance - stretching almost inhumanly to portray different genders, ages, temperaments and tones.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

YES

Any additional comments?

Platt and Truant deliver a phenomenal tale of teen angst and fantastical wonder set in a Steampunk world that could easily be our own in a few hundred years (maybe it is!). True to their stellar reputations as writers, Platt and Truant whisk us away on a journey to fanciful worlds filled with profound characters and engaging images. Just one example is a brilliant philosophical passage that portrays the protagonist's existential crisis as she tries to pass the test to plum the depths of reality and say, for certain, what is real and what is not. As she studies the images in her mind's eye, the phrase that recurs frequently throughout the book returns - "Reality is a matter of opinion."

And while the book is yet another masterpiece by expert craftsmen in their primes, the performance in this audiobook is nothing short of spectacular. Ray Chase is a vocal gymnast worthy of Vocalympics, if there ever were such a thing. Mr. Chase's delivery of the dialog swings from swarthy and grumpy curmudgeons to light and innocent teen girls, all without breaking the aura of narrative necessary to keep the reader buried in the story. Chase's skills stretch his baritone voice from lows to highs, seemingly without effort, all the while maintaining perfect pace and rhythm to delight the ears of the listener.

Overall, this book is one of the best audiobooks available on the market. The story is superb, the narration is virtually perfect, and the total effect of the combination is sublime.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

A great story, well told

Where does The Dream Engine rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

The Dream Engine would have to rank right up there as one of the best audio books I've listened to.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Dream Engine?

The last three chapters really knocked this out of the park for me. It's a great ending for this story, one that really leaves you happy with the way things turned out, but wanting more.

Any additional comments?

I'm really looking forward to visiting the world of the Blunderbuss again and hoping to meet Eila and Cora there along with a whole new cast of characters.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

This book left me thinking

First thoughts about the cover of The Dream Engine: Blunderbuss, Book 1? Half of a young girl’s face and a giant engine? Is it a steam punk book? Why is it only showing half her face? How is this machine tied in with this girl? Hmm… Well, this just got interesting.

The main character in this book is Eila Doyle. She’s a teen in a world that centers around a giant machine called The Blunderbuss. She works as a Builder. A Builder is sort of like a conduit for the Blunderbuss to mentally receive ideas, things, objects. Without a Builder the things would not appear from the Blunderbuss. Though unlike other people in her world, she is starting to dream. Other people do not dream. They don’t even remember dreaming. Everything they want or need is made by the Blunderbuss. Or so she thinks.

The Blunderbuss is a machine that makes everything. At least on the topside of Eila’s city. At first I was a little on the fence about weather or not I liked this book. Once I got into it I greatly enjoyed it. It is one you have to pay attention to closely because if you do not, you will miss something that will come back to confuse you later. The Blunderbuss reminds me of the shape of a hourglass. The topside makes things from thoughts received. The bottom side gets the dreams from everyone topside and bottom side. They send the good ideas back into The Blunderbuss which sends them topside. The topside and bottom side do not know about each other.

The narrator is Ray Chase. His voice has a slight growl in it. It is more pronounced when he reads male voices. It is soothing, addictive. This book was written by Sean Platt and Johnny B. Truant. It is 10 hours and 32 minutes. This books is a nice listen and enjoyable. I’d recommend it for mid-teens on up.

This book left me thinking about what we perceive from the world around us. What we take for granted as always being, always would be. Would we still be the same people if we had to think more about things we do everyday so easily? Would we Tinker the ideas out by ourselves to solve our own problems? Life is open to the dreamers and the doers. The key is to be both a dreamer and a doer.

Audiobook purchased for review by the Narrator.

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4 of 7 people found this review helpful

Amazing Story

If you could sum up The Dream Engine in three words, what would they be?

The three words I'd use to describe The Artistic Storytelling Genius.

Would you be willing to try another book from Sean Platt and Johnny B. Truant ? Why or why not?

I would definitely try another book by Sean and Johnny. I am going to try the rest of the invasion series.

Have you listened to any of Ray Chase’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No I have not listened to other Ray Chase's performances that I am aware of. Great narrator.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes I've wanted to listen to this book ever since it came out. I binged over six hours in one sitting.

Any additional comments?

This steampunk book isn't a genre i normally read but I'm a HUGE fan of the authors so I gave it my money and it was worth it. Definitely recommend you give this a chance.

So So

The story was ok, not as exciting as other Truant/Platt books I've read. Love Ray Chase as a narrator overall, but since the main character in this story is a young girl think it was a silly choice & kept me from engaging fully.

Awesome book. Annoying narrator

I love this book. But the Narrator is annoying as! He sounds like hes talking down to you constantly. And he clearly doesnt understand how teenage girls talk! But if all you have is the audio book, keep with it cause the story is awesome. I got the audio book as an add on to the ebook so ive read the ebook and its good.

An Introduction to the World of Alterra

If you could sum up The Dream Engine in three words, what would they be?

Who is insane?

What about Ray Chase’s performance did you like?

Ray Chase did an excellent job performing this book - it was quite simple to tell who was speaking based on their individual voices and he drew you right into the action.

Any additional comments?

This book follows Eila as she slowly goes crazy, in a society where everybody takes a drug and it's almost inconceivable for somebody not to. Eila has to attempt to wean herself off of the drug, while hiding that she's not taking it from not only her parents but everybody else, or else she'll be sent to the insane asylum, Joffrey Columns.

A fun and fast read, this book is opening a whole new world and I can't wait to read more stories set in it.

Great YA Fiction That Will Transport You

I love The Dream Engine because it has great characters and an intricate and well-executed plot with as many moving parts as the Blunderbuss--the titular dream engine. When I listened to this story, I felt truly transported; it was a little jarring to come back to the real world. And how perfect for this story in which Eila has a hard time discerning what's real and what's not. I appreciate a YA that isn't dumbed down. This story includes complicated problems that are great metaphors for our own challenges in life. If you are looking for a smart, entertaining, and thoughtful read, you can't go wrong with The Dream Engine.

Awesome story

Great teen story that for once is about story rather than just strictly teen romance with steam punk thrown in, I'm getting the print edition for my shelf and can't wait for it or the sequel.

Totally worth it

I love Ray Chase's voice. He really nails this novel. There's so much to love: the pacing, the story,the character voices. I gave The Dream Engine ebook 4 stars, but the audio book version definitely brings it to life. I recommend this book. It's also in Kindle Whispersync, so it's a no brainer. This is an awesome production.