Dream Eater

Lincoln’s debut urban fantasy unspools a tense plot from hidden family history. Koi Pierce, a biracial college student in Portland, Ore., reads scraps of people’s dreams through touch. Her life is further complicated by her Japanese father, the source of her power, who has what appears to be Alzheimer’s; her Hawaiian mother’s life insurance helps to pay for his care. When Koi engages a mysterious man named Ken to help her father as a caregiver and translator, she learns that her family history is more convoluted than she had imagined, and that Ken is more than he seems. A recurring, bloody fragment troubling her dreams is revealed to be related to a struggle for supernatural power that involves both Koi and her family. With Ken’s help, Koi must confront and exploit her own identity to protect those she loves. Lincoln successfully mixes Japanese, Native American, and Middle Eastern mythologies in her modern setting, and Koi’s wry voice gives a new perspective on the problems of paranormal gifts. (Apr.)