Dream Warriors

In this fanciful adventure, loosely inspired by the Biblical story of Joseph, Pease (the Noah Zarc trilogy) begins a series about a young man destined to change the world. Whenever 15-year-old New Yorker Joey Colafranceschi falls asleep, he journeys to a dream world, where he is sucked into a conflict between the immortal Pharaoh and the mysterious Ammon; Pharaoh wants to destroy the waking world, while Ammon wants to prevent this catastrophe. Both use armies of dream warriors to do their bidding, people who, like Joey, can manipulate the dream world. Caught between a newfound loyalty to Amman and an attraction to the Pharaoh’s alluring daughter, Joey becomes a pawn in both worlds. When he comes into possession of the ancient Stoat of Dreams, Joey discovers that he can take control of his destiny. Pease’s convoluted plot features several twists, but coincidences weaken the overall story. A rushed pace further hampers the more interesting aspects of the concept, which nonetheless seems like a setup for the book’s groan-inducing stoat/coat pun, one that’s at odds with the more serious aspects of the narrative. Ages 13–up. (BookLife)