Dreamer’s pool is the first book in the Blackthorn & Grim series. It’s an easy fantasy book that tells the story of a healer, Blackthorn, who after being wrongly imprisoned, makes an agreement with a mysterious fey in exchange for help escaping prison.
Blackthorn travels north to Dalriada where she is bound to live and serve the population for seven years as part of her agreement. Unbeknownst to her, Grim, her prison neighbor follows her to Dalriada and together they will form a partnership.
Oran is the prince of Dalriada, and he’s engaged to beautiful Lady Flidais who he only knows through photographs and letters. Anxiously awaiting the arrival of his bride, Oran senses something is wrong when lady Flidais arrives, and she’s nothing like the sweet and sensitive woman he found in her letters. With the wedding imminent, Oran sees no way out of this engagement, and he will need the help of Blackthorn and Grim to get him out of this tight situation.
Dreamer’s pool is told by different characters with each chapter alternating between Oran, Blackthorn and Grim’s point of view. I liked the structure of this book as it allowed the reader to get to know a little more about the characters. The pace of the narrative is slightly slower than I would have liked, but not enough to ruin the experience. Fans of Daughter of The Forrest or any other book by Marillier will not be disappointed. The book has some mentions of rape and abuse, but nothing too graphic for sensitive readers. Blackthorn is a reliable and likable character, and I loved her quirky relationship with Grim.
I’m looking forward to seeing how their relationship develops in future novels.
