Bethany Maines (Author), Karen Harris Tully (Author), J.M. Phillippe (Author)

Genre: far-future, adventure, romance

 Link To Buy

The Dust Cover Copy

Welcome to the universe of Galactic Dreams, where fairy tales are reimagined for a new age—the future.

In a universe torn apart by civil war, three heroines struggle to save lives and rebuild their shattered worlds. In When Stars Take Flight by Bethany Maines, Alliance Ambassador Lina Tum-Bel knows she’s up against a galaxy full of trouble as she attempts to rebuild the Interstellar Alliance, but she never thought a simple mission of peace would have her fleeing for her life with an army behind her. Kidnapped by the To’Andans, tortured by the Moliter, and rescued by Sparrow Pandion—the spy who hides a secret pain—Lina must battle for her freedom, her survival and her heart. In Soldier, Princess, Rebel Spy by Karen Harris Tully, Wei Meilin survives a deadly plague, but fears that no one will survive the cruel Royals on their distant moon as they seek to destroy Meilin and her rebel allies. Meilin disguises herself as a potential bride for Prince Cormorin in a plan to dethrone the harsh Empress, but not everything is as it seems. Soon Meilin and Cormorin find themselves standing between the crown, the rebels, and the destruction of the entire planet. In Aurora One by J.M. Phillippe, on a planet that was never intended for human habitation, Princess Chavri lives behind a life-saving veil and vows to save her home from war and her true love from a terrifying eternal sleep. Lina, Meilin, and Chavri tread the familiar paths of Thumbelina, Mulan, and Sleeping Beauty, but this time they journey among the stars and their stories are all their own.

Galactic Dreams is a unique series of science-fiction novellas from Blue Zephyr Press featuring retellings of classic tales from different authors, all sharing the same universe, technology, and history. If you liked Marissa Meyers’ Lunar Chronicles or James S.A. Corey’s The Expanse, you’ll love Galactic Dreams. (Check out Volume 2 and soon-to-be-released Volume 3!)

Buy this adventure-filled, intergalactic fairy tale series today!

The Scene

Worldbuilding

Whew! This one has been in my TBR pile for waaay too long, and I’m glad to finally get to it!
With three seperate books to write up, there’s a lot of ground to cover. The first book is pretty direct, and well done: Han China in space. I would have liked to see a little more of the authentic Chinese idiom and slang, or a culture-specific slang, but other than that it definitely does its thing. The second book creates a wonderfully intricate world of cultures whose values clash or interact, all set against the backdrop of space. And the third book drew on Persian culture to create a wonderful vision of a people nostalgic for their past, worried for their future, and doing their best to live in their world full of factions and intrigue.

Characterization

Again, since it’s a tripartate work, the characterization in each is different. I wasn’t all that enthralled with the characterization in the first book of the collection, since the characters seemed to be plot points first and people second. But it was engaging enough to stick with.
The second book in the collection far outshone the others in characterization, really fascinating characters, each with their own personalities and motivations, created a fun and surprisingly sweet story.

The third book is told from the perspective of a young and somewhat sheltered woman, so at times the characterization will make older readers tug at their hair in dismay. Not because it’s bad at all, mind you. But because we know exactly how badly the decisions of youth can end up being. I count that as a sign of good writing, and indeed, each of the young people in this story give me the urge to hug them and ruffle their hair.

The Lingo

Writing Style

Reading a collection like this is nice, because you slide from one style to another. At times there was a slightly artificial ‘how do I fit the fairytale script’ sense to the first book, but it worked itself out by the second half. The second book was a wonderful rollercoaster ride that kept readers connected to its Thumbelina roots with quotations from Hans Christian Andersen’s story. The story bounced along with snappy writing and cute dialogue. The tightly focused energy of the third book mixed with lyrical descriptions to create lovely mental images. The three books worked surprisingly well together, for all their differences. I found it absolutely charming.

The Moves

Plot

All the gems in this collection shone equally in their plotting, in very different ways. From the intricate intrigue of the first book to the wild ride of the second, and the heart thumping personal struggles of the third, they all sparkled.

Overall Rating

This was a lovely and fresh take on classic tales, and a very fun read. The next time you’re travelling, this is what you want on your flight…into space or otherwise