Invisible to the man she loves, Reeve Lennox fights to reclaim him from a dark world.

As her wedding day nears in Acarsaid, her betrothed Arden offers only his wayward soul and saucy tongue. At night she desperately tries to reach Bran, the young soldier of nightmarish Tenebris who holds her heart. However, her king insists that the realms of Tenebris and Acarsaid must remain separate, lest the evil wizard Rancore brutally conquer all.

But the dark magic of Tenebris defies mere distance. A war is coming, one only Reeve may be able to prevent, if she can reunite her family on opposing sides.

With two kingdoms at stake, Reeve must discover her strength and her family’s legacy before all is lost. Yet righting the wrongs of the past may require the sacrifice of her truest love.

***PLEASE NOTE: this review is for BOTH books in this gorgeous duology. K thanks bye!***

Rating: 5/5 Penguins
Quick Reasons: gorgeous, atmospheric prose; I LOVE LOVE LOVE this story; vibrant, well-written characters; this was a wild journey from start to finish; I have NEVER moved so quickly to purchase the physical copy(ies) of a book in my life; please read this duology, it's the best

HUGE thanks to Kristina Mahr, Uncommon Universes Publishing, and YA Bound Book Tours for sending free egalleys of these titles my way! This in no way altered my read of or opinions on these books.

"I'm sorry I hurt you. I'm sorry that I'm the dragon and not the knight."

"I like you as the dragon," I say quietly. "I just wish that I was enough, even if just for one night, for you to focus the whole of your fire on me."

I'm going to be honest, Penguins...I basically went into this duology completely blind. I saw the cover and title for All that We See or Seem and jumped in headlong without taking time to read what the series was actually about.......

But it worked out, GORGEOUSLY. This duology is an atmospheric, beautifully written journey, and I couldn't make myself put either book down once I started. Which means I basically binge-read both of these within the matter of a day. Maybe. At most. The characters are well-rounded, poignantly relatable, and SO entertaining. I had such a great time following in Reeve's footsteps and allowing her to lead me down this path of magic and dark devices. I really enjoyed the backdrops--the mirror-esque qualities that the "real, everyday" world and her "nightmare" portrayed.

I especially enjoyed some of the more unique and fantastical elements that Kristina Mahr employed throughout each novel. There were twists and turns even I couldn't see coming, which is saying a lot, given I generally see the reveals from miles away. I did feel as if the actual ending was SUPER quick and tied up almost a little too nicely, all things considered--we had such a long, enthralling lead up, I felt a bit like I lost out on the honest ending...but alas, so it goes.

Of course, I also have to admit to something else. For the sake of being honest, you know. I got about halfway through All that We See or Seem..........only to find myself running to Amazon to order a physical, hardcover copy of both books! I was only able to find the first available in hardcover format, so I immediately purchased it...and will be keeping an eye out for A Dream Within a Dream to become available for purchase in hardcover every day until it's in my grubby, greedy little flippers. I NEED IT, y'all. NEED. I have never purchased a physical copy in the MIDDLE of reading a book before...but I did for this series. And I don't regret doing so.

"Thank you."

"I daresay 'rescuer of damsels in distress' was not one of the rumors you heard about me," he muses.

"It most certainly was not," I laugh. "'Creator of the distress damsels find themselves in,' more accurately."

I am so so very happy to have been part of this blog tour, and given the chance to read and review each of these novels. I LOVE the play on the titles, I LOVE how they fit into the story as a whole, and THESE COVERRRRRRRS! I adore how the covers, just like the two worlds found between, act as a sort of mirror to one another. This entire duology--from physical looks to the fantastical worlds--was brilliantly thought out and captivated by Kristina Mahr. Take a walk with me into a nightmare, Penguins--you're bound to love what you find there.