Review: Fever Dreams and the End of All Things by A.J. Massey

A tireless and tremendously creative adventure, Fever Dreams and the End of All Things by A.J. Massey is a strong sequel in a deeply fascinating realm.

The trio of young heroes from the first book is summoned back to the magical land of Meridia after receiving a dire warning from The Creator – the “other side” of the Sovereign they defeated to stop The Fading. He cryptically warns them that three evil beings plague the lands they had all risked their lives to protect, and that they must return. Even though the adolescent trials of the real world are forefront in their minds – particularly the looming worry and excitement of high school next year, and a high-stakes school dance – Ben, Marcus, and Avery accidentally slumber their way back to Meridia.

There they find that the Ghastly Three are already making moves to take over the realm and build their own kingdom, one where ghouls will be free to run wild, bringing on an age of darkness that will make the Fading seem like child’s play. Captured by these dastardly fiends, they must pool their powers and allies to retake the Red Army and prevent the Supreme from finding the fifth and final piece of the World Builder. Along the way, they must also avoid an endless fall in the Perpetual Waterfall, the deadly arrows of the Unseen, and the sinister magic of the Unspoken.

Navigating his growing feelings for Avery, and the temptation of magical powers he has promised not to use, Ben is a relatable and endearing hero, fearless when it comes to protecting his friends, despite his own insecurities. Marcus has come into his own in this second installment, having developed his self-confidence and worked on his body image, and he feels like much more of a three-dimensional character, especially when separated from the rest of the group in his own plotline. Avery is perennially bold and quick on her feet, whether bouncing through the real world of high-school drama or tied to a mast destined for certain doom, and her dialogue is some of the sharpest in the book.

With occasional lapses back to “reality,” this narrative unfurls in a strange limbo, a parallel of real and imaginary, where the world-altering events in Meridia echo similar existential and social dilemmas in the waking side of the story. Even in the feverish, rapid-fire plot of this novel, there is still room for deeper meaning and symbolism, most often related to belief in oneself, loyalty to others, the importance of speaking truth, and accepting inevitable changes. The storylines between the waking and dream worlds tangle and overlap in natural flows; recognizing the mirrored messages isn’t difficult, but the author also isn’t heavy-handed in the delivery.

On the other hand, some improvement could be made to certain sections of dialogue that feel clumsy or too overt, as though readers are being spoon-fed the significance of a given scene. Additionally, there is some repetition of language, particularly adjectives and descriptive choices during action sequences, but these are small and easily made fixes. As a whole, the language choices are age-appropriate, the technical editing is clean, and this cartoonishly fantastic tale is fun and easy to follow.

Featuring non-traditional heroes finding purpose and progress through communication, maturation, and teamwork, Fever Dreams and the End of All Things is an original and exceptionally creative work of YA fantasy.