Dungeons and Dreamers

Victoria Mei’s performance is the beating heart of this audiobook, turning what could’ve been a derivative paranormal romance into something raw and urgent. Her Coal sounds like a guy who’s spent too many nights drinking away the voices in his head, and when she slips into his cadet’s voice—soft, hypnotic, *wrong*—it’s like a punch to the gut. The pacing is relentless; Lidell doesn’t waste time on setup, diving straight into Coal’s downward spiral with the precision of a surgeon. This isn’t a slow-burn slow-burn; it’s a fever dream you can’t wake up from. That said, the short runtime is a double-edged sword. The worldbuilding feels skeletal, and some secondary characters blur into one-note archetypes. The ending, while emotionally satisfying, arrives with the abruptness of a dream cutting to black—effective, but frustrating if you’re craving resolution. Mei’s narration elevates the material, but the story itself leans heavily on its premise. If you’re here for steaming cups of tea and cozy character arcs, look elsewhere. If you want something that’ll burrow under your skin and whisper in your ear at 3 AM, *Dungeons and Dreamers* is your ticket.