For series-minded YA fantasy readers, DreamBound earns its keep once it finds its stride. Reader commentary describes the writing as 'creative and clever… with a good amount of humor and a really great story,' and one reviewer who initially found the opening hard to get into ultimately called it a 'must read' after the pace picked up. The caveat is real, though: the opening chapters demand patience, and the book ends on a deliberate cliffhanger rather than a self-contained resolution — readers who prefer fast openings or tidy endings may find those structural choices frustrating.

Best for ages 12 and up. The publisher designates DreamBound for readers aged 12–18, and the novel's reading level — an adventure-driven narrative with ensemble characters, secondary-world mechanics, and a multi-volume arc — suits confident middle-grade readers and older teens alike. The identity and adoption themes are emotionally substantive but handled within a YA framework appropriate for that age range.

DreamBound (The Colors of Malent Book 1)

by Tim Adams, Sam Inzerillo

A child enters the fantasy world of Malent, where color holds power, in the opening book of The Colors of Malent series by Tim Adams and Sam Inzerillo.

$2.99 on Amazon Read our full review

At a glance

Settingcontemporary Earth and fantasy world Malent

AudienceYA (12-18)

About the Author

Tim Adams, Sam Inzerillo

1 book reviewed

DreamBound

Name: DreamBound (The Colors of Malent Book 1) by Tim Adams, Sam Inzerillo
Author: Tim Adams, Sam Inzerillo

(The Colors of Malent Book 1)

by Tim Adams, Sam Inzerillo

LuvemBooks Verdict

Best for

YA fantasy readers aged 12–18 who enjoy series-format world-building centred on a young female protagonist wrestling with identity, belonging, and destiny across multiple volumes.

Worth it if

You're willing to invest through a slow-burn opening to reach a richly populated secondary world, layered characters, and a cliffhanger that makes the second volume feel genuinely necessary.

Skip if

You prefer self-contained fantasy novels with fast openings and tidy resolutions — DreamBound ends on a deliberate cliffhanger and takes patience to fully ignite.

What readers & critics say

Reader commentary retrieved from Amazon UK describes the novel as "creative and well written," praising the layering of Malent's characters and the storytelling from start to finish. Missysproductreviews1.wordpress.com notes the opening is slow to engage but ultimately calls the book a "must read" once the story finds its pace.

Sources: Amazon UK, missysproductreviews1.wordpress.com

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DreamBound launches The Colors of Malent series with fifteen-year-old Alara Martin caught between escalating dreams of a distant world and a shattering revelation about her own origins — a premise that channels classic YA identity discovery into a richly built secondary world populated with specific, purposeful characters. The novel rewards patient readers who can push through a deliberately paced opening, ultimately delivering humorous, layered storytelling and a cliffhanger designed to carry genuine momentum into Book 2. It is an ideal fit for series-minded YA fantasy fans aged 12–18 who enjoy ensemble world-building and an unresolved arc — less so for those seeking a tidy, self-contained conclusion.

Is it worth reading?: For series-minded YA fantasy readers, DreamBound earns its keep once it finds its stride. Reader commentary describes the writing as 'creative and clever… with a good amount of humor and a really great story,' and one reviewer who initially found the opening hard to get into ultimately called it a 'must read' after the pace picked up. The caveat is real, though: the opening chapters demand patience, and the book ends on a deliberate cliffhanger rather than a self-contained resolution — readers who prefer fast openings or tidy endings may find those structural choices frustrating.
Similar books: Readers drawn to DreamBound's blend of identity mystery, portal fantasy, and richly built secondary worlds will find strong company in the curated shelf below. Rachel Gillig's One Dark Window shares the YA dark-fantasy tone and a protagonist with a hidden, dangerous inner power she must reckon with. Stephanie Garber's Once Upon a Broken Heart offers a similarly series-format YA fantasy built around a young woman entangled in a world of myth and high stakes. For a wider secondary-world canvas built through its cast of characters, J.R.R. Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring remains the foundational touchstone, while V.E. Schwab's The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue delivers that same preoccupation with identity, belonging, and what it means to be truly known.
Who should read this?: DreamBound is built for readers aged 12–18 who enjoy series-format YA fantasy with layered secondary-world building, a coming-of-age protagonist grappling with questions of identity and belonging, and humor woven into adventure. It rewards readers willing to invest past a slow opening and who are comfortable — even excited — by a cliffhanger that leaves the arc open for Book 2. Fans of ensemble fantasy casts and invented societies developed through character interaction rather than exposition will find the world of Malent particularly engaging.
What age is it for?: Best for ages 12 and up. The publisher designates DreamBound for readers aged 12–18, and the novel's reading level — an adventure-driven narrative with ensemble characters, secondary-world mechanics, and a multi-volume arc — suits confident middle-grade readers and older teens alike. The identity and adoption themes are emotionally substantive but handled within a YA framework appropriate for that age range.
What are the main themes?: At its core, DreamBound is a novel about identity and belonging: Alara Martin's discovery that she is adopted, combined with the mystery of why the world of Malent has been calling to her through her dreams, gives the book a dual focus on inherited selfhood and chosen destiny. Questions of where one truly comes from — and where one actually belongs — drive the protagonist's emotional arc throughout. The novel also weaves in themes of coming-of-age readiness, as Alara repeatedly confronts a conflict she feels wholly unprepared to face, and the secondary-world cast underscores themes of community and trust across cultural difference.
Do I need to read this before Book 2?: Yes — DreamBound is the first and essential entry point for The Colors of Malent series, and its cliffhanger ending flows directly into the events of the second volume. The world of Malent, its cast of characters (including Captain Korten and the figures around Alara), and Alara's identity arc are all established here, making Book 1 the necessary foundation for what follows.

Summarize this book

Is it worth reading?

Who should read this?

What age is it for?

What are the main themes?

Do I need to read this before Book 2?

Summarize this book

DreamBound follows Alara Martin, a fifteen-year-old haunted since childhood by vivid, recurring dreams of a beautiful faraway world called Malent. As her dreams intensify to the point of bleeding into waking reality, a traumatic nightmare triggers a bombshell from her parents: Alara is adopted. That revelation cascades into urgent questions — who her real parents are, why Malent keeps calling to her — and propels her into an otherworldly conflict she feels wholly unprepared to face. Co-authored by Tim Adams and Sam Inzerillo, the novel closes on a deliberate cliffhanger, setting the stage for the second volume of The Colors of Malent series.

Follow up

How is the world of Malent built?

How many books are in the series?

Does the co-authorship affect the story's cohesion?

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Age & Reading Level

Recommended age

Ages 12–18

Reading level

Young adult

Browse all 12–18 books

Content to know about

adoption revelation as central plot trauma

identity crisis and questions of belonging

Best for: Ages 12 and up — the multi-volume arc structure, secondary-world complexity, and emotionally substantive adoption and identity themes suit confident readers of middle-school age and older.

Skip if you want a self-contained fantasy story with a fully resolved ending in a single volume.

Editorial Review

DreamBound, the first book in The Colors of Malent series by co-authors Tim Adams and Sam Inzerillo, is a young adult fantasy novel that follows fifteen-year-old Alara Martin as escalating dreams of a distant world collide with a shocking revelation about her origins — launching her into an otherworldly conflict she never anticipated. Originally published in an earlier edition and now reissued in a second Kindle edition (March 2026), the novel offers a compelling blend of identity mystery, fantasy world-building, and adventure for readers aged 12–18.

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Books like DreamBound

Curated picks for readers who enjoyed DreamBound, with our reasoning for each match.

If you liked DreamBound

In our catalogue

One Dark Window

Rachel Gillig

Dual-world tension and a protagonist hiding a secret identity — rewards readers who love slow-burn fantasy reveals with layered lore and a sharp cliffhanger ending.

If you finished DreamBound and immediately searched for books like The Colors of Malent, One Dark Window belongs at the top of your list. Elspeth Spindle carries a monstrous presence inside her mind that she keeps hidden from everyone around her — a setup that mirrors Alara Martin's fractured sense of self and the secret origins she uncovers in DreamBound. Gillig builds her fantasy world through carefully rationed details rather than front-loaded exposition, so the pacing feels patient in the same way DreamBound's opening does, with big payoffs arriving once the pieces lock into place. Both books are anchored by a teenage protagonist navigating belonging and identity against a backdrop of magic that feels both wondrous and dangerous. Readers aged 14–18 who loved DreamBound's balance of personal drama and world-building will feel right at home here.

In our catalogue

The Fellowship of the Ring

J.R.R. Tolkien

The gold standard for patient, richly built secondary-world fantasy — perfect next read for DreamBound fans who want deeper lore and an epic series to commit to.

Readers asking what to read after DreamBound who want to go deeper into a fully realized secondary world will find everything they're looking for in the book that essentially invented the template. Like DreamBound's Malent, Middle-earth is built with specific purpose behind every detail — geography, history, and character all serve the larger story rather than existing as decoration. Tolkien's protagonist Frodo is also a young person who discovers his ordinary life has extraordinary roots, a revelation that reshapes his entire understanding of who he is and where he belongs. The pacing is deliberate and rewards the kind of patient reader who pushed through DreamBound's opening and was glad they did. If the layered world-building and series momentum of The Colors of Malent left you hungry for more, this is the essential foundation of the genre.

In our catalogue

The Name of the Wind

Patrick Rothfuss

A gifted young protagonist reconstructing his true origins through a richly textured fantasy world — shares DreamBound's humorous voice and deep investment in identity and belonging.

If you loved DreamBound and are looking for books like The Colors of Malent series, The Name of the Wind is one of the closest matches in tone and structure. Kvothe tells the story of his own life from orphaned outsider to legendary figure, and that journey of self-discovery through an intricate fantasy world maps closely onto Alara's path in DreamBound. Rothfuss writes with a wit and warmth that keeps even dense lore from feeling like homework — the same quality that makes DreamBound's humor land in the middle of serious identity drama. Both novels are the first entries in ambitious series built on careful world-building and character psychology rather than relentless action. Readers aged 14 and up who appreciated the layered storytelling and cliffhanger momentum of DreamBound will find the Kingkiller Chronicle equally hard to put down.

In our catalogue

Once Upon a Broken Heart

Stephanie Garber

Contemporary girl pulled into an enchanting secondary world by forces beyond her control — delivers the same blend of wonder, identity stakes, and propulsive series momentum as DreamBound.

Readers searching for books like DreamBound that combine a relatable real-world protagonist with an irresistible fantasy pull will love Stephanie Garber's Once Upon a Broken Heart. Evangeline Fox is an ordinary young woman who makes a desperate bargain that drops her into a world governed by rules she doesn't fully understand — a situation that echoes Alara Martin's experience of being caught between her known life and the dream-world of Malent. Garber's writing has the same quality of humor woven through high-stakes emotional moments that makes DreamBound's tone so distinctive, and her world-building is specific and purposeful rather than generic. The novel is also a series opener built around a cliffhanger designed to pull you straight into the next book, making it ideal for the same series-minded YA fantasy reader aged 13–18 who found DreamBound impossible to set aside.