Things are always a little off in Arkham, but now something’s really wrong. Nightmares are plaguing the citizens. Half of them are afraid to fall asleep, the other half are caught in a sleep so deep they can’t wake up. No one knows what’s going on or why otherwise healthy people just won’t wake up. When April May’s best friend, Nella, falls victim to the sleeping sickness, April is desperate to find a cure. So desperate that she’ll try anything, even facing her own fears and venturing into the depths of dreamland to save the sleepers. But there’s still the bigger question of who’s trapping them in the first place. Just what is going on in Arkham? Find out in the latest Arkham Horror installment: The Nightmare Quest of April May by Rosemary Jones.
Warning: light spoilers for this story below! Note: While I am reviewing this book independently and honestly, a copy has been provided to me by Aconyte books for the purpose of this review.
Things are getting scary in The Nightmare Quest of April May
Life has always been a little strange in Arkham. People know to avoid certain areas and there are more than a few whispers about, well, odd things happening. A general feeling of things being not right pervades the town. But in The Nightmare Quest of April May, those whispers start to come out of the shadows. Instead of being an isolated event that affects just one or two people at a time, the entire town is plagued by nightmares and a sleeping sickness that no one can explain.
Of course, even though everyone knows something is going on, most of them remain unaware of the actual supernatural cause behind the town’s troubles. Only a select few like Carolyn Fern, Harvey Walters and Lefty are aware that something bigger is happening. Most people are understandably just worried about it being another epidemic like the flu outbreak of 1918. But those who do know the truth are working hard to find a solution. Luckily, April May finds Carolyn and Harvey. They know (sort of) what’s going on, she has the ability to walk in the dreamlands lucidly. Together, they can save Arkham. It won’t be easy, and April has never considered herself a brave person, but for her best friend, she just might become one.
Nightmares and sleeping sickness are just symptoms of a bigger problem in this Arkham Horror
I didn’t realize it at the time, but The Forbidden Visions of Lucius Galloway, the last Arkham Horror installment, was the first in a smaller story arc called The Drowned City. It set certain events in motion. Now in The Nightmare Quest of April May, some of those events are starting to have consequences. What happens to Arkham in The Nightmare Quest of April May isn’t a direct result of Lucius Galloway’s adventures, but more of a side quest that some opportunists try to take advantage of.
Still, Arkham is rushing towards some bigger disaster than usual (Arkham is always on the verge of a major disaster from arcane forces). A truly monstrous deity is being called and if it breaks through the world will be very sorry. Aconyte Books promises to continue The Drowned City story arc and I can’t wait to see where it will go. I’m sure that April May, Lucius, and their friends (and possibly some more, as yet unknown players) will be meeting up to stop the madness and save the world soon, and it should be a nail-biting showdown when they do.
April May manages some real growth under pressure
April May starts The Nightmare Quest of April May as an underwhelming heroine. Not that she’s not a great character! She’s sweet and kind, hardworking and practical. I liked her, she just didn’t seem like hero material. But then her best friend is put in danger, and that’s a strong catalyst.
April May has always been a quiet person. She lets her mother, her aunts, her best friend be the loud ones while she quietly watches and supports them. But she’s a smart girl, she can make connections and see bigger pictures. When her friend starts having nightmares and then can’t wake up, April recalls a doctor who placed an ad looking for people suffering from nightmares. April decides this doctor might have an idea of what’s going on, so she tracks her down.
Dr. Carolyn Fern does have an idea about the problem, but she needs April’s help to find the solution. But it will mean April has to face her own fears, and she isn’t sure she can do that. April resists for a long time, but when it becomes clear that she is the only person who can lucidly enter the dreamlands and save the citizens of Arkham, she finally agrees to try.
This one small act of bravery unlocks a part of April she didn’t know was there. Defending her friend in the dreamlands, April realizes she is strong and can do whatever she needs to do. When she wakes up, she takes that knowledge with her. To her complete surprise, she’s no longer the quiet mouse that she was before, she can stand up for herself, face her fears, and save Arkham in the process!
I really liked April’s reluctant path to heroism. Some heroes are all set to go right out of the gate. They’re strong, they’re confident, and nothing scares them. And that’s great, those kinds of heroes are entertaining too. But there’s something about the shy, quiet hero that doesn’t think they can help anyone until they find the right push and take the leap. Then they find that they can do it, and in fact they can do even more. Natural heroes are comforting, but reluctant heroes remind us that we all have the potential inside of us, and that’s aspiring!
The Nightmare Quest of April May is another great story in the Arkham Horror line
I really enjoy the Arkham Horror series. The characters are fun and the stories are exciting. Jones continues this trend with The Nightmare Quest of April May. If you have read any of the other Arkham Horror books and enjoyed them, then you’ll love this one. If you haven’t read them but you like books that are a healthy mix of horror, humor, and adventure, then what are you waiting for? Grab The Nightmare Quest of April May and get started today!
My rating: 9/10
Are you interested in this book? Have you read it already? Let us know what you think on social media @mycosmiccircus or @TheCosmicCircus.com on Bluesky!
Book Review: The Forbidden Visions of Lucius Galloway by Carrie Harris an Arkham Horror Novel
