A Dream Gone Awry: My Thoughts on Cage of Dreams
When I picked up Cage of Dreams, the final installment in R. Schaeffer’s City of Nightmares duology, I was hoping for a thrilling conclusion to a premise that was as intriguing as it was bizarre. Ah yes, living nightmares and a city where one’s deepest fears manifest? Sign me up! But as I delved deeper into this literary escapade, I found myself cringing and laughing in equal measure, much like I imagine one does while watching a captivating train wreck unfold.
Let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way: the characters. Ness, our protagonist, seemed to regress from the first book’s somewhat precarious journey of growth into a caricature of former unlikability. Instead of any character development, we are treated to a muddled inner monologue filled with circular thoughts that left me feeling more frustrated than entertained. It was as if the intricate threads of her past had unraveled completely, taking Cy and Priya down with her. The side characters that once held promise now faded into mere shadows, a missed opportunity that left me aching for more depth.
In terms of plot, Cage of Dreams is packed with peculiar elements that I can only describe as… well, ridiculous. Murderous napkins (not a joke!) and living carrots that somehow conspire to take lives? While I commend the imagination behind these bizarre ideas, the execution felt disjointed, diverting attention from the main narrative thread. And don’t even get me started on the social commentary sprinkled throughout the text. Instead of enriching the story, it seemed like Schaeffer was couching sentiments about romance novels and social issues in a way that felt more preachy than poignant. Lines like, “If you read fantasy romance, you are going to be okay with abusive relationships,” left me scratching my head in disbelief.
The writing itself veered into the territory of bewildering. Schaeffer’s prose oscillated between borderline juvenile and tedious repetitiveness, making the read feel longer than it had to be. The dialogue often plodded along, replete with lengthy therapy-esque rants that felt more like the author trying to vent than genuine conversations. I had a difficult time connecting with the narrative or its characters due to this stilted style.
Yet, I can’t say reading this book wasn’t a strange sort of fun. For anyone looking for a “hate read,” where you cringe and chuckle at the bizarre happenings, Cage of Dreams serves as a guilty pleasure. It seems to reflect a deeper frustration from the author about the popularity of romantic tropes that don’t align with her artistic vision. In doing so, however, it comes across as hypocritical, with Ness embodying an attitude that felt somewhat pretentious, as she navigated her own conflicting feelings about romance.
In summary, if you enjoyed the sheer strangeness of its predecessor or have a penchant for books that tread the line between humorous and bewildering, Cage of Dreams might just be your cup of tea. For those seeking literary finesse or a deep emotional connection with the characters, this may be a journey best left untraveled. Personally, I find myself signing off the reading roster for R. Schaeffer, adding her to my growing ‘authors I’m divorcing’ club.
In a world brimming with captivating narratives, it’s a bittersweet comfort to know that sometimes, we can laugh even through the literary train wrecks!
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