Sleepwalker: The Last Sandman

I absolutely loved this story, it was well written and action packed, the author has a great imagination. The characters were nicely defined and all of them were completely fleshed out. You felt as though you knew each and every one of them. Ditto on the locales, you could visualize each of the different places the book took place. My favorite part of the book is where Jake (the dad) had to make up or tell a story. Sort of a story within a story. These miniature tales were so entertaining and enthralling, I was almost disappointed that they didnt go on. The writing is very well done. I know that this is his first published book, but there are more to come. Count me in for the next one, Brad.

The world Marlowe creates is imaginative and expansive, with nods towards more familiar stories. Nicely put together and hard to put down.

What a magnificent imagination this author has. I love the idea of being able to travel to dream land as I wished to be able to do that when I was a kid. The characters were likable and spoke the way children actually speak. It did not sound like an adult trying to speak, kid. I was also impressed when the author chose to make one character switch from a he to a she, back and forth. At first I thought he had made a mistake but I soon realized it was quite intentional and found out why, later in the book. I love it when I cant predict it all. I also thoroughly enjoyed the stories inside the story by Jake. Jake was known to be an off the cuff great story teller and would get many requests to do so. He was even requested to do so to receive the book that was vital to the conquering of the nightmare in the dreamland. Just another example of this authors fantastic story telling ability. I found myself drawn in to this story each night when I picked it up. I actually looked forward to snuggling in to bed under the covers and continuing to read. It was like a little fantasy vacation to some far off distant land and I could leave all the problems of this world behind as I traveled with those trying to conquer the nightmare and repair dream land for those in dream land as well as our own. I cant believe this is an indie author. He writes exceptionally well, the story was well defined, it flowed beautifully and I could not find a single flaw in it all. I dont say this very often about books but this was simply brilliant. I can even see this being made in to a movie...easily. This will definitely appeal to a younger crowd, no doubt, but it is also enjoyable for the older crowd as well. To the author: Bravo. You did wonderfully and I look forward to more from you in the future. The only reason I gave this 4 stars is because I got an earlier version that had a small formatting issue. Every so often, the font size would change and I would be ripped out of the story until I upped the font size or decreased the font size on my Kindle. The author has stated that he has done some fine tuning to the book so hopefully that issue was resolved and anyone buying this book now or in the future will have a nice, clean version.

I will start by saying that I love to read indies and I purchased this work solely based on a post by the author on the discussion boards. The price was definitely right and the blurb seemed interesting enough. While I dont normally fancy myself a fantasy reader, I decided to give it a shot. I can say, without a doubt, this book is among the top 5 that I have ever read by any indie that I have found! I am so glad that Mr. Marlowe took the opportunity to make a post and suck me into the Land of Nod. This little work of art was amazingly well written, Mr. Marlowe made his world build up around me and I found myself totally immersed in it. I wanted to be there and I am happy that I went! This was one of those works that touches you in all of the ways that you want a story to touch you. A fabulous tale of commitment, love, dreaming (and keeping your dreams alive) and I can only say that I found myself sad when it was over. This is the type of story that, young or old, parent or not, you find yourself connected to thanks to Mr. Marlowes beautiful ability to tether you with his words. If I could, I would stand and applaud this writers efforts and his willingness to share this thing of beauty with all of us. I wholeheartedly give this book 5 stars and HIGHLY recommend everyone take the opportunity to read it. You will be happy that you did, I know I am.

This is a well-written book and an excellent story. I got snagged a little bit in the middle with the more surreal parts of the story, but that probably has as much to do with outside influences as it does with the obscurity of the storyline. When I read The Last Sandman again, I imagine those few parts of the book will make much more sense. The stories within the story were fantastic and the author tells the overall narrative in a conversational manner that I enjoyed. I look forward to whatever Brad Marlowe comes up with next and will be watching this author with much interest. And thanks again for the free digital copy that came with the purchased paperback, Brad!

Although I really think that tweens and teens will thoroughly enjoy Sleepwalker: The Last Sandman I think the book has a great story and meaning to offer to adults as well. The storytelling is tight and fast paced, but it was the sort of book that you almost didnt want to finish, because you knew youd miss the characters when the last page was done. The characters are realistic and even in the most fantastic of situations the author finds them in, you can hear the truth of the characters as you read. The fantasy elements are so neatly done, that you find yourself believing them just as much as you believe in the more mundane and recognizable reality that Jake, Cole & Sean are experiencing in the story. Many authors can make fantasy exciting and others can make reality realistic, but to be able to do both is something you dont often seen in YA novels. Also, unlike many YA books, this story had characters that both boys and girls would be interested in. This is definitely not a book that will be pegged as a book just for boys or just for girls. I could easily have seen our family reading this book as a read-aloud book when my daughter was younger. The chapters are of a manageable size for an evenings read. But more than that, this book touched on many subjects and emotions that I, as a mother of a teenager who is rapidly preparing to go out on her own, was deeply touched by. The love of children for their parents, the love of parents for their children, the strength of children, the weaknesses in even the best parent figures - all of these themes come into play in Sleepwalker:The Last Sandman in a way that made it more than worth my time to read. I usually archive books as soon as I finish them, but this one I have left on my Kindle. I find myself going back to peek in on the characters and I am anxiously awaiting what happens next!

By any standard, including the work of many of todays leading authors, this is an exceptional book. *As in the best literature, the characters are created stroke-by-stroke rather than in extended, often boring, asides. *The plot is highly original, properly braided with natural transitions between character and locale, and the rhythm and pacing are perfectly suited to the writers easy flowing style. One has only to read the prologue, which is included in the free sample, to gain an appreciation for the excellent prose quality. The hook is excellent, quickly and deeply set, and is fully supported by the books development. *Dialog is spot-on, never stilted, and children sound like children--precocious children to be sure, but children nonetheless--rather than obnoxious forty year olds. *The formatting of the book is essentially perfect and the editing is nearly so. This is a thoroughly professional job in every respect. In closing, Ill simply add that, were I a literary agent, Id be doing all within my power to get this writer under contract. With proper representation and guidance, Im confident hes destined for a highly successful career.

If youre a kid at heart, youll like this book. Its one of those fun, engrossing reads, that anyone from 9 to 90 will like. Its fantasy, which isnt my usual choice, but not the kind of fantasy with dragons, fairies, and swashbuckling elves, its got its own dream characters, in this dreamland of Nod, that I found thoroughly enjoyable and different from the usual dragons and princess fantasy books. Im looking forward to another adventure from this author. I give it 5 stars for fun, great storytelling, and smooth writing.