Cage of Dreams
Ratings3
Average rating3.7
In this thrilling sequel and conclusion to the City of Nightmares duology, which has been praised as "so much fun readers will stay up all night to finish it" (Kirkus, starred review), Ness is forced to make a twisted deal with the Nightmare Phantom—only to find herself embroiled in the explosive fallout of the agreement when a botched assassination attempt unleashes chaos into the City of Newham. Nineteen-year-old Ness used to have a vehement terror of Nightmares—people who’d been turned into their worst fears while they slept. Through two assassination attempts, an explosion, and a faustian bargain with a dream demon, she’s finally working through those fears. Unfortunately, Nightmares aren’t the only dangerous thing in Newham. Working at a speakeasy where gunfights are common and death is a regular occurrence, Ness is forced to reckon with all her other fears—including her fear of mortality. It’s easy to die in Newham, but it’s hard to live. So when the Nightmare Phantom—the monster that turns people into Nightmares—shows up, asking her another favor, she agrees, but only if he turns her into a Nightmare. One of her own choosing, something bullet proof and strong and able to live without fear. But when Ness’s attempt to fulfill the bargain goes wrong, things start to spiral out of control. Now, Ness is in the crosshairs of enemies old and new, and this time, she can’t run from her problems. If she wants to survive, she’s going to have to conquer the most difficult enemy of all: herself
Reviews
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3.5 stars
I love the unique and fresh world building in this book, and that the author was not afraid of writing a character who is selfish and morally grey, but felt like this was a weaker book than the first one. It was still a fun read but did not suck me in like the first book did.
Ness yang berusia 19 tahun, tadinya berpikiran negatif terhadap teror oleh mahluk “Mimpi Buruk”– manusia yang berubah menjadi mahluk yang paling mereka takuti ketika mereka tidur dan bermimpi. Ness mampu melalui 2 usaha pembunuhan dan peledakan, dia akhirnya mampu berdamai dengan hal-hal yang paling ditakutimya.
Sayangnya, mahluk Mimpi Buruk bukanlah yang paling berbahaya di Newham. Ketika Hantu Mimpi Buruk (Nightmare Phantom) – monster yang mengubah manusia menjadi mahluk Mimpi Buruk – muncul, meminta Ness memberi bantuan lain (selain yang sudah dilakukan Ness di akhir buku pertama), Ness menyetujuinya, dengan syarat Ness diubah menjadi mahluk Mimpi Buruk. Ness memilih sendiri ingin menjadi mahluk apa, mahluk yang tahan peluru, kuat dan mampu hidup tanpa takut.
Namun ketika usaha Ness untuk memenuhi janjinya berjalan salah, semua hal menjadi kacau balau. Kali ini Ness tidak bisa lari dari masalah dan ketakutannya. Ness harus bisa mengatasi musuh yang paling berat baginya, yaitu dirinya sendiri.
Melanjutkan City of Nightmares, Cage of Dreams dibuka dengan Ness memulai mencari pekerjaan baru, setelah insiden dgn kultus Friends of The Restful Soul. Pekerjaan yang akhirnya didapatkannya membuatnya bertemu kembali dengan Nightmare Phantom.
Aku memberi 4 bintang, meskipun menurutku Cage of Dreams ini fantasi ringan yang cukup menyenangkan dibaca namun karakter Ness yang sangat egois dan mampu mengorbankan siapapun untuk mendapatkan semua keinginannya tidak dapat kubenarkan. Menyenangkan karena ada beberapa adegan dibumbui dengan humor gelap (kesukaanku). Walau karakter Ness seperti diatas namun banyak selipan pelajaran hidup dalam buku ini.
