The Book of Dreams
Series: Demon Princes 5
Reviewed date: 2009 Apr 15
Rating: 2
235 pages
I enjoyed the first book in Vance's Demon Princes series, but The Book of Dreams is tedious. Kirth Gersen tracks down the final prince, Howard Alan Treesong. Gersen's scheme is childish: he publishes a picture of Treesong and promises a reward to anyone who can correctly identify him.
Armed with the correct name, Gersen tracks down his parents, who give him an old notebook--the Book of Dreams--that once belonged to Howard. In a fortuitous coincidence, Treesong's school reunion is happening, and Treesong attends. Gersen shoots Treesong, but only wounds him.
Next, Gersen lures Treesong by using the Book of Dreams as bait. Treesong bites, he loses, he dies. Seriously, that's the whole plot.
The witty banter that I love about Vance's writing is largely absent from The Book of Dreams. Treesong's notebook, the Book of Dreams, is a mish-mash of incoherent ramblings. It's a MacGuffin.