This Dream Will Devour Us (Emma Clancey, A&U Children’s)

What if humanity developed a drug that could manipulate the elements – essentially perform magic? In This Dream Will Devour Us, debut author Emma Clancey builds a world where the potent substance levicium grants magical abilities but is hoarded by the billionaire Lamour family, making it only accessible to the elite. Nora, the novel’s determined heroine, knows firsthand the cost of this inequality. Fuelled by the loss of her father and needing money for her hospitalised brother, Nora yearns to become a Dream Engineer – highly-paid, magic-wielding experts funded by the Lamours. When she unexpectedly gains entry into their exclusive world, Nora strikes a precarious deal with Remy, the youngest of the Lamour brothers, in hopes of securing a coveted recommendation for the training program. Clancey’s richly imagined world deftly mirrors real-world wealth disparity, making the fantasy both thrilling and unsettlingly familiar. Her vivid descriptions of the dazzling displays of levic-magic are wondrous and grounded in biochemistry, lending an air of plausibility to the supernatural. The story takes a sharp turn in the second half, escalating into a whirlwind of unsolved mysteries, heists, elite soirees, body-swapping, cover-ups and murder. Ultimately, it’s a rollicking, fast-paced read that barrels along to a satisfying, if not expected, conclusion. With a PG-rated love triangle and plenty of excellent LGBTQI+ representation, This Dream Will Devour Us is a fantasy thriller that will entertain fans of Kate J Armstrong’s Nightbirds and readers aged 13+.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Marissa Kyriakopoulos lives in Naarm and is a bookseller and reviewer. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

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