Set in a fantasy, reimagined India where dreams can be captured and bottled, young Mimi Malou must go on a quest to save the king and rescue her parents. A gorgeous adventure dripping in magic from debut author Nazima Pathan, perfect for fans of Starfell, The Hatmakers and The Kingdom Over the Sea.
In the Citadel, we hunt. Dreams are our prey. If we catch them before they melt into moonlight, they can be recycled and sold for great profit. My family has been hunting dreams for generations. Capturing them as they slip away, and storing them in a soaring, magnificent library.
Twelve-year-old Mimi lives with her Aunt Moyna in a centuries-old Citadel where she studies the ancient practice of making, capturing and recycling dreams. The Citadel was once run by Mimi’s parents who have been imprisoned by the king, accused of treason.
When Mimi spies a royal visitor, she uncovers a plot to transform the Citadel from a place of gentle, healing dream craft to one of creating nightmares in order to poison the king.
With only her dream creature, Lalu, and her best friend Rafi by her side, Mimi must escape the Citadel and begin a perilous journey across India. There are few people she can trust, but saving the life of the king is in Mimi’s hands alone...
Praise for Dream Hunters:
‘Captivating storytelling’ – Abi Elphinstone, author of the Ember Spark series
'A glorious debut, packed with a spellbinding magic system, characters you’ll be rooting for from the very beginning, and an adventure that will have readers at the edge of their seats. I couldn’t put it down!’ – Natasha Hastings,
author of The Miraculous Sweetmakers
'Dream Hunters is a thrilling adventure, threaded through with intricate magic, beautiful storytelling prose and characters you’ll want to run away with. I was drawn immediately into her world and didn’t want to leave!’ – Zohra Nabi, author of The Kingdom Over the Sea
‘An immersive and breathtaking adventure with dreams and nightmares at its heart. I adored the skilfully imagined magic – I can’t stop thinking about it!’ - A.F. Steadman, author of the Skandar series
'The most imaginative and riveting interpretation of dreams and nightmares for children since Roald Dahl's The BFG, a gripping quest of wonder and endless invention that shimmers with magic from the very first page, as tender as it is thrilling.' - Piers Torday, author of The Last Wild
‘Step into the dream-lit alleys of Mumbai with Nazima Pathan's magical debut where each page twinkles like a star in the night sky, and dreams are not just visions of sleep but doorways to fantastic adventures. Nazima’s vivid imagination and lush storytelling will keep readers wide-eyed long into the night, dreaming of their next adventure.’ - David Solomons, author of My Brother is a Superhero
This is Book 1 in the Dream Hunters Series. See all Dream Hunters books here.
Nazima was born in India and raised in London, moving later to Cambridge where she lives with her husband and two children. She is a children’s doctor and researcher but has always enjoyed reading and writing stories. In a way, science when conveyed well is a tale of the why’s, the how’s and therefore’s.
But children’s stories are special, important and
