The Dreamer (The Black Stone Cycle Book One) (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9798317820916)

Literary Titan Silver Book Award

The year is 2347, and Ash Bennett has had enough. Life with her brilliant, secretive parents means constant running-new colonies, new rules, and strangers who never become friends. She dreams of settling somewhere she might actually fit in, maybe even scoring a date that doesn't involve a glitchy chatter bubble.

But when a quick stop on Phobos goes from routine to disaster, Ash's fragile world implodes. Stranded and hunted by enemies she doesn't understand, she's thrown together with a ragtag crew of teens just as lost as she is.

There's Isaac and Isabel, telepathic twins caught between uncovering the truth about their missing parents and outrunning the Mind Squad agents they once thought were a myth; Edan, a street-smart survivor who just happens to be the prince of the space pirates; Moon, a savant who speaks code more fluently than feelings; and Xai, a mysterious blue alien boy who lingers in Ash's dreams-and who might be far more real than she wants to believe.

As Ash wrestles with grief, trust, and the colossal power flickering to life inside her, she stumbles into a prophecy that feels way too personal. Being the "chosen one" isn't what Ash signed up for. All she's ever wanted was a chance to stop running and just be a regular teenager on some boring moon colony.

Praise for The Dreamer

"Indelible characters fuel this deliberately paced but wholly engaging SF story." - Kirkus Reviews

By the time I reached the later chapters, I realized I was rooting not just for Ash but for the strange little group forming around her. The mix of loss, found family, and growing danger pulled me in. I liked that the book didn't wrap things up neatly. It left questions hanging in the air, teasing a bigger truth waiting on the other side. I enjoy stories that don't talk down to me, and this one trusted me to sit with the unknown.- Literary Titan review

The writing sets the stage for a larger saga, sweeping readers into a futuristic world with incredible detail and wonderfully diverse characters who portray queerness and neurodivergence in ways that feel neither forced nor superficial. - Booklife by Publishers' Weekly review

With telepathic super soldiers closing in, betrayals around every corner, and a galaxy-shaking secret in her hands. Ash must decide whether to keep running-or finally stand and fight. Because some destinies can't be outrun.

The Dreamer is the first book in The Black Stone Cycle, a thrilling YA sci-fi saga about found family, hidden legacies, and the messy, exhilarating journey of discovering who you really are. Fans of Firefly, Skyward, and The Expanse will feel right at home among the stars.