Yesterday's Dreams
by: Danielle Ackley-McPhail
Review by: Tina Morgan  

Kara O'Keefe's life has been turned upside down. Her father's battle with cancer has left the family in severe financial straits. Worried that they might lose their home, Kara pawns the only thing she owns of any value, Quicksilver, her grandfather's violin.

Torn between the need for money and the heartbreak she knows selling the violin will cause her ill father, Kara is unable to stop at just any pawnshop. She wanders the city for several hours before finding herself outside a small, quaint shop called Yesterday's Dreams. With a heavy heart, she enters the shop and comes face to face with Maggie McCormick for the first time.

Maggie isn't your typical pawnbroker. She has been living a secret life for more than a century. Maggie is one of the Sidhe, a fairy. Quicksilver is one of many objects of power being sought by the evil, Lucien.

Kara must come to terms with the reality of a Sidhe in a modern 21st century city, despite what her common sense tells her. Using Quicksilver, she joins forces with Maggie and the other Sidhe to fight the evil forces that threaten to destroy them all.

Danielle Ackley-McPhail, spins an intriguing tale of suspense and magic. Her first novel, Yesterday's Dreams is available by Vivisphere Publishing This was my first experience reviewing a small press novel and I was favorably impressed with the writing, the quality of editing and the materials used in the construction of the book.

Yesterday's Dreams is an engaging and well written tale. While I would have preferred that the multi-viewpoints be narrowed down to fewer characters, it did not detract from the overall enjoyment of the story. The characters and the plot are well-thought out and crafted. I had a hard time putting the novel down.

I recommend Yesterday's Dreams for mainstream audiences as well as fantasy readers. It's a very enjoyable read. * * * * 1/2

You can order Yesterday's Dreams directly from the publisher, at your local bookstore or from Amazon.com.

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Rating Scale:
* * * * * = Un-put-downable, excellent reading!
* * * * = Good value, interesting reading.
* * * = Had potential, but could have been better.
* * = Slow, difficult to read, could have been improved.
* = Imminently forgettable.