Nadine Brandes is one of my favorite authors. I love the themes of family, hope, and redemption she weaves into her stories. When I heard that her newest book, a science fiction novel called The Nightmare Virus, would release in July, I immediately looked up where to preorder it. The book arrived a few days before I left on a trip, and, hard as it was, I waited to start reading until my flight there. It was hard waiting, but well worth it!
Summary
When dream technology goes wrong, a virus spreads across the globe, trapping people in a universal dreamscape. They call it the Nightmare Virus.
Cain Cross is determined to find a cure . . . if he can decipher his brother’s chicken-scratch formula notes. But when he gets infected, he has only 22 days until he’s trapped in the mental prison forever. Now, every time he falls asleep, he must fight in a Nightmare Arena until he earns his freedom to live in the “new world” that exists only in the mind.
Then he finds a way to manipulate the Nightmare—to change it by mere thought.
Forced to navigate a world of nightbeasts, mistblades, and half-truths, Cain turns his focus to survival. When the Emperor offers him a LifeSuPod—and access to a cure—in exchange for a dangerous favor, Cain thinks he’s found a way out. But Cain’s new power threatens to take him on paths that jeopardize his very soul.
Will he continue searching for a cure, or will he swear allegiance to the Nightmare? And the bigger question might be . . . will he even have a choice?
When I started reading this book, the setting and worldbuilding drew me in. Cain goes back and forth between our world and the Nightmare world of Tenebra. I like how descriptive Nadine is, using vivid adjectives and verbs to paint a picture of what the surroundings are like. The Nightmare is a lot like Rome–dress, architecture, and weaponry mimic the ancient culture. I thought that was an interesting touch: creating a new world that’s grounded in reality. The weapons used in Tenebra were especially fascinating. There are the typical swords, bows, and daggers, but there are also mistblades, special swords that are designed to kill the nightbeasts. However, that’s not the only thing that deters nightbeasts! There’s an amazing plot twist towards the end that changes things for Cain and his friends.
I was listening to Lauren Hildebrand talk about creating realistic characters, and she said something very interesting about villains. In a nutshell, she said that it’s important not to make the bad guy completely evil; after all, he’s still human. There needs to be something in his past (or maybe even the present) that makes us say, “Okay, I see why he is the way he is. I don’t like it, but I get it.” Nadine did this very well in The Nightmare Virus. The antagonist isn’t completely clear at the beginning. You kind of guess who it is, but it’s not like the Queen of Hearts or the White Witch. There’s another plot twist at the climax that changes everything Cain thought he knew, and I loved how it tied into his character arc so well.
Also, the side characters are wonderful! Stranna is my favorite because she is such a light to Cain when he’s struggling. She also has a kind heart, caring for the children around her and making sure her people are protected.
Cain and Nole are my favorite characters. Cain is determined, a little cocky, and kind, especially to children. He doesn’t just accept his fate and resign himself to his sickness. Instead, he fights his way out, trying to find the cure so many people desperately need. He has motivation, too. He lost his own brother Nole to the virus before they could figure out the cure together. Without Nole’s math and science brain and experience with dream technology, Cain is unsure of how to go on. We do see a bit of Nole’s character in the beginning, and I loved the interaction between the brothers. Nole believes in Cain, believes that he has what it takes to figure out what’s going on behind the virus.
One more thing before I wrap up: this book has the overarching theme of light vs. darkness. I believe that this is such an important theme in books. Was it easy for Cain? No. He went through a lot over the course of the story. But in the end, light triumphs over the dark.
In conclusion, The Nightmare Virus is the perfect book for sci-fi/dystopian readers who love a determined main character, action and adventure, with a little bit of romance thrown in.
