Afraid to Dream by Tiana Xander is a contemporary Sci-Fi/Shapeshifter story about Lily, a young woman who has special powers she doesn't fully understand, and Darius, a vampire from another planet. Lily has been emotionally scarred by traumas she suffered as a young child. Unfortunately these traumas leave Lily unable, and unwilling to accept Darius as her mate. Dangers lurk around every corner for Lily as strange creatures from another world and another dimension seek to acquire her for her powers. Darius is a vampire from another world whose ship crashed on Earth millennia ago, and he has been searching for his one true mate ever since. When he meets Lily his archaic attitudes and his deep need to protect her at all costs threatens to drive her away. In the end Lily realizes that despite all the past betrayals and pain, Darius is her one true mate, and agrees to be irreversibly bound to him.

Science Fiction stories are a favorite for me, but Ms. Xander doesn't manage to pull it all together with Afraid to Dream. The characters are never fully developed, transitions are choppy and abrupt, and in the end the story feels unfinished. The concept for the plot line was interesting, but complex, and it just felt like Ms. Xander didn't give herself enough time to finish one thought before moving on to the next. Afraid to Dream isn't necessarily a bad read; I just felt the story line and the characters deserved a little more TLC in their development.

Reviewed by: Michelle R.