In 2023, Logan Karlie had just released Dream by the Shadows into the world. She’d been working on the fantasy novel for years, from teenage sketches with ideas inspired by The Phantom of the Opera and Labyrinth, to early drafts in college. With the self-published book finally out for readers to enjoy, she thought that would be it. Little did Karlie know that everything was about to change.
“Within weeks, its readership began to grow,” said Karlie, “and soon I was receiving interest for audio rights and foreign translations. I knew I needed help navigating those opportunities, so I signed with my agents, who encouraged me to edit and submit the book to publishers. Not long after, I had a life-changing offer.”
That offer? The leap to traditional publishing. Now with a full team working to give the Kingdom of Noctis a wider reach and bringing it to eager readers around the world, Dream by the Shadows has been granted a second life — and a makeover. Christy Ottaviano Books (Little Brown Books for Young Readers) is releasing an all-new, deluxe limited edition, featuring never-before-seen content, stunning sprayed edges and an exclusive foil case. Not only that, with the jump to traditional publishing, Karlie has also signed on for a second book in The Shadow Weavers Duology, coming in Summer 2026.
“It’s funny, Dream by the Shadows was never truly meant to be a standalone in my mind,” said Karlie. “Even before I finished the first draft, I knew there was more story to tell; I just hadn’t mapped out the sequel yet. Having the chance to expand it under a traditional deal has been such a gift, because I get to dive deeper into Esmer and Erebus’s relationship, the depths of the Dream Realm, and the darker corners of Noctis that the first book only hinted at.”
What can we expect in the next shadow-filled installment? Higher stakes on every front! Karlie shared that “there will be more danger, more secrets unraveled and a brewing threat that will test the bonds our characters have fought so hard to build. It’s a continuation that feels both inevitable and thrilling, and I can’t wait to share where the shadows lead next!”
What is it about Dream by the Shadows that has readers clamoring for more? It’s a breathtaking romantasy novel packed with lush, immersive settings and irresistible tension. “Romantasy is an intoxicating genre because it often features a love story that heightens the stakes of the world, and [a] world itself that challenges and deepens the relationship,” said Karlie.
In her debut fantasy novel, Karlie made sure to honor the iconic tropes that readers have come to know and love, while also delivering something that was unique and new. “I wanted Dream by the Shadows to be as much an immersive, unsettling journey through a dreamscape as it is a romance,” said Karlie. “My hope was to give readers the emotional satisfaction they expect from romantasy while surprising them with settings, dangers and character dynamics they haven’t quite seen before.”
Dream by the Shadows features a pulse-pounding journey for protagonist Esmer Havenfall as she navigates her own complex past and the shadow magic and Corruption that threatens her world at every turn. However, at its core, the story exposes Esmer’s grief and her deepest fears, using a magical framework to wrestle with the true horrors that we face constantly in the real world.
When asked about the themes woven into the novel, Karlie explained that “at its heart, Dream by the Shadows is about confronting the parts of ourselves we’d rather keep buried — the grief, fear and insecurities that can shape our choices — and deciding what we’ll do when they rise to the surface. My biggest hope is that readers walk away feeling that even in the darkest chapters of our lives, we are not defined solely by what’s happened to us, but by the choices we make moving forward. And that it’s okay for healing to be messy, nonlinear and deeply human, even in a world of magic and shadows.”
