The Labyrinth of Waking Dreams
Michelle Kulwicki
Page Street YA
Published April 21, 2026
About The Labyrinth of Waking Dreams
In this adventure-packed portal fantasy, three teens discover a gateway to a mythical Labyrinth in the Appalachian Mountains
Barren’s Peak, West Virginia, is not a place anyone would call magical, but Thea LaGuerre calls it home. A high school drop-out whose mother died in an accident, Thea is stuck working part-time jobs just to make ends meet. The most she has to look forward to are barn parties where she can make out with Callum, the one interesting boy who moved to town six months ago.
Thea doesn’t know it yet, but Callum was sent to Barren’s Peak to watch her. He was raised within the magicians’ order, a shadowy organization meant to keep humanity safe from an underworld of monsters. Callum would sacrifice anyone, including himself, to help their cause, but he still can’t help falling into Thea’s orbit. She’s the first person he’s felt seen by since his childhood sweetheart, Oliver—who he hasn’t seen since Oliver’s banishment from the order.
But Oliver hasn’t given up on Callum or on magic. Following a magical creature’s trail to Barren’s Peak, Oliver happens upon Callum and Thea at a barn party that turns into a monster-overrun massacre. To save Callum and the girl he’s protecting from a wave of deadly fairies, Oliver opens a portal for the three of them to flee into the Labyrinth.
To get home again, Thea, Oliver, and Callum will have to work together to survive the Labyrinth’s trials and discover the threads that brought them there.
My Review
This one has a lot of elements that usually appeal to me. Unfortunately, I think I’m not the right audience for this portal fantasy.
The story alternates between Thea, Callum, and Oliver’s points of view. Each viewpoint is well-developed and has a unique voice. I felt like I understood each of them really quickly– in a good way.
The story sets up or passes through a love triangle. I have mixed feelings about that. Like, it was an interesting way to justify using all three points of view. I think the weakest character was at the center of the triangle, though. I never really grew to like this character, so it was sometimes challenging to endure the other characters describing their longing.
The fantasy world is interesting. The story reveals more information about the fantasy world and its history at a good pace. Every time I thought I had all the pieces of the puzzle, new information emerged that made me have to revise what I thought. I like that the story kept me guessing.
On the whole, I think maybe I just didn’t connect enough with the characters. They’re well-constructed. I think a lot of people will love this book, so if a portal fantasy series with a love triangle appeals to you, definitely check it out.
Content Notes
Recommended for Ages 14 up.
Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used fairly frequently.
Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing.
Spiritual Content
Some characters can perform magic. A magical plane exists and has inspired all religious practice and stories in the human world.
Violent Content
Situations of peril. Descriptions of dangerous insects and small creatures harming or killing someone. Battles with magical creatures.
Drug Content
References to a party where teens drink alcohol and smoke marijuana.
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