Taking the old Japanese fairy tale "The Fox, the Monk, and the Mikado of All Night's Dreaming," Neil Gaiman was able to weave the story into one of his own by infusing into it one of his most famous characters: the Sandman. Although fans of the Sandman series may find this book somewhat lacking (i.e., the Sandman himself is only in a few pages worth of text), others will find it charming, not to mention stunningly illustrated. The most astute observers may even recognize the particular style which flavors the beautiful watercolour paintings. Especially if that person happens to a manga fan. Yoshitaka Amano was the illustrator of one of the best known stories of all time: Vampire Hunter D.

As the book begins, we witness a small wager between a fox and a badger. They are attempting to drive a local monk out of his temple. Whomever succeeds gets to reside within the temple. Whoever loses must leave. After several tries on both sides, the monk realizes what is going on, and burns the badgers tail. Dignity hurt, the badger leaves, and the wager is forgotten. The fox then returns, explains what had transpired and begs forgiveness. The monk, being a kind man, offers to allow the fox to stay. He had no way of realizing that the fox had fallen madly in love with him.

One night, the fox was hunting and discovered a group of monstrous beasts discussing the most particular matter. It seemed that a neighboring lord had a terrible time with fear, and wished no longer to be afraid. His magical advisors told him of a way to rid himself of fear, at the cost of the monk's life. The little fox, desperate to find a way to save her monk, sought the master of dreams who told her that she could dream the dream of death for the monk, but she would die in his stead. The monk discovers the body of the fox, nearly dead, and tries to find a cure for her. On his trek, he meets a man that tells him that she is lost in the land of dreams, dying slowly. So, the monk seeks a way to find the Master of Dreams (aka the Sandman) so that he may take his rightful place in the death dream, therefore allowing the fox to live.

The Dream Hunters is a wonderfully retold story of love, noble sacrifice, and revenge. It is also a must read for any fan of Japanese folklore, not to mention any fan of Neil Gaiman's work.



Recommended: Yes