Synopsis
This exciting and innovative debut fantasy features intricate worldbuilding, political intrigue, a magic system based on dreams, a mythic storm raging above a city - and secrets from the past that threaten an entire nation. Perfect for fans of Brandon Sanderson, Mark Lawrence and Adrian Tchaikovsky.
'A powerful debut ... This book is well worth your time' JOHN GWYNNE
'This was absolute catnip for me!' MARIE BRENNAN
All such Nightmares were born out of Dreamers' minds - angry, cruel, terrible Dreamers, yes, but still men and women. Here, in the Library, the Nightmares have sparked from dying stories, from the anguished echoes of poets and scribes carved into the crevasses of codexes.
Ash and his crew race across rooftops in pursuit of living lightning from the perpetually raging Motherstorm. This energy the jet-black city of Onyxia depends upon is all that stands between them and starvation. When a monstrous nightmare attacks, death is all but certain - until Ash Dreams a shadow panther into existence to protect himself. But this new power comes with a price: either conscription to the harrowing Academy or indebtment to a wealthy patron.
Daerna belongs to a devout sisterhood who sing canticles to pacify the eternal storm. When she learns of a mysterious sickness spreading through the city's populace, she feels it is her duty to help, even though her order has abandoned the afflicted to their fate. With fellow rebel sisters, her search into the root cause will lead her away from the light into the dark heart of the city where danger lurks.
Geil is a creature born of Dream and bound to the Drake form she conjured to survive her Academy training. While Nightmare-Hunting she encounters a young girl with the dreamer gift and feels compelled to save her from enduring the same cruel fate she faced. But this means returning to the jet-black city, home to the past she has tried to outrun and navigating the political turbulence in the wake of an election.
As each pursues their own ends, they soon discover that they share common interests. But can they find a way to learn from the secrets the city has buried within its past before their whole world turns into a living nightmare?
'What a great read. This is a powerful debut with beautifully sharp prose, distinct characters that leap out of the page, a complex and realistic world full of unpleasant personalities and a magic system that is wonderfully imaginative. This book is well worth your time' JOHN GWYNNE
'Dreams of beauty and nightmarish beasts; skyships and sunken libraries; the mother of all storms . . . This was absolute catnip for me! I cannot wait to see what magic Valcárcel spins next' MARIE BRENNAN
'A powerful debut ... This book is well worth your time' JOHN GWYNNE
'This was absolute catnip for me!' MARIE BRENNAN
All such Nightmares were born out of Dreamers' minds - angry, cruel, terrible Dreamers, yes, but still men and women. Here, in the Library, the Nightmares have sparked from dying stories, from the anguished echoes of poets and scribes carved into the crevasses of codexes.
Ash and his crew race across rooftops in pursuit of living lightning from the perpetually raging Motherstorm. This energy the jet-black city of Onyxia depends upon is all that stands between them and starvation. When a monstrous nightmare attacks, death is all but certain - until Ash Dreams a shadow panther into existence to protect himself. But this new power comes with a price: either conscription to the harrowing Academy or indebtment to a wealthy patron.
Daerna belongs to a devout sisterhood who sing canticles to pacify the eternal storm. When she learns of a mysterious sickness spreading through the city's populace, she feels it is her duty to help, even though her order has abandoned the afflicted to their fate. With fellow rebel sisters, her search into the root cause will lead her away from the light into the dark heart of the city where danger lurks.
Geil is a creature born of Dream and bound to the Drake form she conjured to survive her Academy training. While Nightmare-Hunting she encounters a young girl with the dreamer gift and feels compelled to save her from enduring the same cruel fate she faced. But this means returning to the jet-black city, home to the past she has tried to outrun and navigating the political turbulence in the wake of an election.
As each pursues their own ends, they soon discover that they share common interests. But can they find a way to learn from the secrets the city has buried within its past before their whole world turns into a living nightmare?
'What a great read. This is a powerful debut with beautifully sharp prose, distinct characters that leap out of the page, a complex and realistic world full of unpleasant personalities and a magic system that is wonderfully imaginative. This book is well worth your time' JOHN GWYNNE
'Dreams of beauty and nightmarish beasts; skyships and sunken libraries; the mother of all storms . . . This was absolute catnip for me! I cannot wait to see what magic Valcárcel spins next' MARIE BRENNAN
Details
14 May 2026
9781785124525Imprint: Zaffre
Reviews
What a great read. This is a powerful debut with beautifully sharp prose, distinct characters that leap out of the page, a complex and realistic world full of unpleasant personalities and a magic system that is wonderfully imaginative. This book is well worth your time
Dreams of beauty and nightmarish beasts; skyships and sunken libraries; the mother of all storms . . . This was absolute catnip for me! I cannot wait to see what magic Valcárcel spins next
A fantastically realised, darkly beautiful adventure
Beautifully lyrical and darkly romantic, Valcárcel's Dream of the Jet-Black City imagines an adventure full of diverse characters and an expansive world that would be a pleasure to get lost in. Challenging class and the role of creator, this dark fantasy questions whether the dreams of the powerful are worth the nightmares of the powerless
