Tidi's Dream
Tom Berliner, Dave Bledsoe
Paperback
(Independently published, Aug. 6, 2020)
Tidi’s Dream is a fantasy written for teenagers while also appealing to many adults. Tidi is the ten-year-old daughter of the king of Singulara. In developing her meditation skills, she learns that she is able to inconsistently transport herself from her room to faraway lands. Twice she travels to a land called Kwerchland and meets Prince Aldoro. Each time she arrives as an early-twenties-year-old woman. When she returns, involuntarily, she reverts to her younger self. The king, Tidi’s father, tolerates her stories, much like a parent listening to a child talking about invisible friends. One day, though, Tidi somehow senses the approach of the Dominique, Aldoro’s ship. As amazing as it seems, the ship comes into port. The king is unable to explain how Tidi could know Aldoro, although his daughter reminds him of her earlier accounts. The bridge in credibility is filled in by the king’s chief advisor who suggests that Aldoro is an evil prince with powers to hypnotize Tidi. Trusting in his advisor’s counsel, the king banishes Aldoro and his crew from Singulara. Cressie, Tidi’s attendant, overhears the chief advisor plotting with the king’s brother to overthrow the king. They have worked with an evil empire to secretly invade the country. Tidi must do something! Miraculously, she is able to transport herself back to the Dominique and plan with Aldoro to save the country. How that happens makes for an extremely entertaining story. Within the context of the fantasy, credible actions take place to deal with the coup d'état. Along the way, heroism and hysterics abound.