Elise and The Butcher of Dreams

The ocean vanished. Then the water came roaring back through rips in the fabric of reality, bringing along monsters, mysteries, and a war for the soul of humanity. Survivors call it The Turn.

Elise St. Jacques is a young adventurer scarred by her years on the run in this nightmarish new world. With a violin-playing octopus at her side, Elise journeys across ruined cities and reborn seas to save what others would discard: books, art, music, the beautiful things that make life worth living.

But things born of imagination have enemies. Jack, the Dream Butcher, believes humanity’s dreams opened the cosmic doors that nearly destroyed Earth — and he will burn every painting, song, and story to keep those doors shut forever.

As his deadly crusade spreads, Elise must face him in a battle not just for survival, but for the very idea of creativity itself.

From the author:

There can be light, there must be light, even in the darkest of times. My inspiration for this, the second story of Elise St. Jacques and her Astonishing Aquanauts, was again the delicate hold we have on the dreams of childhood. The things we knew as true come under fire as we grow older and it takes courage to maintain our belief in the face of advancing years. This is a darker and more violent story, but in this darkness I tried desperately to maintain that spirit of hope. So, let's put adventure, fantasy, horror, and humor into a blender once more and ride hard with those weird heroes Les Scaphandriers against The Butcher of Dreams.