When I heard about Nazima Pathan’s magical debut Dream Hunters takes place in a reimagined India where dreams can be captured and bottled. I was drawn back to my childhood and the love I had for Dahl's BFG – because who doesn’t love the idea of the wonderful dreams we have been given to experience?

Pathan takes the idea of bottled dreams up a notch however, and I loved how they were more than just dreams but something to be used in a form of currency or bargaining chip. With that, they’re also a commodity that can be used against people and that’s what happens in Dream Hunters.

The world-building we do have is wonderful, though I kind of wish there had been more of the almost ethereal beauty of the history of Mumbai etcetera even with the reality of poverty in both the fictional and reality of the city and those around it to show how the street children we encounter survive. Even in fantasy, not everything is perfect and children may not comprehend what Rafi, one of the main characters has endured.

The magical elements are so well done, from the schooling about dreams that we get glimpses of, to the way these dreams are caught, and then used by the populace. It will have many a child wondering if they too may have one of these dreams brought to them – but hopefully not the awful nightmares!

There’s adventure, and enough mystery to keep a reader or perhaps listener if this is a bedtime read. Captivated and eager to find out if Mimi, Rafi and their magical companions can save the day. Additionally, the gorgeous artwork throughout the book weaves this tale together – I always love it when books have sporadic artwork, can they bring it into adult books more, please?

This is a wonderful book and a unique spin on the idea of dreams and I look forward to seeing what else comes from Nazima Pathan’s dreams in their next book.