Dream by the Shadows (Shadow Weaver Duology, Band 1)

In dreams he will haunt her. Through shadows she must save him.

In the Kingdom of Noctis, dreams are deadly and darkness reigns. Villages are rife with Corruption, a soul-stealing curse spread by dreaming, and the wicked Shadow Bringer is said to rule from his monstrous castle in the Dream Realm. Only the elixir, an expensive draught taken every night before sleeping, can halt dreams and prevent the curse from taking hold. But it is terribly expensive — and cannot cure those already afflicted.

Esmer Havenfall has only ever wanted to escape her miserable village life. But when her sister dies from Corruption and her elixir-dealing parents are accused of a horrific crime, her life turns from one nightmare to another. And when she begins dreaming of the Shadow Bringer and learns that his monstrous powers might be hers, too, she's wrenched away from everything she's ever known to join him in his castle in the Dream Realm.

If they wish to earn their freedom, Esmer and the Shadow Bringer must fight to save both their kingdom and their souls. Unfortunately, time is running out; even as they traverse a precarious dreamscape, rushing to unravel the Shadow Bringer's haunted past, more dreamers are falling prey to Corruption and dying. And if they fail, they'll be lost to the Dream Realm forever.

Beauty and the Beast meets Labyrinth in this young adult fantasy novel about a deadly dream world and the shadow-cursed girl that must survive it. If you like enemies-to-lovers romance, atmospheric writing, and original fantasy worlds filled with curses, secrets, and a touch of horror, then you'll love Dream by the Shadows.