Life as a Dream

"Life as a Dream" is a children's novel written by Brandon Becker and published on June 22, 2004.

Although argued to be satirical in nature, this fantasy novel follows the adventure of a boy named Dartz and his dream to live a life of his own. The use of language and abstract thought in "Life as a Dream" bring many of its readers to consider it more of an intellectual literary work than one for children.

Plot summary

Dartz, a boy dressed in blue mail, sets off with a map leading to the Legendary Fountain of Youth. But, before he embarks on this long awaited adventure, he sparks a series of unfortunate incidents that span over three days: Dartz befriends someone a lot like him--Geen; loses Geen in a battle for the map; fends off a pack of goblins in a cave with the help of a garden claw and a farmer named Stip; unknowingly becomes the heir to Stip's land; out performs a contender named Oxer the Boxer in a pig wrestling contest; catches the eye of the Lady of Cas Dibel; gets chased by a group of fighters for hire; battles with a group of barbarians; and takes his new found map to a gypsy hoping that she can testify that its real, but contents himself to only being able to answer that question by following the map to its end.

Dartz then embarks on his journey and the life he has always dreamed of--one of adventure. His traveling companion is a very dedicated pig that won't stop following him. Before he leaves the lands of Lee Saffron, Dartz runs into a mysterious man fishing in a fishless stream. His name is Kiddock and he succeeds at convincing Dartz to let him join him on his journey. They head up a stream toward the Cliffs of Lee Saffron. Oxer the Boxer, after stealing elven shoes so he can cross the hard grass of Rigor's Pass, runs into Dartz, Kiddock, and Pigdon (Dartz names the pig this, which means freedom) and barely gets away with his life. Once they are safe, Oxer leaves them and hopes to see them in the Kingdom of Cas Dibel.

When Dartz, Kiddock, and Pigdon reach Rigor's Pass they find that they cannot continue on their journey to Cas Dibel. They refuse to turn back, so they climb the cliffs to the very top. At the top they run into three other adventurers named Esjir, Daunte, and Ichiton. The two parties are separated by a gap and they each fight an onslaught of trolls that try to kill them. A ship--The Royal Flamingo--from the Kingdom of Cas Dibel, driven by two blazing phoenixes, parks between the two battles on the cliff's horizon. The Lady of Cas Dibel and a boy named Cricket are on the air ship. The Lady remembers Dartz from Lee Saffron. A feather comes loose from one of Esjir's hidden wings and it comes to rest in the Lady's hand after it dances about the sky. [In the prologue, there is a saying in this world that if a feather comes to you then true love will find you. When the Lady catches the feather it symbolizes a true love between The Lady and Dartz.] Dartz tries to jump for the air ship. The Lady tries to save him. He falls.

Kiddock and Pigdon find Dartz in the woods outside of Rigor's Pass. They continue their journey to the Kingdom of Cas Dibel.

In Cas Dibel they run into Oxer who is now cursed for trying to pass through Rigor's Pass. [The elves shrink him as punishment for stealing.] Oxer agrees to travel with Kiddock and Dartz in hopes that it will lead to a cure.

Since they are all broke, Kiddock and Oxer try to win an Ostrich race while Dartz tries to steal a flamingo from the Castle. [Kiddock claims that he can tame a flamingo to catch them fish.]

After yet another series of unfortunate events, they all content themselves to stowing away on the Royal Flamingo on its way to Markenbay. Dartz, Kiddock, and Pigdon hide in crates. One of the phoenixes is shot down, and the ship becomes derelict.

At this point in the story there are a few things that have been revealed: Dartz avenged his father long ago by killing King Tartin and taking his sword; Daunte, Esjir, and Ichiton are actually bounty hunters set out by the new King Javius to kill his father's murderer--Dartz; The Lady of Cas Dibel becomes Princess Gwen; and Gwen discovers that her father, King Tartin, has died and it will spark a war between her and her brother, Javius.

Daunte, Esjir, and Ichiton have finally found Dartz and chase after him as the sea pushes his ship further and further away. Kiddock, Dartz, Pigdon, and Oxer become stranded on an island and run into real Moshidu before they are taken prisoner by the bounty hunters. Secretly, the King Moshidu hunts Dartz for burning down his home.

Dartz and Kiddock are taken by Javius and brought underground. Kiddock breaks the Sage's oath and frees Dartz before he is off to stop a war. Javius reveals to Dartz that he was Geen, but couldn't kill him because he saw too much of himself. Dartz gets pushed off a ledge, breaks down from within, cuts his attachment to the King's sword, and is saved by the sea once again. The King Moshidu hesistates in slaying Dartz for he sees a man and not a boy. Javius accidentally stabs through the King Moshidu thus cursing himself to madness. Kiddock stops the war, and explains that there is an even deeper and greater war brewing that deals with life itself.

In the end, Dartz and Kiddock reunite, and Oxer and Pigdon find them. Esjir disovers he is the reincarnation of Carsonin. [Carsonin is addressed in the prologue.] Daunte, after losing his arm, discovers he is a Dite. Ichiton contents himself to having his friend, Daunte, back. And Stip, after failing to find Dartz, decides to rebuild the Lands of Desolation into a verdant landscape.