Note: I have played through Nehrim and Enderal.I've read the book twice. All 700 plus pages of it. There's four things that really itch me in the right way in a story: a rich universe, politics, well-written tangible characters, and psychological horror. This book hits all four nails on the head in just the right ways. As someone who likes to write in my spare time, I have to start by saying that the writing itself is beautiful, poetic, and brilliant. There's a lovely flow to the prose and it's utterly satisfying to read while not using language that's overly difficult to parse. Lietzau has inspired my own writing in so many ways and I'm forever grateful for all I've learned simply by reading his book. Other authors have been unsuccessful in inspiring me in the same way.The story itself follows two PoV characters, Jespar Dal'Varek and The Man, primarily focusing on the former. For those who have not played the game, Jespar is a former nobleman that's thrown his riches and status behind in favor of the mercenary life. He suffers from addiction, PDST, depression, grief, heartbreak, and many of the other emotions and experiences we suffer as humans throughout our lives. Of all the books I've read, none have portrayed the horrors of these experiences in a more breathtaking and realistic way than Dreams of the Dying. This book takes a very dark dive into the human mind, and this will maintain an important focus throughout the story. Despite this, Jespar is fun, witty, relatable, and has all the flaws and shortcomings that I seek in a main character. It's hard not to love him.The plot itself is something of an emotional roller coaster. It'll pull you through highs and send you through the depths of tragedy and trauma. Action sequences will suck you right in with fast-paced decision making and consequences. Dialogue is witty and extremely fun to follow.Now, the setting. Holy WOW, Vyn might be the most rich world I've ever witnessed in a story. The magic system has so many dimensions (no pun intended, for those who know how it works!) and is well fleshed out. There's such an enriching history in the Kilayan Archipelago while also throwing in some great tidbits from other locations, such as the continent of Enderal (where Jespar is from). I feel like Lietzau could build a wiki containing the collective lore that he's established, and not only would said wiki be enormous, but it would have such a vivid wealth of information that you'd be tempted to believe Vyn is a real place. It's clear that Lietzau has been brewing the world of Vyn for years, and he's thought of everything. From the various species native to Vyn, to the Makehu language (which the author sought assistance from a linguist for—and it shows!), to the religion and its wealth of a history, to the architecture and politics, it feels like the world of Vyn is truly infinite. And it's only just begun! I'm sure there will be so much more to dive into when book 2 comes around, which I am endlessly excited for.As for cons, I think there are few, but of course every piece has some. The romance can occasionally come across as corny, and I would argue that the book is probably longer than it needs to be. That being said, I love a slow burn and many of those "unneeded" pages are filled with that lore that I've come to love so much. It's a bit of a slow start, but once the story revs up, it's truly divine, but I'm afraid there are probably a handful of folks that didn't make it through the beginning because Lietzau does spend a lot of time setting up the rules and the universe.That being said, this book is my favorite novel to date, and I suspect that will only change when book 2 comes around. Considering this is Lietzau's first published novel, this piece is incredible, and I can't wait to see where he will go, both within this series and beyond.Thank you, Lietzau, for gracing us with this masterpiece. You've not only taken me on a brilliant journey with my favorite character from my favorite video game, but you've rekindled my love for storytelling.