Somewhere Between Death and Dreaming is a collection of dark and fantastical poetry by Christopher Sartin. One of the poems provides a depiction of parasites crawling underneath one's skin, and the narrator is rendered helpless and drowning in pain. Plagued by lucid dreams, the narrator feels trapped in darkness. Why does closure always seem out of reach? In another one, the narrator seeks to reinvigorate themselves in water. The narrator is desperate for someone to recognize them, for they feel lost. Primal instincts drive a dog to risk its life to join a pack. A young girl unleashes her pain and trauma on her best friend, and the sleepover turns into a nightmare. Will the children remember their parents' love and sacrifice? Sometimes, no amount of words can heal the wounds of the past.

Somewhere Between Death and Dreaming will not only appeal to poetry lovers but also dark fantasy/horror fans in general. Christopher Sartin's poetry is mesmerizing. It's dark and haunting and lingers in your mind long after you've finished the book. Any poetry aficionado will revisit this book over and over again. Sartin emphasizes the concepts of death and dreaming in various ways through his poetry, exploring how our lucid dreams can take us to places and situations that don't really make sense when we're awake. He creates an atmosphere that just pulls you in straight away, and it makes these poetic narratives so easy to get lost in. All in all, I think this is a uniquely enjoyable poetry collection. I highly recommend it.

Somewhere Between Death and Dreaming: A Collection of Poems by Christopher Sartin is a thought-provoking read. Most of the pieces examine the persona's inner life. For example, the first poem, “Parasite and Paresthesia”, delves into the antagonistic nature of regret. The very next poem, “Dark Lucidity”, explores how nightmares overcome the persona. Several poems address death from various perspectives. The poem "In the End" claims that our journey through time and space does not end at death. “Deep Within the Bramble” deals with having to watch a romantic love interest be put to rest without having had the time to confess one's feelings. Sartin also focuses heavily on family relationships, especially those between parents and their children. This anthology prompts the reader to ponder the value of life and death.

I enjoyed reading Somewhere Between Death and Dreaming. A lot of Christopher Sartin’s poems read like intriguing short stories. I genuinely love “When the Crows Come Callin”. In my opinion, even the very short poems are very well-paced. Sartin is not overly concerned about rhyming in his poems, and I think this helps him make great word choices to express himself. As a poet myself, my favorite piece in this sixty-five-poem collection is “The Shepherd of Words”. Every poet can relate to having words spill on the page from an emotionally vulnerable place. I also really like how mythical elements such as dragons, ghosts, demons, and gods are featured throughout the works. The theme of horror feels balanced with the theme of hope. I highly recommend Sartin’s work to all poetry enthusiasts.