[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/glass_book_dream_eaters.png]]
''The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters'' is a 2006 novel by Gordon Dahlquist. It was followed by the sequel ''The Dark Volume'' (2008), and concluded by ''The Chemickal Marriage'' (2012).

Imagine you had the means to bend and form another person's will as easily as plasticine, or the knowledge of how to conserve your memories in a way to relive them again and again, as intensive as the first time. Better yet, what if you could relive the most debauched memories of others as if they were your own? What could you do with such a valuable ability - [[TakeOverTheWorld take over the world]]? Well, why not - especially if you're a party of bored, rich nobility and bourgeoisie with nothing better to do.

Into this stumbles our [[EnsembleCast ensemble]], consisting of two gentlemen (to use the term quite loosely, scandalously even), and one young lady. Our trio start off with separate reasons and in fact do not cross paths for a considerable amount of time. The unlikely adventurers in question are as follows:

* Miss Temple, a constrained, if internally rebellious young woman, wants her fiancé back - or, at the least, a good reason as to why he quite suddenly and perhaps even rudely terminated their engagement. And after what appeared to be a rather functional relationship, no less.
* Cardinal Chang, the man with a bright red coat and scars from a riding crop that give him his nickname. His real name is never revealed, in fact, nor the full extent of his motives. Chang is what one might call a hitman, if a noble one, someone with loose morals yet a defined code of honor. He, out of principle, wants to know who killed his latest mark ahead of him and why...
* Captain-Surgeon Dr. Abelard Svenson is the superego of the group. Querulous at times, Svenson nonetheless, as a military man, has a good sense of survival. His reasons for becoming embroiled are his charge, a wayward, libertine Prince of his country who has gone rather, well, missing...

After finally meeting up under most curious circumstances, they band together in order to get their answers, and find themselves discovering much more than they ever wanted to know - or were ever meant to.

!!These books provide examples of the following tropes:
* ActionGirl: For a sheltered heiress from an island, Miss Temple kicks some serious ass.
* AllMenArePerverts: All princes in these novels, at least.
* AmbitionIsEvil: Roger Bascombe could be a posterboy for this trope.
%%* AndIMustScream: [[spoiler: Poor Lydia.]]
%%* AppliedPhlebotinum: The Indigo Clay.
* ChekhovsGun: Cardinal Chang's trauma comes to play a significant role near the conclusion.
* CollapsingLair: Well, it's more like a [[spoiler: collapsing airship]].
* CorruptCorporateExecutive: Crabbe, though technically he is a corrupt minister.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: Dr. Svenson and Chang's backstories are far from happy.
* {{Determinator}}: Chang, as well as [[spoiler: Francis Xonk]] in the second book.
* EvenTheGirlsWantHer: While still searching for her fiancé, Miss Temple can't help getting all tingly in the Contessa's presence.
* EvilGenius: Oskar Veiland's [[spoiler: the Comte d'Orkancz]] paintings suggest he is this.
* EyeScream: Chang had a nasty run-in with a noble a few years back.
* FetusTerrible: [[spoiler: Whatever it was that Lydia was impregnated with. Fortunately for the world - and perhaps for Lydia - she doesn't live to birth it.]]
* FemmeFatale: The Contessa di Laquer-Sforza, probably the most beautiful and dangerous person you'll ever meet.
* HitmanWithAHeart: Cardinal Chang, who has a fondness for poetry and one particular whore at the brothel whom he goes to great lengths to rescue. [[spoiler: Unfortunately, he's unsuccessful.]]
* HumanoidAbomination: The [[spoiler: 'glass women']].
** Also, whatever [[spoiler: ''thing'' Lydia was impregnated with]].
* ManchurianAgent: The people who have undergone the process.
* MyCountryRightOrWrong: The doctor tries hard. [[spoiler: Though he still fails in the end.]]
* NotQuiteDead: Chang more than once, also [[spoiler: the Contessa and Francis Xonk in the second book]]
* OnlyMostlyDead: [[spoiler: The Comte d'Orkancz gets a new body from the soul within his book in the sequel]]
* PhlebotinumHandlingEquipment: Touch a glass book without gloves and you'll get sucked in.
* RansackedRoom: More than one, on both sides.
* ScarsAreForever: Played straight with Chang's eyes, to which he owes his name, and Miss Temple's bullet scar. The Process, however, leaves no marks that don't fade over the course of a few days.
* SecretCircleOfSecrets: The cabal – only their leaders know what exactly is going on.
** [[spoiler: And even then, many of those leaders are conspiring against one another.]]
* TheAtoner: Doctor Svenson still can't forgive himself for not being there when his cousin was ill, [[spoiler: only to discover later that the disease killing her was part of the Cabal's plan.]]
* TransferableMemory: The titular glass books serve as memory containers.
* TriggerPhrase: Every victim of the Process has their own [[spoiler: but only the Contessa knows about them.]]
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