The Last Dreamwalker Characters as Taylor Swift Songs

Hey all,

I have been tasked with writing a blog post by the benevolent dictators (Brea & KDP, obviously). Something about “contributing to the team”? So anyways, my task here is to find a topic that’s both pertinent to Lochwood Court and that I’m interested enough in to wax poetic about for a full length blog post.

Enter two of my great passions - The Last Dreamwalker & our queen, Miss Taylor Alison Swift.

Buckle up fans & friends (one and the same right?), we’re going to do what every well-intentioned Swiftie does on the regular- relate TS songs to our (and by our, I obviously mean, TLD dream team’s) lives. 

I will, regrettably, have to make this somewhat vague in terms of explanations because if I merely hint at the teensiest, tiniest of spoilers, my beloved co-owners at LCB will be out for blood (think “No Body, No Crime”). With that in mind, I’m going to share one song that fits the *vibe* for each member our beloved TLD fam.

Valsyntheatrix - “Innocent”

Oh Val, our sweet, naive lead. Throughout TLD, Val struggles with the breakdown of a childlike naïveté while walking through the complicated and often traumatic dreams of friends. Has Val ever met these mortals? No, absolutely not. Still reasonable to consider them friends when you stand silently alongside the dream team through both triumphs and devastation. “Innocent” embodies Val’s struggle to live up to lofty expectations and the bittersweet nostalgia of growing up. “Wasn’t it beautiful runnin’ wild ‘til you fell asleep / Before the monsters caught up to you?” Just UGH. 

Cairo - “You’re on Your Own, Kid”

Cairo is just a freaking gem- a literal, royal gem. He struggles early on through some highly relatable qualms of adolescence (parental-approval seeking kids, raise your hands). “You’re on Your Own, Kid” is a growing up tale about learning to rely on yourself and who gets this better than Cairo, with his unexpected crash course in independence? “‘Cause there were pages turned with the bridges burned / Everything you lose is a step you take / So make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it / You’ve got no reasons to be afraid.” Cairo loses what he felt was “everything,” only to discover that there was so much out there waiting for him.

Miriam - “A Place in This World”

Miri is the quintessential young scholar- eager to learn and alive with curiosity. She’s simultaneously wise for her age and a typical teenager trying to navigate her way through a life without regrets (good luck there, girl). The “I don’t know what I want, so don’t ask me / ‘Cause I’m still trying to figure it out” Miri grows swiftly into “I’m just a girl on a mission / But I’m ready to fly” Miri within TLD as she spreads her wings to take on new challenges and adventures. 

MingLi - “Eyes Open”

This was the song that inspired this post really, because I’m not sure any of them can fit a character as well as this song fits Ming. We meet MingLi starting as a child, playing war games with low stakes and an optimistic outlook. Life happens (understatement of the year) and suddenly both “every lesson forms a new scar” and “nobody comes to save you now” hit harder than entirely necessary, tbh. 

Kenrick - “Castles Crumbling” 

Oh, Kenrick. Stupid, lovable, generally well-intentioned (but with terrible execution), Kenrick. He could probably learn a thing or two from this song - “I pushed it too far / I held that grudge / til it tore me apart.” This song is all about having high hopes (for yourself & your life) and watching that castle come crumbling down as a result of your own actions. If that doesn’t scream Kenrick to you by the time you finish this book, we need to talk (read: fight about it). 

Seiyo - “Safe & Sound”

Well, I’m not sure how to write this explanation without tears, dramatics, or spoilers. Suffice it to say, I’m a hardcore Seiyo-stan and the whole song reflects her pure, nurturing spirit with only the slightest nod to how dirty our good pal KDP does her throughout this entire book. 

Phew. Okay, folks- there you have it. No one can say Ashley doesn’t contribute to the team- although this may very well be the last y’all hear from me as I wasn’t quite as spoiler-free as I’m sure they’d prefer. 

Happy Reading! 

Signing off sarcastically,

Ashley