While the Sandman series may be over in some sense, in many ways it lives on - and The Dream Hunters is one such continuation of the series. Taking place in Japan, Gaiman weaves a tale of a fox and a monk, and the unusual circumstances which bring them together. Naturally, a fox and a monk do not make the best pair, so perhaps a certain King of Dreams is required - and indeed he plays a large part in only a small portion of the story, as he has in the previous volumes of the series, complete with many familiar faces (albeit slightly disguised and adapted to East Asian folklore).

While this volume was written by Gaiman, and is indeed part of the universe many readers are familiar with, there are very drastic differences to be had. First and foremost is the style of the book - while all the previous volumes were the standard comic format, this volume is a book complete with illustrations on roughly every other page. The dialogue is not shown in speech bubbles above characters heads, rather it takes place with the rest of the narrative in traditional story style. However different the style may be, Gaiman spins one of the best tales that has taken place in the Sandman universe - a dramatic tale of love and East Asian religion. This is only complete with Yoshitaka Amano's amazing artwork, which does not merely add to the story, as many illustrators have, but literally creates a richness so deep the story would be lost without his wonderful work.

Perhaps this particular volume may not be included in the canon of the Sandman series, but it does take place in the universe, and through Gaiman's exceptional writing and Amano's stellar art the reader is treated to one of the greatest stories in the Sandman universe. ( )

D- I cry every time I read this book.

"He told me not to seek revenge, but to seek the Buddha," said the fox spirit, sadly. "I shall seek the Buddha," said the fox, with a toss of her head. "But first I shall seek revenge." ( )

An exceedingly beautiful story of a monk and a fox, told in the way only Neil Gaiman can. He truly has the gift of being able to weave even a simply fairy tale into something special, and something that will always be a part of you. Amano's art perfectly adds to the story. And honestly, I'm not used to seeing quite this quality in a Sandman story. Most of the time, you read Sandman for the writing, not the art, though at times the art is quite good. But here, the art and story blend perfectly together in a way that I had always wanted for the Sandman. Such a story deserves such art, and at last we have it. ( )

BEAUTIFUL pictures. Worth it just for that :) ( )

Although the concept was interesting and the illustrations were beautiful, I entered this expected the same level of depth as the main Sandman volumes and found myself disappointed. ( )