Some fantasy novels build worlds from imagination alone. AKUM: The Magic of Dreams by Gloria Chávez-Vásquez takes a different path, grounding its narrative in the myths, symbols, and spiritual traditions of the Andean region. The novel draws from Muisca cultural history to create a story where fantasy functions as a continuation of ancestral knowledge rather than a departure from it.
The novel follows Maribel, a young girl whose inner world of reading and imagination leads her into encounters with wandering gnomes, riddles, and spiritual guides. While these elements may appear familiar on the surface, their meaning is shaped by indigenous belief systems that treat nature, memory, and moral responsibility as interconnected forces. The story does not rush to explain these ideas. Instead, it allows them to unfold gradually through experience, mirroring how cultural understanding is often passed down.
One of the most significant influences in the novel is the Muisca relationship with gold. In contrast to modern ideas of wealth, gold in Muisca culture held spiritual and ceremonial value. In Akum, this symbolism is preserved. Gold becomes a marker of balance, offering, and respect for the land rather than a prize to be claimed. The presence of guacas, or sacred burial sites, reinforces this perspective, reminding readers that what is buried often carries meaning beyond material worth.
The book aims at a young audience, but the themes extend into broader questions of identity and cultural inheritance. The child’s perspective allows the story to explore complex ideas without abstraction, grounding them in emotion, curiosity, and uncertainty. This approach gives the narrative a quiet depth that resonates across age groups.
By bringing together Andean mythology and modern fantasy structure, AKUM: The Magic of Dreams offers a reminder that indigenous stories are not frozen in the past. When told with respect and understanding, they continue to shape how imagination, ethics, and cultural memory intersect in the present.
AKUM: The Magic of Dreams is available in print and digital formats.

About the Author

Gloria Chávez Vásquez is a Colombian-born writer, journalist, and educator who has lived in the United States since 1970. Her literary and journalistic work has appeared in numerous publications across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, and Spain, including El Tiempo, El Espectador, El Diario/La Prensa, Noticias del Mundo, Animal Agenda, Temas del Caribe, Linden Lane, Zoepost, and Insularis Magazine, among many others. She is the author of several novels, short story collections, and anthologies, including AKUM: The Magic of Dreams, Yodin’s Book, Agmmandiel, The Way of the Kingdoms, Mariposa Mentalis, and Opus Americanus. Her work often explores cultural memory, mythology, and identity through narrative grounded in Latin American and Andean traditions. More information can be found at www.gloriachavezvasquez.com.