Book Review: Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor 
Series: Strange the Dreamer,
on March 28th 2017
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction
Pages: 532
Source: Library
Amazon
Goodreads
MY REVIEW:
I finished reading Strange the Dreamer last weekend and have been trying to think of some way to eloquently explain just how much I adored this book. There’s something so special about this story that words fail me every time I try to write this review. Everything I write sounds inadequate when it comes to conveying just how much this story completely captivated me. All I can really say, and it doesn’t feel like nearly enough, is that Strange the Dreamer is one of the most beautiful and unique stories that I’ve ever read.
It grabbed my attention from those first harrowing moments where, seemingly out of nowhere, a girl with blue-tinted skin plummets to her death. Who is this mysterious blue-skinned girl, where has she fallen from, and why did she fall? If that’s not an immediate attention getter, I don’t know what is! The mystery of finding out what happened to this girl immediately had me flying through the pages.
Rather than delving directly into her story though, we instead begin following the journey of another character, Lazlo Strange. Lazlo is an orphan who was raised by monks and later becomes a junior librarian. This is the perfect job for young Lazlo, because you see, Lazlo is a big dreamer and for a dreamer who likely cannot afford to actually go anywhere and make his dreams come true, the next best thing is to immerse himself in books and escape to his dreams that way. Lazlo’s dreams primarily center on one thing, a lost, mythical city. Lazlo has been nearly obsessed with finding this city for most of his life. According to legend, something happened there 200 years ago and, when Lazlo was a young boy, the name of the city was somehow stolen from the minds of everyone who had known it, Lazlo included. He actually remembers feeling the name of the city disappear from his memory, and all that is left behind is the name Weep in its place. Lazlo devoted himself to figuring out what happened to Weep and spends every free moment in the library researching everything he can about his now unnamed city. His coworkers and many others in his town think he’s foolish to waste his time following what is now mostly a myth, but Lazlo can’t stop. He’s determined that one day he will set out on his own and try to find Weep.
Lazlo’s chance to find Weep comes along a lot sooner than expected when a gentleman rides into town, declaring himself from Weep and looking to recruit the services of qualified men and women to help him rebuild his city. Even though Lazlo has no practical skills that could help rebuild a city, he manages to convey just how much a trip to the mythical Weep would mean to him and demonstrates his passion for the city so thoroughly that the gentleman agrees to let Lazlo journey with him to Weep as well.
The rest of the story richly unfolds as we learn about what really happened to Weep, who the blue-skinned girl is and how she fits into the rest of the story, and most importantly, we learn who Lazlo Strange really is because he is so much more than an orphaned junior librarian and his connection to Weep is much more than just a passionate curiosity.
That honestly just barely scratches the surface of what happens in Strange the Dreamer, but hopefully it’s enough to show how easy it is to get drawn into Lazlo Strange’s world without giving away any major spoilers. I honestly think the less you know going in, the more magical it is as the story unfolds. Just know that there’s a little bit of everything: action, adventure, a romance, Gods, a God slayer, ghosts, and there are even God spawn (offspring of Gods and humans).
LIKES
Again, I don’t want to give too much away because I think it’s better that way, but here are a few highlights of this book for me:
Lazlo Strange. I loved everything about this character. The fact that he comes from such humble beginnings gives him that underdog quality that I always sympathize with, and then don’t even get me started on his love for the library. A boy after my own heart… What I liked most about Lazlo though was his kind heart and his passion. He’s just such a precious character and, even though I’m not all that much of a romance fan, it warmed my heart when he unexpectedly found someone that he felt that ultimate connection with after having been so alone for so long.
God spawn. I can’t say too much about these characters, but I will just say that they are fascinating and complex. Like Lazlo, they come across as underdogs because of the situation they’re trapped in, but then at the same time, they engage in some problematic behaviors of their own. In many ways they are victims of a past they had no control over, but they aren’t without their own flaws either. They also each have unique magical gifts that were fascinating to see in use.
The World Building. Just…wow. This is one of those places where I have a hard time coming up with the words to describe my love for what Laini Taylor has created here. The world of Weep and especially the environment the God spawn live in are so rich, lush, vivid, unique…I really need more words here! It’s just world building at its best, in part because we’re dealing with not just the physical worlds that these characters are actually in, but also dreamscapes. One of the God spawn possesses the ability to enter the dreams of anyone she wants to and actually alter them as it suits her. She often uses her gift to induce fear and horror, but when she enters Lazlo the Dreamer’s dreams, she is blown away by the beauty he creates in his mind while he sleeps. His dreams are so beautiful that she can’t bear to change them. She wishes she could stay in them forever and it was easy to see why. As I was reading, the magical quality of those dreams reminded me of childhood stories like Alice in Wonderland or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Taylor’s writing/storytelling. This was my first experience reading Laini Taylor’s writing so I wasn’t sure what to expect going in. What I loved about her writing was that it’s both lyrical and poetic, yet it still flows so smoothly and so naturally. As rich and complex as the storyline of Strange the Dreamer is, it still reads like a simple bedtime story. It just has that “Once upon a time in a faraway land….” quality about it that really takes Strange the Dreamer from your average fantasy story up to the next level.
Cliffhanger ending. Wow, what an ending! Everything leading up to the ending took me by surprise and then the actual cliffhanger just left me sitting there with my mouth hanging open desperately wanting to get my hands on the next book. I normally hate cliffhangers because I hate having to wait so long to see what happens, but just like with the rest of this story, even the cliffhanger is a unique one, like nothing I’ve ever seen before. My reaction was pretty much “NOOOOOOO….but you know, if it had to be a cliffhanger, that was a pretty cool one.”
DISLIKES
There was literally nothing I disliked about this book. I know there’s really no such thing as perfect, but this book is about as close to perfection to me as it gets.
FINAL THOUGHTS
There is no doubt in my mind at this point that Strange the Dreamer will be one of my favorite reads of 2017. I’ve rated it 5 stars but I feel like 5 stars just isn’t even enough because it’s so special. It makes me want to go back and lower the ratings of some other books I’ve rated 5 stars because there’s truly no comparison in quality. If you’re looking for a truly unique read, I highly recommend this gorgeous book.
RATING: 5 STARS
GOODREADS SYNOPSIS
The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around—and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he’s been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance or lose his dream forever.
What happened in Weep two hundred years ago to cut it off from the rest of the world? What exactly did the Godslayer slay that went by the name of god? And what is the mysterious problem he now seeks help in solving?
The answers await in Weep, but so do more mysteries—including the blue-skinned goddess who appears in Lazlo’s dreams. How did he dream her before he knew she existed? And if all the gods are dead, why does she seem so real?
Welcome to Weep.
About Laini Taylor
Laini Taylor is the author of the National Book Award Finalist Lips Touch: Three Times, as well as the novels Blackbringer and Silksinger. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband, illustrator Jim Di Bartolo, and their daughter.
Update Post # 1: Summer TBR Wipeout 2017
It’s time to post my update for the first leg of the Summer TBR Wipeout challenge. So, how am I doing? Not too bad actually. Out of the twelve books I had put on my challenge list, I’ve managed to read three so far. I started with some of the longest books on my TBR to get those out of the way first, which will hopefully make it a littler easier to make it to the finish line later in the challenge.
BOOKS I’VE READ SO FAR…
Out of these three, Illuminae was definitely my favorite read. I haven’t written a proper review for it yet, but it was just such an action-packed read. I loved the unique format, the dialogue, and the ultra creepy premise about an AI that tries to take over control of a spaceship from the humans. I had mixed feelings about about both A Court of Wings and Ruin, which I reviewed yesterday, and Scrappy Little Nobody. ACOWAR, while a good solid read, just left me a little underwhelmed after the sheer epic nature of the second book in the series. I rated the first two books in the series 5 stars each, but this one only got 3.5. Scrappy Little Nobody was a fun read but one that just didn’t have as much substance or behind-the-scenes information as I had hoped it would. I actually think I probably would have enjoyed it more if I had done the audio version instead of the print. The writing style is very conversational and I think hearing it in Anna’s voice would have made it more entertaining than trying to read it for myself.
CHALLENGE BOOKS I’M PLANNING TO READ NEXT…
That might be an overly ambitious list since I do have a few ARCs I need to get read by the beginning of August, but we’ll see how it goes. It’s so hot outside right now and there’s so little on TV that I’m spending nearly all of my free time reading anyway. Hope everyone else is doing great with their challenge!
Book Review: A Court of Wings and Ruin
A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas Also by this author: A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1), A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #2)
Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses #3
Published by Bloomsbury Childrens Books on May 2nd 2017
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction
Pages: 699
Also in this series: A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1), A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #2)
Source: Purchased
Amazon
Goodreads
MY REVIEW:
A Court of Wings and Ruin is the third book in Sarah J. Maas’ popular A Court of Thorn and Roses series. Although several more books have been announced for the series, my understanding is that those will be more along the lines of spinoffs and that A Court of Wings and Ruin is pretty much supposed to wrap up Feyre’s storyline. So, how did it do wrapping things up? Well, for me there was definitely a lot to love about this book. At the same time, however, I had some issues with it. I guess my overall feeling is that while I did enjoy it, it didn’t blow me away like I really wanted and expected it to, especially considering how truly incredible the second book in the series was.
LIKES
Feyre’s Growth. Watching Feyre grow from a young woman who seemed to have minimal self esteem when we first met her into the powerful and confident High Lady of the Night Court has been one of my favorite parts of this series. She is now courageous and badass and has truly become Rhysand’s equal in every way. She’s also just as much invested in saving their people as Rhys is and I loved watching her in action and seeing the lengths she would go to in order to save them. She has grown from what was practically a little girl in that first book into a warrior and a queen by this third book.
The “Family.” My absolute favorite part of this series continues to be the family dynamic that we witness between Rhys, Feyre, Mor, Cassian, Azriel, and Amren. I can’t ever seem to get enough of these guys bickering back and forth, sometimes like children, but always like family. Their banter gives me life. There was some awkward family drama this time around when Rhys puts Mor in an uncomfortable situation without giving her any kind of head’s up. Because these characters are so real and so complex, there were hurt feelings and a sense of betrayal, but like a true family, they’re able to put aside their differences and come together when they need to. This group is so fiercely devoted to each other and any one of them would lay down their life if it meant the others would be saved.
Cassian and Azriel. I’m not sure if this was supposed to happen, but somehow Cassian and Azriel have risen from the ranks of amazing characters to become my actual favorites from the series. I can’t even explain specifically what it is about them, but I just adore them both and want them to find love and be happy. It gutted me every time something bad happened to either of them. I also just love watching each of them in their element. It was especially thrilling watching Cassian command the Illyrian army.
The World Building. You wouldn’t think this far into a series there would still be such lush world building going on, but WOW! I was so excited to finally get to see some of the other Courts and they were just as enchanting as the Spring and Night Courts. After seeing the polar bears and the cute little vest-wearing foxes(!), I kind of wanted to live in Winter Court, haha.
Fascinating New Characters. I loved meeting the new characters from the other Courts and lands throughout the kingdom. There were so many interesting dynamics at play as the various High Lords came together to discuss Hybern. I think Helion intrigued me the most, but I really liked the introduction of Miryam, Drakon, and Vassa.
Lucien. Lucien remains one of my favorite characters so I was pleased to see that not only were he and Feyre able to re-establish their friendship, but that he also seemed to find a place for himself in the service of the Night Court. I was a bit disappointed that he got sent off on a mission for a large chunk of ACOWAR, but I LOVED that we were given an incredible backstory for him that I hope will be further explored in future books.
The Bone Carver and the Suriel. I didn’t really expect to see either of these characters, so I was thrilled to have them turn up again in ACOWAR and to be used in such unexpected yet epic ways. I especially never expected to shed tears over the Suriel, so kudos to Maas because she totally got me on that one.
Redemption of Tamlin. Tamlin remains one of the most complicated characters of the series, but if this is the last we see of him, I think overall I’m happy with his ending. As angry and hurt and betrayed by Feyre as he felt for so much of the series, the idea that his love for her would overcome that in the end is a beautiful thing. If we do see more of him, I hope that he’ll find his own happiness.
DISLIKES/ISSUES
Okay, so…as much as I enjoyed ACOWAR overall, I still had some issues with it. I honestly thought it was too long and that there were parts that could have been edited out without taking anything away from the overall story. One of my issues with the length was that so much time was spent talking about what was going to happen in battle. Yes, I get that they have to plan, strategize, form alliances with the other Courts, etc. as they prepare to battle Hybern, but after so much epic action in the prior books, I felt like I spent too much time with this book sitting around waiting for the excitement. Once the battle finally began, it was incredible beyond compare, but I just expected more of the book to be devoted to it.
I’ll probably be in the minority on this, but I also thought too much time was spent on Feyre’s sisters. Nesta was at least interesting, especially when it came to the tensions between her and Cassian and her training under Amren, who seemed to see somewhat of a kindred spirit in her, but nearly everything about Elain unfortunately just bored me. There were so many other more fascinating characters introduced in this book that I would have rather seen more of, especially those from the other Courts.
Even though I enjoyed the ending overall, I think it would have been more powerful and more realistic if (please don’t hurt me!) SPOILER (mouse over to reveal) – one of the major characters had died. Not that I wanted anyone to die because I love them all, but the Battle with Hybern was supposed to be the most epic battle ever, the war to end all wars, the possible end of life as they knew it, etc. and yet all of the major players came out okay in the end. I would have been devastated of course, but I just think it would have packed more of an emotional and realistic punch if someone had made the ultimate sacrifice to save their world
FINAL THOUGHTS
While I have to admit I wanted more from A Court of Wings and Ruin, I still can’t deny that it was a pretty solid and satisfying end to Feyre’s journey. I definitely see myself continuing with the series and I look forward to seeing who the next books will focus on. Throwing my two cents’ worth in for books that focus on Lucien, Cassian, and/or Azriel!
RATING: 3.5 STARS
GOODREADS SYNOPSIS
A nightmare, I’d told Tamlin. I was the nightmare.
Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin’s maneuverings and the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit—and one slip may spell doom not only for Feyre, but for her world as well. As war bears down upon them all, Feyre must decide who to trust amongst the dazzling and lethal High Lords—and hunt for allies in unexpected places.
About Sarah J. Maas
Sarah J. Maas is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series and A Court of Thorns and Roses series, as well as a USA Today and international bestselling author. Sarah wrote the first incarnation of the Throne of Glass series when she was just sixteen, and it has now sold in thirty-five languages. A New York native, Sarah currently lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and dog. Empire of Storms, the fifth Throne of Glass novel, released on September 6th, 2016.
She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Hamilton College in 2008 with a degree in Creative Writing and a minor in Religious Studies.