Strange The Dreamer
By Laini Taylor
Genre: YA Fantasy

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?

First Impressions: I adored this book. I thought it was charming and a compelling story. It was one of the most unique fantasy books I’ve read lately. Plus, I am a daydreamer, so reading a book that centers on the beauty of dreams was lovely.

My Thoughts:

Plot: I realize that there isn’t much “action” in most of the book, but that didn’t bother me. I found the plot line and theme of dreams so compelling that I was drawn in from the beginning. From the beginning of the book, I was enraptured with the desire to know more about the mysterious city of Weep. And seeing it through Lazlo’s eyes made it magical indeed. And I loved the juxtaposition of the two main characters and how their lives ended up intersecting. In my opinion there is no major plot twist or reveal at the end, it’s all fairly predictable. That being said, I still can’t WAIT to read the second book when it comes out.

Characters: Love. Each character had a personality that was vibrant and unique from any other character in the book. There wasn’t one character that annoyed me. Lazlo is portrayed as a dreamer, but not a sappy, un-realistic dreamer.  He’s a dreamer with a vivid imagination that gives him strength and hope and the ability to believe anything is possible.  Sarai on the other hand wants to believe in good but has a hard time doing ao. I thought her magical gift was awesome and so different from others I’ve read about. That alone made her an interesting character. I really enjoyed the interactions between Sarai and her friends. They are all so different and seeing those differences play off each other was wonderful, and very humorous sometimes.

Pace: Some might think it’s slow because there aren’t a lot of, what I’d consider, action sequences. But I found the world Laini created and the people in it so enticing that I never found myself thinking it was dragging. In fact, towards the end, I couldn’t stop reading it because I had to know what would happen.

World/Setting: This was maybe my favorite part. Laini created a world in which dreams are powerful and real. When your reality feels dull and unfair, escape to the magical world of dreams and the lost city of Weep. Know what else I loved? The Citadel where Sarai lives. Guys, it floats in the sky. WHAT!? Needless to say, Laini hit it out of the park in creating a colorful, fantastical world in this book.

The Jist

What I Liked: The unique wave dreaming is woven into the story; the relatable characters and their magical abilities.

What I Didn’t Like: The ending was nothing I didn’t see coming.

Would I Recommend It? Absolutely! I loved it and if you enjoy fantasy I think you will as well.

My Rating: 4/5 Lunas