Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

Strange the Dreamer (Strange the Dreamer, #1)

by Laini Taylor

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 to 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?


In this sweeping and breathtaking new novel by National Book Award finalist Laini Taylor, author of the New York Times bestselling Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy, the shadow of the past is as real as the ghosts who haunt the citadel of murdered gods. Fall into a mythical world of dread and wonder, moths and nightmares, love and carnage.

Reviewed by alisoninbookland on

3 of 5 stars

Share
😵😁😆

There's no denying that Laini's writing is beautiful. It really and truly is. It can just be a bit much for my taste. I don't need paragraphs of description when a few sentences will do. The story took SUCH a slow start for me. I had to read almost 200 pages before the story fully grabbed my attention. If it was anyone else, I would have DNF-ed the book and walked away. I trust Laini and really enjoyed the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series which is why I stuck with the book. Ultimately, I am glad that I stuck with it even if I didn't love it in a way that I was hoping.

Thankfully, the story does get interesting when things get going. I'd say that's about when the group gets to Weep. The characters are really what makes the story shine. The story is crazy long but at least that gave Taylor adequate time to make the characters fully realized. I didn't even mind the instalove going on between the main characters simply because of how well written it was. It was very sweet and charming.

Beautiful writing and beautiful story if you can stand slow paced writing.

Last modified on

Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 27 August, 2018: Finished reading
  • 27 August, 2018: Reviewed