Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
Author: Laini Taylor
Published: 2017
Genre: YA Fantasy, Fantasy
Book One: Strange the Dreamer series
Synopsis From Goodreads:
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.
Books in Series:
- Strange the Dreamer
- Muse of Nightmares
My Take:
I have read a lot of Laini Taylor, a prolific fantasy writer, and Strange the Dreamer is by far my favorite. I rarely buy a book, choosing instead to borrow from the library, but I bought this one as soon as I finished it, knowing I would be returning to it time and again. Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bones series was great but pales compared to this one (with the exception of Night of Cake and Puppets, Book 1.5 in that series. I don’t think I could ever read that one too many times!).
Taylor is a fantastic world builder and her prose sings at times. “His voice low and masculine and not at all smooth, as though it had been left out in the weather,” “Names that would die like songs,” and “None of us became monks to be nursemaids. And none of us became children to be orphans,” are just some of the lines that stood out to me. The book is beautifully written, and I was engrossed from the very beginning. My heart burned with anger at every pain and disappointment the main character felt.
The book is divided between two different worlds and two different main characters that collide dramatically at the end. You know who you are rooting for and who you want to crash and burn…the author leaves little doubt as to who the “good guys” are. This could be an issue because that uncertainty can add a lot to a story, but the twists and turns Taylor takes you on more than make up for this. The characters can seem a little flat at times…all good or all bad, but the plot is so good it doesn’t matter.
This is one of those books that left me physically shaking in anger or with joy, requiring me to calm myself down when I reluctantly had to put the book down. It was necessary to remind myself that these were characters in a book, and none of this really happened! It is a rare author that can immerse me in a book to that extent. The first time I read this, I had nightmares almost every night, and when I started reading it again, my kids tried talking me out of it because of them. Thankfully, I am a quick reader, so the nightmares were short-lived!
There were many aspects of this book that I wish were left out. They weren’t necessary to the story. In one of the worlds, the females are dressed in nothing other than flimsy slips that often cling to their bodies. One of the girls is overtly sexual. These characters are teens without much guidance, figuring things out as they go and experiencing attractions for the first time, so much of it makes sense. I think Taylor went over the top several times, though.
Two of my adult children have read this book, and neither enjoyed it as much as I did. Not sure what is wrong with them! For me, the style of writing and the effect the characters had on me made this a definite hit. It ends in a quasi-cliffhanger and will leave you ready for the second and final book in the series.
I will not be reviewing book two of this duology, Muse of Nightmares, but I read it as soon as I finished Strange the Dreamer. I had to find out what happened to the characters I had cried over! I didn’t enjoy this one as much as the first. It answered a lot of questions and wrapped everything up nicely. I was disappointed because it took a while to get back to the original characters, and the new world Taylor created didn’t appeal to me as much. I didn’t want to read about new characters…I wanted to find out what happened to the old ones. I was put off by this, and it made me not care so much about the new characters. But now that you have been warned and are expecting this, you may have a different experience. Just know that the stories merge, and your questions will be answered! If you enjoy Strange the Dreamer, Muse of Nightmares is a must-read.
Language:
Swearing is lightly sprinkled throughout the book.
Sexual Content:
This book involves unsupervised teens experiencing attraction for the first time and the author doesn’t shy away from their desires. Characters are dressed in thin slips that sometimes get wet and cling. A girl sets herself on fire and is left naked, passionate kissing scenes, one fairly explicit sex scene. One girl, through her magical ability, watches people “who are not sleeping” in their beds. A character expresses the desire to be touched. Past infidelity. Gay romance. Young men and women are kidnapped and raped so the “gods” line can continue.
Drug/Alcohol Use:
Occasional references to alcohol but not a big part of story.
Violence:
Story opens with a very graphic, violent scene. People are beaten, kidnapped and raped, someone falls to their death.
Plot/Storytelling:
This was a fast-paced read with three wonderfully descript worlds, characters that you really care about, and so many twists and turns your head will spin. You don’t know what will happen next. The prose is beautiful, though the characters seem flat at times. I couldn’t put it down!