ARC Review: Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
Series: Strange the Dreamer #1

Genre: YA Fantasy

Publication: March 28th 2017 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Length: 544 pages

Format: ARC from publisher (thank you!)

Goodreads

A new epic fantasy by National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestselling author Laini Taylor of the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy.

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.

Welcome to Weep.

STRANGE THE DREAMER was one of my most anticipated books of this year, and upon finishing reading it, it is now one of my favorites of this year. Technically, this is my second Laini Taylor book (I read Daughter of Smoke and Bone but never continued with the series) but reading her new book is a whole new experience.

STRANGE THE DREAMER follows Lazlo Strange, a librarian who embarks on a journey to the city of Weep, a city by which he has been entranced and intrigued for seven years, and Sarai, a daughter of a god who has been living in the citadel in Weep since the war between the gods and humans. I loved the concept and the dynamics between the children of gods (and ghosts!) in the citadel as well as between the journeyers in the city of Weep. I especially loved reading about Sarai’s ability to create moths as an extension of her unconscious (which is so damn cool.)

The romance was also so swoony and so genuine and heartbreaking at the same time. With the writing style, the romance between (spoiler) Lazlo and Sarai was so gorgeous and so sweet; I need more of these two in the next book. My favorite part of this novel, by far, was the writing style, which can be described through these words: Dreamy. Lush. Poignant. Lyrical. (Sometimes a bit dense, but amazing nonetheless.) Laini Taylor’s writing was gorgeous and I need more of these words as soon as possible.

The only reservation of mine is the beginning; while I loved reading about the buildup of Lazlo’s and Thyon’s characters, the beginning of the novel was a bit slow and I totally understand why people may have been turned off by the beginning. But trust me. Keep reading because the end is going to blow your mind. (I also would have liked to read more of Thyon Nero, so hopefully he’ll have a larger part in the next novel, THE MUSE OF NIGHTMARES.)

Overall, STRANGE THE DREAMER is lush, heartbreaking, and totally worth the buy (plus the cover is beyond gorgeous). Although the beginning may have been slow, the buildup towards the end will transcend all your expectations. If you love Laini Taylor or strange fantasy worlds( or reading in general), definitely pick this one up!

Thank you to the Novl for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review.

Are you planning to read STRANGE THE DREAMER? What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments!