Strange the Dreamer

Strange the Dreamer is the Laini Taylor's new book and of a series of the same name.

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.

The Breakdown:
1. I adore Laini Taylor's writing.  Her series Daughter of Smoke and Bone is one of my favorites.  She is a master world builder, and her characters are so fantastically complex.  And she does it again with this book.  An orphan who dreams of the lost city.  A lost city that has many secrets of its own.  The creatures and the magic she has in her writing really have me lost in her world.

2. I loved Lazlo.  An orphan boy who dreams of the Unseen City/Weep.  Plus, I instantly connect with a character who adores books like he does.  I like that despite his circumstances of his childhood, Lazlo is kind and genuinely wants to help others.

3.  I enjoyed learning of Weep and its history and culture.  The city has a complex and tragic history.  I was fascinated with how the gods came to be there and the lasting scars they left on the people of Weep.  Taylor hints at so much more from that aspect, that I can't wait to see where she goes with it in future books.

4.  Speaking of the future of the series. Taylor leaves with quite the ending. I have so many questions on what is going to happen to characters and how they deal with what they have learned.

To Read or Not to Read:
Must Read