Monday 22 January 2018

Strange the Dreamer (Strange the Dreamer #1), by Laini Taylor

Hey guys, this is Abi here,
And I was going to post this, but I had to prioritise.
But I'm back, and I'm ready to post this review!


Title: Strange the Dreamer
Author: Laini Taylor
Genre: Fantasy
Release date: 28th March, 2017
Status: Book 1 in trilogy? Duology? Not too sure
Pages: 532
Blurb: "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 mystic lost city of Weep, but it would take
someone bolder than he to cross half the world in
search of it. Then a stumbling 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?"


My Thoughts
First things first: overall thoughts. This was on another level of fantastic.  I didn't even realise how invested I was getting into the story. Not so much the characters, it took me a while to feel for the characters, and the hardships that they went through, though that happened eventually, but the story was so surreal, which is why it was perfect as a book about dreams.

I had a couple of problems, but more on those later.

First up, let me talk about the writing.
The writing style was everything. It was poetic and smooth, and so goddamn beautiful. It was like the sky on a sunny day, blue and beautiful.
It's like ice-cream on a sunny day.
The writing took what have been a decent book, to another level.
The writing style was fantastic.

The characters. I fell in love with Lazlo instantly. There's nobody that's like him anywhere that I have read in YA, or anywhere for that matter. He's such a precious bean and he remains that way, untainted and perfect. Even though his physical status changes, his personality remains sensitive and emotionally strong. And that's what I love about him.
I have to admit, I felt a bit sorry for Thyon. Constantly pressured to come up with something brilliant, there was always a consequence to his actions, and he paid for it so harshly.
I kind of want to see more of the two of them in the next book, but because of recent events, I highly doubt that's going to happen.

Also, Sarai, and the other Godspawn really brought a lot to the story. Amazing and incredibly thought out, she destroyed you piece by piece, by each heart-breaking memory after enough.
Along with the other Godspawn: Feral, Ruby, Sparrow.
And MINYA. I'm not even going to say anymore.

The plot. It was more than just the direction of the story. It was crazy and detailed. To god it was detailed. The plot was so fleshed out, the two POVs' journeys intertwined to make the plot. I found that I was never bored, once the story got into it.

What I didn't love:
1. The first 80 pages was info dump. There's no two ways around it. There were words that I was just like "What?!" for, because I had no clue what they were talking about.
2. When is the next book coming out?
(I know it's called Muse of Nightmares, but as of now, I do not know the release date other than some time this year.)

Overall, I cannot wait for the second book. I would for sure recommend this to any fantasy lover. Or even any lover of books, really. The characters are so brilliant, the plot is crazy good.
And Strange the Dreamer is now a strong contender for my "Favourite Books of 2018", already!

So that is all I have for you today! I hope you have a wonderful day, and I will see you all on Wednesday!
P.S.: Comment down below your thoughts on Strange the Dreamer!
Byeeee!

-Abi xxxxx

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