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From National Book Award finalist Laini Taylor comes an epic fantasy about a mythic lost city and its dark past.
The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around--and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared his dream chose poorly. Since he was just 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 form 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? And who is the blue-skinned goddess who appears in Lazlo's dreams?
In this sweeping and breathtaking 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.
The answers await in Weep.
The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around--and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared his dream chose poorly. Since he was just 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 form 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? And who is the blue-skinned goddess who appears in Lazlo's dreams?
In this sweeping and breathtaking 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.
The answers await in Weep.
- Print length544 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherLittle, Brown Books for Young Readers
- Publication dateMarch 28 2017
- Grade level9 and up
- Reading age14 years and up
- Dimensions15.88 x 4.13 x 23.5 cm
- ISBN-100316341681
- ISBN-13978-0316341684
- Lexile measureHL820L
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Popular Highlights in this book
- Here was the radical notion that you might help someone simply because they needed it.Highlighted by 723 Kindle readers
- Lazlo owned nothing, not one single thing, but from the first, the stories felt like his own hoard of gold.Highlighted by 631 Kindle readers
- “Good people do all the things bad people do, Lazlo. It’s just that when they do them, they call it justice.”Highlighted by 572 Kindle readers
From the Publisher
Strange the Dreamer
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Muse of Nightmares | Daughter of Smoke & Bone | Days of Blood & Starlight | Dreams of Gods & Monsters | Night of Cake & Puppets | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Get lost in the visionary epic fantasy of National Book Award finalist Laini Taylor! | The highly anticipated, thrilling sequel to Strange the Dreamer, from Laini Taylor, author of the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy. | In a nation on the brink of war, a young art student's star-crossed love begins to bloom in the start of this epic fantasy trilogy. | A monster's apprentice must decide how far she'll go to avenge her people in this riveting sequel to Daughter of Smoke & Bone. | Two worlds threaten to crumble in the face of a common enemy in the epic conclusion to the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy. | In this stand-alone companion to the Daughter of Smoke & Bone series comes the story of Mik and Zuzana's fantastical first date. |
Product description
Review
A NPR Best Book
A Goodreads Best YA Fantasy and Science Fiction Nominee
A Boston Globe Best YA Book
A Popcrush Best Young Adult Book
A Popsugar Best Book for Women
A Booklist Editors' Choice
An A.V. Club Favorite Book
A Tor Top Young Adult SFF Book
A Christian Science Monitor Best Book
A B&N Teen Blog Best Young Adult Book
A Forever Young Adult Best Book
"Laini Taylor is so damn good and like no other."―Leigh Bardugo, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom
"Laini Taylor set my imagination on fire so hard that it spontaneously combusted...This is the kind of story that paves dreams."―p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Times}Roshani Chokshi, author of The Star Touched Queen
"[A] must-read YA!"―p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Times}USA Today
"Part adventure novel, part romance and part exercise in epic myth-building, it's gorgeously written and full of surprises."―NPR
"[One of] our favorite books of the year!"―p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Times}Popsugar
"An epic world of gods, moths and nightmares; a world where the dream chooses the dreamer."―p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Times}Justine Magazine
"Weighty as a nightmare and as transportive as the finest of fantasy, Laini Taylor's new novel will leave readers with miracles on their minds."―p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Times}Hypable
* "Gorgeously written in language simultaneously dark, lush, and enchanting, the book will leave readers eager for the next."―Publishers Weekly, starred review
* "...Characters are carefully, exquisitely crafted, the writing is achingly lovely, and the world is utterly real...This is a thing to be savored."―Booklist, starred review
* "[Strange the Dreamer] has all the rich, evocative imagery and complex world-building typical of Taylor's best work. This outstanding fantasy is a must-purchase for all YA collections."―School Library Journal, starred review
* "The luxurious prose and complex world building invites and rewards slow reading....Here readers will find characters to love and ones to hate and, ultimately, a world to be willingly lost in."―Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
* [Readers] will dive into Taylor's gorgeous prose and brilliant imagery and relish this story about dreams, love, monsters, gods, ghosts, war, and alchemy. Told from alternating points of view, this is complex but satisfying, a story about cultures meeting and clashing."―VOYA, starred review
"[Laini Taylor] has spun another mesmerizing tale with captivating twists and turns, an array of intriguing characters, strange and beautiful language, and baroque flourishes of the imagination."―Horn Book
"Lovers of intricate worldbuilding and feverish romance will find this enthralling."―Kirkus Reviews
A Goodreads Best YA Fantasy and Science Fiction Nominee
A Boston Globe Best YA Book
A Popcrush Best Young Adult Book
A Popsugar Best Book for Women
A Booklist Editors' Choice
An A.V. Club Favorite Book
A Tor Top Young Adult SFF Book
A Christian Science Monitor Best Book
A B&N Teen Blog Best Young Adult Book
A Forever Young Adult Best Book
"Laini Taylor is so damn good and like no other."―Leigh Bardugo, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom
"Laini Taylor set my imagination on fire so hard that it spontaneously combusted...This is the kind of story that paves dreams."―p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Times}Roshani Chokshi, author of The Star Touched Queen
"[A] must-read YA!"―p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Times}USA Today
"Part adventure novel, part romance and part exercise in epic myth-building, it's gorgeously written and full of surprises."―NPR
"[One of] our favorite books of the year!"―p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Times}Popsugar
"An epic world of gods, moths and nightmares; a world where the dream chooses the dreamer."―p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Times}Justine Magazine
"Weighty as a nightmare and as transportive as the finest of fantasy, Laini Taylor's new novel will leave readers with miracles on their minds."―p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Times}Hypable
* "Gorgeously written in language simultaneously dark, lush, and enchanting, the book will leave readers eager for the next."―Publishers Weekly, starred review
* "...Characters are carefully, exquisitely crafted, the writing is achingly lovely, and the world is utterly real...This is a thing to be savored."―Booklist, starred review
* "[Strange the Dreamer] has all the rich, evocative imagery and complex world-building typical of Taylor's best work. This outstanding fantasy is a must-purchase for all YA collections."―School Library Journal, starred review
* "The luxurious prose and complex world building invites and rewards slow reading....Here readers will find characters to love and ones to hate and, ultimately, a world to be willingly lost in."―Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
* [Readers] will dive into Taylor's gorgeous prose and brilliant imagery and relish this story about dreams, love, monsters, gods, ghosts, war, and alchemy. Told from alternating points of view, this is complex but satisfying, a story about cultures meeting and clashing."―VOYA, starred review
"[Laini Taylor] has spun another mesmerizing tale with captivating twists and turns, an array of intriguing characters, strange and beautiful language, and baroque flourishes of the imagination."―Horn Book
"Lovers of intricate worldbuilding and feverish romance will find this enthralling."―Kirkus Reviews
About the Author
Laini Taylor is the New York Times bestselling author of the Printz Honor Book Strange the Dreamer and its sequel, Muse of Nightmares. Taylor is also the author of the global sensation the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy and the companion novella Night of Cake & Puppets. Taylor's other works include the Dreamdark books: Blackbringer and Silksinger, and the National Book Award finalist Lips Touch: Three Times. She lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband, illustrator Jim Di Bartolo, and their daughter, Clementine. Her website is lainitaylor.com.
Product details
- Publisher : Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (March 28 2017)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 544 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0316341681
- ISBN-13 : 978-0316341684
- Item weight : 794 g
- Dimensions : 15.88 x 4.13 x 23.5 cm
- Best Sellers Rank: #183,523 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Laini Taylor is the author of the National Book Award Finalist Lips Touch: Three Times, as well as the novels Blackbringer and Silksinger. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband, illustrator Jim Di Bartolo, and their daughter.
Customer reviews
4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
7,146 global ratings
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Top reviews from Canada
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Reviewed in Canada on July 23, 2017
Verified Purchase
Lazlo Strange was an orphan named after the tongueless uncle of a Brother Argos at the Abbey at which he was placed shortly after his birth. But Brother Cyrus introduced him to stories and the legend of a much sought after forbidden lost city far to the southeast. Of all the people who sought this city none returned. And then Lazlo was forbidden his stories. As he grew he was trained to scribe and he taught himself to read so when the opportunity came to deliver some manuscripts to the Great Library Lazlo was chosen and he discovered an archive of stories there. When he was found, days later, still amid the stories he was taken on as an apprentice at the Library. As he collected his stories he found evidence that “the Dream chose the Dreamer”. Then his hopes were dashed - but magic prevailed and Lazlo was off on the adventure of his lifetime - his Dream. He was able to explore the lost city as initially a guest, and then a companion of the hero of his research - and discover just how malevolent that world could really be. As always Laini Taylor does not disappoint.
Reviewed in Canada on March 17, 2022
Verified Purchase
Imagination and a skilled way with words - who could ask for anything more? Laini Taylor can certainly tell a story and build a mythic realm. Looking forward to reading more from this talented and polished author.
Reviewed in Canada on September 1, 2021
Verified Purchase
Book came as pictured, which was excellent as I ordered online because I wanted a copy of the cover without the silver medal that is on newer editions. Book was packaged great in an appropriately sized box with bubble wrap to protect it. The book itself was also in excellent condition, I am super pleased with my order!
Reviewed in Canada on December 16, 2018
Verified Purchase
Wow! The writing in "Strange the Dreamer" is amazing (though at times is one whisker shy of delving into purple prose). The premise is enchanting, the characters fascinating, the world building spectacular.I would have gladly given this novel a 5 star rating except for the stupid, ridiculous, cliff hanger ending. Do not make me read a 500+ page book and then not have an acceptable resolution of the story at the end. I don't care if it belongs to a series, a cheap ending that makes me have to buy the next book to learn the resolution does not work on me. When this happens, I don't buy the next book and I don't recommend the book I've just read. Disappointing.
Reviewed in Canada on December 1, 2019
Verified Purchase
The beginning was slow, the ending was done terribly, but the love story grew on me. I am not sure about the twist, though.
Reviewed in Canada on December 19, 2019
Verified Purchase
The author does a fantastic job with a story that sacrifices intricacy for a very deep and rich experience. Every chapter delivers a new hook or enigma that is not betrayed until the very moment it is meant to be revealed. Exquisite read.
Reviewed in Canada on February 10, 2019
Verified Purchase
I wasn't sure I would get into it, as I do not read "fantasy". But I have to say, I tried to slow my reading so often, to make the book last longer. I absolutely fell in love with the characters.
Reviewed in Canada on March 3, 2020
Verified Purchase
One of my favorite fantasy stories. <3 It's actually more different and weird than what you usually see in fantasy, and beautifully written too.
Top reviews from other countries
Glenn Anaiscourt
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fabulous Masculist Romantic Fantasy
Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2017Verified Purchase
In this novel, Laini Taylor aggressively shatters male stereotypes, and as someone who opposes gender discrimination, I love that.
The male hero is a librarian turned secretary. He’s not physically attractive or muscular. He has a crooked nose, in fact, because it broke after a book fell on it from a library shelf. He’s been cast into a low socioeconomic class, so he’s poor and has no apparent economic prospects. His expertise is fairy tales. His passion is an area of learning that the scholars of his day consider dead. He’s selfless and service-oriented. He can’t help but show concern for others even if they don’t appreciate it or reciprocate. He’s utterly without ego, cooperating instead of competing. His greatest strengths are dreaming and loving. He doesn’t try to dominate any woman or man around him. He isn’t a professional killer, or in a profession that involves killing, or violence, nor is he driven to slay, or even prone to occasional, angry outbursts. He doesn’t drink or roughhouse, or think a great night out involves harassing women at bars. He isn’t trying to become wealthy through some impressive, high-flying career that might not actually accomplish much for the world, the way the novel’s Sisyphean alchemist is. Lazlo, in fact, tries to help another man become wealthy without expecting anything in return, specifically because he knows how much stress the pressure to “succeed” has produced in this acquaintance.
So you should like Lazlo, right? He’s a great guy. He works diligently to protect and advance the bank of scholarship which serves society and provides it with hope. If he’s poor, it’s because others created a class, put him in it, and are trying to keep him there. He’s ever helpful and polite, doesn’t beat anyone or get into fights, and never stabs anyone in the back.
The novel's heroine comes to love this man by entering his dreams. That is to say, she learns who he is on the inside, and discovers that his inner world is far more appealing than her outer one. That’s why their relationship grows into love before they ever physically touch.
Lazlo may be contrasted with the character of his lover’s father, a testosterone-filled warrior who fought bravely for his people, and who committed atrocities in doing so that caused him to be estranged from his own daughter. Outwardly, he appears strong, brave, noble, and heroic, if repressed and a tad rough around the edges. In reality, his past experiences have left him broken and ruined inside. He is a tormented shell of the man he might have been had he approached life in a different way.
This is healthy fare, then, for men thinking about who they are and what their values should be, and for women thinking about interacting with men and what makes for a good man. Wherever you may come down on these matters as a reader, there is plenty to consider, because in the end Lazlo is revealed as a complex person who demonstrates as much genuine heroism as any hero in literature.
Strange the Dreamer is categorized as a young adult novel, but it’s suitable for adults of any age. The lovers are Lazlo and Sarai. Lazlo is the main character, but it did not surprise me to learn that Laini Taylor originally envisioned a different main character for this book, and presumably that was Sarai. Sarai is the daughter of the Goddess of Despair and of a human man whom the goddess raped. The author stresses that one cannot learn about strangers by looking at them; Sarai has the gift of being able to look inside them, and it is this which drives the story, so I can see why Sarai would have made a compelling main character. Personally, I happen to love complex supernatural characters, so I am sure I would have liked that.
But I think Ms. Taylor had to shift the focus more to Lazlo, because some of the most entrancing and beautiful parts of the book take place inside his dreams, where Sarai is a visitor. So instead of focusing on the trials and tribulations of a supernatural being whose existence is altered when an unusual human appears, this is presented more as the story of a man’s gradual self-realization and personal growth.
I can also see why the author expanded the book, which she initially planned as a standalone novel, to a duology; having created a world so beautiful, one would want to allow one's readers to linger in it. That is, after all, one of the reasons why we sometimes choose to read an extended story when we could have watched a two-hour film or seen a television show.
I would advise you not to worry if it initially feels like you’re not following the story. Go with the flow as in a dream, and you'll be rewarded as the events and characters coalesce and the story becomes clearer. Then you won’t want to put the book down.
The novel has a certain Romeo and Juliet-esque quality in that the lovers become progressively divorced from their own societies as they grow closer to one another. There are strong messages about control and freedom; the more certain characters seek to control others, the more rapidly the social orders upon which their control depends erode. This leads to some satisfaction as certain selfish or dysfunctional characters get their comeuppances, but it produces a running tension generated by hatred on both sides which goes unresolved. There are clear messages about the futility of ongoing conflict, war, and hate, as contrasted with the transcendence (and sometimes the tragedy) of love. The author goes out of her way not to trivialize death, and characters do not die for entertainment in this novel. Death has consequences, and the consequences play a major role.
Naturally, dreams also play a major role: When societies collide, whose dreams control? Who dreams whom, and why, and how? This is a “Western society-meets-other society” fantasy, so as I was reading, it called to my mind the Adventures of Esplandián, the myth of El Dorado, and tales of the Fountain of Youth in which Europeans invented fairy tale creatures and fanciful places while pondering life beyond the horizon.
Initially, Lazlo is destined to be a monk, presumably within Christendom, but as he heads east he encounters a polytheistic world. The pantheon there is complicated. Deities have their ups and downs, and strengths and weaknesses. The eastern city is enmeshed in an ancient conflict which seems incapable of resolution. Its populations live in close proximity, but separately, and look upon one other with mutual hostility stemming from horrific events they experienced during early conquests. In this respect the fantasy has a clear basis in reality, providing food for thought and reflection. The neglected city that Lazlo is driven to see for himself has been stricken by the Goddess of Oblivion, who has devoured its name. Now that no one can remember the city's name, its people call it Weep. This resonates with me in the context of colliding cultures, where conquerors have often sought to erase indigenous societies and cast them into oblivion. Again, what happens to the dreams of the invaded?
My favorite quote from this novel encapsulates much of what it is ultimately about: “For what [are people] but the sum of all the scraps of their memor[ies] and experience[s]: a finite set of components with an infinite array of expressions[?]” In Strange the Dreamer, personalities are malleable, dreams are strange, strange is good, and the passions and obsessions that spring from our dreams are our destinies, not our choice.
The male hero is a librarian turned secretary. He’s not physically attractive or muscular. He has a crooked nose, in fact, because it broke after a book fell on it from a library shelf. He’s been cast into a low socioeconomic class, so he’s poor and has no apparent economic prospects. His expertise is fairy tales. His passion is an area of learning that the scholars of his day consider dead. He’s selfless and service-oriented. He can’t help but show concern for others even if they don’t appreciate it or reciprocate. He’s utterly without ego, cooperating instead of competing. His greatest strengths are dreaming and loving. He doesn’t try to dominate any woman or man around him. He isn’t a professional killer, or in a profession that involves killing, or violence, nor is he driven to slay, or even prone to occasional, angry outbursts. He doesn’t drink or roughhouse, or think a great night out involves harassing women at bars. He isn’t trying to become wealthy through some impressive, high-flying career that might not actually accomplish much for the world, the way the novel’s Sisyphean alchemist is. Lazlo, in fact, tries to help another man become wealthy without expecting anything in return, specifically because he knows how much stress the pressure to “succeed” has produced in this acquaintance.
So you should like Lazlo, right? He’s a great guy. He works diligently to protect and advance the bank of scholarship which serves society and provides it with hope. If he’s poor, it’s because others created a class, put him in it, and are trying to keep him there. He’s ever helpful and polite, doesn’t beat anyone or get into fights, and never stabs anyone in the back.
The novel's heroine comes to love this man by entering his dreams. That is to say, she learns who he is on the inside, and discovers that his inner world is far more appealing than her outer one. That’s why their relationship grows into love before they ever physically touch.
Lazlo may be contrasted with the character of his lover’s father, a testosterone-filled warrior who fought bravely for his people, and who committed atrocities in doing so that caused him to be estranged from his own daughter. Outwardly, he appears strong, brave, noble, and heroic, if repressed and a tad rough around the edges. In reality, his past experiences have left him broken and ruined inside. He is a tormented shell of the man he might have been had he approached life in a different way.
This is healthy fare, then, for men thinking about who they are and what their values should be, and for women thinking about interacting with men and what makes for a good man. Wherever you may come down on these matters as a reader, there is plenty to consider, because in the end Lazlo is revealed as a complex person who demonstrates as much genuine heroism as any hero in literature.
Strange the Dreamer is categorized as a young adult novel, but it’s suitable for adults of any age. The lovers are Lazlo and Sarai. Lazlo is the main character, but it did not surprise me to learn that Laini Taylor originally envisioned a different main character for this book, and presumably that was Sarai. Sarai is the daughter of the Goddess of Despair and of a human man whom the goddess raped. The author stresses that one cannot learn about strangers by looking at them; Sarai has the gift of being able to look inside them, and it is this which drives the story, so I can see why Sarai would have made a compelling main character. Personally, I happen to love complex supernatural characters, so I am sure I would have liked that.
But I think Ms. Taylor had to shift the focus more to Lazlo, because some of the most entrancing and beautiful parts of the book take place inside his dreams, where Sarai is a visitor. So instead of focusing on the trials and tribulations of a supernatural being whose existence is altered when an unusual human appears, this is presented more as the story of a man’s gradual self-realization and personal growth.
I can also see why the author expanded the book, which she initially planned as a standalone novel, to a duology; having created a world so beautiful, one would want to allow one's readers to linger in it. That is, after all, one of the reasons why we sometimes choose to read an extended story when we could have watched a two-hour film or seen a television show.
I would advise you not to worry if it initially feels like you’re not following the story. Go with the flow as in a dream, and you'll be rewarded as the events and characters coalesce and the story becomes clearer. Then you won’t want to put the book down.
The novel has a certain Romeo and Juliet-esque quality in that the lovers become progressively divorced from their own societies as they grow closer to one another. There are strong messages about control and freedom; the more certain characters seek to control others, the more rapidly the social orders upon which their control depends erode. This leads to some satisfaction as certain selfish or dysfunctional characters get their comeuppances, but it produces a running tension generated by hatred on both sides which goes unresolved. There are clear messages about the futility of ongoing conflict, war, and hate, as contrasted with the transcendence (and sometimes the tragedy) of love. The author goes out of her way not to trivialize death, and characters do not die for entertainment in this novel. Death has consequences, and the consequences play a major role.
Naturally, dreams also play a major role: When societies collide, whose dreams control? Who dreams whom, and why, and how? This is a “Western society-meets-other society” fantasy, so as I was reading, it called to my mind the Adventures of Esplandián, the myth of El Dorado, and tales of the Fountain of Youth in which Europeans invented fairy tale creatures and fanciful places while pondering life beyond the horizon.
Initially, Lazlo is destined to be a monk, presumably within Christendom, but as he heads east he encounters a polytheistic world. The pantheon there is complicated. Deities have their ups and downs, and strengths and weaknesses. The eastern city is enmeshed in an ancient conflict which seems incapable of resolution. Its populations live in close proximity, but separately, and look upon one other with mutual hostility stemming from horrific events they experienced during early conquests. In this respect the fantasy has a clear basis in reality, providing food for thought and reflection. The neglected city that Lazlo is driven to see for himself has been stricken by the Goddess of Oblivion, who has devoured its name. Now that no one can remember the city's name, its people call it Weep. This resonates with me in the context of colliding cultures, where conquerors have often sought to erase indigenous societies and cast them into oblivion. Again, what happens to the dreams of the invaded?
My favorite quote from this novel encapsulates much of what it is ultimately about: “For what [are people] but the sum of all the scraps of their memor[ies] and experience[s]: a finite set of components with an infinite array of expressions[?]” In Strange the Dreamer, personalities are malleable, dreams are strange, strange is good, and the passions and obsessions that spring from our dreams are our destinies, not our choice.
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Robin Snyder
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic Story that Felt Like I Was Dancing with Words
Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2017Verified Purchase
This was an incredibly beautifully told part of a story (It is a dualogy so consider this the first half). The writing was impressive, full of wonder, elegance and felt like I was dancing with words. It was beautiful and terrible and full of monsters.
Laini Taylor writes like I think other people dream. There are stories within her stories. I adore her prose and the way she can turn something ordinary into something completely extraordinary. Her writing is lyrical and like music you either love it or hate it. I’m firmly in love with the way she builds her characters, the world and the wondrous breadth of emotions she makes me feel.
*** Sometimes a moment is so remarkable that it carves out a space in time and spins there, while the world rushes on around it. This was one such. ***
I’d like everyone to meet Strange the Dreamer my new book boyfriend. I feel in love with him when he was just a boy and was kidnapped by the library. But he won me even more that he thinks like this.
*** I lived seven years inside these books. My body may have been going about its duties in the library, but my mind was here. Do you know what they called me? Strange the dreamer. I was barely aware of my surroundings half the time.”
[…]
“I walked around wondering what kind of wings I would buy if the wingsmiths came to town, and if I’d prefer to ride dragons or hunt them, and whether I’d stay when the mist came, and more than anything else by far, how in the world I was going to get to the Unseen City.” ***
He is a boy/man after my own heart in his love of books and everything they have inside of them. His mind is open and full of the possibilities of the world. It is his dream to help the people of weep a city that has lost its name in any way he can.
When he meets Sarai he sees her differently than she has ever even seen herself and I utterly adored the beginning of their love story.
*** She asked in a hesitant whisper, “Do you still think I’m a… a singularly unhorrible demon?”
“No,” he said, smiling. “I think you’re a fairy tale. I think you’re magical, and brave, and exquisite. And…” His voice grew bashful. Only in a dream could he be so bold and speak such words. “I hope you’ll let me be in your story.” ***
Through Sarai we get a look into the history of the people of weep and understand like she does why hate blooms in the city and the pain of various character of the story. I loved that she could show both sides of a conflict because she understood them due to her gift and knows the people in the city better than she might even know her own family. Her time with Lazlo is some of my favorite.
This was a story full of wonders, horrors, love and beautiful prose. A story where there isn’t a right side and a wrong side. Everyone is flawed in some way and the would be villains aren’t terrible and horrible people but just people who in some horrible circumstances made devastating decisions. I understood why they did the things they did and I loved the way the information was doled out slowly and seductively to draw you into the story even more.
*** Vengeance. Sarai heard the way he said it, and she understood something. Vengeance ought to be spoken through gritted teeth, spittle flying, the cords of one’s soul so entangled in it that you can’t let it go, even if you try. If you feel it—if you really feel it—then you speak it like it’s a still-beating heart clenched in your fist and there’s blood running down your arm, dripping off your elbow, and you can’t let go.
Feral didn’t speak it like that at all. It might have been any word. Dust or teacup or plum. There was no heat in it, no still-beating heart, no blood. Vengeance was just a word to him. ***
Lazlo isn’t the only one on his way to help the city there has been a collection of various skilled people to come and help the city with their ‘Problem’ there was just no way they would have ever guessed what that problem was. I’m not even going to tell you because I want you to read the book and discover it the same way I did when we crested the hill leading into the city. Laini Taylor’s imagination is incredible.
There is so much I could say. So much I want to say but half the wonder of this story is the way it is laid out and shown to the reader. I will say that I had every emotion during this story. There were some extremely fantastic things that happened and so many questions going into the next book which is on my most anticipated list for whenever it is coming out.
I have over 200 highlights with some of the most beautiful writing I’ve found in a long time. I can’t wait for the conclusion to this magical story. I wanted to stay in this world much longer than the 2 books it is currently slotted to have.
I’m off to stalk Laini to read every scrap of info I can find about this book and the next.
Laini Taylor writes like I think other people dream. There are stories within her stories. I adore her prose and the way she can turn something ordinary into something completely extraordinary. Her writing is lyrical and like music you either love it or hate it. I’m firmly in love with the way she builds her characters, the world and the wondrous breadth of emotions she makes me feel.
*** Sometimes a moment is so remarkable that it carves out a space in time and spins there, while the world rushes on around it. This was one such. ***
I’d like everyone to meet Strange the Dreamer my new book boyfriend. I feel in love with him when he was just a boy and was kidnapped by the library. But he won me even more that he thinks like this.
*** I lived seven years inside these books. My body may have been going about its duties in the library, but my mind was here. Do you know what they called me? Strange the dreamer. I was barely aware of my surroundings half the time.”
[…]
“I walked around wondering what kind of wings I would buy if the wingsmiths came to town, and if I’d prefer to ride dragons or hunt them, and whether I’d stay when the mist came, and more than anything else by far, how in the world I was going to get to the Unseen City.” ***
He is a boy/man after my own heart in his love of books and everything they have inside of them. His mind is open and full of the possibilities of the world. It is his dream to help the people of weep a city that has lost its name in any way he can.
When he meets Sarai he sees her differently than she has ever even seen herself and I utterly adored the beginning of their love story.
*** She asked in a hesitant whisper, “Do you still think I’m a… a singularly unhorrible demon?”
“No,” he said, smiling. “I think you’re a fairy tale. I think you’re magical, and brave, and exquisite. And…” His voice grew bashful. Only in a dream could he be so bold and speak such words. “I hope you’ll let me be in your story.” ***
Through Sarai we get a look into the history of the people of weep and understand like she does why hate blooms in the city and the pain of various character of the story. I loved that she could show both sides of a conflict because she understood them due to her gift and knows the people in the city better than she might even know her own family. Her time with Lazlo is some of my favorite.
This was a story full of wonders, horrors, love and beautiful prose. A story where there isn’t a right side and a wrong side. Everyone is flawed in some way and the would be villains aren’t terrible and horrible people but just people who in some horrible circumstances made devastating decisions. I understood why they did the things they did and I loved the way the information was doled out slowly and seductively to draw you into the story even more.
*** Vengeance. Sarai heard the way he said it, and she understood something. Vengeance ought to be spoken through gritted teeth, spittle flying, the cords of one’s soul so entangled in it that you can’t let it go, even if you try. If you feel it—if you really feel it—then you speak it like it’s a still-beating heart clenched in your fist and there’s blood running down your arm, dripping off your elbow, and you can’t let go.
Feral didn’t speak it like that at all. It might have been any word. Dust or teacup or plum. There was no heat in it, no still-beating heart, no blood. Vengeance was just a word to him. ***
Lazlo isn’t the only one on his way to help the city there has been a collection of various skilled people to come and help the city with their ‘Problem’ there was just no way they would have ever guessed what that problem was. I’m not even going to tell you because I want you to read the book and discover it the same way I did when we crested the hill leading into the city. Laini Taylor’s imagination is incredible.
There is so much I could say. So much I want to say but half the wonder of this story is the way it is laid out and shown to the reader. I will say that I had every emotion during this story. There were some extremely fantastic things that happened and so many questions going into the next book which is on my most anticipated list for whenever it is coming out.
I have over 200 highlights with some of the most beautiful writing I’ve found in a long time. I can’t wait for the conclusion to this magical story. I wanted to stay in this world much longer than the 2 books it is currently slotted to have.
I’m off to stalk Laini to read every scrap of info I can find about this book and the next.
Robin Snyder
Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2017
Laini Taylor writes like I think other people dream. There are stories within her stories. I adore her prose and the way she can turn something ordinary into something completely extraordinary. Her writing is lyrical and like music you either love it or hate it. I’m firmly in love with the way she builds her characters, the world and the wondrous breadth of emotions she makes me feel.
*** Sometimes a moment is so remarkable that it carves out a space in time and spins there, while the world rushes on around it. This was one such. ***
I’d like everyone to meet Strange the Dreamer my new book boyfriend. I feel in love with him when he was just a boy and was kidnapped by the library. But he won me even more that he thinks like this.
*** I lived seven years inside these books. My body may have been going about its duties in the library, but my mind was here. Do you know what they called me? Strange the dreamer. I was barely aware of my surroundings half the time.”
[…]
“I walked around wondering what kind of wings I would buy if the wingsmiths came to town, and if I’d prefer to ride dragons or hunt them, and whether I’d stay when the mist came, and more than anything else by far, how in the world I was going to get to the Unseen City.” ***
He is a boy/man after my own heart in his love of books and everything they have inside of them. His mind is open and full of the possibilities of the world. It is his dream to help the people of weep a city that has lost its name in any way he can.
When he meets Sarai he sees her differently than she has ever even seen herself and I utterly adored the beginning of their love story.
*** She asked in a hesitant whisper, “Do you still think I’m a… a singularly unhorrible demon?”
“No,” he said, smiling. “I think you’re a fairy tale. I think you’re magical, and brave, and exquisite. And…” His voice grew bashful. Only in a dream could he be so bold and speak such words. “I hope you’ll let me be in your story.” ***
Through Sarai we get a look into the history of the people of weep and understand like she does why hate blooms in the city and the pain of various character of the story. I loved that she could show both sides of a conflict because she understood them due to her gift and knows the people in the city better than she might even know her own family. Her time with Lazlo is some of my favorite.
This was a story full of wonders, horrors, love and beautiful prose. A story where there isn’t a right side and a wrong side. Everyone is flawed in some way and the would be villains aren’t terrible and horrible people but just people who in some horrible circumstances made devastating decisions. I understood why they did the things they did and I loved the way the information was doled out slowly and seductively to draw you into the story even more.
*** Vengeance. Sarai heard the way he said it, and she understood something. Vengeance ought to be spoken through gritted teeth, spittle flying, the cords of one’s soul so entangled in it that you can’t let it go, even if you try. If you feel it—if you really feel it—then you speak it like it’s a still-beating heart clenched in your fist and there’s blood running down your arm, dripping off your elbow, and you can’t let go.
Feral didn’t speak it like that at all. It might have been any word. Dust or teacup or plum. There was no heat in it, no still-beating heart, no blood. Vengeance was just a word to him. ***
Lazlo isn’t the only one on his way to help the city there has been a collection of various skilled people to come and help the city with their ‘Problem’ there was just no way they would have ever guessed what that problem was. I’m not even going to tell you because I want you to read the book and discover it the same way I did when we crested the hill leading into the city. Laini Taylor’s imagination is incredible.
There is so much I could say. So much I want to say but half the wonder of this story is the way it is laid out and shown to the reader. I will say that I had every emotion during this story. There were some extremely fantastic things that happened and so many questions going into the next book which is on my most anticipated list for whenever it is coming out.
I have over 200 highlights with some of the most beautiful writing I’ve found in a long time. I can’t wait for the conclusion to this magical story. I wanted to stay in this world much longer than the 2 books it is currently slotted to have.
I’m off to stalk Laini to read every scrap of info I can find about this book and the next.
Images in this review
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Wortmagie
5.0 out of 5 stars
Eine Liebesgeschichte zwischen Autorin und Leserin
Reviewed in Germany on December 23, 2020Verified Purchase
Laini Taylor wollte immer Schriftstellerin werden. Sie zog nie in Betracht, etwas anderes mit ihrem Leben anzustellen und hatte keinen Plan B. Trotzdem erschien ihr erster Roman erst, als sie bereits 35 Jahre alt war. Obwohl sie immer wusste, dass sie schreiben wollte, kostete es sie viel Zeit, herauszufinden, WAS sie schreiben wollte. In jungen Jahren verfasste sie hauptsächlich Fantasy, wich jedoch davon ab, nachdem sie das College abschloss. Sie sagt, dass sie versnobt war und versuchte, „literary fiction“ zu produzieren, sich dabei aber nie wohlfühlte. Erst Ende der 1990er fand sie durch „Harry Potter“ zu ihren Wurzeln zurück. Wir verdanken J.K. Rowling also eine der besten Autor_innen fantastischer Jugendfiktion, deren Roman „Strange the Dreamer“ nach dem Erfolg ihrer „Daughter of Smoke and Bone“-Trilogie mit Spannung erwartet wurde.
Schon immer träumt Lazlo Strange von einer wunderschönen, fernen Stadt. Einer strahlenden, schillernden Stadt der Wunder, einer Oase mitten in der Wüste. Jahrhundertelang erzählten Handlungsreisende zauberhafte Geschichten über das exotische Juwel, das nur Ausgewählte betreten durften. Dann blieben die Karawanen plötzlich aus. Die Geschichten versiegten. Niemand wusste, was geschehen war. Aber für einen kleinen Waisenjungen blieb die Stadt ein Mysterium voller Abenteuer, durch die er das strenge Mönchskloster auf den Schwingen seiner Fantasie verlassen konnte. Bis der Stadt ihr Name gestohlen wurde. Plötzlich war alles, was aus Lazlos Mund kam, verzweifelter Kummer: Weep. Der kleine Junge spielte nie wieder und verschloss seine Träume tief in sich selbst. Viele Jahre später träumt Lazlo noch immer. Er träumt davon, Antworten zu finden und Weep mit eigenen Augen zu sehen. Als überraschend eine Gesandtschaft aus Weep eintrifft und um Hilfe bittet, ist Lazlos Chance gekommen. Mutig schließt er sich ihnen an, um die Geheimnisse der verlorenen Stadt zu lüften. Doch der Traum wählt den Träumer und Lazlos Traum hat gerade erst begonnen…
Ach, Laini Taylor und ich. Es ist eine Liebesgeschichte. Zugegeben, sie ist ein wenig einseitig, weil sie nicht weiß, dass ich existiere, während ich ihr seit unserer ersten Begegnung in „Daughter of Smoke and Bone“ verfallen bin, aber was macht ein kleines Ungleichgewicht schon, wenn die Beziehung so erfüllend ist? Es erleichtert mich unheimlich, dass der besondere Zauber zwischen uns ungebrochen ist und wir noch immer harmonisch auf exakt derselben Wellenlänge schwingen. Als ich „Strange the Dreamer“ aufschlug, war ich doch ein wenig besorgt, ob unsere Verbindung diesen Test unbeschadet überstehen würde. Nach der Lektüre ist sie stärker und intensiver denn je. „Strange the Dreamer“ ist ein wundervolles Buch, das mir noch einmal zeigte, dass Laini Taylors Fantasie ein zauberhafter Ort voller farbenfroher Wunder und atemberaubender Ideen ist, in dem ich mich dauerhaft häuslich einrichten möchte. Sie stimuliert meine Vorstellungskraft in einem Ausmaß, das nur sehr wenige Autor_innen erreichen. Ihr bildgewaltiger, poetischer Schreibstil treibt mein Kopfkino zu Höchstleistungen an, weil sie trotz des grundsätzlich femininen und verspielten Charakters des Romans nicht nur Licht, sondern auch Schatten gekonnt in Szene setzt und dafür Symbole verwendet, die mühelos zu interpretieren sind. Sie hat ein unvergleichliches Gespür für die exquisite Ästhetik von Tragik und Leid, berührt die gesamte Klaviatur meiner Gefühle und macht es mir daher unglaublich leicht, mich in ihren Geschichten zu verlieren. Ich beobachtete mich dabei, dass ich mich während der Lektüre von „Strange the Dreamer“ voll und ganz fallen ließ, die Kontrolle abgab, mich überraschen ließ und Taylor einfach vertraute, dass sie mir jede Frage beantworten würde, bevor sie mir überhaupt in den Sinn kommen konnte. Für meine Verhältnisse ist das bemerkenswert, weil eines der zentralen Motive des Romans das Geheimnis ist. Von der ersten Seite an stellt das Geheimnis um die verlorene Stadt Weep die Triebfeder der Handlung und des Protagonisten Lazlo Strange dar. Doch da Taylor einen stetigen Strom entscheidender Erkenntnisse und Offenbarungen aufrechterhält und somit auch den Spannungsbogen konstant gestaltet, grübelte ich nicht ungeduldig auf den Informationen herum, sondern genoss stattdessen die emotionale Nähe zu Lazlo. Lazlo ist eine dieser Figuren, die man sich real wünscht. Seine positive und liebenswerte Persönlichkeit verströmt eine sonnige Ausstrahlung, an der man sich wärmen möchte. Er ist arglos, aufrichtig, selbstlos, fantasievoll und auf so charmante Art verträumt, dass ich von ganzem Herzen hoffte, dass seine Träume wahr werden. Leider lehrt „Strange the Dreamer“ Lazlo, dass die harte, kantige Realität unseren weichen, fließenden Träumen nicht immer standhält. Ich bete dafür, dass er in der Fortsetzung „Muse of Nightmares“ erkennt, dass er es selbst in der Hand hat, Realität und Traum verschmelzen zu lassen.
Es passiert nur noch selten, dass ich so voller Lob für ein Buch bin wie für „Strange the Dreamer“. Wenn es passiert, ist es meiner Meinung nach nur recht und billig, dass ich das auch in aller Deutlichkeit ausdrücke. Falls euch meine Schwärmerei für „Strange the Dreamer“ übertrieben und kitschig erscheinen sollte, müsst ihr euch vor Augen halten, wie wenige Bücher ich lese, an denen ich überhaupt nichts auszusetzen habe. Jedes Jahr ist es lediglich eine Handvoll, die diesen Ritterschlag erhält. Tatsächlich sind es so wenige, dass ich mich manchmal frage, ob es an mir liegt. Zum Teil ist das bestimmt der Fall, aber Laini Taylor beweist, dass mit meiner Begeisterungsfähigkeit alles in Ordnung ist, solange Autor_innen die richtigen Knöpfe drücken. Kaum jemandem gelingt das so mühelos und zielsicher wie ihr. Zwischen uns wird hoffentlich immer diese ganz besondere und rare Magie knistern, die uns als Autorin und Leserin verbindet. Ich sagte es ja: Es ist eine Liebesgeschichte.
Schon immer träumt Lazlo Strange von einer wunderschönen, fernen Stadt. Einer strahlenden, schillernden Stadt der Wunder, einer Oase mitten in der Wüste. Jahrhundertelang erzählten Handlungsreisende zauberhafte Geschichten über das exotische Juwel, das nur Ausgewählte betreten durften. Dann blieben die Karawanen plötzlich aus. Die Geschichten versiegten. Niemand wusste, was geschehen war. Aber für einen kleinen Waisenjungen blieb die Stadt ein Mysterium voller Abenteuer, durch die er das strenge Mönchskloster auf den Schwingen seiner Fantasie verlassen konnte. Bis der Stadt ihr Name gestohlen wurde. Plötzlich war alles, was aus Lazlos Mund kam, verzweifelter Kummer: Weep. Der kleine Junge spielte nie wieder und verschloss seine Träume tief in sich selbst. Viele Jahre später träumt Lazlo noch immer. Er träumt davon, Antworten zu finden und Weep mit eigenen Augen zu sehen. Als überraschend eine Gesandtschaft aus Weep eintrifft und um Hilfe bittet, ist Lazlos Chance gekommen. Mutig schließt er sich ihnen an, um die Geheimnisse der verlorenen Stadt zu lüften. Doch der Traum wählt den Träumer und Lazlos Traum hat gerade erst begonnen…
Ach, Laini Taylor und ich. Es ist eine Liebesgeschichte. Zugegeben, sie ist ein wenig einseitig, weil sie nicht weiß, dass ich existiere, während ich ihr seit unserer ersten Begegnung in „Daughter of Smoke and Bone“ verfallen bin, aber was macht ein kleines Ungleichgewicht schon, wenn die Beziehung so erfüllend ist? Es erleichtert mich unheimlich, dass der besondere Zauber zwischen uns ungebrochen ist und wir noch immer harmonisch auf exakt derselben Wellenlänge schwingen. Als ich „Strange the Dreamer“ aufschlug, war ich doch ein wenig besorgt, ob unsere Verbindung diesen Test unbeschadet überstehen würde. Nach der Lektüre ist sie stärker und intensiver denn je. „Strange the Dreamer“ ist ein wundervolles Buch, das mir noch einmal zeigte, dass Laini Taylors Fantasie ein zauberhafter Ort voller farbenfroher Wunder und atemberaubender Ideen ist, in dem ich mich dauerhaft häuslich einrichten möchte. Sie stimuliert meine Vorstellungskraft in einem Ausmaß, das nur sehr wenige Autor_innen erreichen. Ihr bildgewaltiger, poetischer Schreibstil treibt mein Kopfkino zu Höchstleistungen an, weil sie trotz des grundsätzlich femininen und verspielten Charakters des Romans nicht nur Licht, sondern auch Schatten gekonnt in Szene setzt und dafür Symbole verwendet, die mühelos zu interpretieren sind. Sie hat ein unvergleichliches Gespür für die exquisite Ästhetik von Tragik und Leid, berührt die gesamte Klaviatur meiner Gefühle und macht es mir daher unglaublich leicht, mich in ihren Geschichten zu verlieren. Ich beobachtete mich dabei, dass ich mich während der Lektüre von „Strange the Dreamer“ voll und ganz fallen ließ, die Kontrolle abgab, mich überraschen ließ und Taylor einfach vertraute, dass sie mir jede Frage beantworten würde, bevor sie mir überhaupt in den Sinn kommen konnte. Für meine Verhältnisse ist das bemerkenswert, weil eines der zentralen Motive des Romans das Geheimnis ist. Von der ersten Seite an stellt das Geheimnis um die verlorene Stadt Weep die Triebfeder der Handlung und des Protagonisten Lazlo Strange dar. Doch da Taylor einen stetigen Strom entscheidender Erkenntnisse und Offenbarungen aufrechterhält und somit auch den Spannungsbogen konstant gestaltet, grübelte ich nicht ungeduldig auf den Informationen herum, sondern genoss stattdessen die emotionale Nähe zu Lazlo. Lazlo ist eine dieser Figuren, die man sich real wünscht. Seine positive und liebenswerte Persönlichkeit verströmt eine sonnige Ausstrahlung, an der man sich wärmen möchte. Er ist arglos, aufrichtig, selbstlos, fantasievoll und auf so charmante Art verträumt, dass ich von ganzem Herzen hoffte, dass seine Träume wahr werden. Leider lehrt „Strange the Dreamer“ Lazlo, dass die harte, kantige Realität unseren weichen, fließenden Träumen nicht immer standhält. Ich bete dafür, dass er in der Fortsetzung „Muse of Nightmares“ erkennt, dass er es selbst in der Hand hat, Realität und Traum verschmelzen zu lassen.
Es passiert nur noch selten, dass ich so voller Lob für ein Buch bin wie für „Strange the Dreamer“. Wenn es passiert, ist es meiner Meinung nach nur recht und billig, dass ich das auch in aller Deutlichkeit ausdrücke. Falls euch meine Schwärmerei für „Strange the Dreamer“ übertrieben und kitschig erscheinen sollte, müsst ihr euch vor Augen halten, wie wenige Bücher ich lese, an denen ich überhaupt nichts auszusetzen habe. Jedes Jahr ist es lediglich eine Handvoll, die diesen Ritterschlag erhält. Tatsächlich sind es so wenige, dass ich mich manchmal frage, ob es an mir liegt. Zum Teil ist das bestimmt der Fall, aber Laini Taylor beweist, dass mit meiner Begeisterungsfähigkeit alles in Ordnung ist, solange Autor_innen die richtigen Knöpfe drücken. Kaum jemandem gelingt das so mühelos und zielsicher wie ihr. Zwischen uns wird hoffentlich immer diese ganz besondere und rare Magie knistern, die uns als Autorin und Leserin verbindet. Ich sagte es ja: Es ist eine Liebesgeschichte.
Book
3.0 out of 5 stars
One copy was great, the other not so great
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 6, 2023Verified Purchase
I ordered 2 copies of Strange the Dreamer in "very good" condition. One was great and came with blue sprayed edges (the Fairyloot edition)!
The other copy I received was in great condition, except it was an ex-library copy. Nowhere in the description of the book I bought said this, and I feel like this is a very shady tactic. There is a difference for sure between the ex-library copy and the other copy. The ex-library copy has a thoroughly worn and fragile binding, although the dust jacket was in great condition. I wasn't even able to get a full refund since shipping back to the UK would've cost more than the book.
The other copy I received was in great condition, except it was an ex-library copy. Nowhere in the description of the book I bought said this, and I feel like this is a very shady tactic. There is a difference for sure between the ex-library copy and the other copy. The ex-library copy has a thoroughly worn and fragile binding, although the dust jacket was in great condition. I wasn't even able to get a full refund since shipping back to the UK would've cost more than the book.
Book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 6, 2023
The other copy I received was in great condition, except it was an ex-library copy. Nowhere in the description of the book I bought said this, and I feel like this is a very shady tactic. There is a difference for sure between the ex-library copy and the other copy. The ex-library copy has a thoroughly worn and fragile binding, although the dust jacket was in great condition. I wasn't even able to get a full refund since shipping back to the UK would've cost more than the book.
Images in this review
aizietaiziet
5.0 out of 5 stars
Masterpiece
Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2022Verified Purchase
''Vengeance ought to be spoken through gritted teeth, spittle flying, the cords of one’s soul so entangled in it that you can’t let it go, even if you try. If you feel it—if you really feel it—then you speak it like it’s a still-beating heart clenched in your fist and there’s blood running down your arm, dripping off your elbow, and you can’t let go.''
The story starts with the second Sabbat of Twelfthmoon, in the city of Weep, when a girl fell from the sky. Her skin was blue and her blood was red.
And Lazlo Strange - war orphan, a junior librarian and a big dreamer. He had a name before, but it was lost. Taken. He's been obsessed with the lost city of Weep and has buried himself in books, to discover it's myths and many unanswered questions. 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?
Sadly, I haven't mastered English vocabulary to such an extent, that I can fully express all my feelings towards this mesmerizing and spellbinding work of art, that is Laini's book.
Occasionally (if not, rarely), reader may find a book that is so matchless and apart from the others, that it will be cherished throughout his lifetime. This is that type of book for me.
I absolutely loved her DOSAB series and fell in love with her lyrical and magical writings style already then. You may need to be patient for the beginning, as the story progresses slowly. But you will be rewarded afterwards with such imagination, that will take your breath away!
The world building, for either real life or dream sequences, was atmospheric, whimsical and rich. Laini has created a unique and magical world, that is not a typical fantasy read. This book felt very much alive and it was easy to experience details and wonderful dream and nightmare scenes.
I immediately connected to Lazlo and Sarai, who were exceptionally written characters. I loved Laini's clever narration, that was effortlessly transitioning between Lazlo and Sarai. And later other characters.
Lazlo is someone, who I want to know in real life. Despite his harsh childhood and somewhat bleak life closer to adulthood, he's just so lovely, gentle and full of wonder and dreams. Who's stories and ideas I want to listen to. I think this quote is describing many insatiable readers, like me:
''He read while he ate. The other librarians suspected he somehow read while he slept, or perhaps didn’t sleep at all. On the occasions that he did look up from the page, he would seem as though he were awakening from a dream. “Strange the dreamer,” they called him. “That dreamer, Strange.” And it didn’t help that he sometimes walked into walls while reading, or that his favorite books hailed from that dusty sublevel where no one else cared to go.''
And Sarai- beautiful goddess. Concept of her gift and the way how she delivers it, was otherworldly. I immensely enjoyed her thoughts and realizations about her life in citadel and truths, that she learned from citizens, that she.. visited.
The story starts with the second Sabbat of Twelfthmoon, in the city of Weep, when a girl fell from the sky. Her skin was blue and her blood was red.
And Lazlo Strange - war orphan, a junior librarian and a big dreamer. He had a name before, but it was lost. Taken. He's been obsessed with the lost city of Weep and has buried himself in books, to discover it's myths and many unanswered questions. 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?
Sadly, I haven't mastered English vocabulary to such an extent, that I can fully express all my feelings towards this mesmerizing and spellbinding work of art, that is Laini's book.
Occasionally (if not, rarely), reader may find a book that is so matchless and apart from the others, that it will be cherished throughout his lifetime. This is that type of book for me.
I absolutely loved her DOSAB series and fell in love with her lyrical and magical writings style already then. You may need to be patient for the beginning, as the story progresses slowly. But you will be rewarded afterwards with such imagination, that will take your breath away!
The world building, for either real life or dream sequences, was atmospheric, whimsical and rich. Laini has created a unique and magical world, that is not a typical fantasy read. This book felt very much alive and it was easy to experience details and wonderful dream and nightmare scenes.
I immediately connected to Lazlo and Sarai, who were exceptionally written characters. I loved Laini's clever narration, that was effortlessly transitioning between Lazlo and Sarai. And later other characters.
Lazlo is someone, who I want to know in real life. Despite his harsh childhood and somewhat bleak life closer to adulthood, he's just so lovely, gentle and full of wonder and dreams. Who's stories and ideas I want to listen to. I think this quote is describing many insatiable readers, like me:
''He read while he ate. The other librarians suspected he somehow read while he slept, or perhaps didn’t sleep at all. On the occasions that he did look up from the page, he would seem as though he were awakening from a dream. “Strange the dreamer,” they called him. “That dreamer, Strange.” And it didn’t help that he sometimes walked into walls while reading, or that his favorite books hailed from that dusty sublevel where no one else cared to go.''
And Sarai- beautiful goddess. Concept of her gift and the way how she delivers it, was otherworldly. I immensely enjoyed her thoughts and realizations about her life in citadel and truths, that she learned from citizens, that she.. visited.
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