Strange the Dreamer

Laini Taylor is one of those author's whose book I will buy without reading the synopsis - I know they're going to be amazing, no matter what they're about. They're also usually so beautiful that I have to buy them in hardcover rather than as ebooks, so can admire how pretty they are on my shelf. Strange the Dreamer didn't disappoint in either of these criteria.

“You’re a storyteller. Dream up something wild and improbable," she pleaded. "Something beautiful and full of monsters."

“Beautiful and full of monsters?"

“All the best stories are.” 

Lazlo Strange has been obsessed with the city of Weep for as long as he can remember. A librarian and a dreamer, he longs to journey to the lost city and discover its secrets. But this is a story of godspawn and monsters, of alchemy and nightmares; sometimes fulfilling your dreams brings much, much more than you ever imagined. 

“It was impossible, of course. But when did that ever stop any dreamer from dreaming.” 

Taylor's writing is a whole other level of beautiful. She has such a clever way with words and her novels are a joy to read as a result. I'm sure I will be flicking back through this purely to enjoy her wonderful writing. 

“I turned my nightmares into fireflies and caught them in a jar.”

I loved the dual perspectives of this book: some chapters focused on Lazlo, while others followed Sarai, the daughter of a god, trapped in a citadel floating above the city of Weep. No one knows that she, or her siblings, are there and they need it to stay that way. 

“Without his books, his room felt like a body with its hearts cut out.”

There were some brilliant plot twists in this novel, some I saw coming, others I didn't. And the ending is just... Well, I can't really say anything without major spoilers, but it's superb and has left me desperate to find out what happens in book two. I'm so disappointed that I went to YALC the day before Taylor was there, as I would have loved to meet her.

First non-picture book review in a while! I have a lot of these to catch up on, so expect regular updates and a few writing related posts too. I've been busy recently completing a Faber Academy writing course, which I'll post about very soon. I hope everyone's having a lovely summer!