Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor: ASTOUNDING! I kid you not

Strange the Dreamer 

by 

Laini Taylor

A long time ago there was an amazing city. No one knew where it stood but everyone knew that it was one of the few left with true magic, which the city sold. Until it simply disappeared. Lazlo Strange, war orphan taken in by monks loves stories, but especially stories of the mythical city. However, his love turns into obsession when one morning the city’s name disappears. All around the world people forget the city’s true name, until all that is left is the sour name of Weep.

              Some take it in stride, denying that the city had no other name. But Lazlo knows there’s something magical about the Unseen City and if he were braver or bolder he would travel across the world to find it himself. Until one day, when citizens of the Unseen City arrive at Lazlo’s library and he realizes that maybe he won’t have to travel on his own.

Characters

Lazlo Strange: is one of my new favorite protagonists! I’m not even kidding. Do you know how many protagonists, particularly male ones, are ‘special’ because they have dreams and fantasies and they spend all their time reading fairy stories? Do you know any other rugged looking characters whose nose was broken by a particularly large book of fairy tales?

 No? well you’re going to love this one I promise. Lazlo is so kind, to the point of self-depreciation sometimes, but the best part is his stories. Whether he’s telling old tales or creating new ones from scratch I loved every second of it. Lazlo is awesome and I can’t wait to read more about him.

Sarai: is equally awesome but a bit blue. Sorry, that’s supposed to be funny because she has blue skin. It was a lot funnier in my head. Sarai lives in Weep, technically but I don’t want to talk too much about her because the whole book lays it out so perfectly and I don’t want to steal that from anyone. Basically Sarai is the daughter of someone evil. Which per usual books means she should be angsty and conflicted all the time. Well, there’s some conflicted there but mostly Sarai wants to live! Not just survive like she and her fellow blue people have been. Mostly she wants cake. I would give you cake Sarai I really would you poor thing.  

Minya: so she’s the antagonist and, again, I’m going to be super vague because discovering her motivation is so staggeringly beautiful but she is just too good of a villain to not talk about. Because she’s the kind of villain you completely understand. She’s evil yes, and if somebody doesn’t stop her she will cause the deaths of every other character. But dang it you almost don’t want to stop her. Because in a way, she’s right. But she’s also wrong. It’s complicated okay. But it’s really brilliant and I love her.

Likes

That writing was really bloody beautiful: Like to the point where I almost couldn’t write this review! Heck even talking about this book normally (as I do) can’t do justice to this jaw-dropping writing. It’s flowery and over saturated with gorgeous description, which usually makes me go NOPE! And leave but it was too beautiful to stop. It’s the kind of writing that makes you want to go write a fairytale about dragons and stealing moons and merchants who sell wings. It’s just gorgeous.

The two sides of this conflict: Not since Avatar the Last Airbender cartoon (I am ashamed that I must make that distinction now) have I seen a conflict that so clearly establishes both sides. Because on one side you have people throwing over tyrants who abused them for years in the cruelest ways possible. You know, the people that per usual YA you’d expect to be right. But, they went too far. Something that is so easy to do in real life. And they created their own antagonists. Ones who understand that they were saving themselves but object that they have to die for them to live. It’s heartbreaking and beautiful and one of the best set ups I have seen in years, no joke.

I liked the romance! *happy dance*: after that last one this ‘like’ seems kind of trite but I was super excited about it. sure, there was a bit of insta-love going on but, maybe it was all the fairytales flying around or something it didn’t seem out of place at all. Still, I loved it. I’m very proud of myself for loving it as well.

That Ending I am crying: I won’t spoil anything but it floored me. I need the next book desperately. The cliffhanger was beyond cruel and so unexpected I felt like I was being slapped in the face. In a good way . . . I think.

Dislikes

I DON’T HAVE ANY!!!!! 

 heh, it’s been a while since I’ve had no complaints. Even some of my five star reads have a few small complaints. But not Strange the Dreamer. It would be like, I don’t know, complaining about classics. Wait, I do that all the time. I don’t even know you guys! This book needs a category all it’s own because it’s not YA fantasy or even adult. It’s like a modern day fairytale that’s a couple hundred pages long. Just read it okay. I thought it was some sort of weird flowery contemporary (no insult meant if that’s your thing) but it’s not so read it.