Strange the Dreamer: he magical, masterfully-imaginative fantasy sensation from a Sunday Times bestselling author

Lazlo Strange has dreamed of the mythical lost city of Weep since he was a young boy playing make-believe in the orchards of the monastery where he was raised. Now a librarian in the Great Library of Zosma, Lazlo spends his days still dreaming of journeying to the lost City, until that is the day arrives when his dreams look set to turn into reality. Suddenly he finds himself one of a group of delegates accompanying a mysterious stranger known as the Godslayer as well as a group of legendary warriors from the lost city. What awaits them there is even more extraordinary than anything even Lazlo could have dreamed! I found myself completely immersed in this imaginative and captivating read, drawn into the vividly described fantasy world that Taylor has created. From the Great Library of Zosma, to the vast desert plains of the Elmuthaleth, and to the lost City itself, it was a joy accompanying Lazlo on his voyage of discovery. Lazlo himself makes for a wonderful fantasy book hero, with his nose always behind a book and his mind full of wonder; he's gentle and kind and very easy to like. Yet I thought that Taylor did a really good job of portraying a whole host of more complex characters too. There's Thyon Nero, the arrogant alchemist, who early on in the story seems set on being a clear villain; yet I was surprised to find that it wasn't quite so black and white. The Godslayer too is another prime example, a hero who saved his City and its people from a reign of terrible tyranny, and yet at a great cost too;such that he is haunted by the blood on his hands. Minya, again, is an intriguing character; controlling and manipulative, she might easily have been painted a pure villain, but the tragedy of her past and the great trauma she has witnessed can but render her in a more sympathetic light. I don't want to go into detail regarding the ins and outs of the story, but I thought that Taylor touched upon some great themes within the book, re-working them in an imaginative way. Its a story about the aftermath of tyranny and war, about hatred and how hard it can be to forgive and reach a reconciliation. I thought that Taylor did a good job of portraying two sides of a story; as a reader it is easy to appreciate the suffering that the people of Weep have endured, but by allowing us to get to see things from the Godspawns' points of view, and Sarai's in particular, we gain an insight into what they - the orphans of war - have endured too. I personally found the idea of the Mesarthim and the Godspawn, with their mystical powers, intriguing; and there are still so many unanswered questions regarding them. Who were the Mesarthim, where did they come from, and what happened to all those Godspawn children over the centuries? Sarai's power is a particularly interesting one and obviously shapes a lot of the story; with dream elements becoming more prominent as the book goes on. I really liked the depiction of the dream sequences in which Lazlo and Sarai interact; and thought Taylor really managed to capture that whimsical and magical quality that dreams have. The romance between the two central characters was I thought sweetly rendered; and whilst some people have complained that it felt too instantaneous and also took up too much time I would disagree on both accounts. I think the secluded nature of the lives that both Lazlo and Sarai have lived, makes it believable that they might develop feelings so quickly for each other; and I think the ending of the book makes it quite clear why so much time was invested in their relationship.Certainly the book ends on a cliffhanger, with some very interesting dynamics being set up;such that I can't wait for the sequel. I did guess at the ending of the story, but that didn't at all spoil it. I would also say that the book starts off quite slow, but if you stick with the first few chapters, things soon start getting interesting. A beautifully written book, with exquisite prose and imagery, this is certainly a story I won't be forgetting in a while.

I had delayed reading "Strange the Dreamer" for nearly 3 years after buying it. Why? Having previously read the "Daughter of Smoke and Bone" trilogy, I knew roughly what type of story to expect; I knew it would be beautifully written, and creatively special. But I also had a sort of dichotomy between wanting to read it, and wanting to keep the fizz of anticipation! Finally, I opened its pages and dived in.... This series opener is a sensuous symphony of lyrical language, captivating characters, and incredible imagination. It is simultaneously a compelling tale of a foundling's mystery, relationships of all kinds, and world-changing conflict ... and a glorious illustration of the richness of dreams and fantastical realms. And of course the magical world contains lapis lazuli, which naturally is close to my heart! So there's that. ;-) All in all, I emerge from the reading of Strange the Dreamer feeling that I have been immersed in an extraordinary otherworld of enchantment and curiosity, and learning and understanding ... a world where so much is possible, and connection, love, and intimacy arise in unexpected ways. Of course I am now looking forward to reading Muse of Nightmares ... knowing the story so far, the fizz for this one has a different hue and taste. Maybe I'll let that fizz bubble for a little while longer! ;-) If you enjoyed The Daughter of Smoke and Bone Trilogy, I have no doubt you'll revel in Strange and Sarai's journey, too. And, if you have a rich imagination or busy dreamlife, then this is surely right up your street!

Great concept story cleverly developed, about an orphan who's also a dreamer. It's a well written love story, entertaining as well as picturesque. The characters are well drawn, but also each of them acts within character. I always find that helps me totally lose myself in the reading. And that's really what I want as reader, I want the story to take me away from life, to let me escape into the story - this book does a great job of that. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Strange the Dreamer on kindle. It is so good that I'm about to go straight into the second book of the series. And it's an unusual story which really makes this a well named book too. If you like a good story, try it you won't be disappointed. Perhaps it's appeal best to those who like sci-fi but I think there's wider appeal here it's a little like a great legend or fairy tale, but better. There's a lot of truth about life in here. Well done Laini Taylor. More please.

OMG that ending! Anyway 4.5 stars. As usual Laini Taylor has produced a beautiful book with a richly imagined world, gorgeous prose, engaging characters and a certain quirkiness that is all hers. I really loved this. Lazlo Strange was brought up a foundling and became a librarian but he always harboured a dream to unravel the secrets of the hidden and inaccessible city of Weep, which no one has visited in 200 years. When it seems that golden darling Thyron Nero is about to snatch Strange's dream, it galvanises the librarian to fight for the adventure he wants. Lazlo gets far more than he bargained for. Weep rightfully deserves its name (or rather its un-name) and Lazlo Strange is about to truly understand all the pains and pleasures of being young and becoming a legend. Taylor has many strengths as I've mentioned. For me the exquisite prose will keep me reading even when the pace has started to plod a bit. Taylor's characters are always fully rounded and interesting and Strange the Dreamer is no exception. If you like your fantasy more sword and sorcery or epic or high, then you may not enjoy this as much. It certainly felt slower to me than the author's other books and I can't decide if that's because I listened to the audio book or it was just less engaging for me than the Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy. Taylor's fantasy is too literary to really fit other sub categories and too wonderfully quirky to be purely literary. It's really only like itself and it's wonderful. The author does examine some similar themes to her previous work here - war and it's cost, slavery and emancipation, personal freedom versus duty, love and grief and hatred. She has such a deft touch that you don't even realise that is the conversation you're having with the book until later. Ultimately this grabbed me less than Daughter of Smoke and Bone but I'm still looking forward to the second book. Lazlo is a wonderful character. Whatever this book lacks in fierce action it makes up for in pure whimsical imagination. And the ending is nail bitingly and heart rendingly satisfying.

Strange the Dreamer has been on my to read list for a while. I got a blanket of it from Illumicrate last year which I fell in love with. I then got the special editions Illumicrate released as their covers made me want to read the books even more. And I’m so glad I did! It had great characters, a pretty original story, twists, and interesting world building. Writing was lovely too. Felt like poetry at times. The ending was intense! I’m glad the next book has already been released so I don’t have to wait too long otherwise I’d be going crazy. The main character isn’t my normal type of favourite character but wow did he make this book. He was just so likeable especially to anyone that loves stories (which hopefully will be most people who read this book). Honestly he might be one of my top favourite book characters ever now but we’ll see how he grows in the next book. I think it wasn’t a full 5 stars just as the jumping pov always threw me off, especially as I was mainly listening to it by audiobook. And although the main couple felt like they’d been made for each other which was adorable as they both deserve to find that kind of love, their type of fast paced romance isn’t personally a favourite of mine to read about. I still loved them don’t get me wrong, it’s just a me thing as I prefer more of a build up. It’s 4.5 stars but rounded up to 5 if I had to choose. So maybe it’s 4.60 stars.

Laini Taylor is no stranger to me - I am a fan and I LOVED her "Daughter of Smoke & Bone" trilogy and was very excited when I found out her next book was a new story. However, realistically I doubted she could really conjure the same magic she did with DOSB but my oh my was I wrong!!!? I wont be telling you about the characters because I will do the writer a great injustice. If you are reading this review, pls know that this book is worth reading. It does not belong in "YA" category! This book is beautifully beautifully written. I cannot praise her writing enough. Its descriptive, poetic, the imagery is fantastic. And yet she hits you with poignancy, agony, mischief and tenderness every now and again that takes your breath away. But the plot is absolutely masterful, she unweaves the story with just the right amount of detail, teases the darker edge to it. The multiple points of view do not take away anything from the story. The characters are so well thought out and described with such detail that I can see them in my mind quite clearly, right down to their quirks and nuances. But all of this with new characters, brand new story with hardly any echoes back to her previous series is an incredible feat! Laini Taylor, you are a master of your craft, take a bow!! Oh and the book design is amazing, makes me feel like electronic medium will never take over the world till such lovely books exist!

I needed to sit with this for a while before writing my review, I had conflicting thoughts about Strange the Dreamer. For the first 30% I was enjoying it but somewhat confused, and not entirely invested in the characters. I can see why I’ve seen people dnf at this point, because the writing takes some getting used to, like breaking a shoe in. But once it clicked, I was completely hooked and obsessed with this world, and Lazlo and Sarai. So whimsical, yet with the high-stakes plot you would expect from a complex fantasy. Brilliant twists I didn’t see coming, and perhaps most surprising of all, the cutest romance I’ve read in years I cannot wait to finish the duology with the Muse of Nightmares

Possibly one of the best books I’ve read for a while. Though this volume (Part 1) may be shelved under YA, Taylor’s writing and world-building is something that older adult fantasy fans would enjoy. There’s much to recommend “Strange the Dreamer”. A poor orphan raised in a cruel monastery and sent by chance to work on the stacks in the caverns of a library, Lazlo Strange is the kind of unlikely hero that you root for right from the start. Unremarkable in terms of looks, except for a broken nose (courtesy of a heavy tome not a courageous fight) that is buried in fairy tales and dragons, and prone to outrageous dreams (both of the day and night variety), Lazlo is recruited to join a group of scientists, inventors and alchemists, on a dangerous mission to by the legendary Godslayer to save his faraway city cast in perpetual shadow and that has forgotten its name. Taylor is a masterful storyteller in the way she reveals in bite sizes the world she has created so that when the reader assembles the pieces and comes face to face with it, he is enthralled by the magnificence of how they all fall into place in its own time. Without any spoilers, it is enough to say that a citadel sits in the heart of the city and in it lives a lonely blue girl, Sarai, whose fate will be closely entwined with Lazlo’s, and their relationship would be governed by his strange dreams. The line between dreams and reality would be called to question and the reader is drawn into Taylor’s fictional world as if he is part of it. That the novel is to be continued in a sequel makes this a long journey (about 500+ pages on the kindle edition) that the reader needs to want to embark on, but it promises to be an exhilarating and spellbinding ride that would be totally worth the investment.

Taylor is a genius, there's nothing she has written that I haven't liked. Strange the dreamer is full of magic, heartache, and the ending had me in a chokehold. (Tears were shed) and true fear for the MC has me reaching for book 2 .

4.5 stars out of 5. It could easily have been a five stars but I had issues with a few things, mainly the insta-love and the ending that was a bit too traditional (I wouldn't say cliché because it wouldn't do it justice). Everything else was amazing. The pacing, the atmosphere, the unique writing style and the sketched-out-but-not-spelled-out characters. Contrary to what I've read in other reviews, I actually really liked the 100 first pages. The first two thirds of the book are in fact the best part of Strange the Dreamer. The characters were a really strong point for me : almost every one of them avoids classical tropes, except maybe Nero and, sadly, Sarai. I particularly liked Laszlo, who is a credible and likable in a not in-your-face way new model of male main character. Can't wait for the next one, even if, strangely since it almost never happens, I have absolutely no idea about what could happen in the next. The story could finish there. But it won't. And I thank Laini Taylor for that.

This is a 2 part series. It is one of the most beautiful reads I have had in a very long time. Every word, every expression, every detail is filled with magic. You enter into a completely different realm altogether so much so that you start wishing you were in it. If you want an escape from the daily life and dive into something extraordinary outwardly then definitely go for it. It won't have realistic issues of the world but it is full of intense emotions and feelings which we all go through at some point in our life.

Beautifully written, can't recommend any more highly. Buy it, read it, share it.

After Daughter of Smoke and Bone I thought that Laini was going to have a hard time coming up with something even better... OH GOD. I was so SO wrong. This is a masterpiece. The kids up in the Citadel are described so well you can imagine every single detail, and the development of Lazlo is just perfect. This is one of my new favorite books.