"From the biggest concept to the smallest detail, Laini builds up a story that makes you want to forget your daily world and dive deep in the adventure happening between the pages."
Genre: Fantasy, YA, Romance
Recommend it highly if you like: “Daughter of Smoke and Bone” series by Laini Taylor, Fairytales, Fantasy world buildup, Authors with vivid imagination
“It was impossible, of course. But when did that ever stop any dreamer from dreaming.”
Hello lovelies,
Summer is finally here (at least that is what they say, even though it doesn’t look like it at all in Maastricht..)! That means I am finally done with all a person have to be done with and have more time to read! So excited! I already have reviews lined up, waiting to be posted and read by you so stay tuned – we will be active during the summer and you can pick up your next reads based on our suggestions!
I am presenting to you today “Strange the Dreamer” by Laini Taylor. A little background story as to how I chose this book. A few years ago a friend suggested to me the “Daughter of Smoke and Bone” series (by the same author). I read the Goodreads promo – battles, teeth, Prague, angels, blue hair..weird, huh? That sparked my interest and I decided to check them out. And oh boy, did I find one of my three favorite authors EVER!!! (I won’t fangirl here about those series, if anyone wants to hear my thoughts do feel free to contact me <3). Anyways, when I saw a year ago that Laini has announced a new book (FINALLY) I already knew I wanted to read it, no matter what. And I was happy enough to get that book for a review.
In my classical style I will start with my rating – it is full, fat 5 crosses! Well deserved! With a smiley face on them! And a silent scream at the end for the sequel (oh yes, there will be a sequel to this book). Along with “A Court of Thorns and Roses” this is the best book I have read this year (so far).
What is “Strange the Dreamer” all about? Well Strange is the name of our main character. Yes, strange indeed. (haha) He is (as well as the title describes) a vivid daydreamer (aren’t we all?), librarian, fantasy warrior (at least in his own head) and a kind soul. Raised with the tales from an old man, he is obsessed with the magic and wonder of the people of Weep – a distant land with magical creatures that lures Strange in. Our character gets the lucky chance to become a part of his beloved fantasy world and joins a quest to solve the mystery of Weep..which leads him to the adventure of a lifetime and..a certain blue-skinned Goddess who appears in his dreams.
What I love the most about Laini is the world she manages to create. I can promise you all that you WANT to be a part of the world this brilliant mind can create. From the biggest concept to the smallest detail, Laini builds up a story that makes you want to forget your daily world and dive deep in the adventure happening between the pages. Her world is always original in the way that it doesn’t even come close to the typical stereotype of a fantasy book. And she always manages to surprise the reader and leave him gasping. And watch out for cliffhangers and plot twists, she does both flawlessly. And if you are a hopeless romantic like me, but still like your characters to be realistic and not too annoying (been there too many times..) this book is a perfect choice for you – where the expectation of a kiss is explained in such detail you can’t help but feel the butterflies in your stomach as well:
“It might have been brief, but so much of a kiss - a first kiss especially - is the moment before your lips touch, and before your eyes close, when you're filled with the sight of each other, and with the compulsion, the pull, and it's like...it's like...finding a book inside another book.”
And when I came to the end of this book, a quote, stuck in my head long ago, resurfaced. One from “Twilight” (yes, the same “Twilight” by Stephenie Meyer you are thinking of). And that quote was representing my feeling about this book so well. It goes like this:
“When life offers you a dream so far beyond any of your expectations, it’s not reasonable to grieve when it comes to an end.”
It was indeed beyond anything I could have imagined. And I did grieve a bit. And had problems getting myself in the story of the next book I decided to pick up, I just couldn’t shake Weep of my mind for days.
So thank you, yet again, Laini, for this beautiful literary work. And I will be waiting for the sequel, patiently (screaming inwardly “NOW NOW NOW, GIVE IT NOW”)..maybe not so patiently. And I suggest this book above all others to all of you, readers, this is a world worth running away to, hiding for a moment, a world full of dreams and wonders:
“You’re a storyteller. Dream up something wild and improbable," she pleaded. "Something beautiful and full of monsters."
So here they are - 5 fat crosses:
Until next time!
Irina 😊
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