“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.”
— Laini Taylor, Strange the Dreamer
For the orphan Lazlo Strange, life was limited to the dusty confines of the ancient library, fetching books for famous scholars in pursuit of their great works–but receiving no honor himself. In the midst of this servitude, Lazlo’s only pleasure is studying old books and feeding his obsession of Weep, the lost city on the other side of a vast desert.
It seemed he would be doomed to spend the rest of his days dreaming among the bookshelves. Then a mysterious figure known as the Godslayer arrives and presents Lazlo with a chance to take hold of his dreams.
But with these dreams comes the nightmares of a forgotten people.
The thing that stuck out most to me while reading Strange the Dreamer was how the story was told. To put it simply, it’s poetry.
Whether Taylor is painting vivid pictures of her created world or evoking the emotions of characters wrestling with their own demons, her language remains carefully crafted in lyrical prose.
(Many times while reading, I thought to myself, “I wish I had written that!”)
There were parts that I considered overly romantic both in language and in content (and personal preference would have me skip those parts—especially the entire chapter devoted to a kiss). But the rest of the book was so good, I’ll let that slide.
The story itself was an adventurous road. And the language was the breathtaking scenery along the way.
Taylor took me on a tour of a unique and imaginative world, and the twists of her story brought me to a place I did not expect. Which left me very pleased.
As a result, I immediately picked up the next book of the duology, Muse of Nightmares, longing to know what happened next.
Have you read Strange the Dreamer? What are your thoughts on it?
What are you reading lately? Any recommendations? Share in the comments below.