Plot summary of Strange the Dreamer
Lazlo Strange has always had a dream: to travel to Weep, the Unseen City, whose name was snatched from his mind when he was a child. Nobody knows anymore what it used to be called, or even whether it still stands, since nobody has travelled from the city in years. When a delegation from Weep arrives in the city, asking for help with a mysterious problem, Lazlo almost can’t believe it. He jumps at the chance to travel to the city, even knowing that a simple junior librarian isn’t likely to be much use. When he arrives though, he finds himself immersed in a mystery that goes far beyond what he had imagined. He may not have the knowledge or skills that Weep was seeking, but perhaps what they needed most of all was a dreamer.
My thoughts on Strange the Dreamer
Having been an unapologetic devotee of Laini Taylor since reading Daughter of Smoke and Bone, I knew I was likely to enjoy this book. Strange the Dreamer, and its sequel The Muse of Nightmares, is another immersive fantasy adventure, with a whole new world to get lost in.
There are two protagonists. The first is Lazlo Strange, so named because he’s a war orphan and so has no real family name. A junior librarian, he spends his days immersed in stories, always on the lookout for information about Weep.
He’s got a vivid imagination, and a deep commitment to his secret dream. To visit the unknown city.
The second protagonist is Sarai. One of the blue-skinned children of the gods, or monsters, depending on who you ask. She and her siblings live in secret above the city their parents terrorised. They can’t imagine any sort of life beyond their captive existence.
The book spends a lot of time laying groundwork
The pacing of this story feels a bit slow at first. I’ve read this book a few times now, and I always feel like it takes a long time to get to the real meat of the story. I don’t think it’s just fluff though, or random padding. Strange the Dreamer has a lot of necessary set-up, with a substantial cast of characters and important dynamics to establish.
It’s good to see the lives of the godspawn children up in the citadel, and understand their perspectives. It’s also valuable to get a sense for who Lazlo is as an individual before joining him up with Sarai. And Sarai lives with another six people we need to get to know at least a little, Lazlo is travelling with even more.
That doesn’t make it easy to wait for Lazlo and Sarai to finally meet! I’m always impatient to see them finally cross paths. But it does make sense why Laini Taylor doesn’t rush into it.
When they do meet, of course, they fall for each other instantly. I’m not here to complain about this kind of romance; it makes marginally more sense in this story than it might in some others, due to the circumstances of their meeting. It’s also a YA fantasy, so, you know… what did you expect?
I love the way the conflict is set up in Strange the Dreamer
Laini Taylor is brilliant at getting her characters into awful situations. The stakes are substantial, and it often feels impossible for one or two characters to turn the tide. There are many points when reading this book where I wonder how on earth we can find something resembling a happy ending.
The characters aren’t given easy outs, which I appreciate. It’s hard to read, because the characters are easy to love, and you don’t want to see them go through hell. But, at the same time, it makes it all the sweeter when they manage to snatch a victory.
As usual, I won’t talk about the ending of this book, because I’m not in the business of spoilers here. But, in case you’re not aware, I will point out that Strange the Dreamer is book one of a duology, followed by Muse of Nightmares. So, the storyline isn’t entirely resolved at the end of this book.
There are some fascinating side characters
Minya and Sparrow are probably my favourites in the citadel. Minya is the oldest of the godspawn, although she’s stuck in the body of a child. She’s also mentally and emotionally stuck, trapped by the trauma she lived through when the citadel’s previous inhabitants were killed. Sparrow is a sister to Sarai, and seems the sweetest of the group, but I enjoyed seeing layers to her unveiled over the course of the book.
Down in the city, we have Thyon Nero, ‘the golden godson’, Lazlo’s nemesis. Or the closest thing Lazlo has to a nemesis, he’s really too good-natured to have any true enemies! Nero is another great illustration of Laini Taylor’s ability to write fascinating, complex characters. Prepare to have your opinion of him shift dramatically over the course of this duology.
Every character brings something interesting and unique to the table, and I enjoy reading all of them. Even the unpleasant ones! Strange the Dreamer is a chunky book, and when you look at the number of characters with distinct plots and character arcs you can see why.
I love Strange the Dreamer, and would definitely recommend it to any fantasy readers
I don’t know whether I love it as much as the Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy, but it’s high on my list of favourite fantasy stories. It’s engrossingly written; Taylor has a way with words that I really enjoy. If you have a tendency to cry at books, this one will probably make you cry. But it’ll make you smile too. A wonderful escapist YA fantasy, I think Strange the Dreamer is well worth a read.
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