Strange the Dreamer (Strange the Dreamer, #1) by Laini Taylor

Narrated by Steve West

Synopsis (via Goodreads): The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around—and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he’s been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance or lose his dream forever.

What happened in Weep two hundred years ago to cut it off from the rest of the world? What exactly did the Godslayer slay that went by the name of god? And what is the mysterious problem he now seeks help in solving?

The answers await in Weep, but so do more mysteries—including the blue-skinned goddess who appears in Lazlo’s dreams. How did he dream her before he knew she existed? And if all the gods are dead, why does she seem so real?

Welcome to Weep.

“And that's how you go on. You lay laughter over the dark parts. The more dark parts, the more you have to laugh. With defiance, with abandon, with hysteria, any way you can.”

Finally! It took roughly three months for me to finish the audio version of this book. Yes, you read that right: three months! For one thing, the audiobook was insanely long, which was its own challenge, though I loved listening to the narrator. Side note: I totally thought Steve West was Shane East! They sound really similar and their names even look alike. Secondly, my library hold kept expiring, which resulted in me being placed back on a wait list. I truly thought it would never end. It's not that the story was bad, but the beginning really dragged for me. I didn't actually look forward to listening to the audiobook until Lazlo left the library. I think I mentally aged a few years while I waited in those dusty shelves for something else to happen.

Despite my issues with the pacing, I enjoyed learning about the characters and the world. Laini Taylor wrote in a way that made the words feel alive. I had no trouble picturing everything as it was described, and the images were breathtakingly beautiful. However, I thought it took entirely too long to get from one place to the next and to explain everything that was happening. I wish she'd condensed it just a little. There's not lot of action throughout the story, and I felt like I was dragging my feet through most of it. 

I really did like the story as a whole. I thought the alternating perspectives were interesting, even though they were confusing at times. It took me a few seconds at the beginning of each chapter to discern who and where I was. Additionally, Lazlo and Sarai were both unique and complex characters, but they dominated the story. The others were always around, and we do occasionally see things through their eyes, but not to the extent that I would have liked. It made it hard for me to relate to them, and I didn't always understand their decisions.

As for the ending: what the hell was that? I felt like I'd finally battled my way through this beast of a book, only to have Taylor punch me in the face while wearing brass knuckles. She did something that I never would have anticipated, and it left me shocked and more than a little angry. I can maybe understand why the twist was necessary, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.

Honestly, I don't know how I feel about Strange the Dreamer, and that's why I gave the book three stars. I didn't love it, but I also didn't hate it. I enjoyed the descriptions and the world-building, but I thought the pace was slow and felt bogged down by the details. I have so many questions, too. I'm sure some of those will be answered in the next book (like what's behind all of those closed doors, and if Feral will be able to decipher his book), but I'm not in a hurry to read Muse of Nightmares. I have a copy, and I'll get to it eventually, but I need to be in the right headspace for it.