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. (via Goodreads)

This tale had me sighing, chewing my fingernails, and not wanting to get out of the car while I listened. Cause holy shit, this story is stunning.

“As for fairy tales, he understood that they were reflections of the people who had spun them, and were flecked with little truths – intrusions of reality into fantasy, like toast crumbs on a wizard’s beard.”

This was my first read by Laini Taylor, and this has me interested in reading her other books, because she can wrap me up in a story any day.

This book needs a trigger warning for discussion of genocide, rape mentions, kidnapping mentions, slavery mentions, erasure of memory via magic, and physical violence.

There was so much going on in this novel that you’ll barely notice how long it is. Seriously, it took me almost a full month to listen to the 19 hour audiobook. I didn’t ever want to stop listening, but there’s this thing that is required of me to make money, and it got in the way A LOT.

I particularly loved that there were nuances to the representation of the Godslayer’s PTSD from the slaughter that got him his name.

Strange the Dreamer ends on a hell of a cliffhanger, but you’ll enjoy every minute of it.

I highly recommend it, and if you’re a listener, then the audiobook is absolutely lovely. You can pick up a copy on Amazon (US or UK), Indiebound, or Book Outlet!

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