stripedstone's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Blood, Rape, Child death, Sexual violence, Grief, Confinement, Violence, Pregnancy, and Kidnapping
brindlecat's review against another edition
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Rape, Pregnancy, Slavery, and Kidnapping
takarakei's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book gave me Miyazaki vibes and I say that as someone who strongly dislikes the comparison of almost any book to his movies because I rarely agree. I was specifically thinking about Laputa a lot, but also bits of Howl's and Spirited Away.
Just really beautiful writing, very descriptive imagery that built a very lush and intriguing world. I am very excited to read the sequel.
Just really beautiful writing, very descriptive imagery that built a very lush and intriguing world. I am very excited to read the sequel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Child death, and Blood
Moderate: Violence, Confinement, Kidnapping, Rape, and Slavery
Minor: Pregnancy, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
rape/SA:Spoiler
nothing descriptive or on page, but it is discussed as something that happened regularly in the past of this society under the godsbeckyyreadss's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I have had this book on my TBR for so long and whilst I was on a treat yourself day and went a little bit overboard at Waterstones, I picked up and wanted to get cracking. I really enjoyed this book, but it was just a bit slow at times for a fantasy book.
This book has two points of view. The first is Lazlo Strange, he is a war orphan and junior librarian. He has always feared that his dream chose poorly. For as long as he can remember he has 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. Laslo is determined to find out 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 second point of view is Sarai, she is a half-human and the godslayer murdered her parents. People were terrified of her because she is blue skinned. She is stuck in a building in the sky with her friends. All of them have different gifts and hers is to give people nightmares. Her moth fly down to the people of weep and she can control their dreams and thoughts. When she goes into Lazlo’s dreams, she is amazed that he can see her, talk to her and control his own dreams. How did he dream her before he knew she existed.
I think I can agree with everyone when I say that I loved Laini’s writing style and the way she describes things so beautiful and make you feel like you are lying on a soft pillow. I love the love story between our two MCs, I think it was so adorable and innocent. Lazlo being a monk and not knowing how to act in a dream. Sarai just wanting some peace and quiet and wanting to give up her powers because it was hurting her. I just wanted to hug her throughout this whole book – she just wanted to have friends and live. The story was so unique, and it was so interesting, I just stay in that world forever. Weep was so beautiful built that it felt like I was in the world myself.
One thing that I struggled with is how slow-paced it was towards the end, I think it was because I was waiting for all the action and Laini was dragging it out to the last minute. Once we got to the plot twists and the action it was all good, but I felt like after the middle I was definitely trying to power through to finish this book off. I felt like there was a lot of side characters that we didn’t know much about, so I didn’t really care for them. They all weren’t properly developed, and I just wanted more. It just felt like the characters who were developed was our MCs, the Godslayer and Minya.
That cliffhanger was mean as anything. Like there is no way the ending happened like that – surely, surely this is just some messed up dream. Anyway, it’s making me want to run out straight away to get the second book in the series and start it tomorrow.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, and Child death
Moderate: Kidnapping, Rape, and Slavery
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual content
initial's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Rape, and Child death
vanesst's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Rape, Blood, Confinement, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Kidnapping
carolined314's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Enjoyed this one a lot, and also it really missed the mark with racism allegories and some odd depictions of trauma. I am also soooo tired of the magical orphan saving the day by being fancy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery and Xenophobia
Moderate: Colonisation, Violence, Bullying, Rape, Death, Kidnapping, Grief, Child death, Confinement, and Death of parent
Minor: Pregnancy and Sexual content
barefootbeauty99's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Confinement, Child death, Rape, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Death
Minor: Classism
xena42's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
Beautifully written, magical and hopeful yet challenging and dark story about mysterious people with otherworldly and dangerous powers, and the city who fears them. Glad I read it when the second book is available to pick up immediately, since it ends on a cliffhanger.
On the negative side:
Note that the adult/minor relationship tag refers to a 20-year-old in a romantic relationship with a 17-year-old, which I personally think is close enough in age to be acceptable in the world of this story, although other readers may not agree, as in our real world it seems rather sus for a 3rd year college student to be dating an 11th grader in high school.
There are also descriptions of a sexually active 15-year-old with their teenage lover, plus mentions of another young couple who are sleeping together. All the teenage sex, despite not being graphically described but only alluded to artistically, was rather off-putting because an adult writer should not be encouraging her adolescent readers to engage in sex - it leads to consequences like STDs/STIs, unwanted pregnancies, and emotions that are too complicated for most young people to understand.
This inevitably results in broken hearts and emotional trauma in the majority of cases, which then leads to some (or many) people having difficulty finding love as adults because their teen romances ripped a hole in their heart they've not been able to repair so far. For real, I know people in their 50s who still haven't recovered from their adolescent entanglements and that's why they are single today... and that's why their would-be partner is also single. These are consequences that resulted in the unhappiness of two people (much like Eril-Fane and Azareen in this book, although in their case they had no choice in the matter).
So if you're a teenager reading this review - don't be inspired by the exploits of the young lovers in this book, and instead wait until you're older to chase... "that." You'll have more of a chance to mature and develop so that you also meet somebody mature who can give you the true love you'll want to receive and give in return.
On the negative side:
Note that the adult/minor relationship tag refers to a 20-year-old in a romantic relationship with a 17-year-old, which I personally think is close enough in age to be acceptable in the world of this story, although other readers may not agree, as in our real world it seems rather sus for a 3rd year college student to be dating an 11th grader in high school.
There are also descriptions of a sexually active 15-year-old with their teenage lover, plus mentions of another young couple who are sleeping together. All the teenage sex, despite not being graphically described but only alluded to artistically, was rather off-putting because an adult writer should not be encouraging her adolescent readers to engage in sex - it leads to consequences like STDs/STIs, unwanted pregnancies, and emotions that are too complicated for most young people to understand.
This inevitably results in broken hearts and emotional trauma in the majority of cases, which then leads to some (or many) people having difficulty finding love as adults because their teen romances ripped a hole in their heart they've not been able to repair so far. For real, I know people in their 50s who still haven't recovered from their adolescent entanglements and that's why they are single today... and that's why their would-be partner is also single. These are consequences that resulted in the unhappiness of two people (much like Eril-Fane and Azareen in this book, although in their case they had no choice in the matter).
So if you're a teenager reading this review - don't be inspired by the exploits of the young lovers in this book, and instead wait until you're older to chase... "that." You'll have more of a chance to mature and develop so that you also meet somebody mature who can give you the true love you'll want to receive and give in return.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Racial slurs, Slavery, Toxic friendship, Bullying, Child abuse, Gore, Death of parent, Grief, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Child death, Confinement, Genocide, Murder, and Racism
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, War, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
artabria's review against another edition
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
El soñador desconocido es el primer libro de una bilogía que nos sitúa en un mundo donde un día, de repente, todos se olvidan de la existencia de una ciudad... Y no sólo eso, sino que se nos dice que años antes todo el mundo se había olvidado del nombre original de la ciudad y ahora todo el mundo llama a esa ciudad Weep.
Nuestro protagonista es Lazlo Strange, criado en un convento de monjes y que ya de adulto lo conocemos como bibliotecario en la principal biblioteca de la capital. Todos los que conocen a Lazlo lo consideran un soñador, más preocupado en leer libros y conocer las historias que se encuentran entre esas páginas que en relacionarse con el resto del mundo.
La historia comienza verdaderamente cuando la capital recibe a un grupo de visitantes inesperado: los habitantes de Weep, encabezados por el hombre que ha liderado la revolución de la ciudad que ha acabado con la vida de los dioses, y que necesitan su ayuda con un misterioso proyecto.
A lo largo del libro, Lazlo irá conociendo más detalles acerca de los terribles eventos que tuvieron lugar durante los años de reinado de los dioses... y de los terribles eventos que tuvieron lugar cuando estos fueron derrotados, porque hay este libro tiene un segundo punto de vista: Sarai, capaz de entrar en los sueños de otro e hija de una de las diosas y superviviente de la masacre que se llevo acabo sobre los niños nacidos de dioses y humanos (mencionar como trigger warning que, si bien no es en ningún momento explícito, se deja muy claro que todos estos niños son fruto de violaciones).
Otro personaje es Minya, la mayor de los supervivientes y capaz de controlar los espíritus de los muertos, y que ha quedado marcada por la masacre a la que sobrevivió, tanto que su sed de venganza la ha transformado en una persona increíblemente manipulativa y que solo desea la destrucción de la ciudad que acabó con sus hermanos.
Los dos temas principales del libro giran en torno al miedo y la venganza: por un lado, el miedo que se ha apoderado de Weep y que ha llevado a la masacre de niños inocentes por temor a que el poder que tienen los lleven a ser igual de crueles que los dioses cuando crezcan, así como la sed de venganza que les lleva a eliminar cualquier resto de estos dioses.
Por otro lado, también nos encontramos con el miedo de los supervivientes de la masacre, que temen el día en que los habitantes de Weep vuelvan para terminar con ellos, pero también nos encontramos con Minya usando sus poderes para negarles la paz a los muertos de Weep y que manipula a Sarai para que ésta use sus poderes para que convierta en pesadillas todos los sueños de los habitantes de la ciudad.
Este primer libro me ha gustado, y estoy deseando leer el segundo libro, pero me resisto a ponerle cinco estrellas hasta que lea el segundo libro. ¿La razón? En la trilogía de Hija de humo y hueso, la autora terminó el último libro con una escena que se puede resumir en un “Continuará...”, y hay detalles que nunca se nos explican.
De hecho, una duda que me suscita este libro es si la autora, Laini Taylor, tiene algún plan para conectar sus libros en un multiverso, porque se nos mencionan a los mismos seres alados que aparecen su trilogía anterior.
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape and Child death