A review by jayisreading
Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

adventurous mysterious slow-paced

2.5

I read this book years ago, around the time it was first published, and enjoyed it enough. Rereading it, I can’t quite figure out what it was that I enjoyed. I guess to focus on some of the strong components of this book, Taylor is incredible with words, maybe to the point that it’s a little too overindulgent in descriptions. I also like that the protagonist, Lazlo, is a relatively gentle figure, which I feel isn’t too common in YA fantasy. He’s definitely an introspective one, making it interesting for the reader to be in his head. Sarai, who I guess is the other protagonist, is also interesting, though I felt she was far less developed than Lazlo, making her sections a little less engaging.

I think I have mixed opinions about the worldbuilding. There’s a lot of it, but it also felt like it was more self-indulgent than anything. That being said, it’s very possible that more of it will be important in the sequel, which I haven’t read (and, admittedly, I don’t intend to). The book did end on a cliffhanger, so there’s a lot left to be desired.

So, that leads to what I didn’t like about the book, and, frankly, it was just the plot. It was too slow-paced, I couldn’t stay focused, especially when the prose went all over the place in descriptions. But what really didn’t work for me was the drastic change-in-pace to make room for an instant falling in love situation that came up around the halfway mark. It didn’t work for me and it kind of felt forced at times, but hey, it could just be me being a grump.

In defense of the book, I will say that I probably wasn’t in the right headspace to read a fantasy novel. If there’s a lot of worldbuilding (which is certainly the case with this book), I generally need some breathing room to digest everything and appreciate it. However, even if I was in the right headspace, I still think I wouldn’t have enjoyed it very much, which is what it is.
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