Review: Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

Lazlo Strange has always been somewhat of an anomaly. An orphan cared for by monks, as a child, he was always fascinated by stories and magic. As a young man, he was lucky enough to get a job in a library, where his love of stories - and particularly that of a lost, Unseen City - grew and was nourished by the pages around him. Lazlo seemed to live more in his books that in the world occupied by those around him. While he may have been an expert of the Unseen City, he was dubbed a dreamer by his contemporaries, and dismissed as a lover of the trivial. Yet when representatives of The Unseen City arrive in Lazlo's sheltered city ans request help, he cannot deny fate,  and becomes part of the delegation to save Weep, as the Unseen City is called.

While coming to terms with the fact that his obsession was, in fact, grounded on truth and not the fancies of a dreamer, Lazlo begins to experience magic as he never dreamed possible. The delegation has the task of saving Weep from the horrors that made it disappear, made it become forgotten and subject of tales told to youths in faraway lands. It is only through being in a place many assumed did not exist, with countless unknown truths, that Lazlo discovers his own history and purpose - both of which are far beyond anything the dreamer could have imagined.

Strange the Dreamer has an already cemented popularity and following, so it was with some trepidation that I began to read; already late to the party. Despite this, it is easy to see why the world Taylor has created is so popular, and her characters so beloved,. Filled with a bloody history, adversity, love, courage and the very essence of magic,this is an enjoyable story. A new and intriguing world beset with demons, angels and gods is revealed in poetic beauty, seemingly attainable and tangible with Taylor's gorgeous prose. It's a hard book to put down, made all the harder in that it is the start of a series, and the second book isn't out yet.

Strange the Dreamer is an enjoyable book which has a unique and deeply moving love story at its centre. Taylor also beautifully illustrates that sometimes, the power of unknown is enough to conquer disbelief; if we only have the courage to follow our hearts, we may be surprised by the results.

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor is published by Hodder & Stoughton (an imprint of Hachette Books) and is available in South Africa from Jonathan Ball Publishers.