Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor Narrator: Steve West
Series: Strange the Dreamer #1
Published by Blackstone Audiobooks on March 28, 2017
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
Length: 18 hours, 20 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Library
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible, Libro.fm, Barnes & Noble
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?
Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor is a vibrant, captivating story about mortals with lives touched by the gods and the fallout of those encounters. While it is characterized as YA, I feel it is a fantasy novel for all ages to enjoy.
Lazlo is a dreamer. He bears the name given by all orphans, Strange, but he is destined for much more than anyone in the city of Zosma knows. He is good, kind, brave, undeterred by the harsh reality of his low birth and social class. The contrasting characteristics of the secondary characters only serve to highlight how unique and special Lazlo is. When he dares to take charge of his destiny, his years of hard work studying the lost city of Weep pay off.
At the same time, Sarai, one of five surviving god-spawn struggles to not inflict harm with her immense power but at the same time, safeguarding herself and the other survivors in the giant Citadel that looms over Weep and continues to cast a shadow over its citizens. She haunts the dreams of the living, digging for information, but finds a sanctuary in the mind of Lazlo.
There are forces on the ground and in the sky that make confrontation inevitable, but can Lazlo unravel the mystery of his ability soon enough avoid bloodshed and to finally free the people of Weep forever?
There was so much to love about this book. Taylor skillfully builds characters with layers of complexity. Her flawed heroes struggle with personal trauma and pressures, make questionable choices, and ultimately face the consequences of their actions. I admire how the author doesn’t just dump facts and history on the reader to help them understand the world, but gently feeds us details in the dreams and waking lives of all of the characters. The world building is vivid and intricate, leaving me breathless by the depth of detail in the social structure, landscape, and mythology. The city of Weep and its citizens are frequently featured in dream sequences, which I imagined in saturated Technicolor; the blue of the God’s skin, the green of the growing things in the Citadel, or the red of the blood spilled on the night of the Carnage.
Note: Fair warning, this book ends with a lot of unresolved business. Thankfully, the sequel, Muse of Nightmares, has already been released. Phew!
Narration:
This book was made to be read aloud. The lush, lyrical prose called out for an equally lush and lyrical voice. Steve West’s performance was extraordinary. The rich tones of his voice, gave an almost mystical quality to the passages detailing dreams or history. He created believable, distinctive accents for each character and managed to voice the female character’s without making them sound shrill or whiny. His pacing was perfect and his enunciation was exceptional. I’ll confess, I selected Strange the Dreamer specifically because it was narrated by Steve West. No surprise, I highly encourage everyone to check out the audio version of this book.
Listen to a clip:
About Steve West
A London native, Steve began his career by winning the Stage & Television Today acting scholarship at the age of 17 (after ironically believing that he had bombed the audition!). What followed took him through one of London’s top drama conservatories, onto the West End stage in ABBA’s musical phenomenon Mamma Mia! and then to working opposite the likes of Chucky the killer doll and Don Draper in TV’s Mad Men.
Having moved to the States in 2009 he earned a place as a highly respected and award winning voice over artist working across commercials, films, documentary, audiobooks and video games. He starred as Galahad in Sony’s epic motion capture release The Order 1886 which took over 2 years to film and employed the most up-to-date filming and audio techniques in the field.
Versatile in a multitude of ways from acting to singing to dancing to dying 100’s of different ways in a sound booth he continues to enjoy work both on stage, screen and behind a mic. Check out his latest news on the home page, join the conversation on Facebook and twitter and even head back to the 1800s and ‘be’ Steve/Galahad on the PS4!
About Laini Taylor
Hi! I write fantasy books. My latest is STRANGE THE DREAMER, about a young librarian, a mythic lost city, and the half-human children of murdered gods. Check it out 🙂 Before that I wrote the DAUGHTER OF SMOKE & BONE trilogy, which has been translated into 32 languages. It’s about a blue-haired art student raised by monsters, a broken angel, and a war that has raged for 1000 years in another world. I also wrote LIPS TOUCH: THREE TIMES, which was a National Book Award finalist, and the DREAMDARK books. As well as various short stories and novellas.
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I've developed a preference for audiobooks over the last few years, which allow me to complete chores, run carpool, or work on my many building and craft projects while 'reading.
My all time favorite selections include Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series, Karen Marie Moning's Fever series, and all of Robin Hobb's books set in the Farseer world. Honorable mentions to Elle Kennedy, Penny Reid, Meljean Brook, Ann Aguirre, Krista and Becca Ritchie, Jeaniene Frost, and Kristen Callihan.
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This sounds really good. I’ll have to look for this one.
I actually have this one audio and this is the second audio review I’ve read singing its praises. I cannot wait to read it.
I recently purchased this book, but in physical format, and I am really looking forward to read it. I’ve heard so many good things about it, and I see you loved it too! ☺
I have this book but haven’t had the chance to read it yet. It sounds fantastic and I love the way you describe the world building. Now I am wondering if I need to get my hands on the audio. Great review!
Sounds really interesting. I love books with the gods. I’m a fan of Steve West too. Great review.
Melanie @ Hot Listens & Books of My Heart
So many people have either liked this didn’t. My sister says I will so I’m giving it a go:)
I found the audio for this to be fantastic. I mean Laini’s writing is just meant to be spoken