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4.3 AVERAGE
4.3 AVERAGE
SARAI X LAZLO
THE ENDING
IM GAGGED
UGHHHHHHHHHHH
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
It started slow and took me time to get into it, but once I did, I loved it! I can't wait to read the next book!
Reread August 2021. My original review can be seen on another edition of this book.
Lazlo Strange is an orphan who has always been obsessed with the lost city of Weep. Two hundred years ago, all contact to and from it disappeared and it has been lost ever since. Fifteen years ago, when he was five, its true name disappeared along with it, leaving only "Weep" in its stead. Now a librarian, he has curated all the knowledge he could possibly gather on the subject, although he is teased for chasing fairy tales. After a two hundred year silence, a convoy from Weep finally appears seeking those to solve a mysterious problem - and Lazlo is determined to join them.
I love these books. I love Laini Taylor's writing endlessly. Her style is steeped in longing and makes the reader feel so viscerally for those in the story. Lazlo and Sarai are such wonderful characters and their wanting for one another is so real. Laini Taylor may be accused of instalove in her books, but she is definitely the only author who can pull it off and make it make sense. She also highlights the importance of and desire behind touch in both her series. The use of dramatic irony makes the ending even more heart-wrenching. The main villain is one of the most sympathetic I have ever read - her chapters are haunting. I wasn't a fan of it for my first read, but this time I really appreciated the floating narration. Basically, this is written in third person limited, but it will switch who the narration is limited to without anything more than paragraph breaks. It's an accomplishment to be able to pull that off. The way Taylor's books make me feel will never leave me. Very glad I gave this a reread and can't wait to discuss it with the others.
Original review:
4.5 stars
I can never stress enough how beautiful Laini Taylor's writing style is. Daughter of Smoke and Bone, her previous series, is my favourite trilogy of all time. The world in this book is so unique that I was shocked when I heard that it was only going to be a dualogy. I took off points, however, because it was like a good movie or comic in that not a lot happened, which was only apparent after finishing. I also feel like there could have been better characterization of the non-mcs, because I only care for a select few of them. Despite that, I thought the magic, lore, new words, and atmosphere were perfect.
Lazlo Strange is an orphan who has always been obsessed with the lost city of Weep. Two hundred years ago, all contact to and from it disappeared and it has been lost ever since. Fifteen years ago, when he was five, its true name disappeared along with it, leaving only "Weep" in its stead. Now a librarian, he has curated all the knowledge he could possibly gather on the subject, although he is teased for chasing fairy tales. After a two hundred year silence, a convoy from Weep finally appears seeking those to solve a mysterious problem - and Lazlo is determined to join them.
I love these books. I love Laini Taylor's writing endlessly. Her style is steeped in longing and makes the reader feel so viscerally for those in the story. Lazlo and Sarai are such wonderful characters and their wanting for one another is so real. Laini Taylor may be accused of instalove in her books, but she is definitely the only author who can pull it off and make it make sense. She also highlights the importance of and desire behind touch in both her series. The use of dramatic irony makes the ending even more heart-wrenching. The main villain is one of the most sympathetic I have ever read - her chapters are haunting. I wasn't a fan of it for my first read, but this time I really appreciated the floating narration. Basically, this is written in third person limited, but it will switch who the narration is limited to without anything more than paragraph breaks. It's an accomplishment to be able to pull that off. The way Taylor's books make me feel will never leave me. Very glad I gave this a reread and can't wait to discuss it with the others.
Original review:
4.5 stars
I can never stress enough how beautiful Laini Taylor's writing style is. Daughter of Smoke and Bone, her previous series, is my favourite trilogy of all time. The world in this book is so unique that I was shocked when I heard that it was only going to be a dualogy. I took off points, however, because it was like a good movie or comic in that not a lot happened, which was only apparent after finishing. I also feel like there could have been better characterization of the non-mcs, because I only care for a select few of them. Despite that, I thought the magic, lore, new words, and atmosphere were perfect.
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
fast-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:
Complicated
WHY DIDN'T I READ THIS BOOK SOONER!!!
📖 We follow Lazlo Strange, a war orphan obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, and Sarai, a goddess-touched woman who can enter people's dreams. When Lazlo gets the chance to journey to Weep with a legendary hero, he discovers the city's dark past and his own connection to its mysteries.
✨ Review ✨
I've been eyeing Laini Taylor's books for what feels like an eternity, and I can’t believe it took me this long to dive in! This book was stunning!! It takes us to a beautiful city where the characters wrestle with the haunting shadows of past violence and hatred. Yet, amid that darkness, the narrative beautifully explores the possibilities of love and empathy. It’s not just a tale of trauma and its lasting impact on our lives. It’s also a powerful testament to hope and the healing magic of forgiveness. I’m so glad I finally picked this one up!
Flowery writing can be very hit or miss for me. You get the kind of prose that has me internally screaming, just wishing the author would chill out because they are doing too much. But then you get this kind of prose that flows so gracefully and brings the magic alive. I was enthralled by the writing and completely absorbed into this world.
The world itself was captivating and I love how it also explores the power and impact of dreams and stories. How they inspire and connect people.
Now for the characters!! I absolutely love them even the ones I don't. Each character is individualised and complex. There is no clear-cut good and evil. I love a story that can explore the complexities of human nature giving us characters that don't always make the right or straightforward choices. Laini Taylor explores the grey areas of morality perfectly.
Let's talk about the romance. Sometimes I feel like I give the impression that I don't like romance and that's simply not true. I love romance when it's done right, and sadly for me I often find myself disappointed. Here is an example of where I think it's done RIGHT!! I think a big part of this is because our love interests are established as individual people long before they even meet. Then, even when they did meet it didn't hinder the world or plot. I loved the romance!!
This is a slow-burn, character-driven and emotionally charged story. The author weaves lush lyrical prose and a dark narrative together beautifully. A magical story filled with gods and mythical lost cities. I can't wait to start book 2!!!
📖 We follow Lazlo Strange, a war orphan obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, and Sarai, a goddess-touched woman who can enter people's dreams. When Lazlo gets the chance to journey to Weep with a legendary hero, he discovers the city's dark past and his own connection to its mysteries.
✨ Review ✨
I've been eyeing Laini Taylor's books for what feels like an eternity, and I can’t believe it took me this long to dive in! This book was stunning!! It takes us to a beautiful city where the characters wrestle with the haunting shadows of past violence and hatred. Yet, amid that darkness, the narrative beautifully explores the possibilities of love and empathy. It’s not just a tale of trauma and its lasting impact on our lives. It’s also a powerful testament to hope and the healing magic of forgiveness. I’m so glad I finally picked this one up!
Flowery writing can be very hit or miss for me. You get the kind of prose that has me internally screaming, just wishing the author would chill out because they are doing too much. But then you get this kind of prose that flows so gracefully and brings the magic alive. I was enthralled by the writing and completely absorbed into this world.
The world itself was captivating and I love how it also explores the power and impact of dreams and stories. How they inspire and connect people.
Now for the characters!! I absolutely love them even the ones I don't. Each character is individualised and complex. There is no clear-cut good and evil. I love a story that can explore the complexities of human nature giving us characters that don't always make the right or straightforward choices. Laini Taylor explores the grey areas of morality perfectly.
Let's talk about the romance. Sometimes I feel like I give the impression that I don't like romance and that's simply not true. I love romance when it's done right, and sadly for me I often find myself disappointed. Here is an example of where I think it's done RIGHT!! I think a big part of this is because our love interests are established as individual people long before they even meet. Then, even when they did meet it didn't hinder the world or plot. I loved the romance!!
This is a slow-burn, character-driven and emotionally charged story. The author weaves lush lyrical prose and a dark narrative together beautifully. A magical story filled with gods and mythical lost cities. I can't wait to start book 2!!!
Well, this was unexpected. I loved this book and I really didn't think I was going to.
Fantasy is not usually my thing. I'm much more into sci-fi and magical realism. This, while keeping both metaphorical feet firmly in fantasy territory, managed to be also a little bit of sci-fi and a lot of magical realism. Beautiful imagery and writing, morally grey characters who feel like whole people, and a really interesting magic system.
If you're not fan of alternative medieval worlds in which everything is the same except there's dragons and everybody is extremely violent and cruel, this is a fantasy book you'll actually like.
Fantasy is not usually my thing. I'm much more into sci-fi and magical realism. This, while keeping both metaphorical feet firmly in fantasy territory, managed to be also a little bit of sci-fi and a lot of magical realism. Beautiful imagery and writing, morally grey characters who feel like whole people, and a really interesting magic system.
If you're not fan of alternative medieval worlds in which everything is the same except there's dragons and everybody is extremely violent and cruel, this is a fantasy book you'll actually like.