laurakatherine27 's review for:

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

3.75

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

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God where to start?! Firstly, it was absolutely BEAUTIFULLY written. Lyrical, deeply evocative, richly described but not in a way that impedes the narrative. Really enjoyed it. I think it could have been shorter - here and there throughout I think it would have benefited from  a little trim down and for that reason I did struggle with the mid-latter half of the book and got into a bit of a reading slump, which was unfortunate! I also think, weirdly, it suffered from having SUCH a FANTASTIC opening few chapters (including one of the most attention grabbing prologues I’ve ever read). I think after those, I expected it to be something which it didn’t quite manage to deliver (and that could well be on me!). Amidst a beautiful fantasy story, Taylor weaves in some really superb and nuanced reflections upon/representations of generational prejudices borne of, and fuelling, war and cultural conflict, which resonated hugely given current political landscapes and ongoing warfare. Thoroughly enjoyable overall: a really unique and intriguing read.