Set Sail, Readers! discussion

I am going to begin the discussion with some non-spoilers since this is a new group. Any spoilers will be distinctly labeled so people can skim past those parts as they like, and I encourage everyone else to do so as well.
First off, I love, love, LOVE this book. I have fallen in and out of reading over the years, so my read list is not as extensive as I hoped it would be. I feel that reading Strange The Dreamer came to me at the perfect timing. I may have enjoyed this book if I read it as a teen, but I know that I would not enjoy it to it's fullest as I do now. This may not be the case for everyone. I had not read as much when I was young, but what I have read leading up to reading this book made me enjoy it more in depth.
The plot, the characters, the SETTING (oh my goodness the setting) were all amazing. I can honestly say that I didn't find disturbing holes or character inconsistencies and woodenness that I typically find. I pretty much love all the characters (except one...), and when was reading, I wished I was there in Weep alongside Lazlo as he went through the amazing adventure of it all. And now the plot. For anyone not wanting to read spoilers, it was very good and I can't recommend it enough. It is AMAZING. JUST READ IT.

THIS PART CONTAINS SPOILERS!!!
THIS PART CONTAINS SPOILERS!!!
THIS PART CONTAINS SPOILERS!!!

Please, if you do not wish to hear spoilers about any part of the book whatsoever, do not read past this point. I will go into detail with major spoilers!!!


Okay. Now that I made that announcement, let's continue.

To some extent I can relate to both Lazlo Strange and Sarai. Their childhoods, how they grew up around people yet feeling isolated and with nowhere to go and then finding that place where they belong (with some conditions involved) when they craved to venture out from that familiar space where they didn't fully feel like they fit, it struck a chord with me. No, I won't really elaborate on that, but I'm sure some people know what I mean. I too wish that I could live in a library where I have the full liberty of reading anything and everything I want.
SO MANY LOVEABLE CHARACTERS!!! Nero's a jerk, but I can see a possibility of character development and friendship between him and Lazlo. They can even make a pretty awesome magic/science bros team. I think Nero had his mind blown, though. I can't help but imagine Feral, Sparrow, Ruby, Sarai, and Minya as real gods worthy of worship (Okay, Minya is a bit of a stretch when it comes to worthy of worship, but I can imagine it). Feral, a god of the weather, Sparrow, goddess of the harvest and home, Ruby, goddess of love and passion, Sarai, goddess of the night and dreams, capable of bringing comfort and messages, Minya, goddess of the dead... she's using her ability in a different way though. I have a lot of hope that at some point in the series, they will find love, compassion, and understanding among the humans and use their abilities in a gentle manner.
Honestly, I suddenly became very cautious when Sarai and Lazlo realized they had fallen in love. I say this because it became very clear to me that they are fresh out of childhood (or about to be. Sarai was 17, and Lazlo is18, right? I don't know the laws in that fantasy world, but they are approximately a year apart which is not bad) and there was a chance of it getting riskay if you know what I mean. To my relief, Laini Taylor didn't take it there and I am grateful. Yes, they kissed, but as she described, she kept it innocent and chaste. And the more... riskay stuff was implied, but not described in gross detail. There are rules to writing as adults, and in my opinion, Laini Taylor stuck to them. Thanks for that, Laini.
And as for the ending, allow me to scream into the pitch black void for a few hours like a deranged crow. Like I KNEW that there was a sequel and that meant a cliffhanger was imminent, but I didn't expect THAT. Just like Lazlo, I was praying to myself that it wasn't Sarai that fell from the citadel. For a second, I thought it was Sparrow which would be sad. I'm sure that Laini Taylor has some big plans for why she wrote what she did, but she made up for some of the pain when she revealed Lazlo as a god, son of Skathis. I mean, HOLY MOLY!!! When Lazlo and Sarai dreamed of the transformational mist changing their forms, I had the vague feeling like, "Hey, Lazlo is an orphan with no memory of where he came from, and there is a mezarthium seraph in the sky with nobody able to control it... Maybe..." I just got a Hercules vibe and it was glorious.

I need a few days to gather my mind as it has just been blown.

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END OF SPOLERS
END OF SPOLERS
END OF SPOLERS