Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

This is a Buddy Read for Strange the Dreamer starting May 28, 2022.

Spot:)

Thanks Niki!
Excited for this, Choko 😁

I've actually read Taylor's work long before and loved it. It was the YA trilogy Daughter of Smoke and Bone. Pretty cool. That was urban fantasy, and I've heard more praise of this so excited :)

I am excited too:))) I am glad we scheduled it for the 28th, because I have 5 books to finish by then, and all of them are dark to grim Fantasies... Do you know if this one leans that way, or is it lighter? I actually kind of hope it is lighter...

Choko wrote: "I am excited too:))) I am glad we scheduled it for the 28th, because I have 5 books to finish by then, and all of them are dark to grim Fantasies... Do you know if this one leans that way, or is it..."

5 books! Good luck Choko. You can do it! 😁
Oh this would be definitely lighter! Not too dark or gruesome. From what I've read of her work, she does incorporate dark themes in her books but they do always lean more towards hope. But they were YA too so yeah.

We'll see! I wouldn't be too worried. Her writing's quite magical, so I'll be too swept away in the worldbuilding to care :)

Started this one a LOOOOnng time ago after loving/adoring Daughter of Smoke and Bone. But life happened, and I never really got very far. I'm definitely excited to give it another go (and just confirmed that my local library has a copy available!)

Hope you can join us, Michelle!

19% (till chapter 13)

(view spoiler)[ So magical! "The dream chooses the dreamer" and it seemed so impossible.. until the dream stepped right at Lazlo's door as if it was "tired of waiting" for him. I felt for him so much until that happened lol. So fun!
And the moment when Nero says Lazlo was "just" a librarian :p
But yeah, Lazlo had worked hard for it - and even learned their language. And he was kind of bold enough to step out even if he didn't believe he qualified.

Minya's power is creepy. Like those children in horror movies. Not so innocent

Also what do you guys think about their powers "suiting" their character? Ruby being fiery, Sparrow
. lovely like her gardens idk. Dont know how Feral's suits him. Also guess, notice something? Fire, water/sky? And earth (kind of). Elementals, anyone? :D (Minya doesn't fit, of course) (hide spoiler)]

Just started. You are right, her writing is very poetic:))

Yay! 😁

I am up to Ch. 20... (view spoiler)[ As I said earlier, the prose is absolutely beautiful!

The young blue godlings are very interesting. I wonder how horrible their parents must have been towards the humans, for them to rebel and slaughter them all. I need more information, but I am enjoying the slow unveiling of the secrets of the past...

I have a feeling, since Lazlo was found as a baby and was gray at the time, I wonder if he is half godling himself. Maybe his ability is to bland with the humans??? I don't even know why I am thinking that though...

Moniya is totally creepy! You are not kidding! There is so much anger and hate in her too... I understand though, and once again, I want to know what provoked the humans to slaughter all the G-ds and their children...

Ruby is scary not only because her power is fire, but because she can't control it and she is moody and unpredictable. But she is blatantly forward though. Her kissing Feral was kind of hilarious and uncomfortable in that "two kids trying their first kiss" sort of way.

Sorai, I feel sorry for her. Her nightmare abilities are obviously something that goes against her nature. And the Godslayer is her father!!!! He was a consort to her mother, who was obviously pretty horrible... I wonder if he knows that his daughter is still alive...

Sparrow is adorable, and I really want her to make it through to the end, but I have a feeling that the author might kill her off just to play with our emotions...

Nero is such an asshole! I felt really bad for him with his father abusing him, but he needs to take responsibility about how he treats other people, and his using of Lazlo and his life work for Nero's personal gain and glory, makes me sick! And he dears to constantly threaten his life! Bastard! Despite that, I am hoping for a redemption storyline for him... (hide spoiler)]

Up to Ch. 30... Yeah, the G-ds have obviously been horrible! I still don't think the kids (view spoiler)[ should have been killed, just fostered into human families and thought human way of life... And Moniya is so full of hate, what she has done to all those ghosts and how she is treating Sorai, is just not right! (hide spoiler)]

Up to Ch. 33... I find it very interesting how the people on this world have two hearts. One for blood to sustain their biological life, and one for spirit fluid, to sustain their... spirit! So the spirit one is the one that (view spoiler)[ Nero is using to change metal. I wonder if now that he took some of Lazlo' s spirit, and ify theory is right and Lazlo is also a godling, this will actually work and they will be able to do something with the Citadel... (hide spoiler)]

Choko wrote: "I am up to Ch. 20... As I said earlier, the prose is absolutely beautiful!

"

I have a smiliar theory about Lazlo! (view spoiler)[ i think his ability to come up such accurate theories is magical. And he felt Weep's name taken away/stolen from him as a child.. there is something about it.
Also did you notice a pattern? Lazlo, the dreamer. Sarai, the Muse of Nightmares? Both are dreamers, in different ways :)
It's cool how you remembered he was grey as a child! I didnt think much if it, just that he was sick or something. Maybe he was blue grey? or something? Questions, questions

Nero is interesting. I felt horrible about him beaten too but then I dont understand why he wasnt willing to kill Lazlo if he felt so threatened about the secret recipe of gold? Maybe he didnt think Lazlo was worth the trouble? And now he's regretting it lol and taking off all that frustration by treating him badly 🙄
I think you might be right about Sparrow being killed off. She seems the least developed of them (so far) so she's an easy choice i guess (hide spoiler)]

You're flying through this! Haha.

I'm through ch. 26. Not many thoughts I'm excited to find out (view spoiler)[ the delegation is going to combine all their skills to solve Weep's problem! Eril Fane's words turned out to be quite literal!
We're 40% through the book and we've found out the mystery just now. Now there's the problem to solve. Tbh the pace is too slow for me. And Weep isn't much intriguing yet.. but maybe in daylight. We'll see. (hide spoiler)]

I know Sarai (view spoiler)[ can't help her ability but I just feel.. very weirded out by it, now especially as she's going to dive into Lazlo's dreams. It's invasive 😬

She cant help the moths yes but for the rest I dont understand why she was doing this for so long if she didnt like it? Just to follow Minya's orders? Its said that she was going off of hatred as that's what fueled them and thats the only thing they knew about humans. But she says she ran out of it a long time ago.. then why torment humans now? In their sleep.. just to keep them from the citadel? Seems to be a small motivation idk. I mean, it doesnt require daily duty

It's the inertia, I guess (hide spoiler)]

I think all the godlings feel deeply indebted to Minya for saving them, and she has such an implacable will, she doesn't let them forget it. She is the Alpha Bitch of the pack and they follow wherever she leads. Sarai has been able to let go, while Minya has made herself a shield of hatred and is the only thing that keeps her going... She and everyone else would be so much happier if she ever decides to let go...

Girl, I tend to read a bit fast, when I have the time, and it is a holiday weekend here, so three days off! Yay!

The pacing can definitely be improved on. I am starting to notice quite a few instances where the author could have used just one sentence, but chooses to use five instead, even though the mood and feeling she is trying to convey has already been established. This is a problem with many authors who have pretty prose like hers. It is tempting to just wax poetic for the pleasure of the language itself and not notice you are stalling the progression of the story.

Hmmm, I just finished... I am so sorry! I know that once I get into a story I get lost in it, if it is good, and I rush through the end... I just really want to know what happens:) This being a new author for me, I wanted to see how she thinks and how she solves the problems she poses for herself. I actually really enjoyed it, although, as I said before, she tends to get lost in her prose from time to time and stalls, thus the pacing suffers a bit.

The ending doesn't bode well for the people of Weep! And I didn't see that coming ... (view spoiler)[ the ghost thing (hide spoiler)] ... That is a good thing. I like being surprised:)

So now we need to read the next book to find out what happens... I will have some time around the 11-12th of June. How does that sound to you? We could probably use this thread to finish it up.

Haha dont be sorry! It's good you're getting to enjoy the holiday and read this book :)

Imma try to catch up lol

I'm waiting on a library hold, but if I can get my hands on this, I plan on jumping in! This'll be my first book by this author.

Nirkatze wrote: "I'm waiting on a library hold, but if I can get my hands on this, I plan on jumping in! This'll be my first book by this author."

Yay! Looking to having you here!

Choko wrote: "Up to Ch. 33... I find it very interesting how the people on this world have ...and ify theory is right and . .

Cool theory! I also think there's something going on with him, especially how (view spoiler)[ his skin reacts to the Misarthium and others' dont! Idk he might even be Skathis' son for all we know! (hide spoiler)]

Choko wrote: "Up to Ch. 30... I still don't think the kids [spoilers removed]"

That's really nice. Close to what Sparrow hoped, actually :) How sweet

chapter 34 to 44

(view spoiler)[
find myself LOVING the begrudging duo of Lazlo and Nero. Lazlo, helping him simply because he needs help (and cares about the city!) and Nero all the while being suspicious of his motives lol. Lazlo is so pure. He gave in a bit of spirit. I wonder how one regrows their lost spirit? It doesnt seem that it cant be refilled

chapter about shopping for the moon (a delightful imagination of Sarai by Lazlo who had never had a conversation with her!) is only my second favourite to the actualy chapter where they have an interaction!
i love lazlo's mind!

the scene up at the citadel was cool, since that's the only part where there's been some action. Taking Lazlo up there doesnt make sense. he has no expertise, no fight skills.. just 'cause he's a foreigner (so are so many others though!). Or just that Eril Fane trusts him because... what, he's loyal? He loves Weeo? pfft.

---
So sarai told him about the other Misarthim. And he doesnt think theyre monsters.(to be fair Eril Fane did also kill babies). But this extreme empathy towards the other... doesnt make sense.

Unpopular opinion: It doesnt make sense why the Misarthim kids shouldnt act (even to kill) when it comes to their survival. They just stand there doing nothing / paralyzed. Who told them murder was bad? When all they'e been fed is hunger for revenge.

Lazlo called Sarai a fairytale. This should be a new pickup line.

Being in Lazlo's brain is kinda cool but I dont like how their interactions are less about finding out info and more like romance (hide spoiler)]

I found Sarai's ability to forgive almost unbelievable... I don't know if I could do that, having lived through the slaughter of my kind, no matter how badly they might have treated the humans .. Trust would be very hard for me, almost impossible...

I know right. I feel like the author is trying too hard to make it fit the (view spoiler)[ Romeo and Juliet trope 🤷‍♀️ (hide spoiler)]

Choko wrote: "Just started. You are right, her writing is very poetic:))"

My hold came through! I just started yesterday--and yeah! The writing! I'm finding myself slowing down the audio so I can appreciate it properly... this definitely isn't a book that I can just leave my brain on autopilot for. I got myself a digital copy too, and I find myself having to skim through the chapters afterwards just to make sure I haven't missed anything.

This is my first book by this author, but even after just a few chapters in I am thinking I likey.

Through Chapter 6 (view spoiler)[I love the whole WEEP replacing the name of the city thing... I feel like I read another book which had a similar premise (not Tigana, though I know that also does something similar)... super powerful.

Can't help but feel for Lazlo as he spies Nero being beaten--poor naive boy, thinking that he can help, when by helping he paints a target on his back... very curious to see where this relationship leads. I'm hoping for an eventual friendship... (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 8 (view spoiler)[Wow, that was a low move on Thyon's part. I can see why he did it... but he literally stole Lazlo's identity there... everything he worked for--like his "heart was cut out". One small bit of satisfaction was when Thyon didn't understand Eril-Fane's reply. (hide spoiler)]

And am I the only one who keeps hearing "Errol Flynn" for every "Eril-Fane"? LOL

Name thing was the most magical for me too

And the Lazlo and Nero dynamic is super entertaining. Oh the "Bastard g*d of Fortune" is very relevant to what happened with Lazlo! I felt for him so much. the chapters later are really magical

I'm on chapter 56 and at this point (view spoiler)[ i know Weep's problem isnt gonna get solved in this book, seeing how the pace is. Whether the book needed a sequel, we'll find out.. I think it the characters spent less time romancing and more time actually attempting for a truce (which I know is hard, but they've hardly even started! If their faith is so strong they should show some effort

Really curious about what Nero's doing and Drave is.. planning something? Interesting

I also wonder if Suheyla is secretly happy for having a granddaughter. (hide spoiler)]

I put a hold in the library just in case for this one, but didn't think I'd get it till well after the BR was through... But it came in!

Definitely agree on the very literary prose. Taking a page from Nirkatze and slowing it down a little to really concentrate on the language. I ended up zoning out from chapters 10-16 and I had no idea what was happening so I started back to chapter 9 haha

If Lazlo and Nero form a friendship, it definitely has a rocky start, (view spoiler)[ not sure I could forgive someone who took all my work. I'm just glad he was able to prove himself... (hide spoiler)]

Also Weep as a replacement name to what it was originally called is kinda perfect depending on what happened to the city in the first place. Weep for what was lost? Idk.. A better wordsmith than me might be able to put into words what I'm trying to say 😂

I understand exactly what you mean. I think this is exactly what the author tried to convey and she did a good job of it. Also, I would be extremely pissed if someone stole all my work and my dream...!

Maria, I think Suheyla is tickled pink! She really wants a family again, and obviously her son is not doing a good job of it...

Through Chapter 15--I agree with Katie, Minya is creeeeepy.

So, this chapter ends the guessing game. Time to guess! (view spoiler)[Hm, so, when the gods died, magic started to die too, and they didn't have the technical wherewithal to do things without magic, so now they need people to teach them how to do stuff that they used to do with magic, or find a way to bring the magic back. There's my guess. *deposits silver coin* (hide spoiler)]

I think it is more like (view spoiler)[ they killed all those magical users. Magic itself seems to live in the people of this race and their descendants, it doesn't seem to be of the land. So, when they killed the G-ds, who were the strongest in their personal magic, and the kids, who were not as strong, but still had a talent of some sort, there was no one left to teach the five kids who are left what to do with their magic... So they have to discover it on their own... (hide spoiler)]

Nirkatze wrote: "Through Chapter 15--I agree with Katie, Minya is creeeeepy.

So, this chapter ends the guessing game. Time to guess! [spoilers removed]"
I think Lazlo might be closer to the truth than he realizes... Hmm.

Ditto to Minya... Is she actually still a young child or has she just stopped aging?

I finished the book
(view spoiler)[ i am quite disappointed. First, we get bad pacing. Then under 100 pages from the ending the author realizes there has to be a climax

Drave accidentally kills himself. As an explosionist, I'd expect him to be better at calculating his run off time. But it was misarthium so it rochetted different? Or so we're to believe

Lazlo touches the metal and...becomes blue? When all his life he was brown as a human? How does that work. Probably will find out in the next book since the author decided there needs to be 2 books for some reason

I hate the Sarai part. She dies and becomes a ghost.. and Lazlo wanted it. She wanted it. And then Minya controls her. If the author meant to disgust the reader, it worked on me (hide spoiler)]

Tbh (view spoiler)[ Laini Taylor took advantage of all the glittery romance she developed and then suddenly kills one of them and its supposed to be heartbreaking and.. i never actually shipped them much
I do love Lazlo and feel bad for him though (hide spoiler)]

Maria, bummer... I understand where you are coming from though. I thought the romantic part was anticlimactic as well, but the Lazlo thing I actually found reasonable... (view spoiler)[ That race of beings reacts to the blue in the metal, and Lazlo is a half human-half alien orphan, one of the obviously hundreds taken away from the place as children... So that didn't bother me. The romance was a complete fail for me though. That becoming a ghost, despite having to be under the control of her sister, is a way to resolve the death, but I am not sure where the author is going with it... I guess that is why we have a second book... (hide spoiler)]

Choko wrote: "I am up to Ch. 20... As I said earlier, the prose is absolutely beautiful!

The young blue godlings are very interesting. I wonder how horrible their parents must have been towards the humans, fo..."

Oh wow (view spoiler)[ you guessed Lazlo's origin early! :D (hide spoiler)]

Maria wrote: "Hope you can join us, Michelle!

19% (till chapter 13)

So magical! ..."


re: powers suiting each--that idea kind of reeks of destiny doesn't it? Like, by the time their powers manifest, they're locked in to a specific personality? I think we could easily debate either side. I'd even say Minya's & Sarai's match pretty well--(view spoiler)[Minya wants control and vengeance--what better than to control her enemy even after they die? She's also locked in a toddler's body, and has a toddler's tantrum's and glee over her ownership--playing with her toys.

Sarai wants to escape. She wishes her power was to fly. Just because she has been manipulated into thinking her powers are for nightmares doesn't mean they are. She has the ability to reach people through dreams--she could just as easily have become a force for good, even a counselor! Or a spy. Or a long distance communication network. (hide spoiler)]

Choko wrote: "I am up to Ch. 20... As I said earlier, the prose is absolutely beautiful!

The young blue godlings are very interesting. I wonder how horrible their parents must have been towards the humans, fo..."

I totally forgot about (view spoiler)[how Lazlo was gray at the beginning! (hide spoiler)]

I don't remember exactly when this happens, but when Lazlo touches the mesarthium, (view spoiler)[his skin turns gray again... but it doesn't seem like others' skin does. I wonder if he has that "super rare" power to manipulate mesarthium? (hide spoiler)]

And I just realized I totally dittoed Maria!

I find it really interesting how some parts of the body seem doubled. Always "hearts" not just "heart" and then blood and spirit.

As for the children--(view spoiler)[Ruby & Feral bug me and make me feel bad for Sparrow. Also, any time teenagers fumble their way into a physical relationship makes me want to cringe. I definitely don't need chapters of it.

I want Sparrow to have a mother who will accept her. (hide spoiler)]

Choko wrote: "Maria, bummer... I understand where you are coming from though. I thought the romantic part was anticlimactic as well, but the Lazlo thing I actually found reasonable... [spoilers removed]"

the problem isnt him being (view spoiler)[ blue its suddenly & only turning blue when he intensely reacted to the metal. I suppose Skathis could also change his skin colour at will / when he wasnt interacting with his metal?

Sarai, Sparrow, all the Misarthim kids are half human and blue, but we never knew if they could inherit their human parent's colour too.
so the shock was because of our ignorance of how all this all worked (hide spoiler)]

Nirkatze wrote: "Choko wrote: "I am up to Ch. 20... As I said earlier, the prose is absolutely beautiful!
..."

i second! (view spoiler)[ Sparrow is so cute and totally needs a loving mum. Feral and Ruby part was tbh uncomfrotable because theyre practically siblings? theyve lived together all their life and have been like family.. (hide spoiler)]

Nirkatze wrote: "Maria wrote: "Hope you can join us, Michelle!

19% (till chapter 13)

So magical! ..."


re: powers suiting each--that idea kind of reeks of destiny doesn't it? Like, by the time their powers man..."

thats a lovely theory! although i think sarai's power was kinda way too convenient was for her lol

Sorry this was a miss for you Maria! I actually rather liked this one.. And while I wasn't crazy about the romance between Sarai and Lazlo, I think it was important to the story... (view spoiler)[ I mean Sarai has been reaching into dreams since she discovered what her powers were wishing at times she could interacts, so when she finds someone that can see her in the dream of course she would be drawn to him... And Lazlo has always been the dreamer and drawn to the mysteries of Weep, so I think him being drawn to her is natural too... I do think it's a bit of "instalove" and more infatuation with each other than actual love... But Taylor made it kind of tragic with Sarai's death with them not even meeting in person...
Also by important to the story I think their relationship was trying to be a bridge between the humans and the godlings.

And in the grief immediately after her death I understand Lazlo wanting Minaya to bring Sarai back, and also Sarai's fear about losing herself to stay tethered to Minaya. I do think it was shortsighted of both of them to not realize Minaya wouldn't hold it over their heads. And although Lazlo accepted the conditions for the moment, I really don't think he will let himself be used to the detriment of the humans in the next book, but we'll see... (hide spoiler)]

Lazlo (view spoiler)[ We did get hints from the beginning that Lazlo was special in some way so him being a Godspawn wasn't really out of the blue (heh) for me.. We're not really sure why he blended in with the humans, but we also know there were a lot of Godspawn that went somewhere and weren't killed by Eril-Fane so that definitely needs to be addressed in the sequel... I can accept it as is for now, but I can see why that could be unsatisfactory.. (hide spoiler)]

Ruby/Farrel/Sparrow (view spoiler)[ Honestly they acted just like teenagers would in that situation, I just didn't like some of the more detailed scenes for the teens cuz yeah that's cringe.
But I really appreciated Ruby and Sparrow's conversation after she ran into the couple! That was actually pretty mature of the girls to realize they would both deserve better, and they're not gonna let the boy get in the way of their friendship... (hide spoiler)]

I also appreciated it wasn't cut and dry good and bad guys like some YA novels... (view spoiler)[ Of course the original 6 seem pretty awful, but we're dealing with their half-human children... Sarai and the others (besides Minaya) seem to have let go of some of their hate towards the humans... And even Minaya is complex having put her literal being into protecting the others..

I'm kinda wanting to get some flashbacks of the 6 in the next book and see where the other godlings ended up... (hide spoiler)]

Anyway sorry for my long post, I liked this one more than I thought I would :)

Oh also! The two hearts thing for spirit and blood was very interesting, but the idea did feel slightly underdeveloped...

Emily wrote: "Sorry this was a miss for you Maria! I actually rather liked this one.. And while I wasn't crazy about the romance between Sarai and Lazlo, I think it was important to the story... I mean Sarai ha..."

I totally agree! it was more insta-love and I do think the lovestory played a part in the story, but what I'm getting at is that they didnt seem to do much about the (view spoiler)[ potential oncoming war. There is such a huge chunk of the book dedicated to their going around having fun in the dream world than actually doing something about the truce (after they realize each other's perspectives).

And i agree about Minya! the last chapter shows even she is a bit complicated. I understand her a bit better now (hide spoiler)]

Emily wrote: "Sorry this was a miss for you Maria! I actually rather liked this one.. And while I wasn't crazy about the romance between Sarai and Lazlo, I think it was important to the story... I mean Sarai ha..."

I really like all your thoughts Emily! Definitely questions I hope the sequel will answer.

re: Laslo (view spoiler)[Definitely agree on their being plenty of breadcrumbs on Laslo being "special" so it wasn't totally out of the blue, but I really really hope the sequel clears up HOW he ended up as a Strange in a far away country! And where did all the other children go? It does seem like the blue "gods" were implementing a breeding program of some sort, but what was their end goal? Or mid goal, even? (hide spoiler)]

re: Ruby & Sparrow--Spot on with the teenager comment. I also liked that conversation.

Definite ending on a cliffhanger? Any plans for picking up book two at some point?

Would love to! I can start probably next Monday.

And yeah really hope the sequel clears that up.

How about we do next Wednesday? 1

That works too :)