Author: Laini Taylor
Series: Strange the Dreamer #2
Age: Young Adult
Genres: Fantasy
Publication Date: October 2, 2018
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Source: eBook
Purchase: Hardcover | Paperback | Kindle | Audible
Synopsis:
Sarai has lived and breathed nightmares since she was six years old.
She believed she knew every horror, and was beyond surprise.
She was wrong.
In the wake of tragedy, neither Lazlo nor Sarai are who they were before. One a god, the other a ghost, they struggle to grasp the new boundaries of their selves as dark-minded Minya holds them hostage, intent on vengeance against Weep.
Lazlo faces an unthinkable choice--save the woman he loves, or everyone else?--while Sarai feels more helpless than ever. But is she? Sometimes, only the direst need can teach us our own depths, and Sarai, the muse of nightmares, has not yet discovered what she's capable of.
As humans and godspawn reel in the aftermath of the citadel's near fall, a new foe shatters their fragile hopes, and the mysteries of the Mesarthim are resurrected: Where did the gods come from, and why? What was done with thousands of children born in the citadel nursery? And most important of all, as forgotten doors are opened and new worlds revealed: Must heroes always slay monsters, or is it possible to save them instead?
Love and hate, revenge and redemption, destruction and salvation all clash in this gorgeous sequel to the New York Timesbestseller, Strange the Dreamer.
My Rating:
My Thoughts:
Okay so I truly enjoyed this book a lot more than Stranger the Dreamer. Though I still didn't fully connect with the story as I have with Laini's other works, I still enjoyed Lazlo and Sarai a bit more than before. The world of Weep, gods and godspawn was quite interesting. This took many turns that I didn't truly expect to happen. This book made me laugh, cry and made me angry at some parts. I enjoyed it.
Lazlo was a bit more interested in this sequel as he now has full use of his powers. He is a sweet guy with a bit of temper. I truly enjoyed him a lot more this book. He was bold, quick to defend and find a solution for everyone and had such a big heart. I loved him!
Sarai was a bit more of herself in this book. She allowed her true self to come through and I loved it. She was always trying to use her powers to save everyone as best as she could. She never gave up even when she should have.
The romance between Sarai and Lazlo made me happy. I thought their romance was cute in the first book, but I loved it more so now. They were always looking to be together, help each other and stayed strong together. They stolen moments together were everything. My favorite part was the scene of them kissing before Minya interrupted with a bite -- that made me laugh so hard. Their moments were everything and full of comedy and pureness. Brilliant romance.
Minya was an aggressive bitch to me. I hated her in the first book and hated her in this one, but as I got half way through the book I began to understand more about her and started to feel bad for her. Minya had to grow up really fast and deal with the mistakes that the adults made. Anger made her who she was and on top of her power she used. I was happy with the ending concerning her. Minya is just a sweet, broken, angry short girl.
Sparrow, Feral and Ruby were still all adorable. I loved the little romantic squabble between Feral and Ruby. I enjoyed seeing Sparrow experiment with her powers -- she is freaking awesome. I loved the addition of the other missing babies such as Rook, Kiska and Werran.
Eril-Fane is a character I enjoyed through and through. His soul may be tormented, but his heart is big. His reunion with his daughter-- BEAUTIFUL! The Tizerkanes are still badass though they didn't do much fighting in this book. Suheyla is the perfect grandmother! I loved her heart and spirit for these kids -- especially baking cake for them. Thyon was able to stop being a douche-bag and accept friendship from those who weren't nobility. He definitely grew a lot in this book.
The backstory of Nova, Kora and Skathis was interesting, it confused me at first, but as the story progressed it made sense. Kora is a sweet lady that saved Lazlo. Skathis is a dirt-bag of a man and father after what he did to all these children. Nova was like Minya, scorned and broken. She was just as crazy as Minya was, but I was glad when she finally let go.
Overall, this was a good duology. I would recommend this book to those who do love Laini's writing, but I still prefer Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy over this duology.
Have you read this book?