Blog Tour: Strange the Dreamer - Laini Taylor

If you've been following my blog for any length of time you'll know I've been a HUGE fan of Laini Taylor ever since Daughter of Smoke and Bone was published back in 2011. I just adore her beautiful writing so it was no surprise that Strange the Dreamer was one of my favourite books last year and I know I'm not the only one desperately waiting to get my hands on the sequel, Muse of Nightmares, when it publishes!

Anyway, today is all about celebrating the release of the gorgeous paperback version of Strange the Dreamer (yes, this is another book that I've ended up buying multiple copies of LOL!). Just look how pretty it is though, it's really not my fault:

and just in case you haven't read it yet (what on earth do you mean you haven't read it yet? - get to it people, you don't know what your'e missing!!) here's the blurb:

The magical Sunday Times bestseller by Laini Taylor, author of the Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy

The dream chooses the dreamer.

Since he was five years old, Lazlo Strange has been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to go in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself - in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance or lose his dream forever.

What happened in Weep to cut it off from the world? What did the Godslayer slay that went by the name of god? And what is the mysterious problem he now seeks help in solving?

The answers await in Weep, but so do many more mysteries - including the blue-skinned goddess who visits Lazlo's dreams . . .

So I already posted my review for Strange the Dreamer last year but I thought I'd include it again here.

My Review:
It's been a long wait for something new from Laini Taylor, I absolutely adored her writing in the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series but if anything she's honed her skills even more and Strange the Dreamer was even more beautifully written. She always manages to completely captivate me with the worlds she creates and when I fall into one of her books I never want to come back out again.

Strange the Dreamer is the story of Lazlo, a young man who was orphaned as a baby and raised by monks before he discovered the magic of the great library and trained to become a librarian. Lazlo is in part a little like every book worm you'll ever meet, he's obsessed with stories and spends so much time with his head stuck in a book that real life often happens around him without him even noticing. Lazlo's biggest obsession is the mystery of Weep and he has dedicated his life to reading everything he can about the city that disappeared so long ago. It's been years since anyone was able to find Weep and nobody can even remember the city's real name but Lazlo longs for it to be discovered again and he would give anything to visit the place he has spent so long dreaming about. Lazlo is a dreamer but he's also smart, funny and very caring. He always tries to help people but never expects thanks for his hard work and is so grateful for every opportunity he is offered that he never takes anything for granted.

This is also the story of Sarai, a young woman who has been trapped in her home for years with only her siblings for company. I don't want to get into too much detail about where Sarai is or how she ended up trapped there but her path crosses Lazlo's in the most unusual manner and I absolutely loved spending time with them both and watching the beginnings of their romance. Sarai and her siblings have been through something horrific but thanks to her unique talent she is the one best placed to understand both sides of the story and she longs for peace and freedom. She's such a compassionate girl, one who has seen the worst people have to offer but who also has great capacity for forgiveness and who tries really hard to look at the good in people.

Once again Laini Taylor has created a world that you just want to dive into, there are so many beautiful and amazing things to discover but there are also dark secrets lurking underneath that will leave you reeling. Her characters are people you want to be friends with and even her villains are so complex that you can understand their actions even if you don't particularly agree with them. There is so much pain and fear between the two different groups in the story that it's going to take a miracle to pull them together but I have complete faith that if anyone can pull it off Lazlo Strange and the Muse of Nightmares can. Working together I think they can achieve anything.

Strange the Dreamer is definitely one of my favourite books of the year and there is no doubt in my mind that it is going to be appearing on a lot of "best of 2017" lists. The Muse of Nightmares is right at the top of my 2018 wish list but I know I'll be rereading this book while I wait for it to be released.

I just have to add that I think the UK cover is so gorgeous and after a little arm doodling I think it would make a pretty gorgeous tattoo too!

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Now I've talked about how much I loved the book but I thought it might be fun to have a look at the different covers too.

UK Paperback / UK Hardback which is also being used for the US Paperback / US Hardback

They're all so pretty aren't they, it's hard not to want to collect the set. Which cover is your favourite? I have to admit I think the original UK hardback is probably my favourite, I'm not at all surprised that the US publisher chose to use it for their paperback. I love the gold foil on the US cover though (can anyone tell me if it's actually shiny gold? I've not seen that version in the flesh) but I think the new UK paperback is pretty too and I really like the pastel colouring.

If you haven't read Strange the Dreamer yet don't forget to order your copy ASAP, I'm already looking forward to rereading this just before Muse of Nightmares comes out so it's definitely a book I'd highly recommend. Make sure you check out the rest of the stops on the blog tour too!