Alexandra’s Comments (group member since Jul 14, 2020)

Alexandra’s comments from the Set Sail, Readers! group.

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

Since this is a fairly new group, I would love to hear the voices of others who join! What are some favorite books that you would like to recommend? Perhaps some favorite authors and the book you recommend starting with?
Personally, I love Martha Wells and her series of novellas called The Murderbot Diaries. Leigh Bardugo does a fantastic job with world building, plot, and characters in general. I particularly love how complex her characters are and the friendship they share with witty banter, unique interests, and interesting pasts.
There are so many good books out there I know I haven't read yet, so it is difficult to think about favorites when I know that there could be even more out there.
Let me know your thoughts!

Chances are, avid readers also write, or at least aspires to. A work in progress can be at literally any phase to talk about it! It can already be in the proofreading phase, or simply be an idea in your head. Personally, I love to hear other's ideas. Talking about them with others helps us come to writing decisions in our own minds, and it gives us constructive criticism that can make our writing even better.
I'll start with a little info on mine. I have two in progress, and two other ideas which I have yet to brainstorm on. For now, let's just call them Book One and Book Two. Book One is a fantasy with my take on grim reapers. I know that grim reapers are used a lot in supernatural writing, but I hope I can give my WIP a unique twist to it. It takes place during a medieval period. Think "If there was magic on the earth, how could that affect the world and its events?" Again, I know it sounds kind of cliche, but it sounds so much better in what I have written so far. I hope it can live up to my imagination and that others will love it, too.
Book Two has more of a science fiction heist theme. The story takes place not too far into the future, but just long enough for people to think, "Hey, this isn't modern fiction." The MC's goal is to infiltrate a maximum security prison doubling as a scientific facility (that obviously has ill intentions), expose it, and free the prisoners. His motive... Well, it's a long story. Of course, it isn't going to be that easy. It takes skill, and sometimes power. Most likely, the MC won't be able to accomplish it on his own. He'll need some help, but sometimes he is unsure of what kind of help he receives. Sounds pretty cool, right? I sure hope so.
For anyone joining later who want to ask questions and discuss, feel free to reply! I hope you have fun, guys!

Some groups may not be so welcoming to members promoting their published works. I'm totally fine with it as long as there is a space to do so and our fellow members aren't bombarded with them (although unlikely). So on here, tell us about your works! What inspired you to write it? What is it about? How can we help bring it to other's attention?

My favorite genre has to be fantasy! I love it for the wide range of possibilities for an epic plot, unique characters, and settings that can be as familiar or outlandish as you like that suck you right it so you feel like you're there. Do you want dragons? Here's a dragon that looks earth-like can shape shift into a human form. Do you wish that humans could harness magic to use in technology? Well they're about to! Although I do feel like there is a large section of fantasy that is limited to a medieval vibe. I'd like to see more books that have a different kind of setting. There's something so comforting about the fact that a lot of the problems of the fantasy world can't possibly apply to the real world. It's the perfect form of escapism. It sometimes makes me sad that I can't really discover the secret to magical technology.