* Find my reviews here: Literary Meanderings 
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 Synopsis: The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around--and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he's been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world 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 two hundred years ago to cut it off from the rest of the world? What exactly 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 more mysteries--including the blue-skinned goddess who appears in Lazlo's dreams. How did he dream her before he knew she existed? And if all the gods are dead, why does she seem so real? 
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 Let me preface this review by saying that I adore Laini Taylor's other writings. Giving this book only 3 stars physically pained me, but I just have to be honest here. I didn't like it as much as I'd hoped. Granted, my expectations were through the roof, but have you read the Daughter of Smoke & Bone series? It's fucking brilliant in every single way. 
 DISLIKES: 
 * Insta-love. Not even just your average instalove, but instalove inside of a dream. The two never even met each other! They feel in love in literally one paragraph. Not a few dreams later, but in the first dream! (Well, technically it was the second dream, but they only glimpsed each other in the first.) Absolutely ridiculous and unbelievable. Not cute, not romantic, but totally ridiculous. 
 * The pace. IT WAS SO SLOW. I struggled through the first half of the book. If it were almost any other author, I would have DNF'd it before I got half way. I trudged on, though, and got to some good bits. 
 *SPOILERS IN THE NEXT POINT* 
 * Lazlo himself. He's supposed to be the hero, you know? Only, he doesn't actually do anything. He's a follower, for one thing, and he just sits there dreaming, oblivious to the situation he and his travel companions are actually in. He is like a child, to be honest. Though I don't think the author ever actually said his age (correct me if I am wrong), I assumed him to be a teenager at least. His only "heroic" moment comes in the end of the book and it is a total con. He doesn't do one single thing to save everyone except just be descended from the gods. It was just this automatic thing and to be completely honest, I felt a bit duped. 
 LIKES 
 * As usual, aside from the actual pace of the book, Taylor's writing was on point. Her prose beautiful, the world building INSANELY good. She really does come up with the most amazing, atmospheric worlds and it is simple to get lost in them! 
 * The fantasy aspect was completely unique. It was dark. I enjoy this. It wasn't a pink and sparkly fairy world. It was hopeless and failing and sad. I loved it. The godspawn and the natives to Weep were unique unto their own and some even had powers that were just out of this world. 
 * I won't spoil this completely, but the last thing I was impressed with is that the author wasn't afraid to kill off a main character. Granted, there was a catch to it, but she still did it. I always appreciate this (what does that say about me? lol). 
 Overall, the book was okay. I liked a lot about it, but I also found fault with just as many things. This is all a matter of opinion, though, and I am obviously in the minority right now. This book is beloved already, and Laini herself is amazing. Give this book a shot if you want a fantasy world you can completely fall into and even be a little disturbed by. 
 I do plan to read book two, obviously. I just have to see if it gets better! I have hope! 
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 Book source: Personal collection 
 Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers 
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