Initial Impressions 4/18/17: 4.5 stars 
 Wow. It's been so long since I've read a new Laini Taylor book and her books. MY FEELINGS. She is so amazing at evoking and writing and sharing emotion. Her writing is just amazingly gorgeous and I'm constantly impressed at how the smallest things can be so beautiful. 
 I loved discovering this world. It was so interesting to know that it's a part of the multiverse that was started in the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series (no spoilers -- she just said that it's its own fantasy world and why not put it in the same universe) so I'm hoping they connect in the second book because I LOVE when that happens. It was wonderful to see a new fantasy world and one that was so original. Her worlds are just so unique and unlike anything I've ever read before. 
 The ending broke my heart. Obviously I won't spoil it but I was SO surprised and now I will anxiously be waiting for the next book. I was initially hoping this was a stand alone but I'm actually glad it's split into two books because it really needs that time to develop and expand. 
 Full review as originally posted HERE on The Book Addict's Guide 5/25/17: When you write a series as epic as Daughter of Smoke and Bone and then your next release gets delayed even more (to make it that much more perfect, that is), it could be really, really hard to live up to the hype of the book... But Laini Taylor had no such problem with STRANGE THE DREAMER! To be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect because I hadn't know what to expect with Daughter and it constantly surprised me so I knew I was ready for some more magic of the same quality! 
 STRANGE THE DREAMER was actually quite similar to DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE in some ways. There was a distinct separation from the humans and the magical beings, some bad blood to draw up that tension, and a star-crossed romance, so in that respect, I did wish that STRANGE THE DREAMER did venture out on its own plot-wise and away from the world of Eretz. The books aren't of the same world but Laini Taylor did say that they're of the same multi-verse and may cross paths one day, but for now, two totally different things so I was hoping for a bit of a difference in big picture. 
 That really is the only "disappointment" I have about this book, which isn't really a disappointment so much as something else I was looking for. STRANGE THE DREAMER really swept me off my feet with Laini Taylor's ever-gorgeous writing. She's one of the authors whose writing style I just love to read and I just get lost within the pages (along with Maggie Stiefvater and Neil Gaiman who also hold that magical ability to suck you into their books). The world is amazing and gorgeous and I love that the humans are even still in a different fantasy world, not Earth as we know it, to add that extra sense of magic and wonder. 
 All of Laini Taylor's characters are poetic and deep. From Lazlo Strange, the dreamer whose nose was broken by a volume of fairy tales, to Sarai, the Muse of Nightmares with a gentle softness. They compliment each other and bring a wonderful balance to the book, and each character serves a real purpose to the story. Every character is so unique and Laini Taylor does an amazing job at bringing each one to life. I always feel like I've really gotten to know each one of them! 
 I won't really get into the story itself because like all of her books, it's one to experience, but I just loved being wrapped up in her stories again. I've missed that feeling of being so involved in a story and being in kind of a reading slump, it was wonderful to enjoy something so much again!