I finished this book only a few minutes ago and all I can say is whoa. If you follow readers online then I'm sure you've heard loads about this one so I'll keep the review brief. This book is pure whimsy, complete with excellent prose and story telling. It is all too easy to go on and on about her writing because it is simply stunning. Her sentences feel as if she has strung magic itself on a thread along with her words. While it is absolutely gorgeous to read, her prose should not distract from the world building and characters, both of which are extremely well thought out. The world of gods and lore surrounding them feel complete and enthralling. It is not difficult to imagine that libraries could exist with shelves filled with books on the gods and Weep. Reading through it feels like stepping into a dream, which I suppose we are. Laini's mind is truly a creative wonder and her skill at transferring her dreams onto paper is remarkable. The only slightly negative thing I have to say on this book would be that the romance was a little heavy for me. However, it did fit in with the magic of the world so it is not out of place and I didn't find it too bothersome.
Now onto the discussion. This part still won't have any spoilers but might not make as much sense to you if you haven't read it yet. What I really want to discussion with this book is the role that masculinity takes in it. I won't sit in my room, behind my computer and pretend to be educated or informed enough to talk about gender. However, I love how this book takes the concept of masculinity and flips it on its head. Lazlo, our main character, is a quiet librarian who does good with no hidden agenda, the likes of which I'm not used to seeing in literature or media in general. I've seen plenty of "good boys" in books, the golden boys who are kind and can't help capturing the heart of any girl they come across. There are also boys in books who aren't the rough and tough sort but they almost always are side characters or have a humorous personality to fall back on. Lazlo though is different in that he excels in empathy rather than strength or humor. This is perhaps easiest to see when compared to the other male characters in the book like Thylon. He's a damaged golden boy with daddy issues, the type that would usually be a main character the reader and the girl fall in love with. Instead, Taylor writes his character as extremely unlikable, not the kind where you love him for it but the straight up you're- an - asshole unlikeable. He's a narcissist that can't even comprehend how Lazlo does good things just for the sake of it. In fact, he spends much of the book trying to figure out Lazlo's motives, which turn out to be just as they seem. Eril-Fane is another good one to compare Lazlo to because he is supposedly the hero but instead of glorifying the violence he committed in the name of freedom Laini lets us see the consequences of that violence. We see the after affect, the torn up and damaged man who might be a hero to some but it a wreck because of it.
I didn't mean to go on so long with that topic but I think it's really important that we see these kinds of characters that defy masculine stereotypes.
In short, read this book is you love whimsical tales, atmospheric prose, and a story about dreams that feels like one itself.
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