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Jan 25, 2018forbesrachel rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Lazlo Strange has a big dream. As a boy, he thrived on fantastical stories, especially those revolving around the near-mythical city of Weep. A city which isolated itself from the world, and then lost its name. Lazlo wants to find it. But Lazlo is not the type of person who would normally be at the centre of such an adventure… and he knows it. In his teenage years, this studious young man, ends up as the leading, and only, authority on all things Weep, so when a contingent from said city comes looking for help, he finally takes the step he needed, and goes with them. Weep is appropriately named, for a shadow looms over it. Living above this shadow is the other main character, a young woman named Sarai who has a terrible gift and a fate that keeps her, and her family, imprisoned. The yearning in Sarai’s and Lazlo’s voices makes them very sympathetic characters. Both believe themselves powerless to overcome the life they feel trapped by, and yet they have qualities that can overcome them. They also develop strong moral compasses, and they find comfort and strength in one another. The depiction of the world is heavily influenced by the viewpoints of these two. It is bleak at times, and magical in others. Taylor’s book is fairly large, but it is a fast and engaging read, in part because the author knows when to lay in the description, and when to hold back. However, it is unfortunate that Lazlo’s journey to Weep was basically skipped over. It would have been nice to see how he changed, and the types of relationships he built up over that time. Certain secondary characters were underutilized, although they may have a bigger part to play in the next volume. This is especially true for the intriguing and fun figure of Calixte, who was set up as an important friend, and yet seemed to disappear from the narrative soon after they arrived in Weep. Finally, there is the rather irksome cliffhanger at the end. Having the question of "how can they possibly get through this" at the end, leaves us with no real sense of resolution to the volume. Certainly the main "quest" is resolved, but it turned out to be superficial. There are still plenty of other questions left unanswered, but they haven't become key to the plot yet. This is all of course testament to how much this book pulled us in, not a criticism of it. If you hate being left with a cliffhanger, wait until the next volume is published, you will likely want to dive right in.