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?"
This book is so beautiful I want to cry.
I think there are honestly a few problems with this book. The main characters are quite one dimensional and the romance is completely YA Insta-love. The pacing is slow in places, the grand reveal isn't that shocking and the world building past aesthetics is kind of non-existent.
Now that I have completely put you off, let me convince you why you should read it.
The writing is absolutely exquisite. Like drop dead, hold the book to your chest and just blink a few times, gorgeous. It is right up my street with the right amount of whimsy fantasy standing shoulder to shoulder with pain and death. It's so tempting when reviewing Taylor's books to just talk about the writing style and language. Because it's stunning. I don’t know where the line between purple and beautiful prose should be drawn, but I do know that Laini Taylor stands just on the right side of it. The very sentences themselves feel magical and dreamy, creating an atmosphere that convinces you you've been transported to another world. There's a timeless fairy tale quality to her writing, too; it’s *almost* too much, *almost* too poetic, and yet somehow it is just perfect. I also particularly loved the running theme of dreamers and dreaming here.
Because of the stunning prose the slow pacing didn't bother me as I was to busy soaking in the writing and it felt more like a treat than a hardship.
The story and world is unique, like, take my breath away, how did a human even come up with this, unique. The idea of a floating citadel in the shape of a seraph, gobsmacked. Spirit Moths that can enter peoples dreams, jawdropping. The themes brought up are also important and suitably gritty, and the messages will stick with you. The importance of not judgeing people by their skin - colour/ culture and parents past mistakes. The plot is engaging, addicting, and nothing short of phenomenal.
I personally felt more for some of the minor characters of Eril-fane, Arazeen, Thyon Nero and Minya. They felt so much more complex and emotionally confused and less "goody goody" than the main characters. Not to say I didn't like the character of Lazlo Strange, librarian, dreamer and myth extraordinaire or Sarai, Muse of nightmares, god spawn and calamity. I did but they felt less conflicted and I am a sucker for internal conflict and pain.
I have a lot of inner conflict regarding Thyon because on one hand, I hate him with a casanovian passion, and on the other, I just want to stroke his hair gently because honestly sometimes you just lose track of where “trying to protect yourself” ends and “selfishness” begins. Sometimes you succumb to jealousy and self-pity and bitterness and you lose track of yourself. Sometimes your defence mechanism kicks in and you hurt before you get hurt.
I also really loved the character of Minya who catches the souls of the dead and bind them to her every whim. Which is seven shades of gruesome but I refuse to believe for one second that Minya is just that. Not when I feel like my heart has just been torn into a million pieces and scattered across the desert to be picked at by vultures whenever I think about her and “they were all i could carry, they were all i could carry”. I really just hope everyone sees through her thick armour of bullshit and glimpse the confused and hurt and lonely child inside who’s only ever wanted to protect her family.
Eril-Fane, the guy with one of the coolest nicknames in all history. Godslayer. Sounds awesome! Has a certain ring to it, right? If you consider what had to happen to get that nickname it’s not that cool anymore. Well, actually it loses all its glory. Boy, was he a tormented and tortured soul. What a fascinating personality, devoured by rancour and love, torn between duty and self-hatred, eroded by years of shame and despondency, eaten by guilt and longing. His relationship with Arazeen was so real and heart-breaking , I just. Ahh, what’s not to love? He’s everything I want in a character and Taylor wrote him so well.
"Even after all these years, the thought of Isagol the Terrible stirred such a storm in him – of rancor and longing, desire and disgust, violence and even affection – all of it seething and bleeding and writhing, like a pit of rats eating one another alive. That was what his feelings were now, what Isagol had made of them. Nothing good or pure could survive in him. All was corruption and gore, suffocating in his self-loathing. How weak he was, how pitiful. He might have killed the goddess in the end, but he wasn’t free of her, and he never would be.”
Please, Please read it. It won't be for everyone, I appreciate that. You have to have a level of suspension of disbelief and childish whimsy to enjoy this book, but for those like me who do I really recommend it.
Age Rating 15+. The Gods of Weep were very cruel and leave behind a legacy inappropriate for younger readers. There is also a very poetic and vague sex scene.
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