Lazlo Strange is a dreamer. An orphan raised by severe monks who struggles his way into a fulfilling if lonely and ill-paid position as a librarian, where he discovers ancient stories about a magical realm to the west of an unpassable desert. Enchanted by these tales, Lazlo carefully and loving collects every scrap of evidence of the country he can only call "Weep" as the actual name appears to have been erased from the minds and mouths of anyone who try to utter it. Mocked for his passion, but also used by the city's elite researchers, Lazlo is vindicated when a contingent from the lost country suddenly appears and asks for the best and the brightest to travel with them and solve a pressing problem. Lazlo is chosen, for reasons he doesn't quite understand, and finds that Weep's problems are due to the atrocities of gods who left indelible scars on the city and its denizens. He also begins to dream of a beautiful blue-skinned girl...
Sarai is the Muse of Nightmares, a godling. She and her fellowing godlings secretly survived a horrible massacre that left their parents, the gods, and their half-siblings dead. Sarai uses her power to invade the dreams of the citizens of Weep to make them pay, but upon encountering Lazlo, a different narrative appears...

Hauntingly beautiful, with a thread of horror lurking quietly beneath the surface. A tale that shows how two different perspectives on an event can drive the lust for revenge which ultimately hurts all those involved.

So good. I can't even begin to describe how the ending made me feel, and now I can't wait for the second book!!