Name: Muse of Nightmares
Rating: 4.52195945945946 (296 reviews)
ISBN: 9783751716482

Laini Taylor

Beide "Muse of Nightmares"-Hardcover-Bände in einem Paperback vereint Gerade noch war Lazlo der unscheinbare Bibliothekar aus Zosma, der von der Verborgenen Stadt Weep träumte. Jetzt hängen die Hoffnungen all ihrer Bewohner an ihm, und der junge Mann steht vor einer unmöglichen Entscheidung: Entweder er rettet die Liebe seines Lebens - oder alle Bewohner von Weep. Sein Gegner ist unberechenbar, und ohne die Hilfe von Sarai kann er ihn nicht bezwingen. Doch ist die Liebe, die zwischen der Muse der Albträume und dem Bibliothekar wächst, stark genug, um alle Hindernisse zu überwinden? Bestseller-Autorin Laini Taylor lädt in ihren Büchern voller Mythen, Traumwelten und großer Gefühle zum Wegträumen ein

Muse of Nightmares

The highly anticipated, thrilling sequel to the New York Times bestseller, Strange the Dreamer, from National Book Award finalist Laini Taylor, author of the bestselling Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy. Sarai has lived and breathed nightmares since she was six years old.She believed she knew every horror, and was beyond surprise.She was wrong. In the wake of tragedy, neither Lazlo nor Sarai are who they were before. One a god, the other a ghost, they struggle to grasp the new boundaries of their selves as dark-minded Minya holds them hostage, intent on vengeance against Weep. Lazlo faces an unthinkable choice--save the woman he loves, or everyone else?--while Sarai feels more helpless than ever. But is she? Sometimes, only the direst need can teach us our own depths, and Sarai, the muse of nightmares, has not yet discovered what she's capable of. As humans and godspawn reel in the aftermath of the citadel's near fall, a new foe shatters their fragile hopes, and the mysteries of the Mesarthim are resurrected: Where did the gods come from, and why? What was done with thousands of children born in the citadel nursery? And most important of all, as forgotten doors are opened and new worlds revealed: Must heroes always slay monsters, or is it possible to save them instead? Love and hate, revenge and redemption, destruction and salvation all clash in this gorgeous sequel to the New York Times bestseller, Strange the Dreamer.

i want to start this out by saying how close to my heart i hold laini taylor’s writings. i found the daughter of smoke and bone series perfect, it has saved me in dark times, and was incredibly blown away by her gorgeous writing. this series, however, sadly did not land for me. 

it started out as a mystery unlike any other— a city with its name stolen, rumored to have mystical species and treasures more than the mind could imagine. the mystery gets larger with the introduction of the large seraphim and the mesarthium. laini taylor’s writing is unlike anyone else’s, it reads like gorgeous poetry, and she is able to build the most beautiful worlds and people. however, this mystery very quickly turned into a love story, and the love story of the worst kind: instant true love. no work to get there, no relationship building, nothing. this led me to not particularly care for their romance, or their pages upon pages of kissing scenes. don’t get me wrong, i LOVE lazlo as a main character. but he somehow gets lost in sarai, losing his character to only be her knight in shining armor for every other action following. i miss his quirky sense of humor and wonder. 

i liked the ending of the first book, i thought it set up for a good second book. and while i sped through the second book and couldn’t put it down, i wasn’t reading for the love story, but to find out the answers to the mysteries (which, i predicted most of them). i really really hated nova by the end of the book. i realize she was acting out of anger, but she was a terror from day 1. she has literally been acting like a child throwing a tantrum for.. 200 years. i thought it was extremely random to choose the goddess of secrets’ long lost sister to be the major antagonist of this book, it was almost unnecessary. i understand taylor had to make minya human again, but it just felt very far fetched when we already had an antagonist right there. i would’ve liked to have sarai try to heal minya before she would try to heal nova.

the magic and wonder that i felt while reading DOSAB was just…. missing in this series. it fell flat for me, very unfortunately. i wanted so so bad to have this be my next favorite series. my favorite parts of this duology were the obvious references to Karou and Eretz, and i hope with ALL of my might that her next book features karou and akiva. i love their love, it felt earned, special, and sacred. 

they all can’t be winners, but i am very very excited for her upcoming book. laini taylor is forever one of my all time favorite authors 

Maddy

i want to start this out by saying how close to my heart i hold laini taylor’s writings. i found the daughter of smoke and bone series perfect, it has saved me in dark times, and was incredibly blown away by her gorgeous writing. this series, however, sadly did not land for me. 

it started out as a mystery unlike any other— a city with its name stolen, rumored to have mystical species and treasures more than the mind could imagine. the mystery gets larger with the introduction of the large seraphim and the mesarthium. laini taylor’s writing is unlike anyone else’s, it reads like gorgeous poetry, and she is able to build the most beautiful worlds and people. however, this mystery very quickly turned into a love story, and the love story of the worst kind: instant true love. no work to get there, no relationship building, nothing. this led me to not particularly care for their romance, or their pages upon pages of kissing scenes. don’t get me wrong, i LOVE lazlo as a main character. but he somehow gets lost in sarai, losing his character to only be her knight in shining armor for every other action following. i miss his quirky sense of humor and wonder. 

i liked the ending of the first book, i thought it set up for a good second book. and while i sped through the second book and couldn’t put it down, i wasn’t reading for the love story, but to find out the answers to the mysteries (which, i predicted most of them). i really really hated nova by the end of the book. i realize she was acting out of anger, but she was a terror from day 1. she has literally been acting like a child throwing a tantrum for.. 200 years. i thought it was extremely random to choose the goddess of secrets’ long lost sister to be the major antagonist of this book, it was almost unnecessary. i understand taylor had to make minya human again, but it just felt very far fetched when we already had an antagonist right there. i would’ve liked to have sarai try to heal minya before she would try to heal nova.

the magic and wonder that i felt while reading DOSAB was just…. missing in this series. it fell flat for me, very unfortunately. i wanted so so bad to have this be my next favorite series. my favorite parts of this duology were the obvious references to Karou and Eretz, and i hope with ALL of my might that her next book features karou and akiva. i love their love, it felt earned, special, and sacred. 

they all can’t be winners, but i am very very excited for her upcoming book. laini taylor is forever one of my all time favorite authors 

Sarai has lived and breathed nightmares since she was six years old. She believed she knew every horror, and was beyond surprise. She was wrong. In the wake of tragedy, neither Lazlo nor Sarai are who they were before. One a god, the other a ghost, they struggle to grasp the new boundaries of their selves as dark-minded Minya holds them hostage, intent on vengeance against Weep. Lazlo faces an unthinkable choice - save the woman he loves, or everyone else? - while Sarai feels more helpless than ever. But is she? Sometimes, only the direst need can teach us our own depths, and Sarai, the muse of nightmares, has not yet discovered what she's capable of. As humans and godspawn reel in the aftermath of the citadel's near fall, a new foe shatters their fragile hopes, and the mysteries of the Mesarthim are resurrected: Where did the gods come from, and why? What was done with the thousands of children born in the citadel nursery? And most important of all, as forgotten doors are opened and new worlds revealed: must heroes always slay monsters, or is it possible to save them instead? Love and hate, revenge and redemption, destruction and salvation all clash in this gorgeous sequel to the New York Times bestseller, Strange the Dreamer. Praise for Strange the Dreamer 'Magical' Grazia 'Prepare to be enchanted' Sun 'Leaves the reader enthralled, enchanted and entirely entranced' New York Journal of Books 'Laini Taylor is so damn good and like no other' Leigh Bardugo, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom

Book Two of Strange the Dreamer

Anna 

Má očekávání po Snílkovi byla vysoká. To se dalo očekávat. Ovšem nenaplnila se. Múza nočních můr mě zklamala, a mě to je neskutečně líto. 
Hlavní postavy přišly o samy sebe. Lazlo se přestal chovat jako plachý Snílek, místo toho se začal chovat jako člověk posedlý.. no, vy víte čím.. 
Prvních 100 stran se zde řeší to samé dokola, i když by se to dalo vyřešit mnohem rychleji, kdyby spolu Sarai a Lazlo neustále nespali. 
Dalších zhruba 200 stran pojednává o minulosti Mesarthim. Tyhle kapitoly jsem si neskutečně užívala. Baví mě zjišťovat minulost postav, nebo minulost světů. 
Od strany 300 konečně začala nějaká akce, styl magického psaní se vrátil a celý děj se rozjel, za což jsem nakonec velice vděčná. Konec opravdu stojí za to. 
Knížka nakonec nezní tak strašně, uvědomuju si, že jsem si to užila, i když mě to tu první třetinu vážně nebavilo a byla jsem kvůli tomu naštvaná i smutná.
✩
Múze dám 4*/5*, jednu hvězdičku ubírám za nepochopitelnou proměnu hlavních postav, protože jsem z toho vážně smutná. Jako Snílka jsem Lazla milovala, jako boha už ne.

Moonchild

I really enjoyed this book way more that the first one.
Maybe because I was already aware and I new the characters better. Was a full holocoaster of emotions it was really a nice experience.

Hanna Rybchynska

I had big expectations for this book since I loved the first one so much. It was a really good story. I already loved the characters. For some reason, I was expecting more. Yes, it had a lot of action and development over the book! For me, it focused not where I wanted it. Nevertheless, the book is amazing. The characters are captivating. The story is definitely creative!

THE TOP TEN SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'A philosophical fantasy adventure, an epic love story, a daring quest that demands to be read and reread and deserves to be remembered forever.' Katherine Webber In the wake of tragedy, neither Lazlo nor Sarai are who they were before. One a god, the other a ghost, they struggle to grasp the new boundaries of their selves as dark-minded Minya holds them hostage, intent on vengeance against Weep. Lazlo faces an unthinkable choice - save the woman he loves, or everyone else? - while Sarai feels more helpless than ever. But is she? As humans and godspawn reel in the aftermath of the citadel's near fall and a new foe shatters their fragile hopes, the Muse of Nightmares must take possession her power - and of her fate, and everyone else's. Love and hate, revenge and redemption, destruction and salvation all clash in this gorgeous sequel to the international bestseller, Strange the Dreamer. Praise for Strange the Dreamer 'Magical' Grazia 'Prepare to be enchanted' Sun 'Laini Taylor is so damn good and like no other' Leigh Bardugo, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom

chloe rae

2023 reread: just as wonderful and imaginative as I remember. I'd forgotten the ENTIRE ENDING so it really felt like I was reading it all over again for the first time. Such an amazing end to the duology. The amount of love I have for these characters is borderline embarrassing. I will say I had a hard time finding my pace in this one. The beginning felt very long, and there was a lot of set up. But the entire last 200 pages or so had me REELING. I wish I could formulate a sentence as beautifully as Laini does. I can't wait to read everything else she writes in the future.

2019 original review: This book was pure perfection? I want to read it again IMMEDIATELY?! I am overwhelmed with so many thoughts and emotions and I’m just in awe at everything this book accomplished. And how this book made me FEEL. Exquisite. An absolute masterpiece.

Vivi

Nunca me había sentido tan llena con un final. 10/5⭐

bella <3

sooo good!!!! laini taylor did that thing again where she adds a whole new main character with a separate storyline in the last book and still manages to flesh them out and give them a satisfying arc. i love when she does that! the whole last 25% was so good and i love the universe she built and how it connects to dosab. it references it just enough to where it isn't corny. also laini taylor does the omniscient pov really well where i get so many character's feelings in one paragraph and i don't feel overwhelmed by it at all. I need more books from her right nowwww. I will say that everything was a little convenient at the end.. not even how everything got resolved since it was foreshadowed from the beginning but more how Minya was able to just change like that. like the reasoning made sense but its stark when you consider that she was the villain for like the first half of the book and then she wasn't? but that's okay because i love happy endings and it won't bring my rating down <3 so yeah it was great and i think im gonna reread dosab now.

alexandra

wowowowowow i love laini taylor's writing SO MUCH. personally, i still enjoyed strange the dreamer better but muse of nightmares was still so so fantastic. I HAVE MANY FEELINGS GAHAVAIAN

Colleen

3.5 Stars
 
 Strange the Dreamer  was hands down my favorite book of 2017. It had the combination of writing, characters, and creativity that left me utterly captivated. The entire world fell away as I entered that world. It reminded me of why I LOVE reading.
 
So, needless to say, I had high expectations for The Muse of Nightmares. I tried to temper them, but it was absolutely my most anticipated read of 2018. I even preordered the hard cover, and I don’t do that often.
 
While I was impatiently waiting, I tried out one of Taylor’s earlier books,  Daughter of Smoke and Bone . While that book had also had some creative ideas, it seemed chaotic, angsty, and trite. I was never swept away. It didn’t seem anywhere near the level of  Strange the Dreamer  in prose, characters, or plot. My opinion of that book is in the minority though since most people seemed to love it. But it left me in no hurry to continue on with that series and even more nervous about reading The Muse of Nightmares. But  Daughter of Smoke and Bone  was written earlier, so I kept telling myself that Taylor had probably grown a lot since writing it. Even with my reservations, I was still so eager to read The Muse of Nightmares. The chatter on Goodreads was all that other fans were also worried about it living up to expectations. But as the reviews started rolling in, all I saw was that it lived up to or exceeded people’s expectations. Even with my reservations, I still thought this was pretty much a shoo-in for favorite book of 2018. Sadly, it won’t even make the top five.
 
My short version: It’s a good book but not great. It’s nowhere near as good as its predecessor. It didn’t meet my expectations.
 
My long version: If I hadn’t loved the first book so much, The Muse of Nightmares wouldn’t seem like such a letdown. It really isn’t a bad book. But of this duology, one took my breath away, and the other only mildly entertained me. Unfortunately, the series started stronger than it finished.
 
In the first book, I got to discover this magical land right along with Lazlo. There is none of that sense of discovery or adventure in the sequel. It felt like a standard Fantasy story. You know, teenagers with special powers are the only ones who can save the world, and they’ll do it as angstily as possible. I can’t point to any aspect or moment in The Muse of Nightmares that made me say, “Wow!” I had no trouble putting the book down whenever life intervened. I was casually interested but nowhere near captivated by the story.
 
The writing was not as lyrical. Oh, there were some pretty phrases. But it never struck that balance between pretty prose and intelligent writing. I lauded  Strange the Dreamer  for being an intelligent YA book, for not being afraid to go beyond an eighth-grade vocabulary, for being a story that could appeal to many age groups. But The Muse of Nightmares felt much more mainstream and didn’t seem to hit any of the previous benchmarks. And I never felt that effervescent atmosphere.
 
The only critique I had about the first book was that the romance leaned towards cheesy. But the romance in the sequel absolutely crosses into corny and angsty territory. So much angst! And, Lord, save me from horny teenagers! The story felt much more NA. Lazlo is twenty-years-old at this point, and there is a lot of specific description of foreplay. It just didn’t work for me. Aside from the central angstiness, I had some big issues with the arcs of the other characters. They didn’t feel organic to how they acted in the first book. I can’t elaborate without spoilers, but it all felt very… Disney. And that isn’t a compliment in my book. The goody-two-shoes moments combined with the angst made the story much too saccharine. And unfortunately, the abrupt and inconsistent changes in characters’ hearts also handicapped the plot. Again, I am trying to avoid spoilers, but because of the hasty turns, large parts of the plot didn’t feel like they mattered in the end. They were just building false tension.
 
One of my biggest issues with this book is that it completely sets up for a crossover/tie-in series. At first the references to  Daughter of Smoke and Bone  were subtle, and I just rolled my eyes a bit. Then they became outright, and I got really annoyed. I’ve only read the first book in that series, but it’s pretty easy to tell how it ends just based on the information in this book. If you are a huge fan of both series, the announcement of another series probably felt like Christmas and birthday rolled into one. But I didn’t love  Daughter of Smoke and Bone  and was disappointed in The Muse of Nightmares. But most of all? I almost always HATE crossovers and tie-ins. They are inevitably some combination of greed and the author’s inability to let go of a series. So instead of letting a series end with dignity, they drag it on and on, cheapening it with ever more installments, spin-offs, and those stupid in-between novellas that do diddlysquat for the rest of the books. It is one of the worst things an author can do.
 
There is an analogy that is used in both books about how they can imagine the most amazing looking cakes in their dreams, but that they can never taste anything more than a generic sweetness. I think that analogy applies perfectly to this series.  Strange the Dreamer  spent its pages constructing this confectioner’s dream of the most beautiful cake that left me mouthwatering while I waited to gobble up The Muse of Nightmares. But when I finally got to devour The Muse of Nightmares, all I could taste was saccharine sweetness with no real flavor. Empty calories and disappointing dreams.
 
I am obviously in the minority here. The overwhelming majority of fans seem to love The Muse of Nightmares. I’m happy that they were able to enjoy it. But it certainly did not live up to my expectations. I’m hesitant to even continue on with any of Taylor’s other works now, because it feels like  Strange the Dreamer  was more of a fluke, and that everything else will be too saccharine and angsty for my tastes.


RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 4 Stars
Writing Style: 3 Stars
Characters and Character Development: 4 Stars
Plot Structure and Development: 3 Stars
Level of Captivation: 4 Stars
Originality: 3 Stars

Moradeyo

** spoiler alert **
           The writing is amazing because why did I cry every time Eril-Fane expressed emotion? 

An amazing sequel to Strange the Dreamer that answers the question of where the Mersarthim came from.

menna

i love them i love them i love them i love them i love them i love them i love them

I started this right after I finished the first book and ended up putting it down to finish some other things in December but I finally picked this back up on Jan 29th and I just finished it today omfg! (I didn’t get far last year so I really did consume this whole thing in a few days, again)

I absolutely adore the writing, the world building and just how bloody magical these books are!! The characters are so well written and the world is just so wonderful I really really hope that ending is still hinting at more to come, a new series in the world or something in the future, I really
Hope!

Like book 1 though I did have a little issue with pacing at times but that may again just be because of the speed I read it, the plot though was so so well done I just loved how it all came together. I honestly really love duologies the more of them I read! No more middle book lul!!

Anyway I’m hoping to read more Laini Taylor in the future! I hope her other series is just as wonderful as this!

Jamieson

“Once upon a time there was a silence that dreamed of becoming a song, and then I found you, and now everything is music.”


Reading a Laini Taylor book is such an experience. I always put them off for a while, waiting for that perfect right moment where I can just jump in and savour it – but as soon as I find that time I fall in love with her atmospheric writing, her beautiful worlds and her magical stories all over again. Just like Strange the Dreamer, Muse of Nightmares is an enthralling fantasy that will transport you directly to the magical world of Zeru and not let you go until you reach the final page.

Muse of Nightmares begins right where Strange the Dreamer left off – with Minya controlling Sarai’s ghost, with Lazlo desperate to save her, with Eril-Fane and his followers watching from down below, and the fate of Weep hanging in the balance. I loved how easily this book sucked me back in – despite it being a year since I read Strange the Dreamer, I was instantly absorbed into the world, and drawn into the character’s conflicts.


  "For fifteen years, the people of Weep had lived with the certainty that the monsters were dead, and Eril-Fane had lived with the burden of it.”

 
Laini Taylor creates magical, transportive settings and Muse of Nightmares really showed off her strengths in terms of worldbuilding. I loved how she expanded the world in the sequel and answered so many of the questions about Weep and how the gods came to be. The focus on filling in the historical gaps in this world and addressing many of the mysteries and questions left behind was a highlight. I enjoyed the blend of mystery/puzzle quest with fantasy in the sequel so much! It was a really fun way to flesh out the world and the character’s backstories.

In speaking of characters, one of my favourite aspects of Muse of Nightmares, in comparison to Strange the Dreamer, was the character work. Taylor added needed depth to her characters, taking time to expand on their backstories, their motivations, and add layers to their characterisation.

Lazlo took a bit of a backseat in this one to give Sarai a starring role, which I really loved. The shift in her character, from a nightmare to a healer, was a satisfying character arc and I appreciated her character so much more in this one!

But for me, the character highlight was 100% Minya. I wasn’t sure if I liked her or not in Strange the Dreamer, but I was hoping as I picked this up she would be explored more. My hope became a reality! Of all the characters, Minya probably had the most development and I enjoyed reading about her character the most. I remember reading a tweet from Laini Taylor, saying she was interested in finding narrative ways to defeat the villain without having to kill them – I thought that idea was so on display here. Minya is definitely a sympathetic villain, and I enjoyed how Taylor handled her arc.

The thematic importance of love and understanding in Taylor’s books, in comparison to the war and violence she writes about, is a really interesting dichotomy and I think she achieved it more successfully in Muse of Nightmares than she did in Daughter of Smoke and Bone. The loving relationship between the sisters and some of the reveals about Minya and her character were really beautiful character work that hammered home the importance of love and family in Taylor’s worlds.


  Good little girls don’t kill. They die.
And Minya was not a good little girl.


The two things that just disappointed, leading to a four-star rating, were the romance and the Thyon chapters.

For me, the romance was a weak aspect of this series. I don’t enjoy insta-love romances, so that played a large part in it, but overall I didn’t care for Lazlo and Sarai’s romantic scenes. The romance heavy focus of the first two hundred pages wasn’t my favourite, and I just didn’t really feel the chemistry between them. I do think they’re sweet and cute, but I also just didn’t really care about the romance parts and could have been just as happy without them.

I also was let down by the Thyon Nero chapters. Before this came out, a lot of people with the arcs hyped up his character in this book so I had high expectations. I also really liked the potential for growth in his character and was hoping he would play a big role in Muse of Nightmares. But in the end, I felt he was kind of pointless? I liked his characterisation and the way he examined his own prejudice and attitudes toward his travel companions, but besides that, he didn’t really add anything to the story for me. I also was disappointed Taylor chose to show his romance with Ruza, another man, so subtextual when the other romances in the story are so overt.


  “There comes a certain point with a hope or a dream, when you either give it up or give up everything else. And if you choose the dream, if you keep on going, then you can never quit, because it's all you are.” 


Overall, I really liked Muse of Nightmares. I cannot wait for Laini Taylor to write her next book – her books are such a magical experience and no one writes quite like she does. There were some aspects I didn’t love – the romance and the Thyon chapters weren’t what I was hoping for. But Laini Taylor nailed everything else. The focus on redemption, love and family.

The execution of the plot and the worldbuilding, and the way she managed to tie together so many plot threads and ideas into one story. The ending of Muse of Nightmares was A LOT more satisfying for me than Dreams of Gods and Monsters was. I’m also, so intrigued about how she’s hinting at a multi-verse/connected worlds in her series, and I cannot wait to see where she takes that concept!

The highly anticipated, thrilling sequel to the New York Times bestseller, Strange the Dreamer, from National Book Award finalist Laini Taylor, author of the bestselling Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy--now in paperback! Sarai has lived and breathed nightmares since she was six years old.She believed she knew every horror, and was beyond surprise.She was wrong. In the wake of tragedy, neither Lazlo nor Sarai are who they were before. One a god, the other a ghost, they struggle to grasp the new boundaries of their selves as dark-minded Minya holds them hostage, intent on vengeance against Weep. Lazlo faces an unthinkable choice--save the woman he loves, or everyone else?--while Sarai feels more helpless than ever. But is she? Sometimes, only the direst need can teach us our own depths, and Sarai, the muse of nightmares, has not yet discovered what she's capable of. As humans and godspawn reel in the aftermath of the citadel's near fall, a new foe shatters their fragile hopes, and the mysteries of the Mesarthim are resurrected: Where did the gods come from, and why? What was done with thousands of children born in the citadel nursery? And most important of all, as forgotten doors are opened and new worlds revealed: Must heroes always slay monsters, or is it possible to save them instead? Love and hate, revenge and redemption, destruction and salvation all clash in this gorgeous sequel to the New York Times bestseller, Strange the Dreamer.

lisa roeling 

calixte if you see this im free thursday night are you free thursday night so i can take you out on thursday night if you’re free i’d like to hang out thursday night please message me back if you’re free thursday night when i am free 

(2,5⭐)

Rachel Kanyid

Love this! I want to see more from this world!!

Ana Hein

I literally rolled around on the floor and screamed after I finished this book. GO READ LAINI TAYLOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Alice Myles

OH BOYYYYY - I haven't got the words for this, how does one person's brain come up with this. This book has been sitting on my shelf ever since I read Strange 18 months ago and always kept putting it off because the sheer size of it terrified me (it still does) but I just can't fathom how incredible this duology is I just wanted to savour every last word. WHAT A MASTERPIECE

Anna Troughton 

This book was so emotional and beautiful beyond words it left a lump in my throat pretty much the whole way through. I was apprehensive that this book wouldn't be as book as strange the dreamer but it blow away all of my expectations and I was left with just as magically dazzingly read that really touch my heart. It has left an imprint in me and this duology will forever be my favourite.

Nicole Dykeman

Beautiful worlds, beautiful characters, and beautiful storytelling. I’m in love with Laini Taylor and everything she has created within these pages.

Merve A. 

not to be dramatic, but this book is the love of my life

Celeste Richardson

You can find this review and more at Novel Notions. 

Muse of Nightmares is another lovely display of Taylor’s craftsmanship. It continues a story that is pretty and romantic and moving, a story that began in Strange the Dreamer, the other half of this duology. Unfortunately, it didn’t pack quite the same punch as its predecessor. Don’t get me wrong; it’s still a lovely novel. But the first novel was stunningly tangible, and this follow-up felt more like a phantom of that loveliness instead. Which is a comparison that is appropriate on multiple levels, as you’ll see if you choose to read this. And you definitely should read this, if you’ve read Strange the Dreamer. While I might not think it was quite as strong as the first installment, it still provided a satisfying ending encased in Taylor’s exquisite prose.

“It was better than any story he’d ever read. It was like being inside a story and writing it all around you, and not alone but with someone who just happened to be as magical and beautiful as a fairy tale made real.”

Why did this novel fall a bit short for me? Well first of all, it was oddly predictable for such a unique story. There were a handful of twists that were glaringly obvious before they were actually revealed. I don’t know if I found this to be true because the foreshadowing was too heavy-handed, or because I’ve read Taylor’s other popular series, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and thus was pretty sure on which direction she would take. Regardless, I could sense that those twists were supposed to be mind-blowing when revealed but I couldn’t help feeling impatient to just get through them, since I had predicted them chapters beforehand. There were also some twists that didn’t maintain the power they could have had because they weren’t permanent. I’m a sucker for a happy ending, but if there was any message sent out by the first half of this duology it was that actions always have consequences, and they’re often far reaching. In this book, even when the worst happened I felt positive that said awful thing would be reversed, which completely removed the tension I should have felt during these scenes.

“Many a choice is made in this way: by pretending it makes itself. And many a fate is decided by those who cannot decide.”

I was also a bit turned off by the romance, which is incredibly disappointing because I found it so heartbreakingly beautiful in the first book. When the central romance first blossoms in Strange the Dreamer, the depth of emotion and the tightly woven connection between the lovers won me over immediately. It became one of the few romances that really stayed with me, working its way into the definition of romance that lives at my core. But in Muse of Nightmares, the romance seemed much more firmly tied to lust than love. The sex scenes, while not actually reaching full culmination on the page, struck me as weirdly descriptive. There was a scene in Strange the Dreamer described a kiss so beautifully that it took my breath away. In Muse of Nightmares, I read way more about the contrast of nipples against blue skin than I ever wanted to know. Seriously, nipples were worked into the story way too often. I’m not at all a prude, but the change in tone between the two books when it comes to romance just threw me, and left me unable to care as much as I did in Strange the Dreamer, and it makes me so sad. It was still beautiful, but it lacked the depth that made it so captivating originally.

“She gave the words back to him, murmuring, and kept them, too. You could do that: Give them back and keep them. “I love you” is generous that way.”

It might seem odd that I would spend five hundred words complaining about a book to which I awarded 4 stars. If I had so many problems with it, why did I give it such a high rating? Even considering the issues I had, this was still an absolutely beautiful book. Taylor developed a setting and a magic system and a conflict that were all completely unique in my opinion. I stand by my description of Strange the Dreamer: this duology is lush in a way I have very rarely experienced. With this book in particular, Taylor also managed to take a story that was solidly fantasy in my opinion and work science fiction elements into the novel in a way that is incredibly original. Also, remember when I said that I’m a sucker for a happy ending? That was delivered in spades, and I felt so content and satisfied when I finished the last page. All of my questions were answered, plot lines were neatly tied up, but Taylor still left herself room to explore this world outside of the story she told in these two books. 

“Just because the power is mine, it doesn’t follow that all the choices are.”

Strange the Dreamer and Muse of Nightmares are both absolutely worth reading. Taylor paints such stunning pictures with her words, and I very much enjoyed my time spent with these novels. 

“Wishes don’t just come true. They’re only the target you paint around what you want. You still have to hit the bull’s-eye yourself.”

Vilde

I was almost more investing in Kora and Nova's storyline than Lazlo and the other characters', but also, Muse of Nightmares was deliciously wrapped up and connected to the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy. Another great read from Taylor!

Mary Rose Luksha

Strange the Dreamer and Muse of Nightmares are the best books I have read this year. Laini Taylor is a goddess who writes such beautiful prose full of scope and breadth of world building but also duh attention to detail of characters and relationships. Read these books. Just read these damn books.

Meg Cornhill

I am ashamed that it took me so long to pick this up after falling completely in love with strange the dreamer; apparently I have an aversion to remarkable, whimsical, magical, heart wrenching and just loveable novels. 

This was absolute perfection, and the kind of resolution I love to see; it’s not completely and perfectly whole, but what is? A thousand stars if I could.

Muse of Nightmares

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