Muse of Nightmares – Laini Taylor (Strange the Dreamer #2)

There must be things that are impossible. But I don’t believe we’ve gotten there yet. Look at us. We’ve barely begun.

Summary
The citadel’s near fall had tragic consequences. For both humans and godspawn. For them to make peace with their new reality, the mysteries of Mesarthim will have to be revealed. But it’s not going to be easy. Especially not with a new foe approaching.

Writing
I have no words. At this point, trying to explain how beautiful Taylor’s writing style is seems pointless. You have to experience it yourself. Every single sentence feels like it was crafted with love and care. Every word feels precious. And the worldbuilding? It was never easier for me to immerse myself fully in a world that’s so different from our own. This duology cemented Laini Taylor as one of my favourite authors. Her way with words is indescribably beautiful.

Characters
I knew I was going to love Lazlo before I finished the first chapter in Strange the Dreamer. I just felt an immediate connection, I could relate to him on so many different levels. But I never expected to fall in love with so many other people from this story.

Strange the Dreamer is Lazlo’s story. Even though there are chapters from Sarai’s POV, it still feels like Lazlo is the most relevant part. But in Muse of Nightmares everyone felt important. And everyone was.

I even started to care about Theon, who I DESPISED. But I have to admit, I am totally buying his redemption arc. 100%

I feel like this time much more time was spent on perfecting the side characters. And it showed. For me it’s not usual to care about every single person in a book. But I couldn’t help myself. Every character was so well fleshed-out that I just felt like I knew them. Like they were a part of my world, my story, as well. So how could I not love them?

Plot
This book is as slow as Strange the Dreamer. So if you were bothered by that, you are probably not going to like this one either. But I am a fan of action packed stories, and I have absolutely no patience for slower books. And I was not bothered by the pace of this novel at all. Somehow, it felt perfect.

I especially appreciated chapters about Nova and Kora. I would actually be perfectly fine reading a book just about them. At times, I felt more invested in their story, than in what was happening at Weep.

I like that Laini tied our lovely Earth into this story, even if it was just a small, tiny mention. I love when fantasy authors do that. It always makes the story feel much more real. Much more possible.

Overall
I don’t think I have to say this, but I loved this book. It was a perfect ending. And even though I wish this story could last forever, I was incredibly satisfied with the way it was wrapped up. Still, I am going to hope for another book set in this world. It’s just too beautiful and I am not ready to say goodbye to it yet.

You can find this book on Goodreads, Book Depository and Amazon

 

Strange the Dreamer review