Synopsis:
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?
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟
Unpopular opinion: I wish Nova and Kora had been the main characters of this duology.
This novel fixed a lot of my issues with Strange the Dreamer. I'm a massive fan of Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy, but what really made that trilogy for me was the world-building and the plot. I like Laini Taylor's characters well enough, but I think her creativity outshines her character-building. Strange the Dreamer was a miss for me because it's totally character-based. The reader knows essentially nothing about the world's mythology, Weep's history, nothing for the entire novel. The plot, too, is little to none, in favor of Lazlo and Sarai's budding romance. Muse of Nightmares finally busted out what makes Laini Taylor such a brilliant writer: her world-building, and the insane plots that occur as a result of her incredible world-building.
I truly believe that Nova and Kora should've been the stars of this duology. Without getting into spoilers territory, the two sisters are new characters introduced in this book, and play a central role in how the story unfolds. Lazlo, Sarai, and the godspawn are fine, but their story pales in comparison to the incredible journey Nova and Kora introduce. I spent an entire book with Lazlo and the gang, yet I was more invested in Nova and Kora after spending one chapter with them. By the time the details of their story were revealed, I was floored by how absolutely cool their lives were, and how trite Lazlo and co.'s entire storyline was in comparison. Lazlo and co. are just so...boring.
I remember when Laini Taylor was planning this duology, it was meant to be just Muse of Nightmares. But she felt like she was missing a key component of it, and decided to write Strange the Dreamer as a sort of "prologue" to Muse of Nightmares. I know a lot of people love this duology, especially the first book, and while I completely respect that, I think Laini Taylor not leading with Muse of Nightmares was a mistake. I almost skipped out on Muse of Nightmares because I so disliked Strange the Dreamer, and if I had, I would've missed out on all the really damn cool shit Laini Taylor does in this book. Her world-building here is AMAZING.
I just really feel like this duology missed out on being something ground-breaking by burying Laini Taylor's talent for world-building under romance and angst.
This novel fixed a lot of my issues with Strange the Dreamer. I'm a massive fan of Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy, but what really made that trilogy for me was the world-building and the plot. I like Laini Taylor's characters well enough, but I think her creativity outshines her character-building. Strange the Dreamer was a miss for me because it's totally character-based. The reader knows essentially nothing about the world's mythology, Weep's history, nothing for the entire novel. The plot, too, is little to none, in favor of Lazlo and Sarai's budding romance. Muse of Nightmares finally busted out what makes Laini Taylor such a brilliant writer: her world-building, and the insane plots that occur as a result of her incredible world-building.
I truly believe that Nova and Kora should've been the stars of this duology. Without getting into spoilers territory, the two sisters are new characters introduced in this book, and play a central role in how the story unfolds. Lazlo, Sarai, and the godspawn are fine, but their story pales in comparison to the incredible journey Nova and Kora introduce. I spent an entire book with Lazlo and the gang, yet I was more invested in Nova and Kora after spending one chapter with them. By the time the details of their story were revealed, I was floored by how absolutely cool their lives were, and how trite Lazlo and co.'s entire storyline was in comparison. Lazlo and co. are just so...boring.
I remember when Laini Taylor was planning this duology, it was meant to be just Muse of Nightmares. But she felt like she was missing a key component of it, and decided to write Strange the Dreamer as a sort of "prologue" to Muse of Nightmares. I know a lot of people love this duology, especially the first book, and while I completely respect that, I think Laini Taylor not leading with Muse of Nightmares was a mistake. I almost skipped out on Muse of Nightmares because I so disliked Strange the Dreamer, and if I had, I would've missed out on all the really damn cool shit Laini Taylor does in this book. Her world-building here is AMAZING.
I just really feel like this duology missed out on being something ground-breaking by burying Laini Taylor's talent for world-building under romance and angst.
