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yodamom's review against another edition
Quitting @20%- (audiobook) I just keep losing interest. I find myself ignoring the audio completely. I am putting it aside I may come back some day or not.
ashablue's review against another edition
5.0
This 2 book series is a work of staggering beauty and exquisite world building where the characters don't get left behind. A girl who shouts moths and shapes dreams and fails at not kissing? A little girl who isn't really a little girl who survived unspeakable horror and who catches ghosts like balloons on strings? A goddess who eats memories? A woman who dares to defy her fate and steals the powers of gods and kills her way through dozens of worlds to save her sister? Beings who made holes in the worlds and linked them together for better and for worse? All this and more. So much emotion, tenderness and wander in every chapter. Laini Taylor makes you feel what her characters feel, taking you well along for the ride and making you care, really care about what happens to them.
There's lots of magic and fantasy but there's so much wonderful, relatable humanity in it all. Even supporting characters are dynamic, fully fleshed, funny and endearing with so much depth to their own story even as it unfolds in the shadows of the main.
I think it's a great fantasy read and if I had read this as a teen I may have gotten into fantasy much earlier in my life.
There's lots of magic and fantasy but there's so much wonderful, relatable humanity in it all. Even supporting characters are dynamic, fully fleshed, funny and endearing with so much depth to their own story even as it unfolds in the shadows of the main.
I think it's a great fantasy read and if I had read this as a teen I may have gotten into fantasy much earlier in my life.
uutopicaa's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 y no sé si redondear hacia arriba o hacia abajo todavía. En unos días pondré la reseña.
lfjm's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Once upon a time, a sister made a vow she didn't know how to break, and it broke her instead. Once upon a time, a girl did the impossible, but she did it just a little to late.
The story was so beautiful and heartbreaking. Laini Taylor became one of my favorite authors. Her writting style is very smooth and lyrical. Its a YA fantasy romance, which never lets you know what happens next. After the end of Strange the Dreamer, I was really scared to start the second book. But Im sooo glad that I did it right away. There was so much left to unpack and I couldnt imagine it happening all in this 500 pages. The whole book was a rolar coaster of emotions. I was always afraid for different characters and the treat always came From somewhere else. I could never see it coming and was speechless every time.
Lazlo Strange, our kind and selfless hero deserves all the Love there is to give, Im happy that he finally has a family and knows now who he is.
Sarai still beeing able to enter dreams, finally discoverd who she wants to be, what her goal will be and Im happy that she can finally look forward into a bright future.
Minya.... how I hated her and then loved her. When we learned of her past and how she indirectly gave her love through the Ellens to her family was heartbreaking. Im sooo glad that she let go of all the poor souls and started a new chapter in her life.
Ruby and Feral should just get it over with and have their happy ever after, the whole back and forth will hopefully not drag on forever.
Our sweet and kind Sparrow, our saviour in need, she deserves to finally find her own love and that she will no longer feel useless.
Thyon Nero finally has the character development I was waiting for and their was even a little romance going on with Ruza, where I would have loved to see more of. ( And I totaly knew he had a crush on Lazlo!)
Im so happy and relieved that Eril-Fane and Azareen got a happy end. I was so scared for them in the meantime. They deserve to be a happy family. Azareen never gave up and waited 15 years for her husband.
I know that Eril-Fane did some unforgivable things. However, he made a decision at that moment, believing he could save everyone after accomplishing something seemingly impossible. We've all made mistakes before and he's spent the last 15 years regretting his actions and almost being crushed under their weight.
In the second book you get to know a second story, that of two sisters, two parts of a whole, who were trying to find their way back to each other. It was very exciting to see how the two stories would come together. I did not think it would be possible at the beginning of the book, but I felt even more connected to the sisters than to our main characters. Their characters were just so well written and their end unbelievable heartbreaking. I cried so much throughout the book.
This was a masterpiece of fantasy storytelling. It was utterly captivating from beginning to end. The ending leaves so much to the Imagination and I really really wish a third part of this world will be Released at some point in the future. One of my Highlights of 2024 so far!
The story was so beautiful and heartbreaking. Laini Taylor became one of my favorite authors. Her writting style is very smooth and lyrical. Its a YA fantasy romance, which never lets you know what happens next. After the end of Strange the Dreamer, I was really scared to start the second book. But Im sooo glad that I did it right away. There was so much left to unpack and I couldnt imagine it happening all in this 500 pages. The whole book was a rolar coaster of emotions. I was always afraid for different characters and the treat always came From somewhere else. I could never see it coming and was speechless every time.
Lazlo Strange, our kind and selfless hero deserves all the Love there is to give, Im happy that he finally has a family and knows now who he is.
Sarai still beeing able to enter dreams, finally discoverd who she wants to be, what her goal will be and Im happy that she can finally look forward into a bright future.
Minya.... how I hated her and then loved her. When we learned of her past and how she indirectly gave her love through the Ellens to her family was heartbreaking. Im sooo glad that she let go of all the poor souls and started a new chapter in her life.
Ruby and Feral should just get it over with and have their happy ever after, the whole back and forth will hopefully not drag on forever.
Our sweet and kind Sparrow, our saviour in need, she deserves to finally find her own love and that she will no longer feel useless.
Thyon Nero finally has the character development I was waiting for and their was even a little romance going on with Ruza, where I would have loved to see more of. ( And I totaly knew he had a crush on Lazlo!)
Im so happy and relieved that Eril-Fane and Azareen got a happy end. I was so scared for them in the meantime. They deserve to be a happy family. Azareen never gave up and waited 15 years for her husband.
I know that Eril-Fane did some unforgivable things. However, he made a decision at that moment, believing he could save everyone after accomplishing something seemingly impossible. We've all made mistakes before and he's spent the last 15 years regretting his actions and almost being crushed under their weight.
In the second book you get to know a second story, that of two sisters, two parts of a whole, who were trying to find their way back to each other. It was very exciting to see how the two stories would come together. I did not think it would be possible at the beginning of the book, but I felt even more connected to the sisters than to our main characters. Their characters were just so well written and their end unbelievable heartbreaking. I cried so much throughout the book.
This was a masterpiece of fantasy storytelling. It was utterly captivating from beginning to end. The ending leaves so much to the Imagination and I really really wish a third part of this world will be Released at some point in the future. One of my Highlights of 2024 so far!
dkadastra's review against another edition
4.0
Delivered on the promise of the first book, and explained the mysteries in a cool way. Main detractions were the overly saccharine descriptions, at times, and while the final confrontation was good and true to the characters it seemed a little ...underwhelming I guess. Overall, I really enjoyed the duology and I'd read more in this universe.
laurenseeto's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
aksmith92's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Muse of Nightmares is a typical Young Adult fantasy novel where love saves the day, and I ate it all up!
She's beauty, she's grace, she's Laini Taylor. Her writing is poetic, atmospheric, gorgeous, readable, and accessible. Yes, it's young adult, leading to some dramatics, but nothing over the top, and indeed a piece of art. I loved this so much, and even more than the first one, dare I say.
The setup: We left off on a BIG plot twist in Laini Taylor's first installment of this duology, Strange the Dreamer. With Sarai's fate in question, we are left with confusion and madness in Weep, where most citizens must run out of town because the Citadel is shifting and changing. Lazlo has a pretty big plot twist (although I could see that coming in the first novel). Either way, we are left with many questions about godlings, citizens of Weep, and the infamous dead gods that must've left more of a story than many thought.
Now, the story pivots to those godlings up in the sky in the Citadel, Minya's intense vengeance, and Sarai's adaptability into a new self in more ways than one. Eril-Fane and Azareen are still big components of the story and work to shift mindsets on the ground in Weep. In addition, we still hear from the wonderfully facetious Calixte and the learning and growing Thyon Nero. Lastly, we get an entirely new story about two sisters living in what seems to be a wholly different world made of ice. You know immediately that the stories will connect somehow, but the road to get there is beautiful and intriguing, yet devastating.
Laini Taylor creates an intricate world(s!) and develops the lovely characters from book one.
What I loved: My favorite part was the unique villain arcs - here we are, 15ish years after the fall of some of the more horrible villains I've read about, and we are reading about those impacts, leading to one of the most fantastic character development novels I've read. Because this story takes place years after the deaths of the villains (not a spoiler; it was also the same in the first book!), and we don't get the why for those villains other than the typical power-thirsty monsters, we now see excellent nuances in characters like Minya being stuck in the past constantly feeling like she has to save her family. Or, Nova, whose character was phenomenal, and I won't get into it because of spoiler reasons. It was pure art to have a story embedded in the after-effects of an awful fantastical regime. I loved the characters, even the ones who took a bit of a back burner in this novel, and the world-building was quite interesting. The world aspect may not necessarily be "original," but I found it unique nonetheless. PS: I must admit, the writing around eliliths - the tattoos girls get once their bleeding begins - was actually really cool. I've grown up learning to hate that, and in this fictional world, it seems powerful and beautiful. This part of the book is obviously not big, but I wanted to mention it anyway.
What would've made this a perfect read? I rated this five stars because of how it made me feel, the writing, and the story arcs. However, I will say that if I were being ultra critical, I would mention that I did feel there was a miss in relationship development between Thyon and Lazlo, the friendship that could've been, and just a better and more exciting wrap-up relationship between the godlings and those in Weep. A LOT was going on outside of that, which was critical for the story, so I let it slide. Lastly, Lazlo and Sarai are a little bit instant-love (as a reminder, the majority of this book truly takes place in one to two days!), but I don't think it overtook the story. Oh, as much as this is wonderful writing, Lazlo learned about his mesarthium control a littleeeee bit too quickly to be believable. It's implied their powers are meant to be ingrained, but I still thought it was a bit fast. Again, I let this slide because the other parts were just so good!
I am excited to read other books by Laini Taylor when I'm in a young adult and fantasy world mood. I really enjoyed my experience with Strange the Dreamer, and I'll be sad to see it go (or, as Laini Taylor puts it at the end of this book, Muse of Nightmares, is it really the end?). Bravo to this beautiful story!
She's beauty, she's grace, she's Laini Taylor. Her writing is poetic, atmospheric, gorgeous, readable, and accessible. Yes, it's young adult, leading to some dramatics, but nothing over the top, and indeed a piece of art. I loved this so much, and even more than the first one, dare I say.
The setup: We left off on a BIG plot twist in Laini Taylor's first installment of this duology, Strange the Dreamer. With Sarai's fate in question, we are left with confusion and madness in Weep, where most citizens must run out of town because the Citadel is shifting and changing. Lazlo has a pretty big plot twist (although I could see that coming in the first novel). Either way, we are left with many questions about godlings, citizens of Weep, and the infamous dead gods that must've left more of a story than many thought.
Now, the story pivots to those godlings up in the sky in the Citadel, Minya's intense vengeance, and Sarai's adaptability into a new self in more ways than one. Eril-Fane and Azareen are still big components of the story and work to shift mindsets on the ground in Weep. In addition, we still hear from the wonderfully facetious Calixte and the learning and growing Thyon Nero. Lastly, we get an entirely new story about two sisters living in what seems to be a wholly different world made of ice. You know immediately that the stories will connect somehow, but the road to get there is beautiful and intriguing, yet devastating.
Laini Taylor creates an intricate world(s!) and develops the lovely characters from book one.
What I loved: My favorite part was the unique villain arcs - here we are, 15ish years after the fall of some of the more horrible villains I've read about, and we are reading about those impacts, leading to one of the most fantastic character development novels I've read. Because this story takes place years after the deaths of the villains (not a spoiler; it was also the same in the first book!), and we don't get the why for those villains other than the typical power-thirsty monsters, we now see excellent nuances in characters like Minya being stuck in the past constantly feeling like she has to save her family. Or, Nova, whose character was phenomenal, and I won't get into it because of spoiler reasons. It was pure art to have a story embedded in the after-effects of an awful fantastical regime. I loved the characters, even the ones who took a bit of a back burner in this novel, and the world-building was quite interesting. The world aspect may not necessarily be "original," but I found it unique nonetheless. PS: I must admit, the writing around eliliths - the tattoos girls get once their bleeding begins - was actually really cool. I've grown up learning to hate that, and in this fictional world, it seems powerful and beautiful. This part of the book is obviously not big, but I wanted to mention it anyway.
What would've made this a perfect read? I rated this five stars because of how it made me feel, the writing, and the story arcs. However, I will say that if I were being ultra critical, I would mention that I did feel there was a miss in relationship development between Thyon and Lazlo, the friendship that could've been, and just a better and more exciting wrap-up relationship between the godlings and those in Weep. A LOT was going on outside of that, which was critical for the story, so I let it slide. Lastly, Lazlo and Sarai are a little bit instant-love (as a reminder, the majority of this book truly takes place in one to two days!), but I don't think it overtook the story. Oh, as much as this is wonderful writing, Lazlo learned about his mesarthium control a littleeeee bit too quickly to be believable. It's implied their powers are meant to be ingrained, but I still thought it was a bit fast. Again, I let this slide because the other parts were just so good!
I am excited to read other books by Laini Taylor when I'm in a young adult and fantasy world mood. I really enjoyed my experience with Strange the Dreamer, and I'll be sad to see it go (or, as Laini Taylor puts it at the end of this book, Muse of Nightmares, is it really the end?). Bravo to this beautiful story!
"Many a choice is made this way: by pretending it makes itself. And many a fate is decided by those who cannot decide."
"But how do you stop someone from crying? How do you lead them out of fear? Can hate be reversed? Can revenge be defused?"
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 going, then you can never quit, because it's all you are."
"The ones who know can't tell us, and the ones who tell us don't know."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Kidnapping, Violence, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Abandonment, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Child death, Murder, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Death
Moderate: Sexual content, Rape, and Sexual violence
Minor: War
There is a suicide on page (near the end) and some discussion about it throughout the book; specific to only one character. Rape & sexual violence are not written in detail, and there are no scenes where they are explicitly described, but I put them in moderate because they're regularly and frequently implied. And theb book talks about after impacts of them.jenniferkowash's review against another edition
4.0
While I enjoyed the entirety of this book there were points that happened too quick or were intense for me to believe. Despite this small flaw I do recommend this series still and can't wait for the next book!