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sheshallbenamed's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Suicide
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
msradiosilence's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Read my full review here: https://www.rainyreader.com/single-post/muse-of-nightmares.
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Blood, Murder, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, and Violence
thewordsdevourer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
still have never read anything so wondrously, boundlessly imaginative, and the eretz easter eggs are a bonus too. muse is a languid yet tension-filled story, but its plot still contains surprises. the writing is absolutely exquisite; laini can make you ache, amazed, or devastated with just a phrase or even a single word. despite having already read this once before, i was still riveted.
i wish every single person read this book; god(s) knows the world would be so much better for it.
Graphic: Violence and Murder
Moderate: Sexual content, Child death, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Grief, Domestic abuse, and Death
Minor: Sexual assault, Death of parent, Kidnapping, War, Suicide, Sexual violence, and Slavery
jhaneveauguste's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death, Grief, Rape, Suicide, Trafficking, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, and Slavery
oddduck's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.0
Let's start with the things I unequivocally liked. I really appreciated that the pace in this book was faster than the previous one. It was still slower than I would have preferred, but more happened in the present and there were fewer interruptions (flashbacks, exposition). I also really appreciated that Minya got more page time and development. I was very interested in her in the first book, so learning more about her was appreciated. I really liked both of her dreams that Sarai went into, and it was delightful to see Minya choose Sarai over her army. In general, the character development in this book was very good and exactly what I was hoping for, especially for Minya and Thyon Nero (I was so happy with his development).
I also loved the new bit, about Nova and Kora. At one point I had to skip ahead because I had to know what happened in their test on the ship. It was so interesting and tense. It also demonstrated that Laini Taylor can write short, succinct backstory that's interesting and conveys all the information we need to not be confused later on.
Now then. What I’ve got mixed feelings about.
For starters, Sarai and Lazlo's relationship was cute, but I do wish the timeline on it had been longer. It was very instalove in the first book, and the way it's written in this one felt as if they'd known each other and been together for a lot longer than they really were. And I get why Laini Taylor did that, since almost the entirety of Lazlo's motivation for what he does after Sarai's death is to protect her ghost, but it still was a little hard for me. I would have preferred Lazlo have multiple motivations and not essentially just Sarai. Still, they're a cute couple, at least until I remember how long they've known each other.
I'm also not sure how I feel about the way the plot was executed. The Minya-villain arc was mostly resolved because a bigger threat was introduced, and then the last of it was cleared up when Minya had to make a choice. I really liked that Sarai was trying to help Minya through dreams, so it would have been cool to finish the plot that way. And that's kind of what happened, but it was with Nova instead, so it didn't feel quite as meaningful to me.
This duology was a little outside of my usual reading, which was nice, but it did remind me why I don't usually read this genre. They were certainly enjoyable and a good change of pace though.
Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Death, Grief, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Violence, and War
Moderate: Rape, Suicide, Torture, Kidnapping, Slavery, and Trafficking
Minor: Animal death
greatu's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.5
Graphic: Child death, Death, Death of parent, Genocide, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Blood, Slavery, Suicide, Trafficking, and Violence
Minor: Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Suicidal thoughts
dariusmortee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
In general this duology worked really well for me because of the almost philosophical undertone in this carefully crafted fantasy world. I like how the books give freedom to believe that there’s all kinds of worlds existing next to eachother.
Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Child death, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Kidnapping, Murder, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Suicide
Moderate: Abortion
mugoika's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse and Confinement
Minor: Genocide, Suicide, and Rape
sporemiette's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Blood, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Grief, Kidnapping, and Suicide
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual violence, Slavery, Sexual content, Rape, Trafficking, and War
Minor: Abandonment, Confinement, Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, Pregnancy, Homophobia, and Xenophobia
aloeverra's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
My only issue was with the length of the book, which at times felt too long. Certain narrative spin offs or character thought monologues felt repetitive and unnecessary. Aside from this minor point, I enjoyed the book very much!
Moderate: Sexual content and Suicide
Minor: Rape
Details on content warnings: Sexual Content