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A review by selfmythologies
Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor
5.0
Here's the thing. Pragmatically, this isn't perfect and there are things that I do think could have been done slightly better. But at the end of the day.....I rate books by the way they affect me and speak to me, and just like with Strange the Dreamer, the emotional effect this book had on me is so deep and so wide, in the sort of way that only happens maybe once or twice a year, and that you cherish because it's so rare and special. (You know when it's actively impossible to read something new after you finished a book because you feel like your entire self is wrapped up in the book and its world and characters and themes and letting go is painful? Yeah, this mood.)
First, I want to highlight the absolutely brillant choice of bringing in new characters, Kora and Nova, for this second book. In general, introducing new characters later into a series can often be tricky and if it isn't done well, they just feel like they derail the story and make the whole series less cohesive. But in this case - I don't think I've ever seen a more fantastic and inspired way of making use of new characters. Instead of distracting from the main idea of the series, they bring it into even sharper focus; they highlight the way the main conflict between humans and godspawn in the first book are only a small piece in a way larger story: literally larger - both in terms of space and time - and symbolically, in the sense that their story perfectly expands upon and recontextualizes the themes of the first book. Their story carries (literally) entire worlds of emotional weight and tragedy and is SO well written.
I love how, at first, I thought Kora and Nova were just going to be side characters used to explain the backstory of the Mesarthim - where they came from, etc. Then, with every additional chapter, their relation to the main story became more apparent, until finally Nova became the main antagonist, and Kora became, in a way, the most important character in the story - even though she died, she's the one that makes every good thing that happens in the whole two books possible, in both past and present. The way this was structured and gradually builds into the main story honestly blows my mind. It is so emotionally resonant because - once again - the themes of Kora and Nova's story build upon the ones from Strange the Dreamer: a legacy of hate, oppression and disenfranchisement - in their lives, it happens both in their home village and of course by Skathis - and against it and beyond it, a dream of something bigger and brighter that seems impossible. The strength of Kora and Nova's love literally makes Nova do the impossible - and then just think back of Lazlo in the first book: 'It was impossible, of course; but when did that ever stop a dreamer from dreaming?' It fits together with the main story like perfect puzzle pieces, but not in the way of resolving everything; instead, when the two stories collide, the emotional scars on every side are so deep-seated and heavy that the legacy of hate and trauma nearly crushes all hope.
And there's the second thing I love about this book, and this series in general: almost ALL the main characters, protagonists and antagonists, are....survivors. They have been scarred by horrible things that left deep marks on them, and they are flawed and complex but mostly just painfully human - you always understand, every single moment, why they're doing what they're doing. This is why the exploration of Minya's mind in the first half is so important (not to mention extremely well written - it literally feels like a horror movie) - this book never lets you forget, for a moment, that she is, after all, a survivor and a child who has been given so much more than she could possibly bear - but she did anyway. All of the Minya moments in this book cut so deep, especially the revelation about the Ellens that sent a whole wave of shock, horror and pity for this character through me in one single moment - it's so horrible because it highlights that even love and care was an illusion her own mind had to create for her and the others so they could survive. she was always alone, always. she was a little girl living in a world of injustice and no one, ever, helped her. it's impossible not to understand why she is the way she is after that. - also amazing was the moment she lets go of her ghosts and everyone realizes THAT is what kept her from growing and becoming fully human
But if I were to highlight the central character of all this - beside the antagonists - it would of course be the titular Muse of Nightmares herself, Sarai. The titles of the two books in the duology are very aptly chosen because if the last one was Lazlo's book - his hero's journey - , with Sarai as a very important supporting character, here it is the other way around. Sarai really comes into her own in this book and learns how using her ability in new ways, to heal instead of torture, is the key to everyone's salvation - she's the one, the only one, that can make the dream of hope and a better world actually come true, because only she truly understands the antagonist's struggles that are going on inside their minds. It's brillant and wonderful character AND plot development, seamlessly tied together. And of course, it continues a main theme of Laini Taylor's writing: the question of how 'evil', instead of being defeated, can actually be reformed, saved from itself. Of course, this doesn't come easy - there is no magical, sudden healing of years of trauma and this book never pretends that. But the hope and love that Sarai came to know through Lazlo, and that both characters represent, shines in its hope and strength through this whole story and makes its mark - it can, maybe, even do the impossible.
There are many more things left to say about the other side characters, but I'll keep it short - I only really want to highlight Thyon, who is my fav and whose character development I've been cheering for since book one, and here we get it and it's beautiful and realistic and liberating and tugs at all of your heartstrings. Calixte is, once again, an absolute icon, and I love how the other godspawn react to all the changes that are happening around them - especially Sparrow who grows so much in this book.
Of course, here's also the point where I would usually start talking about writing style and tone, but.....I've already said multiple times how much I love Laini Taylor's writing, about how it's so wonderfully constructed that it even made me enjoy some tropes in the DOSAB series that I otherwise would have never liked. And here, where it's tied to a fantastic plot and fantastic characters, it can shine like never before - her language is so well thought out that I actively slowed down my usual reading speed to take everything in. Every word and line is crucial and brings up an array of impressions. It's beautifully metaphorical, but never in a way that feels cheesy or contrite, because Laini's metaphors are innovative and new and they always seem perfectly tied to the emotion they are meant to express. Which is why her writing is so satisfying to read - it's like, I don't know, watching someone continually shoot arrows that perfectly hit their target. Only the target is like....you know. Emotional resonance. (This is why I'm not a writer. Unlike Laini, I'm not good with imagery in language. :D)
Now, about those little criticisms that I talked about at the beginning? Well, sometimes the pacing could feel a little too slow, while towards the end there are scenes that I would've liked to see a little more of (mostly of side characters that got little exposure). The plot doesn't feel quite as tight and straighforward as it did in Strange the Dreamer. And, well, I did kind of miss the setting of Zosma, in an odd way. I already said that overall I really loved the 'widening' of the story both in space and time, but of course, that also means that Lazlo's backstory is largely irrelevant in this book, and something about the magic of his journey is - has to be - unique to the first book. That's not really a criticism anyway, just.....an observation of what I valued more about the first book, I guess. Maybe I just missed seeing into Lazlo's mind a bit more.
But overall, of course, I adore and love this book and this series so so much - I could probably write pages more, but I'll just leave it here - I think I got throught to the heart of what speaks to me about this sequel, and the series as a whole. It's never ashamed of going to really dark, horrific places with its themes, while at the same time, representing a sense of magic and love and wonder and.....hope that is deep and rich. I love the way these two sides play out and interact with each other and create something so beautiful and complex. The DOSAB series was good, occasionally great, but Strange the Dreamer is Laini Taylor's masterpiece. And I think it's one that will stay with me for life.
First, I want to highlight the absolutely brillant choice of bringing in new characters, Kora and Nova, for this second book. In general, introducing new characters later into a series can often be tricky and if it isn't done well, they just feel like they derail the story and make the whole series less cohesive. But in this case - I don't think I've ever seen a more fantastic and inspired way of making use of new characters. Instead of distracting from the main idea of the series, they bring it into even sharper focus; they highlight the way the main conflict between humans and godspawn in the first book are only a small piece in a way larger story: literally larger - both in terms of space and time - and symbolically, in the sense that their story perfectly expands upon and recontextualizes the themes of the first book. Their story carries (literally) entire worlds of emotional weight and tragedy and is SO well written.
I love how, at first, I thought Kora and Nova were just going to be side characters used to explain the backstory of the Mesarthim - where they came from, etc. Then, with every additional chapter, their relation to the main story became more apparent, until finally
And there's the second thing I love about this book, and this series in general: almost ALL the main characters, protagonists and antagonists, are....survivors. They have been scarred by horrible things that left deep marks on them, and they are flawed and complex but mostly just painfully human - you always understand, every single moment, why they're doing what they're doing. This is why the exploration of Minya's mind in the first half is so important (not to mention extremely well written - it literally feels like a horror movie) - this book never lets you forget, for a moment, that she is, after all, a survivor and a child who has been given so much more than she could possibly bear - but she did anyway. All of the Minya moments in this book cut so deep, especially
But if I were to highlight the central character of all this - beside the antagonists - it would of course be the titular Muse of Nightmares herself, Sarai. The titles of the two books in the duology are very aptly chosen because if the last one was Lazlo's book - his hero's journey - , with Sarai as a very important supporting character, here it is the other way around. Sarai really comes into her own in this book and learns how using her ability in new ways, to heal instead of torture, is the key to everyone's salvation - she's the one, the only one, that can make the dream of hope and a better world actually come true, because only she truly understands the antagonist's struggles that are going on inside their minds. It's brillant and wonderful character AND plot development, seamlessly tied together. And of course, it continues a main theme of Laini Taylor's writing: the question of how 'evil', instead of being defeated, can actually be reformed, saved from itself. Of course, this doesn't come easy - there is no magical, sudden healing of years of trauma and this book never pretends that. But the hope and love that Sarai came to know through Lazlo, and that both characters represent, shines in its hope and strength through this whole story and makes its mark - it can, maybe, even do the impossible.
There are many more things left to say about the other side characters, but I'll keep it short - I only really want to highlight Thyon, who is my fav and whose character development I've been cheering for since book one, and here we get it and it's beautiful and realistic and liberating and tugs at all of your heartstrings. Calixte is, once again, an absolute icon, and I love how the other godspawn react to all the changes that are happening around them - especially Sparrow who grows so much in this book.
Of course, here's also the point where I would usually start talking about writing style and tone, but.....I've already said multiple times how much I love Laini Taylor's writing, about how it's so wonderfully constructed that it even made me enjoy some tropes in the DOSAB series that I otherwise would have never liked. And here, where it's tied to a fantastic plot and fantastic characters, it can shine like never before - her language is so well thought out that I actively slowed down my usual reading speed to take everything in. Every word and line is crucial and brings up an array of impressions. It's beautifully metaphorical, but never in a way that feels cheesy or contrite, because Laini's metaphors are innovative and new and they always seem perfectly tied to the emotion they are meant to express. Which is why her writing is so satisfying to read - it's like, I don't know, watching someone continually shoot arrows that perfectly hit their target. Only the target is like....you know. Emotional resonance. (This is why I'm not a writer. Unlike Laini, I'm not good with imagery in language. :D)
Now, about those little criticisms that I talked about at the beginning? Well, sometimes the pacing could feel a little too slow, while towards the end there are scenes that I would've liked to see a little more of (mostly of side characters that got little exposure). The plot doesn't feel quite as tight and straighforward as it did in Strange the Dreamer. And, well, I did kind of miss the setting of Zosma, in an odd way. I already said that overall I really loved the 'widening' of the story both in space and time, but of course, that also means that Lazlo's backstory is largely irrelevant in this book, and something about the magic of his journey is - has to be - unique to the first book. That's not really a criticism anyway, just.....an observation of what I valued more about the first book, I guess. Maybe I just missed seeing into Lazlo's mind a bit more.
But overall, of course, I adore and love this book and this series so so much - I could probably write pages more, but I'll just leave it here - I think I got throught to the heart of what speaks to me about this sequel, and the series as a whole. It's never ashamed of going to really dark, horrific places with its themes, while at the same time, representing a sense of magic and love and wonder and.....hope that is deep and rich. I love the way these two sides play out and interact with each other and create something so beautiful and complex. The DOSAB series was good, occasionally great, but Strange the Dreamer is Laini Taylor's masterpiece. And I think it's one that will stay with me for life.