Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor Review

Title: Muse of Nightmares

Author: Laini Taylor

Age Group: Teen/Young Adult

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Strange the Dreamer, book two

Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.

Strange the Dreamer was one of my favorite books of last year; I loved it so much that when I was able, I bought myself my very own paperback copy of it to prepare for the sequel. I ordered it from my library and as soon as I was finished with You May Now Kill the Bride, I dove in, expecting answers, heartbreak, gorgeous writing, and more than a few crying jags. And I got all that and more. I loved and savored every moment of my return to Weep, and Sarai, Lazlo, Minya, and all of the other characters I grew to love. Honestly, the only bad thing is that it’s all over! Wah, I can’t deal with it. The story of Weep and its inhabitants will live on in my heart forever, and I had to take a few days to process all of the feelings that came with this book. I don’t want to spoil it for anyone who hasn’t read it, so I will be doing my very best to keep this review spoiler free. And without further ado, here we go!

Muse of Nightmares picks up where Strange the Dreamer left off, and I was happy that I read it again in order to prepare, because I was plunged into the sequel without any difficulty in figuring out where everything left off. Lazlo and Sarai, again, are tangled in a conflict, and it expands much farther than they could have ever imagined; the fate of Weep and their very own lives dance on a knife’s edge, and new players soon surface. Secrets abound throughout the novel, and Sarai, Lazlo, and the rest must band together to uncover them, or it could mean the end of everything they know…

I adored every messy, heartbreaking, and beautiful moment of this book; once I started it, I tried my best to go as slowly as I could so as to savor it. The pacing was breakneck, the writing was gorgeous; so beautiful, in fact, that there were several times when I had to stop and go back to read them again. As a sequel, Muse of Nightmares was very satisfying; all the loose ends were tied up and everything made sense. I also really adored the way that all the characters were fleshed out, especially Minya and the new characters. But I’m not going to lie: This book, at times, was very hard to get through. I cried, a lot, through most of it, and there were many times that I had to walk away because it felt like my heart and soul were being put through a food processor. And that ending! I loved it, but God, it was so painful. Laini Taylor, I hope you know you’ve killed my heart and soul! How could you do that to me?! But that’s okay, I still love you! Now when is your next book coming out? Strange the Dreamer and Muse of Nightmares is one of my favorite duos of all time, and I’m so sad that it’s all over, because I know I’m going to miss the new friends I’ve made. The bottom line: The closing book to the smash duology that started with Strange the Dreamer, I loved Muse of Nightmares, every painful, messy, gorgeous moment of it! Next on deck: Blanca and Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore!