Laini Taylor is still a lyrical beautiful writer but this series’ characters just didn’t capture me like DOSAB’s Karou + Akiva did. I found myself drifting and getting bored often, but Taylor still wrote some beautiful passages and I look forward to whatever she does next!

Thank you so much for allowing me to read and review your titles.
I do appreciate it and continue to review books that I get the chance to read.
Thanks again!

I absolutely loved this book! It is beautifully written, engaging and I couldn’t put it down. The perfect world to get lost n.

Over a period of about fifteen days – not consecutive, just altogether, I read Laini Taylor’s Strange The Dreamer duo-logy. Ultimately I read it to work on my Netgalley queue zero goal, but my goodness am I glad I did. I forgot just how glorious Taylor’s way with words is. I forgot just how easy it is to fall into her stories and fall in love with her characters.

Strange The Dreamer is the first in the duo-logy – followed by Muse Of Nightmares. In Strange The Dreamer, we meet orphan Lazlo Strange who is destined for greater things. He begins life raised as a war orphan in a monastery. Then he ends up working for the library. And then, finally, he goes on a great journey to Weep to find out what happened to the mysterious city as well as to help save the city. In Weep, there is a citadel that blocks the sun from the City. It is almost a monument to the horrors experienced by the city under the reign of the mesarthim, most scary of all, Skathis. What remains from the mesarthim are the godspawn, including Sarai, the actual muse of nightmares.


And so, these two books take you on this incredible journey to redemption and forgiveness, ultimately. It’s intricate and imaginative. Taylor puts so much detail into these books. It is easy to imagine the world of Weep, as well as the world beyond Weep. The detail just put into bread is wonderful – but also mouthwatering. I feel like I can picture it completely.

As for the characters, Lazlo is soft. He has a kind and gentle soul and bends always towards doing the right thing. What a pleasure to see him fall in love and to see him discover something special within himself. Seriously I don’t know how you would come out of reading these two books and NOT like Lazlo. Sarai, too. She’s a pivotal, key character. Her power of entering dreams is interesting. I found that I really rooted for her and absolutely just loved her actions in Muse Of Nightmares. The great thing about Muse is that we get further context with the story of the two sisters – Kora and Nova.

I absolutely will not spoil in this review of the duology. I just feel like you have to review these two books as a set. You should also read them both somewhat close together, so as to have a full appreciation for the story. I genuinely enjoyed my time with both books – even when I felt a little antsy at the length. It is a story well worth getting absorbed in.

I adored Strange the Dreamer. I loved it so hard, maybe even more than her book Daughter of Smoke and Bone (which feels blasphemous just thinking). Now the sequel, Muse of Nightmares, is out October 2nd, and guys. GUYS. It’s so good. I gave it 5 stars, and even that feels insultingly low. It was unadulterated, exquisite perfection. I know my review won’t come close to doing it justice, but nevertheless, here it is.

*Strange the Dreamer spoilers ahead!*

“There’s only one rule. You do everything I say, or I’ll let her soul go.”

Strange the Dreamer ended on kind of a downer. And by “downer” I mean I was screaming “OHMYGOD WHY LAINI, WHHHHYYYYY???” Sarai is dead, her ghost bound to the world only through the temperamental will of Minya. Using Sarai’s continued existence as leverage, Minya is blackmailing Lazlo, newly discovered to be a rather powerful godspawn himself, into helping her exact her revenge on the inhabitants of Weep. She has an army of ghosts, unwilling slaves to her will, that she plans to use to punish Weep for the massacre of the other godspawn children 15 years prior. If you need a refresher, the godspawn are the children of the foreign “gods” that came to Weep and systematically kidnapped, raped, and impregnated most of the city’s women. The gods were monstrous; their five remaining half-human spawn are isolated, wary, but otherwise generally innocent teenagers. Except Minya. She has…anger issues.

“This was what Minya knew: Have an enemy, be an enemy. Hate those who hate you. Hate them better. Hate them worse. Be the monster they fear the most. And whenever you can, and however you can, make them suffer.”

Muse of Nightmares refers to Sarai, and the love story between her and Lazlo is all that is pure and incandescent in the universe, but this is primarily Minya’s story. It is horror, hate, and vengeance, and pain, suffering, and loss. But it is also healing and hope and redemption, all woven together and written with such beauty and magic that it makes you ache. The primary plot involves Sarai, Lazlo, and the other godspawn trying to prevent Minya from destroying Weep, without her making good on her threat to release Sarai’s soul. You learn a lot about Minya and the details of the Carnage that made her the creature she is, and the gradual revelations and insights are stunning. SO MANY FEELS.

“She hadn’t known she was crushed until she wasn’t, and she didn’t know she was fragmented until she became whole.”

The secondary characters are similarly crafted with equal depth and feeling. Eril-Fane, the Godslayer, tormented by his past. His wife, Azareen, resigned to her husband’s fathomless guilt that leaves him unwilling to touch her. And Thyon, his haughty, standoffish superiority slowly giving way to loneliness and a desire to belong. New characters Kora and Nova are sisters, whose parallel story merges with the main narrative in a surprising and tragic way. It’s these little character driven arcs within the main narrative that make the story so immersive and captivating. And the ending! It’s like a beautiful sunset after a long and harrowing storm. Although the story is wrapped up pretty well, Taylor dangles tantalizing possibilities for more adventures for these characters down the road. Adventures that might even involve other worlds. And other characters. From other series. That we’ve met before. Maybe.

As always, the scope of Laini Taylor’s imagination is mind-boggling. Her stories are incredibly original, like nothing I’ve ever read before. It would take obscene amounts of illicit, hallucinogenic drugs to get me to whatever plane of creativity her brain functions at. Her prose is lyrical, beautiful but concisely expressive at the same time. You just…savor her writing. I’m usually a speed reader, but with her books I’m compelled to soak in every word. If books were food, then hers would be dark chocolate. Lush, bittersweet, but good for your heart.

“They had lived for night and dreaded sunrise, for it would wrench them apart. But it was daylight now, and they were together.”

*sob* JUST READ IT.

*I received an advanced copy for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All quotes are subject to change in the final version.

This book was so beautifully written. I am
Never disappointed by Laini’s books and this one was quite fitting for it’s ending. I highly recommend it to everyone.

Strange the Dreamer is one of my all time favourite books. It’s lyrical, beautiful, and important. It feels like a love story to readers and dreamers. I jumped on the chance to review the sequel for you.

God, I love Laini’s writing style. It grabs hold of you, and makes you feel. She paints vivid worlds and characters, with language both poetic and magical. It’s beautiful, and a joy to read. She imbues every sentence with meaning, and intense feeling.

A big part of why I love this series is because it’s message is to choose love. Even when we hurt, even when we’re wronged. Love is powerful, and it strengthens us even as it makes us vulnerable. Love can heal. Love and acceptance and forgiveness.

I have so much love for these characters. Lazlo is precious, as is Sarai. Their drive to help people. Their emphasis on communicating and forgiveness. I felt for them every moment. The other characters also have such stunning character arcs. I found myself liking characters who I started off questioning. Which I think parallels the message that we not hate.

The only part of the novel I struggled with was the introduction of a new enemy. I felt like it added a lot of complication to the story where it wasn’t needed. It also interrupted the flow of the novel a bit for me.

Muse of Nightmares is a truly stunning story. I really enjoyed being swept back into the world Laini created, and spending time with these amazing characters. While I felt the introduction of a new enemy detracted from my enjoyment of the story, overall I still loved it.

I have been sitting on this review for quite some time unable to fully form my feelings into words. While I enjoyed this book it took me many different sittings to finally get sucked into the story. I feel like this could be because Taylor likes to shift the narrator in the middle of a page a habit that always throws me out of the story. Once I finally did get sucked into the book I was there living every moment with the characters. There were moments where I felt like the characters felt a little off from before or were too invested in certain acts, but that didn't stop me from setting the book down. While it certainly didn't live up to the first book, Muse of Nightmares was a decent sequel with an ending I have come to terms with and now like.

This book is phenomenal. It's beautifully written, with characters that are well developed, and a world I would move to in a heartbeat.

I absolutely fell in love with Strange the Dreamer and the gorgeous prose that Laini Taylor is known for (and honestly just keeps getting better and better). And I was dying to read this installment immediately. I was once again sucked into the love story of Lazlo and Sarai, and the cast of colorful (literally!) and diverse characters. The story gets more complex and into the deep history of Weep and beyond. It was surprising and poignant, getting at the heart of the fine line between hatred and love, and how it is important to never give up on anyone (but also realizing that even so, things may not end up as one would hope). Dreams once again play a huge role and so does family-- what does family mean, and how did Lazlo exactly end up in a distant land Zosma. I absolutely adored how this ended, but the world is vast and ripe for parallel stories and strings that are not completely tied up could be furthered. I hope that this is not the last we will see of the characters and their world. They are too alive and real for that. Definitely this duology is the best I've read all year. Now I need to get the audiobook!

Laini Taylor’s writing is magical. The world of Lazlo Strange and Sarai is inventive and visually stunning. Lazlo is now a god and Sarai is a spirit. She died but part of her was kept alive and Lazlo will do whatever it takes to keep her near him.

Lazlo is the ultimate good guy. Unlike many gods, he’s not driven by a consuming need for power or dominance. People are more than pawns to him and he is driven by his belief that he should do no harm.

Sarai must once again utilize her powers as the muse of nightmares and she is committed to defeating the evil forces and help the powerless. Much time is spent explaining the mystery of the gods and the godspawn. As the tragedy of the godspawn children unfolds, the complex plot becomes clearer.

What makes this a fitting conclusion is the weaving of the intricate plot into the magical invention of Taylor’s mind. The central characters radiate their intentions and infuse the book with hope. While not as powerful as the first book, this finale brings closure to so many questions and will not disappoint.

Muse of Nightmares is an ending revealed through despair and fury, mystery and magic, desperation and hope. Truths and secrets are being revealed above the city of Weep, but not all of them, because of what else might be found when they are. But when their own lives are at stake, what choices will the godspawn make? Whose minds will they change?

Lazlo is now one of them, one of the godspawn. Like Sarai and Minya, like Ruby and Sparrow and Feral. But he can't thinking about anything but Sarai, now a ghost held by Minya's power after her death. Now he and Sarai are pawns in Minya's game, a game in which she demands revenge against those who hated them, feared them. Killed the other children a number of years ago. But now that doors can be opened, the past can be set free. And someone is keeping a secret they don't want to think about.

There's something haunting and magical about this, but also something rather realistic and honest. A fair amount of the book is Lazlo and Sarai taking part in a battle of wills against Minya. Neither side willing to compromise, both sides blinded by emotion and anger. Minds must be chosen in order to save lives, yes, but how far can revenge burrow inside someone? How powerful does it become? It's easy to tell someone to stop, to take a step back and look at things from all sides, but when emotions are involved, when loved ones are involved, it's impossible to stop. To consider that perhaps another way is the option. Minya demands her revenge. Lazlo refuses to give up on Sarai. And so the impasse begins. I do think that fans of the previous book will be satisfied with this ending. It's a Laini Taylor book, it's emotional and expansive, it's harsh and sweet and complicated, and the story continues beyond the last page, left to the reader to imagine and wonder.

Quick Summary:

This amazing conclusion to the Strange the Dreamer Duology was even better than the first. Muse of Nightmares picks up exactly where the first book ended, but with the added perspective of two sisters compelling story woven in. We have a tale full of emotion following the gods and humans left behind after centuries of oppression. While picking up the pieces these victims and children of war are left to decide how to best move forward among the guilt and the pain. Some will choose healing while others will demand revenge.

My Thoughts:

We follow a bunch of characters in this book and I honestly enjoyed them all. I appreciated all the LGBT+ characters and people of color. I also loved all the healing that went on. The focus is mostly on Lazlo and Sarai who both have this whimsical personality that I found very enchanting, but we also get a few others that were just as amazing. We get some interesting insight into Minya personality and her past. Her ruthlessness was intense. Ruby and Feral reminded me so much of those indecisive and misunderstood middle school years. I liked Sparrows quiet kindness.

What really took me by surprise was my love for Thyon. He had some great character development and I couldn't help but feel this fierce fondness for him. Eril-Fane and Azareen story was heart warming. I liked seeing a couple sticking together through thick and thin. Eril-Fanes mother Suheyla was just the most considerate and open minded soul. It was nice seeing her realize the importance of her past. I also enjoyed Calixte sassy character. The cannibal comment had me laughing so hard. I dont think Ill ever forget it. The sisters Kora and Nova were fascinating to read about. I could just feel their love for each other.

Laini Taylor has crafted such an intricate and captivating world. We have gods, and humans who have two hearts; one for blood and one for a silvery substance called spirit. I enjoyed all the twists and turns. The plot was incredibly woven and the writing was phenomenal as usual. There was so many amazing quotes. I found the pace was way more engaging than the first book. It all gets wrapped up nicely with all our questions answered. It left me feeling extremely satisfied, but I wouldn't have minded a bit more death. I loved how this linked back to the Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy. I really hope we get more books in this universe.

A moment of cataclysm transformed Lazlo the gentle librarian into a god and Sarai the goddess of dreams into a ghost. She endures only by the grace of Minya, who has no qualms about wielding her captive spirit as a cudgel to force Lazlo to help her enact her vengeance upon those who slaughtered her family. On the other hand, the young couple is finally united in the real world, so flashes of bliss intersperse the heartbreak and violence. Taylor's characters are beautiful and broken, fierce in their love and loyalty. A rich and satisfying tale of gods who are too human for their own good.

You know those moments when you are in grad school, in the middle of finals week, completely overwhelmed and too caffeinated to function but still eek out time (at the sacrifice of any illusion that you are getting enough sleep) to read a book for fun? Well, that was me when I received my Digital Advanced Reader Copy (which I have very appropriately given the acronym DARC) of Laini Taylor’s Muse of Nightmares, I dropped everything and I mean everything. Muse of Nightmares is the second half of the Strange the Dreamer duology and let me tell you it is just as good as the first one, in my opinion.

To start at the beginning of the middle of our tale, Taylor kindly picks us up right where she left us (and Sarai), with our hearts pierced and wondering what is next. In this book she goes deeper into the world(s) she has created and the characters that occupy it, painting pictures that are vivid in their whimsy and horror. The balance Taylor strikes is a perfection spun from the darkness of the night sky and threaded with starlight, as she weaves the tale of interconnected worlds, Lazlo and Sarai, the people of Weep and the God-Spawn, old wounds and an uncertain future. This book pulls you from your reality into a dreamscape where you might meet a merchant who will sell you the moon to wear on your wrist as a bracelet or wings to soar. I loved every minute.

Laini Taylor is one of those authors whose book get in my head, and then stay there forever. She is capable of bookish witchcraft, and I can only be grateful she uses her powers for good, rather than for evil.

This book is magical, and mysterious, and heartbreaking, and a revelation between two covers. It holds truth about identity, humanity, cruelty, love, compassion... I could go on and on. And while <i>Strange the Dreamer</i> was Lazlo's book, this story belongs to <i>Sarai</i>. And, in a way, to Minya.

The story sees the Mesarthim children reeling from the events of <i>Strange</i>, Lazlo coming to grips with who he is, and Eril-Fane struggling to atone for his actions in light of what he has learned. The characters ALL https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/experience growth and development, though some of their stories are unbearably sad.

There are two new characters - Kora and Nova - and their story is threaded throughout the main narrative. As the book goes on, Taylor reveals more and more, until suddenly it becomes crystal clear who these two are, why they're important, and how the fate of ALL the other characters rest in their hands.

I love the layer of mystery over this book, where I know the answers are there, I just have to find them. And when everything does start coming together, it's as beautiful as a symphony.

I highly recommend these books to anyone who likes to read for characters, who like a little bit of mystery and magic in their books, and who like beautiful prose.

"Muse of Nightmares" was amazing! Laini Taylor is amazing! "Strange the Dreamer" was one of my all-time favorite books and I was terrified that the sequel would not live up to book one, but Taylor, as always, didn't let me down. I won't say that "Muse of Nightmares" is better than "Strange the Dreamer," but it is equally as wonderful as Taylor takes readers deeper into the backstories of the characters and we learn how they came to be where and how they are. She also teases glimpses into other worlds and leaves readers begging for more. Hopefully we haven't seen the last of Lazlo Strange and his friends. 5/5 stars.

I loved this more than the first book. Laini Taylor has created such an amazing universe of metalsmiths, gods, seraphims, and godspawn. In the first book, my favorite character was Lazlo; in this one, it was basically everyone else. I loved the mythology mixed with light science fiction (how did you mix two of my favorite subjects so interestingly, Ms. Taylor??). I was happy that there was closure for Strange the Dreamer in this book, with easy openings for many more books in this series. #netgalley #MuseofNightmares

Oh God I cried, so beautiful. That can't be the end. I need at least two more books set in this world. I wish I could be more eloquent about books I really, really like, but all I can manage to say here is that "Muse of Nightmares" is beautifully written and absolutely amazing and I cried. I'm not sure what more I can say without spoiling the whole thing, but it's worth the wait. So, so, so worth the wait, you guys. You're going to love it.