After Reading: MUSE OF NIGHTMARES by Laini Taylor

By: Meradeth Houston on 4:00 AM

Sarai has lived and breathed nightmares since she was six years old.

She believed she knew every horror and was beyond surprise.

She was wrong.

In the wake of tragedy, neither Lazlo nor Sarai are who they were before. One a god, the other a ghost, they struggle to grasp the new boundaries of their selves as dark-minded Minya holds them hostage, intent on vengeance against Weep.

Lazlo faces an unthinkable choice—save the woman he loves, or everyone else?—while Sarai feels more helpless than ever. But is she? Sometimes, only the direst need can teach us our own depths, and Sarai, the Muse of Nightmares, has not yet discovered what she's capable of.

As humans and godspawn reel in the aftermath of the citadel's near fall, a new foe shatters their fragile hopes, and the mysteries of the Mesarthim are resurrected: Where did the gods come from, and why? What was done with thousands of children born in the citadel nursery? And most important of all, as forgotten doors are opened and new worlds revealed: Must heroes always slay monsters, or is it possible to save them instead?

Love and hate, revenge and redemption, destruction and salvation all clash in this astonishing and heart-stopping sequel to the New York Times bestseller, Strange the Dreamer. (Goodreads)

Before I launch into my review, a quick announcement: SOMEONE ELSE'S SOUL is up on NetGalley! If you're up for a review, and want to read the book early and for free, be sure to check it out :) Hopefully you won't be disappointed. (I won't even begin on how nervous this makes me!)

Anyhow, Muse of Nightmares: Ahhhh! Such a good read. I loved the first book, and the conclusion was fascinating. There was a bit of oddness in bringing in another set of characters here, though I did like the overlap in the true evil character (even if we never see him alive). I like the interesting idea of evil actions having long-lasting ripples through time. I also particularly loved the growth of the characters. The way that they dealt with so much pain and heartbreak and were able to grow into something stronger and bigger than what they'd been dealt. There is so much here that left me thinking and just overall loving these characters and their world that overlaps with so many others (love the reference to the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series!). Taylor has a fabulous way with words, too, which draws me in and makes me sigh with just a little bit of jealousy :) Overall, a duology to check out for sure!