Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor

 

**This review will contain spoilers for the first book in this series, Strange the Dreamer**

After reading and loving Strange the Dreamer, I was excited to pick up its sequel next, Muse of Nightmares. These books are a duology, so this novel is the conclusion to the series (as of now, at least). I went into my reading hoping to have all the mysteries from the previous book explained and interested to see how Lazlo and Sarai's story would end.

The plot of the novel begins with two new characters named Kora and Nova. These young girls live in a frozen island harvesting walrus-like creatures with their indifferent and abusive parents. They love each other deeply and both dream of finding a way to escape their cold, harsh lives. Their wish is seemingly granted when a group of Mesarthim arrive in a futuristic flying ship to test the population for special abilities. Kora and Nova are tested first, but things quickly deteriorate when the leader of the Mesarthim, a young and ambitious man named Skathis, uses his cruelty to turn everything on its head.

From there, the story returns to the characters from the previous novel, right at the point where the story concluded. Lazlo has discovered that he is the son of Skathis, and has inherited his powerful ability to control the Mesarthim metal. Sarai has died and is being kept tethered to the world through Minya's power to control ghosts. The city of Weep is in chaos, due to the destruction of one of the floating palace's anchors, and the discovery that a small group of Mesarthim have been living in that ship in secret has caused fear and panic to spread among the people. Minya is ready to use her ghost army to exact vengeance on as many citizens as possible, and everyone else is desperate to prevent that. Something needs to happen to prevent this violence from erupting, but the path forward isn't clear.

It falls to Lazlo and Sarai to try and come up with a plan to save as many lives as possible and allow themselves to remain together. It's difficult though, because Minya is determined to get her revenge and won't be dissuaded. The emotional trauma she experienced as a child is driving her actions, making her impossible to reason with. Even worse, if she were to die in the chaos she plans to unleash, her grip on Sarai's ghost would disappear, meaning that Lazlo would lose her forever. It is imperative to prevent her from going to battle, and Sarai and Lazlo have to focus their efforts on convincing her to give up on her plan rather than forcing her to do it.

The action of the story flips between Kora and Nova's story in the past and Lazlo and Sarai's story in the present. Eventually, the two parts come together, setting the stage for an epic confrontation that must be solved through empathy and understanding in the face of incredible rage and violence.

Much like the first book in this series, I really enjoyed this one. Taylor's writing style continued to be lyrical and beautiful, and the story was consistently engaging. All of the questions I had about the characters were answered, and information was released at a pace that kept the experience suspenseful. The lore of this universe is deep and complex, and Taylor did a nice job developing it. This is definitely a novel that you can escape into and enjoy getting lost in. Sequels often fall flat, either because they don't have interesting solutions for the problems posed in earlier books, or they feel repetitive or aimless. That wasn't an issue here. Muse of Nightmares was different from Strange the Dreamer; there was less mystery and more high fantasy details to keep track of. It was definitely more plot-heavy. It was still a satisfying conclusion to the story though, and a very entertaining read.   

The character development continued to be strong here too, with Nova and Kora's story feeling genuinely emotional and complex. Lazlo and Sarai develop a more mature and thoughtful approach to life as well, and the more minor characters each get a chance to grow too. Thyron Nero, in particular, undergoes a big change in his personality that was a pleasure to watch unfold. I enjoyed him more and more as the novel went on. 

As in the first book, Taylor chooses to focus on empathy and kindness over violence in her plotlines. I really liked this focus and thought it delivered a beautiful message to readers about giving people a chance and giving yourself time to heal after trauma. The story forces the characters to choose understanding over fighting, which is unique for a novel in which several characters have powerful magical abilities. I thought this was a more thoughtful approach than I usually see in this genre and I appreciated it.

So obviously, Muse of Nightmares, and this duology of books in general, were excellent reads. Much like Strange the Dreamer, this was another book that absolutely lived up to the hype. It had a creative story, interesting characters, and an excellent overall message. The ending of the story leaves the door open for future books set in this universe, and I definitely wouldn't mind if Taylor decided to write another. I'm glad I finally got around to reading these.

Challenge Tally

Finally in 2022 - Series Edition: 11/28

Total Books Read in 2022: 33