Muse of Nightmares – Laini Taylor

Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Muse of Nightmares is the second book in the Strange the Dreamer duology by Laini Taylor. I loved the second book just as much as I did the first, but for very different reasons. I was so incredibly enamored by the first book because of the lost city of Weep, it’s history and mythology, and Lazlo’s years spent studying it. It reminded me so much of my love of Atlantis that I couldn’t help but feel a kinship to Lazlo. A lot happens over the course of Strange the Dreamer and the world as we know it has completely changed.

If you haven’t read Strange the Dreamer, then there will be spoilers in my review and I would suggest not reading it. Lazlo’s entire world has been shattered and altered as a result of the events of Strange the Dreamer. He discovers a people that he couldn’t only have dreamt existed and learned that he is one of them. It is a big shift from the first book in pace and tone. In Strange, we are introduced to the characters and the world through vivid descriptions and interactions. In Muse, we are thrown into an entirely new landscape and have to learn about the gods that came to Weep.


The story bounces back and forth between the tale of two sisters and the story of the characters that we’ve grown to know. While I was still engaged throughout, I could feel that the pace of the story would be a challenge for people who need more action and less backstory. Sometimes we were learning an incredible amount of information that we would have to digest and somehow fit into the world we were discovering was much larger and more confusing than we could have expected.

The characters shone in this book, as we got to know some of them more deeply and discover their hidden depths. I still wanted a little more development from some of the more secondary characters, but with the inclusion of new characters and backstories, I can understand how it wouldn’t have fit. The stories and worlds also allowed the author to dive into so many different emotions from anger and fear, to grief and despair, love and acceptance, and it was incredibly powerful. I can’t talk about it without spoilers, but this book is very affecting.

As always, Laini Taylor’s writing is incredibly beautiful and descriptive. She paints vivid pictures of the world and her characters that you can help but be entranced by. I loved how the story was painted and the tiny threads that speak to futures untold. I hope you will read this series if you have not yet and fall in love with this magical world just as I did.

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