Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor



Trigger warnings: Death, child death




Synopsis: 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?


Review: Laini Taylor continues to shock me with how good she is. Muse picks up right after Strange, and we get introduced to some new characters along the way. I loved Kora and Nova. As separate characters, and as a unit, they were delightful to read about. We also get some more background on the Ellens. The thing Laini does so well is creating new characters, but making it so they fit effortlessly into her world. She also writes them so you can see them from different angles. Minya is the best example of this. The way we see her from Strange to Muse, and between Sarai's perspective and Lazlo's is so different.


The story in Muse is heartbreaking. There's love. There's death. We even get to see a more detailed account of godspawn slaughter. We get to see how Sarai's abilities changed after the events of Strange, and we get to dive deeper into the history of Weep. Laini creates these beautiful, intricate worlds. I know this isn't much of a review, but her books are just so good. Read them.


5 howls

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