Little, Brown Books for Young Readers Muse of Nightmares

Received the book with a tear at the spine, I guess the fault was during production. Should've wished the supplier could've given me a better copy. Though it's not a big issue as the book is enjoyable and the font is readable.

En cuanto al pedido, llegó rápido y en buenas condiciones. En cuanto al libro, una maravilla de libro, superó mis expectativas y mucho mejor que el primero de la duología.

Ya que aquí en México decidieron sacar una re edición con nueva portada, decidí comprar la versión en inglés que va al corriente con la primera edición sacada en México y pues no en decepcionó. Es verdad que el libro 2 no viene tan lujoso como el 1 pero encajan muy bien en cuanto a portadas.El nivel de inglés del libro es avanzando.

I love this series.

Muse of Nightmares picks up pretty much right after the cliffhanger that was the ending of Strange the Dreamer and we are immediately thrown back into everything, which I appreciated because I was desperate to know how things would work out. I think my favorite things about this book is Taylor's balance of action and non-action scenes. This isn't really what I would consider a fast-paced, high-action story, yet I couldn't turn those pages fast enough. There are some more fast-paced scenes, but there's also much that focuses on other components and really adds a nice balance to the pacing. If you didn't like the slower pace as much in Strange the Dreamer, then you will probably like this one a bit more because there is not quite as much meandering as the first book had, but it still has Taylor's vivid writing that breathes life into each page.Although we spend plenty of time in Lazlo's head, this book does branch out a bit more and we seem to spend more time in Sara's head (which is why I assume this one is titled Muse of Nightmares), as well as some in Minya's and Thyon's, and a few others. Lazlo is still perfectly adorable and innocent, as well as passionate about what he knows he wants, and Sarai is still determined and as selfless as Lazlo. These two are beautiful together and I'm not sure the last time I rooted for two people are much as I did for these two.As much as I love the worldbuilding of this duology, the rest of the characters are easily one of my other favorite components. They are all such an eclectic, mixed variety of people that bring so much life and enjoyment to the story. Some of our favorite supporting cast return such as Eril-Fane, Tizerkane, Ruza, Thyon, Feral, Ruby, Sparrow, Calixte, and so many more. Thyon and Minya were two that had rather prominent roles in this installment, and I loved how Taylor portrayed their personalities and sentiments. Both undergo momentous changes throughout this book, some of which were initiated in the first book, and Taylor did this in an understandable and steady pace. She didn't make either character undergo unnecessary changes or have abnormally quick changes of heart, but she instead made it a gradual process that makes sense. I particularly liked that we got know more about Minya's backstory and why she is the way she is now, as it shed so much like on the general backdrop of the plot as well.In addition to our beloved returning characters, we also meet two new characters, Kova and Nova. I don't really want to tell you how we know these characters or why they are important, but they end up being pivotal to the events of Muse of Nightmares and I found they added a really interesting dynamic and storyline.I really can't go into detail about the major plot twist (?) direction this story took, but my god was I not expecting this book to go in the direction it did! As soon as I realized what might be happening, I was so blown away and impressed by what Taylor made this book. It's brilliant and truly momentous and I am still excited just thinking about it. I definitely plan to re-read Strange the Dreamer sometime in the semi-near future to see what I can pick up in that book that may have hinted at what happened in this book.I desperately need more from this world and these characters. I have so many new questions that I want to explore and I will sacrifice anything (and look, I'm willing to make my morals a little grey, so honestly, anything) needed in order to get more from Taylor. It's not that things aren't wrapped up, because they definitely are; Taylor answers all of the main plot questions and wraps up everything we've wondered, but because of what happens and how big this world gets, there's just so much more that my imagination wants to explore. I honestly can't put into words how much I have loved this duology. I just love these books.

From the first page of Strange the Dreamer, I knew that I had stumbled upon a book that was going to challenge everything that I thought a book could be. That book altered me in some magical way and Muse of Nightmares was no different. In the short time that it took me to finish Muse, I felt like I’d found myself in a dream and when the ending came, I was reluctantly kicked out of it. For me, the magic of these books far surpass their pages. This series had this ability of finding its way to me, like the Universe wanted me to read it and, most remarkably through no expense of my own. My first encounter with Strange the Dreamer was an audiobook that I got for free for Independant Bookstore Day. And then I unbelievably won Uncorrected proofs of both Strange and Muse of Nightmares. And if this wasn’t enough to make me believe that these books were bound to me in some way, both covered in magic and mysticism, than the stories themselves and their prose was the final decider.My expectations for this book were high and so I was riddled with nerves, when I set my eyes on the first page. However I can safely say that this book completely shattered my expectations in every way. The story starts with the introduction of two new characters, sisters Kora and Nova, and as is Laini Taylor’s way, I fell in love with them immediately. I never imagined that it would be possible to introduce new characters and have me feel so deeply about them as I do with those from Strange, but inevitably it happened. I cried for Kora and Nova, laughed with them, hated them, rooted for them, raged for them and just loved them, all in a never ending loop.Being given chapters from the past and then the present, following Kora and Nova and then the original cast just made everything so much more intense. It takes sheer genius to be able to create stories, within stories, within stories and for each one to fully hold it’s weight and all come together in such a bittersweet way. Something would occur in the past and then you’d be flung into the future and your mind would start making the connections of how this led to that and so on. It was truly the mark of great craftsmanship and was endlessly fascinating to have realisation dawn on you time and time again. Kora and Nova’s story was just so mesmerisingly haunting and yet filled with the purest love, that I couldn’t help but clutch their chapters a bit closer to my heart.The dynamics between those in the Citadel had me on the edge of my seat the whole time, Minya as expected was as unpredictable as ever, which led to others acting in the most uncharacteristic of ways. These scenes were some of the most tense I’ve ever read and were an mini echo of the whole novel, as everyone had valid arguments for and against, valid reservations, valid feelings, no matter how unnerving, and were all suffocating in the shadow of their own pasts and of those who came before them. This book had the most complex characters and it truly put my heart through the ringer to see them trying to figure, not only each other, but themselves out. I found my self weeping for characters that I’d despised no more than a minute ago, reflecting in the most honest way, how good and bad lives in all of us and that second chances are always there if we want them.This book was such a tangle of relationships; family, friends, enemies to friends? Humans and godspawn, lovers and fighters, the living and the dead and those on the cusp of forming relationships. With all these complex interactions, Lazlo and Sarai’s relationship was such a safe haven for me, and them, amid everything that seemed to be going wrong. It was so beautiful to read and this really was where the author showed off that wondrous prose, that seemed to exist solely to document this relationship. I also loved the little hints at a certain romantic relationship that was slowly materialising (it’s my favourite of the whole book), concerning Thyon and someone no one could have guessed, I just wished there was more of it because it was so unexpected but so stinking adorable!Speaking of Thyon Nero, the character development in this book was amazing and for so many of them. Thyon’s transformation was so funny and endearing to read and I love him…just like a little bit, it was done in such subtle ways, progressing at such a believable pace. Minya’s was by far the most monumental for me, I mean she was my favourite character before this book, but this just confirmed it for me. I was so glad that Laini Taylor allowed us to explore why Minya is the way she is, because hand on heart she deserved it. I can’t believe some of the things that came to light about her, I really couldn’t handle the way that she’d been showing them all along how she cares for them ,without even herself realising. You’ll know exactly what I mean when you read the book, trust me it will touch your heart and make you rethink everything you thought you knew about her.Another aspect that I was so grateful to the author for, was the ‘history lesson’ we were given about, well everything. It felt so good to finally know what on earth had been going on in the citadel for all those years, that so few now recalled. There were so many backstories that were finally revealed, that allowed us to see just how much the characters’ pasts and presents overlapped.Not only were we fed the history of Weep, but offered the history of their whole Universe, it was spellbinding and clearly a different class of storytelling, given the sheer detail in everything. Learning more about the lost godspawn, Skathis, the rest of the Gods and how they got their powers is what I desperately wanted from this book, and I got what I wanted, no matter how disturbing. This book definitely had a darker tone to it than Strange the Dreamer, but I enjoyed it quite a lot, as it made the story unbearably honest and raw. I can’t think of a story as greatly weaved and constructed as this. It had everything; complex characters, emotive, hypnotic language, a seamless plot, rich setting, the purest romances, easy and strained friendships, enemies, magic and action. There were so many battles in this book of all shapes and sizes, but each was completely enthralling.To conclude, I doubt I’ll ever read anything like this duology again, or have any story or cast of characters mean so much to me, give so much to me. These stories offered themselves to me without me giving anything in return…literally. Although I’m making up for it buy collecting every edition I can and I can’t wait for the audiobook of Muse, as the Strange the Dreamer one took the story to a completely different level. It was utterly phenomenal!! I plan to re-read this duology many a time as I’m sure there’s things that I didn’t fully appreciate, it was epic after all. I don’t know what force brought them to me but I’m so grateful, these books will forever be apart of my heart and I hope they find their way into yours too! And judging by the ending, I’m not quite sure that this story is finished being told.