“Many a choice is made in this way: by pretending it makes itself. And many a fate is decided by those who cannot decide.”
Strange the Dreamer was, in a word, magic. But did we really expect anything else? Godspawn, unnamed cities and people who have two hearts? (Loved that whole concept, eek!)
Taylor’s writing is very distinct, with a fairytale like quality that somehow isn’t nauseating. I’ll admit that Strange didn’t immediately suck me in the way Daughter Of Smoke and Bone did, it was more of a gentle pull, but by the time I was 1/3 of the way through, I was hooked. I loved the Godspawn and the dreams and the creepy mystery behind Weep. I quite liked Thyon Nero as well, if only for the sheer potential character growth!
In Strange we are introduced to Lazlo Strange a young man who once had his nose broken by Fairytales. (And isn’t that just the most wonderful thing you’ve ever heard?) Lazlo is a librarian who dreams of a mystery, as a boy he remembers clearly the day the name of a city was stolen from his tongue, and as an adult he longs to find it again. That is where the story begins, Lazlo goes to Weep in search of answers, and finds a Goddess instead.
And then we have Muse of Nightmares…
In Muse we are reunited with Lazlo and Sarai as they both come to terms with their new identities and as they both navigate the murky waters of young love and genocide.
You know, the usual.
Here’s the thing, Laini Taylor creates incredible sentences. Every page is meticulously crafted. Her style of writing is beautiful, lyrical and fairytale-esque yet at the same time her stories encompass some truly heavy topics with characters that are complex, nuanced and at times downright chilling.
Yet her novels are never depressing to read.
Muse was no different. In fact it took what we already knew of Laini Taylor’s skills to a whole new level.
I was completely floored, after the heartbreaking cliffhanger of the first book, I didn’t think there was much else that could top it. Never before have I been so glad to be proved so incredibly wrong! I did not expect that twist at the end! Though there were clues, right from the beginning, and on re-reading it’s almost obvious…
Muse is, in essence, a tale of redemption, the consequences of our actions, of grief, trauma, hope and love.
Every time I finish one of Laini’s books I feel torn between whether I want to read it again, or pick up and pen and write some magic myself.
I mean it. She’s that good.
— Rachel Writes x
The Talking Bookshelf 