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  • Muse of Nightmares

  • Written by: Laini Taylor
  • Narrated by: Steve West
  • Length: 15 hrs and 54 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (153 ratings)

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Muse of Nightmares

Written by: Laini Taylor
Narrated by: Steve West
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Publisher's Summary

The highly anticipated, thrilling sequel to the New York Times best seller, Strange the Dreamer, from National Book Award finalist Laini Taylor, author of the best-selling Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy.

Sarai has lived and breathed nightmares since she was six years old. She believed she knew every horror, and was beyond surprise. She was wrong.

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?

Love and hate, revenge and redemption, destruction and salvation all clash in this gorgeous sequel to the New York Times best seller, Strange the Dreamer.

©2018 Laini Taylor (P)2018 Hachette Audio

What the critics say

"[Laini Taylor] has spun another mesmerizing tale with captivating twists and turns, an array of intriguing characters, strange and beautiful language, and baroque flourishes of the imagination." (Horn Book)

"A sequel that surpasses the original." (Kirkus Reviews)

"Part adventure novel, part romance and part exercise in epic myth-building, it's gorgeously written and full of surprises." (NPR)

What listeners say about Muse of Nightmares

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A fine story :)

First, Steve West has the sexiest voice. I've listened to seven series now that he has narrator and just love him.

Second, it is a lovely book. It is youth adult so the writing does lack some depth (also reading Wheel of Time which has serious depth). However, it is exactly the light reading I was looking to enjoy.

Third, I absolutely loved the unique world and magic that was created here. Some content was predictable (which I didn't mind) but there was definitely some twists and turns I wasn't expecting!

Lastly, I hope there is a third book!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A guilty pleasure!

*7 Stars!

No book by my favorite pink-haired author would be complete without cake. Yes, there is cake in Muse of Nightmares, and that is the last spoiler that you’re going to get from me.

Less than two months ago I finished reading Strange the Dreamer, I was so captivated by this amazing world created by Taylor that I wanted…no, needed to get to the rest of the story. That in itself tells you how good this series is.

Muse of Nightmares was book perfection. The main characters enthralled me, the supporting cast filled in every aspect of the story. There were moments that I had to wonder if this was all part of some master plan or if the author came across a bridge and realized if she changed a certain aspect of a character it would allow her to resolve the problem in the most fantastical way. Everything flowed seamlessly.

As a non-YA reader, Laini Taylor’s books have become my guilty pleasure. There is something about the way she puts her stories together, the way she phrases her thoughts, it takes me away to another place.

With the way my reading was going, I went with the audiobook version of Muse of Nightmares. I’ll admit, I was worried about how Taylor’s magical prose and phrasing would translate into the spoken word. Steve West’s performance was an impeccable fit, his English accent highlighted the text.

While my enjoyment of Muse of Nightmares may not have been a surprise, the story is filled with jaw droppers and how did I not see that coming. The duet format is becoming a personal favorite, the length of the overall story is not daunting and the author is confident enough to tie things up. It makes me prepared to invest in more of the author’s stories.

I want more worlds from Laini Taylor.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Very enjoyable

Although not as captivating as the first in the series, it was still a very good b book and I'm looking forward to what comes next. Very well narrated.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Gorgeous

Gorgeous on so many levels in so many ways. It felt so compassionate even in it's terrors.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A great sequel!

After borrowing the first book from the library I HAD to know what happened next! The story was everything I'd hoped, the performance was amazing.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

This sequel ties everything together beautifully

Laini Taylor has stunning ability to introduce captivating, seemingly unrelated characters and plot elements, and then bring them together at the end of a story. Yet these serendipitous outcomes don't seem fluffy or shallow-- she balances them out with real costs, beautiful character arcs, and a sense of destiny that makes her happy ending seem real and deserved. I wholeheartedly recommend!

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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • JlC
  • 2023-01-30

Great narration and great story

I love the world Laini Taylor has created and her character building. Steve West never disappoints as a narrator.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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J.K. Rowling has met her match!

Not since Harry Potter have I been this engaged and delighted by a story! I love the imagination, the fairytale feel, the poetic language, the verisimilitude, the characters and the brushing remark toward the other series set in the same universe (Daughter of Smoke & Bone). With any luck, we’ll get a new epic, where the heroes of the two stories unite against the darkness threatening the continuum!

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Amazing

Those series are just magical and a perfection! Have not read a good book in a very long time :) now I need to check all the books from this author

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    5 out of 5 stars

Surprisingly Long For “No Words”

This probably won’t be helpful as a review, but I have no words to describe how wonderful and beautiful this book was. At first I thought the writing style was over the top, but as the story went on it made more sense. I usually prefer a full cast (I don’t have a problem with single narrators, but it can often be a better experience with more people), but I think Steve West did a pretty darn fantastic job! I’m so happy I read this, but feel very hollow now that it’s over.

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