A review by pageofpentacles
Muza noćnih mora by Laini Taylor
5.0
not really spoiler free. you have been warned.
Five Godstars!
Listen, if Daughter of Smoke & Bone devastated me, this duology destroyed me. Seriously, I thought it would be the death of me, and I mean that in the most positive way possible.
Laini Taylor just has this talent for relating the characters to the reader in the most non-human ways possible. When they are anything but our perception of normal, she will give them such raw emotions and such heartbreaking stories of their past that you would wish nothing other than to hug them and hold them in that hug until they heal.
Only, they don't heal with hugs. They are fighters, warriors, rebels against all and any norms. They will find their strengths while bleeding, they will search for love in the middle of pain, and try anything but to completely destroy their enemies.
The thing I especially liked is how everyone seemed to be morally gray, yet you could still draw a clear line between the good and the bad. The half-gods of citadel have been exposed to poverty, hunger, tyranny of their oldest, and therefore do not always have a clear moral compass, but they are willing to try with Sarai as the leader. Out of all of the gods, I liked Sparrow the most, probably because I relate to her the most. She's a healer and an empath, life is spiraling through and to her, but all she would ever wish to know is if she can be of more use to her family.
Also, I'll have to admit, out of all the male characters that readers have been simping over, I would probably snatch me a Feral instead of Lazlo or Tyon (not that I would have a chance with either of them lol), but Feral's curiosity and thirst for knowledge captivated me, especially his excitement when Sarai told him there's a place filled with only books.
Although, I don't really understand his relationship with Ruby; it seems rather flat and I believed it would fall apart as soon as she lays eyes on another handsome guy. Instead, we got to see him who's coming to terms with the fact that he's going to have rivals? I mean, Ruby is cheeky and daring, but their chemistry is very so-so to me. I would've liked it if he had seen the kindness of Sparrow, but she lost interest because he gave in to her half-sister so fast. Good for her! Even if she's the kindest and the purest, she still won't settle for less and knows her worth!
The story of two sisters... Man, every single page with their names and the cruel destinies they were put into really made me that much sadder. I don't know if Mrs Taylor is an only child, but she's depicted a sister bond in a way only one other book I read this year managed to. Having a sister myself, I yet again found it that much easier to relate and root for them... Or not. Blood Family trope, if executed well, always has me thinking if I would do the same, had my sibling been in a similar situation. Kora and Nova are there to break your heart, alongside everyone wh0's every wronged them, those who decided to first separate them from their mother, and then from one another.
Another thing to note is a spectacular job Taylor did to set her book in the same universe, and I mean that quite literally. There are so many Easter Eggs about the world from Daughter of Smoke & Bone, the legend of the seraphs who pushed away the eaters of the universe is the same in both worlds, and they are effectively all working on keeping the entrances to their worlds safe from a new attack. Really makes me anticipate her next works, and the worlds she will let us get to know while mentioning the importance of them all working together.
Just when I thought the situation with Sarai being a ghost was sad, Sarai told Lazlo... What if, among all those worlds, there is one where, someone, for any reason, creates new bodies for the souls that need one? You see what I mean? Karou and her resurrection! That way, she not only left us with our imagination to finish that storyline, but also gave us hope that this is not her final form, and that one day, whichever day that may be, she would be whole again, maybe even stronger than before.
Taylor ruined fantasy for me. Seriously, I am now obligated to not read any fantasy authors, simply because they will never compare, or rather I will never ever stop comparing them to a Goddess made to tell stories of other gods, half-creatures and beautiful monsters!
Five Godstars!
Listen, if Daughter of Smoke & Bone devastated me, this duology destroyed me. Seriously, I thought it would be the death of me, and I mean that in the most positive way possible.
Laini Taylor just has this talent for relating the characters to the reader in the most non-human ways possible. When they are anything but our perception of normal, she will give them such raw emotions and such heartbreaking stories of their past that you would wish nothing other than to hug them and hold them in that hug until they heal.
Only, they don't heal with hugs. They are fighters, warriors, rebels against all and any norms. They will find their strengths while bleeding, they will search for love in the middle of pain, and try anything but to completely destroy their enemies.
The thing I especially liked is how everyone seemed to be morally gray, yet you could still draw a clear line between the good and the bad. The half-gods of citadel have been exposed to poverty, hunger, tyranny of their oldest, and therefore do not always have a clear moral compass, but they are willing to try with Sarai as the leader. Out of all of the gods, I liked Sparrow the most, probably because I relate to her the most. She's a healer and an empath, life is spiraling through and to her, but all she would ever wish to know is if she can be of more use to her family.
Also, I'll have to admit, out of all the male characters that readers have been simping over, I would probably snatch me a Feral instead of Lazlo or Tyon (not that I would have a chance with either of them lol), but Feral's curiosity and thirst for knowledge captivated me, especially his excitement when Sarai told him there's a place filled with only books.
Although, I don't really understand his relationship with Ruby; it seems rather flat and I believed it would fall apart as soon as she lays eyes on another handsome guy. Instead, we got to see him who's coming to terms with the fact that he's going to have rivals? I mean, Ruby is cheeky and daring, but their chemistry is very so-so to me. I would've liked it if he had seen the kindness of Sparrow, but she lost interest because he gave in to her half-sister so fast. Good for her! Even if she's the kindest and the purest, she still won't settle for less and knows her worth!
The story of two sisters... Man, every single page with their names and the cruel destinies they were put into really made me that much sadder. I don't know if Mrs Taylor is an only child, but she's depicted a sister bond in a way only one other book I read this year managed to. Having a sister myself, I yet again found it that much easier to relate and root for them... Or not. Blood Family trope, if executed well, always has me thinking if I would do the same, had my sibling been in a similar situation. Kora and Nova are there to break your heart, alongside everyone wh0's every wronged them, those who decided to first separate them from their mother, and then from one another.
Another thing to note is a spectacular job Taylor did to set her book in the same universe, and I mean that quite literally. There are so many Easter Eggs about the world from Daughter of Smoke & Bone, the legend of the seraphs who pushed away the eaters of the universe is the same in both worlds, and they are effectively all working on keeping the entrances to their worlds safe from a new attack. Really makes me anticipate her next works, and the worlds she will let us get to know while mentioning the importance of them all working together.
Just when I thought the situation with Sarai being a ghost was sad, Sarai told Lazlo... What if, among all those worlds, there is one where, someone, for any reason, creates new bodies for the souls that need one? You see what I mean? Karou and her resurrection! That way, she not only left us with our imagination to finish that storyline, but also gave us hope that this is not her final form, and that one day, whichever day that may be, she would be whole again, maybe even stronger than before.
Taylor ruined fantasy for me. Seriously, I am now obligated to not read any fantasy authors, simply because they will never compare, or rather I will never ever stop comparing them to a Goddess made to tell stories of other gods, half-creatures and beautiful monsters!