Gosh reading this was a strange experience. I absolutely loved Strange the Dreamer, with its melodious, fantastical writing style, the mysterious world that teased so many hidden layers, characters with promising development and backgrounds. And that ending! It was one of the few endings I could remember genuinely  and frantically wondering how it could ever resolve. Well, after having read Muse of Nightmares, my reaction is just a simple...okay.

Imagine getting a present you really wanted. You've waited years for this moment, and you've been aching to get it, counting down the moments. And then you just suddenly get it. That's it, no fanfare, no buildup, just POP it's yours. While you're happy that you've got the thing, you wish there was some kind of event to go with it, something that solidified this moment as something monumental. That's what reading this book was like. I got what I wanted in some spectacular reveals about characters, the worldbuilding, the interconnectedness of Taylor's worlds, but the presentation didn't really make any of it special .

The first book had a fairy tale charm to its tone, with the writing weaving a truly enchanting story, but somehow that style didn't carry over into this installment. It seems blander in a way, more direct even though there are trances of that fantastical style left over, but not enough. I never felt a feeling of being swept away like I did in Strange, whether to do with the more serious nature of the plot or the agonizing attempts at comedic moments. 

That being said, it is a satisfying conclusion to this duology, giving a good balance of answering questions brought up in the first book as as well leaving a few bread crumbs for future stories.