If you give me things to decode, I hope you know I'm going to solve them.

Muse of Nightmares is the sequel to Strange the Dreamer that offers answers to all the questions you had from book 1. The whimsical fantasy vibes remain the same, although I would say parts of this story are darker than book 1, and the focus continues to be the characters and their complex pasts and relationships. I've seen mixed reviews regarding which book people preferred, with most readers seeming to enjoy book 1 more. I thought I would enjoy this one more because the plot is a bit more structured and a bit faster paced, but I honestly think I preferred book 1, if only for the vibes.

God and ghost are trapped in a citadel in the sky. Sarai's ghostly form can only be maintained by Minya, and since Lazlo is Minya's path for revenge, he must do her bidding or lose the girl he loves again. But the godspawns' problems are limited to the walls of the citadel; history begins to creep up on the dead gods, and it seems Minya isn't the only one with a thirst for revenge. I thought this book was faster-paced for the most part, though I will admit that it took me a little over 200 pages to get invested in the plot. Similarly, the suspense and tension felt higher in this book, but the resolution fell flat because it was kind of underwhelming compared to the scope of the main conflict. Despite the more angsty feeling than book 1, the overall vibe remains "feel-good", for lack of a better term. Luckily, though, most of the remaining questions about the world and the characters' pasts are answered, and the ending is satisfying in its resolution of all established conflicts. The book does end with the possibility of future installments, but given it's been several years with no news of a sequel and the resting place of current character arcs, I think any future additions would be spin-off series as opposed to direct continuations.

The characters remain the strength of this series for me because they're all so complex with conflicting motivations and goals, yet I can root for almost all of them. Sarai and Lazlo almost took a backseat in this story. They still remain protagonists, but Lazlo definitely had fewer POV sections, and Sarai's ability to impact the world around her is obviously somewhat limited. I said I didn't mind the romance in book 1, but it admittedly did get on my nerves at times. I get that Lazlo and Sarai are in love and had limited chances to enjoy it before, but it felt like every conversation they had involved discussing how they wanted to kiss. Luckily, there were plenty of other character POVs I got to enjoy. I still wish Feral, Ruby, and Sparrow got more page time because the dynamics between the three of them are super intriguing. However, I did appreciate the exploration of Minya's backstory and character. I didn't love her in book 1, but the weight of her backstory reversed my opinion of her. I also liked the glimpses of Eril-Fane and Azareen that we got in this book. As for the new characters, I found the dynamics between them really interesting and wanted to see so much more. There's so much shared past that the reader doesn't get to know, and I would love to learn more about their time together (especially with the parallels to the main cast). I found the antagonist's story compelling, but I wanted more from her companions.

Muse of Nightmares is the fantastical, heart-wrenching sequel to Strange the Dreamer, perfect for fantasy readers looking for an immersive world and nuanced characters.

4/5

So we all collectively agree that we love Lazlo, right?

Strange the Dreamer is the first book in a stunningly whimsical YA fantasy duology about a dreamer and a demi-goddess whose worlds collide. I first read this book back in 2022, and I've been meaning to reread it for a while because I really want to finish the series. I definitely think I enjoyed it more on my second read, mostly because my taste in books has matured since I was 16 (also because I knew what to expect this time). As others have mentioned, the worldbuilding is one of this book's strengths. The story takes place in a world of legend and myth, with the gods having been slain by a man they once stole from his home, only some of those gods' children still survived and now live in a citadel in the sky. A lot of the magic system is still open for questions by the end of this book (with answers being promised in the sequel), but everything feels natural and magical on its own.

Lazlo Strange is a librarian who has devoted his life to studying the lost city of Weep. When he's offered the chance to venture to the city himself, accompanied by the mythic Godslayer, Lazlo jumps at the opportunity. Meanwhile, hidden away in a citadel in the sky, Sarai and four other godspawn plan for vengeance on the people who destroyed their home and families. I found this book to have a fairly slowburn plot, as it's fairly focused on Lazlo's discoveries of Weep and Sarai's growing tensions with the other godspawn. Once the second half of the book hits, the plot heavily follows the developing relationship between Lazlo and Sarai, while the last 100 pages place a bit more emphasis on plot-driven elements, and the pacing starts to pick up. I probably would've struggled more with this character-focused storyline, but the prose is beautiful and lyrical, so when the plot grew slow, I could get lost in the words. The ending definitely pushes you to read book 2 (though clearly I was able to forget about that for nearly 4 years), especially with the unanswered questions about the world and the characters. It's the kind of story you lose yourself in because of the storytelling and characters, not necessarily the events themselves.

On my first read-through, I don't think I cared for the characters much, but that's now changed. I loved Lazlo as a protagonist due to his curiosity and passion for the world around him. He sees the best in everyone, which makes him easy to root for, and his bookish background makes him relatable to a lot of readers. He reminded me a bit of Owen from Alix Harrow's The Everlasting, especially given his dynamics with Sarai. Sarai herself was also a lovable protagonist. She's not bent on vengeance to the degree of some of the other godspawn, meaning her empathy makes her a great parallel to Lazlo. The two of them are connected by dreams (as the dreamer and the godspawn who walks through them), and even though I tend to grow bored by romantic subplots, I really did enjoy theirs. I'm really intrigued by the other godspawn and the dynamics between them. Minya may wear the form of a 6-year-old, but she's the oldest of the godspawn and carries the heaviest burdens of them all. Her hatred for the mortals sets her up to have an interesting arc in book 2, and I'm excited to see it. The other godspawn include Feral (who can create storm clouds), Ruby (who burns bright), and Sparrow (who grows plants), and the three of them are entangled in a complicated mess of feelings that I'm also hoping to see more of in book 2. I was also intrigued by the Godslayer, Eril-Fane. His backstory haunts the narrative at every turn, and he reminded me a lot of Lord Asriel from the His Dark Materials series for some reason.

Strange the Dreamer is the first book in a magical YA fantasy duology following a pair of dreamers, perfect for fans of Alix E. Harrow's The Everlasting.

4.25/5

Steampunk nautical tournament with riddles? Sign me up now

Fleet of Wonders is the first book in a YA fantasy duology featuring adventure on the high seas, tournaments with puzzles to solve, and fiery character dynamics. I devoured this book and will be anxiously waiting for book 2 because I'm really excited to see where the story goes. The worldbuilding and characters reminded me of Tara Sim's Timekeeper trilogy, though I also got similar vibes to R.F. Kuang's Babel when it came to the characters and commentary on colonization, racism, and exploitation of minorities. The magic system was fun and unique, and I'm intrigued to see if the boundaries are tested in the next book.

Eliza and Jules are barely scraping by in the slums, so when they spot a chance to join a naval competition involving fifty battleships and a race for a deadly weapon, they take it. After sneaking onto the Belladonna, Eliza and Jules must keep their secrets hidden while also navigating the tenuous relationships with their crewmates and solving puzzles to win the race...only the price of victory may be higher than either of them may be willing to pay. The plot is fairly simple, as the characters are all relatively trapped on the ship, and their goal is to solve the puzzles and defend their vessel from their opponents. Still, the puzzles were engaging, and a handful of action scenes were interspersed throughout to keep me entertained. Even when the plot slowed down (like the sort of random gala scene...not complaining because I love the trope, though), the tension between the characters kept me hooked, and there were always more secrets to uncover. The stakes were always high, the ending was twisty, and I'll be reading the next one the moment I get my hands on it. I will mention that the ending sets up for a sequel, so I don't know that it's satisfying if you end here, but I expect that many readers will be excited for book 2 anyway.

I love a complicated, messy crew of characters who start to border on found family vibes. Liza, the FMC, is that perfect mix of ambitious and passionate. I loved seeing her grow into her power (smithy, aka metalbending), and I'm super excited to see how her arc continues in book 2. She's messy and nuanced, which made her an intriguing protagonist to follow. Jules, the MMC, is just as lovable; he's charming and clever, and he cares deeply about his friends. His connection with Suman was sweet, and I liked seeing him overcome his past struggles. The side characters were just as fun as the protagonists, especially because they're mostly misfits and outcasts. Charlotte is an aristocrat who loves her saber, and her mysterious origins continue to intrigue me even now. She's a quiet but solid presence on the cast, and I'm looking forward to seeing more of her in the future. Suman, the physician, is book-smart in a way that complements Jules, and his care for all of the crewmates was endearing. The other two crewmates were a bit harder to love, but only due to their messiness, and they were still entertaining to read about. Pierre is the heir to the man who owns the factories Liza and Jules worked in, and he has his own fiery feelings for Eliza. Their dynamics were complicated, which made them interesting, and I found Pierre to be one of those dangerously enticing characters. Arthur, another spoiled noble, had a bit less page time than the others, so I didn't have as many feelings about him, but he added a lot of tension to the plot, which I appreciated. The differing levels of "outcast" on the crew reminded me of the cast of Babel, and I'm really looking forward to seeing how their dynamics shift in book 2.

Fleet of Wonders is the first book in a YA fantasy series, perfect for fans of Tara Sim's Timekeeper and Amber Chen's Of Jade and Dragons. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!

4.5/5