Muse of Nightmares

 Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor, 514 pages.

After the end of Strange the Dreamer, both Sarai and Lazlo are irrevocably and fundamentally changed. What should have finally brought the salvation of the city of Weep may doom it instead, as Minya tries to bend everyone towards vengeance, and old wounds are torn open on every side. 

This is a very well-executed duology. Although I don't know if Muse of Nightmares has quite the same magic as the first book; what it does have is a lot of answers to questions left open at the end of the first book. It is also very committed to continuing exploring the themes from the first book, especially how cycles of violence often feed themselves. There is literally nobody having a good time in this book, no one is happy about anything that is happening, and I think that builds in a lot of complexity, both to the situation and the characters. The end of this book points to the same shared universe as Taylor's other young adult series, and I am very excited for her to write more in it.