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Strange the Dreamer and Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor.
The first thing to know is that Strange the Dreamer ends in a cling-hanger. I can see why they split the story this way as the two halves have a quite different feel, but I would have preferred more obvious indicators that this was one story published in two parts. (But you have to love the instant gratification of ebooks that let me buy the second half and keep reading.)
I was loving Strange the Dreamer. The prose is rich and evocative, the large cast of characters were wonderfully drawn and the broad setting felt deep and real. There were a few excessively soppy bits in the latter half, but easily forgivable. The story, while not overly surprising, had depth and flowed well ... right up to the unexpected "To Be Continued". So the anticipated 5/5 withered to a 4/5.
Muse of Nightmares is a different beast. The story continues to be compelling, there was never any doubt that I would finish it, but while the first book was always the right shape, this book felt lumpy: sometimes narrowly focused, sometimes broad but shallow strokes, but no smooth flow between them. Rather than rich the prose felt unctuous and at times quite repetitive - the YA-angst poured on pretty thickly. A 4/5 feels like a stretch, but I remind myself that I did feel compelled to finish it.
I suspect my reaction to the second book is partly coloured by the disappointment that it didn't match up to my expectations after the first.
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