Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Description:

Around the world, black hand prints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky. 

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grows dangerously low. 

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war. 

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages—not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers—beautiful, haunted Akiva—fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

My Review:

Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Best Quote from this book:  “I don’t know many rules to live by, “ he said.  “But here’s one.  It’s simple.  Don’t put anything unnecessary into yourself.  No poisons or chemicals, no fumes or smoke or alcohol, no sharp objects, no inessential needles – drug or tattoo  and… no inessential penises either.”  

So this book is so good.  Actually, I think this book is so good that I am just waiting for payday to get a hold of the next book .  

This is not a fairytale with a happy ending.  This is a story of love, loss, hope found, hope lost, betrayal and redemption.  And I loved it so.

Karou is a mystery, to herself and to others.  She knows that there is something missing, but she doesn’t know what.  But even with the knowledge that something is missing, she still keeps going.  She is strong, smart, and incredibly stubborn.  Chances are that if you go up against her, you will lose.  

Akiva is a seraph burdened with loss and the choices he has made.  And because of his past, you want him to have a happily-ever-after, but you aren’t sure if it will happen.  He has no idea who Karou is, but that doesn’t stop his attraction to her.  And when he figures out who she is, he can’t help but follow her.

Oh, how I love Brimstone and his group of Chimera.  They make such an interesting family for Karou.  They are like the aunts and uncles that dote on her, teach her, and hope to lead her to be a great person.  You can’t help but love them, and you wish that you got more time with them.  

Overall, I loved the use of mythology throughout this book.  Both creative and unique, the mythology in this story gives a believable and well-rounded feeling.  I really liked how a lot of the mythology used was familiar but different at the same time.  As Brimstone said, all mythology is based on some form of truth (my paraphrase).  

For me, there is no resolution for this book.  There is a “To Be Continued…” which is slightly better than a giant cliffhanger, but not by much.  

Overall, this is a great book, and I’m looking forward to reading the next book.  Highly recommend this book!



Happy Reading!

Cana