Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #1)

This was nothing like what I expected. AT ALL. To be honest, though, I'm not sure what I was expecting.

The setting for Daughter of Smoke and Bone was phenomenal. I know nothing of Prague, but I could imagine myself there. The writing was so descriptive that I could smell the burning embers from the fire and feel the wind whipping over my skin as the characters sat perched on the cathedral watching the sunrise. I could feel these things because it felt like I was there with them. This was probably one of the best settings I have come by.

The plot was pretty interesting as well. Since this is the first of the series, it's setting the stage for the remainder of the books. I have no idea where things will be heading, but I can guess there is one heck of a fight scene brewing. Now, as for a love story... Karou and Akiva were intense. Think Shakespeare's star-crossed lovers, because that's what they were. A fantastical Romeo and Juliet of sorts. As I type this, I can think of more similarities between the two stories, which makes me like this more and more. So I'm going to say that's just what this was: a highly imaginative retelling of Romeo and Juliet.

The characters were pretty solid. Karou and Akiva were layered and very interesting. As their individual stories unfolded, you had glimpses into their pasts. As a reader, though, you were left to fill in most of the gaps until the very end. The supporting characters were also well written for their purpose. There was a fine line between protagonist and antagonist that often became fuzzy. That will be the basis for book 2 (Days of Blood and Starlight).

Overall, I enjoyed it. It did not knock my socks off or leave me speechless. I found myself getting tired of the multiple points of views at time. Karou mostly told the story, but at times Akiva would tell his version. What really through me for a loop was the final third of the book that was told from a different perspective all together. While it helped finalize the story and share insight into Karou's past, it was still a bit confusing upon the initial switch.

I keep pondering over this theme of hope that runs throughout the novel. I know it's important and once I put words to my thoughts, I may change my view of The Daughter of Smoke and Bone.

"She had been innocent once, a little girl playing with feathers on the floor of a devil's lair. She wasn't innocent now..."

Don't get mad at me for giving this book two and a half stars! I really wanted to enjoy this book, you guys have no idea how badly I wanted to. This is my second time reading this and my first rating was 2 stars. I thought, maybe, I rushed into it the first time around so I decided to give it another shot. Still disappointing.

The first 200 pages were great (Karou's best friend annoyed me, though), then it just falls from there: everything was getting too predictable. Let me just throw in this isn't going to be a review where I bash this book, because I loved Laini Taylor's writing and the passages from the story. I just didn't enjoy how I started figuring everything out. I never give books I've read half star, but I can't really decide whether to give this 2 stars, or 3.

I also disliked the story of Madrigal, 60 pages based on that story really wasn't needed, so I skipped that part.

This short review is going to contain mild spoilers.

Meet Karou.

She draws chimaeras in her book. She was raised with them and calls them her family. The people enjoy her stories about these creatures, but they don't believe she's telling the truth; neither about her hair actually being blue. She has weird tattoos on her palms that are eyes called hamsas. She has no idea who she is, where she came from, or who her parents are.

Meet Brimstone, he's a ressurectionist and a teeth collector. He raised Karou and sends her on errands to collect teeth from traders for wishes.

Angels are entering her world from Eretz and making peculiar black hand prints on the portals Karou enters to go to Brimstone's shop. Strange things are going on and Karou starts unravelling her past. She's going to uncover the truth about her hamsas and who she is.

Along the way, she meets Akiva, the angel. They're enemies first, but he starts to fall in love with her. The story begins like this:

"Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love.... It did not end well."

Daughter of Smoke and Bone is 100% amazing from beginning to end! It was unlike anything I had ever read and was not what I was expecting.

“Karou didn’t add that she didn’t need a Taser; she was more than capable of defending herself without electricity. She’d had an unusual education.“

“In fact, her hair did grow out of her head that color, pure as ultramarine straight from the paint tube, but that was a truth she told with a certain wry smile, as if she were being absurd.“

How could I not be immediately drawn in and intrigued by Karou after those small descriptions. Right off the bat we get bits and pieces that show that Karou is not like other girls, or other humans. The supernatural world where she was raised is dark, twisted, and utterly fascinating. Even Karou isn’t sure of who (or what) she is exactly, and before she can find out she is ripped from the only family she’s ever known.

Then comes Akiva, an angel of sorts. Good guy or bad guy? Karou’s friend or foe? Does he have the answers that she’s looking for? Am I suppose to like him? There’s an air of mystery around him, and I couldn’t quite figure him out at first. On the one hand, he’s partially responsibly for blocking Karou from her home. But on the other hand, he didn’t kill her when he had the chance.

I loved how I never knew where exactly the story was going. It was full of surprises which kept me hooked until the very end. At first it seemed to be following the typical YA Urban Fantasy format: slightly odd teenager comes into their otherworldly powers, fights bad guys, falls in love with the character you can’t quite figure out. But then about two-thirds in, it changes. Suddenly we’re thrust into Eretz, the fantastical realm. It’s so beautifully done that I never wanted to leave! This book seriously wowed me and left me in awe.

This book has one of those vague yet intriguing cover blurbs that tell you a book is going to be good. Only a truly good book can afford to give half-truths about its contents. That, combined with the extreme amount of hype for this enigmatic little book, had me completely interested.

What I Liked: The first thing about this book was Karou’s character. Within twenty pages, I knew she was the sort of heroine that I look for (and rarely find) in non-contemporary YA. For one thing, in one of the very first chapters, she complained about teenage girls who think that boyfriends are the answer to all life’s problem. Amen! And just…wow. She’s tough, edgy, but at the same time uncertain of herself. She knows her limits but still tests them. She loves her “family” and defends them. True, she has a bit of an insta-love moment, but there’s actually a semi-okay reason behind it.

In short, Karou is one awesome chick.

Another huge factor to my enjoyment of Daughter of Smoke & Bone was Taylor’s writing. The narrative is third person past, limited, going between two (maybe two-and-a-half) perspectives—I’m a huge fan of this more “traditional” approach to storytelling. And while the author’s style isn’t flashy or overly purple-prosey, it’s effective and works well for Karou’s personality. It’s crisp and sharp, with moments of creative imagery that get repeated throughout the novel.

Even though angels/demons are getting to be little tiring in the world of YA fiction, Taylor’s approach was unbelievable. I couldn’t have custom-ordered a better angel novel. For one, it humanizes both sides. The angels aren’t righteous, perfect beings—they make mistakes. And the demons aren’t terrible monsters—they have compassion, they’re self-sacrificing. Oftentimes, when an author tries to show both sides to a story, it doesn’t exactly work—you can always tell which side the author sees as “right.” Not so here, and I appreciated Taylor’s objectivity.

Halfway into the book, I only had one complaint: the plot was too predictable. I wanted something more. And then, in the last hundred pages, I got my “more.” It was unexpected and totally shook my opinions on the book. I was like: “whoa, a novel that managed to surprise me for once. Sweet.”

What I Didn’t Like: From the intense gushing above, I’m sure you can tell that I really liked this book. A lot. Actually, I was (a bit unwillingly) going to give a 5/5 rating. But then there was the epic plot twist, which was fantastic. However, what happened after said plot twist pretty much ruined the book.

Without spoiling anything, I’ll just say that Taylor essentially backtracks about twenty years and spends a hundred or so pages detailing what happened in the past. After the truly fantastic climax the reader just experienced, the sudden series of flashbacks brought everything to a screeching halt. It was an info-dump at the worst possible time.

For one, I really don’t think the information was necessary. By this time, the reader has already gotten the gist of what happened twenty years ago. I don’t think we needed a hundred pages of clarification. A simple paragraph of explanation from Akiva would have been enough.

Secondly, the flashbacks take you away from the now, which at the time was a very intense moment between Karou and Akiva. So while you’re reading what happened decades ago, you’re like “Hey! What about those guys? I don’t CARE about Madrigal right now! What’s going on with Karou?”

It was an awful, awful way to end the book.

In my opinion.

Verdict: Well, if I rated this book on the lasting impression it gave me, it’d be 2/5. The end was a train wreck. However, if you look past that, the first three-hundred pages were absolutely phenomenal. I was completely wowed and blown away. So, I’m disappointed by this book, but I still think it deserved some recognition. Laini Taylor did an excellent job here.
And, of course, there’s always next time. Days of Blood & Starlight looks promising, just so long as there aren’t any more unnecessary trips into the past.

Oh My God! Have you ever read a book and during it you were like "Hmm I don't know how I feel about this book" and throughout the whole thing you still didn't know and by the end you finally realised you loved it? Well that was this book for me. Everything about this book is amazing, from the writing to the characters and the storyline. I need the second book right now!

I loved Karou. Throughout the whole story she was searching for who she really was. Although who she ended up being took on a magical quality isn't that what we all search for throughout our lives? She was a kick-butt character who didn't take nonsense from anybody, not her ex-boyfriend Kazimir and definitely not catepillar eyebrow girl Svetla. She was leading two different lives, one where she lived in the "normal" world alongside humans and the other where she did errands for the "monsters" who raised her.

And the "monsters" who raised her? Loved them too! From Brimstone the wishmonger all the way to Kishmish. They were all so well developed and took care of their own. They really show you that it's not what you look like on the outside but what you are on the inside that really counts.

Then there is Akiva. I loved him. I really don't think I should discuss him too much since it will give away too much of the story.

The places that the story take place in are stunning. From Prague and Morocco all the way to the city of the chimaera. The descriptions really draw you in and you can almost imagine that you are there right alongside of Karou on her many adventures.

Seriously, the writing in this book is fantastic. The whole story just flows and there is never a dull moment. And the words the author used, finally someone who believes that young adults can understand things beyond words with four letters that are repeated over and over again. Plus she makes up her own words, how awesome is she?

Do I recommend this book? YES! Go out and read it right now. You will not be disappointed. This book breathes a breath of fresh air into the Young Adult genre.

Forget everything you’ve ever believed about angels and demons…

As readers, we search for those sometimes elusive books that stay with us and resonate long after we’ve read the last page and closed the cover. Those books we return to again and again for that special something that grabbed hold of our psyche and refused to let go. For me, one of those special books is DAUGHTER OF SMOKE & BONE by Laini Taylor.

If the eye-catching cover hadn’t been enough to draw my attention, the title sure was. It hinted at something mysterious, something painful yet hopeful. And it didn’t disappoint.

This is the poignant tale of a young woman on the cusp of adulthood, a brilliant artist in a modern world, yet the only family she’s ever known exist Elsewhere and though she visits them often, entering through common doors around the world that are enchanted, her life is permeated with unanswered questions about who she really is and where she comes from. Because the hamsas in her palms and the chimaera she calls family aren’t part of the typical human teenage experience. And there’s no reason for the bone-deep attraction and comfortable familiarity she feels around a coldly beautiful, mysterious fiery-winged seraph … is there?

Karou, which means “hope” in the chimaera language, is a seventeen-year-old artist living in Prague. She’s also the courier for Brimstone, the enigmatic chimaera who raised her, a collector of teeth. But what he does with the teeth is what Karou burns to know.

When she enters the forbidden, shadowy door at the other end of Brimstone’s office that has been left uncharacteristically unguarded, her life and the lives of her chimaera family change in ways she never could have imagined and the truths she’s spent years wishing and searching for bring to mind the proverb “Be careful what you wish for.”

A fantastical blend of romance, myth, magic, and the search for one’s true self, this YA fantasy novel struck a cord in my imagination that’s still strumming today, a year after I first picked it up and devoured the words within.

Through Taylor’s mastery and obvious devotion to imagery, my love for the English language was renewed. I envisioned Prague, a city suspended within the grasp of history, and hosts of chimaera danced their way through my imagination. I laughed and cried, raged at Akiva for his heartbroken acts of vengeance and Karou’s insatiable, mistrustful curiosity. And I exclaimed with dismay when I read the last word, realizing that it’d be 12 WHOLE MONTHS before I could continue reading Karou and Akiva’s story!

Somehow, I survived, reread DAUGHTER OF SMOKE & BONE after the release of the sequel, DAYS OF BLOOD & STARLIGHT, which cover and title are equally compelling, and fell in love all over again! And now I have to survive ANOTHER 12 months until the final, as yet unnamed, book in this trilogy is released. Oy vey!

If you haven’t read this book, stop what you’re doing and go buy it now. It doesn’t matter if you buy the printed or e-book version. Just get it and read it. And then read the sequel. Repeat. If you don’t love both books, there’s no hope for you as a reader.

After seeing loads of people with eyes painted on their hands I figured I better read Laini Taylor’s “Daughter of Smoke & Bone.” Now that I’ve finished the thing, I’ve come to the conclusion to take much better care of my teeth in case anyone ever decides to resurrect into my likeness.

Using teeth to create bodies for souls to inhabit and having tattoos of eyes on one’s hands are just two of the many details delved into in Taylor’s book. When I say many, I mean many. There are a lot of details, big and small, that are written in this story, many leaving me wondering what the importance of them were to the overall story. But I gotta say: I didn’t mind any of these details at all.

Taylor’s lead character, Karou, has such an interesting life that I want to know silly things like what bakery she goes to in Prague in the morning. I want to know that she went to Paris to get her BFF an antique tutu. I want to know that her favorite hangout is known for its poison goulash. Normally when faced with mundane details that seem to be put in there just to create a higher word count I find myself huffing and ughing until I get to some real meat. With Taylor’s depiction of Karou, it didn’t seem like she was reaching for a higher word count. Instead it feels like Taylor gets just as lost in the wonder of the world she’s created as her readers do. So even though the book probably could have been 50 pages shorter and still had just as much action, I don’t think it should. I found myself wanting to read more about Karou’s life, sort of like yearning for a literary reality show: “Keeping up with Karou.”

I don't know why I have never rated this book yet, seeing how it was one of my first ebook to ever read and also because it was AMAZING. I couldn't stop reading it and my mom kept chewing me out...(: Back to the story, I really liked how this book can't really be compared to other books because it's just so different then other books. I really can't imagine where Laini got her ideas from BUT I do appreciate them! #1 reason why I loved the book...I really liked the main character and her personality. #2 I liked how different and out there it was(already mentioned above)#3 I loved the romance....to believe it you will have to read if not already. There are many other reasons but that will take forever to write soooo.... I recommend it if you haven't read it already

So. Um. Wow.

By now you’re probably privy to the praise that surrounds Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone. I can tell you this: it’s all rightfully earned.

I’m really not a fan of angel books. They almost always follow the same formula what with the girl who’s all sad and piney, the brooding angel boy, and the terrible THING that keeps them apart. But Daughter? Not so much. I don’t want to get into the mythology of the story too much, though since the reader learns about it along with Karou. Before we even get to the angels there’s the magic of teeth and wishes and door portals which was awesomely original.

Taylor definitely has a way with words. The writing in Daughter is absolutely gorgeous and rich. She spares no detail whether it’s describing or gorgeous boy or setting the scene in Prague. I loved how vividly she portrayed Prague too. I’ve never been and now I desperately feel the need to go and experience it all for myself.

Not let’s talk characters.
Karou – she’s headstrong and knows what she wants. I loved how badass she was when trying to kill Akiva, but that she also has a softness inside of her that made her stop trying to kill him. Plus, I love that when things start going crazy she actually tells her best friend what’s going on instead of hiding it.
Kaz – at this point I’m interested in seeing if he’ll play a bigger role in the story.
Zuzanna – fiery and adorable best friend who doesn’t automatically get shunted to the side when things start to go down.

The Nutshell: We have magic, mysterious teeth, a kickass girl with blue hair who still has a heart a richly depicted Prague, monsters, and a boy with wings made of fire. Basically, go get this book now.

Direct Hit

It took me some time to really get into this story, but when I did I couldn't put it down. Taylor's prose is eloquent and light, floating off of the page with each sentence. She does some excellent world building, and makes her characters believable. My biggest complaint about most fantasy books is that the characters aren't believable or relevent, I don't buy it. Taylor is able to convince me that a character like Brimstone could really exist in the way he does through the story.

There is a love story at the heart of this novel, which is what really captured my attention. Many YA books are so focused on strong female characters, kicking ass and taking names, they forget that young girls want to read about love, to be enamored by the idea of soulmates, and that whatever is meant to be...will be.

I finished the last few chapters in a rush to get to the end of the book, wanting anxiously to find out what happened, and was left hanging. I am eager to read the sequal.