Release
Date: September
27, 2011
Publisher:
Little,
Brown Books for Young Readers
Format:
ARC Pages:
418
Genre:
YA
Contemporary, Fantasy, Paranormal, Magic
Series:
Daughter of Smoke & Bone
Sources:
Netgalley
Goodreads
Synopsis:
Around
the world, black handprints 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 grown
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
beautiful, haunted Akiva fixes fiery 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
Thoughts:
The
Cover:
The beautiful cover to this one got me excited right away. The
picture, colors and the shadows, suggesting mystery and danger or
darkness, were very enticing. I just had to read it. And once I
started, I could not stop. I loved every second of it.
The
Plot:
The plot was absolutely amazing. It aroused such a wide variety of
emotions. There were parts where I was angry, sad, frustrated, or
cheering on Karou. Watching her go through all she endured, I
experienced her feelings. Karou and Akiva are like watching a volcano
erupt (from a safe distance, of course…..or maybe not!) The
storyline was full of surprises and at times was very intense. Miss
Taylor created an absolutely breathtaking world, which leaves you
wanting to know more and experience more.
Characters:
I loved all the characters. They were all funny, mysterious, deep, or
in Kaz’ case, shallow (you’ll understand when you read the book)
Truly, they all fit together so very well, I could not imagine Karou
without the wonderful, evil, little fairy, Zuzanna. But Karou and
Akiva’s story eclipsed everything else. It was so powerful; because
they were so strongly drawn to one another, I could not help but feel
that they must have a backstory. But I promise you, that backstory is
like nothing you have ever experienced before.
Is
it Worth Reading?:
Definitely!! I enjoyed Daughter of Smoke & Bone very much. Book
2: Days of Blood & Starlight is already on my ebook and I can
assure you that a review for that will be forthcoming as soon as I
can get a chance to read it.
I
give Daughter of Smoke & Bone 5/5 crossbows smitting Angel fire
and highly recommend it to readers of YA contemporary, paranormal,
fantasy, angels, and magic.
THIS BOOK. Seriously, hands down, one of the best fantasy books I've ever read. Karou and Akiva's love story was simply, as you said, powerful. I hope you love the sequel as much as this one! :)
ReplyDeleteHolly @ Part of that World
I actually read and loved the sequel just as much.....but I can't renember whether I wrote a review or forgot to write one. Either way, absolutely amazing series. I haven't read Dreams of Gods and Monsters though. Think i will have to soon. Have you read it yet?
DeleteThanks for sharing Holly. Talk to you again soon.
Becca