Book Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Laini Taylor

418 Pages

September 27th, 2011

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?

You know when you discover a series way later than everyone else? When a book is already so hyped up that you're afraid to just sit your ass down and read it? That's what happened to me with Daughter of Smoke and Bone, though I really wish I had read it sooner so I could have been raving about it right along with everyone else. This book is amazing you guys, truly amazing!

Laini Taylor is now one of my favorite authors. Her writing tone and personality is unlike anyone else's, and that is something I've come to appreciate over my years as a bookworm. The words flow across the page like water, like an ocean on a calm, clear day. Each word brought meaning to the story and I found myself lost in the streets of Prague, feeling like I was the one running errands in other worlds for Brimstone.

Brimstone.. he seemed pretty shady at first, but it really didn't take long for me to love his character.  It's clear he had many secrets, but he really hides them for Karou's sake, to keep her safe from his world. He cares about her so much, it's hard to think he's 'evil" or "bad" in any way, shape or form.

Karou.. god I love her name! She has always had an inkling that something was off with herself, though she can't put her finger on what. She doesn't know where she comes from, and I was surprised she didn't ask more questions. She was strong when she needed to be, but still very.. eh.. human I suppose. I loved her snarkiness and how she had a sarcastic sense of humor that I could definitely relate to.

I loved the world of the Chimera and the Serephim (spelling?!) The setting and imagery was so vivid that I couldn't put the book down. The romance between Karou and Akiva was a bit fast paced, but you understand why later on in the story, so it wasn't truly insta-love. Even if it had been, these two were the perfect couple, even though they come from different worlds and really.. never should have met.

With secrets lurking around every corner, Daughter of Smoke and Bone was a thrilling read that kept me guessing until the end. I'm sure I'll be picking up the sequel in the next few weeks!