Author: Laini Taylor
Series: Book 1 of 3
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Released: September 27, 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 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?
Fabulous story! Seriously this is just the kind of book I love to read. Given the choice of what to read I gravitate towards young adult paranormal/fantasy. The Daughter of Smoke and Bone was right up my alley. Despite some content I wish hadn't been there (see my note below), I couldn't help but love this story. It's original and I love the way Laini writes. One of my favorite recent reads.
Although The Daughter of Smoke and Bone wrapped up with a cliffhanger like ending it left me feeling satisfied. Looking forward to the yet to be named sequel that will come out a year from now. In the meantime I'm going to start on Laini's Dreamdark series hoping it will be half as good as this one.
Rating: 5 Stars - I loved it.
Source: Received a review copy from publisher but I downloaded it from Audible.com.
Content: Not a clean read but neither was it overly explicit or graphic. The book started off with Karou in an art class drawing nudes, remorseful over having given up her virginity to the male model. I wasn't sure about the book at that point but it definitely went up from there. There was language throughout the first half of the book but I didn't notice as much during the second half of the book, probably because the character that swore the most was no longer a part of the storyline. There was implied sex but without details. Recommended only for older teens and adult.
Yes, exactly that! I went to a book signing and Laini said she had to leave out a lot of the more *detailed* art school stuff at the request of her editor. It was pretty funny though. Now, can't you wait for the movie?
ReplyDeleteA movie? I didn't know there was going to be a movie. It could be fabulous if done right with an adequate budget for special effects.
ReplyDeleteI'm dying to read this one! It's been on my TBR for ages and everyone says the writing is great. The concept is unlike anything I've ever heard of before.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a book I would love to read and I know my teen daughter would love it. Thanks for the review!
ReplyDeleteMichelle
Author of Concilium, available July 2012
Concilium: The Departure, November 2012
www.Michelle-Pickett.com
www.Conciliumbooks.com
Wasn't this fantastic!? I loved it as well! It was incredibly imaginative and different from anything I've ever read.
ReplyDeleteGiselle
Xpresso Reads
There's going to be a movie? That would be awesome!
ReplyDeleteHmmm . . . I'm still not sure about this one. Thanks for the thoughts though.
ReplyDeleteSounds like another great book. If only my TBR weren't already overflowing. Excellent review, as always :-)
ReplyDeleteThis is a story about a girl named Karou living two vastly different lives in two vastly different worlds. The joy of this story is discovering Karou and her role in the other-world known simply as "Elsewhere." I was mesmerized by Elsewhere and the fascinating descriptions of its inhabitants and I was completely smitten with the black market concept of trading teeth in exchange for wishes of varying degrees of potency. The teeth are a source of great intrigue and the author does not disappoint when their purpose is revealed. That's where the real story begins.
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