Author: Laini Taylor
Series: Daughter of Smoke & Bone #1
Genres: Fantasy, YA, Angels
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release: 2011
Source: Audiobook/Paperback
Pages: 422
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BLURB:
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 otherworldly 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?
EXPECTATIONS: I have heard so many times how great this book and whole series is that it is no wonder I finally picked it up. Tho I went into it without any knowledge what it will be about except for the fact that it is fantasy.
THE WORLD: Alright so I would not consider this book a YA one, not at all to be honest. I think this is at least NA if not epic adult fantasy. Firstly, we have these two worlds: one is as we all know it, humans living their ordinary lives. However, behind that there is this other world full of magic and mysteries, the world where all sorts of creatures live including monsters. Eventually it turns out that the magic in this world is actually way more than we are let to know and that creatures means all creatures including Angels. Basically this book is about bad and evil eternal fight. Armies of angels and devilish monsters is no rarity in this story. Which of course turned out not so great for me because if you have noticed I really do not like books about angels.
CHARACTERS: Karou and Akiva are two main characters of the book, tho Akiva comes into picture a bit later. Karou is basically a girl raised by some people who now employ her to run some errands from one world to other. However, she does not really face any danger, all she really does is some simple tasks such as collecting teeth as payment. However, one day all doors to this magical world are closed by angels and Karou is left outside. Basically, these creatures in magical world raised her so in a way are her family and ju, Karou is now on her own. So she of course tries to find out what happened and things start to unravel. This is also where she meets Akiva, an angel in a 'good' army. He is basically one of many bred only for the army to fight evil from the magical world. But let's talk about the characters in more detail. First of all Karou, so yeah...I just really have a problem with female leads I think because yet again I could not stand her. It made sense and I guess she is more likable when we go to the past and get to know what really happened but still. She is just one of those I am a bad ass so I am super cool and arrogant. But she is nothing in comparison to Akiva. Now a warning, if you like him you might not want to read this paragraph further because I really really hated him. I mean it is rare that I see more annoying, I am mister right and I am biggest victim type of males. I just hrrr I just really want to punch him. Or I wish I could maybe roast him on the fire slowly till he dies and then make him reborn and do it again and again. Worst male character ever. I mean seriously if not for him I might have liked this book!
ROMANCE: The forbidden love between Karou and Akiva of course, why wasn't it obvious from that spoilery blurb already? Makes me wanna puke.
GOOD: Alright so if we pretend Akiva does not exist the story itself was pretty good and unique. I really liked this idea of doors to magical world and I just loved the past flashbacks. Also, the twist was awesome!
BAD: Akiva akiva akiva. I mean how bad he must be to make me never want to pick this book again?
OVERALL: No, just no. I loved the idea and the story itself but thanks to this stupid arrogant bitch of a male I will not continue the series. I wish I never knew who Akiva was.
What do you think about DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE?
