Release Date: September 27th, 2011
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Format: Hardcover Novel
Source: Gifted
Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by wi rangers 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?
Willa's Rambles:
I couldn't wait to read The Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and I was ecstatic when I recieved it over the holidays! I couldn't wait to dive in, and It lived up to every expectation I had.
Karou and her otherworldly life is so mysterious so the majority of the book, because we, as readers, only know what Karou knows - and that isn't much. So as Karou discovers more about her past, so do we, and as Karou falls for someone she isn't supposed to, she only can only help but wonder why. Karou has a fire that makes us love her, a spirit that keeps her alive, and a secret that kill her. The only question is - when?
The suspense and constant questions of this novel made me feverish to finish, and Taylor has done a beautiful job of crafting a world that I could never imagine. Karou's life is fantastical, and makes for a wonderful story. Akiva is mysterious, and holds a past that could separate them forever. Her family and friends are different and incredible. And Karou is stuck in the middle between what's real and what could only a dream.
I loved The Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and I highly suggest it to anyone looking for some fantastic fantasy and a taste of romance. Two thumbs up for Laini Taylor!
There is nothing cliche about this story, trust me. Laini Taylor is a writer with talent and extraordinary imagination. What I loved the most about "Daughter of Smoke and Bone" was the world behind it. We all have read our measure of angel books and you will probably agree with me that the portrayal of angels in them rarely goes beyond wings, sexiness and some dark secret behind the "fall." But what if angels and demons are not what is traditionally/biblically accepted? What if you could get into the midst of their world, learn about their cultures, gain knowledge about their centuries-long war? What if the love between an angel and demon is forbidden and a taboo (maybe even by human standards)? Would you like to read about that? I bet you would.
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