Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Title and Author: Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Laini Taylor
Format: Paperback
Pages: 418
Release Date: September 1st, 2011
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

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?

(Four and a Half Stars)

To describe this word in three words, I'd say: creative, refreshing and enthralling. Oh Laini Taylor, you are an absolute genius. This book was everything I hoped Fallen and all those other angel books would have been. From the very first page, Daughter of Smoke and Bone had captured my interest and I immediately realised there was something special about it.

{Characters}

I'll begin with our leading lady. Karou is probably one of the best heroines I've ever come across in my recent escapades with YA. She's got attitude, awesome blue hair and this mystery that you can't help but be drawn to like a moth to flame. Despite being so not normal, Karou was so easy to relate to. Her thoughts and wishes were exactly what a teenage girl's would be in the same situation. Living two very different lives, the reader gets an insight in to both worlds. Karou can't help but feel like she doesn't really belong in either but she doesn't know why. Truth be told, she doesn't really no much about herself. I'm telling you now, she's not like any other character you've seen before.  

Akiva, the love interest is what a love interest should be. This is definitely a fine specimen that everyone can't help but fall in love with. The other characters including Zuzana and Mik and Brimstone and Issa were all just as interesting. Laini Taylor should be congratulated on creating such a diverse and imaginative range of characters.

{Setting}

Daughter of Smoke and Bone had quite possibly one of the best settings I've read about for a while. The way Taylor described everything and showed rather than told was absolutely amazing. The vivid imagery helped me see everything as it happened and all the worlds were so different and well thought-out. I loved it. Loved it, loved it, loved it.

{Plot}

I don't know what I can say here because I absolutely refuse to spoil anything for you. I'll just say that I loved the mystery in the storyline. He pace was brilliant, not too slow or too fast. I felt like the reader is always on the same page as the characters and we didn't have to wait for them to play catch-up. And ohmigod, the ending. I remember wanting to scream something along the lines of 'No, it can't end there!' and if I remember correctly, proceeded to slam my head against the wall for an unknown amount of time. In short, there's a cliffhanger. I detest and love cliffhangers at the same time and this one left me so conflicted. 

{Romance}

I don't have an issue with insta-love usually. I mean, it's bearable and even if some development would have been nice, I wouldn't let it ruin the whole book for me. The relationship between Karou and Akiva though, even if it could be described as insta-love, felt so right, their really speedy attraction was perfectly fine. Their characters had brilliant chemistry and how Taylor gave us a peek from both parties was wonderful. The mystery of who or what Karou really is plays a huge part in the romance in the book and honestly, it was a twist I didn't expect. I love these two together and will be cheering them on until the very end.  

If you haven't yet, pick this book up right now. You won't be disappointed.