Book Review: Daughter of Smoke & Bone

Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor
September 27, 2011
Little, Brown & Company
417 pages
Source: Personal Purchase

Goodreads Summary:

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 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?

My Review:

I waited a while to read this book. I don't know why except I wasn't sure if I would like it, so I kept procrastinating. Well, it's good I finally read it. I thoroughly enjoyed this amazing world Laini Taylor created and the unique story of Karou and her discovery of who she is. Wow!

First, I'll say that I love Laini Taylor's writing style. The way she puts words and sentences and phrases together allowed me to completely envision what Karou and Akiva saw as well as feel all the emotions they were feeling. I felt like I was right there with them. And how unique and interesting Karou and Akiva are! I won't give details because that would spoil the journey of the book, that is exploring and discovering who they are. But what a journey it is. And how special are they!

Second, this book is so many things wrapped up in one: a teenage girl's discovery of who she is, her understanding of the "monsters" who raised her and the unique family she belongs to, a man dealing with the pain of his past and the consequences of decisions he made that he regrets, the exploring of a world beyond our world, the battle of prejudice and hatred, a heartbreaking love story a la Capulet and Montague, the exploration of loneliness and family and personal fulfillment, and so very much more.

The ending left me anticipating the next book and what will happen next for Karou, Akiva, Brimstone, Zuzana, and so many other characters. This is truly a magnificent journey!

5 STARS