Daughter of Smoke and Bone - Book Review

Title ~ Daughter of Smoke and Bone
Series ~ Single Title
Author ~ Laini Taylor
Release Date ~ September 27, 2011
Age Group ~ Young Adult
Publisher ~ Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Source ~ Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

GOODREADS SUMMARY

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 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 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?

REVIEW

A war between angels and devils. A world in ruins. A devil’s workshop. BRING IT!

Karou has had an interesting childhood. Understatement of the year! Raised by monsters in a mystical workshop, she has always been different. Even with her unique past though, Karou fought to have a normal life and friends.  Knowing that she had typical teen tendencies despite the obvious "raised by monsters" thing made her someone I could grow attached to as a character. There is a lot about herself that Karou does not understand, and there's an intense fight to learn. I went through most of the book trying to figure out the mystery that was Karou, and had a fun time puzzling it out.

The worlds that Laini Taylor created are vividly and colorfully described. The real world action takes place in the artsy, haunted town of Prague. I immersed myself in the culture of Prague and loved visiting. Then there is the world of Fretz, an alternate dimension where angels and devils are at war. I was blown away by the descriptions of the caged city of chimaeras.  They are devilish creatures that seem like a mix of animal and human and demon.  It's paranormal goodness!

Daughter of Smoke and Bone is mysterious, creepy, and beautiful.  Yes, beautiful. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a paranormal mystery. Be prepared to be swept away into a world of intrigue and battle.  This one sits near the top of my 2011 favorite books.

RATING

5 Loved

COVER COMMENTS

The cover shows Karou in her turquoise feather mask for the masked ball. I like how the turquoise pops against the black background. Same goes for the white title font. Oh, and the funky title totally makes sense when you read the book. Nice!