Review: Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

Title: Daughter of Smoke & Bone

Author: Laini Taylor

Series: Daughter of Smoke & Bone #1

Genre: Fantasy/YA/Romance

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: June 5th, 2012 

Edition: Paperback, 418 pages

Source: Purchased

Purchase: Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | BAM

Synopsis:

  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?

Review:

So, this book is just as good as it was the first time I read it. A little better since I notice all the little clues this time around more than I did the first time. I also wasn't as an observant reader back then as I am now. 

Karou is a great character, I liked her character the first time I read this book. I love her character now. She is funny, compassionate, resourceful, and the kind of strong character that I would like to see more of. Even 

I also love all the Chimeria we meet in the shop. Issa, Twigga, Yasri (though we don't really get to know Twigga or Yasri very well) and of course Brimstone. The mental image of Brimstone, who is basically a Minotaur but with a Ram's head rather than a Bull's, hunched over stringing beads onto string makes me giggle. But he another favorite character in this book. He is the one Karou see's as her father since he raised her from infancy. Though you find out his deeper connection to her by the end of the book. 

Zuzanna is absolutely my favorite side(ish)-character in this book. She is sassy, hilarious, spunky, and one of the most loyal friends I have ever read about. She handles Karou's secrets very well and is reasonably put off when she thinks Karou is still lying to her, though Karou had never lied to her the truth is so absurd it always sound like fantastical lies. She is just the most loyal and understanding person ever.

Akiva, his present self isn't as interesting as his past self. Though I suppose holding a 17-year grudge and revenge plot could sap personality form a person. (even though he's a Seraph, not a person... but whatever)

There are some more side/background characters that have little to do with the main plot and characters.

This book kind of has two plots that intertwine. The first is about Karou and the errands she goes on to collect teeth and bones for Brimstone while trying to balance her "normal" life, and the other the mysterious black handprints that start to appear on the doors that lead from the shop into the human world. 

The ending of this book is almost more heartbreaking for me than it was the first time I read it, goes with the being a less observant reader than I used to be. 

I plan on reading Days of Blood and Starlight next so that I have (well-written) reviews for all three books on my blog.