Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #1)

Author: Laini Taylor

Genre: YA, Fantasy

Publisher: Hodder

Publication Date: September 27th 2011

Format: Kindle (448 pages)

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Synopsis:

Errand requiring immediate attention. Come.

The note was on vellum, pierced by the talons of the almost-crow that delivered it. Karou read the message. ‘He never says please’, she sighed, but she gathered up her things. When Brimstone called, she always came.

In general, Karou has managed to keep her two lives in balance. On the one hand, she’s a seventeen-year-old art student in Prague; on the other, errand-girl to a monstrous creature who is the closest thing she has to family. Raised half in our world, half in ‘Elsewhere’, she has never understood Brimstone’s dark work – buying teeth from hunters and murderers – nor how she came into his keeping. She is a secret even to herself, plagued by the sensation that she isn’t whole.

Now the doors to Elsewhere are closing, and Karou must choose between the safety of her human life and the dangers of a war-ravaged world that may hold the answers she has always sought.

My Rating: ★★★★★

I am so massively late to the game here but in true Kelly style I’ve worked my way backwards. Having loved reading Strange the Dreamer I just knew that at some point I would need to read Laini’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy. After hearing Laini speak in a panel at YALC in July I knew that now was the perfect time and I am OH SO GLAD that I’ve finally indulged in this perfect, fantasy heaven.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone has lit a fire in me that is sure not to go out for a long time yet. How on Earth does Laini Taylor keep such glorious ideas in her head? How does her brain manage to lay out words across a piece of paper in such a majestic, perfect fashion? Reading this book did not feel like reading your average fantasy book. Laini’s words are like magic dashed across the page. Each word has its purpose and they are all woven together to form this seamless, magical creation that is Daughter of Smoke and Bone.

I was intrigued by the premise of this book from the first few pages. I immediately liked Karou, our main character, and wanted to learn as much about her as possible straight away. As this book moved forward I could feel myself letting go of the real world around me and becoming more and more absorbed by Karou and her sparkling world. Laini’s words have created the most gorgeous world here and I could easily imagine every step that Karou took, every conversation that she had felt like a song to my ears and every piece of action felt completely exhilarating.

I loved the world that had been built and I was so invested in the plot of this book that I read this a lot quicker than I was expecting to. There are so many layers to the world and the characters that as I flipped through the pages and peeled back more and more layers I could feel my attachment to the characters growing. I feel so overwhelmed with how much I care about what happens to Karou and Akiva, not to mention the wonderful Zusana whom I couldn’t help but adore. Brimstone filled me with dread, fear and admiration somehow and a part of me still wants to hug Issa, despite the snakes.

It is really no wonder that I’ve heard so many people raving about this trilogy and none more so than one of my favourite authors, Katherine Webber (whom I now imagine as Karou due to her cosplay last weekend!). Laini has created a dark yet glorious world of mystery, intrigue, passion, love and true emotion. I certainly can’t wait to see what happens next – I’m picking up book two right away! (Ps. I have now devoured the whole trilogy!)

Have you read Daughter of Smoke and Bone? What did you think?

Who is your favourite character?

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