It’s day four of our Birthday Bash, and we hope you’re having lots of fun celebrating with us!
One of the things that we love the most about being book bloggers is all of the amazing friends that we’ve met and are able to share our love of books with. Our dear friend Sherry loves Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor and when we told her we had a signed paperback to give away, she offered to let all of ya’ll know why this is a book that can’t be missed!
Here’s what Sherry has to say about Daughter of Smoke and Bone:
Daughter of Smoke and Bone, what can I say? Two years have passed since I read DoSaB and just sitting here thinking about what to say transports me back to that eerie but magical otherworld that Laini Taylor so vividly painted in this first book of the trilogy. Laini’s prose is so lush and beautiful that it breathes life into the places and characters that at face value should be terrifying, but as the layers are revealed they became friends I’d want to have and places I’d want to visit. I found myself wishing I could knock on doors, as Karou did, and wait to be granted entrance into “Elsewhere.”
She was no longer in Prague.
Even though she had lived in Brimstone’s shop, she still didn’t understand where it was, only that you could enter through doorways all over the world and end up right here. As a child she used to ask Brimstone where exactly “here” was, only to be told brusquely, “Elsewhere.”
— Daughter of Smoke and Bone, page 35
Karou is a 17-year- old art student with blue hair. Her best friend, Zuzana, is totally awesome, in part because she accepted the secret side of Karou, who on a whim could be gone for hours or days running her mysterious “errands” only to come home disheveled and sometimes sick. Who knew that Karou was balancing the life of a normal human girl and a completely separate life of an orphan raised by chimeras, who collected teeth for Brimstone, the wishmonger, and moved about the world through mysterious doorways? Why did he need so many teeth? Why was she an orphan? Why was she raised by these partially human, partially animal creatures? Where exactly are they? I loved Karou’s bravery and determination to find the answers she so longed for even when she is thrust into the center of a war she never knew existed, shaken to the core by death, and comes face to face with an angel bent on revenge – all of which are pivotal to the secrets of her past.
Akiva!!! Can I say SWOON?!?! In so many ways he doesn’t seem swoonworthy. He is an angry angel set out for revenge. But as the story unfolds, you learn that his anger comes from a heart wrenching loss of love so devastating that he vows to avenge the love he will never have again. Part of his plan for revenge involves following Karou and for a long while in the book I’m not sure whether to fear him or love him. But from the moment we meet him there was something about him that pulled at my heart. I ached for him before I even knew why I should. He is described as breathtakingly beautiful and as having “live fire in his eyes,” but trust me by the end of the book he is completely swoony. His swoon is one that breaks down barriers of worlds we never thought possible.
There are so many twists and turns with elements of surprise around every corner. This book is not the typical YA book that I’m used to reading. There is no High School girl in love with the new “hot guy” at school – drama ensues. The first page of DoSaB reads:
Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love. It did not end well.
There is a certain dark theme set up from the beginning, but the thrilling intrigue, epic love, and magical world that Laini Taylor writes so impeccably beautiful leaves you in awe and begging for more. Although the answers to the burning questions that surface while reading are revealed rather quickly and the book sort of ends abruptly with a “kill me now” ending, you are lucky because you have Days of Blood and Starlight to read right away, which continues the brilliance of Taylor’s writing. I had to wait like a year – ugh.
DoSaB is a must read. Don’t let yourself miss out on this epic masterpiece.
Are you loving our Birthday Bash week so far? We’re having a blast spreading love for some of our favorite things! We’ll see you back here tomorrow!
Check out our other posts from this week here:
- Day One: Signed Paperback of Divergent by Veronica Roth
- Day One: ARC of Boy Nobody by Allen Zadoff
- Day Three: Where the Stars Still Shine swag and Something Like Normal-inspired bracelet
Mememememememe pick me pick me. I want a signed copy!!!!!!
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline! I’ve heard amazing reviews about this book, particularly about the world building 🙂
The book on my birthday wish list is This song will save your life by Leila Sales.
A Tale of Two Centuries by Rachel Harris 🙂
Today I’ll say…Siege and Storm!
Once by Anna Carey. 🙂
I have so many on my wish list to get it would be a tough choice to decide.. I have been trying to catch up on some of the older books…thanks for the giveaway!!!
3:59 by Gretchen McNeil!!
Unhinged by A.G. Howard would be at the top of my wishlist!! Happy Blogoversary!
Unhinged by A.G Howard and The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin.
I would have to say Ignite Me even though it hasn’t come out yet, I would still love a pre-order xD
MacReive!
Happy Birthday!
These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman is a book on my birthday wishlist.
I’d have to say I’ve wanted a signed copy of this book for a long time!!! It would make the perfect birthday present! Thanks for the great giveaway!
My wishlist will be the same until I have them in my hands….Allegiant and Into the Still Blue.
xoxo
Erin
The 3rd book in this trilogy Dreams of Gods & Monsters is on my birthday list, can’t wait to read it. 🙂
Happy blogoversary and thanks for a giveaway! 🙂
City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare plus a lovely manuscript/ARC of the first book in the Dark Artifices series XD
So many books would be on my wishlist. Let’s see, Split Second by Kasie West, Untold by Sarah Rees Brennan, More Than This by Patrick Ness, Tell the Wolves I’m Home.
Thank you for the giveaway!
Once Bitten by Kalayna Price.
Thanks for the amazing giveaway!
elizabeth @ bookattict . com
I know its already out but I would like to own my own copies of Destroy Me and Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi. I have Shatter Me but not the others. 🙁
Happy Birthday!
Definitely Not a Drop to Drink. It’s not released yet, but I’m so excited for it.
So many, but Cress for sure!
delirium