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

I would never have picked this book up on my own, but desperate for something to do while waiting to meet up with friends (and having forgotten to bring the novel I was currently reading along with me) I dropped into a local bookstore and asked the sales girl to recommend a good and unique YA book. Several of the titles she suggested I had previously read, but then she picked up Daughter of Smoke and Bone…

What’s it about? Karou has two lives. One as an art student in Prague, and the other Elsewhere. Raised by Brimstone, a monstrous creature and the closest thing she has to family, Karou must work as his errand girl, leaving her life on Earth in order to do his bidding. She travels the world, collecting teeth from hunters and murderers, yet she has never been privy to why Brimstone requires such things. When the portals between Karou’s two worlds begin to close, she is forced work together with her enemy in order to discover the secrets of her past, and discover who she really is.

Sydney says… Oh, man! I am so absolutely happy that I actually took the advice of the salesgirl on this one! Daughter of Smoke and Bone is something special. It’s completely different to anything else I have ever read. The detail was just amazing and the back story was intricately weaved throughout the narrative, allowing the reader to remain interested from beginning to end. I have to say that there were many instances that frustrated me because I wanted the story to go a certain way, however, this just added to the experience and kept the pages turning. The characters, particularly the Chimaera, were developed to perfection and I loved the character of Karou (though less as Madrigal). Perhaps the one negative, keeping in mind that I love long books, is that it really could have been half the length and still been a winner. There was a lot of unnecessary filler. To be fair, though, this filler is the sort of stuff that can take a text from commercial to literary fiction.

Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love. And it did not end well.
The extremely promising first sentence of this book was absolutely worth the book. Never before had I seen a book that got so much positive attention on blogs before. I just started reading blogs, and the whole blogosphere was buzzing about this book. Everyone read it, everyone loved it. And now I have read it too. And -not so very astonishing - I fell in love with it.

The story, set in the mysterious city of Prague and in 'Elsewhere' hypnotised me. I couldn't put it down until I had finished it. I didn't eat, drink or sleep for a couple of hours, and if breathing wasn't mandate I wouldn't have. It was interesting, beautifully written, a wonderful female protagonist and a very mysterious romance. Also, there were angels and demons, need I say more?

Karou, the main characters, belongs in my list of favorite female protagonists of all time. She has a very annoying ex-boyfriend who is 'stalking' her, but she doesn't care. Ex-boyfriend Kaz 'Jackass' will do anything to win back Karou's love. But he just might go a little bit -or way- too far. Still, Kaz was not a stereotype stalker ex-boyfriend. He was acting very humorous all the time, and was acting like a friend and jackass at the same time. All the time. And that's what makes him crazy Kaz, someone I would love to meet someday, no matter if in real life or a dream. And then there was Akiva, the wonderful angel. -Akiva, will you please marry me?- I absolutely fell in love with him and his way of thinking and acting. Still, I had a hard time figuring out him. Is he the good one or the bad one? To me, he was neither black nor white. He was gray, something in between.

Karou herself is a very complicated character. She is a helper of Brimstone, a demon who collects teeth. She collects the teeth for Brimstone, but has no idea why. For the teeth, Karou gets rewarded with wishes she can use for herself. There are small, not valuable, wishes, but there also are bigger ones, that can give you a long and healthy life, or something else. Once, she had wished for blue hair, and she got it. Never has she dyed it agian. Blue hair is one of the things that totally belongs with Karou's character. Karou is a strong, independent girl, but who is she actually? Karou is about to find out the reality about herself and the world.
The plot of this book is very complicated at the beginning. But then everything starts to unravel, and you figure it all out, sentence by sentence. The closer you come to the ending of the book, the more you understand it. I didn't have a clue about the ending of this book when I was halfway, and that's amazing. I don't like it when a book is very predictable. The setting was perfect for this book, as were the character names. They fit all of them so well!

If you haven't read this book already you totally should read it sometime -very- soon!!

Karou was raised by chimaera - half man/half animal creatures - and has access to making frivolous wishes come true, like having her hair grow in blue. With no explanation as to how she came to have chimaera as a foster family, and an uncanny feeling that she is missing something important inside, Karou can't help but question who she is.

The pacing is absolutely wonderful! Slightly frightening details are almost casually revealed, and as the secrets of "Elsewhere" (the world Karou enters when visiting Brimstone, her foster father) are slowly and enticingly revealed, you begin to piece together an amazing tale involving a centuries old war between the Seraph and the Chimaera - and Karou's place in between. The anticipation of having the full explanation is continued throughout the entire book, leaving you guessing and hungering for more. Just when you think you have something figured out, another clue is revealed and you're back to racking your brain for answers.

Every feeling Karou has comes alive on the page. Her aching loneliness, her all-encompasing curiosity and her dawning understanding as things are revealed are all emotions that you experience with her. I was so invested with her character, that I was unable to see things beyond her perspective, and thus all the hints that had been accumulating only became clear when it was too late. Akiva's admission in the final chapter left me feeling hollow and empty, and I felt Karou's heart break alongside my own.

I just don't even have the words to properly explain how well written this book is, how alive the worlds are as you're reading and how invested you become in each character; even the supporting characters are all well done!

There's a popular quote from the beginning of this book going around, but I'm going to be a little different and go with a different one, that makes the most sense once you have finished the book:

Once upon a time,
a little girl was raised by monsters.

But angels burned the doorways to their world,
and she was all alone.

All that being said, even though I really enjoyed pretty much everything about this book, there's something unmemorable about it, and for that reason I can't give it 5 stars. (Again wishing I had half stars, cause this definitely deserves a 4.5!)

Ah, the summary doesn't really give the book justice. Sure it's good, but it doesn't hold a candle to the incredibleness of this book.
First off, I absolutely love Karou. She's just this amazing, witty girl. See for yourself:
"Well,” she mused, “I know there’s only one person you really love, and his name does start with a K. But I can think of a better place for it than your heart.” She took up her pencil and, on her last drawing of Kaz, inscribed a K right over his classically sculpted buttock.

See what I mean?
Okay, now onto the actual book.
As I have mentioned SO many times before, I LOVED this book--it's a definite 5 out of 5. The storyline is fabulous and original. It's one of those books that you pick up, read all the way through, and then when you finish you're shocked you've reached the end.
The only downside to this riveting read is that towards the end, you go to someone else's point of view--Madrigal. Karou is so love-able, that you don't WANT to switch perspectives. And when you do, you don't expect the switch to be SO long. Don't get me wrong, the chapters in Mad's perspective were great and all, but you really wanted to get back to Karou after awhile.

So yeah. If you haven't read "Daughter of Smoke and Bone" by Laini Taylor, go do so RIGHT NOW. That's an order! :)

I had only heard good things about this book, so of course I was skeptical. Reading nothing but good reviews, sometimes leaves me disappointed, but that was not the case with Daughter of Smoke and Bones.

I loved everything from the cover, the writing style, the characters, the setting, and the ending. This book just oozed intrigue and mystery. I was kept on my toes, trying to figure out what in the world was going on! It was a controlled confusion, meaning I knew enough for the story to make sense, but enough was kept a mystery to me that I devoured the book to figure it out.

I love that the author provided a rich history to make the story have so much depth and meaning. The transitions from the present to the past were seamless, and were some of my favorite parts of the story.

All in all who wouldn’t want to read a book about a girl with blue hair (who doesn’t really know who she is) who gathers teeth for a “monster” and falls in love with an angel!? these things might sound silly, but they make for a fantastical read!! I will most definitely be picking up the next book as soon as I can get my hands on it!!

I just finished reading Daughter of Smoke and Bone and I feel as if the book had exploded in my head and every part of the story was engraved on my mind. The story contains a fascinating intrinsic dynamism.

The story revolves around a young art student in Prague. Here name is Karou. She does not have human ties. The only link she has with humanity is her relationship with her best friend, because the only thing that she has ever known is growing with creatures called chimeras. Karou dedicates to running errands for Brimstone, one of the chimeras. In one of his usual errands(unusual pick ups), Karou has a violent encounter with an angel, who are the enemies of the chimeras. From this event, starts a chain of events in which Kaoru and this angel called Akiva, will be the protagonists. The actions of both will affect the future of many and will lead to the secrets of the past to emerge.

This book is a creation of author Laini Taylor and was published by "Little Brown and Company. I can say, this book is so different to everything I have read to this day. Simple yet so powerful. One of the things I appreciate most about this book is the effort the author puts in recounting the events from different perspectives according to the character. Also, the author makes an interesting choice of vocabulary in the story. The wording reflects security and a beautiful use of language by including figurative language with the use of similes and metaphors.

Another important detail is the ease with which history the story is presenting its own mythology of a world of angels and chimeras. The book has two stories that dominate: Akiva / Karou and Akiva / Madrigal. The part of the story dedicated to explain in detail the interactions between angels and chimeras, and their beliefs and legends, is the one dedicated to Akiva / Madrigal.

Several themes emerge from the story:
-Hope is a theme always present in the story and always embodied in Karou.
-War is the catalyst to dictate the fate of the characters. It is what makes of angels disposable machines for war and of the chimeras, beings who see the physical body as secondary, for them the soul is essential. One of the characters expresses: "Have you ever asked yourself, do monsters make war, or does war make monsters?” The reality is this, we are all products of the reality of our everyday life, and if everyday we see war we become warlike beings.
-The struggle between classes is defined by the caste system. Both groups used this system to define their society.
-Using modifications in the skin (tattoos) to establish the reality of each character. Tattoos are a way to communicate and are used to show the journey of a person. On this case the journey of Akiva as a soldier and of Kaoru (she has Hamsas*) as a child growing up with the chimera.
* palm shaped amulet for defense against the evil eye.

Karou is the heroine of the story and is the engine that generates action. This character - in all her incarnations-has caused events and changes. Karou is a character certainly well built and well thought out by Taylor. Karou demonstrates skills, talents (drawing) and is also, shows flaws. The thing that strikes me the most is how, despite the secrecy surrounding her world, she is able to be normal. Karou is brave, she faces her circumstances and when she discovers the benefits of her hamsas she is not afraid, she seems empowered. What is even better about karou is that I could see many of her scenes easily translated into action sequences on a film.
Finally, Karou is great. And she flyes, so that’s points for swag.

Team Karou!

I feel like I'm going to get shot because I didn't fall in love with this book. But you know what? Regardless of your opinion on this book, I am allowed to not like a book. So no more emails screaming at me, mmkay?

Laini Taylor has talent, no doubt about it. She probably has one of the best writing styles I've seen. Her word and the way she writes them are gorgeous. But sometimes, it seemed like overkill to me. So many different words were used to describe one thing that could have been described just as well in half the words. I had to force myself to stop skimming dozens of times.

The beginning was the biggest problem for me, I think. It felt so slow and dragged out, didn't hold my interest at all. The only reason I kept reading is because my real-life best friend has the same taste as me and she said it was really good. Otherwise, I probably would have given up after the first 80 pages.

Admittedly, it did get better. But throughout the whole book, I felt no connection to Karou. She seemed fairly emotionless to me most of the time, and while I loved the banter between her and Zuzanna, most of the time I was just bored because of Karou.

There's also the matter of confusion. Hardly anything made sense to me while I was reading it, and it didn't make any more sense once I was done. Which I think is kind of weird, since the book is over 400 pages. You'd think something could have been explained in there. I would have also liked to know more about the world Karou lived in. I didn't understand it at all. Maybe it's because I'm stupid. *shrugs* But I had no idea what time period it was supposed to be in, when angels and chimaera first came into existence, etc. There was so much information that was vital - in my opinion - left out and replaced with nonsense I wanted to skip over.



Akiva . . . I'm not entirely sure what to say about him. He was definitely different from most YA characters, but at the same time, he just annoyed me a lot. I don't even know why.

And for the record, I completely saw the Karou/Madrigal thing from the first few pages after Akiva mentioned her.

Overall: People love this book. And I guess I can understand why. The story is something fairly original, the writing is gorgeous, but this just wasn't for me. I was so bored and so confused that I almost feel like I wasted my time reading this. Like I said, maybe I'm just dumb. *shrugs* But I can't help it. There was so much unnecessary information that maybe it drowned out the necessary stuff for me. 2.5 stars.



~Zoey~

http://foreverlostinbooks.blogspot.com/2011/12/daughters-of-smoke-and-bones-book.html


Title : Daughter of Smoke & Bone
Series : Daughter of Smoke & Bone #1
Pages : 418
Author : Laini Taylor
Publisher : Little, Brown & Company
Format : Hardcover
Source : Library - Borrowed for Free

My Opinion : Laini Taylor is, without a doubt, one of the most talented author there is living on the planet. Here's why: for an author to create a new world, and for it to be as realistic as it was in the book, as awesome and detailed, with no flaw, this all means Laini Taylor isn't famous enough.

The story evolves around Karou and Akiva (weird names, I know, but do not let it keep you from reading the book) and the war involving chimaeras and kind of fallen angels. At first, it is only Karou who is trying to find out who she really is, but, no chimaera (or monster) she knows wants to tell her (because, as you'll understand later in the story, it would endanger her and them). Then Akiva arrives; strong, cold, handsome (so handsome that any girl who looks at him is jealous of Karou, actually) Akiva. He's... a find of fallen angel. And he's angry because his beloved got killed by the chimaera (and she was a chimaera!) because she was a 'traitor' for loving Akiva as a fallen angel. Oh, and here's something; the story is in Prague. Yep, you read it right: Prague!!!! Not US, or England, but Prague!!!!! *Spoiler* Oh, and here's the thing; Karou's actually Madrigan's reincarnation or something *spoiler's done!*

Anyways, as you can see, the plot is a-mah-zing!! It is so original and quirky! I loved it, and the characters' development was a big plus!
Karou is the weird girl at her art school; she's got blue hair, tattoos, and her drawings are wonderful, yet, are of real chimaeras, but no one knows that. And I pretty much love her! She's cool, awesome, and is special. And then there is Akiva (hawtie!) and I really, really, really love him! He's so awesome, cute, shy and all that!

The writing is a great aspect of the book. It is gigantically detailed and the details are clear and a great addition to the book. It was fast-paced, action-packed... well, everything I love in a book! And there are pretty quotes from the book that I should mention :

''Wishes are false. Hope is true. Hope makes its own magic."

&

'' “Love is a luxury.”
“No. Love is an element.”
An element. Like air to breathe, earth to stand on. ''
Aren't those quotes amazing and beautiful? I think they are!


The cover is just magnificent! It catches the eye right away! I wanted the book at first only becasue of the cover!


This is a to-read for anyone!


5/5 stars!

This book is a visual banquet, from the streets of Prague to the supernatural world of Brimstone and Akiva, I felt surrounded by magic, color, and the kind of little observations that bring a book to life for me. Karou is a fabulous heroine, and I was immediately drawn to her. The plot itself is unique and kept me turning the pages. I felt a bit let down by the romance because I couldn't quite connect to the insta-love between her and Akiva (even though there's a solid reason for it), and the second half of the book has so many flashbacks that I felt like I lost Karou. However, I still anxiously turned the pages to see how it ended, and I will definitely buy the sequel. Ms. Taylor is a talented writer with a magical imagination.

First Impressions: Alright, well I had heard a zillion amazing things being said about Daughter of Smoke and Bone, so it went high up on my never-ending To-Be Read list. But, as usual, I had to get through about 10 other books first before I could start reading this book. So I was thrilled when I was finally able to sit down and cuddle up with this book. I love the cover art, too!

First 50 Pages: It was intense and I could not put it down! I love long lengthy books and lately I haven’t read too many really good, long books. It seems like so many YA books are becoming shorter and shorter in length, which is a disappointment. At 432 pages, I felt like my time was well spent by reading this book. However, once again the author decided to use some very strange, unique names for her characters. It took me a while to get use to all of the characters and made it difficult for me to connect to them at first. I really wish this new trend would end!

Characters & Plot: At its core, Daughter of Smoke and Bone is just another paranormal YA book. It has all of the right elements to make it an excellent, paranormal book. Nowadays, there are SO many of these kinds of books (not that I mind) that it makes it hard to decide which book you should buy when you are browsing at the bookstore.

What makes this book different from all of the rest? So many reasons! First, it has an amazing mix of romance, supernatural elements, fantastical beasts not commonly found in other books, and little twists and turns with every page that is flipped. Second, only Laini Taylor can pull of having demons and angels be the most exciting characters. I usually can’t stand books with angels because they are, well, boring most of the time. Laini creates angels that are completely out of the ordinary and mixes their personalities with a hint of mythology. The way she explains these characters might even tick some people off and create a bit of controversy. It wouldn’t surprise me if certain groups attempted to get this book banned.

And what can I say? Karou is now one of my all-time favorite female characters. She is strong, self-assured, and I love how she doesn’t need to be “saved.” My feminist side is gleaming with pride for this character. It’s about time an author decided that a woman can play rough with the boys. And win!

Style of Writing: Imaginative is the only word that comes to my mind. Highly imaginative and creative. I admire Laini Taylor because she is truly a fantastic author. Her writing style isn’t confusing and is easily followed, but it’s not simple. That is a hard trait to pull off well. Laini Taylor makes it look easy!

Final Thoughts: Another must-read, must-have book. While the main theme that runs through this book is hope, all I could feel was an annoyance and dread upon reaching the final pages. I didn’t want this book to end and then have to wait, who knows how long, for the next addition. It was that good and I highly, highly recommend picking up this book. It will appeal to young and older readers equally. This is one of the best paranormal books I have read all year!