YA Book Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone Trilogy By Laini Taylor

Daughter of Smoke and Bone

This is a very imaginative book. The world and the magic are well thought out and are horribly wonderful. I liked the characters, even the minor ones, and if there was a weakness it would be the suddenness of the relationships. (But I don’t see any other way for it to have happened.)

I believe it’s best to read this book knowing as less about it as possible, so I recommend you skip the summary and just trust me and go out and get it.

Okay, I understand your curiosity to know more. There's no way to describe this book without some small spoilers, but I promise I won’t reveal anything in my summary that isn't already on the book’s back cover. (Which reveals way too much, so read mine instead.)

Karou is an art student living in Prague. Her friends all believe she has a great imagination and enjoy her sketches of her Chimera ‘friends’. She’s perfected the art of lying by telling the truth with a wry smile. Her friends never suspect that all her stories are true. The star of these stories is Brimstone, like all the chimera he’s part human and part beast, which in his case is a ram.

Karou goes on errands for Brimstone, collecting teeth of all things. The four chimera live in a magical shop which can be found behind doorways all over the world, which Karou uses for her errands. Brimstone never answers Karou's questions about what the teeth are for or how she wound up in the shop as a baby.

Strange burned handprints start appearing on Brimstone’s doors and there are rumors all over the world of sightings of angels. Karou doesn’t give them much thought until she comes face to face with one of these angels. He’s beautiful and he’s trying to kill her.

Days of Blood & Starlight

I liked the further expansion of the world and the characters, and all of the new characters. But (afraid there is a but) This book was just so depressing. Not much good happens to these poor characters...

My only problem with the characters rests with Karou.  I was mentally yelling at her throughout this book. I like you Karou, I do, and I know you’ve been through a lot, but where has your backbone gone? And how can you be so stupid? I figured it out chapters before you did.

Though the opposite was true too, the characters kept knowing things chapters before us readers found out.  (I know what you’re doing author lady. You keep withholding information from us readers so we don’t put your book down. And well... it might have worked... but it was still annoying!)

One of the Best parts of this book was Karou’s human friend Zuzana and her boyfriend Mik. I love their personalities, their weirdness, and their relationship. They were a happy part in an otherwise too sad book.

The first book was almost an older YA book, but this one definitely is older YA. For violence, sex, and one almost rape scene. (Don’t worry though it’s not a bad one.)

Dreams of Gods & Monsters 

It was strange how the author introduced new characters and plotlines in the last book of a trilogy. I kept wondering why she felt to need to add several seemingly pointless new side stories. At 75% of the book it all started to make sense. The new aspects of this book were the set up for the next set of adventures.

I’m glad the author decided to go for this odd way of writing though, because the new storylines turned out to be my favorite part of the book in the end. (Weird I know.) So, hang in there and don’t skip over them.

There was also more excellent world building in the third book. Perhaps even a bit too much was explained. It felt all too neat and tidy, but I’m sure that for the next book it won’t be. (And there had better be a next book!)

Daughter of Smoke and Bone - 9 Stars

Days of Blood & Starlight - 7 Stars

Dreams of Gods & Monsters - 8 Stars