Review: Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

Book: Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor
Publication Date: September 27, 2011
Series: Daughter of Smoke & Bone, #1
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars







Around the world, black handprints 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 grown dangerously low.
And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly 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?


WHAT I LIKED

• Let me start off by saying Laini Taylor has beautiful writing. Her description and attention to detail was superb. I could literally picture everything that was being told. I loved it so much that I want to go live in Prague because she made it sound so romantic and gothic. Also, the way she described the way the demons was both gruesome, yet marvelous. I pictured how horrific they seemed. None of them look the same and they were a mix of both animal and human. Some more animalistic looking, especially if they were reincarnated.
• The story was different. Not like anything I've read before with such imagination! For instance, who would come up with making wishes using human teeth?! Laini Taylor does, that's who! I don't read many books about chimaera so that was a unique concept for me too. She can practically come up with any kind of story and I will read it.
• I liked the main character, Karou. She diminished a little about halfway through to the end, but she was still strong. I liked that she had bright blue hair and didn't care what others thought. I loved the part where she got vengeance to get back at her ex-boyfriend. That was hilarious. Karou is basically an orphan girl who does errands, collecting teeth in different countries for her adopted "family". The process of the story takes her on journey of discovering where she came from and who her real family is. I liked guessing who she was. I also liked Karou for thinking of what was best for her. Yes it got her in trouble sometimes, but at least she didn't fall victim to being a weak person.
• I liked that both sides, the seraphim and the demons had their bad side to them. Although the seraphim claim to be good, they do not sound right at all. They act as though they are holier than thou and all monsters should die without mercy. They did not stop to consider that not all seraphim are vulgar monsters.
• The chemistry between Karou and Akiva was instantaneous. I could understand why they clicked easily so that didn't bother me. They had a good connection and I hope they delve into their relationship more. They are both tortured souls who have seen both the bad and the good, which is why I believe they connected so well.
• I really enjoyed the side characters such as Karou's best friend, Zuzana, and her family members, Issa and Yasri. Zuzana was a cute, spunky friend and she stuck with Karou even when things got out of hand. I hope she's in the next books! Also, Issa and Yasri were great mother figures to Karou. They took care of her as if she were there own flesh and blood. I am saddened by what happened to them and hope for a miracle to happen.   

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE

• On one hand of the book being so well written, the story dragged on too long. There was so much info dumping that I got a headache. Plus the fact that she went back in time made the book lose a little of its wonderful prose. Which leads me to my next complaint.
• It felt chronologically out of order. They should have put the past first because it really confused me. That or they should not have put Madrigal's point of view in it. It felt unnecessary. Maybe if Taylor had just summed the past up in one or two chapters it might have flowed better, but the change of scenery really threw me for a loop. It isn't horrible, but I think that's what slowed the story down. I wanted to know what was happening in the present time more. Going back in the past slowed the story down, and left me confused at first as to why we were going back.
• It was a little insta-lovey. I understand why Karou and Akiva had chemistry right from the beginning, but I didn't like the instant love between Akiva and Madrigal. They barely knew each other for two days and already they claimed their love for each other by having sex! I will admit they had some steamy scenes and the chemistry sparked between them, but enough with the insta-love!

FINAL VERDICT
I would seriously recommend this book. Although it has some roughs spots in this book, overall I enjoyed it immensely. I loved her story enough to keep me entertained. I also really need to know what happened to Karou's family because they didn't deserve that fate. Then there's the fact that Karou and Akiva are on opposing sides now. Will they stay enemies? Or can they forgive each other enough to fight on the same battlefield together? These are the questions that stir in my head to continue with the second book, Days of Blood and Starlight. I apologize if this review was a tad confusing. I just had to ramble all these things that left me with so many questions.