Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Book review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Seventeen-year-old Karou attends art school in Prague and trying her best to balance her almost normal life with running, sometimes dangerous, errands for a wishmonger named Brimstone. Karou has always been honest about her other not-so-normal-life, she draws everything she sees but it is so incredible that her friends think she has a very vivid imagination.

The truth is that Karou grew up in Brimstone's shop, among demons. She loves her little demon family but at the same time she has always felt that lonely, hollow ake inside without knowing why.

Suddenly Brimstone's supplies of teeth are almost empty and black hand prints is on every doorway that leads to the shop, that can't possibly be a good thing.
Continue further down to read a mad girl raving on about Daughter of Smoke and Bone, it just blew me away! 

My thoughts:
I've been fortunate enough to read a couple of books lately that have received a lot of great buzz in advance but I somehow failed to see what was so great about the stories. Well I'm glad to say that I've found a book that deserves all the praise it is getting and more! I won't be saying much about the story in this novel because this is a book I believe will be best experienced without knowing all that much about the story in advance.

Author Laini Taylor has created a fantasy that I have yet to read anything similar too. It has humor, warmth, passion and at times it may threaten to break your heart a little. The world building is so rich and vivid without it ever getting boring, no info-dumping here. Every little sentence in the story had its meaning, no unnecessary jibber-jabber. Laini managed to surprise me with the direction the story went as I turned the pages, this was such a treat I cannot believe the amount of imagination a person must have to write this kind of story.

The main character, Karou, is a strong heroine, she is both good and bad, she is tough yet she is vulnerable. Make no mistake Karou is no damsel in distress. There was something to enjoy in each and every one of the other characters as well, they were all masterfully crafted and I kept wondering who the evil ones really were.

I can't wait to see where the story goes next, I'm patiently waiting for a sequel (I don't want to stress the author even though my insides are screaming for it LOL).

Book trailers(a must see, they are both amazingly good!):


Cover:
It's growing on me and I've heard the finished copies is going to have foiling effects to be extra special. I'm going to have to buy it!


My rating of this book:
- AWESOME!


Want a second opinion?
I Eat Words
Presenting Lenore
Serendipity reviews


Want to know more?
Add Daughter of Smoke and Bone to your Goodreads wish list.
Read Laini's blog 
Follow Laini on Twitter 

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Release date: September 29th 2011
Pages(paperback): 448
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
ISBN: 144472262X (ISBN13: 9781444722628)
Full disclosure: 
Review copy from publisher.

This book can be purchased from a number of local retailers and on-line book stores such as Amazon or The Book Depository (I'm not an affiliate of either). The latter store does by the way have free shipping to about 100 countries.

34 comments:

  1. I remember you mentioning this book before, Mari, and since then I have seen it mentioned on another blog too. Seems we are to believe the hype on this one!

    Glad you enjoyed it so much and I shall be looking out for it :)

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  2. It is so great to see that this book is so good... the plot is so interesting :) I am adding this to my wishlist :)

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  3. Every time I read a review for this, I hate each reviewer just a little bit more because YOU'VE read it and I haven't! :P One of my most anticipated novels of 2011!! I am so happy to hear it lives up to expectations and then some. It sounds like such an amazing world Laini has built - the small teasers I've read so far have all been beautifully written! Thanks for making my impatience even worse ;) Awesome review!

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  4. I just looooooove this book! It's so amazing and even though the ending of it broke my heart a little bit, I can't wait for the sequel. I already pre-ordered a finished UK-copy and can't wait for it to arrive at home since I gave my ARC away.

    Great review,
    Carina

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  5. It is just frigging amazing. I really loved this book!

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  6. Someone really liked this one :D
    I have to check those other reviews and compare now since it sounds so good

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  7. Great review! I am so glad you enjoyed this one. I wasn't sure about it, but now that I've read your review, I'll have to pick up a copy.

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  8. Interesting! I hadn't heard of this book, but it looks like I might just have to check it out. I love it when the enthusiasm for a story shines through in the review - always a good sign. :)

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  9. Your review makes me really excited for this book. I've heard a lot of buzz but I just wasn't interested in reading it for some reason. But now I totally want to. :)

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  10. I remember a friend recommending this to me and I can't wait for the release! As usual, it's a late release here in my country

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  11. I still have to find one person that didn't like this book. it's such a phenomenon, everyone's in love with it

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  12. she's both bad and good, eh?

    this book is set to be an interesting read

    =)

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  13. omg warth, passion and maybe heart breaking..? And strong heroine love it! Can't wait to read it and I'm glad this book deserves all the buzz is getting, now I want it even more if that's possible.

    Lovely review and thanks for not telling much about the story...there is always a way to spoil something.

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  14. Great review! I can't wait to read this one :) I'm glad to hear it's a good one!

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  15. 'm glad to hear it's a good one!

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  16. thanks for the review ! The synopsis is really intriguing and your review makes me want to read it !

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  17. This book is one of my WANTS, the first time a read about it, was around May and I don´t give much importance, the I start to read about it in more and more blogs and become one of my MUST HAVE. I like your thoughts about the book and thanks for not spoil it for me.
    I definitely NEED this book.

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  18. Looks sooo good! Great review. :) I love when you can't figure out who the villian is.. Especially in the case of Snape in HP. Can't wait to read this! I have Lips Touch by Laini Taylor so I think I'll read that until I can get this one.

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  19. I am SO jealous that you got to read this!! And I'm really, really glad to hear that there is going to be another book after this one! Thanks for an awesome review, and giving me one more reason to want to read this book :)
    jwitt33 at live dot com

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  20. I have been hearing great reviews about this book everywhere!

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  21. Yay -glad this one is living up to the buzz, I really want to read it and I don't like being let down!

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  22. I've seen the book covers on a lot of book bloggers so this must be good! Can't wait to read this!

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  23. Great review! Thank you for sharing the trailers, they were great! I can't wait to meet Karou. :)

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  24. Thank you for sharing your review with us. To me the sign of a really good book is always the anticipation of the next installment. I really want to read Daughter of Smoke and Bone :)

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  25. Great review. I'm dying to read this book. And thanks for including the trailers. They were amazing. After watching them I'm even more excited to read Daughter of Smoke and Bone.

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  26. I find the cover very simple and pleasant.
    And I think that the booktrailers are very nice.
    I will be on top of this book as soon as possible!
    :)

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  27. Can't wait to read this!! I love the cover!!!

    Jolainne

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  28. I've heard nothing but good things about this book, and the trailers look really cool!

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  29. Interesting review. Makes me want to read it more

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  30. Awesome review ! And i loved both parts of the trailer !! This book looks so good !

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  31. I heard so much about it too. The trailer was so good.

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  32. I totally enjoyed this book. Lani is great at setting the story & it's surroundings. Great story about star crossed lover's. Karou who needs to belong & Akiva who finds her. Was totally not expecting this story line. Am defintely looking forward to next book!!!

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Thank you for sharing your thoughts =)