Book Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Goodreads Summary: 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 one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored 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?

Title: Daughter of Smoke and Bone
Series: Daughter of Smoke and Bone #1
Author: Laini Tyalor
Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton
Release Date: 27th September 2011
Format: Paperback
Source: Library
Challenge: TBR Pile and Outdo Yourself Reading Challenges

WOW, it has taken me so long to actually read this and I am at a lost as to what to write in my review. I was so addicted to this book that I just couldn't seem to put it down. Daughter of Smoke and Bone is so uniquely different that I am still amazed. Laini Taylor’s creative abilities are awe inspiring; there are no other words for it. FULL STOP! Ms Taylor’s writing style was fantastic, easy reading and intriguing, with romance, what more can one want? But gee, there is so much more to this book….

Karou has led an interesting life; she grew up in a little shop that dealt in human teeth. She learnt how to tell all the different teeth apart and what teeth is the best quality. Karou is no typical teenager living in Prague though, but she is trying to be normal and goes to art school. Karou has no memory of her childhood before coming to the little shop of horrors. Brimstone raised her and trained her on teeth. Every now and then Brimstone calls for her to run an errand. She goes collecting teeth from customers that cannot make it into the shop. The shop is running low on teeth and she must hurry, but doesn't understand why they are so important.

Running an errand for Brimstone, she finds a black handprint seared onto the portal door. Not understanding what this is about, Karou just carries on. Then in another location and another portal door she spots Akiva, a beautiful man with fire coloured eyes and another handprint. They are instantly attracted to each other, but they are also enemies.

There is a war, Karou knows nothing of this war, but it is happening all around her. With time running out and the war becoming even more dangerous for Karou, she is determined to find the answers that have eluded her all these years. Why is her love for Akiva so forbidden? What is the significance of the black handprints? What is behind the door that she was never allowed to see through? Why are her tattoos so damaging to Akiva?

I cannot wait to read Days of Blood and Starlight to find out the next chapter for Akiva and Karou. Their love for each other is unparalleled and I am anxious to see where it goes. The world, creatures and vivid detailing that Ms Taylor has created is amazing to say the least. Her characters have so much potential to evolve and have so many different directions they could take. With betrayal, magic, love, action, intrigue and mystery, what more can you ask for? This series is a must read for everyone and Daughter of Smoke and Bone was a fantastic introduction into this new world.

5 FANTASTIC BOOKS - A MUST READ

About the Author

Courtesy of Laini's website

Hi! I'm Laini Taylor. I am a writer-artist-daydreamer-nerd-person, and simultaneously a mom-wife-sister-daughter-person. I can do a lot of things at once, like for example: I can sleep and dream and also lie very still, all while also breathing and ever-so-slowly growing ten distinct toenails.

I write books for youngish people, but they can also be read and enjoyed by oldish people, aka grown-ups. You know grown-ups? They tend to be a little bigger and hairier than kids. But not always.

I live in Portland, Oregon, USA with my husband Jim Di Bartolo, who is an amazing illustrator and who I'm always begging to draw me things, and with our wee droll genius, Clementine Pie, age three.

Some of my favorite things are books and bookstores and breakfast food and mangoes and chocolate,
and cake stands and table cloths and old houses, and going places (like libraries and other countries),
and dreaming up stories, and making stuff (like cupcakes or peculiar dolls), and playing with Jim and Clementine, and taking pictures, and falling asleep (so cozy) and waking up (exciting!).

~ courtesy of Laini Taylor's website

~ Website ~ Goodreads ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~