Daughter of Smoke and Bone Review

Title: Daughter of Smoke and Bone
Author: Laini Taylor
Publisher: Little, Brown BYR
Publish Date: September 27, 2011
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Pages: 432
Source: Publisher

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 otherworldly 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?

Karou is, for all intents and purposes, your average art student living life in Prague. She has an ex boyfriend that treads daily into her life and messes things up, an eccentric best friend and a penchant for drawing wildly daring artwork that seems unimaginably alive. When classmates ask where her inspiration comes from, she smiles and says it's all true. Karou lives a little on the edge behind closed doors though. Her life in secret is one of mystery. Raised by demons, knowing magic and the depth of the realm of possibilities the world has to offer is a beautiful and dangerous gift. So dangerous that meeting Akiva could be both the greatest and worst thing that could have ever happened to Karou.

Before I say anything else, I have to say that no matter what I write in this review, I will never be able to adequately put into words the sheer ingenuity that is Daughter of Smoke and Bone. I've read twists on the paranormal. Heck, I've read at least fifty books claiming they're the next big thing. It's when a book like Daughter of Smoke and Bone creeps up and takes your breath away that you realize there is still room to grow in the young adult genre - there are still ways to dazzle readers and enthrall them with a world beyond our own. Laini Taylor has written a book I want to lose myself in forever. Fabulously original, richly engrossing and utterly refreshing, she's created a world within Daughter of Smoke and Bone that is unlike anything I've ever read and that somehow manages to make me feel both mesmerized and uneasy all at the same time. Lyrical and imaginative, you too will forget where the real world ends and Daughter of Smoke and Bone begins.

The story begins with two lines that could very well serve as the entire synopsis of Daughter of Smoke and Bone: "Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love. It did not end well." If you're thinking of cliches and time-tested angels/demon stories, think again. Daughter of Smoke and Bone is nothing if not original. Whereas so many books regarding good versus evil lapse into a world that pacifies readers with physical beauty and little to no twists on time-honoured tales, Daughter of Smoke and Bone pushes the boundaries. Rather than settling with what we think we know about angels and devils, the book creates a haunting and brilliant backstory that throws every caution and preconceived notion to the wind. Daughter of Smoke and Bone seamlessly merges character development, a brutal, bloody feud and breathtaking imagery into a story that packs a punch throughout. Karou was never overdone. Her confusion and willingness to learn and grow was believable. She wasn't weak, but she wasn't overtly strong either, which made her a character that truly resonated. Then there's the love element. Don't be alarmed though - there is no insta-love in Daughter of Smoke and Bone. Rather, the romance begins to bud far into the story, searing through tense moments and making the events and emotions smolder that much more, making them so much more powerful. Furthermore, it must be said that the verbiage, the tone, the imagery and the setting, in general, were impeccable. Every word in this lengthy story had a purpose, and that is a feat in and of itself.

Like I said though, nothing I can say will do this book justice. You'll simply have to read it to understand the beauty of it for yourself. As one who aspires to someday (hopefully) be an author myself, I have to say I seriously covet the author's writing talents. I give it a 5 out of 5, and I highly recommend it to both YA and adult audiences, especially those who enjoy paranormal and paranormal romance.

I received this ARC free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.