Days of Blood & Starlight (Daughter of Smoke & Bone, #2) in Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge

Nov 20, 2013 Nadine in NY Jones rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy-and-sci-fi, angels-and-demons-and-good-and-evil

This. Was. So. Fantastic.

Yes, allow me to gush like a school girl over this book, because it was really THAT good. It just pushed all my Happy Buttons: interesting characters, star-crossed yet tragic lovers who cannot be together, fate of the world, OTHER worlds, and the struggle that befalls those who survive violence.

That's mostly what this book is about: the struggle that Karou and Akiva both face, separately, to live, to live on knowing that so much violence has befallen those around them, This. Was. So. Fantastic.

Yes, allow me to gush like a school girl over this book, because it was really THAT good. It just pushed all my Happy Buttons: interesting characters, star-crossed yet tragic lovers who cannot be together, fate of the world, OTHER worlds, and the struggle that befalls those who survive violence.

That's mostly what this book is about: the struggle that Karou and Akiva both face, separately, to live, to live on knowing that so much violence has befallen those around them, to live while believing that much of the wrong-doing is their fault. It reminds me of this line from Buffy (roll your eyes if you must, I LOVE Buffy): "Strong is fighting! It's hard, and it's painful, and it's every day. It's what we have to do. And we can do it together." Although, of course, Buffy and Angel don't get to do it together for very long. Similarly, Karou and Akiva are also apart.

It's not bleak, but it's hard, and relentless, and there is no end in sight, no matter how much they WANT to end it. But they keep going, because what other choice is there? I found this to be similar to Rebel Heart

Or ... perhaps Fat laid out your life for you like a dress on a bed, and you could either wear it or go naked.

Blood & Starlight carries on with the characters we first met in Smoke & Bone, and other characters also become important. And yet, somehow, it is not difficult to keep track of everyone. Ms Taylor is brilliant in this way, she adds quirky little touches that bring everything to life in a strange, strange way. For example, Hazael gives his sister a flower. "Liraz took the flower, looked at it, and then at Hazael, expressionless. And then she ate it. She chewed the flower and swallowed it. 'Hmmm,' said Hazael. 'Not the usual response.' " Akiva's brother and sister were mere supporting players in the first book, but I became quite fond of both of them here.

In one of the early chapters, Karou describes Eretz as a "land of dust and starlight" and I was left wondering why THAT is not the name of this book. But, in the end, there is definitely a lot of blood, too.

They are not side by side as they once imagined. They are not exultant, and they no longer feel themselves to be the instruments of some great intention. They are creatures grasping at life with stained hands. There is so much between them, all the living and all the dead, but for a moment everything falls away and the fuse burns brighter and nearer.

...more

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