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Daughter of Smoke & Bone (Daughter of Smoke & Bone, #1)

Laini Taylor

Start date: February 2, 2016

Finish date: February 15, 2016

Discussion: Daughter of Smoke and Bone

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Daughter of Smoke and Bone

* First Impressions (NO SPOILERS)
By Kylee · 9 posts · 18 views

last updated Feb 07, 2016 03:20PM

Overall Enjoyment (SPOILERS)
By Kylee · 6 posts · 15 views

last updated Feb 28, 2016 01:55PM

showing 4 of 4 topics view all »

What Members Thought

Oct 29, 2011 Petra rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy-paranormal-etc, 4-stars, own-in-english, my-books, read-in-english, ya-read, angels, magic

Second read: June 2016

First read: June 2012

4 likes · Like · see review

Apr 02, 2014 ZOEY rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, paranormal-fantasy-magic-scifi, ya-na, romance, series, audiobooks

Okay. I admit that books like these aren't what I'd typically read(or listen to) on impulse but, for once I'm glad I did.

THINGS THAT CONTRIBUTED IN MAKING ME GRAB THIS BOOK:
1)The cover. Which you have to admit is pretty awesome.
2)The title.When I read it I was immensely curious. I mean; "Daughter of smoke and bone"? - what does it even want to convey? (Good for me I found out in the end =D)
3)Everyone I know on goodreads loves it. That has to mean something. Right? 4)The final book came out th ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Apr 05, 2015 Mrs. Kristin rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult-fantasy

I just....I don't know. I feel like giving this book only 3 stars is mis-leading because I did rather enjoy this book. I just didn't swoon over it like most people. Honestly, I don't think I was in the "mood" to read this book, but it's been hanging over my head for many, many months so I begrudgingly read it. I'm glad I did because, for me at least, it was a refreshing genre-defying book that passed the time. I guess my expectations were high so I felt that it didn't live up to them by the time I just....I don't know. I feel like giving this book only 3 stars is mis-leading because I did rather enjoy this book. I just didn't swoon over it like most people. Honestly, I don't think I was in the "mood" to read this book, but it's been hanging over my head for many, many months so I begrudgingly read it. I'm glad I did because, for me at least, it was a refreshing genre-defying book that passed the time. I guess my expectations were high so I felt that it didn't live up to them by the time I read the words..."to be continued"

I did have some problems with the time line, in that it was hard for a reader to distinguish what was a flashback and what was the present time. I found the book took many deviations from its intended plot and ended up making the story mushy instead of fitting together nicely like a puzzle. For instance, there were times with her friend Zuzana that were in there which weren't needed or relevant to the overall plot. After reading the book, there were a few characters that had they not been in the book, not only would the plot have not changed, but it might have been better. Not to say I didn't necessarily like them, they just weren't needed.

Also, I don't like it when things are too neat and tidy in a book. Like (view spoiler) I also have a problem when a character sort of shrugs about how badass they are. Overall, Karou was an amazing heroine, but there were times when she'd go 'oh my crescent blades are back in China where I used to train to be a warrior...psh whatever'. But I never really did see her in the book show off these skills. This comment is made in passing and doesn't fit with the profile...or maybe it did, I just didn't care for it.

Ultimately, if I'm being honest, I think the romance did me in. It wasn't something I got invested in or really cared about. (view spoiler) I didn't get the emotion or the tension that the writing portrayed and again, it was just a little too simple.

I loved the overall setting of this book but the plot....ehhh. ...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Ifrah rated it really liked it

Shelves: owned

Second Read: Just as good the second time around. now I really want to re-read Days of Blood and Starlight!
First Read: Read this book ASAP!

3 likes · Like · see review

Dec 08, 2014 Jamie (Books and Ladders) rated it it was ok

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, romance, on-kobo, series, supernatural, magic, low-fantasy

Originally posted on Books and Ladders

I had heard such good things about this one and there was a lot of hype surrounding it. That can be a good thing or a bad thing in my experience, but I was excited to try it because an ancient war between angels and demons sounded amazing. Except I did not like this one. It was dry and boring and there was nothing I actually enjoyed except maybe the first 5% of the book where Karou made her ex boyfriend super itchy in inappropriate places. That was it.

I gott Originally posted on Books and Ladders

I had heard such good things about this one and there was a lot of hype surrounding it. That can be a good thing or a bad thing in my experience, but I was excited to try it because an ancient war between angels and demons sounded amazing. Except I did not like this one. It was dry and boring and there was nothing I actually enjoyed except maybe the first 5% of the book where Karou made her ex boyfriend super itchy in inappropriate places. That was it.

I gotta say: I wasn't too sure what the plot was while I was reading this. It was all pretty confusing and felt very fragmented without even using the actual breaking points that were written in. For example, Kaz. He was there in the beginning and seemed to play such a big role and then ... nothing. It felt like there were three stories in this: the beginning was one, the middle was one, and the end was one. And none of them had complete arcs just sort of dribbled out and were supposed to be connected. While they were "connected," it wasn't enough for the type of "a-ha" that I think the author was going for.

I wanted to like the angel war but there was nothing to even make it worth my while? There was maybe a couple mentions of it but nothing substantial to make me want to find out more about it. I feel like it was a back story and a reason for Karou and Akiva to meet. There was nothing spectacular about it. But I did love the lore that was used to describe how angels and demons both were created. And the two different stories for their creation were pretty awesome. Which is why my rating isn't 1 star.

Karou is an orphan who works for a bunch of chimera and doesn't question what they want with her or why they are making themselves present to her when it is clear they do not like to talk to humans. Then she just automatically trusts this random dude she meets that tries to kill her and completely lets her guard down around him. After like a day. And he admitted he was following her. Yeah, that seems like someone to trust.

I honestly thought Karou, for how much she claimed to think of Brimstone and co as family, she would have more urgency than sitting around doing nothing and chilling with Akiva. Their love was just not there for me. There was that hint of Romeo and Juliet and it made me want to stab myself.

Akiva was annoying. One minute he wants to kill Karou, then he decides that because he is thinking about her so much, he should just abandon his life and his siblings to find Karou one more time. WTF.

When we did get to the last third which was completely history and flashbacks, which annoyed the crap out of me, I was hoping we would get to know Akiva and Karou more but nope. It was all just insta-love a thousand times over. It was ridiculous. I was not impressed.

Overall: 2/5 stars. It just didn't interest me. It should have but it did not. ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Dec 05, 2016 E rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: readingwomen, own, urban-fantasy, young-adult, read2016

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

1 like · Like · see review

Jan 12, 2012 Jessica rated it it was amazing

Wow, wow, wow, and more wow! Reading this book was like taking a taste of smooth and rich wine after the nasty taste of beer. I cannot even get out how much it really shook me awake. It isn't like anything I have read before, and I am eager to get the next book ASAP. Please please please give this book a read- and if you tried, try again! Sooo worth it! ...more

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