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

Laini Taylor

Start date: March 1, 2014

Finish date: March 31, 2014

Discussion: Group Read

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What Members Thought

Dec 12, 2012 Katie_la_geek rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

For this review and more visit my blog

Before I started reviewing I always thought writing about books I hated would be harder than writing about books I loved. But to my surprise I found that it was the other way round. Writing about why I disliked something turned out to be relatively easy. I can rant and rage and write down exactly why I didn’t like it. But putting into words how I feel about a book I really loved is difficult because I know that no matter what I write it will never do the bo For this review and more visit my blog

Before I started reviewing I always thought writing about books I hated would be harder than writing about books I loved. But to my surprise I found that it was the other way round. Writing about why I disliked something turned out to be relatively easy. I can rant and rage and write down exactly why I didn’t like it. But putting into words how I feel about a book I really loved is difficult because I know that no matter what I write it will never do the book or the feelings that book invoked in me justice.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone is one of those books; it moved me, engaged me and threw me head first into a world full of magic. I do not stand a chance of conveying to you how much I loved and adored this book, but I am going to try.

The storyline was original and interesting, it was set in the modern day but there was a dark gothicness to it that made if fell more like historical fiction then modern fiction, but that worked really well. What helps is Lani Taylors writing, which does have its faults but I found it mostly rich and creative. The atmosphere this book creates is one of its highlights and I loved that it took a darker route instead of the lightness most YA books take. The world building is impeccable and I could envision everything in perfect detail.

Taylor also managed to create characters that were diverse, interesting and individual. I was able to identify with Karou immediately. She was different and likeable. I also loved Akiva, he wears his heart on his sleeve and does the right thing even though he knows it will cause him unbearable heartache. The romance between them was spellbinding; I loved them together even if it was angsty, which normally I hate.

The only fault I have is that the last quarter is not as free flowing and interesting as the rest, with exception to the last chapter/few pages which made me want to throw the book at a wall and sob into my pillow, somehow I resisted, instead I just sat there once I was finished in awe.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone is frankly one of the richest and most exciting YA books I have ever read, it was outstanding and if you have not read it yet, please do, I hope you love it as much as I did.
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May 24, 2012 Sara K rated it it was amazing

Shelves: heart, amazing-worldbuilding, fantasy, supernatural, beautiful-writing, awesome-heroines, angels, ya, adult, can-i-keep-the-male-lead

Right from the very first page I was hooked. Karou is a seventeen year old girl living in Prague with her chimaera family. She has a ton of secrets she keeps from the people around her. She lives a double life, running errands for Brimstone, who has this fatherly thing going on but at the same time doesn't. She's a mysterious girl. I adored her.

The other characters were crafted nicely as well. Akiva is obviously a tortured being, and Zuzana—I wish I could hug her! She's tiny, feisty, and adorab ...more

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Feb 23, 2012 Justin rated it it was amazing

Daughter of Smoke and Bone is a book I had heard a ton about before reading. I honestly don't recall ever hearing anything negative about it so I went into the book with extremely high hopes that it would be as amazing as people had said it was. I wasn't disappointed, at all. I have seen it stated several times, and have to agree that Daughter of Smoke and Bone is one of those books that truly does live up to all of the hype surrounding it.

Laini has created a crazy and awesome world within Daugh Daughter of Smoke and Bone is a book I had heard a ton about before reading. I honestly don't recall ever hearing anything negative about it so I went into the book with extremely high hopes that it would be as amazing as people had said it was. I wasn't disappointed, at all. I have seen it stated several times, and have to agree that Daughter of Smoke and Bone is one of those books that truly does live up to all of the hype surrounding it.

Laini has created a crazy and awesome world within Daughter of Smoke and Bone. It's such an unique take on Angels and the whole idea of Chimera's was really different. I don't have much knowledge of the mythology surrounding Chimera, but I found them to be a really interesting addition to the story. I also love how Karou's sketchbook is used in the story. It introduces things early on, but you're not quite sure what to think of it until things are explained as you dig deeper into the story.

There are a lot of great settings within Daughter of Smoke and Bone. The main one being Prague, but you also have scenes that take place in different settings all over the world and some that might not be of this world. I have to admit though, this book left me wanting to visit Prague.

What is there to say about the characters? They are all great. Karou is an amazing protagonist, she has everything you could want to see in a main character. Akiva is also an awesome character, it took awhile to understand him as a character but once you do you become attached to his character. Brimstone was a really hard character for me to understand, it took me quite awhile to get an idea of why he does the things he does and just to understand who he was as a character. But later in the story once things are explained in a little more detail, it's pretty easy for your opinion of him to change. My favorite character had to be Issa, I loved the comedy she brought to the story, especially when it came to how she used the snakes to keep the traders in check. I still don't care to much for Razgut though. :P

As a whole, I can't think of anything wrong with Daughter of Smoke and Bone. It's very unique and a really enjoyable read. I was so happy that it lived up to all the hype, and I am excited to read the next book in the series. The way it ended left me with a lot of questions, and I want to find out what happens next. I wish there would of been a little more clarity in the ending, especially with the last few lines of the book. But it really has be excited for book two.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone is a great book, well worth reading if you haven't. It was easily a 5 star book for me. I hope you all will check it out whenever you get the chance. In my opinion, it really does live up to all the hype out there.

This review is taken directly from my blog click the link to see the original post: http://www.justinsbookblog.com/2012/0... ...more

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Aug 12, 2012 Kimberly rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

It is definitely a book to die for. A story about a forbidden love between a chimaera and an angel is something new to me and I have never read any books with this kind of characters before. Surprisingly its not bad at all. Its one of the best books I've read since The Hunger Games.

Karou, who felt like she is missing something important in her life is drawn towards Akiva, who is on a mission to kill chimaeras, when they first met. I love the end of the story the most where most of their past wer ...more

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Sep 28, 2012 Prami{reader and dreamer} rated it liked it

Shelves: 2013

First read: 2013

Re-read: 2016

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Dec 28, 2011 Anna rated it really liked it

I think 3.5 stars.

This book from start to finish was NOTHING like I expected. It just kept going in the other direction from what I was expecting, sometimes good and sometimes bad.

I only gave it 3.5 stars because I felt a lot of disconnect with the characters. I felt little to know passion from Karou and Akiva, I just didn't believe it...actually scratch that I felt it sometimes from Akiva and once or twice from Madrigal but never together, it was weird. This rubbed me a little the wrong way bec ...more

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May 22, 2013 Anida rated it it was amazing

Woooohoooo at last a book with supernatural creatures that is not set in USA! amazing isn't it?
I loved the writing and the descriptions were edging on poetic and the story flowed.
I am very glad that the author is not taking the easy roads. There are huge complications in this story which i'm dying to see unfold.

I loved Karou from the start. She is strong and still vulnerable and immensly curious. And there's lots to be curious about. She knows as little as the readers do, about the life she's li ...more

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