When I was younger I used to love reading books that were written in first person, present or past tense. However, as I've gotten older I've fallen into this strange habit of searching for novels written in the third person. I don't know why. Actually I do. After reading Rainbow Rowell's books I fell back in love with third person again. Anyways on one of my searches for YA novels written in this point of view, I fell across the Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy.
To be honest, I don't really know how to summarize this novel at the moment. So for now I'll leave you with the short blurb from the back of the novel.
"From master storyteller and National Book Award finalist Laini Taylor comes a sweeping and gorgeously written modern fantasy about a forbidden love, an ancient and epic battle, and hope for a world remade."
I purchased this book based solely on that little blurb. I'll admit it; I'm a sucker for tales about forbidden loves, that was probably what pushed me to buy this book.
After finishing the novel my overall rating for it on GoodReads was a 4/5 stars. It was almost a 5, and books are rarely a 5 for me. I'll explain why it wasn't later on in the review.
To start off, this book was written in a flawless fashion. It flowed in a way that few books really can. The language, the descriptions, the world building, and the characters were astounding. I fell in love with Prague, and then when I was dragged into this whole other world where angels and devils are at war, it truly was effortless.
Our main character Karou has blue hair and collects teeth for a man named Brimstone, who also happens to be the person/thing that raised her. She's an artist attending high school in Prague, alongside her best friend Zuzana. The first quarter or so of the book is mostly the building up of Karou's life in Prague. I loved it. It was simple and intriguing all at once. Laini Taylor did a great job of keeping the momentum going by keeping Karou in the dark about her own past and what Brimstone does with the teeth. We delve further into this other world as she does.
Cue the entrance of mysterious handprints, and an overly attractive angel.
This is sort of the turning point in the book (Without spoilers), when the angels and the mysterious burning handprints come together. And like all love stories, the guy takes an interest in the girl at first sight.
Without spoiling you, Karou's world basically comes crumbling down around her, and she's left with nothing. However the handsome angel might be able to help, but not without dragging her into a thousand year old war.
Okay so that is as far as I'm going to go without spoiling too much. Like I said, I loved the world building and the characters in this book, however there was one thing that soured it for me.
SPOILER AHEAD
Karou's past life romance with Akiva didn't feel epic. It felt like insta love. The whole masquerade ball scene felt like it was cut out of Romeo and Juliet, and their attraction to one another was solely physical. I get that she saved him in battle, but I didn't feel the connection. I feel like if the past life story had been spread out into further books, I might have been more keen to believe in this epic romance. That was the one thing that knocked a star off for me.
Other than that, this book was poetically written and engrossing. You should definitely get yourself a copy :)
