Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Daughter of Smoke and Bone Trilogy, Book #1)
Laini Taylor
Fantasy / Young Adult
418 pages (paperback)
Synopsis:
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 grow dangerously low.
And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly 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?
Rating: 5 / 5
Oh. My. Goodness.
Part of me wishes I was writing this review at soon as I finished Daughter of Smoke and Bone, at 12:30 a.m. when my flurry of emotions was still fresh. Funny thing is, I’m still lingering in that state of bewitchment a couple weeks later. I devoured this book in 4 days – ungodly fast for me, and a clear sign of a page-turner. But it’s also left me reeling. I’m still haunting by it and wading in its world even while reading a completely different book… Which means I need to add Daughter of Smoke and Bone to my list of all-time favorite novels.
I have to be a bit vague in summarizing Daughter of Smoke and Bone, since I’m afraid of revealing spoilers. This is a dual POV novel that follows Karou, an art student in Prague who lives a double life as an errand-runner for the chimaera and knows nothing of her past; and Akiva, an embittered seraph warrior whose people are the chimaera’s sworn enemy. Most readers might call this a paranormal romance because of the “angels and demons” spin, but the story transcends that label’s stereotypes. Besides the love story, there’s magic, otherworldly peoples with their own languages and cultures, and portals all over Earth (mostly Prague and Morocco) that lead to the realm of Eretz. With all that in mind, I’d categorize Daughter of Smoke and Bone as high fantasy with splashes of urban fantasy, paranormal romance, and horror. A square peg that refuses to fit into a round hole, and exquisitely so.
What struck me first was the quality of Taylor’s writing. Her fluid, vivid style in her middle grade fantasy Blackbringer enchanted and inspired me. In Daughter of Smoke and Bone, it’s pure sorcery. Taylor chooses her words with such precision that… well, it was impossible to believe the story wasn’t real. It made the chimaera’s blend of human and animal aspects terrifyingly beautiful, the chemistry between Karou and Akiva soulful and electric, and their fears and anguishes palpable. At times I felt like I was walking Prague’s streets, sweating from the heat and bustling markets of Marrakesh, and dancing in the chimaera capital of Loramendi. Plus, Taylor wields a heightened vocabulary that I lapped up like nectar. I must have looked up definitions for close to 50 words while reading this book – and I didn’t mind one bit. Taylor mentions in this interview that she had originally tried her hand at literary fiction before returning to her first love of fantasy, and that clearly shows in Daughter of Smoke and Bone without making the reading level too challenging for her teen audience.
Because of how gorgeously Daughter of Smoke and Bone is written, everything else falls into place effortlessly. Including the characters, who were all compelling in their own way – even Karou’s somber mentor Brimstone. But I’ll focus on my three favorites here. Karou starts off as a rebellious, vindictive teenager with a talent for drawing, a surprising wellspring of trivia, and a yearning to understand where she came from. The story revolves mostly around her discovering this truth, and she matures immensely as a result. Best friend and puppeteer-in-training Zuzana is wickedly funny, and remains loyal to Karou even as the insanity unfolds. Akiva, on the other hand, is a flying wall of flame and ice at first. Years of fighting have forced him to numbed him to humor or emotion. But once Akiva meets Karou and becomes invested in her mystery, he gradually softens into a more relatable, tragic being, and by the end I truly sympathized for him.
What makes Daughter of Smoke and Bone all the more intriguing is that it ignores the “angels and demons” clichés. No one race is painted as the good guys or the villains here. Some of the seraphim can be punishing, emotionless soldiers, while certain chimaera possess hearts of gold. Because of this approach, Taylor reminds readers that members of every race in this story (seraphim, chimaera, and humans) has some degree of humanity. That makes the concept of war between the two supernatural peoples that much harder to bear, and the thought of choosing a side paralyzing.
Before diving into Daughter of Smoke and Bone, it’s worth knowing that the structure is a bit of an anomaly. The main story plays out in “real time” for the first 300-ish pages, with occasional flashbacks from Karou and Akiva; and then the final 100 pages are mostly flashbacks triggered by a “spell” that Karou breaks. Some readers weren’t fans of this format, and I agree that it spoils one of the major plot twists. That said, I believe the structure was worth the risk. The rush of memories isn’t backstory, but an integral part of the story itself, answering Karou’s questions about herself and her involvement with the chimaera. Even though I managed to figure out a few things before she did, I remembered to put myself in her shoes. That allowed me to experience Karou’s wonder, joy, and terror as she experienced it. Had this particular set of flashbacks been treated like typical backstory and sprinkled throughout the book, the story would have lost its emotional impact – and the last couple pages might not have broken my heart.
I thought I’d have to struggle to describe how much I love this book… But judging from the length of this review, I guess I didn’t. Because Daughter of Smoke and Bone is nothing short of spell-binding, with some of the most masterful world-building, character development, and writing I’ve ever encountered. This is no ordinary YA fantasy, either. Adults who hesitate to read fantasy novels geared for teens really should give this one a shot. I won’t forget Daughter of Smoke and Bone anytime soon, and I can’t wait to read the rest of the trilogy once I get my paws on the other two books.
Have you read Daughter of Smoke and Bone? What did you think of it? If you haven’t read it yet, do you think you might check it out based on what you’ve read above? Let me know by commenting below or visiting the same review at Amazon or Goodreads.
Sara Letourneau 
Well, I think it’s not possible to give a book higher accolades. XD I’ll have to add this one to the list!
LikeLiked by 1 person
😀 I hope you enjoy it, Alex!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve walked by these books at the bookstore many times and while they had intrigued me, i never really picked them up. But after this review, I’m going to go look for them first thing tomorrow.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Awesome! I hope you enjoy DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE, Dilaxy. 😀
LikeLike
All time favorite novels? Okay, I stopped reading the review there because I don’t want to be spoiled for anything. I’ve got this on my TBR shelf — time to make it a priority!
LikeLiked by 1 person
*lol* I did my best to be as non-spoilery as possible in the review, Christina. So I don’t think I gave much away. 😉 Can’t wait to read your thoughts on it!
LikeLike
I love DoSB so much. Laini Taylor writing is so beautiful. I fell in love with the story of Karou and Akiva and wanted more. So I read the second book and was disappointed. I can’t wait until you read the rest of the series so I can know your thoughts and have a discussion on this series.
Great Post as always 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Sanovia! I already have a feeling that DAYS OF BLOOD AND STARLIGHT will be a much different story than DAUGHTER…, especially in the romance department. But I’m completely OK with all of that. I just want to know what happens when Karou “returns” to Loramendi, and whether she and Akiva will ever be on the same side again. I definitely will review the other two books once I’ve read them, so yes, let’s discuss them then. 🙂
LikeLike
Honestly, I haven’t been too compelled to read them based on the reviews I’ve read on other sites, but yours makes it a lot more enticing, and now, there’s this little voice that’s saying, “Well, maybe you’ll like it.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
*lol* Then I guess I’ve done my job as the reviewer, have I? 🙂 Thanks for stopping by, Tiara! I hope you end up reading Daughter…
LikeLiked by 1 person
I see that there’s an audiobook version narrated by one of my favorite narrators. That makes it even more worth taking a chance on.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This was such a good read – I’m a sucker for tales of forbidden love and this one just hit all the right notes with me. I personally thought this was the best of the three books, but the entire trilogy is definitely worth reading 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Same here! I prefer forbidden love over love triangles, so this was a treat. I’m guessing romance won’t play a huge part in Days Of Blood And Starlight, based on how Daughter Of Smoke And Bone ended… Which I have no problem with, but I do hope Karou and Akiva can reconcile somehow before the trilogy ends. Can’t wait to read and find out what happens next!
LikeLike
*sigh* A really enjoyable review, Sara – but I’m now going to HAVE to get this trilogy, aren’t I??
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well… I’ll leave that for you to decide, Sarah, but… 😀 😀 😀
LikeLike
I adored this book as well! I have never gotten around to finishing the series, however. I hear the other two books aren’t quite as good, but the memories of this one still linger, even years later.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That seems to be the general consensus from other reviews I’ve read, that DoSaB is the best of the trilogy. Still… I can’t wait to find out what happens next. 😀
LikeLike
The other two are still fantastic. I adored the second one, and while the third picked up a bit slowly, it SPED after I passed the first quarter of the book or so. I definitely recommend giving them a read! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Still so excited to hear your thoughts on the last two books! You have to keep me up to date! I’m officially less than 100 pages away from the end… I fully expect to cry.
LikeLiked by 1 person
“With all that in mind, I’d categorize Daughter of Smoke and Bone as high fantasy with splashes of urban fantasy, paranormal romance, and horror. A square peg that refuses to fit into a round hole, and exquisitely so.”
I couldn’t agree more with this statement. It never crossed my mind to describe this as a HIGH fantasy, although I do describe it as YA fantasy rather than paranormal romance–but you’re right. It focuses more on the world building and its history and the people as a whole than on Karou and Akiva’s romance, or on their personal wants and needs alone, so it’s definitely high fantasy even if it doesn’t fit the typical image of one. Truth be told (and this is something my romance-loving tween self would have been shocked to hear me say), I loved how little romance is actually present in these novels. When we do get it, it’s realistic but passionate, and it’s enough to sate the thirst until the next encounter.
LikeLiked by 1 person
And I couldn’t agree more with everything you just said here, Cristina. You made a good point about the romance. It’s not always at the forefront, and when it is… it’s electric. I loved their interactions / flirtations while street-dancing in Loramendi. *puts her hands to her heart*
LikeLike
Ah, yes! I adored that scene! Emotional and magical and so beautifully visual, too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ahhhh! Don’t tell me what happens! *lol*
No joke about this: The morning after I finished DoSaB, I texted a friend who often buys me books as gifts and asked her if she could get me DoBaS and DoGaM for my birthday in September. XD I have a massive TBR pile at the moment, so I can be patient… But as soon as I get the other two, I’m binge-reading the rest of the trilogy. 😉
LikeLike
Oh no, I hate spoilers–I’d never!
So excited for you to read the rest! I asked for some books for my birthday, too (hard covers of all of Rainbow Rowell’s books, since she’s swiftly becoming a favorite of mine and I only have them on my e-reader).
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, I know. I was only joking. 😉
GAH. So many books! I still have to finish a bunch of other series, like Leigh Bardugo’s Grisha trilogy, Tamora Pierce’s Song of the Lioness quartet, some adult fantasies… It never ends, does it?
LikeLike
Ohmygoodness, another book to add to my huge TBR list? 😀 How am I going to get all of these read, lol! This was a great review, I can really feel how much you loved the book and that makes me want to read it too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
LOL! I know, right? I have the same problem with my TBR pile, too. (I think most readers and writers have that problem.) I’m glad you liked the review, though, and I hope you get around to reading DoSaB in the future. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s a common problem we all share. 😀 I was determined not to let books pile up when I first began, but then…yeah.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: The Liebster Award Challenge | new2writing
Pingback: The Liebster Award Challenge | Sara Letourneau's Official Website & Blog
Pingback: Time Flies!: June 2015 | Sara Letourneau's Official Website & Blog
Pingback: Another Liebster Award! | Sara Letourneau's Official Website & Blog
Pingback: The Character Evolution Files, No. 2: What Are the Three Types of Character Arcs? | Sara Letourneau's Official Website & Blog
Pingback: The Thank-You Giveaway Extravaganza! | Sara Letourneau's Official Website & Blog
Pingback: Recent Reads: December 2015 | Sara Letourneau's Official Website & Blog
Pingback: Favorite Reads of 2015, Part 1: Books Published Before 2015 | Sara Letourneau's Official Website & Blog
Pingback: Stacking The Shelves, Vol. 21: Christmas-January Haul, Plus My Reading Plan for 2016 | Sara Letourneau's Official Website & Blog
Pingback: The Book Courtship Tag | Sara Letourneau's Official Website & Blog
Pingback: Recent Reads: August 2016 | Sara Letourneau's Official Website & Blog
Pingback: Interview with Roshani Chokshi, Author of “The Star-Touched Queen” | Sara Letourneau's Official Website & Blog
Pingback: The Character Evolution Files, No. 13: Answers to Lingering Questions About the Journey Through the Character Arc | Sara Letourneau's Official Website & Blog
Pingback: Sara’s Favorite Reads of 2016, Plus Two Times the Giveaway Fun! | Sara Letourneau's Official Website & Blog
Pingback: This Is My Genre, Now Tell Me Yours (A Book Tag) | Sara Letourneau's Official Website & Blog