Daughter of Smoke and Bone By: Laini Taylor

Source

• Title: Daughter of Smoke and Bone 
• Author: Laini Taylor
• Publisher: Little Brown Books
• Publication Date:  September 27, 2011
• Pages: 418
• Genre: YA/Fantasy
• Recommended Age(s): 13+
• First Read: 2016
• Source: Library 
• Rating: 4.5 / 5.0 stars

Karou. Silky blue hair. Beautiful sketchbooks filled with otherworldly creatures. She lives a double life that leaves many wondering who she truly is. And the person who wants this question answered is Karou herself. 

Part-time art student, part-time errand runner for monsters, Karou is about to become embroiled in a war filled with creatures both monstrous and beautiful. Then there is Akiva. Akiva with the orange eyes, Akiva who holds the key to her deepest secrets, if Karou only dares to find out the truth...

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I was very pleasantly surprised with this book, and I honestly couldn't be happier. I loved Karou's character because she was unconventional without being cliched, mysterious without being ridiculous. She wasn't the helpless, lovestruck, ditz that I thought she was going to be and found her to be extremely believable, considering the fact that she was involved in a war between otherworldly creatures. I also liked her "no complaining" attitude, which tends to turn me off to other female characters who rely on the guy and keep moping around because of "love" or something like that. 

Don't get me wrong. This is first and foremost a love story between Karou and Akiva, but the circumstances that they find themselves in are intriguingly wrought and neither of them are dumb enough to do anything that makes this book  *sickeningly* sappy.

I also think I enjoyed this book so much because most of the book was set in Prague, (among other beautiful places) which was new for me. It added an extra otherworldly touch to the entire novel and I swooned at the beauty of it all. Yes. Swooned.

Many people these days seem to dismiss YA novels because they say that the writing is not on par with some of the "classics" or something like that. And yes, there are some books out there that are not exactly great, but that is true for all book genres. But guys, the writing in this book was beautiful. It was poetic. I fell in love with everything about this book and can't wait to pick up the next book in the series!

My only regret about this book? Putting off the day that I read it because it's honestly that great!