Mad Soul Child
Written on Feb 25, 2021
Errand requiring immediate attention. Come.
The note was on vellum, pierced by the talons of the almost-crow that delivered it. Karou read the message. 'He never says please', she sighed, but she gathered up her things.
When Brimstone called, she always came.
In general, Karou has managed to keep her two lives in balance. On the one hand, she's a seventeen-year-old art student in Prague; on the other, errand-girl to a monstrous creature who is the closest thing she has to family. Raised half in our world, half in 'Elsewhere', she has never understood Brimstone's dark work - buying teeth from hunters and murderers - nor how she came into his keeping. She is a secret even to herself, plagued by the sensation that she isn't whole.
Now the doors to Elsewhere are closing, and Karou must choose between the safety of her human life and the dangers of a war-ravaged world that may hold the answers she has always sought.
- ISBN10 0316459186
- ISBN13 9780316459181
- Publish Date 1 December 2020 (first published 1 January 2011)
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country US
- Imprint Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
- Format Paperback (US Trade)
- Pages 448
- Language English
Reviews
alindstadtcorbeax
Written on Dec 9, 2020
Jo
Written on Feb 20, 2020
What I find really awesome is how Daughter of Smoke and Bone is a mix of urban fantasy and high fantasy - and perhaps sci-fi? Beings that are not human in a world that is not our own? Karou works for Brimstone, a chimaera - a being that can have the body parts of humans and various different animals - and wishmonger. An orphan, Karou has been with Brimstone for as long as she can remember, and works as his errand girl, trading teeth and wishes across the world for reasons she doesn't know of. Why does Brimstone want these teeth? She travels through the door in Brimstone's shop that will lead to anywhere on Earth he wants at any given time. For Brimstone's shop isn't here, it's Elsewhere. A door that will only open into the shop when Brimstone wants. Brimstone and the people who work with him are the only family Karou has, if she is on the other side of the door and it won't open for her, she will be completely alone. So when the angels arrive, marking every door around the world that will open into Brimstone's shop with a black handprint, well, things get a little worrying.
To be honest, I can't really say much more than that about the plot. It sounds like a lot, but I'm barely skimming the surface. You find out a whole lot more about this in just the first few chapters. There's the rest of the book to read, and it is epic. It's so much more than I imagined it could be. I am simply amazed at the imagination of Laini Taylor to come up with such a full and awe-inspiring world (worlds?) and story! It's just fantastic.
But wait, there's more. Move over Patch and Nora, Edward and Bella, and Daniel and Luce. Who are they, anyway? Hello Akiva and Karou! The love that sparks, kindles and burns in these pages will have you melting into your chair. Really. Beautiful, beautiful Akiva who's soul was practically dead, and art student Karou who constantly feels like something in her is missing, when they meet, it's electric, even if it's not in the best of circumstances. When they're apart, it feels wrong. This is not obsession or addiction, this is physical, this is a need that goes far beyond anything I've ever read before. And when they are together, well, they burn hotter than a bonfire. Just so you don't confuse my meaning, I am not talking sex here, I'm talking simply of the depth of their feelings, their love for each other. It is that big. And they will take your breath away.
I am completely blown away by just how amazing this is! I absolutely love it! It's one of the best fantasties I've read for quite a while, combining what I love about all the sub-genres, and creating such a believable, wonderful, and exciting story! I absolutely cannot recommend this book enough. I can't even fathom why anyone wouldn't like it. It's perfect. Bring on book two!
From Once Upon a Bookcase - YA book blog
Djilan
Written on Aug 30, 2019
Rereading this first book was a very good idea, because I remembered almost nothing. Only Karou her blue hair :D And that I liked it then just as much as I did now.
And now, now I can immediately start with the rest of the story :)
moraa
Written on Nov 6, 2018
I love an ending that can shock me and have me going "the writer in me saw that coming, I don't want to hear anything to the contrary".
writehollydavis
Written on Aug 11, 2018
I love how Laini built up the tension behind Brimstone and the bones in the beginning and finally giving us all the answers in the end. I was afraid of an instalove story for a moment there but then Laini relayed my fears.
I felt the shift in spunk, action, and mystery in the first half to answering all our questions and tons of romance in the second half a little jarring, but I was so immersed in the plot that I enjoyed it all.
Can't wait to dive into book 2!!
Beth C.
Written on Apr 18, 2017
However, overall, the writing style is enjoyable and the characters - while a bit annoying at times in their young-adultiness - are done well. I am curious to see where the story goes from here, though whether or not I get around to it will be dependent upon what other intriguing books I have to read :)
Kim Deister
Written on Apr 17, 2017
Set in the city of Prague, Karou lives alone in a flat and attends art school. Her sketchbooks are filled with fantastical drawings that her best friend and fellow students yearn to see. But she has secrets, secrets that not even her best friend knows. And as many secrets as she herself keeps, there are secrets kept from her, too. The kind of secrets that change everything. These secrets also make the feelings she comes to have for Akiva even more tumultuous and chaotic.
The author's writing is beautiful, as is her world building. It was like reading a fairy tale with its lyrical prose. The mythos of the angels is very different from the traditional Christian conception that most of us are familiar with. And even more interesting is that these angels are generally on the "evil" side of the "good versus evil" construct. But the insights into the world of the angels through Akiva make one thing very clear... there are two perspectives to be had for each and every situation.
This is a story of love and coming together, but it is also a world about perceptions and fighting for what you believe in. It's about the struggle that comes from within and without when your ideology bucks against that which is expected. It is, simply put, beautiful.
cornerfolds
Written on Mar 6, 2016
Let me just go ahead and share that I was late to the YA game. I didn't really start reading young adult fiction until 2013 and I missed out on a lot of great books, it seems. This year has turned into the year of checking out books that I missed in the years before I got into the genre. So far I've caught up on the Grisha, Nevermore, and Shatter Me series, and Daughter of Smoke and Bone was another that I was dying to add to the list! I wasn't really sure what I was getting into with this one, but I knew that the synopsis sounded pretty original and the cover was beautiful, and that was enough!
Karou is a girl who has had a very unusual life. She has been raised by chimera - various human and animal hybrids - who live in a shop that opens to portals around the world. Although her childhood has been very different from that of most of humanity, Karou is happy and loves her strange family. When the story begins, Karou is living in Prague and attending an art school. She has friends and an annoying ex-boyfriend and a feeling that there is something more, but she isn't sure what it is. I like Karou, although I wasn't positive I would from the beginning. She was intelligent and talented, even if she did have a little bit of help from magic. I loved how unusual she was and I also loved her determination and devotion to those she cared about.
Akiva is an angel, one of many who is at constant war with the chimera. He has had a rough life and is surprised to find himself attracted to Karou when she should be his enemy. He wouldn't have even been in her world, if he hadn't been working towards fulfilling a mission, but it seemed like fate somehow. My feelings toward Akiva and the romance between him and Karou was... neutral. I didn't necessarily dislike Akiva, I just didn't feel like I had enough information about him to form a real opinion.
The good news is, there was no love triangle in Daughter of Smoke and Bone! The bad news is, there was some substantial insta-love between Karou and Akiva. They literally went from not knowing each other to basically in love in a matter of a couple days. There is an attempt made to explain why insta-love makes sense, but it never really sits quite right with me. I just wish there had been more time between them for their feelings to make more sense.
Many other characters make appearances in this book and most of them were amazing! I really enjoyed Brimstone and Zuzana, but Brimstone was my favorite by far! Although he was often gruff and even rude, it was obvious that he was extremely wise and cared a lot for Karou. I really hope that he features more in future books!
Laini Taylor did a fantastic job of creating a unique world and mythology to go with it for Daughter of Smoke and Bone. This is the first book I've read featuring chimera where the chimera actually seemed human instead of monstrous. The world of the angels and chimera wasn't perfect and I do have some questions about it, but it did have the right amount of gloom to feel kind of hopeless in a way that seemed to fit with the story.
The plot was definitely unique, as was the narrative style. I'm not sure how much I actually loved the way the story was told, kind of jumping from present to past and back, although I did appreciate the backstory that provided. I thought the way the wishes worked and even the wish currency was really interesting and creative too! What I guess was the "twist" became really easy to predict by the time it was actually revealed, but I'm not sure that it was supposed to be all that shocking anyway.
I really enjoyed Daughter of Smoke and Bone, although it did have its issues. The narrative style got kind of annoying towards the end when I just wanted to find out what happened next and the insta-love was something I really wish could have been avoided. Even with the problems I had with this story, it was really unique and I definitely plan to continue the series to see what happens next.
layawaydragon
Written on Mar 3, 2016
Pros
-Unique & original world building
-Unpredictable with fantastic twists
-Immediately engaging and unputdownable
-Compelling & complex characters with believable teen voices and actions
-Atmospheric setting and descriptions
Cons
-Subtle and minor problematic depiction of female sexuality and slut-shaming
Daughter of Smoke and Bone is definitely not your typical angel versus demon story, which I absolutely love. Not only is the world building unique in very unusual and atmospheric settings but it holds none of the typical Christian mores that plague these supernatural beings. (Usually, small slut-shaming tidbits slipped in.)
It’s a darker and mature young adult novel with believable teen voices. It's brilliant and sadly, there isn't anything I can really add to everything that's been said before thousands of times.
However, the romance has its squicky moments, and begin like most other YA romances. It wasn't much, especially comparatively, but it was noticeable. What really redeemed it was the twist and Karou getting her shit together.
Food for Thought
An independent woman suddenly becomes a puddle at the feet of handsome men repeatedly. Why must it always be beauty that disarms and threatens our strong young women? As if there’s no way to make her flawed except through her sexuality.
Of course, there are social justice issues to raise and criticism to make of Young Adult literature, which Daughter of Smoke and Bone takes part in. Antero Garcia discussed this in his book, Critical Foundations in Young Adult Literature, and has posted this excerpt, where the mention begins here:
In similarly problematic depictions of female behavior, Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone takes an otherwise independent and strong-willed protagonist and renders her all but helpless when encountering an attractive, male foe. Early in Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Karou encounters an angel named, Akiva. For Karou, his beauty is exuded to the point of distraction. While Karou is fighting Akiva, her internal monologue depicts a woman flawed by her own sexuality; the fact that she finds this angel beautiful drives her actions in ways that are potentially life- threatening:
Add in Akiva’s creepy stalker issues that get a pass because he’s more beautiful and hasn’t hurt her like the skeevy ex she just broke up with though they both harass and push boundaries. Not to mention Brimstone’s line about Karou “squandering” herself by having sex. He says to wait for love without explaining further but she thinks it was love so she’s left floundering and shamed. Quite a destructive painting of sexuality.
Why is the quoted portion a problem? I’d highly suggest reading the whole thing for more examples thoroughly explained but his conclusion is:
These are small microaggressions that female readers endure from one book to another. Instead of claiming that these readings of passages from Roth and Taylor critique too heavily minor, well-intentioned passages, I believe these are damning attributes of the literature we encourage young people to read non-critically. The messages of how females must look and behave that are read again and again in these texts typify identities that sexualize and pacify a female readership.
There’s this quote that foreshadows and tries to sound profound but is only a deepity. Of course humans love beauty but it’s too often ignored how beauty is culturally decided and differs. Instead, it acts as if beauty is carved in stone and describes characters like Greek statues. Ideas of beauty also change during your lifetime, at least for finding people your own age still attractive but also if you change by moving, beliefs, etc.
Notes & Quotes:
Page 22, “Inessential penises?” Karou had repeated, delighted with the phrase in spite of her grief. “Is there any such thing as an essential one?”
“When an essential one comes along, you’ll know,” he’d replied. “Stop squandering yourself, child. Wait for love.”
Page 45, She wasn’t innocent now, but she didn’t know what to do about it. This was her life: magic and shame and secrets and teeth and a deep, nagging hollow at the center of herself where something was most certainly missing.
Page 70, “They had to be pretty stupid butterflies to fall for him anyway. You’ll grow new ones with more sense. New wise butterflies.”
Page 120, “Like mold on books, grow myths on history. Maybe you should ask someone who was there, all those centuries ago. Maybe you should ask Razgut.”
Page 168, What is with guys watching girls sleep? Hella creepy. And of course, no one brings up the tossing, turning, snoring, rambling, drooling, farting machines people turn into for 8 hours a day.
Page 179, “Wiener-dog owners,” Zuzana corrected. “You’d have to have, like, a lentil for a soul to hate wiener dogs.”
Page 181, It was there, in the midst of the school-of-fish density of tourists on the Charles Bridge, that the wrongness crept back over her again, slow and seeping, like a shadow when a cloud coasts before the sun.
Page 193,”Beauty,” Brimstone had scoffed once. “Humans are fools for it. As helpless as moths who hurl themselves at fire.”
Page 383, “Hope? Hope can be a powerful force. Maybe there’s no actual magic in it, but when you know what you hope for most and hold it like a light within you, you can make things happen, almost like magic.”