Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

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

by Laini Taylor

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.

Reviewed by e_rodz_leb on

5 of 5 stars

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Daughter of Smoke & Bone is so darn good that I don’t know how to begin with my review. What if I start with the first paragraph from the book?

“Walking to school over the snow-muffled cobbles, Karou had no sinister premonitions about the day. Monday, innocent but for its essential Mondayness, not to mention its Januaryness. It was cold, and it was dark- in the dead of winter the sun didn’t rise until eight- but it was also lovely. The falling snow and the early hour conspired to paint Prague ghostly, like a tintype photograph, all silver and haze”

I don’t normally include citations from books in my reviews, but I wanted to illustrate what I mean. Doesn’t the opening of the book makes you crave for more? It has me hooked from the first sentence and I couldn’t put it down.

The characters are well developed, full of both flaws and redeeming qualities. Karou is a strong character that was raised in very unusual circumstances, but still finds a way to rise above it. I loved Zuzana’s snarky remarks and unwavering loyalty. Akiva is a different kind of male protagonist. What I mean by that is that he is not your swoon worthy male teenager, he is more mature and has been through a lot, which made him cynical and hard. I wouldn’t call him exactly likeable, but that is fine by me.

The story is told from the third person point of view, which allows us to know what is going on with both Karou and Akiva. The plot is original, well-paced and spellbinding. Ms. Taylor’s writing is so good, fluid, full of made up words that somewhat made sense and almost lyrical. The story was totally unpredictable and I am glad we didn’t have to wait for the next book in the series to understand what was going on. My only complaint was the ending, but I am sure Ms. Taylor will redeem herself in the next book (pretty please!!)

Daughter of Smoke & Bone was an incredible read and it is most definitely going to be part of my favorite books (series) list. I cannot wait for book two!

About the Cover : This is not the prettiest cover that I’ve seen lately, but it is appropriate for the story (which is not a fluffy romance either). The blue, the feathers, the mystery implied by covering someone’s face, are all relevant to the story.


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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 11 October, 2011: Finished reading
  • 11 October, 2011: Reviewed