Check out my reviews of (I'll be linking my GR reviews instead of my blog reviews, because I've made grammar revisions):
Daughter of Smoke & Bone
Days of Blood & Starlight
2.5 in the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy
5 stars
“There are boys you look at and want to touch with your mouth, and there are boys you look at and want to wear one of those surgical masks everyone in China had during the bird flu. There are a lot more bird-flu boys at large.”
Zuz and Mik are huge characters in the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy. This follows their first date and if you love Zuz and Mik then you are destined to love this short story. Seriously, their first date is a treasure hunt and Zuz is the treasure. It’s so freaking adorable. I don’t think this story is integral to the DoS&B universe, but it’s fun. I personally seek out all of Laini Taylor’s work and I enjoy her short stories, so a short story about beloved characters I already know and love is just a lot of fun. Laini Taylor is one my all-time favorite writers. She can write like no other and her worlds are whimsical. I love every word she weaves into a story.
Whimsical Writing Scale: 5
“I am a rabid fairy. I am a carnivorous plant. I am Zuzana. And violin boy’s not going to know what hit him.”
The main female character is Zuz. I love Zuz’s humor. She’s funny, dark, morbid, and I love her odd personality. Zuz’s very shy when it comes to boys, particularly to Mik, but once she’s mad about him and it’s so much fun to see how they eventually come together to form a dynamic couple. Zuz is one of my all-time favorite friends to a heroine. She’s an amazing character and her dedication to those she loves warms my heart. I connect to Zuz a lot. She does a lot of silly things, much like I do, and she’s content with who she is as a person and doesn’t want to change who she is to please anyone.
Kick-Butt Heroine Scale: 5
The main male character is Mik. Mik is so sweet and incredibly goofy. He’s shy and he’s so freaking cute. Mik and Zuz are an OTP couple for me. I don’t think they are the best of the best, but I love them together and they make my heart squeal. I don’t have a deep connection to Mik, but I do have a special place in my heart for him and I think I love him more after reading this story.
Swoon Worthy Scale: 4.5
I think this is worth the $2.99 I spent and I don’t regret spending that money one bit, because I absolutely love this. This short story is as sweet as cake and it warms my belly with happiness.
“If this night is a fairy tale, then this is the happily ever after, right, or at least the beginning of it?”
Plotastic Scale: 5
Cover Thoughts: This cover is freaking gorgeous. I love it so much.
Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor
Third book in the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy
ALL THE STARS
Karou has taken control of the chimaera’s side of the war and is ready to seek vengeance— not only for original self, Madrigal, but for her loved ones who have died in this war. She is ready to take down the seraphim and she will lead an army to finally end this war. Shockingly, Karou and Akiva are together again, but their common goal is to take down their new common enemy. The war between the chimaera and the seraphim will spill out into the human realm and things will change. I finished this book a moth after it came out in 2014 and it to this day is my all-time favorite trilogy. I have a deep profound love of this world and my connection to the characters has spanned for many years. I’ve been putting off writing this review since 2014 because I don’t want this series to end for me and once I hit save when I post this review to Goodreads and my blog, this trilogy and I will be officially finished. I will have opportunities to reread this story, but it won’t be like the first time I enter this world of a blue haired girl covered in ink and cloaked in mystery who falls for an angel that she has a much deeper connection to than the human realm.
Karou’s journey as an apprentice to Brimstone in collecting teeth for wishes shapes into a warrior set out for retribution for the wrongs of her past and her loved-ones. This trilogy is so beautiful and magnificent. I don’t say that lightly. I know it has its… especially in the first book when everyone will scream insta-love and I will counteract with, “No. It only seems that way, but it’s so much more. They knew each other when Karou wasn’t Karou, but Madrigal and this integral to the story.” As this trilogy goes further, it becomes less about the love and more about fighting and surviving. This war is brutal and in the second novel, we are introduced to a young chimaeran child who knows all too well out brutal this war is with the seraphim. Karou and Akiva’s love story shifts… it is harder for Karou to love and trust him because she can’t be sure if he loves her or her past self, Madrigal, and the betrayal that occurs in the first book leaves her quite angry. I will always love Karou and Akiva’s love story, but to me, it isn’t centerfold for why I love this trilogy.
Laini Taylor is one of the best young adult, no writers, of our time. Not everyone love Fitzgerald when he released Gatsby and not everyone will love Taylor’s books, but her writing style is unlike any other. She is able to intricately weave worlds together, create in-depth character stories that span generations, and supply the best quotes for any lover of literature. I love and adore Laini Taylor’s writing style and time and time again I’m not disappointed. Whether it’s with this trilogy or short stories, she captures worlds vividly and uses prose that isn’t found in everyday literature.
Whimsical Writing Scale: 5
If it isn’t obvious, I love the characters in this trilogy. My heart sings and aches when I think about the beloved characters that I formed a connection with.
Karou is meant to be infuriating because she is a real character. The reason I love her so much is because I get aggravated with her and I realize that she is going to make silly choices and do ridiculous things because that’s a realistic thing to do. If she was a perfect character, I’d hate her. I don’t want perfect. I want real. The progression of her character from book 1 is absolutely amazing. She is not only fighting a real war and leading the chimaeras, but she is fighting a war within herself to decide what she believes in and where she wants to be after this war. I love Karou and I love her flaws.
Kick-Butt Heroine Scale: 5
Akiva will always be one of my favorite love interests. There’s just something about him that warms my heart and makes me happy. Of course, he did shitty things and I hated him for it at times, but I also forgave him because I understood where he was coming from and why he thought, at the time, that his choices were the best choices. Akiva, like Karou, is flawed, but his flaws make me appreciate and love his character all the more.
Swoon Worthy Scale: 5
There is a huge cast of characters in this world. From Zuz, Karou’s best friend, and her boyfriend, Mik, who play a huge part in the war and are total badasses. To Liraz, Akiva’s vicious half-sister who quickly became a favorite character of mine because she is very prickly, but I understand why. Some of the new character introductions are jarring, but I understand why they were introduced in this novel and not previous ones. A minor setback that I can overlook because I understand why. There are so many characters, like Ziri, and so many to love.
Character Scale: 5
The Villain- The villains in this trilogy are brutal. They show no mercy and step on everyone and everything that could defeat or hinder their plots. I really enjoy the villains conceptually and I loved Taylor’s resolutions with them in this series.
Villain Scale: 5
Overall, the ending of this trilogy is far from perfect and leaves open the possibility of a follow-up or spin-off series (if Taylor chooses to do so) and I know that this kind of ending will infuriate a lot of readers, but I understood its implications. The ending of a war, especially as long as the one in Eretz, does not wrap up nicely and most wars lead to new problems and other wars, so it makes sense that another story could be introduced at this ending. When I think of the implications of major war, like that of WWI or WWII I see how WWI bled into WWII and catapulted it and how WWII led to the Cold War and will continuously lead to the threat of nuclear war. I’m happy with where Laini Taylor left this trilogy because I don’t want a nice perfect story wrapped up with a neat bow. I’m happy, content, and also sad because I will never know this story again with fresh eyes, but I am pleased to say that I know and love this story.
Plotastic Scale: 5
Cover Thoughts: I think this is a badass cover. It’s not my favorite, but I love it and it has a very chimaera feel to it.
Third book in the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy
ALL THE STARS
Karou has taken control of the chimaera’s side of the war and is ready to seek vengeance— not only for original self, Madrigal, but for her loved ones who have died in this war. She is ready to take down the seraphim and she will lead an army to finally end this war. Shockingly, Karou and Akiva are together again, but their common goal is to take down their new common enemy. The war between the chimaera and the seraphim will spill out into the human realm and things will change. I finished this book a moth after it came out in 2014 and it to this day is my all-time favorite trilogy. I have a deep profound love of this world and my connection to the characters has spanned for many years. I’ve been putting off writing this review since 2014 because I don’t want this series to end for me and once I hit save when I post this review to Goodreads and my blog, this trilogy and I will be officially finished. I will have opportunities to reread this story, but it won’t be like the first time I enter this world of a blue haired girl covered in ink and cloaked in mystery who falls for an angel that she has a much deeper connection to than the human realm.
Karou’s journey as an apprentice to Brimstone in collecting teeth for wishes shapes into a warrior set out for retribution for the wrongs of her past and her loved-ones. This trilogy is so beautiful and magnificent. I don’t say that lightly. I know it has its… especially in the first book when everyone will scream insta-love and I will counteract with, “No. It only seems that way, but it’s so much more. They knew each other when Karou wasn’t Karou, but Madrigal and this integral to the story.” As this trilogy goes further, it becomes less about the love and more about fighting and surviving. This war is brutal and in the second novel, we are introduced to a young chimaeran child who knows all too well out brutal this war is with the seraphim. Karou and Akiva’s love story shifts… it is harder for Karou to love and trust him because she can’t be sure if he loves her or her past self, Madrigal, and the betrayal that occurs in the first book leaves her quite angry. I will always love Karou and Akiva’s love story, but to me, it isn’t centerfold for why I love this trilogy.
Laini Taylor is one of the best young adult, no writers, of our time. Not everyone love Fitzgerald when he released Gatsby and not everyone will love Taylor’s books, but her writing style is unlike any other. She is able to intricately weave worlds together, create in-depth character stories that span generations, and supply the best quotes for any lover of literature. I love and adore Laini Taylor’s writing style and time and time again I’m not disappointed. Whether it’s with this trilogy or short stories, she captures worlds vividly and uses prose that isn’t found in everyday literature.
Whimsical Writing Scale: 5
If it isn’t obvious, I love the characters in this trilogy. My heart sings and aches when I think about the beloved characters that I formed a connection with.
Karou is meant to be infuriating because she is a real character. The reason I love her so much is because I get aggravated with her and I realize that she is going to make silly choices and do ridiculous things because that’s a realistic thing to do. If she was a perfect character, I’d hate her. I don’t want perfect. I want real. The progression of her character from book 1 is absolutely amazing. She is not only fighting a real war and leading the chimaeras, but she is fighting a war within herself to decide what she believes in and where she wants to be after this war. I love Karou and I love her flaws.
Kick-Butt Heroine Scale: 5
Akiva will always be one of my favorite love interests. There’s just something about him that warms my heart and makes me happy. Of course, he did shitty things and I hated him for it at times, but I also forgave him because I understood where he was coming from and why he thought, at the time, that his choices were the best choices. Akiva, like Karou, is flawed, but his flaws make me appreciate and love his character all the more.
Swoon Worthy Scale: 5
There is a huge cast of characters in this world. From Zuz, Karou’s best friend, and her boyfriend, Mik, who play a huge part in the war and are total badasses. To Liraz, Akiva’s vicious half-sister who quickly became a favorite character of mine because she is very prickly, but I understand why. Some of the new character introductions are jarring, but I understand why they were introduced in this novel and not previous ones. A minor setback that I can overlook because I understand why. There are so many characters, like Ziri, and so many to love.
Character Scale: 5
The Villain- The villains in this trilogy are brutal. They show no mercy and step on everyone and everything that could defeat or hinder their plots. I really enjoy the villains conceptually and I loved Taylor’s resolutions with them in this series.
Villain Scale: 5
Overall, the ending of this trilogy is far from perfect and leaves open the possibility of a follow-up or spin-off series (if Taylor chooses to do so) and I know that this kind of ending will infuriate a lot of readers, but I understood its implications. The ending of a war, especially as long as the one in Eretz, does not wrap up nicely and most wars lead to new problems and other wars, so it makes sense that another story could be introduced at this ending. When I think of the implications of major war, like that of WWI or WWII I see how WWI bled into WWII and catapulted it and how WWII led to the Cold War and will continuously lead to the threat of nuclear war. I’m happy with where Laini Taylor left this trilogy because I don’t want a nice perfect story wrapped up with a neat bow. I’m happy, content, and also sad because I will never know this story again with fresh eyes, but I am pleased to say that I know and love this story.
Plotastic Scale: 5
Cover Thoughts: I think this is a badass cover. It’s not my favorite, but I love it and it has a very chimaera feel to it.
Are you fan of the Daughter & Smoke Bone trilogy? Let's discuss this beautiful world! Anything you can think of whether it's squees or critiques. I want to know your thoughts! Let me know what you think down below in the comments!
Laini Taylor has the most gorgeous writing and unique stories! I'm so glad to see you love DOSAB so much
ReplyDeleteI love this trilogy so much. *cries* Thanks for stopping by!
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