Daughter of Smoke and Bone is the first installment in what
promises to be another favorite series of mine. I approached this book with no
expectations, if not the vague memory of this title being very popular years
ago.
Laini Taylor is a wonderful writer, let’s start this way. The
first thing that will grasp your interest in this book is certainly the world
the author created. I’ve personally read a lot of fantasy novels up until now,
and I have to say that I rarely had the pleasure of entering such a magnificent
setting. In Daughter of Smoke and Bone in fact, there are many fantasy
creatures that appear, - like angels and devils, or chimeras - there is a lot
of magic, there are two worlds colliding, yet everything manages to mantain a
strong link to reality. It’s really difficult to explain what I felt with this
book, but let’s just say that usually, with books of this genre, I’m always
afraid that an excessive fantasy background might compromise my feeling towards
the whole novel, since I prefer when a story doesn’t get too far-fetched. Laini
Taylor though, presents the reader with this beautiful and unique setting, without
depriving her characters of such humanity, that it will be impossible for the
reader to separate with them.
Karou, our protagonist, represents the link between magic and
reality, she’s human, yet she has been raised by chimeras. It’s really easy to
create a bond with her: she’s mature, she’s funny, she’s real and incredibly honest.
I’ve never felt frustrated with her, even if she was 17 years old. I loved the
fact that she was an artist because it certainly gave the reader the
opportunity to see everything through a meticolous eye: Karou’s sensitivity
mixed with Laini Taylor’s writing skills make for a wonderful explosion of
impressions. It was incredibly challenging to try and keep up with the number
of images the author sends the reader, like the various species and forms
chimeras had, the incredible accuracy with which Akira is described, the
collection of postcards from the cities Karou visits.
The maturity of the writing, of the characters’ building,
also reflects on the importance relationships have in this book. The concept of
family and diversity occupies a central place in this novel and I loved to see
Karou interact with her family of “monsters”. I found this particular link
between the characters to be even more captivating than the romance itself,
which was really good but touched me less than Karou’s relationship with
Brimstone. While Akiva and Karou’s passion is so strong that exudes from their
every interaction, the affection of Brimstone towards little Karou is rarely
displayed and will be fully appreciated by the reader at the end of the story. Speaking
of Akiva and Karou, something I have read in another review that I agree with
completely, is that the romance between
our two protagonists is very sensual even if it is rarely physical and when it
does get physical, it is in the sweetest and most tender way.
There are no negative aspects about this book, nothing I would change or didn’t enjoy. My only regret is that I started it during a moment when I was not really present so it took me a while to finish this story. I am sure that in another occasion, I would have dived into this book and would not have stopped until I had everything revealed.
For the perstitence it still has in my head, Daughter of Smoke and Bone is a 5 star read for me. I just can’t wait to discover how Karou’s journey will continue and meet her again in Taylor’s wonderful world
I'm glad you loved this book so much. Back when I read it (it's been a hot minute) I wasn't the biggest fan and didn't continue the series, sadly enough.
RispondiEliminaI'm so sad you didn't like it but that happens to me too with popular series!
EliminaI'm actually really excited about continuing the series, I'll just wait and buy the beautiful new editions I've found online :)
Thank you for stopping by! xx