Reviews - Daughter of Smoke & Bone

Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

11.3k reviews for:

Absolutely magical! Laini Taylor’s writing is so gorgeous. It's so lyrical, vivid, and full of heart. She creates a world that feels completely alive, from Prague’s streets to the hidden realms of angels and chimera. Karou is such a compelling protagonist: witty, fierce, and deeply human, even in a world full of monsters. The story is full of mystery, romance, and action, and Taylor balances all of it beautifully. I really appreciated how unique it all was. The only downfall is that it's definitely a product of it's time with themes of instalove, but I just tried to remember that was how most books written in the early 2010's were. I still devoured it. The audiobook is especially a lovely treat.

biancas_library's review against another edition

3.5

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: N/A

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: N/A

The first half of this book would've been a solid 4.5 stars. Loved the world building, the rich storytelling and the prose. However, the second half of this book felt like a completely different story and I couldn't get into it. It probably didn't help that I wasn't the biggest fan of Akiva.
This being said, I will give the next installment another chance in the hope that there will be more of Karou

(and maybe more of Brimstone and his crew in the unlikely case that they have somehow survived?)

sarahwarrr's review against another edition

5.0

WOW WOW WOW
I did not think I would love this book as much as I did. My aunt had given me the first book for Christmas last year and I never got around to starting it until about a month ago. It was so amazing, the world-building is so immersive, and the way that it's written just sucks you into the world. The ending gives a complete shock to the reader (even though I probably could've put it together if I had taken some time to think about

Spoiler

Akiva and Karou's relationship

). Don't judge this book by its cover (because let's face it, it's not the prettiest) and focus on the AMAZING story. Anywayyy can't wait to start the next book.