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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
I devoured these stories. My only complaint is that there weren't more. Hear that L.T? (hint, hint. nudge, nudge) Write more short stories like these. Goblin fruit creeped me out. I'll admit it. But I kept hoping that Kizzy would wake the hell up. I actually screamed Idiot! at the end of that story. I thought the second story would be similar to the first and was relieved to be proven wrong. Hatchling was my favorite of them all. I ended that story with a sigh. This is my third L.T book and I must say I adored them all. She has a way of making you care about and root for the characters in her stories. I am so envious of her lyrical, descriptive writing. Will definitely read more of her books.
Three short stories about kisses that are MUCH more than they seem. Spooky and delicious stories here.
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
#1 The story itself is pretty much Twilight, but the writing is quite nice and there are some clever turns of phrase, like boy-harem and “The secret ingredient is supposed to be love. But I substitute scorn.”
#2 Well, the characterization is minimal, but the storytelling’s nice and it ends well.
#3 Well that was…not surprising. It’s like Jasmine on Angel. Or like Connor & Darla. Meh, while the length helped it have the best mythology the structure made this the least satisfying and possibly the least interesting in characterization.
Overall, her writing is quite pretty, but her storytelling, plotting, and characterization thankfully improve by leaps and bounds in Daughter of Smoke & Bone, even if DSB has issues in the latter two-thirds with romance taking precedence over complexity and things actually happening.
#2 Well, the characterization is minimal, but the storytelling’s nice and it ends well.
#3 Well that was…not surprising. It’s like Jasmine on Angel. Or like Connor & Darla. Meh, while the length helped it have the best mythology the structure made this the least satisfying and possibly the least interesting in characterization.
Overall, her writing is quite pretty, but her storytelling, plotting, and characterization thankfully improve by leaps and bounds in Daughter of Smoke & Bone, even if DSB has issues in the latter two-thirds with romance taking precedence over complexity and things actually happening.
Laini Taylor is truly a masterful storyteller! This book was beautiful, unique, and captivating. I can't get enough!
Laini Taylor has such a power over words. It's breathtaking
The first story in this book was so dull I didn't touch the book again for over a year. When I did I was very surprised to really enjoy the final two.
All of the stories are about a first kiss, but not in a classic romance sense as they all have a fairy tale twist. By which I mean a traditional fairy tale where there's evil creatures about and the age of the girl is very questionable for some of the things that happen - this book should probably have a TW. Think more Grimms fairy tales than Disney.
Overall it was a nice little read but I'm not sure I'll be rereading it or rushing to read more Laini Taylor as this is my 4th book of hers and I do find them rather mixed.
All of the stories are about a first kiss, but not in a classic romance sense as they all have a fairy tale twist. By which I mean a traditional fairy tale where there's evil creatures about and the age of the girl is very questionable for some of the things that happen - this book should probably have a TW. Think more Grimms fairy tales than Disney.
Overall it was a nice little read but I'm not sure I'll be rereading it or rushing to read more Laini Taylor as this is my 4th book of hers and I do find them rather mixed.
This was an absolutely stunning read. The illustrations were breathtaking and the stories within were tragically beautiful. It was wonderful delving into Laini Taylor's writing again. A quick and refreshing read. The inspirations behind the stories were also captivatingly intriguing.
I enjoyed reading these stories, alas they all left me wanting a whole book dedicated to each story. The possibilities are endless.
I loved the depiction of first love in [b:Spicy Little Curses|17704852|Spicy Little Curses|Laini Taylor|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1364730544s/17704852.jpg|24752634] and the motherly love depicted in both [b:Spicy Little Curses|17704852|Spicy Little Curses|Laini Taylor|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1364730544s/17704852.jpg|24752634] and [b:Hatchling|20333181|Hatchling|Laini Taylor|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|41774230] (going to hell to retrieve your newly born daughter is an unimaginable feat). It was beautiful reading about the love a mother has for her child. I would like to read more of from this loving, motherly perspective in future.
I enjoyed reading these stories, alas they all left me wanting a whole book dedicated to each story. The possibilities are endless.
Spoiler
I loved the depiction of first love in [b:Spicy Little Curses|17704852|Spicy Little Curses|Laini Taylor|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1364730544s/17704852.jpg|24752634] and the motherly love depicted in both [b:Spicy Little Curses|17704852|Spicy Little Curses|Laini Taylor|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1364730544s/17704852.jpg|24752634] and [b:Hatchling|20333181|Hatchling|Laini Taylor|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|41774230] (going to hell to retrieve your newly born daughter is an unimaginable feat). It was beautiful reading about the love a mother has for her child. I would like to read more of from this loving, motherly perspective in future.
More like 4.5 stars. This book was a gorgeous blend of modern and traditional fairy tales, and [a:Laini Taylor|324620|Laini Taylor|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1224474224p2/324620.jpg] writes beautifully. The illustrations provided by her husband are perfect for these stories, and the combined effect is a book as pretty as it is readable.
The first story I can take or leave. I enjoyed the second story and really appreciated how things tied up at the end, but to say more would be spoilery. The third story I loved. Laini Taylor has a knack for creating really original fantastical worlds, with interesting histories and magic systems, and she nailed it again in "Hatchling." Everything about the world and the plot felt fresh. I never had that "I feel like I've read this before" sensation. The pacing is pretty spectacular. Taylor doles out information slowly, moving backwards and forwards in time, to keep you guessing. And yet at the same time, the steady action keeps the story fast-paced. Like in the Daughter of Smoke and Bone Trilogy, the plot is BIG in terms of its span of time and the magnitude of the implications for the characters. Unlike DoSaB, however, this story is a few hundred pages and is blessedly free from the excessive, torturous emotional wallowing that trilogy is marred by.