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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
Review originally posted here.
Why I Read It: I've been wanting to read Laini Taylor ever since Daughter of Smoke and Bone was released last September (and which I own a copy of but still haven't read.) I picked this up while at the library the other day. I had some time to kill and was perusing their YA section when I found it, and I'm incapable of leaving a library without at least one book.
This book is comprised of three short stories (I'd actually consider two of them to be closer to novellas, but for simplicity's sake I'll just refer them as short stories) that all revolve an important kiss.
Before talking about the stories though, I really want to talk about the book itself; it's absolutely GORGEOUS and I love it. It has colour illustrations in red, black and white that paint a picture of events that have transpired BEFORE the story you're about to read. There's also an illustration at the end of the story. The pictures are gorgeous, and really add to the story. The first letter at the beginning of each chapter and the page numbers are also in red, and the page quality is really nice as well. It's a book that's totally worth owning if you enjoy it.
Now, I'll talk briefly about each story without giving away any spoilers:
The first story is called "Goblin Fruit", and I really enjoyed it. It's a fairy-tale story with a modern flair: modern setting, modern dialogue, modern girl problems. One of the things I liked most about this story was the easy banter between Kizzy and her two friends. Even though the story has a fairy-tale feel to it, their modern and quippy dialogue doesn't feel out of place or forced into the story. It's also about REAL problems that teenagers face, without being didactic: wanting to belong without compromising your individuality, and wanting to be accepted by someone. The fairy-tale elements give it some panache, and make it a cautionary tale that doesn't feel outdated. The ending was also deliciously ambiguous, and I loved it for that.
The next story, "Spicy Little Curses Such As These", was great as well. It also has the fairy-tale vibe going on, but with a completely different setting and atmosphere. The love angle was obviously a little rushed and quick to come, what with the page count, but because of that fairy-tale vibe emanating from the story it was much easier to roll with it and to just be immersed in it. I loved the lore that Taylor used here (it's based off Hinduism I think) and how she put her own twist on it (which you can read more about in her Afterword), and the world-building was really awesome for such a short story. The ending was nice and hopeful without being sunshine and rainbows.
The last story, "Hatchling", is the longest and a favourite amongst most readers. The world-building was definitely the best part. I have no idea how Taylor packed so much of it into such a short story without info-dumping the hell out of her readers. The lore revolves around the Fae and shapeshifters, but in a way that I haven't seen in Paranormal stories. The narrative is a little jumpy, as it hops between Esmee, her mother Mab, and the lone shapeshifter Mahai, as well as slipping between the past and the present. It never does so in a jarring or confusing way though; it's also easy to follow and the flashbacks lead into what's happening in the present narrative. The ending comes together really nicely.
I'm still trying to decide which of these three stories is my favourite and I can't seem to make up my mind. All the stories have something that I really enjoyed, but for different reasons, and they're all different enough from each other, while also being similar enough to work as a cohesive whole.
Final Verdict: This is a really strong collection. I think Taylor was smart in only making it three different works, because they're all very well thought-out and structured. If it had been more than that, it would be too easy to find some stories that are really good, while others would be "meh" in comparison. Either way, I really enjoyed reading this and am even more pumped to read Taylor's other works. The beautiful illustrations also make this book a must-own if you enjoyed the accompanying stories.
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I started this book knowing nothing other then I loved another by the same author – Daughter of Smoke and Bone. This one is comprised of three short stories, each one growing in length and complexity. They all captivated me and left me wanting more. The third story was the longest, the darkest and was also my favourite.
These were ok. I liked the last story the best and it was the longest, so maybe it was that there was more depth.
I am so glad I picked up this book and gave it a chance.
First off, let’s just acknowledge the stunning art visible inside and out this book! I loved the style, colours and lighting of each piece and the way it tied in with each story. If the title and cover of this book aren’t convincing you to pick it up, don’t be fooled!
This is a type of storytelling I have never read before and it is absolutely incredible. Laini Taylor has an ability to transport her audience to another world and completely consume them in luscious writing and a completely unique concept. This submersible anthology will pull you in and leave you astounded to the very end. All I can say is WOW 😮.
I haven’t read a book in a very long time that felt completely original and utterly unique.
Let’s just keep in mind this book came out in 2009 and it has the ability to stand out a DECADE later.
A MUST HAVE!
Will definitely be reading some more of her work.
Thank you 😊Laini for an incredible read.
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
First off, let’s just acknowledge the stunning art visible inside and out this book! I loved the style, colours and lighting of each piece and the way it tied in with each story. If the title and cover of this book aren’t convincing you to pick it up, don’t be fooled!
This is a type of storytelling I have never read before and it is absolutely incredible. Laini Taylor has an ability to transport her audience to another world and completely consume them in luscious writing and a completely unique concept. This submersible anthology will pull you in and leave you astounded to the very end. All I can say is WOW 😮.
I haven’t read a book in a very long time that felt completely original and utterly unique.
Let’s just keep in mind this book came out in 2009 and it has the ability to stand out a DECADE later.
A MUST HAVE!
Will definitely be reading some more of her work.
Thank you 😊Laini for an incredible read.
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I'm starting to think that it's pretty much impossible for Laini Taylor to disappoint me. Her writing is so beautiful and poetic without being too purple-prosey. Purple prose is a huge pet peeve of mine when reading a new book, so this means a lot to me that she stays away from it.
Lips Touch: Three Times sounds like it would be some sort of erotic novel, but it's not. The stories are absolutely bizarre, interesting and unique and I really enjoyed them!
Lips Touch: Three Times sounds like it would be some sort of erotic novel, but it's not. The stories are absolutely bizarre, interesting and unique and I really enjoyed them!
Goblin Fruit 4 stars
Spicy Little Curses 4.5 stars
Hatchling 5 stars
Spicy Little Curses 4.5 stars
Hatchling 5 stars
I love Laini Taylor's writing. It's so mysteriously magical. :D
This book is a collection of three novellas/short stories. What drew me in originally were the illustrations by Jim Di Bartolo that appear at the beginning of each story but soon after starting this the writing completely hooked me in and I couldn’t stop reading!
I really loved the feel of these stories. They are steeped in folklore and magic and this collection was definitely what I needed to pick up after my mini reading slump. The stories just felt so rich and well-developed despite how short they are and I commend Laini Taylor for being able to achieve that because I rarely enjoy short story collections. At just 266 pages this was a quick read and although I found the last story ‘Hatchling’ a little slow, I really enjoyed the other two stories and would love to check out more of Laini Taylor’s work in the future, hopefully in time to maybe go to one of her events in May.
I really loved the feel of these stories. They are steeped in folklore and magic and this collection was definitely what I needed to pick up after my mini reading slump. The stories just felt so rich and well-developed despite how short they are and I commend Laini Taylor for being able to achieve that because I rarely enjoy short story collections. At just 266 pages this was a quick read and although I found the last story ‘Hatchling’ a little slow, I really enjoyed the other two stories and would love to check out more of Laini Taylor’s work in the future, hopefully in time to maybe go to one of her events in May.