Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

Pages: 418
Intended Audience: Mature Teens
Genre: Supernatural fantasy romance
Notes for parents: This book has mature content, dark themes, and some disturbing scenes.

The Back Cover

She had been innocent once, a little girl playing with feathers on the floor of a devil’s lair. She wasn’t innocent now…
Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.
In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grows dangerously low.
And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherworldly war.

What the Back Cover doesn’t tell you:

This is the first book in a series.

What’s good?
Set in the beautiful and historic city of Prague in the Czech Republic, this is an imaginative and haunting story full of mystery, suspense, and romance. Emotive writing draws the evocative plot back and forth through time as we meet angels and monsters and are introduced to the intricate mythology surrounding them. There is tension and action, mystery and foreboding, and a healthy dose of the macabre that makes this story capriciously original. I especially like the author’s use of challenging vocabulary and complex ideas, contrary to the patronizing tenor of many young adult novels.
Best part: The characters are wonderful, including: Karou, the strong female lead; Brimstone, the imposing father figure; Akiva, the powerful angel; and Zuzana, the patient friend.

What’s not so good?

I was riveted for the first half of the book, convinced that this story was getting my five checkmarks rating. However, once Karou is cut off from Brimstone and the mysteries behind her existence begin revealing themselves, the tone of the story takes a turn. The pacing changes, slowing the momentum considerably. The story still kept my interest, but the shift was distracting and took away from the story.
Worst part: Kaz the ex. I didn't see the point of him.

Recommendations þþþþo

This was by far the best book I’ve read this summer. I loved the darkness that lurked behind the mythology, challenging conventional ideas of good and evil. My favourite line was, “It is the condition of monsters that they do not perceive themselves as such.” Strongly recommended.

Taylor, Laini. Daughter of Smoke and Bone. New York: Little, Brown & Co., 2011.