Book Review: Daughter of Smoke & Bone (Daughter of Smoke & Bone, #1)

Author: Laini Taylor

Pages: 417

Year Published: 2011

My rating: An undeniable 5/5 stars!

Quick synopsis from Goodreads:
Around the world, black hand prints 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 otherwordly war. Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages—not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

Sometimes, you forget what a good book can do to you. Pounding heart, wide eyes, shortened breath. Daughter of Smoke and Bone revived that feeling in me.

From the turn of the first page, I was sucked into a mysterious world, boldly crafted by Laini Taylor. This is the kind of book in which you have no idea what to expect. The synopsis gave away nothing, which was perfect, because you actually had the freedom to roam around in your own thoughts, your own imagination, and think about all the different possibilities this story could take in. And the writing. Rich, velvety, deep. Yet not overly excessive. Taylor is an amazing storyteller that isn't afraid to show originality.

She was eager, piping. "I could help."
Wistful, entranced. "I could learn."
Determinedly, incorrigible "I could learn"

Reading that passage just solidified my love for this book. Maybe it wasn't Taylor's best passage, but there is something so soothing, so magical about it that made me copy it down immediately.

And the characters. Oh the characters... They weren't all deserving of compassion, but they were so majestically created, so alert and alive, that I couldn't just help but admire them. Karou was fiery, audacious, and clever. (Highlight for spoiler) In one sense, I kind of wished she had her own identity, but her tie to Madrigal did bring a whole new dimension, and profound depth to this story She was a wonderful protagonist who brought a knowing sense of power and vulnerability to the book.

Endeavoring, edgy, and nothing short of brilliant. Daughter of Smoke and Bone will transport you into a daring world where anything, and everything, seems possible.