Daughter of Smoke and Bone

By: Laini Taylor

Narrated by: Khristine Hvam

Length: 12 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

In a nation on the brink of war, a young art student's star-crossed love begins to bloom in the first book of the New York Times best-selling epic fantasy trilogy by award-winning author Laini Taylor.

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 grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherworldly 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.

When one of the strangers—beautiful, haunted Akiva—fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

©2011 Laini Taylor (P)2011 Hachette Audio

so full of action you have to take it slow

Good writing. A little hard to follow the the back and forth of the time line. I will probably listen again just to get all the nuances of the story.

YA fantasy/romance that a forty something enjoyed

I admit I doubt I would ever have read this book in print, but my criteria for audiobooks include a great narrator and a plot that doesn't drag to help keep me alert on my long commute. The characters are well developed and the alternate "Elsewhere" world rich and cohessive enough to be intriguing. The romances were a bit cloying, but I know that is what romance is about when you are a teenager as the heroine and target audience are - so I forgive that. Overall quite entertaining.

Absolutely wonderful

Narrators can make a dull book passable or turn a decent book into a nightmare. This book has too notch narration, making an already superb book, phenomenal.

So unique and beautifully written

Loved this one. The story was incredible. So creative and compelling. I’ve actually listened to it many times at this point! I loved the narrator as well. Definitely one of the top narrators IMO!

My favorite book series of all time. OF ALL TIME.

Wow. Just.....wow. Read this in two days. Could NOT put it down. I've read this entire series three times already, and I still get completely consumed by the narrative. The writing is gorgeous (literally no one compares) and the plotting is tight and dramatic but never overblown.

I LOVE these books wholeheartedly and without reservation.

My advice.....buy this book. Now. Just do it. This is everything that Twilight and all the other pathetic female MC fiction wishes it was.

solid story and awesome performance

I think with great stories you will either want to slap the author or hug them or perhaps both. this was one of those stories where I wanted to kiss the author.

nice

beautiful story, superb characters you are going to fall in love with the book and the writing style

Great writer, good story and an amazing narrator!

This is my first book by Laini Taylor and I was super pleased I gave her a shot. I will be checking out her other novels. I’m very particular about my narrators....but Khristine Hvam is simply amazing! I’m the type of person who goes between book and audible, so if the narrator stinks I return the audible....but I will be checking out books narrators by Hvam just to hear her story tell!

This book was just okay.

I struggled to finish this. It got better towards the end but I almost gave up a couple of times. I didn't only because I am having SUCH a hard time finding anything worth listening to/ reading after The last series I read (Blood and Ash) and I'm just sick of searching.
This story could be good.
The problem I have is the jumping around from point of views. ( The first book is not near as bad as the second with this problem). It's so very hard to follow. It goes from one place to the next, to another person, to this person, to the past and then the present, it's impossible to keep it all straight. A lot of guess work.
The love story is mild.
The characters are relatable, and likable so that's a plus.
The world itself is so confusing.
I'm ready to be done with the 3rd book so I can say I read them and recommend that none of my friends or family ever waste their time trying to make sense of the nonsense that is this series.
Hopefully by then someone will recommend a decent series worth reading that I haven't already dived into.
The Narrator is amazing. This rating would have been a 2 without her, maybe a 1.

Lots to like

Great reading. Good dialogue. Original. The romance drags (he looked- she looked) in the midst of an otherwise well paced adventure.