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

The Best Start to a Series

Where does Daughter of Smoke and Bone rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is the best start to a series I've encountered in a long long time. It's unique and interesting. The premise is a little hard to wrap your head around at first, but once you immerse yourself in the story it's phenomenal.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I love Karou and Zuzana

What does Khristine Hvam bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The accents are great and the storytelling is engaging.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Absolutely.

Well written, well performed, but eh....

Where does Daughter of Smoke and Bone rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

So far I've only downloaded 2 and the other was cyteen which was superbly boring and poorly read.

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favorite character was Kaz because he was an idiot, and made for comical relief

What does Khristine Hvam bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Her voice of the fallen angel and of Karou were really good.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Kind of.

Any additional comments?

The book had amazingly well written prose, I tip my writers hat to her. The plot was good, though a bit well winded in parts especially in the part of the retelling of Madrigal's tale. My only complaint was of the character Akivah, dude seemed a little too good to be true, and a bit of a p---y.

A true gem

I didn't ho into this book with expectations, but I found myself absolutely enthralled with pages. What an excellent find! The author truly has an amazing talent for storytelling!

meh...

The concept was unique and interesting but the delivery was lacking depth and focus.

My Favorite Book Ever

Honestly, I’ve reread this series every year since I found it. I tumble into the world and get lost every time. I love fantasy. I love romance. This series is the ultimate combination of the two with a Romeo & Juliet vibe that I simply adore. The characters are personable, realistic, and dynamic. Their growth throughout the series is so beautifully captured.

This is a great book for fellow hopeless romantics that appreciate authors who create art with words. Taylor brings to life messages of love and forgiveness through her characters and storytelling. I can’t give this book more love; it’s truly a favorite.

Akiva and Karou!!

If you could sum up Daughter of Smoke and Bone in three words, what would they be?

Unique, refreshing and Suspenseful.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Zuzanna- She was the comedic relief in this story. She and Karou had a perfect relationship. It reminded me of my High School days and My BFF..:)

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

It was a slow confusing start, but once the action began...It was very hard to focus on anything else.

Beautiful Writing, Mediocre Romance

Blue haired, free spirited Karou runs between worlds to gather special items for her mentor/father figure, Brimstone. He gives her wishes when she completes her tasks and like a spoiled child, frivolously wastes them at times. On one particular errand, she meets someone from her past whom she doesn't yet remember and you travel with her to find out the answers.

The writing is fluid, detailed, and rich with character development in this YA novel. The explanation of why Karou collects the items is fascinating.

Khristine Hvam is flawless and sounds exactly as I imagine Karou would.

What I would change is the characters' flawless beauty. A little imperfection makes the story more plausible and the references to perfection are irritating. Also didn't care for the half animal, fantastical other world and relationships. The book would have been better without it, however the writing is lyrical, lovely, and I recommend this YA romance.

Good Book But Just Didn't Interest Me

Daughter of Smoke and Bone is a nicely dark urban fantasy featuring an unusual setting (Prague) and a variety of interesting characters. This is definitely a Romeo and Juliet story playing upon several mythos but at its heart a devil and demon pairing in the midst of a centuries old war.

Story: Karou is a human art student raised by 'monsters' - beasts made up of several different types of animals living in the underground. Then an angel appears trying to kill her and slaughter her friends/family, and she soon realizes that there is a lot more to her life and family then she ever knew. But will she learn enough in time to save those important to her - or even herself?

I fully understand why there are so many 5-star reviews for this book - it's decently written, interestingly dark, and makes a lot of moral dilemmas for the main characters. And yet, it never really captured me. Not enough happens and a lot is remembering a past that already happened - making half the book feel very passive. I listened to the audible version and I found myself oddly disconnected and even bored with the story. I didn't really like Karou, her friends, or the angel. As well, the villains were almost cookie cutter macho bad guys and the good guys just a bit too good. That lack of complexity warred with a story that was trying very hard to not be so simplistic.

I attribute my malaise more to my personal tastes and interests rather than the fault of the author, however. So for me it was a 2 star book but recognizing the appeal, I offset that against the 5 stars and find a 3.5 star rating.

Don't let my experience discourage you from this book - it is by no means a bad book at all and I can definitely see why so many enjoyed it.

I Loved this Book

A really interesting premise. I read lots of paranormal fantasy and romance and this is new and different. I loved the writing style, the character building and the world building.

Sophisticated Fairy Tale

Lovely story and performance- You can just slip into this book and enjoy the interesting mix of myth, fable and religious symbols or just hang on for a fun ride in an different world.
I listened to it while prepping and painting my garage - Made the task a guilty pleasure vs dreaded chore.