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

Favorite book series of all time!

I read this series YEARS ago and fell in love with it. I have been listening to audio books lately and wanted to relive the series in a different way. The narrator was fantastic in this which made it even better to listen to than I could have imagined. I can’t wait to listen to the rest!

Doesn’t meet the hype

Let me start by saying that this book does have potential, the author is excellent at world building and that is what is driving me to continue the series. I’m hoping it’s sort of an Acotar situation where the first book is fine, but the real treat is in the next books.
While I enjoyed the twists and really liked Karou’s backstory….. I was not a fan of most of the characters. The chimera family were my favorites of them, but the main characters were lacking. I’m a sucker for enemies to lovers or even fated romances, but this didn’t really hit the mark. I didn’t get the chemistry that was supposed to be between the two and with the romance playing such a large part of the book…. It caused the entire story to drag.
It felt 1/3 of the story could have been cut and nothing important would’ve been lost.
As said, while the 1st book didn’t wow me, the world building gives me a little bit of hope for the rest of the series.

Remarkable story and Performance

I had no idea how much I would enjoy this book. I am so looking forward to the sequel!

Well done!

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

Excellent Narrator and very well written, this book starts off the series in a way that literally paints an entire landscape for the reader. As the book goes on it unwinds a wonderful story with both happiness and pain. Must get this series!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Both on several occasions

One of my favorites

This series is absolutely amazing! And the narrator is great too. I did enjoy it more reading it on my own but I can say that of just about any book.

Enjoyable!

Interesting read! A lot of books are predictable but not these two books! Enjoyed both very much!

Bk1 of Breath-taking, Amazing Trilogy

What did you love best about Daughter of Smoke and Bone?

1. The writing. Taylor definitely writes like the artist she is. The descriptions are reality made into art yet never overdone.
2. The characters. So impossible while so real.
3. The magic. The revelations. The twists.

What did you like best about this story?

(See above.)

Also, how the story and characters stay with you long after the story is over.

Which character – as performed by Khristine Hvam – was your favorite?

I can't imagine a favorite character in this story. Even the evil characters are wonderful (because you get to hate them).
Hvam does them wonderfully. She reads the speaking bits with the perfect emotion. I'm often impressed by her acting skills.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The ending surely made my pulse go crazy. The revelation of the truth (so artistically done) is powerful beyond description.

Any additional comments?

One of the best books ever. The audiobook version is lovely.

Intriguing new world

Any additional comments?

When it first started I thought it was going to be too juvenile...but it turns out, that was just the perfect set up for us to see into Karou and what makes her special. From there, the author unveils a world that is different, intriguing and completely attention grabbing. There was a perfect flow to the story, with an outstanding narrator!, with captivating characters that left me wishing for more. Great 'listen'! Give this a chance.

A Great Story with lots of Imagination

Would you listen to Daughter of Smoke and Bone again? Why?

I really enjoyed the originality of the characters created to tell a star-crossed love story. Taylor's imagination is amazing as she creates a story told between a human world and a world full of magical beasts and angels.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The main character Karu is a tough young girl who travels the world on secret errands. Her transition from a young carefree girl who knows nothing of her past to discovering her true identity was fasinating.

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

Hvam as the narrator did a wonderful job using various voices for each character in the story. Her transition from a wise old half man, half bull beast back to a teenage girl was execllent.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

How much would you sacrifice now to know who you were then?

Any additional comments?

Just a fun book, this is great for any romantic at heart. The author did such a fantastic job creating these two different worlds I truly cannot wait for the next book in this series! Please continue this series Ms. Taylor!

Wow...just...wow...

I was listening to this because of a book group. It is just an incredible story!!