• Daughter of Smoke and Bone

  • By: Laini Taylor
  • Narrated by: Khristine Hvam
  • Length: 12 hrs and 33 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (4,669 ratings)

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Daughter of Smoke and Bone  By  cover art

Daughter of Smoke and Bone

By: Laini Taylor
Narrated by: Khristine Hvam
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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

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What listeners say about Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Average customer ratings
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  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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  • C.
  • 03-07-12

High quality paranormal romance

“Daughter of smoke and bone” is one of the best paranormal romances I’ve read in a very long time. It describes a fantastic world with chimaera, these fascinating half-human half-animal creatures, and angels, but their battle is deeper than those stories about good and evil we’re used to. Karou, the main character, is a student who has grown up with them and for some reason she has never felt complete. She is a funny girl with friends and a good sense of humor, I loved her since the first chapter. In addition, Laini Taylor’s writing is great: she creates a mystic atmosphere with descriptions and a rich vocabulary. The narrator is good too.

The only point I think it could have been better is the love story: I neither believe in love at first sight nor in perfect guys such as Edward Cullen, and they’re in this book. However, I hope Laini Taylor will be able to deepen in Akiva—the angel— and make his romance with Karou better in the next book.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Strong start, weak finish...

At first, this book was great. It started out with beautiful prose, unique characters, and an uncommon setting. Just about every book these days is about vampires, witches, zombies, etc. set in New York or LA with dialogue that you've almost always heard before. The first few hours of this book promised something truly original with a female lead that suggested mystery, vulnerability, and a hint of romance that rivaled the early seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. However, as the the mystery got peeled away, the action seemed to slow down. The plot was nearly forgotten and substituted for overabundance of romance that, not only detracted from the main plot, but at times, didn't even seem to make sense for the writer. (Seriously, she is an EXTREMELY gifted writer, but a masquerade ball at that particular moment in the story? Even the writer seemed to grow sheepish trying to explain that one.)

The characters and writing are such that I was drawn into the story right away. I quickly grew attachment to the characters and the story. I guess that's why when it all started to grow a little stale, I felt sad. The characters and the writer were so much better than where the story wound up.

As for the performance, I've got no complaints. The narrator was top notch and I hope to find more books with her involved. Her voice was perfect for the youthful optimism of the female lead, which was a teenager. But she was also adept at capturing the cynical and sinister male characters as well. For the wide range of characters in this book, I commend the narrator for giving each one their own voice and style.

This book ended at a continuation point so I'm sure a sequel is already in the works. Hopefully, the rest of this story will return to it's great beginnings. If that's rumored to be the case I might give the series another shot...But I'll be more cautious and wait for more reviews next time.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Pretty Darn Good....

I liked this book....It was different...and a well written love story. I can't want for the next in the series. I am looking forward to it :)

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Eh...

The concept was great, but the whole drama of forbidden love kind of ruined it for me. The cliffhanger was also pretty annoying. I would definitely have enjoyed a book simply about the interaction between the two worlds.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Juvenile

Lovely writing and an interesting premise are eclipsed by hours of tedium. The romance is so overwrought and immature -- in a Twilight-y, not Harry Potter-y, way -- that I barely made it to the end. I mean hours upon hours of aching and yearning and descriptions of beauty so pure it burns your soul. The only reason I stuck with it was to learn what happens to the few interesting characters introduced near the beginning of the book. And, even though I didn't get my answers, nothing will make me listen to the second book in the series. NOTHING! Hvam's narration fits perfectly with the strained prose.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing book!

This was one of the best books I have ever read/listened to! The story is fascinating and the writing is excellent. I also really liked all of the characters, especially the main female character. I definitely recommend this!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A new found love!

Wow, people need to re read this book from long ago! This book was fantastic and magical! The world building was top tier, the magical creatures were reimagined, clever and new to older names. The main characters were not only beautiful, fun, funny, cute and sassy but they were so much fun to read! I loved every minute of this book! I know I’m years late, but better late than never!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

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.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Beautiful Descriptions and World Building

Overall this is an enjoyable story if not a little boring at times. It felt like a long listen and I had it on 1.35x speed. The characters are engaging and I felt invested in them well enough. It jumped around A LOT with flashbacks, background information and random folklore so this somewhat hindered the pacing and excitement of the story. It's like we'd finally start to get somewhere interesting or exciting and then abruptly it would cut to back story or a flashback and that would hinder the excitement. This ends on a cliffhanger and I'm only mildly intrigued by what happens next.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Love this series.

I absolutely adore this series and I’m so glad that I’ve got the audio now because it’s the perfect book to listen to while doing stuff. You’re transported to Prague and then elsewhere and the story is intriguing. Adore Karou and Akiva.

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