Daughter of Smoke & Bone

By: Laini Taylor

Narrated by: Khristine Hvam

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 bestselling 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?

Lush writing & fabulous narration

Review originally posted at YA Love

Audiobook Review:

It took me some time to get into this book both physically (my first attempt at reading it) and aurally. I’m so thankful I kept with the audio because it is one of my favorite audiobooks. To put it simply, the narration is wonderful. Khristine Hvam used a believable accent and differentiated between each character so well that I was never questioning which character was speaking. I love listening to audiobooks when I’m getting ready for work, driving to and from work, and getting chores/cooking done. I know I really love an audiobook when I find myself making excuses to drive somewhere or to get more cleaning done, which is what I did while listening to Daughter of Smoke and Bone.

Book Review:

The first thing I want to say about Daughter of Smoke and Bone is that I love Laini Taylor’s beautiful use of vocabulary. Her writing is lush and vibrant. I don’t know if I would have appreciated it as much if I wasn’t listening to the audio, but it’s seriously wonderful. I’ve never read a book that uses vocabulary and description to the degree that Taylor does, at least not recently.

The story itself is layered and engrossing. I love Karou and the incredible life she leads. She’s feisty, which I thoroughly enjoyed, but she’s vulnerable as well. I was a little lost during the Akiva back story, but when everything came together I was so impressed and excited. I’ll admit that the back story was beginning to bother me since I didn’t know where it was going, but it did make me love Akiva that much more.

I’m not sure if any movie rights for Daughter of Smoke and Bone have been purchased, but I would love to see this story come to life on the big screen. I know a movie wouldn’t do it justice (they rarely do), but I think I’d still enjoy it just the same.

If you decide to read Daughter of Smoke and Bone, which I hope you, make sure you have a copy of Days of Blood & Starlight handy because you’ll want to start reading it as soon as you can!

Breathtaking!

What made the experience of listening to Daughter of Smoke and Bone the most enjoyable?

The last time a book has taken my imagination on such a flight of fancy, a boy had just stepped onto platform 9 & 3/4. Daughter of Smoke and Bone is a beautifully written fairy tale that drew me in form the first chapter. Can't wait for part 2!!

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.

Can't stop listening...Can't wait for more!

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

Yes, I've listened to it three times already. Taylor tells an incredible story that listeners will fall in love with. You can't help but listen to hear what happens to the characters. Plus, it's full of twists and turns.

What did you like best about this story?

The characters and setting are exceptional.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Khristine Hvam?

Sure. She was a great narrator.

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

An impossible love, made possible by truth.

Any additional comments?

I can not wait for the 2nd book!!!

This book was a wonderful surprise.

I am not a "Twilight Teen" and I enjoyed this audiobook. It is well written and shows the authors extraordinary imagination. I wished there were more when it ended.