Review: Dreams of Gods and Monsters (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #3) by Laini Taylor

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Published: April 8, 2014
Pages: 613
Source: Bought
Rating: 4.5 Stars

By way of a staggering deception, Karou has taken control of the chimaera rebellion and is intent on steering its course away from dead-end vengeance. The future rests on her, if there can even be a future for the chimaera in war-ravaged Eretz.
Common enemy, common cause.
When Jael's brutal seraph army trespasses into the human world, the unthinkable becomes essential, and Karou and Akiva must ally their enemy armies against the threat. It is a twisted version of their long-ago dream, and they begin to hope that it might forge a way forward for their people.
And, perhaps, for themselves. Toward a new way of living, and maybe even love.
But there are bigger threats than Jael in the offing. A vicious queen is hunting Akiva, and, in the skies of Eretz ... something is happening. Massive stains are spreading like bruises from horizon to horizon; the great winged stormhunters are gathering as if summoned, ceaselessly circling, and a deep sense of wrong pervades the world.
What power can bruise the sky?
From the streets of Rome to the caves of the Kirin and beyond, humans, chimaera and seraphim will fight, strive, love, and die in an epic theater that transcends good and evil, right and wrong, friend and enemy.
At the very barriers of space and time, what do gods and monsters dream of? And does anything else matter?

This review is spoiler-free

In short: Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor gave me the sense of closure that I craved for this series ending, but still left me wanting so much MORE.

Oh Laini. You insane genius, you. You inventive creator of bat-winged gazelles, fire-eyed boys, and rabid fairies. You architect of a world - nay, universe - more epic and fantastical than could possibly be imagined. You crafter of some of the most cherished and unforgettable characters of any series. You unbelievable author of the most beautiful sentences and passages. I LOVE YOU. And I thank you. AND PLEASE WRITE A SPINOFF.

It's always difficult to say goodbye to a beloved series of which you have become so attached. You don't want it to end, you don't want to say goodbye to the characters, and there's always the concern that the ending won't be as satisfying and as epic as the series deserves. And I say this fully knowing that from what I can tell, a lot of people were dissatisfied with the ending of Dreams of Gods and Monsters.

Not me though. Laini Taylor took the finale to an insanely strange new level. It was completely unexpected and totally bizarre. And I really dug it. Here I was thinking I knew where Laini Taylor needed to take the story in order to wrap up the chimaera-seraphim conflict, and then BAM! I end up getting so much more than I had been expecting. An origin story! An ominous new baddie. I really can't say more if I want this review to be spoiler-free. But feel free to hit me up anytime you want to discuss the ending!

I guess my one small complaint is that this crazy new ending kind of undermined the original conflict of the series, the chimaera-seraphim conflict, which instead was resolved in a kind of anti-climactic fashion off-screen. I would have much rather seen the trilogy end with the solution to the original conflict and then extend the series to another book to deal with the new conflict instead of squishing it into the end of Dreams of Gods and Monsters. This seems to be the main complaint of a lot of readers, but for me, the excellence of the book largely overpowered my disappointment with this fault.

Overall, Dreams of Gods and Monsters gave me the sense of closure that I craved for this series ending, but still left wanting so much MORE. And thankfully, I've heard Laini Taylor mention a few times now that she definitely has possibilities and plans for a spinoff or continuation of the story and THANK GOODNESS for that! I just ain't ready to let go. And after that ending, it would be cruel to leave us hanging! No pressure or anything, Laini - you insane genius, you.

Previously, my reviews of Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Days of Blood and Starlight, and Night of Cake and Puppets.

Other Reviews:
Alice Marvels
Courtney Reads A Lot
Musings of a YA Reader

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Review: City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments #5) by Cassandra Clare

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Published: May 8, 2012
Pages: 535
Source: Bought
Rating: 3.5 Stars

What price is too high to pay, even for love? When Jace and Clary meet again, Clary is horrified to discover that the demon Lilith’s magic has bound her beloved Jace together with her evil brother Sebastian, and that Jace has become a servant of evil. The Clave is out to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. As Alec, Magnus, Simon, and Isabelle wheedle and bargain with Seelies, demons, and the merciless Iron Sisters to try to save Jace, Clary plays a dangerous game of her own. The price of losing is not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she still trust him? Or is he truly lost?

In short: Though I am no longer as enamoured with this series as I once was, Cassandra Clare does a good job of getting me amped up for the conclusion of The Mortal Instruments in City of Lost Souls.

It saddens me that this series that I once loved has become a bit of a chore to read. I really enjoyed the original Mortal Instruments Trilogy and I thought City of Glass was a great and epic finale. My thoughts upon the announcement of the expansion of the trilogy to a further three books were conflicted: I do love these characters that Cassandra Clare has created and I was excited to see more from them, but I was also satisfied with the original ending as it stood and wasn't convinced the plot could be dragged out further in any particularly interesting way.

Upon reading the first two books of The Mortal Instruments v2.0, City of Fallen Angels and City of Lost Souls, my thoughts remain similarly conflicted. I do still love spending time with these beloved characters, but it has taken me a while to become truly invested in this whole new story line. The beginning of City of Lost Souls dragged for me and I was worried that I wasn't ever going to find that gripping spark that The Mortal Instruments once had. Thankfully, the story does hit its stride eventually and ramps up to a thrilling final sequence, but I wish my excitement had been incited sooner.

I guess my main concern is that The Mortal Instruments v2.0 and specifically the final book, City of Heavenly Fire, will fail to live up to high standard set by the epic conclusion of the original trilogy. How disappointing would that be if the series ended with a less than stellar finale? It would be anticlimactic. That said, I do still have faith that Cassandra Clare will pull out all the stops for City of Heavenly Fire. She has yet to disappoint me with a finale and I liked the direction she went with the ending of City of Lost Souls, so I haven't lost hope on the series yet!

Previously, my review of City of Fallen Angels.

Other Reviews:
Avery's Book Nook
Burning Impossibly Bright
Mundie Moms

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Review: Days of Blood and Starlight (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #2) by Laini Taylor

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published: November 6, 2012
Pages: 528
Source: For Review from Hachette Book Group Canada
Rating: 5 Stars

Art student and monster's apprentice Karou finally has the answers she has always sought. She knows who she is—and what she is. But with this knowledge comes another truth she would give anything to undo: She loved the enemy and he betrayed her, and a world suffered for it.
In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Karou must decide how far she'll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, secrets and impossible choices, Days of Blood & Starlight finds Karou and Akiva on opposing sides as an age-old war stirs back to life.
While Karou and her allies build a monstrous army in a land of dust and starlight, Akiva wages a different sort of battle: a battle for redemption. For hope.
But can any hope be salvaged from the ashes of their broken dream?

In short: Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor was not an easy, light read - but it was absolutely a meaningful and powerful one.

Oof. Days of Blood and Starlight was not an easy read by any means. It took me a fair bit longer to get through than a book of its size would normally take (and it's quite a thick book as is). Now that's not to say that I didn't LOVE this book because as you can see by my 5 Star rating, I absolutely did, but it was emotionally draining and HEAVY. But the good kind of emotionally draining and heavy. The kind that is meaningful and worthwhile and powerful - a lot like my favourite non-HP series, Chaos Walking, which also contained some pretty serious themes involving the side-effects of war.

So yes, while Days of Blood and Starlight is not a book that you can easily breeze through, it was SO worth it. There are several reasons why it took me a while to work my way through the text: it's partly because there are a lot of different POVs in this book to keep track of (and some of these perspectives are from previously unknown characters), partly because Laini Taylor weaves these deliciously complex sentences that you just want to read over and over again, and partly because of the aforementioned dark and heavy subject matter. But I don't want people to assume that because this book was so long, the pacing must have been slow, because I don't feel that's the case - I was never bored while reading Days of Blood and Starlight. Just as with its predecessor, I was ENTHRALLED.

And as much as I enjoyed Daughter of Smoke and Bone, I have to say that I loved Days of Blood and Starlight even more, which is something that rarely happens to me with sequels in trilogies. This is because I was not a huge fan of the romance in Daughter of Smoke and Bone, which I felt was a little superficial and not developed enough. This was not an issue with Days of Blood and Starlight, but I won't say why so as to avoid spoilers. Let's just say I was completely satisfied with Karou's new realization and attitude - she admits how rash she was in her prior decisions and that alone is enough to get me to consider going back and rerating Daughter of Smoke and Bone as 5 Stars rather than 4.

And speaking of Karou - for I have not given her nearly as much love in this review yet as she deserves - she is AWESOME. Oh Karou. Poor Karou! She has to deal with so much in this story, some real difficult situations, and for a lot of these situations, she's alone with no one on her side. And it made me sad because she is such a wonderful person and she deserves happiness! But she does not break; she hardens and endures. She does what she can for the survival of the chimaera. And thankfully she does get to see some of her friends again and it was such a relief! The inclusion of Zuzanna and Mik, especially, was a welcome one as they provided some much needed light-hearted hilarity among so much darkness.

Overall, Days of Blood and Starlight was definitely one of my favourite reads of 2012 and Laini Taylor has secured her place as one of my favourite authors. I can't get over what a talented wordsmith she is! I am in awe of her beyond beautiful writing, her ability at crafting complex plotlines and surprise twists, and her brilliantly insane creativity. Read this series!

Previously, my review of Daughter of Smoke and Bone.

Other Reviews:
For What It's Worth
Nori's Closet
Wishful Thinking

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Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Published: September 27, 2011
Pages: 417
Source: Purchased
Rating: 4 Stars

Around the world, black hand prints 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 grows dangerously low.
And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly 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?

In short: I was in awe of Laini Taylor's breathtaking prose and epic creativity in Daughter of Smoke and Bone.

An orphan girl with blue hair who travels the world collecting various kinds of animal teeth for a mysterious purpose; an alternate world in which angels and chimaera have been fighting in a millenia-long war; monsters made up of bits and pieces of different beasts: this is the level of creativity we are presented with in Daughter of Smoke and Bone (and really, I didn't even come CLOSE to doing it justice). I was in near constant AWE of the story and world that Laini Taylor has created. I would like to know what is in that brilliant mind of hers that she was able to come up with such fantastical concepts!

And she presents all her ideas in the most gorgeous way possible: through her lyrical and moving writing, so beautiful in its complexity and feeling. I was held utterly MESMERIZED by the depth of Laini Taylor's descriptions. And it's a good thing she is such a gifted writer: certain aspects of the story were just so extraordinary and unreal that I think if the writing had not been so beautifully descriptive, the effect would've been lost and left me bewildered. As it is, this was definitely not the case: Laini Taylor's gorgeous prose really brought the world of Daughter of Smoke and Bone to life!

I guess the only thing that left me feeling ambivalent about Daughter of Smoke and Bone was that there was such a major focus on the romance - more than I generally like in fantasy/paranormal novels. And it was insta-love to boot! An instant connection was made between the star-crossed lovers upon first meeting and I wasn't a huge fan of the lack of a slow-building relationship, personally. Their relationship was a bit too superficial. BUT I have to say that even while this major portion of the novel was being devoted to the romance, I was STILL held captivated by Laini Taylor's writing all throughout it.

So what am I hoping for in Days of Blood and Starlight (to be released November  6, 2012)? Ideally, I would like to see a bit more development in Karou and Akiva's relationship. And of course, all of the same thrilling intrigue and fascinating story and characters that were present in Daughter of Smoke and Bone!

Other Reviews:
A Myriad of Books
A Tapestry of Words
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Waiting On Wednesday (13): Angels

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking The Spine in which an upcoming, eagerly anticipated release is highlighted on the blog.

This week, I'm waiting on books with Angels:

Title: Daughter of Smoke and Bone
Author: Laini Taylor
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
Date: September 27, 2011

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?

Title: Silence (Hush, Hush #3)
Author: Becca Fitzpatrick
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Date: October 4, 2011

The noise between Patch and Nora is gone. They've overcome the secrets riddled in Patch's dark past...bridged two irreconcilable worlds...faced heart-wrenching tests of betrayal, loyalty and trust...and all for a love that will transcend the boundary between heaven and earth. Armed with nothing but their absolute faith in one another, Patch and Nora enter a desperate fight to stop a villain who holds the power to shatter everything they've worked for—and their love—forever.

Title: Hallowed (Unearthly #2)
Author: Cynthia Hand
Publisher: HarperTeen
Date: January 24, 2012

For months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the raging forest fire from her visions and rescue the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott from the blaze. But nothing could prepare her for the fateful decisions she would be forced to make that day, or the startling revelation that her purpose—the task she was put on earth to accomplish—is not as straightforward as she thought. Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend, Tucker, Clara struggles to make sense of what she was supposed to do the day of the fire. And, as she is drawn further into the world of part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: Someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning.

Title: A Temptation of Angels
Author: Michelle Zink
Publisher: Penguin
Date: March 20, 2012

When her parents are murdered before her eyes, sixteen year-old Helen Cartwright finds herself launched into an underground London where a mysterious organization called the Dictata controls the balance of good and evil. Helen learns that she is one of three remaining angelic descendants charged with protecting the world’s past, present, and future. Unbeknownst to her, she has been trained her whole life to accept this responsibility. Now, as she finds herself torn between the angelic brothers protecting her and the devastatingly handsome childhood friend who wants to destroy her, she must prepare to be brave, to be hunted, and above all to be strong because temptation will be hard to resist, even for an angel. 


I don't have a great history with books with angels. I find that they are more often miss than hit. That said, I'm hoping these upcoming reads can change my mind about angels. Out of all of these, I'm most looking forward to reading Daughter of Smoke and Bone, mainly because of all the positive reviews I've read for it so far. I didn't love Hush, Hush, but I'm interested in seeing how the trilogy is going to conclude in Silence. I have heard amazing things about Unearthly but haven't read it yet so I'll have to get to it before Hallowed is released. As for A Temptation of Angels, I'm interested in the combination of the paranormal genre plus historical fiction, which isn't common.

How about you? Are you waiting on any of these books with Angels? Are there any upcoming books featuring Angels that aren't included here that you feel I should know about?

Review: Hush, Hush (Hush, Hush #1) by Becca Fitzpatrick

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: October 13, 2009

Pages: 391

Source: Won from Simon and Schuster Canada (Thank you!)

Rating: 3 Stars - I Liked It

For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her...until Patch comes along. 
With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment, but after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure whom to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is far more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel. 
For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.

In short: Though Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick has a cliched plot and romance, it also has an addicting quality that compels you to read on.

So a boy and a girl meet in Biology class and the boy proceeds to stalk said girl. The girl is taken with the boy but cannot help but notice that something is not quite normal with him and does some research online. Turns out he is a paranormal being! Where have I read this plot before?

So yeah, my main beef with this book was that it was just a little too reminiscent of Twilight for my liking. One might argue that most paranormal romances follow a similar formula but I thought Hush, Hush had numerous plot points that were just uncanny in their similarity to Twilight. The dynamic of the developing romance between Nora and Patch was thankfully much different than Bella and Edward's though.

That said, while I was happy that there was a sufficient difference in the dynamic of their romance, I have to say Nora and Patch's particular brand of romance really didn't appeal to me. You see, Nora is frightened of Patch, but "that fright was equal part allure." Hmm. It's just not my thing. I don't find anything alluring about being flat out stalked by a guy and feeling frightened for my life. I think there was a time when I used to be much more tolerant of bad boy-good girl relationships but I find now that I'm, at the very least, annoyed by them, and at the very most, angry by them.

I was slightly more amused by the dynamic of Nora with best friend Vee. Their dialogue together was a constant source of hilarity. Even still, many of their shenanigans in Hush, Hush were outright silly. Their attempts at interrogation and sleuthing to solve a murder mystery were ridiculous and juvenile. And for an honours student, Nora makes some pretty stupid and questionable decisions. Her character was bordering on TSTL territory.

All these faults set aside, I cannot deny that Hush, Hush was an addictive read. At the same time that I was finding the romance and characters frustrating and annoying, I was compelled by some unknown force to keep reading and keep reading quickly. I might put this down to the simplicity of a well known plot and the state of mindlessness and ease that I achieved while reading it. Hush, Hush may have been cliched but it was an easy read and I could not help but be entertained throughout the majority of it.

Other Reviews:
365 Days of Reading
Alison Can Read
Just Another Story

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*Read as part of the YA Series Challenge