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Seventeen-year-old Karou, a lovely, enigmatic art student in a Prague boarding school, carries a sketchbook of hideous, frightening monsters--the chimaerae who form the only family she has ever known.Tags
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Member Recommendations
LDiIonno Similar in the beauty of the writing, wonderful characters we care deeply about, sly humor, fabulous dialogue.
41
avalon_today Both have sexy arrogant warrior winged beings. But one is more explicit than the other, can you guess?
22
Member Reviews
Teen paranormal romance with a dash of urban fantasy, this. Generally not really my thing, though I do understand the appeal. Taylor creates a really fascinating paranormal world, an interesting main character, and a decent romance. While I never cared really deeply for the characters, I was completely invested in finding out what was going to happen.
My biggest problem with the story puts me solidly into cranky old lady territory. I am so tired of paranormal romance heroes who are beautiful beyond all imagination and of "destined" romances. Daughter is much, much better about making the relationship complex and real than some other paranormal teen fare (Twilight, I am looking at you). But there's still this tendency to show more over-romanticize, to make the relationship the only important thing. I know, I know. It's a story, it's a fantasy. And nothing annoys me more than the suggestion that a teenager's (or anyone's) entertainment diet ought consist of nothing but spinachy substantive tales bound to the workings of the real world and better preparing one to face it. Sometimes you just need a custard-filled doughnut-story swathed in chocolate icing with sprinkles on top. But even so, there's something off-putting about this wrapping up of impossible ideals in a supernatural package: Okay, we know there's no such thing as perfect beauty, but, see, the character is an angel, so it's okay. See, we know that a girl shouldn't let her relationship become the only thing that has any meaning for her, but their love is destined, so it's okay. We know that love is more interesting and lasting if it's a choice rather than fate, but their destined romance will bring peace to the world, so it's okay. We know that we can live without the ones we love dearly, but they actually can't because of Supernatural Stuff, so it's okay.
This kind of use of the supernatural as excuse to keep telling all the old "romantic" untruths appears to be a new trope, and I think that's too bad. I don't read enough of this genre to know whether there are books out there that get inside this trope and turn it on its ear. (I hope so. Maybe Taylor's going to do that as she continues on with this series--the characters are flawed enough, the heroine smart enough, the set-up complex enough that I think she certainly could.) There could still be a happy ending. There could still be overwhelming joyful squishy ecstatic love. They could still bring peace to the world. But how much more interesting it would be if, instead of just being irresistibly drawn to one another, they really loved each other, saw each other for what they are, shit and all, and still chose to be together. How much more compelling if they were complete alone and a truly kickass team together. What if the supernatural elements, instead of making it "okay" to slot back into the old stereotypes, opened up whole new worlds and ways of understanding love? show less
My biggest problem with the story puts me solidly into cranky old lady territory. I am so tired of paranormal romance heroes who are beautiful beyond all imagination and of "destined" romances. Daughter is much, much better about making the relationship complex and real than some other paranormal teen fare (Twilight, I am looking at you). But there's still this tendency to show more over-romanticize, to make the relationship the only important thing. I know, I know. It's a story, it's a fantasy. And nothing annoys me more than the suggestion that a teenager's (or anyone's) entertainment diet ought consist of nothing but spinachy substantive tales bound to the workings of the real world and better preparing one to face it. Sometimes you just need a custard-filled doughnut-story swathed in chocolate icing with sprinkles on top. But even so, there's something off-putting about this wrapping up of impossible ideals in a supernatural package: Okay, we know there's no such thing as perfect beauty, but, see, the character is an angel, so it's okay. See, we know that a girl shouldn't let her relationship become the only thing that has any meaning for her, but their love is destined, so it's okay. We know that love is more interesting and lasting if it's a choice rather than fate, but their destined romance will bring peace to the world, so it's okay. We know that we can live without the ones we love dearly, but they actually can't because of Supernatural Stuff, so it's okay.
This kind of use of the supernatural as excuse to keep telling all the old "romantic" untruths appears to be a new trope, and I think that's too bad. I don't read enough of this genre to know whether there are books out there that get inside this trope and turn it on its ear. (I hope so. Maybe Taylor's going to do that as she continues on with this series--the characters are flawed enough, the heroine smart enough, the set-up complex enough that I think she certainly could.) There could still be a happy ending. There could still be overwhelming joyful squishy ecstatic love. They could still bring peace to the world. But how much more interesting it would be if, instead of just being irresistibly drawn to one another, they really loved each other, saw each other for what they are, shit and all, and still chose to be together. How much more compelling if they were complete alone and a truly kickass team together. What if the supernatural elements, instead of making it "okay" to slot back into the old stereotypes, opened up whole new worlds and ways of understanding love? show less
Actual rating: 4.5 stars.
YES, YES, YES.
This is the YA quality that I keep looking for and hardly ever find.
First, I'd like to clarify that I lower the rating to 4.5 only because the book ends in a HUGE cliffhanger, which is annoying, but not annoying enough to ruin the whole thing. Although I can't possibly imagine the torture of those who read the book when it was first published and had to wait for the next book to come out. I'm glad I have the full trilogy at hand.
This book is a rare happening in the YA world: it actually lives up to the hype. After my disastrous experience with Angelfall last week, my need for a dose of YA literature had not been fulfilled. So I turned to this book. And boy, was I pleased.
The writing... the oh, so show more beautiful writing.
I absolutely LOVED the writing. I loved the poetic sound to it, the beautiful images, the choice of words, all of it, and not a single grammatical error (as a grammar nerd, you cannot possibly imagine how much pleasure that brought me). It's not the kind of careful writing you see very often in YA. Or, at least, that I see very often.
As for the story, it was amazing. Sure, it had cliché elements. But, let me tell you, I adore cliché stories if they're well-done, with a creative twist, with good writing and with good characters. And this book had all of that. I'm a sucker for well-written romance, and I'm also a sucker for fate playing a part in it. Don't ask me why, I just am. I love the idea of things and people being meant to be (both in literature and in real life). I love it if it's well-written and not super cheesy. This book does get a little bit cheesy in some parts, but not enough to have me rolling my eyes, which really says a lot. Thinking back on it, there is some kind of insta-love there, which is one of the most annoying clichés of YA. But it doesn't quite feel like insta-love. I'm not sure why or how, but it never feels forced. Their attaction for each other seems natural and logical, and not once did I have the thought, "They literally met two days ago and are already in love," followed by the eye-rolling. The beautiful writing probably helped in that matter. To summarize, the romance was great and well-developed, in my opinion.
Halfway through the book, you can get an idea of the mystery that is Karou's life. You have a general idea only, since the full truth of it is impossible to imagine. Though not strictly speaking surprising, the truth behind Karou and Akiva's connection is impossible to guess until it is spelled out for you. The mystery elements play a big part in that. The mystery was very well-accomplished, giving us tiny hints about it that would only make sense until we find out the truth, but not giving us so little amount of clues that the reader would feel annoyed or played with.
As for the characters, I loved every single one. No damsel in distress to be found anywhere, no macho attitudes except for one of the antagonists at the very end of the book, and even that guy was written as a believable jerk with a big ego... annoying, but believable. I love how natural Karou's character is, never talking too much about her knowledge of some martial art or of how to fight with knives. Never indirectly insisting on how bad-ass she is.
Honestly, this book does everything right except for the cliffhanger. I do realize that this book is merely an introduction to the proper story. This tends to bother me a little because, usually, books that do this feel almost like wasted time because we are not given any ending or closure to anything that the story proposed. But, truthfully, this time I don't care. I enjoyed the book too much. The world the author created was so imaginative and special, although I feel there's much more to it than what we're told in this first book. I'm gonna start the second one tomorrow at the latest. show less
YES, YES, YES.
This is the YA quality that I keep looking for and hardly ever find.
First, I'd like to clarify that I lower the rating to 4.5 only because the book ends in a HUGE cliffhanger, which is annoying, but not annoying enough to ruin the whole thing. Although I can't possibly imagine the torture of those who read the book when it was first published and had to wait for the next book to come out. I'm glad I have the full trilogy at hand.
This book is a rare happening in the YA world: it actually lives up to the hype. After my disastrous experience with Angelfall last week, my need for a dose of YA literature had not been fulfilled. So I turned to this book. And boy, was I pleased.
The writing... the oh, so show more beautiful writing.
“Until a few days ago, humans had been little more than legend to him, and now here he was in their world. It was like stepping into the pages of a book —a book alive with color and fragrance, filth and chaos— and the blue-haired girl moved through it all like a fairy through a story, the light treating her differently than it did others, the air seemed to gather around her like held breath. As if this whole place was a story about her.”
I absolutely LOVED the writing. I loved the poetic sound to it, the beautiful images, the choice of words, all of it, and not a single grammatical error (as a grammar nerd, you cannot possibly imagine how much pleasure that brought me). It's not the kind of careful writing you see very often in YA. Or, at least, that I see very often.
As for the story, it was amazing. Sure, it had cliché elements. But, let me tell you, I adore cliché stories if they're well-done, with a creative twist, with good writing and with good characters. And this book had all of that. I'm a sucker for well-written romance, and I'm also a sucker for fate playing a part in it. Don't ask me why, I just am. I love the idea of things and people being meant to be (both in literature and in real life). I love it if it's well-written and not super cheesy. This book does get a little bit cheesy in some parts, but not enough to have me rolling my eyes, which really says a lot. Thinking back on it, there is some kind of insta-love there, which is one of the most annoying clichés of YA. But it doesn't quite feel like insta-love. I'm not sure why or how, but it never feels forced. Their attaction for each other seems natural and logical, and not once did I have the thought, "They literally met two days ago and are already in love," followed by the eye-rolling. The beautiful writing probably helped in that matter. To summarize, the romance was great and well-developed, in my opinion.
Halfway through the book, you can get an idea of the mystery that is Karou's life. You have a general idea only, since the full truth of it is impossible to imagine. Though not strictly speaking surprising, the truth behind Karou and Akiva's connection is impossible to guess until it is spelled out for you. The mystery elements play a big part in that. The mystery was very well-accomplished, giving us tiny hints about it that would only make sense until we find out the truth, but not giving us so little amount of clues that the reader would feel annoyed or played with.
As for the characters, I loved every single one. No damsel in distress to be found anywhere, no macho attitudes except for one of the antagonists at the very end of the book, and even that guy was written as a believable jerk with a big ego... annoying, but believable. I love how natural Karou's character is, never talking too much about her knowledge of some martial art or of how to fight with knives. Never indirectly insisting on how bad-ass she is.
Honestly, this book does everything right except for the cliffhanger. I do realize that this book is merely an introduction to the proper story. This tends to bother me a little because, usually, books that do this feel almost like wasted time because we are not given any ending or closure to anything that the story proposed. But, truthfully, this time I don't care. I enjoyed the book too much. The world the author created was so imaginative and special, although I feel there's much more to it than what we're told in this first book. I'm gonna start the second one tomorrow at the latest. show less
Devo ammettere di essermi galvanizzata un tantino a leggere questo libro.
Forse un pò di "merito" va ai due precedenti libri che avevo letto che mi hanno abbastanza deluso. Ma qualunque sia il motivo, questo romanzo mi ha risollevato il morale. L'ho letto veramente tutto d'un fiato, sempre più intrigata dall'intreccio, dai personaggi...principali o secondari che fossero...dalla "mitologia" che Laini ha creato. Da tutto.
Veramente bello, ho voglia di ripeterlo ancora. XD
Come già detto dalla trama, Karou -la protagonista- è una ragazza di diciassette anni, dagli strani capelli blu e dai profondi occhi neri, che vive a Praga dove frequenta l'Accademia d'arte.
La sua famiglia, da che può ricordare, è un gruppo eterogeneo di quattro show more chimere: creature in parte dall'aspetto umano e per il resto - chi in maniera più evidente, chi meno- animale.
Sulphurus, dalle grandi corna d'ariete, occhi di coccodrillo e coda di leone, è quello che per Karou si può accomunare ad una sorta di padre adottivo. Poi c'è Sybilis, guardiana della porta magica che dal negozio si affaccia in qualsiasi parte del mondo umano a seconda delle necessità, che è mezza donna e mezza serpente. Twiga "dal collo di giraffa", assistente di Sulphurus, e Yasri "dal becco di pappagallo e gli occhi umani", cuoca e tuttofare.
E' Sulphurus, quindi, che ha accolto Karou nel suo negozio dei desideri, dove le ha insegnato tutto ciò che doveva sapere sull'arte di…"sentire" e catalogare i denti, umani e animali.
Eh si, perchè questo fa Sulphurus: raccoglie, seleziona e raggruppa in collane molto particolari i denti che si fa consegnare, in cambio di desideri di varia importanza, da vari "mercanti di denti" al suo servizio.
E anche Karou, ora cresciuta, lo aiuta andando a recuperare su sua indicazione, in vari luoghi esotici e non del globo, denti e zanne.
Karou però non sa…non sa da dove viene, chi sia in realtà. Non sa da dove le arrivano i due strani tatuaggi gemelli che ha sulle mani.
Non sa come sia finita a far parte di quella stramba famiglia, il cui negozio si trova sospeso "altrove", come Sulphurus le rispondere ogni qual volta gli rivolge la domanda.
E non sa da dove siano arrivate quelle strane impronte infuocate che iniziano a comparire, sempre più spesso, sulle porte magiche sparse nel mondo e che le permettono di ritornare al negozio.
Sente solo con esasperante frequenza che c'è qualcosa di importante che le manca, qualcosa che deve fare per essere completa…che le permetta di riempire il vuoto costante che sente dentro di sè.
La trama scorre su queste ed altre domande che Karou, e di riflesso il lettore sempre più intrigato, si pone…e mani mano che alcuni quesiti si risolvono, altri ne compaiono tenendo il filo teso e il lettore incollato alle pagine.
E poi l'azione, l'umorismo, l'attrazione e la leggenda crescono e si intrecciano facendo parte del tutto.
Ultima cosa, credo non meno importante di tutto il resto, Laini ha saputo dare uno spessore e un'umanità molto vere ai suoi personaggi, facendo sì -sopratutto per quanto riguarda Karou- che non fosse la solita ragazzina insulsa che imbratta le pagine del genere YA comune, bensì una ragazza alle soglie dell'età adulta che nelle difficoltà è cresciuta indipendente e fiera, anche se con alcune ingenuità che verranno "combattute" nel corso del romanzo.
Non vedo l'ora di poter leggere il seguito, peccato che anche in America uscirà verso fine anno…ci tocca solo aspettare. show less
Forse un pò di "merito" va ai due precedenti libri che avevo letto che mi hanno abbastanza deluso. Ma qualunque sia il motivo, questo romanzo mi ha risollevato il morale. L'ho letto veramente tutto d'un fiato, sempre più intrigata dall'intreccio, dai personaggi...principali o secondari che fossero...dalla "mitologia" che Laini ha creato. Da tutto.
Veramente bello, ho voglia di ripeterlo ancora. XD
Come già detto dalla trama, Karou -la protagonista- è una ragazza di diciassette anni, dagli strani capelli blu e dai profondi occhi neri, che vive a Praga dove frequenta l'Accademia d'arte.
La sua famiglia, da che può ricordare, è un gruppo eterogeneo di quattro show more chimere: creature in parte dall'aspetto umano e per il resto - chi in maniera più evidente, chi meno- animale.
Sulphurus, dalle grandi corna d'ariete, occhi di coccodrillo e coda di leone, è quello che per Karou si può accomunare ad una sorta di padre adottivo. Poi c'è Sybilis, guardiana della porta magica che dal negozio si affaccia in qualsiasi parte del mondo umano a seconda delle necessità, che è mezza donna e mezza serpente. Twiga "dal collo di giraffa", assistente di Sulphurus, e Yasri "dal becco di pappagallo e gli occhi umani", cuoca e tuttofare.
E' Sulphurus, quindi, che ha accolto Karou nel suo negozio dei desideri, dove le ha insegnato tutto ciò che doveva sapere sull'arte di…"sentire" e catalogare i denti, umani e animali.
Eh si, perchè questo fa Sulphurus: raccoglie, seleziona e raggruppa in collane molto particolari i denti che si fa consegnare, in cambio di desideri di varia importanza, da vari "mercanti di denti" al suo servizio.
E anche Karou, ora cresciuta, lo aiuta andando a recuperare su sua indicazione, in vari luoghi esotici e non del globo, denti e zanne.
Karou però non sa…non sa da dove viene, chi sia in realtà. Non sa da dove le arrivano i due strani tatuaggi gemelli che ha sulle mani.
Non sa come sia finita a far parte di quella stramba famiglia, il cui negozio si trova sospeso "altrove", come Sulphurus le rispondere ogni qual volta gli rivolge la domanda.
E non sa da dove siano arrivate quelle strane impronte infuocate che iniziano a comparire, sempre più spesso, sulle porte magiche sparse nel mondo e che le permettono di ritornare al negozio.
Sente solo con esasperante frequenza che c'è qualcosa di importante che le manca, qualcosa che deve fare per essere completa…che le permetta di riempire il vuoto costante che sente dentro di sè.
La trama scorre su queste ed altre domande che Karou, e di riflesso il lettore sempre più intrigato, si pone…e mani mano che alcuni quesiti si risolvono, altri ne compaiono tenendo il filo teso e il lettore incollato alle pagine.
E poi l'azione, l'umorismo, l'attrazione e la leggenda crescono e si intrecciano facendo parte del tutto.
Ultima cosa, credo non meno importante di tutto il resto, Laini ha saputo dare uno spessore e un'umanità molto vere ai suoi personaggi, facendo sì -sopratutto per quanto riguarda Karou- che non fosse la solita ragazzina insulsa che imbratta le pagine del genere YA comune, bensì una ragazza alle soglie dell'età adulta che nelle difficoltà è cresciuta indipendente e fiera, anche se con alcune ingenuità che verranno "combattute" nel corso del romanzo.
Non vedo l'ora di poter leggere il seguito, peccato che anche in America uscirà verso fine anno…ci tocca solo aspettare. show less
Oh boy. This book. It managed to find each of my weaknesses in turn. Karou is an appealingly strong-willed, capable, mysterious heroine (all the more so for the fact that she refuses to turn into a pile of addle-brained, self-sacrificing mush around the young men she has feelings for). She's an artist, a magician, and a warrior. She is as full of character as the beautiful city she describes. The other characters are extraordinary too; her family of chimaera are fascinating and quirky, her best friend is a riot, and Akiva is one of the most interesting, genuinely fascinating love interests I've ever read. The narration of Laini Taylor is exquisite, never dragging or becoming trite. And the emotional range of the novel touches on show more everything from the horrors of war, to heartwarming family moments, to a beautiful, tragically doomed love, to the immense satisfaction that is Karou shoving her contemptible ex through a window. There is mystery heaped upon mystery for the reader's enjoyment, and I was not able to predict a single outcome in advance; the reader is able to be as shocked and fascinated as Karou is as she navigates the world around her and the great many lies that ultimately lead to the best, most impossibly cruel cliffhanger ending I've read since The Knife of Never Letting Go.
It was exceptional. Its sequel managed to be more so. It deserved to be read over and over again and held aloft as a prime example of what young adult romance/adventures could and should be. show less
It was exceptional. Its sequel managed to be more so. It deserved to be read over and over again and held aloft as a prime example of what young adult romance/adventures could and should be. show less
I didn’t think I’d end up loving it as much as I did. All I knew about the series was it was about angels and devils – not really a genre that normally appeals to me. But boy was I wrong! I loved this book.
With some authors, they make sure you remember you’re reading a novel about supernatural beings. Yes, Taylor does mention angels and demons but it’s more than that; she makes her characters come to life with their own depth and faults that the deeper I got into the book, the more I forgot I was reading about otherworldly creatures.
It took me a little to warm up to the Akiva chapters. He came off as too otherworldly and high and mighty at first that I thought I’d be dragging my feet every time he came up. But as I read on, show more I realized that there was more to him than a pretty face with fiery eyes. Taylor was able to create realistic and relatable characters that just so happened to be set in a fantasy world.
I loved the idea of the wish system and incorporating teeth. In other fantasy novels this system wouldn’t have any restrictions or setbacks, allowing the characters to freely use them as they wished ultimately leaving them invincible. In Taylor’s world there is a penalty for making a wish; the bigger the wish, the bigger the penalty. I loved this because it was another way of forming checks and balances in the story. If you wanted a drastic wish, that meant you had to make a drastic choice to receive it.
The only negative thing I can say about Daughter of Smoke and Bone is that I wish the flashback scenes toward the end of the book would have been split up a little more between the present day chapters. It was interesting to read and definitely added to the character’s story, but it just felt like the rest of the novel stopped for a few chapters before picking back up at the end.
All in all, I really loved it and plan on picking up the next novel in this series. If you think you can’t love a book about angels and demons, you’re wrong. Laini Taylor’s fantastical writing and realistic portrayal of her characters will have you wanting to devour this novel in one sitting.
Read more at The Short Read show less
With some authors, they make sure you remember you’re reading a novel about supernatural beings. Yes, Taylor does mention angels and demons but it’s more than that; she makes her characters come to life with their own depth and faults that the deeper I got into the book, the more I forgot I was reading about otherworldly creatures.
It took me a little to warm up to the Akiva chapters. He came off as too otherworldly and high and mighty at first that I thought I’d be dragging my feet every time he came up. But as I read on, show more I realized that there was more to him than a pretty face with fiery eyes. Taylor was able to create realistic and relatable characters that just so happened to be set in a fantasy world.
I loved the idea of the wish system and incorporating teeth. In other fantasy novels this system wouldn’t have any restrictions or setbacks, allowing the characters to freely use them as they wished ultimately leaving them invincible. In Taylor’s world there is a penalty for making a wish; the bigger the wish, the bigger the penalty. I loved this because it was another way of forming checks and balances in the story. If you wanted a drastic wish, that meant you had to make a drastic choice to receive it.
The only negative thing I can say about Daughter of Smoke and Bone is that I wish the flashback scenes toward the end of the book would have been split up a little more between the present day chapters. It was interesting to read and definitely added to the character’s story, but it just felt like the rest of the novel stopped for a few chapters before picking back up at the end.
All in all, I really loved it and plan on picking up the next novel in this series. If you think you can’t love a book about angels and demons, you’re wrong. Laini Taylor’s fantastical writing and realistic portrayal of her characters will have you wanting to devour this novel in one sitting.
Read more at The Short Read show less
Publicado originalmente (Reseña completa): El Extraño Gato del Cuento
Una de las reservas que siempre tuve que con el libro era sobre las quimeras y es eso porque tengo cierto gusto por todo lo relacionado con la mitología, en muchos, por no decir todos, los mitos o cuentos que uno se encuentra que tenga quimeras, no es exactamente algo muy... ¿bonito? Siempre son bestias salvajes sin ningún tipo de conciencia, tan solo aparecen para antagonizar. No leo sinopsis, eso de alguna manera también me hizo tener otra idea del libro. Lo que quiero decir con todo este palabreo es: ¡Que cosas tan queribles son! En su manera un tanto perturbadora y tosca son una de las criaturas más adorables que he podido leer. La verdad es que no me show more esperaba para nada terminar añorando haber crecido con quimeras.
Karou no es un protagonista cualquiera, no sé muy bien si es cosa de la escritora o del personaje en sí, pero hay algo que me hizo conectar tanto. El que por fuera se vea diferente no significaba que por dentro ella sea un ser frío y sin sentimientos, a veces es como un requisito en los libros: Si quieres ser una protagonista de armas tomar significa o que bien debas dejar tu lado más suave o ser una mujer sin alma. A mi parecer es un gran mensaje, puedes ser ruda y tener un gran corazón y a la vez ser una chica!
Y el romance. Les doy un minuto para recuerden su escena favorita y se derritan, aquí espero... ¿Ya?
Es tan bonito el romance porque en gran parte del libro casi ni existe, quiero decir ¿cuando se ven por primera vez? No tuvo exactamente nada de romántica pero fue espectacular. Ahora que estuve revisando mis notas para poner algunas citas en la reseña, es obvio lo pausado y de segundo plano que es el romance y como tampoco es algo que absorbe toda la trama. Básicamente estoy restringiéndome al no copiar medio libro aquí, tengo una cantidad impresionante de citas, varias de ellas son de personajes secundarios. Porque sí, Laini Taylor nos da LOS personajes secundarios, no solo es una narradora excelente y con una capacidad gráfica impresionante, sino que además de una protagonista genial, un personaje masculino del cual no me hablo porque es mío... digo, ustedes ya lo conocen, o sea, Akiva ♥ Laini también nos da a Zuzana, Brimstone, Issa... por nombrar solo algunos, cada uno es perfecto.
Quizá hayan visto que le puse 4.5 estrellas en goodreads, es porque al final hubo una pequeña cosita que me desinfló un poco, no el final final, no recuerdo ahorita muy bien, algo mínimo. Me han dicho que la historia mejora y mejora con cada libro así que lo más seguro es que me falten estrellas para los siguientes.
Y el final!! -->
4.5
3
Por alguna razón casi al final se me desinfló un poco pero por todos lo demás ME ENCANTÓ.
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Una de las reservas que siempre tuve que con el libro era sobre las quimeras y es eso porque tengo cierto gusto por todo lo relacionado con la mitología, en muchos, por no decir todos, los mitos o cuentos que uno se encuentra que tenga quimeras, no es exactamente algo muy... ¿bonito? Siempre son bestias salvajes sin ningún tipo de conciencia, tan solo aparecen para antagonizar. No leo sinopsis, eso de alguna manera también me hizo tener otra idea del libro. Lo que quiero decir con todo este palabreo es: ¡Que cosas tan queribles son! En su manera un tanto perturbadora y tosca son una de las criaturas más adorables que he podido leer. La verdad es que no me show more esperaba para nada terminar añorando haber crecido con quimeras.
Karou no es un protagonista cualquiera, no sé muy bien si es cosa de la escritora o del personaje en sí, pero hay algo que me hizo conectar tanto. El que por fuera se vea diferente no significaba que por dentro ella sea un ser frío y sin sentimientos, a veces es como un requisito en los libros: Si quieres ser una protagonista de armas tomar significa o que bien debas dejar tu lado más suave o ser una mujer sin alma. A mi parecer es un gran mensaje, puedes ser ruda y tener un gran corazón y a la vez ser una chica!
Y el romance. Les doy un minuto para recuerden su escena favorita y se derritan, aquí espero... ¿Ya?
Es tan bonito el romance porque en gran parte del libro casi ni existe, quiero decir ¿cuando se ven por primera vez? No tuvo exactamente nada de romántica pero fue espectacular. Ahora que estuve revisando mis notas para poner algunas citas en la reseña, es obvio lo pausado y de segundo plano que es el romance y como tampoco es algo que absorbe toda la trama. Básicamente estoy restringiéndome al no copiar medio libro aquí, tengo una cantidad impresionante de citas, varias de ellas son de personajes secundarios. Porque sí, Laini Taylor nos da LOS personajes secundarios, no solo es una narradora excelente y con una capacidad gráfica impresionante, sino que además de una protagonista genial, un personaje masculino del cual no me hablo porque es mío... digo, ustedes ya lo conocen, o sea, Akiva ♥ Laini también nos da a Zuzana, Brimstone, Issa... por nombrar solo algunos, cada uno es perfecto.
Quizá hayan visto que le puse 4.5 estrellas en goodreads, es porque al final hubo una pequeña cosita que me desinfló un poco, no el final final, no recuerdo ahorita muy bien, algo mínimo. Me han dicho que la historia mejora y mejora con cada libro así que lo más seguro es que me falten estrellas para los siguientes.
Y el final!! -->
4.5
3
Por alguna razón casi al final se me desinfló un poco pero por todos lo demás ME ENCANTÓ.
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The following review contains mild spoilers for the book.
Okay, I’ll admit it: I have a thing for angels. Not “fluffy little winged babies” and not the “non-menacing guardian angels who keep you from stubbing your toe” that seem to dominate popular culture today; no, I have a thing for warrior angels. I guess I could blame Supernatural, but I’ve liked angels (of the warrior variety) way before I ever saw that show.
So, naively, I see “angel” and “demon” (also a thing) in the description, and I pick up this book. And, yes, this book has angels and demons in it, but it’s not like I was expecting it to be at all – and that’s a good thing.
Laini Taylor takes all of the preconceptions and mythology about angels, show more demons, heaven, and hell and turns them on end. The Chimaera, or “demons,” are a race of diverse people who have been conquered by the seraphim, or “angels.” The seraphim appear much as angels in old lore, which makes the reader wonder if they haven’t put in an appearance or two in Earth many years ago. All of this takes place in “Elsewhere,” or Eretz, which is like Earth but not (one noticeable difference, the first Karou takes note of once she sneaks into Eretz, is the fact that there are two moons in the sky).
But I’m ahead of myself.
And then there’s Karou, who doesn’t seem to exactly fit in to this world. She’s an art student in Prague with a sort-of creepy (and definitely arrogant) ex-boyfriend. And she was raised by the Chimaera, or at least some of them – Brimstone, who seems to be obsessed with teeth, which puzzles Karou to no end; Issa, a serpant-woman who is the closest thing Karou has to a mother; Yasri, the cook with a parrot-like beak; Twiga (peripherally; he only appears in relation to Brimstone); and Kishmish, Brimstone’s messenger bird/bat/thing. Karou, who was raised by the Chimaera but who knows little about them, only that they seem to care for her. And sometimes Brimstone sends her to acquire teeth.
It is on one such adventure that she meets Akiva, an angel, who promptly attempts to kill her – because he knows what she is, sort of, even if Karou doesn’t. Soon, the truth comes tumbling out, in fits and spurts – Karou isn’t Karou; she is someone – and something – else. And all of the secrets that were kept from her were for her protection, which she eventually discovers.
There’s an instant connection between Akiva and Karou, which defies all explanation – until Karou’s past is related to the reader. Even then, though, it was always a type of insta-love, which I’m not a huge fan of, but that’s okay. The book is worth it.
One of my favorite parts is when Karou relates to Akiva her first memory: sitting on the floor in Brimstone’s “office,” playing with the tuft on his tail. And that is what stuck with me once I read the ending, which made me gasp out loud. Oh, the feels. I loved and hated it at the same time. I can’t say more without giving away too much about the book. If urban fantasy is your type of thing, pick up this book; I don’t think you’ll regret it! show less
Okay, I’ll admit it: I have a thing for angels. Not “fluffy little winged babies” and not the “non-menacing guardian angels who keep you from stubbing your toe” that seem to dominate popular culture today; no, I have a thing for warrior angels. I guess I could blame Supernatural, but I’ve liked angels (of the warrior variety) way before I ever saw that show.
So, naively, I see “angel” and “demon” (also a thing) in the description, and I pick up this book. And, yes, this book has angels and demons in it, but it’s not like I was expecting it to be at all – and that’s a good thing.
Laini Taylor takes all of the preconceptions and mythology about angels, show more demons, heaven, and hell and turns them on end. The Chimaera, or “demons,” are a race of diverse people who have been conquered by the seraphim, or “angels.” The seraphim appear much as angels in old lore, which makes the reader wonder if they haven’t put in an appearance or two in Earth many years ago. All of this takes place in “Elsewhere,” or Eretz, which is like Earth but not (one noticeable difference, the first Karou takes note of once she sneaks into Eretz, is the fact that there are two moons in the sky).
But I’m ahead of myself.
And then there’s Karou, who doesn’t seem to exactly fit in to this world. She’s an art student in Prague with a sort-of creepy (and definitely arrogant) ex-boyfriend. And she was raised by the Chimaera, or at least some of them – Brimstone, who seems to be obsessed with teeth, which puzzles Karou to no end; Issa, a serpant-woman who is the closest thing Karou has to a mother; Yasri, the cook with a parrot-like beak; Twiga (peripherally; he only appears in relation to Brimstone); and Kishmish, Brimstone’s messenger bird/bat/thing. Karou, who was raised by the Chimaera but who knows little about them, only that they seem to care for her. And sometimes Brimstone sends her to acquire teeth.
It is on one such adventure that she meets Akiva, an angel, who promptly attempts to kill her – because he knows what she is, sort of, even if Karou doesn’t. Soon, the truth comes tumbling out, in fits and spurts – Karou isn’t Karou; she is someone – and something – else. And all of the secrets that were kept from her were for her protection, which she eventually discovers.
There’s an instant connection between Akiva and Karou, which defies all explanation – until Karou’s past is related to the reader. Even then, though, it was always a type of insta-love, which I’m not a huge fan of, but that’s okay. The book is worth it.
One of my favorite parts is when Karou relates to Akiva her first memory: sitting on the floor in Brimstone’s “office,” playing with the tuft on his tail. And that is what stuck with me once I read the ending, which made me gasp out loud. Oh, the feels. I loved and hated it at the same time. I can’t say more without giving away too much about the book. If urban fantasy is your type of thing, pick up this book; I don’t think you’ll regret it! show less
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Author Information
33+ Works 23,560 Members
Laini Taylor was born in Chico, California in 1971. She received a degree in English from UC Berkeley in 1994. She also studied illustration at the California College of Arts and Crafts. Before becoming a full-time author, she worked as a travel book editor, a bookseller, a waitress, and an illustrator/designer. Her works include Blackbringer, show more Silksinger, Lips Touch: Three Times, and the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series. In 2014 her title Dreams of Gods and Monsters made The New York Times Best seller list. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Laini Taylor is a LibraryThing Author, an author who lists their personal library on LibraryThing.
DanielaLombard is also the author Laini Taylor.
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Awards and Honors
Awards
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Notable Lists
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Is contained in
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Daughter of Smoke & Bone
- Original title
- Daughter of Smoke & Bone
- Original publication date
- 2011-09-27
- People/Characters
- Karou; Akiva; Brimstone; Zuzana; Madrigal; Issa (show all 20); Kazimir; Izîl; Razgut; Thiago; Liraz; Hazael; Chiro; Nwella; Mik; Bain; Yasri; Twiga; Joram; Svetla
- Important places
- Prague, Czech Republic; Marrakesh, Morocco
- Related movies
- Daughter of Smoke and Bone (IMDb)
- Epigraph
- Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love. It did not end well.
- Dedication
- For Jane, for a whole new world of possibilities
- First words
- Walking to school over the snow-muffled cobbles, Karou had no sinister premonitions about the day.
- Quotations
- Humanity, perhaps, that quality of benevolence that humans have, without irony, named after themselves.
She tastes like nectar and salt. Nectar and salt and apples. Pollen and stars and hinges. She tastes like fairy tales. Swan maidens at midnight. Cream on the tip of a fox's tongue. She tastes like hope.
Wishes are false. Hope is true. Hope makes it own magic.
If it's not chocolate, it's not breakfast.
Evanescence was not, in itself, a grim fate. It was the way of things, to be unmade; it happened in natural death, every day.
So you are a child of love. It seems right, that you were made by love.
There was almost always something to take delight in, if you were trying. But this was different. It couldn't be contained. She sometimes imagined it streaming out of her like light.
Happiness. It was the place where passion, with all its dazzle and drumbeat, met something softer: homecoming and safety and pure sunbeam comfort. It was all those things, intertwined with the heat and the thrill, and it was ... (show all)as bright within her as a swallowed star.
Hope is the real magic, child.
You were true to her, even if she was not to you. Never repent of your own kindness, child. To stay true in the face of evil is a feat of strength. - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)That this was not the end.
- Publisher's editor
- Howard, Kate
- Blurbers
- Rothfuss, Patrick
- Original language*
- English
- Canonical DDC/MDS
- 813.6
- Canonical LCC
- PZ7.T214826
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
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