Thursday, January 19, 2012

On Wishes: A Review of Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

I spent all of last night finishing Daughter of Smoke and Bone, because I felt it was really time to be done with it. And, as far as 5 hour reading marathons go, it was pretty enjoyable.

The protagonist of Daughter of Smoke and Bone is Karou, a seventeen year old girl living a double life. In the "normal" part of her life, she is an art student in Prague. In the more extraordinary part of her life, she runs errands for the creatures--chimaera--who raised her. Brimstone, her foster father, runs a shop that trades wishes for teeth. Karou has no idea what the teeth are for, but obediently travels all over the world to retrieve them from hunters, grave robbers, and murderers. Then suddenly, all over the world, black hand prints begin to appear on the doors leading to Brimstone's shop. Soon, the doors are cut off, and Karou is unable to reach her foster family. At the same time, an angel appears to be following Karou, and he has answers to all of Karou's questions.

Positive Comments

The mythology is less convoluted than it sounds. Once you get used to it, it becomes easy to buy into a world full of spliced together animal creatures (goat-lion-man and the like), which is essentially what the chimaera are. The world building has a style that's completely unique.

I've seen other reviewers that say they didn't care for the romance, but I found that I liked it. Karou is drawn to Akiva (the angel), for reasons she can't explain. Akiva is drawn to Karou because she vaguely reminds him of his long lost love...But it's not like it's insta-love. They do talk and share some moments before they're feelings really come out. And given their back stories, it definitely worked for me.

I liked a lot of the messages that this novel was trying to convey. It delves into the idea of wishes and magic, but argues that these are less important than hope and emotional resilience. That's a lesson that's hard to learn for a seventeen year old girl, but I think Karou learns it well.

Critical Comments

This was the least page-turning, but not boring, book that I've ever read. I could pick it up and get immersed pretty easily, but at the same time I had no problem setting it aside to do other things. It just doesn't have any suspense to it. A lot of the big reveals are things that I had figured out way in advance. Almost nothing surprised me. The only way I could make progress with this book was to sit down and force myself to read.

I didn't like where and how it ended. The first half of the book seems to be building up to a rescue/action type climax that doesn't happen. Instead, the climax is the revealing of Karou's back story. And, to be fair, she has a really cool back story. But in the end I felt a bit hollow because so much of the present story went untold. So whether it's a pacing issue, or whether the author spent too much time on the wrong things, this novel does not feel complete.

Would I recommend this book? Yes, absolutely, you should read this book. It has some great fantasy world building layered over deep, thoughtful themes. But, had I known how it would end, I would have probably waited until the sequel was out, or at least closer to the release day. So, if you're a reader who is impatient with cliffhangers/non-endings, hold off on this one. 4 stars.

16 comments:

  1. It sucks it was so easy to put away, though I'm glad yo still got quickly sucked into the story. If you hadn't I'd been worried! I've put away books forever that's been like that. As it is, I'm super curious about this one and since you recommend it (and I've always wanted to read it) I'll continue to hope I will get this book soon! Great review!

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    1. Yeah, my recommendation stands. If you get it, try to stick with it through the slower parts and you'll be fine. Happy reading!

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  2. I felt the exact same way about this book! I really enjoyed it, but it was so easy to put down whenever I wanted to. I probably finished this book over the course of two weeks, which is an INSANELY large amount of time for me since I usually finish books the night I start them! (I probably finished five other books between the time I first cracked it open to when I turned the last page LOL!) x)

    Awesome review! I'm glad I'm not the only one who gave it four stars LOL -- so many people LOVED this! x) But I still enjoyed this book like you did and I'm really excited to read the sequel too! :)

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    1. It took me 6 days, and normally I take about three. It probably would have taken me 2 weeks had I not sat my butt down and read with determination for an entire evening.

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  3. You know I really loved this book, but I guess I do agree that it's not real suspenseful. I didn't really notice that at the time, but now that you mention it, it kind of was. But I really loved it even while I can agree with some of the more negative-like things you brought up.

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    1. I guess, with this book, you're meant to just enjoy the story--the atmosphere of it, and the style--rather than get wrapped up in suspense. So depending on your point of view, this could be a positive OR negative quality.

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  4. I was one of the people who weren't too big on the romance but I really liked this book! I really don't like all the cliffhangers these books seem to have so I tend to put off the books until it's near the end. Sometimes I can't help it though, sigh. I agree with you with the novel not seeming complete, it ended so quickly. Anyway, I can't wait for the next book and this was an insightful review!

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    1. Yeah, because of my own reading tastes, I think I would have been better served reading this and it's sequel back to back. I didn't know that going in, so oh well.

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  5. I had very mixed feelings about this book, too; I enjoyed the first half much more than the second. Great review.

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    1. There is a definite switch in tones from the second half to the first half. I liked the whole book equally, but I can see your point.

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  6. I feel as if I'm the only person who HASN'T read this book. :) I definitely want to read it now that I know it has chimaeras in it! I don't think I've seen a book before that featured them. Great review!

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    1. Yeah, the chimaera ARE very cool. I don't think I've ever seen anyone use them to this extent in their world building, so it's quite impressive.

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  7. Like you, I started this book and then put it down and almost forgot about it until I realised it would be due back at the library so I had to force myself to finish it. I guess I just can't deal with love that is fated or people who are drawn to each other for reasons unknown. urgh!

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    1. It's funny, I normally don't care much for fated love either, but I didn't mind it in this one.

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  8. I haven't read this one yet, and I'm planning on waiting until the sequel is out - cliffhangers make me grumpy. And a grumpy reviewer is not a pretty thing. ;)

    I tend to agree with Lan - fated love is a tough sell for me, but that being said, I can handle it if there's enough evidence to make things convincing.

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    1. I think waiting is ideal for this one. Cliffhangers make me grumpy too!

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Thoughtful comments are appreciated! I always respond to them, and I usually return the favor! Happy reading!

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