Don't Hide In the Shadows; Aelin Will Find You

Queen of Shadows

Sarah J Maas

Goodreads / Amazon  

The queen has returned. Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she's at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past . . . She has embraced her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. But before she can reclaim her throne, she must fight. She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die for her. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen's triumphant return. The fourth volume in the New York Times bestselling series contrinues Celaena's epic journey and builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.

Note: This review will be full of spoilers.

This review is, essentially, my thoughts as I went through the book with a broad topic as the title and a page number. Enjoy! 

When Aelin sees Chaol in the Vaults
Page 11
I'M SHOCKED. CHAOL.
WILL CHAOLENA SURVIVE???

Chaol and Aelin talk
Page 54
Well den
-cries softly-
The ship is sinking. I repeat. The ship is sinking. 

Manon's appearance
63
Oh look. It's the witch. 
Mild interest.

Dorian 
87
Oh my gosh. What happened to precious Dorian?!?!

The Duke wanting a Valg-witch child
101
AWWE SHIZZ.

Nesryn wanting to tell the family of the man about his passing
127
Wow. Like Castle. Kinda.

Aelin's wardrobe change
143
I wish I could change that quickly...

Aelin fighting
147
I never doubted Aelin's powers of killing. NEVER 

Dorian admitting he tried to fight
176
Thank you, Dorian. My faith in you is restored. Fight, bro. Fight. 

Chaol complaining about Arobynn giving him some Valg dudes to follow
194
Man up. It's what you wanted. Isn't it?

The stones on the grave
199
Ooh. Awesome. I'd love to do that. 

The miracle of Aelin's scent
213
Holy pizzacake. SMELLING HER?!?! Creepy, much?

Rowan
233
Wow. I'm guessing the RowanXAelin ship will be fulfilled here.

Flicking the nose
235
If this was anyone else, his hand would be chopped off by now.

Dominance battle
244
I'd buy tickets to see that.

Music is my soul
295
I think I want to cry. 

Sam
326
I'm gonna cry. Yeah. I'm gonna cry.

Asterin after hearing about the Yellowlegs
334
As much as I'd hate to confront Manon...Asterin is right to fight back. 

Aelin's deception
362
Wow. I never realized Aelin was THAT smart. Wow. 

Celaena is the heir
383
You're a rich woman now, Aelin.

Deception 
387
Devilish woman.

Thinking about naked Aelin
400
Hahahaha. RowanXAelin shippers are in a frenzy now.

Erawan
416
HOOOLLLYY.

Sexual tension
436
Holy pizzacake. I've never read that much sexual tension between any characters. Ever. And they were barely talking about sex. Whoa.

Rowan's shot!
477
I didn't even know that Rowan could be hit. Huh. Not so perfect after all

Manon v. Aelin
480
In all honesty, I couldn't predict this. These two are too evenly matched. It's a battle made in heaven!

Asterin's Confession
504
I feel so much for Asterin. The poor girl...

Lysandra and Evangeline are free
510
Aelin. You little rascal. I love you for this. 

Elide is alone
512
I want to grab this poor girl and hold her close. She has it bad. Bad. 

Chaol and Aelin have a heart-to-heart
520
I feel like this gives me closure. Even though I'm not Chaol or Aelin. It gives me closure. Somehow. 
The poor Chaolena fans, though. I've always been Team Aelin.

The promise to live
523
Does this mean everyone will pair off? Who will Aedion be with, I wonder.

Scents
525
Fae have a creepy obsession with scents...

The three males who meant everything
532
Her harem

Celaena is back
538
Does this mean they don't know that Aelin and Celaena are the same person?

The Wyrdhounds
545
Oh man. Oh man oh man oh man. That's not good. That's not good!

Jumping out of the window
554
It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Aelin! And...Dorian?

The shapeshifter
568
Lysandra is STRONG. Oh my gosh.

Battle united
570
This is the coolest battle ever. Ever.

He's back
573
Can I cry? This is beautiful.

Manon returns
590
Manon really cares about Elide. That's adorable. I'm shipping the two of them now.

Kaltain's sacrifice
602
Thank you, Kaltain. Thank you. 

Lysandra vomiting
606
Lysandra definitely knows how to make an impression. 

Everyone is pairing off
613
Wow. Everyone is pairing off.

Elide
627
I have so much respect for this girl. She fought. She survived. 
I can't wait to see what happens next.

Goodbye
639
Oh my gosh. I'm gonna cry. I know I've said it a lot. But this book is an emotional roller coaster.

The end
645
I hope this is the end because the book ended on such a good note. I will read another book from this series, but I might emerge with tears in my eyes and a hole in my heart.
Sarah J Maas, I don't think any of us TOG fans can handle more heartbreak. 

Rating:

4/5

Review: 'Ink and Bone' by Rachel Caine

Ink and Bone

Rachel Caine

Goodreads / Amazon

In an exhilarating new series, New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine rewrites history, creating a dangerous world where the Great Library of Alexandria has survived the test of time.…

Ruthless and supremely powerful, the Great Library is now a presence in every major city, governing the flow of knowledge to the masses. Alchemy allows the Library to deliver the content of the greatest works of history instantly—but the personal ownership of books is expressly forbidden.

Jess Brightwell believes in the value of the Library, but the majority of his knowledge comes from illegal books obtained by his family, who are involved in the thriving black market. Jess has been sent to be his family’s spy, but his loyalties are tested in the final months of his training to enter the Library’s service.

When he inadvertently commits heresy by creating a device that could change the world, Jess discovers that those who control the Great Library believe that knowledge is more valuable than any human life—and soon both heretics and books will burn.…

The Big Picture: 

I admit that I'm a little disappointed. I thought this book would be extravagant. I mean...look at what it has. Books? Check. Awesome magic and alchemy? Check. Friendship? Check. Family? Check. A MC who is a THIEF? Check.
So where did it go wrong?
I felt like the MC could have had more to him. He was an average, intelligent guy. He was a jack of all trades. Which was terrible for him really.
The first half of the plot was lacking. It was mostly training, and I thought it was dull. The second half was more interesting with more action scenes and more tension.
The romance wasn't really needed. It was cute, though, to my utter surprise.
The world building was a bit lacking, but the world was creative and unique.
The friendships made me smile. The bond between all the Postulants was admirable and sweet.
By the end, I started to long for the sequel. And I wanted to find out what happens to Jess and Morgan and everyone else.

Travel Companion:

If we traveled with the main character Jess Brightwell, he would be:

The Scholar

He would be reading books and writing research papers for his classes at some nationally-recognized university. He would be on the track for a research position at a university or a teaching position. He would work at a bookstore on the weekends, but he wouldn't be the best at the job because he would mostly just sit and read.

We would meet him in a library. He would accidentally trip one of us. He would apologize, of course. We would join him for lunch, his treat. He would describe his research. We would ask him to join, and he would join because he wanted to explore and research the world first-hand.

Jess wasn't anyone special. I felt like he was average. Sure, he was smart. Sure, he was kind. But he wasn't extraordinary like Thomas or Khalila. He was pretty ordinary. I felt like I could be Jess. I felt like anyone could be Jess. Smart but not extremely so. He was kind. I didn't mind that. He treated his friends well. And he had a determined spirit that wouldn't back down from a challenge. (Sounds like Barney Stinson to me.）Some will love Jess. I didn't.

The one thing I liked about Jess was his past. His thieving past. It was interesting, and his family connections got him in and out of trouble during his time as a Postulant. His knowledge from those days changed things. I felt like Jess was sneaky. It made me a little intrigued to see what he would do with his connections.

The Adventure Begins (And Ends):

The first half of the book bored me. It was boring training stuff. I didn't particularly care for it. It wasn't action-y or even drama-y. It was quite dull and boring in my opinion. I know some people will like it if they like knowing how people train in these worlds. But I was bored. Nothing seemed to happen. Nothing too interesting, at least. We were introduced to the world and the characters. Boom. Done.

The second half excited me, though. It had action. They were on a mission, risking their lives. How cool is that? These kids endured loss and hardship. They were scarred and broken. But they kept going. I felt like their determination was amazing and admirable.

I'll Wait For You At the Gate:

The romance was sweet and innocent like many first romances. It was so fluffy and sweet.

It felt like first love. It was slow and tentative. It was as if Jess was reluctant to succumb to his feelings. I saw that there would be a romance the moment Morgan first arrived. Jess practically was panting and howling to the moon like a dog. Admittedly, the fluffiness made me smile. I didn't adore the romance, but I didn't hate it either.
I thought that the romance was unnecessary, though. It wasn't needed. Without it, Jess and Morgan could have had a great friendship instead. Their relationship muddied things and made things worse. (Especially on Morgan's end.)

Perks and Upgrades:

The friendships were amazing.

The bond the Postulants formed with each other was stunning. They went through hardship and loss together. I liked that this book emphasized friendships. They're important. Friends can get you through the worst of times. Like what happened in this book. The group was tight. Competitive but the sort of people to congratulate their enemies on a job well done.
Romance isn't the most important thing. Friends and family exist too. 

“Hyd nes y byddwn yn cyfarfod eto. Until we meet again.”

“O menos que te vea primero,” Dario said. “Unless I see you first.”

Page 350 'Ink and Bone'

Ah...the world building was a bit lacking, but it was a stunning world to read.
Here's what I know:
The Library has mini-Libraries called Serapeum. Librarians control these. The High Garda guard the Libraries. The Scholars are researchers. There are Magnuses in each field of study, including Obscurist, Artifex, and etc. And there's this Archivist dude. I'm not sure what he does.
There wasn't a lot of explanation. I was annoyed by that. I wanted to know about the world. And the people. I wanted to know about the Codex. And the way the Library infiltrated the lives of every person. And why the Welsh and English fight. (I know that Wales doesn't like being under English rule but still. There had to be some linchpin that set things into motion.) I wanted to know about their alchemy and the limits of alchemy. There were gaps in the world building.

I did think it was a stunning world, though. It was interesting and very unique.

"A life is worth more than a book! Vita hominis plus libro valet!”

Page 34 'Ink and Bone'

You Have Arrived at Your Destination:

The ending left me longing. I had started to like this book. The plot was starting to become more and more interesting. The world was starting to feel a little home-y. I wouldn't want to be a smuggler, but I wouldn't mind being a Scholar.
I had some unanswered questions left. What about Wolfe? Morgan? What will Jess do with Thomas's plans? Who is the Archivist? What does he/she do? What happens in the Iron Tower?
I can't wait for the sequel.

Rating:

4/5

Review: 'Dreams of Gods & Monsters' by Laini Taylor

Dreams of Gods & Monsters

Laini Taylor

Goodreads / Amazon

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?

Travel Companion:

If we traveled with the main character Karou, she would be

The Artist

She would read stunning artwork. Her art would be internationally known. She would also move and never stay in one place. Her art would represent the world and the suffering within.

We would meet her working on some street art in Prague. We would go over and talk to her. She would be evasive and would leave. We would follow her. (Like the stalkers we are.) She would go into her favorite cafe, a weird place with coffins for tables. We would pay for her meal and strike up a conversation with her about art and everything else under the sun. We would mention our travels, and she would be interested. We would invite her to join us on our adventures. She would join us because she would want to see the world with other people.

If we traveled with the main character Akiva, he would be:

The Leader

He would be the one in the front, charging towards the enemy. He would fight with everything he had. He would never resort to violence, though. He would resolve things peacefully. 

We would meet him leading a protest. He would be breaking up a fight. We would start talking about rights and dreams. We would understand his dreams and want to make his visions comes true. We would ask him to come with us to bring peace to the world. Akiva would join because he would see hope in our cause.

If we traveled with the main character Eliza, she would be:

The Secretive Friend

She would be kind and warm. She would be funny and jovial. But she would be hiding things. Certain things she said would be odd. Her actions might be different than her words. We would be able to tell that she had secrets. We would never push it, though. We would let her have her space. 

We would meet Eliza in a library, working on research. We would take her hand and toss her into an adventure. (I mean...research is boring.) She would be reluctant at first. She would finally accept the adventure when she gazes at the sunrise from the mountains because it would remind her of the fiery wings of her kin.

Karou (I keep misspelling her name, so bear with me) was pretty awesome as always. She had her magical flying powers as well as her creative thinking. Her creative thinking  helped her create some amazing battle strategies. Or…ways to escape a full-on war. She played peace maker in this book. A medium between the seraphim and the chimaera. As well as translator to Zuzana and Mik.
This book had less of her, though. I wanted to see her side of things. I didn’t mind it when Akiva took center stage in this book. Karou was mostly the lover in this book. The girl who thirsted for the boy's touch. That annoyed me. She was an awesome character. She was brave and powerful. She was her own person. She didn't have to be somebody's lover. She could be her own character. Truth be told, I wouldn't mind Karou having her own book that was entirely about her. (But the reality of the matter is that Karou is part of a package. It's either Karou and Akiva or no Karou at all.) What I’m saying is that she didn’t need to be just The Lover in this book. She could have been Just Karou, and everything would have been great.

Akiva was great. He was the main actor on the stage this time. We got to see Akiva work his magical mojo in this book. 

Akiva was a great character. He had motivations behind his actions. Sure, he did a lot for Karou, but he also did some things for himself. His decision with the Stelians? That was entirely him.  It showed that Akiva could do things without Karou. He loved being with her, but that doesn’t mean he needed Karou 24/7.  
His magic was awesome. He could disappear and summon large flocks of birds. (That's actually from Days of Blood and Starlight, but let's not dive into specifics, okay?) He used his wounds to his advantage. It gave him access to his magic. And sirithar? That was so cool. Being able to access that massive amount of power was a huge advantage for him. He could had the ability to do so much more with sirithar. And he did. Akiva was given this power, and he used it wisely.

And we were introduced to Eliza. She was this quirky character who had a burning hatred of Morgan Toth (but it was understandable.) She was a researcher who lived in America. She had a shady past.
I didn't know her purpose in the beginning when we were introduced to this girl. I was confused. Who is she? What's her importance? Gimme Akiva and Karou! I thought. She wasn't given a huge part in the majority of the book. She was the sort of character I would write off as a side character with not much of a purpose. It was only when she started spouting nonsense in Seraphic that I understood. All in all, I didn't particularly like her. The ending spotlighted her, but it didn't show her in an appealing light. I know Laini Taylor tried to make her seem nice by making Zuzana the People Hater enjoy being in her company, but I just couldn't like Eliza.

BUT. I understood her hatred of Morgan Toth. He was evil. I wanted to strangle him. He was a terrible person. My anger boiled underneath my skin when I read what he did.

He sent out those messages? And unveiled Eliza's secret? Excuse me? You had no right to do that. It’s her secret to tell. I condemn you! Shame on you! He was a terrible person.  

I have to praise the neek-neek Zuzana and her faithful violinist Mik here. They were pretty amazing. They were just humans, but they charmed the pants off the chimaera. They were charismatic and humorous. I loved their romance. (They were amazing together. And what great chemistry!)
Zuzana was fierce. She was a perfect example of a fierce female. She was a true neek-neek. She was witty and quick to a retort. She would snap at you. And Mik brought out the best in her. He calmed her down. He made her laugh. He was the water; she was the fire. They were great on their own, but they made a better pair when together.  

The Adventure Begins (And Ends):

I thought the plot was lacking a bit. It seemed slow and boring.
For one, there weren't any actions scenes. Well...they were there, but I didn't get to see them. All the action happened when Akiva and Karou weren't in the picture. That essentially meant we didn't get any of the action. I mean...who doesn't want to see Liraz in action? Seriously! She was one of the best fighters in the entire series. 

I hated that I couldn’t see the one battle that happened in this book. Akiva and Karou were yanked from the battle. They were nominated to be the peacemakers and shoved towards Jael. We didn't get to see the angels fall out of the sky. I wanted to see that. I wanted to see Thiago in action. I wanted to see the gore and blood. I hunger for action. But I didn’t get the action I wanted in this book.
What I got was an annoying fake grandmother and a tension-filled usurping scene. (I thought it was a great scene. Don't get me wrong or anything. It was fantastically written and all. But...Wren needs her daily dose of action.) Akiva's aptitude for magic took me by surprise. I knew he was good, but I didn't know how good Akiva was.

I'll Wait For You At the Gate:

And finally...Karou and Akiva action! Last book, we had Akiva yearning for Karou. And Karou, finally, accepted her burning love. I was (im)patiently waiting for some romance between these two. (Gah. Laini Taylor is brainwashing me into wanting romance. That’s a miracle.)
Their romance scenes were filled with electricity. Their scenes were great examples of how to write chemistry. When they touched, stars exploded. The sun shone brighter. The world stopped. Babies were born. Etc etc etc.
In the end, I shipped them. Hard. I completely accept their pairing and encourage them to make adorable Kakiva (Totally making up their ship name) babies with eyes made of fire and stunning blue hair. 
These two might have had their problems, but they were great together. I felt like they barely knew each other, though. Akiva was barely with Karou as Karou. I know her soul was the same and all...but still. You need time to adjust to this new person. They're not the same in every way. They're different now. I felt like this part was rushed. It could have been touched upon longer. Oh well…

Still looking at her with that half-hesitant intensity, Akiva reached out very slowly, and, with one fingertip light against her cheek, hooked a loose strand of her hair and pushed it behind her ear. The tiny touch sparked and blazed, but the spark and blaze were subsumed by a deeper, fuller fire when he brought the whole of his palm against her cheek. His gaze was vivid, hopeful, and searching, and the touch was whisper-light, and it was… a taste of the cake Karou couldn’t have. It was more than a taunt. It was a torment. She wanted to turn her face and press her lips to Akiva’s palm, and then his wrist, to follow the path of his pulse to its source. To his heart. His chest, his solidity. His arms around her, that’s what she wanted, and… she wanted movement that spoke to movement, skin to skin and sweat to heat to breath to gasp. Oh god. His touch made her foolish. It spliced her right out of real life with its drumbeat of armies angels portals weapons war and into that paradise they’d imagined long ago— the one that was like a jewel box waiting for them to find it and fill it with their happiness.

224-225 ‘Dreams of Gods & Monsters’

Perks and Upgrades:

N/A

You Have Arrived at Your Destination:

I spun around in my chair after I put down my phone. "I'm dead," I moaned, spinning in a circle slowly.
'Is this a book hangover?' I wondered.
The answer is YES.
The ending gave off such great vibes. It was full of karou. It was full of hope. I felt full after reading that last page.
At first, I felt like this book was going to end on a terrible note. I was nearing the last hundred pages, and I knew there were two gaping plot holes in front of me. One being the Stelians. (What’s up with them?) The other being the Cataclysm Eliza and the Stelians talked about. I was worried about this book. Was this actually the last book? Or was there another coming out? I voiced my worries to my poor aunt who had the luck to be sitting by my side the moment I hit the last hundred pages mark. (82% in, if I recall correctly.)
But. This book didn’t end like I thought it would. The plot holes were patched up. It was a smooth ride to the epilogue. I had no questions left. I could only smile when I finished the last page. 

This was a wild ride. This whole series. I was barely holding on as I was thrown about. This book was a roller coaster of emotions and twists. 

This was a great end to a great series. 

And so it was. Karou and Akiva held on to each other and didn’t let go.

612 ‘Dreams of Gods & Monsters’

Rating:

4/5

Review: 'Ender's Game' by Orson Scott Card

Ender's Game
Orson Scott Card

Goodreads / Amazon

In order to develop a secure defense against a hostile alien race's next attack, government agencies breed child geniuses and train them as soldiers. A brilliant young boy, Andrew "Ender" Wiggin lives with his kind but distant parents, his sadistic brother Peter, and the person he loves more than anyone else, his sister Valentine. Peter and Valentine were candidates for the soldier-training program but didn't make the cut—young Ender is the Wiggin drafted to the orbiting Battle School for rigorous military training.

Ender's skills make him a leader in school and respected in the Battle Room, where children play at mock battles in zero gravity. Yet growing up in an artificial community of young soldiers Ender suffers greatly from isolation, rivalry from his peers, pressure from the adult teachers, and an unsettling fear of the alien invaders. His psychological battles include loneliness, fear that he is becoming like the cruel brother he remembers, and fanning the flames of devotion to his beloved sister.

Is Ender the general Earth needs? But Ender is not the only result of the genetic experiments. The war with the Buggers has been raging for a hundred years, and the quest for the perfect general has been underway for almost as long. Ender's two older siblings are every bit as unusual as he is, but in very different ways. Between the three of them lie the abilities to remake a world. If, that is, the world survives.

Ender's Game is the winner of the 1985 Nebula Award for Best Novel and the 1986 Hugo Award for Best Novel

Travel Companion:

If I traveled with the main character Ender Wiggin, he would be:

The Navigator

Ender would be the navigator of the adventure. He would be the one with an actual compass. (Not the iPhone one.) We would all follow him anywhere. (We would be lost without him.)
We would meet Ender at the airport, who would be suspiciously eyeing everybody. (Including us.) We would either A) snatch his little child person and run or B) coax him to join us with the thought of exploration.
But either way would work.

At first, I didn't feel for Ender. I felt like I didn't get enough depth from him. It seemed like I was just watching him act and not think. I wanted more. What was he thinking? Why did he do certain things? I wanted to know about Ender. What made him tick? I needed more.
But as I moved through the story, I started to feel for him. I pitied him even. His whole world was different. It was new to him. He was plunged into battle. Forced to fight. I felt like that was terrible for his health, mental and physical. Ender deserved better. He deserved a childhood. He was too young to be a commander. Where was his childhood? His childhood was stolen away. He could have read and played games. Got a girl. Dated. Earned honor roll.
But no.
He had to be a commander. He had to fight the buggers. But he was too young. Ender needed a better life.
I hope he found it.

The Adventure Begins (And Ends):

We were taken through Ender's life from the moment he was taken to the Battle School to the end. How he fought. His isolation. His weaknesses and strengths.
There were twists. Rivals. People who hated Ender's mind. People who wanted Ender dead. The teachers forcing Ender to his limits. We saw how Ender reacted. He was quick on his feet. Smart and deadly so. 
The plot had a few twists. The ending. The truth behind the games at Command School. All shocking. You wouldn't expect them. They smashed into you and surprised you. They were interesting to the reader.

I'll Wait For You At the Gate:

The great thing about this story was the lack of romance. Sure, there was familial romance, but that is different than actual romance. The bond between Ender and Valentine was strong. Those two were great siblings to each other. They were there for each other. She was his warm memory, his home. The person he could rely on when things got tough.

Perks and Upgrades:

What an action-filled plot. We had some great action scenes. The two armies fight. The fight that took Ender by surprise. On top of that, Ender was a great strategist. He could fight well. He ordered his soldiers well. His tactics were unique. He crafted them on the spot. It was great seeing how the boy worked.

You Have Arrived at Your Destination:

The ending was great. It summed up everything that happened. What he did. Why he left. What happened after. Then we had Valentine and Ender. I expected those two to reunite. It was awesome when they did. Those two worked well together. A great duo. And what happened with the queen? Amazing. I wouldn't expect anything like that. And everything really was a misunderstanding. They didn't understand you, and you didn't understand them. If you spoke the same language, it would have been better.
I don't feel like there is a need to read the next books in the quintet. The story ended perfectly. Ender got something that could make him happy. The other books could explore Ender more, but I don't feel like I need to read them.

This review is short because this story was just too hard to place. I couldn't formulate my thoughts. It was hard to understand the book. I feel like it was on another level of comprehension. I was missing things; I know that. I can't explain things I don't understand.

Rating:

3/5

Review: 'Daughter of Smoke and Bone' by Laini Taylor

Daughter of Smoke and Bone
Laini Taylor 

Amazon / Goodreads

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 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 actuallygrows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.

When beautiful, haunted Akiva fixes fiery 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?

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Here Be the Players

Kaoru was pretty cool. She was very artistic. She had talent. Reminds me of Addison Stone actually. Too bad we didn't get to see her drawings. I loved that she knew so many languages. I wanted that for myself. Collecting languages. I would love to know Ancient Greek if that is even possible. I liked that she could kick butt too. She could fight. She wasn't defenseless. She could hold her own. Which was great. I loved her determination. To find her family and help them.
Akiva was pretty awesome. And he would be a good lover. Wow. That doesn't sound weird at all. But he was loyal. Kind. And he was a good fighter. I can't say much other than that, though. When he was with Madrigal, he was good. A nice lover. Kind. Sweet. Caring. But without her, he was a shell. With Kaoru, he was different. He had to be. He didn't know who she was until the wishbone. It was confusing for him. Seeing him lost and confused was interesting. Who is this girl to him? Who is Madrigal? Why is he so willing to give up things for her? It isn't until we reach the backstory that we get more. Who he was. Who was with her. It expanded on his character. We learned more. I'm surprised a seraphim could enter chimaera territory and be fine. (How do you spell spell both of those? I feel like I'm botching it up.) Which was confusing to say the least. Who knows what magic he worked?
Madrigal was so kind. I liked that she did what she had to make people suffer less. And how she saved a seraphim. Do I see Madrigal as a separate person? Actually, yes. She was a good person. But not all good characters are interesting. She was mildly interesting. Her kindness would be her downfall. Loving would be the worst thing for her. But she didn't back down. That showed her bravery. As well as her love for Akiva. Which takes great commitment. And she had the chops to take it on.

The Adventure Begins (And Ends)

The plot was actually pretty cool. It had enough fight scenes. I liked when Akiva and Kaoru fought. They seemed evenly matched. The scenes were good. Fast-paced and interesting. Clever techniques. I wanted more fighting. Not just giving up and stalking her. That's creepy, dude.
The plot was partly on the past. I liked the past. Seeing Madrigal and Akiva. Them from the before. It was fascinating. Seeing their personalities. Their romance. I liked the past. And it made me get interested in the present. The past was entirely romance. Stealing away nights and kisses. Hoping and praying that no one will find them. These two couldn't slip up. No no. One slip up meant...KO. Sudden death. Especially for Madrigal. I feared for them. Hoped for the best. That's the sign of a good romance. When you worry with the characters about their worries.
It could have been better, though. Perhaps more action and less romance? I didn't mind the romance...but still. Maybe more about the past? Ooh. That would be great.

The Swoon-Gasp-Swoon Factor

N/A

Ka-Pow Power

N/A

Kiss Kiss Fall in Love

The romance wasn't bad. It was cute.
Madrigal and Akiva? Adorable. They had no reason to fall in love. He an seraphim. She a chimaera. But they did. Against all odds. And it was a spark. Not even looks. Just a spark. A knowing. A rush of heat. I might be babbling now, but I am allowed to. It was fascinating seeing them together. They had to hide in secret. To kiss underneath their lovers moon. (I'm babbling...) And they knew what would happen if they were caught. Punishment. Death. And they did it anyways. Perhaps, it's enemies-turned-lovers I enjoy. (And I know I do.) But these two had something different. I'm not sure what it is. It could be their races. It might be. Who knows?
Akiva and Kaoru seemed rushed. Even without the Madgrigal secret. Why? They met each other. Fought. Then...kiss, kiss, fall in love. (If you get that reference, plus ten points for you.) They didn't necessarily seem like who they were before. Kaoru was different. Akiva was different. I know you want me to say that they were destined...but they weren't. Kaoru wasn't the girl she was before at all. She was completely different. Nothing could change that. Loving the past her doesn't mean you'll like the present her, Akiva. Calm down. Reincarnations don't always work out how you want them.

Special Effects

The world was actually quite intricate. Well-built. It had many levels. The generals of the chimaera. The wars they fought. The 'why these two races were built'. TWO MOONS. It was interesting. The past between the two races. It wasn't anything like high fantasy. It was a good world, though.
And the world Kaoru lived in with her odd family of chimaera. The world built from there. The shop. The magic doors. The place she lived in. The work she had to do. Fetching teeth. Not knowing what they were for. And then finding out the truth? Interesting.
The magic was cool. As well as the two races. The magic from pain. Wow. That was actually really cool. That explained the teeth really well. Which was something I started to wonder about halfway in. And the magic was sorta lost. Lost but not really. That brought up some questions. How was it lost? Why? When? Where? By whom? And reincarnation? Like that? Awesome. You could remake yourself into someone entirely different. (And that could be the point.)

The End

The ending...I want more. It was a cliffhanger. I want how it ends. Does Kaoru ever forgive him? Who is she now? What will she do? It was such an ending. 

I need to know. I NEED TO KNOW. 

We're given so much information at the end. Who Kaoru is. Who Madgrigal is. Where Kaoru's family is. So much happening. So much going on. We get so much. I think we got a lot of swallow. Which isn't the best. Having the past unfold was a tad much. And then...Akiva? Wow, dude. Nice job ruining things with waifu. Only Akiva... Sigh. 

But.

I am intrigued. I want to know more.

Rating:

4/5