Publisher: Hachette Audio (Audio); Little Brown (Print)
Source: Purchased from Audible.com & Wellesely Books // ARC from BEA2010
Publication Date: 27 Sept 2011 (Audio); 27 Sept 2011 (Print)
Series or Standalone: Series
Series or Standalone: Series
ISBN: 1611132975 (Audio), 0316134023 (Hardcover)
Format: Audio
Audio Length: 9 discs (~12.5 hrs)
Narrator: Khristine Hvam
Websites:
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
First Line: Walking to school over the snow-muffled cobbles, Karou had no sinister premonitions about the day.
Daughter of Smoke and Bone Series Order
Book 1: Daughter of Smoke and Bone
Book 2: Untitled (Sept 2012)
I am always wary of the over-hyped book. The one that everyone is not only talking about...but raving about as well. When I hear of those books, especially when they were on my wishlist, I grow very wary and don't always want to pick it up. Because more often then not when I read those over-hyped books I am disappointed and when I turn the final page I sit there and think...did I read the same book as everyone else because that just wasn't good. I was initially excited when I picked up an ARC of Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Tayler at BEA but then it quickly moved into the uh-oh I'm not so sure about this category as it began to be hyped up on twitter and blogs. So I waited to read it and it wasn't until other hype-skeptics started to also rave about this book that I thought about giving it a go.
Since time is a valuable commodity and I had this brand new audible.com account I thought that I would check out the audio version of it (because even though I have the ARC AND a signed hardcover I just needed another copy of it.) In the end, I think I made the right choice as the audio was FANTASTIC. I can't get over just how amazing Khristine Hvam was a narrator. She did such a wonderful job with all the accents and never once did I doubt who was speaking. She brought all the characters to life and with the rich prose of Laini Taylor's writing this story just came alive inside my head.
I loved the mythology that Taylor used to build her world and I loved the world itself. This was an angel book that is so very different from all the multitude of angel stories out there. Its a mystery filled with many twists and turns that it will keep the reader guessing. Its a love story and one filled with adventure and travel. Its a book that is filled with so much goodness that its almost impossible to put it all into worlds. Its a story that I couldn't stop listening to and would often sit in my car with my eyes closed as the story played so that I could better visualize it all. Karou's story is absolutely fascinating and I loved the added bits that were told from Akiva. Heaven knows I adore a well told dual-point of view story.
The only thing that I didn't like about this book was the 100 or so page flashback that occured towards the end of the book. I get that it was necessary to flesh out more of the history of the protagonists but it really took me out of the story and I grew impatient for it to end. If I hadn't been listening on audio I would have been sorely tempted to just skip that section all together. I would have preferred it ever so much if Taylor had broken up that flashback over several chapters...mixing it in better with the contemporary part of the story. That is the part that I fell in love with and while the past was interesting I liked the hear and now better.
Also....don't even get me started on that ending! Gah...the ending alone makes me wish that I had waited even longer to try this book because I really really really need to know what happens next. Before I started this book I didn't realize that it was going to be a series (I know, I know it was posted everywhere but I just wasn't paying attention) but the ending definitely lets the reader know that there will be more. It screams it and as I reader I am now desperate for it. I want to know more about these characters. I want to know if Karou will succeed in her mission and I want to know just what will happen with Akiva. This book is filled with so many emotions for me. There is the happy, giddy, heartachy ones and the ones that make me want to curl up in a ball and cry. I was ripped to shreads as I read it....and to be honest I wouldn't have it any other way. This story wasn't perfect but it was so very good and so beautifully written that I just couldn't get enough. Can it be next September already?
I am always wary of the over-hyped book. The one that everyone is not only talking about...but raving about as well. When I hear of those books, especially when they were on my wishlist, I grow very wary and don't always want to pick it up. Because more often then not when I read those over-hyped books I am disappointed and when I turn the final page I sit there and think...did I read the same book as everyone else because that just wasn't good. I was initially excited when I picked up an ARC of Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Tayler at BEA but then it quickly moved into the uh-oh I'm not so sure about this category as it began to be hyped up on twitter and blogs. So I waited to read it and it wasn't until other hype-skeptics started to also rave about this book that I thought about giving it a go.
Since time is a valuable commodity and I had this brand new audible.com account I thought that I would check out the audio version of it (because even though I have the ARC AND a signed hardcover I just needed another copy of it.) In the end, I think I made the right choice as the audio was FANTASTIC. I can't get over just how amazing Khristine Hvam was a narrator. She did such a wonderful job with all the accents and never once did I doubt who was speaking. She brought all the characters to life and with the rich prose of Laini Taylor's writing this story just came alive inside my head.
I loved the mythology that Taylor used to build her world and I loved the world itself. This was an angel book that is so very different from all the multitude of angel stories out there. Its a mystery filled with many twists and turns that it will keep the reader guessing. Its a love story and one filled with adventure and travel. Its a book that is filled with so much goodness that its almost impossible to put it all into worlds. Its a story that I couldn't stop listening to and would often sit in my car with my eyes closed as the story played so that I could better visualize it all. Karou's story is absolutely fascinating and I loved the added bits that were told from Akiva. Heaven knows I adore a well told dual-point of view story.
The only thing that I didn't like about this book was the 100 or so page flashback that occured towards the end of the book. I get that it was necessary to flesh out more of the history of the protagonists but it really took me out of the story and I grew impatient for it to end. If I hadn't been listening on audio I would have been sorely tempted to just skip that section all together. I would have preferred it ever so much if Taylor had broken up that flashback over several chapters...mixing it in better with the contemporary part of the story. That is the part that I fell in love with and while the past was interesting I liked the hear and now better.
Also....don't even get me started on that ending! Gah...the ending alone makes me wish that I had waited even longer to try this book because I really really really need to know what happens next. Before I started this book I didn't realize that it was going to be a series (I know, I know it was posted everywhere but I just wasn't paying attention) but the ending definitely lets the reader know that there will be more. It screams it and as I reader I am now desperate for it. I want to know more about these characters. I want to know if Karou will succeed in her mission and I want to know just what will happen with Akiva. This book is filled with so many emotions for me. There is the happy, giddy, heartachy ones and the ones that make me want to curl up in a ball and cry. I was ripped to shreads as I read it....and to be honest I wouldn't have it any other way. This story wasn't perfect but it was so very good and so beautifully written that I just couldn't get enough. Can it be next September already?
Posts
I've been holding off on this one because of all the hype but you've convinced me it's worth reading.
ReplyDeleteMan, you are rockin' the five-star reads right now! I've still got this one on my shelf and like Kathy have been putting it off because of the hype. I'm sure I'll get to it eventually though.
ReplyDeleteSame here, just holding off...and now apparently there's the movie rights that were bought by Universal. Going to save this one for listening to on the Book Report radio show. Elaine Charles will tell.
ReplyDelete