Daughter of Smoke and Bones by Laini Taylor

Description:

Around the world, black hand prints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.
In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.
And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherworldly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages—not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers—beautiful, haunted Akiva—fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?


Epic Wins:

• Karou is quite a complex character, to be honest it is hard to even put her into words. It has to go like this I suppose: kick-butt, artist, and has hair that grows blue.
• Zuzana is one of those best friends that wont take "No" or "Errands" for an answer.
• Akiva can be described in one word, heart-broken (Technically that's two though...) He grew up with war and pain so much so that he is pretty much an expert now.
• The way Karou is pulled to Akiva and the way their relationship flows.
• Taylor manages such a great tale about hope, magic, pain, and love that spirals into you brain. You just can't look away.
• Zuzana and Mik- They aren't magical and they have no wings, but what they do have is love, a love that is strong but simple.
• Brimstone, I like to think, plays a huge a part in story and on top of that he was pretty much Karou's father figure.
• Her family, not biological but none-the-less family, cared so much about her. I loved the way they took care of her even though she wasn't really family they still treated her that way.
• The idea of the Chimera- Human and animal mash ups- was really quite fascinating and vivid.
• The war between "Angels" and "Demons" was sad and destructive but in a round about way it helped things happen that might not have in another situation.
• Madrigal was amazingly strong and abounding in a never ending hope.

Epic Fails:

• There were a few scenes that concerned me, sex and nudity, that I wish hadn't been there. Nothing in detail thank goodness.

Overall:
A story toppling over with mystery, secrets, hope, pain, magic, and hair that grows blue. I can't wait for the next one!!

just sayin,
-Kare