Daughter of Smoke & Bone (Daughter of Smoke & Bone, #1) in Pick-a-Shelf

Jun 06, 2011 Misty rated it it was amazing

Shelves: supernatural-paranormal, author-to-watch, own, sci_fi-fantasy, juvenile-ya, recommended, signed, excited-for, read-in-2011, series

There's always a worry when you're really looking forward to a book that it's going to disappoint you. And not just disappoint you, but crush聽you simply because you were so looking forward to it.
I was really looking forward to this. 聽Like, probably more than anything else this year.
And thank you Sweet Baby , it was worth every bit of my anticipation and book-coveting.

Sometimes you pick up a book and you know, you just know聽that you are probably going to end up reading every thing that aut ...more

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Sep 10, 2012 Carrie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, re-read, young-adult, urban-fantasy, part-of-a-series, rrrc, 1st-in-a-series, demons, you-want-me-to-read-what, kickass-spirited-strong

Dec 13, 2018:
Just as good as the first time around.

I really liked this book, original and different. The second half dragged a little for me. But over all the story was great. REALLY looking forward to the next book.

Karou isn't a normal teenager, she is talent artist, speaks multiple languages and was raised by what we call "demons". She constantly feels like there is something missing and alone. Until she meets Akiva, a handsome yet deadly angel, a solider, and enemy. As the pieces fall into pl ...more

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Oct 31, 2011 D.G. rated it it was amazing

Shelves: awesome-narration, favorites, audiobook, reviewed, fantasy

This book is the beginning of a journey鈥 journey through the essence of hope and pain, full of wonderful imagery and a seemingly whimsical combination of words that envelopes you strongly and doesn鈥檛 let you go. The story is almost epic in its scope, seemingly simple while slowly transforming into mistakes as old as time: enmity that evolves into a never-ending war. We鈥檝e experienced this story so many times in the history of the World that it鈥檚 amazing how we keep doing it again and again. And This book is the beginning of a journey鈥 journey through the essence of hope and pain, full of wonderful imagery and a seemingly whimsical combination of words that envelopes you strongly and doesn鈥檛 let you go. The story is almost epic in its scope, seemingly simple while slowly transforming into mistakes as old as time: enmity that evolves into a never-ending war. We鈥檝e experienced this story so many times in the history of the World that it鈥檚 amazing how we keep doing it again and again. And that鈥檚 why expecting that war will end and that we鈥檒l learn to live amicably is such a forlorn hope鈥r is it?

You may have heard from other reviewers that there is a 鈥榮hift鈥� in this book where the book seemingly takes a different turn. I saw it mostly as the set up of the bigger story arc, a before and after where the 鈥渁fter鈥� was told at the beginning. I think it鈥檚 skillfully done and in my opinion didn鈥檛 detract from the story in particular but be aware that as I mentioned before, this book is the beginning.

While I read this book, I bookmarked a lot of passages like:

Hope can be a powerful force. Maybe there鈥檚 no actual magic in it, but when you know what you hope for most and hold it like a light within you, you can make things happen, almost like magic.

Love is an element. An element. Like air to breath, earth to stand on.

Never repent of your goodness. To stay true in the face of evil is a feat of strength.

If I would have heard those passages on their own, I would have thought they were na茂ve and even maudlin, great sentiments without substance. But when experienced within the story they are powerful and life-altering, and made me realize that I鈥檝e had a big cache of hope that I鈥檝e left untapped. And isn鈥檛 that a shame!

I don鈥檛 want to talk about specific plot points because I don鈥檛 want to give spoilers but I need to give big thanks to Ms. Taylor for two things:

-- Zuzana. She is the BEST BFF I鈥檝e read in YA. She was funny, strong, quirky, loyal and most importantly. She had her own life! Most of the time, BFFs in books are almost colorless people that are just there to serve as sounding boards to the main characters. Not in this case! Thanks for making the BFF a real person!

-- Prague as setting: It鈥檚 soo boring when every book is set in the same old locations鈥hanks for the different setting and for the marvelous job of its portrayal. Prague was almost a character on its own, full of charm and mystery.

I also want to give kudos to Khristine Hvam for her AMAZING narration. This is a wonderful story that can be enjoyed on its own but she definitively brought a certain joie de vivre that I don鈥檛 know I would have gotten on my own.

Overall, an marvelous story full of pain and sorrow, love and hope. I can鈥檛 wait for the sequel and see which side wins, although I hope, I firmly hope, that it鈥檚 the latter. ...more

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Nov 28, 2011 Luann rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2012, young-adult, adult, fantasy, gr-author

As always Laini Taylor caught my attention with her great characters. She kept my attention because I needed to know what Brimstone did with all those teeth! I read the book almost in one sitting. The ending was a disappointment, but of course I look forward to reading the next one!

This is for quite a bit older audience than Taylor's Blackbringer series. I would classify this as older YA to adult. ...more

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Sep 11, 2012 Mita rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, children-and-young-adult, read-in-2012

My review will pretty much be similar with most other positive review. I didn't expect to, but I ended up really enjoying the story, whizzing through the bulk of it in the one day for the want of returning to it every time I put it down.

My only hang up which held me back from giving it a fifth star is the unfolding of stories in the second half of the book. The first half had such a good pace and exposed the plotline so excitingly but it sort of halted midway (not going to explain further as I ...more

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Apr 08, 2013 Sunflower rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: e-books, fiction-read-2013

This is like Romeo and Juliet on mind-altering substances. Complete fantasy and escapist reading, but a good one of its genre. For most of the book there are multiple un-answered questions; why the teeth? what is the significance of the wishbone? and who (or what) on earth is the main character, apart from a blue-haired tooth collecting courier with a very weird family and a home with portals that lead anywhere? Her world falls apart and comes together entirely differently.
The ending is disappo ...more

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Feb 07, 2013 emily rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, 2011-to-2015, fantasy-urban-fantasy, creature-feature-monster-mash, foe-yay, when-the-war-came, best-worldbuilding, fantasy-romantasy, to-purchase, monsters-and-monstrosities

ETA 7/18/17: After reading Strange the Dreamer and now coming back to DoSaB I'm struck by the fact that there are just no queer people in Laini Taylor's books, even in the background. It's weird, and it's giving me an icky feeling that's really disappointing. If there are queers that I'm missing, please remind me of them!

Review courtesy of .

This book came highly recommended by a friend who writes YA fiction, so my expectations were high. I was wary of finding another "it's good, b ...more

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May 29, 2012 Lorna rated it it was ok

Shelves: fiction-romance, young-adult, fantasy, ala-best-book

This paranormal romance novel has a very lyrical, descriptive writing style and is a complex story with lots of mythology. The pace is relaxed (in other words, slow) and just did not keep my interest. It's a fine novel, just not my type of book. ...more

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Feb 24, 2014 Christina rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, 2014-reads

SO MUCH AWESOME.

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Aug 17, 2012 Soelo rated it it was amazing

Shelves: series, lovedfantasy, srchallenge, series2010s, nortonaward, locusaward

Wow, this was good. I need to take a break before I start the second book though.

I started listening to the audiobook and was annoyed by the nearly constant sarcasm in the narrator's voice. I picked up reading where I stopped listening and enjoyed it a lot more. ...more

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