Yay! It’s finally time for Fall Book Club! Thank you to Tracey at Words on Paper for hosting this awesome blog discussion. October’s book was Daughter of Smoke and Bone, by Laini Taylor.
Daughter of Smoke and Bone is fresh, different, and exciting. I’ve never read anything quite like it. These qualities make it a good read, but it’s not just good. It’s an I-have-to-stay-up-past-my-bedtime-to finish-and-then-write-a-five-star-review-at-two-in-the-morning great book.
Here is my attempt at a brief, spoiler-free summary:
Lovely, unique artist Karou walks a line between the world we know and a world of wishes and monsters. She runs errands for her not-quite human mentor Brimstone, wondering what he does with all the teeth he collects from around the world. When a mysterious stranger threatens the portals between earth and Elsewhere, Karou has to discover the truth about her past and decide which future she will fight for.
So, what makes this book amazing? The world building and story are both phenomenal. But it’s the language that pushes it to the next level. Taylor writes with such depth and grace; the prose rolls from the tip of your mind like honey.
One of the reasons I’m in love with this book is because it blurs the lines between good and evil. Taylor’s word choices play with our preconceptions. Karou begins on the side of the “devils” and “monsters,” and the “angels” are heartless killers. The beautiful part is that by the end, we get to see both sides of the story, through brilliant third-person narration.
I loved this book. I’m not in favor of trying to put a unique thing in a box, but I do have lingering questions about how to classify Daughter of Smoke and Bone. Is it urban fantasy? Parts certainly take place on cities in present-day earth. But at a certain point late in the novel, the story shifts into straight fantasy. This approach works; the reader identifies easily with Karou in the beginning, and the cross-world connections are integral to the story’s progress. But I went in to this book blind for the Fall Book Club, and I actually went back to read the ‘flap’ summary halfway through, because I wanted to know how much the publisher gave away.
I discussed this with one YA author who prefers more ‘reality-time’ in the beginning. A few years ago the trend was toward faster immersion, with the story beginning where some strange (paranormal, magical, etc.) event thrusts the protagonist into the new world in the first five pages. Michael Smith’s The Alchemyst comes to mind, and Casandra Clare’s City of Bones. Is that trend shifting? In Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (which I enjoyed very much) I did feel a disconnect between the longer period of ‘reality’ in the beginning, because the fantasy elements came so much later.
What do you think? Would you rather a fantasy begin in the ‘fantastic’ world, or would you rather have more time to get to know the characters in the real world first? I can’t wait to see how everyone else reacted!
Music perfect for this story: Paradise by Coldplay
I loved everything about this novel from cover to cover. As for the fantasy: I like it to start out with the character in the real world and then thrown into the more fantastical. I'm glad that's what this was like.
"Taylor’s word choices play with our preconceptions. Karou begins on the side of the 'devils' and 'monsters,' and the 'angels' are heartless killers." Such a good point! The way Taylor presented the conflict made it possible for the reader to see the shades of gray.
Nice review!
Lovely review. The genre point is an interesting one. I too had some issues categorizing this. It's part urban fantasy, part straight-fantasy, as you point out. It's also a huge paranormal romance at it's core. But then so much of Karou's life feels like a normal teenagers (issues with her ex, her best friend Zuzana, etc). Taylor really did a great job of blending the best of multiple genres into one fantastic read!
Your question of is this urban fantasy or straight fantasy is interesting to me, because I liked the urban part way more than the later entirely in Elsewhere part.
The human perseption, or misperseption, of good and evil and their relationships to devils and angels is what captivated me the most in this story. Once the human element was removed, I still enjoyed the book, but felt a disconnect.
I think if the book has started with Madrigal's story, I would have loved it. But because it started with Karou's story, I hated loosing Karou's perspective when the story shifted to telling about Madrigal's past.
This is a fabulous review (and not only because it closely echoes mine!). 🙂 I agree: the concept and execution are amazing, but it's the gorgeous, graceful language that really bumps this book to the next level for me. Like you, I absolutely loved it!
This is a fabulous review (and not only because it closely echoes mine!). 🙂 I agree: the concept and execution are amazing, but it's the gorgeous, graceful language that really bumps this book to the next level for me. Like you, I absolutely loved it!
My girl you are filling up my list of books to read soon. I still have some of my own I have to read and/or finish but this will make the list. Funny I saw it in a store and thought it looked interesting promising myself I'd check back when I didn't have so many books already. I sadly forgot it and many more which is why i now have a list.
Fantasy or reality. I've read books that work in both. I suspose to depends on the story itself. If the majority of the story is to take place in a fantasy world then get there, don't dwell in reality for no reason. Whatever way fits best with that story I would have to say.
"One of the reasons I’m in love with this book is because it blurs the lines between good and evil."
Yes, I completely agree. That's actually one of my favorite things about the book, and I was surprised to love Brimstone so much. In the beginning I had the strict angels = good, demons = bad idea in my head, but I was so pleased when we learned the depth of Brimstone's love for Karou (and Madrigal). That's what made him my favorite character…it was so unexpectedly wonderful.
Fantastic review! I personally love to get to know characters in the real world first, but that's coming from someone who doesn't read a lot of fantasy.
I did like a lot of aspects about this book and I do enjoy books that blur the line between good and evil too.
First of all, LOVE Coldplay! Second, because of your review, I will read this book. I am especially interested in the angel connection. You know why!!
I really enjoy your review, especially pointing out how the prose rolls like honey and how the line is blurred between good and evil. I thought the book was brilliant and thought-provoking.