Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Little Brown Books

Pages: 517pgs

The Story

Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love 

and dared to imagine a world free of bloodshed and war.

This is not that world.

Art student and monster's apprentice Karou finally has the answers she has always sought. She knows who she is—and what she is. But with this knowledge comes another truth she would give anything to undo: She loved the enemy and he betrayed her, and a world suffered for it.

In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Karou must decide how far she'll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, secrets and impossible choices, Days of Blood & Starlight finds Karou and Akiva on opposing sides as an age-old war stirs back to life.

While Karou and her allies build a monstrous army in a land of dust and starlight, Akiva wages a different sort of battle: a battle for redemption. For hope.

But can any hope be salvaged from the ashes of their broken dream?

The Review

Laini Taylor has done some pretty amazing things with her books. So when it came to her first book in her new YA series, Daughter of Smoke & Bone, it was the type of book that was set up as some sort of a mirage to its worshipers, a total masterpiece of work with crazy-beautiful storytelling, greatly detailed mythology, and with some pretty engaging, and imaginative characters, ones I just couldn't get enough of nor let go of. So with her second installment, DAYS OF BLOOD & STARLIGHT, I was so geared up into reading the second book after hearing so many amazing things about it and even though the author still does splendid things with her newest book release, but unfortunately I wasn't as amazed with it as I had been with the first book as sad as it is to admit it to you all.

I don't want to get into the storyline too much, but I will say the plot itself headed in a direction I wasn't expecting at all. It was a good thing and a bad thing. I mean, I totally loved certain parts of the book, but there were other things too that didn't quite capture my attention as the first book did non-stop two years ago. So if I had to point it all out - the things that probably impacted my overall opinion and rating of the book, it would have to be my problems with the pacing, the stories it told, the lack of romance and how confusing some of the events came to be, but again I won't get into detail of all that except that this sequel still turned out to be a great one despite a  couple of things here and there. It was enjoyable and that's all I really need, right?

Overall, DAYS OF BLOOD & STARLIGHT was another great book coming from the very talented author, Laini Taylor, and despite it not being my favourite book as of yet in the series but I'm still eagerly anticipating the third book  installment considering how this book ended.

The Rating

4/5 stars

Foretold: 14 Stories of Prophecy & Prediction by Various Authors

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Delacorte Books

Pages: 368pgs

The Story

Richelle Mead, Lisa McMann, Michael Grant, Meg Cabot, Laini Taylor, and nine more of the hottest YA authors to hit the shelves explore the concepts of prophecy and prediction in this story collection edited by NYT bestselling author of The Forest of Hands and Teeth, Carrie Ryan.

Have you ever been tempted to look into the future? To challenge predictions? To question fate? It's human nature to wonder about life's twists and turns. But is the future already written - or do you have the power to alter it?

From fantastical prophecies to predictions of how the future will transpire, Foretold is a collection of stories about our universal fascination with life's unknowns and of what is yet to come as interpreted by 14 of young adult fiction's brightest stars.

The Review

From the reviews I've read online lately I know I won't be the first reader to admit this . . . but I mostly read this book of short stories (well I mostly took more notice of one particular short story over the rest of them and I know it's sad but I don't care) because of Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy short story featuring the one and only favourite heroine, Rose Hathaway, and her sexy russian mentor-now-turned "lover", Dimitri Belikov, and trust me here folks . . . it was well worth the excruciating, EXCRUCIATING wait!

In the short story of HOMECOMING we are reunited with Rose and Dimitri, where they decide to go back to Dimitri's home country in Russia to visit his family. Now for all those who have actually read the Vampire Academy series, you would already know that Dimitri's family haven't seen him in AGES not since he was turned Strigoi, and even with Rose . . . his own family haven't seen her for a while either, not since the events of the fourth VA book, Blood Promise, so for all of those eager fans out there, we do finally get to see Dimitri proving to his family that he's back to his original self and boy was it beautiful to witness. Cutting down to the chase here (I don't want to ruin this precious little gem for you), I can say quickly that Rose was pretty awesome in this short story and it was really great to see her again. Dimitri, on the other hand, now he was such a super hunk in this story as well and he was completely adorable all the way through it, and even though it was a very SHORT the story but . . . having Dimitri's grandmother crack a few jokes here and there about the future . . . yeah . . . it was definitely a great short story and I have a lot of love for it too!

Overall, when all of you Vampire Academy fans (I know you're out there somewhere in the world) finish this short story you'll be raising your fists in the air with pride because really . . . who doesn't want more of Rose and Dimitri in their lives? I mean, come on people . . . we will always want more of them whether it is in a full length book form or not. And, as for the other short stories, while they were all well and good and interesting in their own ways, but this Rose and Dimitri short story beats them all out!

The Rating

4/5 stars

Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

Release Date: 27th September, 2011

Publisher: Little Brown

Pages: 420pgs

The Story

Around the world, the 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 grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled streets 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 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 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?

The Review

Karou is an art student in Prague and unknown to her closest friends, she has a secret life as the foster-daughter and errand-runner for a demon. You see, Karou has grown up in a shop of a chimera named Brimstone, who collects teeth (for whatever reason Karou is unaware of) and pays for them in wishes. But Karou doesn't know who she is. There is this hollow emptiness that lies inside of her - where instead, there should be something more. And everything changes when she crosses paths with an angel of fiery eyes - an angel who tries to kill her but does not succeed.

Now pardon my lack of words, but I'm still gathering my thoughts after finishing this book and there is so much to say, and it's hard enough putting it into words alone. What I can say is that I enjoyed - no, wait - I devoured this book so slowly, because I wanted to take in every vivid depiction of this story. The breath-taking storyline, the ever-so-fascinating characters, the tangled-portal streets of Prague, the never-ending twists that all connect to one thing: Karou. Laini Taylor has created a world that you never want to leave and it's no wonder why so many readers have fell in love with the devil and with the angels themselves. This book surprised me in so many ways. But who am I kidding? Judging by the cover, which is absolutely beautiful and one of the most stunning book covers I've ever seen on a young adult book, there's no mistake that DAUGHTER OF SMOKE & BONE must be read by anyone and everyone who loves an epic high-fantasy adventure.

And the romance - oh yes, the heart-pounding romance. The forbidden star-crossed love romance was the compelling point of the entire book but it was so much more than that. So much more between Karou and Akiva. The characters are rich and full of life to a point you wished these characters were real. I mean, each character name was well-thought out and it makes me wonder how Taylor does it. Her magic is in her writing. Karou was the perfect heroine through my eyes. Her strength is shown at the very beginning and I love her fighting spirit as her character develops throughout the course of the book. Akiva's character was just as spine-chilling as Karou was. He was everything that made the book what is it - both powerful and unique. How can Laini Taylor make the word "Hello" sound so sexy and swoon-worthy each time a character says it? Who knows. I believe magic is involved.

Honestly, I'm running out of words here because there's so much to say but so little to elaborate on because, as a reader, you will need to experience this epic adventure for yourself to truly understand the power of words. The world-building took me to a whole new dimension that exists within our own - a world of life, death, magic, war, and love. Love that is at its ultimate best. This is by far one of my favourite 2011 books and if you haven't opened the 'Godly' book of the DAUGHTER OF SMOKE & BONE, then you are missing out on an adventure that can - and will - make you lusting and longing for more!

The Rating

5/5 stars