‘Daughter of Smoke and Bone’ Book Review
A modern fantasy love story spanning across worlds.
‘Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love. It did not end well.’
This was one of those books where the back cover — though accurate in its premise of DOSAB — did not portray (in my mind anyway) the overall main point of the story.
That’s not to say it isn’t good or that I didn’t thoroughly enjoy it. Because I did! I was just expecting something other than where the story led, which is also a good thing. I like twists and turns, even subtle surprises, and early on in books too. Ever read The Bronze Horseman? Hands down has one of the best turning point moments in the first few chapters. Completely caught me off guard.
For aspiring authors and from a marketing point of view, DOSAB shows a great example of how a cleverly thought-out synopsis can still grab a reader’s attention without giving too much of the story or mystery away.
So back to DOSAB. We have the main character, Karou, a quirky and quick-witted art student in Prague living a double life. One where she hangs out with her best friend and has relationship dramas; the other, helping her odd (in many forms) and rather secretive chimaera father-like figure, Wishmonger Brimstone, by collecting teeth for wishes.
Sounds strange right?
Well the mystery of it all is what kept me eagerly going back night after night, wanting to know more, and with each new discovery of what on earth was going on I found myself hooked.
I imagined Laini Taylor listening to Inxs’ Never Tear Us Apart whilst writing this one because it was certainly on my mind during some moments between the main characters. And I’m not sure if this is purely coincidental or what might have inspired Taylor, but the film clip for this song was filmed in Prague! I know, weird.
And now I want to visit Prague. Ahhhh, one day.
Whilst Karou’s life was turning upside down in the story’s current timeline, it switches to a past timeline, providing a very long flashback to help answer some questions, to shed light on the mystery of Karou’s past and yet at the same time her entire existence.
The world building, character layering, the tension, all point to one undeniable fact, Laini Taylor has an amazing imagination with some unique story ideas, taking on existing tropes within this genre and making them her own.
Without giving too much away, it provides a nice balance of mush and sarcasm, action and romance. No moment was dwelled upon, yet the story didn’t move too quickly either. The pacing — spot on.
The undertones of identity formation, a sense of belonging, and new beginnings — or rather beginning again — reaches at the core of our human experience, our ability to evolve and adapt and change and grow.
A wonderful sentiment in a story about hope within times of conflict and the perils suffered through blind righteousness.
“Wishes are false. Hope is true. Hope makes its own magic.”
If you like fantasy genres popularised by authors like Sarah J. Maas or Cassandra Clare you might want to give this book a try.
The storytelling stylings of Patrick Rothfuss or Joe Abercrombie come to mind also, and if you enjoy their work then you’ll like this one.
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