Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

Daughter of Smoke & Bone Series

Daughter of Smoke & Bone * Days of Blood & Starlight * Night of Cake & Puppets *
Dreams of Gods & Monsters

Publish Date: September 27th, 2011
Publisher: Hachette Audio, Audible Audio | Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Format: Audiobook
Series: Daughter of Smoke & Bone
Author: Laini Taylor

Narrated By: Khristine Hvam
Author’s Goodreads

Author's Website

My Review on Goodreads

Introduction

If you knew Karou, you'd know she's raised by what she calls monsters, and she loves them dearly. She fills her sketchbooks with them, human-animal hybrids, and after art school and hanging out with friends, she goes to her father's shop. Her father, Brimstone, the goat-ox hybrid, is a wish monger who trades impossible wishes for teeth. And Karou runs his errands, collecting teeth from those willing to part with them, until everything is interrupted by old foes, old war, and old lovers.

Setting - Prague

I really enjoyed that it was set in a place I am unfamiliar with. Not that there's anything bad with writing what you know, but I've had enough of Canada and the US. I was lost for a bit with all the different names/terms, but I grew to love the unfamiliarity of it. Taylor uses enough local sights, food, etc, so you can look stuff up if you want to, but she gives enough context that you can understand what she's talking about.

Fantasy Elements

I think the best part of this book is the fantastical elements. The chimaeras, the human-animal hybrids, are imaginative in their character designs and have robust personalities, my favourite being Brimstone. Then there are the otherworldly elements of the space Karou and her family live in, what wishes are and what they can do, and everything about Karou's existence.

Writing

This seems to be what throws people off of Taylor's writing. The author uses a lot of smilies and metaphors, and flowery writing, which I quite like, but I get that the preference lately is to have less flourish. I did find it to be a bit long, though. It took me a few months to finish it, and that only happened because I moved out of the city so my commute to work doubled. A little too much description bogged down the flow. (Alas, I am conflicted, because I also loved hearing about the new locales and people...)

Love

Eh. I didn't love the love here. Dude is trying to kill her, then he...pines for her. Then they meet up again and she...lets him hang around?

But.

I love what happens after.

Final Verdict

I enjoyed that this book didn't plunk you in as an outsider that needs everything explained right away. It kept the mystery going and in the meantime, we got to see Karou go about her life, which includes school, exes, then running her family's errands. I could devour books based just on her life before it falls apart. I still feel like the first part of the book is vastly different from the second. I enjoyed both parts, but you could keep me in the day-to-day life of Karou forever and I'd be happy. Ultimately, I highly recommend this book if you like longer fantasy, paranormal, or urban fantasy stories. If you don't like these genres, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it because it is a lot to take in. But if this sounds intriguing to you, I highly recommend it. BTW, the narrator for this audiobook (Khristine Hvam) is FANTASTIC.

Soul Cutter by Lexa Cain

*Honest Review Requested by Author in Exchange for Free eBook
Published: December 6 2013
Publisher: MuseItUp Publishing
Website: Author’s Blog
*BTW, the author has a fascinating post about Christmas in Egypt that everyone should go check out!

Introduction

Élan, daughter of the psychic on the show “Psychic for the Stars”, spends her time debunking paranormal phenomena. After a traumatic experience, she became cold and cynical, especially towards her estranged mother. That is until the day her mother goes missing in Egypt without her insulin. Fearing this might be the last time to get her mother back for good, she hops aboard a plane for Egypt. Meanwhile, Ramsey is already in Egypt, working on the crew with Élan’s mother. Unbeknownst to him, the violent spirits that follow him and the legend of the murderous Soul Cutter have entangled him in a terrible game meant to hill him.

Setting

When I read that this is set in Egypt, and the author is from the very same place, I knew I was in for a more interesting read that I am used to. I can’t recall ever reading a story set in Egypt, and the author makes me believe in this Egypt because she has the authority and experience to write about it. Have you ever read a book about a foreign place that the author has never been? (The easiest example I know of is the Twilight Saga.)

It might not be obvious at all times, but an author’s imagination and research can only take the reader so far. Lexa Cain is from Egypt, so I am inclined to believe the culture and the atmosphere she describes. Egypt is vastly different from my Western perspective, and I appreciate a book that is outside of my norm without it being a complete fantasy.

POV and Characters

This book uses subjective third-person narration, and I enjoyed something different from the first-person books that are everywhere now! The focus switches between Ramsey and Élan, so we get a great sense of the two. I especially like it because Ramsey knows more about the culture, the forces behind everything, and the paranormal than Élan does. They play off one another nicely. They are both fully realized people with histories and motivations. Why can’t all main characters be this well written?

The Bad Guys

I knew who the baddies were from the start, yet I didn’t know what exactly was up until it was revealed. I think most readers will be like this too, and I felt like Sherlock Holmes or Agent York – you know who’s behind it, and the mystery is why and how exactly is it being pulled off. The legend about the Soul Cutter was compelling and, as it is the title of the book, a driving force in the novel. The Soul Cutter is a complex element in the story, and I enjoyed how it unfolded. There were times when I was so into the story, I worried about the main characters bumping into him. Every encounter with the Soul Cutter had me anxious. Every dark room and shadowy forest had me reading on edge. That, everyone, makes for a fantastic read.

Little Gripe

My only gripe about this novel is my nagging question involving Élan and the Mace she brings with her. How does one bring a canister of Mace on an airplane from the U.S. to Egypt?

Ending

I didn’t get a sense of closure with a lot of issues by the end of the book, especially with the relationships. After all that happens, it all just ends abruptly. There are lots of loose ends that could have been tied off before the final page. The book insinuated possibilities, but the bit concerning the mom is driving me batty. Perhaps the author will continue with the series, I don’t know, though that would be awesome. A world of demons and psychics in an international setting with two amazing characters at the helm? Yes, please!

Final Verdict

I highly recommend this to readers who are bored of the usual “Western” fare that they are bombarded with. Because Élan is from the U.S., readers can experience the culture shock vicariously through her. Older teens who can handle some of the more mature themes and the horror will enjoy this. Personally, I love it. We need more well-written books set outside of the West to give to our readers, and Soul Cutter by Lexa Cain delivers.

Pretty Dark Nothing by Heather L. Reid

*Made Possible by NetGalley.com! Thank you very much!
Published: April 23 2013 (I have an EARC)
Publisher: Month9Books
Website: Author’s Website

Introduction

Quinn’s life is not as perfect as it used to be. Her love of her life, Jeff, suddenly dumped her. Her dad left for a life with another woman. Her mom works non-stop and is never home. It has been twenty-three days since Quinn has slept for more than ten minutes at a time. This is because demons have been haunting her dreams. She survives on energy drinks and caffeine pills. Her grades have crashed and she has been benched as cheerleading captain. One day, her demons begin to bleed into reality, terrorizing her to her limit. 

Aaron, an amnesiac, is drawn to her, and constantly saves her just in time from the demons, albeit he cannot see them. As he is drawn to her, he becomes entangled in Quinn’s demon-infested life.  

Title

                Pretty Dark Nothing. Sounds intriguing. What is the pretty dark nothing that the title refers to? Don’t expect to be blown away with an explanation. The book misses the ah-ha! moment that usually happens when you figure out the full meaning of the title. When these three words are used, it is used just as it in the title-as pretty words that mean nothing, aside from being dark and dramatic.  It is also used twice. The dramatic effect of purple prose is weakened if you keep throwing it at the reader, unless you want it to be a whole concept and explain it.   

Cover

A cover done right. It conveys the helplessness and vulnerability that Quinn faces. Essentially, she is all alone in her torment, falling into a bleak world. It is a monumental improvement over the trend of covers I have been seeing lately, namely, a lone female in a flowing dress and hair whipping in the wind.    

Paranormal/Horror Elements

                The beginning of the book is fantastic for the horror elements. Quinn falls asleep and the demons invade her dreams and try to kill her. The horror in these dreams is eerie, as shapes are made up mostly of binding whips of fog, twisted trees, and moonlight. Later on the demons take on more definite shapes with wings and sharp talons, hissing and whispering hair-raising sentiments. A horror element that stood out the most to me is how psychologically damaging the demons are to her. She cannot sleep. She might see them during the day if she looks too hard. She begins to believe the hurtful things they say, such as that no one likes her. It makes a terribly bleak setting for the protagonist to overcome. It had me hooked.

Aaron’s psychic ability should have been utilized better. Maybe he should have used his ability to actually connect with Quinn and see her demons. The story would have been much richer. Instead the reader is fed bits from Aaron’s past. It is interesting to read, but it doesn’t move the plot further, nor does it contribute to the end reveal. If you’re going to give your characters a special power, they better use it to move the plot.

The Terrible Person Award (Slight Spoilers)

Quinn wins a ribbon for being a terrible person. A protagonist that the reader is supposed to connect with shouldn’t have one of these pinned on them. It is baffling to me. Did the author realize how awful she made Quinn to be? She pines for Jeff, but oh hey, Aaron is totally into her so she sucks face with him. Then she runs off to weep for Jeff, and then she goes on a date with Aaron, but then she is caught kissing with Jeff, and then she has nothing, except that everyone is secretly/not so secretly still in love with Quinn. She thinks everyone hates her (and they do/or they should be if they were real people) but everyone is actually obsessed with her because she’s the protagonist.

In her defence, everyone has difficult moments in their lives. Her boyfriend of four years broke up with her via text-message and began a relationship with her arch nemesis. Her father left, started a new family, and hasn’t contacted her since. She’s entitled to some crying time in the fetal position. I feel for her plight with the demons and the shadows that are tormenting and influencing her. But everything else about her makes me hate her. She leads Aaron on and treats him like dirt. Twice. She is constantly the victim. What happened to fighting back? Or even trying to fight back? What happened to going all Nancy Drew on this and figuring out what is going on with her? Nope, doesn’t happen. This is an example of a weak female protagonist. She’s there for the audience to sympathise with, but she isn’t active in her own salvation. Of course, she needs a man for that. Two, apparently, one who likes to be treated like dirt and the other is a pretty terrible person too.    

The good thing about Quinn? Her name is Quinn. That’s pretty cool.  

Writing A Story (Spoilers!)

                This novel claims that it is about Quinn and Aaron fighting her literal demons. Except it isn’t. And it ends on a totally different note. Saving the world. Really? Where did this come from? Angels and heaven and guardians and light and dark souls? If this is going to be your ending, these concepts need to be included somehow in your beginning. I do recall Aaron remembering that he saw a figure by his hospital bed. This simply isn’t enough. It is like writing a love story and then BAM! aliens land and take over, the end. Sure, Reid can write a sequel (a very obvious sequel), and it will probably be much more interesting than this installment, now that something has actually happened to Quinn (other than her being a terrible human being). Do I care at this point? Not really.
  

Verdict

                This book does not stand out to me for having any particularly moving characters. If a teen reader is interested in the paranormal and horror genres, it is a suitable read if there isn't much else on the shelves. The beginning is fantastic for bringing out the sympathy for Quinn, as her life spirals downward at the hands of the demons. The demons are frightening and have real-life influences. In the end, the protagonist is a terrible person. It would make great fodder for discussion for weak female protagonists if it were used in a YA book club. You could also encourage book reports comparing a weak female protagonist to a strong female protagonist.