{Review} Dreams of Gods and Monsters (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #3) by Laini Taylor

Posted by Donna
Release Date: April 17th 2014
Finished Date: November 13th, 2016

Publishers: Hodder & Stoughton 
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Source: For Review
Format: ARC

Pages: 613
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo 

 

By way of a staggering deception, Karou has taken control of the chimaera rebellion and is intent on steering its course away from dead-end vengeance. The future rests on her, if there can even be a future for the chimaera in war-ravaged Eretz.

Common enemy, common cause.

When Jael's brutal seraph army trespasses into the human world, the unthinkable becomes essential, and Karou and Akiva must ally their enemy armies against the threat. It is a twisted version of their long-ago dream, and they begin to hope that it might forge a way forward for their people.

And, perhaps, for themselves. Toward a new way of living, and maybe even love.

But there are bigger threats than Jael in the offing. A vicious queen is hunting Akiva, and, in the skies of Eretz ... something is happening. Massive stains are spreading like bruises from horizon to horizon; the great winged stormhunters are gathering as if summoned, ceaselessly circling, and a deep sense of wrong pervades the world.

What power can bruise the sky?

From the streets of Rome to the caves of the Kirin and beyond, humans, chimaera and seraphim will fight, strive, love, and die in an epic theater that transcends good and evil, right and wrong, friend and enemy. 

At the very barriers of space and time, what do gods and monsters dream of? And does anything else matter?

The Review: Dreams of Gods and Monsters is the third and final book in Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone series and honestly it was a damn good finale! I know I was a little late to the party with this series. Okay I was really late in getting around to read this series but you know what? I’m glad I was because I didn’t have that tortured wait (like most of you had) in waiting for the next release date to roll around because waiting in between these books would have driven me crazy! 

Ever since I started reading about Karou’s and Avika’s journey I fell in love with their story and I was dying to know how it would all end. Their relationship was full of so much drama and angst, pain and love but most of all hope and hope is the key element of this series. Hope. There is always hope no matter how bleak things look. 

Admittedly Dreams of Gods and Monsters wasn’t my favourite out of the trilogy – was it me or did this book feel too big? It definitely could have been cut down. Mainly I think Days of Blood and Starlight was such a huge act to follow but anyway, this was still a good way to end the series. It did have a lot of moments where I wanted to pull my hair out especially because Karou and Avika still face trouble being together even at the end. 

In all, I’m really glad I found the time to start this series. It was a great journey and I’m sad to see these character go. Highly recommend if you love star-crossed lover and fantasy stories. 

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. 

{Review} My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories by Stephanie Perkins

Posted by Donna
Release Date: October 9th, 2014
Finished Date: December 24th, 2014

Publishers: Macmilliam Children's Book
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance, Holiday
Source: For Review
Format: Hardcover

Pages: 355

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

If you love holiday stories, holiday movies, made-for-TV-holiday specials, holiday episodes of your favorite sitcoms and, especially, if you love holiday anthologies, you’re going to fall in love with MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME: TWELVE HOLIDAY STORIES. 

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ... 

This beautiful collection features twelve gorgeously romantic stories set during the festive period, by some of the most talented and exciting YA authors writing today. 

The stories are filled with the magic of first love and the magic of the holidays.

The Review: Ever since I received My True Love Gave to Me I've been dying to read it. But like many others, I decided to read it closer to Christmas for the festive feeling and what a fantastic idea it was. 

My True Love Gave to Me features twelve stories wrote by twelve different authors. With some authors I was already familiar with some of their previous works but some, I had never heard of. And while most stories were easy enough to read and pleasantly enjoyable, there were a few little gems that stood out and really left me wanting more of the story - I'm not sure that's supposed to happen with anthologies, but hey, it did....but here are my favourite's........

Midnights by Rainbow Rowell;
What a perfect way to start this book. Midnights by Rainbow Rowell is a cute read - one that has a wonderful set of characters. Noel and Mags relationship is clear from the very start of their story. It's a relationship that continues to grow throughout the years of their friendship and it's clear to see when things become that little bit more to each of them. I really enjoyed the little chapters giving us details of their past New Years Eve's together and the countdown was fun to read too. You know it's a good story when you're left wanting more once you've finished. 

Polaris is Where You'll Find Me by Jenny Han;
This has to be my favourite from the story. I really loved Natty and I really felt for her situation. With Natty living with elves in the North Pole and her adopted father being Santa Claus, this story was simply refreshing to read. Something different. Something new. Something I've never read before. Even though I did wish for that little bit more towards the end of Natty's story, I remained hopeful that she got her big wish. Another well done for Jenny Han! 

It's a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown by Stephanie Perkins;
Simply perfect! A sweet and cute story that although was a little too long is still fully enjoyable. The way the romance is told in the story is very unexpected but once it happens, you can't help but want to hold on to it. It's about two characters coming together and helping each other out. 

In all, My True Love Gave to Me has a good mixture of different stories to keep readers entertained and will bring your spirits up for the holidays. Definitely a great pick to read over the holidays. 

3.5 flowers!

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Books for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. 

A Review for Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #1) by Laini Taylor

Posted by Jess
Expected Publish Date: September 27th, 2011
Finished Date: September 16th, 2011
Publishers: Hodder & Stoughton
Source: ARC for review
Format: Paperback
Pages: 420


The blurb from Goodreads: Around the world, 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 lanes 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 in 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: "He said,"I want you to know..." He swallowed. "I need you to know that I was drawn to you-to you, Karou-before the wishbone. Before I knew, and I think...I think I would always find you, no matter how you were hidden." He was focused on her extraordinary intensity. "Your soul sings to mine. My soul is yours, and it always will be, in any world. No matter what happens-" His voice cracked, and he took a breath. "I need you to remember that I love you." 

Never has a book surprised me more than Daughter of Smoke and Bone. What Taylor has created is something far beyond mere fantasy. It's a different world, its creatures, it's the past in this book that links to the present situations. It's just immensely wonderful. I'll try and keep this spoiler free.

Reading Daughter of Smoke and Bone I found came very easy, Taylor creates such an imagination that you're instantly sucked into the life of our 17 year old protagonist Karou. Karou is easily likable and you instantly feel connected to her. She has a best friend Zuzanna, who I love too. She's that typical friend and girl should have who will see her through everything and when she finds things out about Karou, she doesn't freak out-she doesn't believe her-but she doesn't freak out.

The book keeps you intrigued and asking questions through out. Why all the teeth? Why isn't Karou allowed in that door? Why is a standard 'normal' girl coercing with monsters? All these questions arise, and all these questions are answered in the dramatic finale of the book.

The world building is incredible, shifting from modern day Prague and Marrakesh to the made up world of the Chimeara and Seraphim. All of these places are so brilliantly written that you feel like you're right there with Karou. It even made want to take a trip to Prague.

All the characters are incredible, from Karou, to Brimstone, to Issa the half snake, to Akiva the gorgeous seraphim who's fascinated with Karou from the moment he sees her. All these characters are well thought out and each have their part to play in the Chimeara/Seraphim war that is still waging.

Ok so, the ending was pretty awesome, however, there's a lot of back story that you're sort of thrown into, it's a lot of information on the Chimeara history and Karou's past, that sometimes it was a little hard to read all the way through. All the information was paramount to the story but I think having 6-7 chapters full of back history lessened the excitement...a little. Having said that, it was good to finally get the answers, and I came up with a theory and although it took a while to come it turned out I was right.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone is a wonderful read and beautifully written. Definitely a good change for anyone looking for something new and quirky. I'm hoping the next two books will be equally as thrilling and quirky. I look forward to more.  

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for allowing me to read this in advance.