Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Pages: 418
Publisher: Hodder &Stoughton (UK)
Released: September 2011

Plot: Karou has managed to keep her two lives in balance. On the one hand she's a seventeen-year-old art student in Prague, the other errand-girl to a monstrous creature, Brimstone, who is the closest thing she has to family. Never fully understanding Brimstone's dark world nor how she came into his keeping Karou must now choose between the safety of her human life or the dangers of one that may hold the answers she has always sought.

Good Points: The main attraction this book had for me was the setting. Every word that Laini Taylor writes is poetic and utterly mesmerising; her use of description pulls you into the world she has created and makes you feel as if you are walking the streets of Prague, taking seat inside Poison Kitchen and taking a bite of Goulash as you bare witness to this amazing atmosphere.
The main character, Karou, who's name I have now grown to love is brilliantly written with her blue hair and mysterious quality that has everyone and even herself asking 'who is she?' And the idea of the characters worlds is pretty original which for me was a bonus.

I have this version (UK)

Bad Points: I have to admit at the beginning of the book I just wasn't getting into the story. I'm not sure why, I just felt that I wasn't really relating in anyway to the characters and I just didn't feel for them in a way that I would do normally. I was a little confused about the structure of the book, I know a lot is going back to revisit certain events but for me it just felt like a completely different book, which you could argue is correct in the sense that you are talking or writing, about another life. But I just didn't get into it, which I was really disappointed by seeing as though it seems everyone has given it amazing appraisal.
Also, I know he's an Angel but does he have to be that faultless, it just draws away from a character having true depth in my opinion.

To Sum Up... I'm sort of on the fence with this one. Although I love the originality of the world and it's character's history I didn't really think the characters were that great, with the exception of Karou's best friend Zuzana who I loved and thought brought the element of fun and humour that would otherwise be missing without her.
I'm not really sure it lived up to its hype for me and although I'll definitely check out the next book because the ending was quite good it's not, i don't think, a series that I will be jumping up and down with excitement for to be released.

Any thoughts on this book, leave a comment below :)