Daughter of smoke and bone review - and giveaway!

Daughter of smoke and bone by Laini Taylor

Available 29th September (UK)

Now (US)

www.hodder.co.uk

What's it about?

Featuring necklaces made of wishes; an underground shop dealing in teeth; magical tattoos; a wishbone on a cord, DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE is a thrilling story about Karou and her secret life as an apprentice to a wishmonger. Karou manages to keep her two lives in balance. On the one hand, she is a seventeen-year-old art student in Prague; on the other, errand-girl to an inhuman creature who deals in wishes and is the closest thing she has to family. Her life is surrounded by mysteries she is desperate to unveil.

My review:
5/5
The first word that comes to mind when describing this book is whimsical, this book is really like a modern fairy tale but think more Brothers Grimm and less Disney. Laini Taylor has set up both a beautiful and scary world in this equally beautiful book - if you can't tell yet I didn't just love it, I fell in love with it, how could you not after reading these first few lines

'Walking to school over the snow-muffled cobbles, Karou had no sinister premonitions about the day. It seemed like just another Monday, innocent but for it's essential Mondayness, not to mention it's Januaryness.

It's just so fun and different and sets such a lyrical tone for the rest of the book. I love Karou and Zuzanna, they're flamboyant, dramatic artists and were lots of fun to read. Akiva, on the other hand is dark and brooding, just how I like my men! Right away you can feel his inner turmoil about something bad that hads happened to him and I just wanted to give him a hug and find out what it was.

I also enjoyed all of the other characters to like Brimstone and Issa.

The only complaint I do have is that when things did start getting revealed it was done at once in a big flashback scene that made me feel like I was suddenly reading another book, then when I got into it, it took me back to the original story, I'd have preferred it done in bits but that's just me, this way did work fine and I still enjoyed the book a great deal.

It's beautifully written and as soon as I was finished I just wanted to read it again because I just wasn't ready to leave this world, needless to say, this and the author have hit my favourites list and I'm eagerly awaiting book two in this trilogy.

My thoughts on the cover:

Another gorgeous cover! At first glance it looks like a plain picture of feathers, but on closer inspection (maybe not so much on this picture compared to the real thing) you can see the blues and the purples and the cover is oh so soft! I like the big font as well, it's like the book jumping up to tell you what it is and demanding you read it - which you should!

Favourite quotes:

Fire-coloured eyes with a charge like sparks that seared a path through the air and kindle it. It gave Karou a jolt - no mere startle but a chain reaction that lashed through her body with a rush of adrenaline. Her limbs came into the lightness and power of sudden awakening, fight or flight, chemical and wild.

Love is an element. - Akiva

Laini Taylors blog

Laini Taylor on Twitter

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The giveaway

So sorry guys but this one is UK and Ireland only.

If your international but know someone in the UK or Ireland willing to accept the book and then send it on to you then you may enter.
Good luck!