UK vs. THE WORLD! (20)

UK vs. The world is a weekly meme I made up lol.

It's simlair to UK vs. US except the UK covers are battling it out with their foreign counterparts from all over the world, because who doesn't love judging books by their covers!



UK                           vs.                           Italy

Daughter of smoke and bone by Laini Taylor

Daughter or smoke and bone book one.
('La chimera di Praga' translates to 'The chimera of Prague.' - According to Google translate.)

Mist: I really like the gorgeous colours of the UK cover and the feathers but that Italian cover is stunning and a clear winner for me, I love the position and expression of the model and the lovely blue hair and those bright eyes, her tatoo is really cool to, the whole cover is just amazing.

Ninfa: Wow, two beautiful and so different covers.
The UK one has always fascinated me, it's dark and I love the feather texture of the design. The tag line is also haunting and intriguing.
The Italian cover though...I just adore it, I love the model with the blue hair and the suggestive tattoo of the breaking feather, it's so cool.
I love her big icy blue eyes and the image of the buildings flaring up in smoke at the bottom.
I think it'll have to be an ITALIAN WIN!



UK                             vs.                   Indonesia

The power of six by Pittacus Lore

I am number four book two

(Note: The UK cover is the adult version, there is a YA version to but I decided not to include it.)

Mist: I do like the Indonesian cover but I prefer the clean feel of the UK, I really like the bubbles and the colour, the Indoniesian cover does have this pattern to and the fire is coo but I don't really like the drawings, UK win!

Ninfa: I'm not too sure about the Indonesian cover. It's okay, and I like the fire exploding behind the characters (it reminds me of a scene in the "I am Number 4" movie ), but something about the whole ensemble doesn't quite grab me. It looks more "teenager-y" orientated in my opinion.
The UK cover I love. The green colour, the tattoo in drops, it's very beautiful and clean cut.
And although the Indonesian cover is not bad, I think it's a UK win for me

Which do you prefer?

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!

What I'm reading?

Daughter of smoke and bone by Laini Taylor

ARC for review from Hodder and Staughton

Blurb



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 ...moreFeaturing 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 thoughts
I've been seeig this book all over lately so after reading what it was about I decided to request it and was super happy when it came through my letter box, expecially since I hadn't had an email back to say it was actually coming!
It sounds really fun and interesting and I'm curious about the feathers on the cover. I already read about 15 pages last night but I liked it in the first few lines and I think I'm really going to enjoy this book :)

What are you reading?