Days of Blood & Starlight

Oh you sneaky little shit! It's been years since I read book one but holy hell did this book just blow it away entirely. Where the first book read very much like your traditional YA, this one ups the ante to a whole new level. It's clear that Lani Taylor was in it for the long haul for this story and I for one am excited to see where she goes next with it in the final book

At first this was a slow start. Just coming off the high of A Daughter of Smoke and Bone, it took a bit for this one to really reel me in and I was afraid it was going to have second book syndrome. But it just needs to set up a lot before deep diving in a much more epic and magical second helping of this fantastic fantasy tale. We're plunged more into the realms that previously were only hinted at on both sides and the lore deepens and broadens the world-building so much more this time around. Laini Taylor's lyrical writing continues to enchant and the intricacies of politics, war and relationships offer plenty of heart-pounding drama. I'm just really loving the series SO much and feeling so connected to the characters and swept away into the world Laini has created - both fairytale and tragedy and maybe a pinch of hope. Looking forward to the novella and then the final book!

I- I don't- HUH?
this is one of those series that hyped up to be “different and not like the others” when in fact.. it's is the same and exactly like the others.
This is just another mediocre YA series that suffers from 2nd book syndrome.
How is this different from other YA books? I don't understand what's so special about these books. The first book was unique and good but wtf is this sequel?

I don't think I'm gonna read the 3rd book..

This books was not as good as the first one for me... but it was still entertaining.

I “read” the first in the series on audiobook and read this IRL book as the audiobook was not available to me and I couldn't wait - I'm gobbling up this epic series just as quickly as I absorbed Strange the Dreamer and its sequel. I wasn't sure if I elevated Daughter of Smoke and Bone because the narrator of the audiobook is so good at bringing the characters and story to life, but I felt just as entranced by and invested in the tale when reading the tangible book. Onward to the third!

This is the second book in the series, so I'm not going to go into any details. I really enjoyed this. I'm still very surprised by how much I like this series. I've said it a million times, but I am not a romance fan at all. I love Laini Taylor's writing so much that the romance actually adds to the story rather than takes away from it like many other books.
I'm very excited to find out how the series ends.

I definitely didn't like this one as much as the first book. It was hard to get into this for the first 200-ish pages, but after that I found myself to be enjoying it. The story was hard to follow but I understood the general gist of it.

Karou was less likable to read about this time around. Her character had changed too much since she found out she was Madrigal that I no longer really liked her. The highlights of this book were Zuzana and Mik. Their POV chapters and chapters they were featured in were the most enjoyable for me.

Like Karou, I really did not like Akiva this time. I loved his character in the first book but now his character didn't quite grip me like last time. Liraz grew on me, and I'm really upset Hazael died. I barely knew him as a character but I felt he could've been developed into a good Cassian or Kenji-like character.

I loved that Issa was resurrected. I loved her character and still do. I still don't trust Ten. Ziri was just... eh.

And we don't talk about Thiago here. This is an anti-Thiago zone.

Uhhhh so yeah. :)

4 1/2 *. Such a wonderfully written story full of heartache, tragedy along with moments of joy. I look forward to the final book in this trilogy.

This was pretty intense. Well, I mean some of it. Some of it was a bit dull... this book is for sure a in between book – setting up everything for the finale.

Yet, the writing was good, easy to read, and flowed well. I read hundreds of pages without even realizing it. Zuzanna and Mik are still my favorites. Karou... Karou seems to lose who she is in order to do what she thinks she must. This isn't growing up, this is losing oneself.

The romance is full of misunderstandings that just don't get explained, yet they still love each other. It is getting somewhat annoying. I like the concept of soulmates, so I'm not totally upset, but there has to be something else...

I'm just not as in love with this series as I hoped I would be.

Taylor does good fairy tale work and world building, but could certainly use a more persistent editor, as at least a 1/4 could be cut (especially character strands that were unnecessary and then totally forgotten). Not sure why audio narrator only gave 2 characters Borscht-beltish accents but didn't assign accents to anyone else. Listened at 1.5 speed to move it along.

It's been so damn long since I finished a book that I think I forgot how to write a review. sigh

This book was, honestly, a slog. And I don't say that in the way that it was a dull, boring, or poorly-paced book. Laini Taylor is a master at what she does. Her characters, her scenery, her fairy tales are beautiful. But Days of Blood & Starlight is a very dark chapter in this trilogy and it was hard to get through.

After regaining her memories of her previous life as a chimaera, Karou accepts a role among Thiago's dwindling chimaera forces as the resurrectionist. It's a job that only she can do, as she's the only surviving apprentice of Brimstone, the former resurrectionist, who died alongside the chimaera's leader, the Warlord. She wants to believe she's doing the right thing by her people, but the situation is beyond oppressive. Aside from the fact that she occupies a human body and is living among demons, their last memory of her is her betrayal. No one trusts her, she doesn't trust anyone, Thiago is hovering around her, using every abuse tactic in the book to isolate, gaslight, and make her totally reliant on him, and she's beating her body up to conduct feats of extraordinary magic and win an impossible war.

Laini Taylor's gift at writing will never not shine through in any story. But there's very little glitter and gold here. Mik and Zuzana provide a little bit of lightheartedness, but textually and metatextually, but it's small. Even the chapters involving the victors - Akiva, and the angels - are gloomy. It's a frightening, militaristic culture that Akiva and his two closest siblings seek to escape and possibly overthrow. After a while, I found myself wanting to sit down and read this book less and less.

I think my problem was, more than just the heavy tone of the book, was that I felt everything coming, even from a long way off. I knew where the dynamic between Thiago and Karou was inevitably going to go (he hates her, once had her beheaded, also lusted after her pre-beheading, it's not difficult math), I knew that Akiva's ideas of a coup d'etat were not going to end well, and I knew some serious dramatic, dangerous stuff had to happen for Akiva and Karou to move past the serious roadblocks that were in their way. And I just wasn't looking forward to any of it. There are times when a book hurts you, but you keep reading because the hurt is a good hurt. This wasn't a good hurt.

The teases for the next book are interesting. The apocalypse. Angels versus demons in full force, potentially aided by human weaponry. Also, mysterious angels from another land and Akiva possessing crazy magical powers. I'm sure Laini Taylor would do it beautifully, but I don't know if I'm up for it.

This review is terrible, I'm sorry. I'm giving this three stars because from an intellectual perspective, I know it was good. I will never not find Karou interesting, I love the way Taylor built the culture of the angels, and her prose and style will always be stunning to me. I just can't say I was entertained.

Well, that was a bang-up start to the month.

For as unexpected as the first book was in a ‘that was unexpectedly awesome' this book was as ‘unexpectedly kind of awful'. Karou, who was totally amaz in the first book was nothing but a shadow of her former self through most of this - especially with her ‘oh, I feel so guilty. I'll just not ask/figure out what the hell is going on'. Blerg.

Honestly, I thought the ‘romance' was really well done in the first book but in this one, it just feels...bad to me. Supremely uncomfortable and unhealthy. (And what the actual hell is up with the ‘it's okay to love him' stuff? No. No, it's not. Not after everything he did and, let me guess, this ends with some grand, sweeping epic ‘true love' - forget the fact that she's his morality chain and the ONLY link to what little sanity he has left. And, the only reason he feels guilt? I'm not 100% of that, but that's sure what it reads like. Not to mention the fact that, with her the way she's become in this book, it would be super easy to guilt her into feeling that all the people he's killed is her fault for dying and leaving him alone. Again.)

When there's enough stuff going on (usually courtesy of Zuzana and Mik or Hazael and Liraz - definitely my four favorites in this book) and I can forget how much the ‘romance' and Karou are not working for me, it's really, really good. But I'm always pulled back into the stuff that just got more frustrating the longer the book went on. And depressing. (Oh, the depression!) And by all means, let's add some rape, because that's what this story was missing.

Mostly, it earned a second star from me for the vague memory of how much I was actually enjoying the first part and Liraz and Hazael. Whom I adore. So much.

(And, btw, a ‘big reveal' is only effective if you don't see it coming. ... I saw it coming.)

I finally finished this. And I continue to be super impressed by Laini Taylor's writing and world. There are so many layers to both the world and the characters that I'm constantly in awe of how it all comes together.

This book was definitely slow and not as action packed and exciting as the first book. This book focused a lot on preparations and setting up what I expect to be an epic finale. I think I may start Dreams of Gods and Monsters right away, just to finish up the trilogy and not leave another series unfinished.

I'm really in love with this series. The writing is gorgeous, the characters are amazing, and the setting is pretty amazing. Unfortunately, I just didn't like this book as much as the first one. It was really good, just not as amazing as the first.

So I am reviewing this after reading all three books. This is the only book I am placing a review on in the trilogy.
This one is the best.
Book one was slow and too romantic. book 3 was good but the ending was.. unsatisfying somehow. This one was great. I cannot fault it.
Amazing prose. Not quite Patrick Rothfuss, but still, some of my favourite writing.
This book is somewhat philosophical and definitely grim. Karou is sad. Akiva is sad. Everyone is sad. I am sad. War is sad. sad. sad. sad.
This is a very quotable book. So many amazing passages. SO much beautiful writing.

3.5. Very confused on half the things that happened in this book.

I enjoyed this book. The bad guys are really... well... bad! I was really freaked out by one scene in this book and I wouldn't recommend it for young adolescents even though it is written for that age group. It's a little too mature for that group.

This was great and a lot better than the first. I may write a whole review someday, but I just need to sit here with my feelings for now. :)

Actual rating: 3.5 starsIf you think the first half of [b:Daughter of Smoke & Bone 8490112 Daughter of Smoke & Bone (Daughter of Smoke & Bone, #1) Laini Taylor https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1338613368s/8490112.jpg 13355552] is slow, this one is even slower. There's a lot of build-up taking place as both Karou and Akiva settle into the aftermath of what happened by the end of the first book, and it takes about 60% of the book before things finally start moving. In a way, it was good because the impact really blew when it finally came... but personally I found it a bit too slow. I kept getting distracted until that 60% mark, and the switch in perspectives didn't really help either—sometimes I had to backtrack to remember the last thing that happened to Karou / Akiva.Speaking of Karou, she really grated on my nerves in this book. Don't get me wrong, her bitterness towards Akiva is understandable—especially considering the situation she's in. It's just the way she acts... she's childish, hypocritical, stubborn, not to mention gullible. Considering her history with Thiago, and the way he's currently treating her, I just don't get how she could trust him more than Akiva. Then she attacked Akiva with insults that partly came from her own self-loathing. It reminds me too much of abusive partners, and that really bothered me until the end.Also, there's a LOT of scenes featuring Zuzana and Mik. Maybe a bit too much, even. They do have a part to play at Karou's side, but some scenes—like the hotel one—aren't necessarily important to the main plot? It does serve as a nice reminder of the human world, since this book focuses more on the seraphim and chimaera, but sometimes these scenes feel... “disconnected”. If that even makes sense.Complaints aside, though... I really enjoyed this book for the development. There's a lot of depth here, ranging from the characters to the war itself. I'm especially impressed by how Liraz is handled, since we only got to see her scornful and ferocious side in the first book. Here, she's nicely fleshed out and shows a lot more—like her compassion and fear. It's also nice to see that Karou and Akiva ended up where they planned to be a long time ago, though it's far from what they imagined back then.Ziri deserves all the love and happiness in the world though.

After finishing this book, my heart is shattered. And I need to read the end of the third one to know whether it's going to be good or bad.
I found the first part very slow, the plot didn't take off. I took the book and put it on the shelf so many times. But in the second part the plot moved and characters with it. Nevertheless, it involved me and it was like it had cast a spell on me.
What I liked the most about this book is: the world-building, the narrative style and the main characters, that are well defined. I felt empathy with them.
What I dislike is the slowness in some parts and the feeling of standstill. Nothing relevant happened. But I'm happy I was able to move on and get caught from this story..even if my heart is broken and I need a HEA.

Usually I feel like the second book in the series is just a long set-up for the third. With this series, I actually feel like the first book was a set up for the second. The characters gained so much depth in this beautifully crafted middle book.

This story is such an amazing thing.

In Day of Blood and Starlight, the readers are returned with Karou after she has learned that everyone in her world is dead. Everyone she loved and spent time with are gone. She is not with Akiva and she does not want to be with him. She is upset.

[ MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS ]

Karou is running around in different places trying to figure out what to do next. She is doing small jobs like Brimstone would of done and stealing teeth. People from the main land are starting to notice her. After some time, she finds Thiago again.. He is making his own army to fight the angels. He notices who Karou is and he wants her on his side. She accepts and stays there.

During this book, I was kind of bored. Things were happening but they weren't catching my attention. Mik and Z are being really cute during this entire book. My favorite part is in the beginning when she wants Mik to pee into a balloon to dump onto Karou's ex-boyfriend because he is talking to the press about her. Over time, they find Karou and follow her to where she is staying.

This book is mainly about the war that is going all. That is all. People die and people get saved. There isn't much romance.. just learning about the worlds Laini Taylor created and how to fix them.

Something I thought was really cool was that Karou could save people. She could recreate bodies and put their souls into them. That is awesome! I loved how she saved Issa because she really needed someone else that was on her side. I was hoping she would find and recreate Brimstone by the end of this book.

I do recommend this series. It is very interesting and the worlds are so different. I cannot wait for the third book to be dropped onto my doorstep April 8th!

If this was the first in the series, I probably wouldn't have continued. The story switches between Akiva and Karou, but also gives POVs from new people (to show what Akiva and Karou are doing). It doesn't flow as nicely, and certainly isn't linear as the author switches up the order of events to heighten the drama. It didn't suck, but it wasn't my favourite.

But. I love the world, I love the concept, I love Karou and Akiva (and the cast of old friends and enemies), and so I was happy just to be pulled along for the ride.

4.5

This was awesome. This was WAY better than the first one. I really like it :D

all YA books are really stupid and immature but this was different. I really enjoyed it :)