Prague, early May. the sky weighed gray over fairy-tale rooftops, and all the world watching. Satellites had even been tasked to surveil the Charles Bridge, in case the...visitors...returned. Strange things had happened in this city before, but not this strange. At least, not since video existed to prove it. Or to milk it.I loved Days of Blood and Starlight, the sequel to Daughter of Smoke and Bone. If you thought Daughter of Smoke and Bone was dark, Days of Blood and Starlight seems pitch black in comparison. "Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love and dared to imagine a world free of bloodshed and war. This is not that world. Art student and monster's apprentice Karou finally has the answers she has always sought. She knows who she is--and what she is. But with this knowledge comes another truth she would give anything to undo: She loved the enemy and he betrayed her, and a world suffered for it. In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Karou must decide how far she'll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, secrets and impossible choices, Days of Blood & Starlight finds Karou and Akiva on opposing sides as an age-old war stirs back to life. While Karou and her allies build a monstrous army in a land of dust and starlight, Akiva wages a different sort of battle: a battle for redemption. For hope. But can any hope be salvaged from the ashes of their broken dream?"
Yup. That sounds pretty dark, doesn't it? It reminded me a bit of how Pandemonium was so much darker and more melodramatic than Delirium. But I also really loved Days of Blood and Starlight too. New characters are introduced, and old ones expanded on.
The story was just as suspenseful, though much longer than the first book. It did feel like it dragged in places in the middle, with all this killing and brutality. Plus, the cover was rather hideous and disturbing. I'm not even sure what it's supposed to be. Such awful makeup.
Still, Days of Blood and Starlight was a good sequel, and I'm very glad that I read it, and managed to get it from the library. Some of the things in it were really disturbing to me, but still, it was honest and brutal, and Laini Taylor has an amazing imagination. I don't know where she comes up with all this stuff: Chimera, angels, Eretz, teeth, and resurrection. The character development of everyone and especially Karou in this book was great, and I would highly recommend this sequel. Though I didn't love it as much as Daughter of Smoke and Bone, I still loved it. I look forward to reading the third (and final?) book in this series.
Read Days of Blood and Starlight:
- if you like dark fantasy
- if you liked Daughter of Smoke and Bone
| Outstanding Book That Will Stay On My Bookshelf For Rereading (jf I own it)! |
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