Review Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor

Synopsis

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?

 

My Musings

I LOVED Daughter of Smoke and Bone, the intricate gothic style otherworldliness and colourful characters, so I couldn't wait to start the sequel Days of Blood and Starlight especially as it ended on such a cliffhanger between Karou and Akiva.

It continues to follow Karou, the blue haired heroine and her doomed love for her angel enemy Akiva. The story unpeels in startling fashion with twists and turns so speedy its breathtaking. I not going to put in any spoilers but I would recommend you read the first before this one and also don't leave it a while as I did before reading the second. Because of this it took me a while to get back into the story and remember what was what, but once I entered Laini Taylor's world I didn't want to leave. Laini' dives straight into the action and what I like is she tells the story from multiple view points which gives the book, along with her very vivid descriptions, a filmatic quality.

Karou and Akiva are on opposites sides of a very bloody war between the angels and the chimera. Karou believes that Akiva has betrayed her and her kind while he does not know even if she is alive for the first part of the book. NB Laini likes to put you into a false sense of security by letting you bond with the secondary but very strong and likeable characters then rips your heart out!!

What really comes over apart from the Romeo and Juliet type romance is the personal conflicts afflicting the rest of the characters and the complex situations they find themselves in. The story touches on cruelty, self sacrifice, unrequited love, loyalty and friendship. One of the stronger threads looks at soldiers wanting to serve their country but being asked to perform dreadful acts in their country's name. The brutality of killing innocents mirrors conflicts and questions being asked around the world today. Laini does not shy from the ugly questions war throws up.

 I was swept inside Laini's world of colour and light, darkness and pain. These characters will live on in my memory and cannot wait for the third.
Although after this book I am a little nervous about who will make it to the end!!!

Laini Taylor Official Website