November was another month in which reading was scarce. I felt tired, a little sick at times and the reality of moving finally kicked in. I had little time to kick back and relax though because there was work and plenty of social engagements. So I had little time to read. The fact that I started a book that I just don’t feel very into, also didn’t help. But I did read one book that I did like and finish.
Laini Taylor – Daughter of Smoke and Bone
Karou seems like your average Czech art student: great at drawing, with blue hair and a quirky attitude, she barely stands out amongst her peers. If only they knew that she is visited by a demon baring cryptic messages that send her around the world to pick up teeth of the death. What her caretaker, Brimstone, uses the teeth for she doesn’t really know. All she knows is that he carefully strings them together and always needs more.
But then one day Karou comes back from one of her errands to find a black hand print on the door. What nobody knows is that this means a declaration of war that could not only rip apart the world that Karou’s peculiar family has so carefully built for her, but it could also be a danger to Karou herself.
This book starts off as your average YA fantasy novel, be it a bit more enticing. There is enough fantasy and fiction mixed into a narrative of an annoying teenager that is about the chip off more than she can chew. Then there is the obvious love interest, which is where the story went downhill for me. I am not a fan of sugar coated romance to begin with and this book lays it on very very thick.
After Karou meets a certain stranger, the book takes a weird turn as well. It is clear that this plottwist is a ploy to introduce the reader into the world that the action takes place in. However it split the book into two parts and it was like reading two different stories. While needed to explain some of the world building, I found this break clumsily done and it was too obvious that Karou would be the center of all of the action.
In short, I enjoyed 2/3 – 3/4 of the story very much, but that went downhill in the last quarter or so. I like the world though and I am still interested in reading what Karou will be doing next, so I think I will continue the series as a whole. Apparently it gets better as it progresses. I can only hope that it does.
What books did you read in November?
4 responses to “Book Review | November 2017”
Sounds very interesting….
I like more chicklits and romantic stories.
But soon there is a big event in our city…..
Next month….
I will buy some new book there 👌
Xoxo
I hope they sell enough English books. It’s the only thing I read.
I enjoyed the first book, although I very much agree with your comments, and found the second also enjoyable. But the ending made me not want to read the third one because it looks like it’s going downhill very fast from there! I can recommend the angelfall books by Karen Ee. But mostly prefer adult urban fantasy with Ilona Andrews, Patricia Briggs and Jim Butcher (I saw you read stormfront :)) as my most favorite writers!
I loved Stormfront! I love Urban Fantasy too. Am curious to see how this seried runs on, but am currently stuck on part 3 of the Raven Cycle.