But Thiago is more bent on vengeance-even at the cost of seeing his people exterminated in reprisals. With her magical skills, she provides him with a band of reanimated warriors to protect the remaining chimaera back in the world of Eretz. Sundered from her seraphic lover Akiva by rage, guilt and a huge blood debt, Karou has led charismatic chimaera leader Thiago, the White Wolf, to a refuge in the Atlas Mountains.

I am curious enough to see how everything will unfold that I will continue the series by reading the next and final book, Dreams of Gods and Monsters.In this emotionally intense if loosely woven sequel to Daughter of Smoke and Bone (2011), Taylor puts Karou, a chimaera resurrected into the body of a blue-haired human teenager, through severe tests of both heart and soul.

Overallĭays of Blood and Starlight falls short of Daughter of Smoke and Bone, but it is still more entertaining than not. Not only is she skilled at describing people and places in such a way that they come to life, but her writing, in and of itself, is lyrical and masterful. Perhaps the most praiseworthy aspect of this book, however, is Taylor’s writing. It is a very original story and features complex, multi-faceted characters who grow over the course of the book. Once things picked up, Days of Blood and Starlight became an enjoyable read. Still, the dynamic between Karou and Akiva was one of my favorite parts of Daughter of Smoke and Bone, so it was a bit disappointing that the two did not interact much in this book. This frequent shift in perspective gave me a bit of whiplash, as we were constantly jumping from one character’s story to another.ĭays of Blood and Starlight also differs from its predecessor in that Akiva and Karou barely share any scenes, which given the ending of Daughter of Smoke and Bone, is not surprising. Oh no, there are a multitude of points of view, including those of some very peripheral characters. Unlike Daughter of Smoke and Bone, the points of view are not limited to those of Karou and Akiva. I honestly considered shelving the book, because I had grown sick of the drawn-out reveal with regard to Karou’s whereabouts.Īnother irksome aspect of this book is the ever-changing point of view. While reading the book, I became bored of the alternating Akiva and Zuzana points of view that revolved around each wondering where Karou could be. The first half, which consists of a buildup to the reveal of where Karou is and what she’s doing, is tedious.

The book is fairly slow going, with the pace not picking up until the second half. Is it a bad book? No, but it lacks the pizazz of its predecessor. TLDR: An okay book – not as exciting as the first book in the series but still worth reading.ĭays of Blood and Starlight is a bit of a letdown after Daughter of Smoke and Bone.

Daughter of blood and starlight