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Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Review: The Days of Blood and Starlight

Author: Laini Taylor
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher:  Hachette Audio
Release Date: November 6, 2012
Audiobook: 15 hours and 21 minutes
Narrator: Khristine Hvam

Source: Free from the e-library
http://amzn.to/1kmSSbw

Book Description

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?

Review

Do you realize how hard it is to review a book in the mist of a series?  And without revealing any key information to you?  So here goes my attempt at a spoiler free review.  
After book one, you are left with the knowledge of who Karou really is and where she came from.  If you thought Laini Taylor created a very interesting and creative story in book one?  She took it to a whole new level in book 2 with a whole new and complete world, vocabulary, race and the history to back it all up.  There were really interesting items in book one that I really loved and guess what? They were not featured in this book such as the fun, laughter and lightness in book one.  There were completely gone.  
The Days of Blood and Starlight is DARK!  DARK! DARK!  and gruesome.  I mean there is rape, torture, murder and the constant reminder of pain and mutilation.  Every time I started a new chapter I prayed for a break from the savage acts of war.  For me the bright light of The Daughter of Smoke and Bone was Zuzana and Mik and her funny antics and comments.  She makes an appearance here and there and I have to say.... I missed her oh so much!!!!  When she finally appeared in the book there was suddenly light in all the darkness, doom and gloom.  
This review was hard for me to write because books like this always put me in an awkward situation.  Is a book good due to writing style?  Or is it good do to subject matter?  Is there a clear line?  I am not a fan of dark and gruesome at all.  But the writing style was really good.  So does that make it a good book?
For this review, I just had to read a few reviews from other bloggers to see what they thought about it.  And to see why everyone is raving about it.  Michelle at Book Hangovers Blabs Books loved it and she said..."...I found this sequel to be more intense and darker than the first book. Filled with war and death, heartache and betrayal. The characters go through hell, but no matter how gruesome and brutal the journey is, there's always a thread of hope running through them..."  (She gave it 5 out 5 stars)  I didn't see the silver lining in the mist of all the darkness.  Tanya at Girlxoxo loved it too and she thinks..."See - in Days of Blood and Starlight, Laini Taylor makes you think about the characters - and bitch about them, and dislike then and love them. When a book does that, I thank God it's not a standalone!" (Again 5 out of 5 stars)  I have to agree and say I am glad it is not a standalone too.  I want to have some happy, sunshine from all this darkness.
I don't know!  I am going to read the novella and book three to see if all the "hope" Michelle was looking for pans out.
As for the narrator Khristine Hvam, she rocked it as usual.  I think it made for such a better book because of her.  I don't think I could have gotten through this book on my own.  I'm a wimp!  I know!

Reviews by Other Bloggers

Recommendations

I recommend this to older teens due to amount and detail of the violent acts such as rape and murder.

Challenges

This book is number 10 in my Audiobook Reading Challenge
This book is number 15 in my Goodreads Reading Challenge
 2nd book out of 3.5 in the series completed

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