Tuesday 25 June 2013

Days of Blood and Starlight (Daughter of Smoke and Bone, #2) by Laini Taylor



Once upon a time, an angel and a devil held a wishbone between them.

And its snap split the world in two.


Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love and dared to imagine a new way of living – one without massacres and torn throats and bonfires of the fallen, without revenants or bastard armies or children ripped from their mothers’ arms to take their turn in the killing and dying.

Once, the lovers lay entwined in the moon’s secret temple and dreamed of a world that was a like a jewel-box without a jewel – a paradise waiting for them to find it and fill it with their happiness.

This was not that world.
  • Genre: Paranormal, Romance, Supernatural, Urban Fantasy, Dark, Fantasy
  • Creatures: Angels & Demons 
  • Age:mature young adult
  • Source: owned ebook
  • Read from November 07 to 15, 2012

FINAL RATING: ★★★★★★/★★★★★


“Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love and dared to imagine a new way of living—one without massacres and torn throats and bonfires of the fallen, without revenants or bastard armies or children ripped from their mothers’ arms to take their turn in the killing and dying.
Once, the lovers lay entwined in the moon’s secret temple and dreamed of a world that was a like a jewel-box without a jewel—a paradise waiting for them to find it and fill it with their happiness.This was not that world.”


When you read a trilogy, does it make you feel that the second one is always a bridge between books? Where nothing of importance happens in it?

What if i say that this book was NOT a bridge, but carefully and well done story where each and every character is important? Where the story was so great that it felt epic?

Well, this is what Days of Blood & Starlight is. Total and utter EPICNESS.

*this review holds spoilers for Daughter of Smoke and Bone... you have been warned*


I adored that this was not dedicated to love story between Akiva and Karou. Actually, it's all about war in Eretz and what happens to the world, not them. Which was fantastic.

Don't be confused... it is still a love story, but it's in the background. And after that shock plot twist from the first book, i totally understand Karou AND Akiva. What i really love are the characters, new and old ones, their complexity and deepness. We are introduced to new characters such as Ziri, Rath,Sarazal and Sveva, and also reunited with the old character such as Mik and Zuzana, Hazael and Liraz and of course  issa  who are all fantastically characterized.

Anyway....it was gorgeous, such awesomely made world building! I love how the book was dedicated to explaining Eretz, Seraphim hierarchy, also from Chimaera's point of view. It was amazing!!!

● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●


Once upon a time, an angel and a devil held a wishbone between them.

And its snap split the world in two.

After the shocking turn of the events, Karou is living in a "Sandcastle" in the middle of the desert on Earth, where it has the portal to Eretz. She finally found out who she is and was, and is trying to make things right again, by making a new army of chimaera.

While Akiva tries to redeem himself in Eretz, by trying to help as much as he can, for both races....

And both Seraphim and Chimaera start a war which can't be stopped - while darkness and corruption creeps to destroy everything around them.


There is a little of happening in human world, 95% of the book happens in Eretz :D



CHARACTERS:


*these might be a little spoilerish, but nothing that will spoil the story too much. Can't say the same for spoiler tags. They are quite serious*

Karou :

“I am one of billions. I am stardust gathered fleetingly into form. I will be ungathered. The stardust will go on to be other things someday and I will be free.”

Karou tried to help chimaeras, she only wanted peace, but it was hard with slaughtering of chimaera, their enslavement and their war with Seraphim. She tried to make things right, she wanted to tell everyone that she was not traitor, that she never betrayed their secrets (cause it was Thiago, telling everything to Akiva when he tortured him, of course).... .

Karou and Akiva had something unique, something wonderful, and it all ended because Akiva destroyed it all - because he wanted to avenge Madrigal.

"Let's see. You know how, at the end of Romeo and Juliet, Juliet wakes up in the crypt and Romeo's already dead? He thought she was dead so he killed himself right next to her?"
"Yeah. That was awesome." A pause, followed by "Ow," suggested elbow punctuation on the part of Mik.
Karou ignored it. "Well, imagine if she woke up and he was still alive, but..." She swallowed, waiting out a tremor in her voice. "But he had killed her whole family. And burned her city. And killed and enslaved her people.”

He did it for her, because he was out of his mind, watching his love being murdered in front of his eyes. He lived for revenge - and all because he thought she was dead (not that i approve of what he had done).

Karou was fantastic. She didn't irritate me, i love her, i approve of her decisions, expect for one. Her ignoring Akiva. His love for her is so strong, and she doesn't understand it. She tried to change their love to lust, and she knew it was not possible.

So...coming to an end, i must spoil a lot so....

I am glad that she was resurectionist, and even though she was never thanked for it, she ensured the survival of her race. On the other hand, Thiago was such a bastard, especially when he tried to rape her. I am so glad she got to kill him before he did anything. Alas, it happened at the end of the book -.-

Akiva :



“What can a soldier do when mercy is treason, and he is alone in it?”

*minor spoilers*

Akiva was in terrible situation, he made so much mistakes (some of them really pissed me off), but he did it because he truly loved Karou/Madrigal, and he was spying on her, trying to keep her safe, always been there for her. He did everything to redeem himself, he never wanted for any of this to happen. I am just sad that every time they spoke, it ended with her hurting him. Always. He goes to her and leaves broken in pieces.

Other than that, i always knew he wouldn't be the type to hunt and kill chimaera, even if they are enemies. Even after all he went through because of them, he wanted peace as well. He, Liraz and Hazael were unstoppable trio, capable of anything, always doing the right thing. They both have forgiven him, and helped them every way they could. I am glad i learned more about him, and his thinking.

Must spoil a lot now, beware - major spoilers


I am so glad he did what he should have, i had a feeling it would happen but still, i am glad he killed Joram. Even though he was his father, Joram was terrorist, worst type of tyrant and i am glad he met his end with Akiva's sword through his heart.

His mother's mystery is so-so revealed. Her name is Festival, she was killed by Jael, when she gave him the scare upon his face, and so...that story ends.

I was sad that Akiva is such a tragic soul....Really....He went through so much just to earn Karou's trust again. He saved Ziri from certain doom, he saved all he could and it still wasn't enough.

And, he is magi, he summoned birds, can be invisible, can put things and people invisible, can cause whatever he caused at the end of the book.

Also the part where he comes to Karou with Liraz and Hazael was so heartbreaking, especially when he was thinking that she had betrayed their love with Thiago, his torturer and her killer, and even fainted because he couldn't do anything, he was powerless and tired from all of it, in shock, and in the end, he just wished he would never wake up again. How can i not love Akiva?

Hazael and Liraz :





“As long as you're alive, there's always a chance things will get better."
"Or worse," said Liraz.
"Yes," he conceded. "Usually worse."
Hazael cut in. "My sister, Sunshine, and my brother, Light. You two should rally the ranks. You'll have us killing ourselves by morning.”

Hazael and Liraz were so awesome. I am glad they appeared so much more than in DOSAB. It was so awesome having chapters with them: Hazael's humor and Liraz's awesomeness. Those two were the epic duo, and with Akiva they did everything they wanted. They are siblings and they love each other so much, that they are ready to forgive anything of the other one.

Major spoiler concerning the two:

I was so sad when Haz died....Especially impaled on the sword when Emperor was killed. I was so stricken by the devastation of Akiva and Liraz....They were in such a shock that they had to turn to Chimaera for help.....It wasn't pretty to see Liraz lose it that much, and even Akiva........

Ziri:


i freaking love him!!! Last of the Kirin race, he was such pure awesomeness. I loved every chapter with him. Elegant, cute and totally i-want-to-squeeze-you-right-now type. I didn't approve of his ignoring of Karou in the begining, but he had a reason>after all, fear rules common reason. But still, he was Karou's hope, he was the last one that was from her Clan.... Anyway, i simply adored him ♥

Major spoiler concerning the end and middle  
I was so sad when they captured him and tortured him.. Thankfully, Akiva saved him from being violated even more (like he didn't have his arms destroyed and his face carved with a Jocker type of smile....Poor guy).

i also liked that he loves Karou, but not in love triangle style, but in idol style. He stalked her (ok, that was wrong). But he knew that he would never be hers. He knew that what Akiva and Karou had was absolutely wonderful, and he was one of the rare ones who was sad when they did Madrigal's execution. He felt for Akiva, he understood his pain, he understood him in general, and Akiva in return, unconsciously returned that favor by saving him.

I was also shocked when he slitted his throat to be resurrected as Thiago, his worst enemy. He did it for Karou, but he also did it to stop this useless war.

Mik and Zuzana :


ah they are so so so much cute ♥3♥ I don't know who to love more. I like Zuzana's craziness and their love and i just love them in general, and that they are true friends. They were always there to help.

 Some spoilers, nothing major:

 I love how they searched for Karou, how they didn't quit searching, how they found her, helped her, were always there for her.



Thiago,Joram and Jael :


Thiago is such a tyrant, terrorist, and everything evil. I just hate him with passion. I actually don't know who to hate more of the trio (joram, jael or thiago XD) Anyway, i didn't approve of his methods, especially of slaughtering angels and doing it all because of revenge, not because of survival.

As for Seraphim ones, i don't know which one is worse. Joram,the emperor & the tyrant who makes a lot of bastards called Misbegotten, who are almost war slaves to Seraphim or Jael,emperor's brother, who has an army called Dominion, but everyone who is in it must sometimes be in his bed. Ugh, disgusting. No wonder why the war is raging =.=

And so,the true goal of Joram and Jael is:
to  go through the portals into human world where they would be worshiped as gods, take their weapons and doom chimaera. In which they succeded.

Rath,Sarazal and Sveva :


I found this story very interesting. Because of war, Rath from the Dashnag clan, which is famous for being cannibals of their own race and Sarazal & Sveva, two dama's who are usually the main food to Dashnag-started to defend each other, and united despite their differences. Rath saved them both, kept them safe. I am glad that we got their story too, their perspective. It just proved one point - no matter how different they are, in this war, they are all united.

OVERALL:


This book is a worthy sequel, fast page turner, short chapters, awesome characters, little of love story, even better world building than Daughter of smoke and bone, intriguing, fast paced, cliff hanger chapters, and war, enslavement, terror, slaughter, betrayals, submission, and love. I want to read this over and over again!!! (Please, please please, let the movie be awesome and have second one too!!!)

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