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    Days of Blood & Starlight
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    Days of Blood & Starlight
    Unavailable
    Days of Blood & Starlight
    Audiobook15 hours

    Days of Blood & Starlight

    Written by Laini Taylor

    Narrated by Khristine Hvam

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Karou must come to terms with who and what she is, and how far she'll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, mysteries and secrets, new characters and old favorites, Days of Blood and Starlight brings the richness, color and intensity of the first book to a brand new canvas.
    Daughter of Smoke and Bone was declared a "must read" by Entertainment Weekly, was named a Best Book of the Year by Amazon.com, and The New York Times called it "a breath-catching romantic fantasy."
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHachette Audio
    Release dateNov 6, 2012
    ISBN9781619691995
    Unavailable
    Days of Blood & Starlight
    Author

    Laini Taylor

    Laini Taylor is the author of the Dreamdark books: Blackbringer, which Kirkus said "belongs at the top of everyone's fantasy must-read list", and its sequel, Silksinger. She is also the creator of the Laini's Ladies line of gifts and stationery.

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    Reviews for Days of Blood & Starlight

    4/5

    2,175 ratings292 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Seventeen year-old Karou is an art student living in Prague, has a necklace of wish granting beads and a sketch book full of frightening monsters. No one believes the monsters are real. The truth is they are chimaera and Karou's only family. As she runs mysterious errands for Brimstone, the chimaera that raised her, black hand prints begin to appear on doorways around the world, scorched there by winged strangers. A war that has been ongoing for a thousand years has spilled over into the human world and Karou is about to find herself caught in the middle.Daughter of Smoke and Bone is the first in a trilogy of the same name by Laini Taylor. The story unfolds slowly as we are introduced to Karou's life in Prague and her unusual family. Karou basically lives a double life: one of being a normal teen, going to school and regular teen problems; the other spent in a magic shop with the monsters who are her family. Taylor's imagination is vivid and highly detailed. The writing is lyrical, witty and mesmerizing in it's style. It feels like reading a fairy tale. I found myself hooked by the mystery that is Karou's world almost immediately. And now I kind of want to take a trip to Prague!The story is not without it's faults. Being a YA romance, I ran into my most hated genre trope: insta-love. This is followed closely by all the characters being beautiful, which is basically explained as the cause for the insta-love. It's so annoying. Thankfully I found myself so caught up in the world that it didn't pull me out of the story too badly.I was surprised at how many of the questions I had at the beginning ended up being explained. There were a few twists in the story and the book ends on a big bombshell reveal so I'm glad that the series is fully published. Hopefully the second book builds upon the great foundation that has been created.
    • 4/5
      I listened to the audio version of this and really enjoyed it. I actually found myself trying to find things to do that would allow me to listen to the audio at the same time. I only wish this hadn't been yet another series as now I feel like I need to rush out to grab the next one!
    • 5/5
      First read August 20-21 2014
      Second Read July 31-August 1 2016

      In the running for favourite series ever.
    • 4/5
      There were elements I really liked, and others where it felt like it dragged on a bit. However, I am intrigued enough that I plan to read the next book in the series. Beautiful book cover!
    • 4/5
      I worked very hard not to be spoiled about everything with the teeth and the mystery behind Karou. The big reveal wasn't bad...just not WOW!
      Gotta give it to Karou in the end. Bella would have just forgiven and forgotten (freakin' Twilight). I'm excited to see what happens in the sequel.
    • 4/5
      i love this book so much i love every character and the writing and the plot and everything it's so gripping i adore it
    • 4/5
      I love the world, I'm real curious about what happens next, I'm pretty dang offended by novels aimed at teenagers that justify relationships with much older men.
    • 3/5
      This book and its sequel were...unexpectedly intense. And very...experimental. It's like Romeo and Juliet set in a whole other dimension. With Imperialism and slavery and really weird reincarnation.

      The writing is quite lovely. Karou and Akiva are characters rich in strengths and flaws, and I especially loved getting to know Akiva's past, his relationships, and I love where is story ends up going in Days of Blood and Starlight.

      But the world...is a little hard to buy in to. The author made a bold choice in having Karou - and therefore us - enter the story in the middle of things (or "in medias res," as my geeky side will tell you) but I also felt like that came at the cost of some much needed world-building and conflict set up. It was really hard to get into Karou's head and see her struggle with a whole former life when you only have tiny snatches of information that make very little sense. The concept magic through pain and of resurrection through teeth is...not very well explained. At least, I would have liked a more detailed explanation of what constitutes "pain" and who has to suffer what for which piece of magic. And really, why teeth? And how, exactly, do the teeth become a whole new body?

      While this is a fun read for the characters, the world left me confused and...a little bereft. Still, the conflicts between and the interactions with different characters can be almost fascinating at times. I'm interested to see how it all ends!
    • 5/5
      Absolutely beautiful story! Set in Prague, the story of angels and chimera and a war that is raging in another world. I cannot wait for the next book!
    • 5/5
      Excellent but I'm not sure about the cliff hanger. Wonderful lyric writing and terrific world building.
    • 5/5
      Very original.
    • 5/5
      Wow... epic.
    • 3/5
      This book took me a long time to get through. I was intrigued enough to keep reading it but I found it a bit too long (420 pages) to keep me riveted.I love the characters and the mystery of the story - trying to figure out Karou's beginnings and her true identity was enough to make me want to read and I love the twist at the end (no spoilers). Taylor does an excellent job of creating completely alternate reality and world. BUT at times I really found the book a bit slow.So an interesting read but not something that left me dying for more. At this stage I have no desire to read any more books in the series.
    • 5/5
      The Daughter of Smoke and Bone is 'paranormal' series, a fantasy, but it feels as true as life. This story caught me up in the first paragraph and didn't let me down until the tale was told. It's not enough to say it was engaging. It's more than that. The unfolding pages become part of life's experiences, like a memory - something that happened that you still want to think about long after.

      Laini Taylor is a lyrical writer, her prose as seductive as the characters she awakens. I love the weaving of original ideas with mythologies we all grew up with. For those familiar with seraphim and chimaera, you're in for a treat! The Daughter of Smoke and Bone is both familiar and strange, and utterly believable. What a wonderful way to reexamine ideas of good and evil, love and hate, and most relevant, the prejudices we inherit and hold on to when we have no idea why. There are layers of connection and meaning that are not spelled out, or over explained, but released at perfect moments, so rewarding for the reader. I very much looking forward to the next in the series! When will that be, I wonder?
    • 5/5
      I started reading this book hoping to love it but I have to say I'm disappointed. I liked it, but didn't love it as I do SJM books. (i know I shouldn't compare works of different authors but I'm obsessed with SJM books that I couldn't help it. sorry not sorry) I think it's because I didn't like the instalove... well it's not exactly instalove but I thought it was.... I also had a hard time relating to the characters for some reason, and the plot was sort of predictable. at least for me it was and the second half of this book was a bit boring... there were a lot of beautiful quotes in this book though. and, the world was extremely unique. five stars in hopes that I enjoy the next two books more than I did this book. looking forward to reading the next book.
    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed this one. The pacing was good, the characters were engaging, and I loved Prague as the setting. The writing was fantastic, so fluid it seemed effortless. Sometimes the prose was a little too purple for my taste, but I still appreciated it on an aesthetic level and enjoyed the images it brought to my mind.

      I have to say, though, (and this is just me) that I disliked the second half of the book. It went from dark urban fantasy to pure romantic high fantasy in the blink of an eye, and I just really don't like romance. The two main protagonists ended up at a ball exchanging witty banter for goodness sake. Blarg.

      That being said, I bought it because I like the first part so much. Now I just have to find someplace to cram it on my overcrowded bookshelf.
    • 5/5
      Forgot just how much I enjoyed this book until my second read-through. A unique lore and beautiful writing.
    • 4/5
      Interesting story. I suppose I am a sucker for a lot of themes because I am a sucker for angels/demons stories as well as all my other theme likes. I really enjoyed the idea of the chimera. I've heard other reviews bemoan the length of the flashbacks near the end of the book, which did in a way divert the story a little, but not enough to take anything away in my opinion. I enjoyed Karou as a character more than Marigold but I'm sure she will grow on me. I also liked the accents the narrator added - they made listening to this book more enjoyable than perhaps it would have been reading it. If you enjoy urban fantasy, and/or angels/demons this may be a great book to pick up in your spare time.
    • 4/5
      I listened to this as an audio book, and I think I'm glad I did.

      I haven't yet decided if I want to keep going with this series.

      I enjoyed the first book. It was a slow start; I wasn't sure if I'd like it and it took a while to hook me. Maybe...halfway through? I just got into it and kept going.

      But I think I decided I wanted that epic romance to be there for Karou, to be a foundation for what she faces in the future, and I was... kind of shocked when it took the turn it did. I realize that the series probably puts it back where it's intended to be, but in my own head I feel like I've kind of etched out the end of the book and replaced it with my own. Which honestly makes it okay for me to not continue with the series.

      Feel free to tell me I'm wrong, that the rest of the books totally make this ending worth it. I'll think about picking it back up. At this point, though...Kind of leaning toward being okay with stopping here.
    • 4/5
      Interesting characters and story. Excellent play between reality and fantasy. Will definitely continue trilogy!
    • 4/5
      This book.I don't know why I waited so long to read this. Its like this blue masked girl sat on my bookshelf pleading with her eyes peering through covertly mysterious plumage to say, "WHY AREN'T YOU READING ME NOW?!"I've read a few books with angels and haven't been impressed (and a few more I started and threw across the room in frustration). It took me about 15% into the book to really get hooked (read: stayed up until 1am to finish) but I'm so glad to have kept up with it.The world building just blew my mind. Gah. To write this way with rich detail almost to the point of feeling, and smelling, and touching. Incredible writing. Fantasy at its best.The romance was a delicately perfect balance of heartbreaking, soaring, hoping, anticipating...all those things that make your heart flip and beat in double time and yet, the author wrote it in such a way that it didn't overpower the story. And it WAS the story. How in the world does she do that?She gives a backdrop that engages and propels you with wonder from chapter to chapter, and all the while pages fly on by.All in all, incredible fantasy world, plot, characters, as fantasy should be done. And lucky me, I'm on to the next book...
    • 3/5
      I have mixed feelings about this book. I had heard so many great things about this series, that I thought I just had to read it. Karou was a pretty awesome character, I liked her and the whole artsy vibe she had going on. The thing I did not like was the fact that Akiva was all drooling and puppy-dog-in-love like after barely meeting her. And I know there's more to it than that (secret past and stuff), but I just felt like it was unrealistic that such a tough, non-feely guy falls that fast. The thing that saved the book for me was the surprise plot twist in the end. I'm still not sure whether I will read the rest of the series or not... we'll see.
    • 4/5
      I kind of loved this book! It was one part urban fantasy, one part fairy tale, and one huge part epic, romantic love story. I really enjoyed Ms. Taylor's writing, as this was my first encounter with it, and I am super glad that I've already downloaded book 2 :)
    • 4/5
      Excellent world building and intriguing characters. Found the authors writing style a tad confusing at first as she jumps right into the story and you are not quite sure what is going on. After a few chapters it settles in and you become engrossed in the story. A wee bit angsty for this old momma, but not painfully so. Lots of twists and turns and edge of your seat moments. Want more of Zuzana and mik, especially feisty Zuzana.
    • 5/5
      I've had this book on my Kindle for a long time, but just picked it up last Sunday when I was looking for something to pass the time until the new Three Pines book came out. I don't know why I waited so long. I tore through this fantasy about a girl named Karou, who runs errands around the world to collect teeth for an otherworldly creature who raised her. She knows little about where she came from or the creatures who are raising her, and we are kept in suspense for much of the book as well. But as the secrets unfold, it is clear that her past is much more complex than it seems and her future is much more uncertain. This is the first of a trilogy, and I will definitely be reading the others soon.
    • 5/5
      I was absolutely blown away by this novel. It's beautifully written, merging a fantastical world full of angels and animal/human hybrids with some of the most magical locations of our own world. The story is haunting, emotional and unforgettable throughout but also carries an important message. The power hope is an important theme that carries through the plot, illuminating even its darkest moments. In a story full of magical creatures capable of granting wishes, I loved the idea that hope (not love) was more powerful than magic. It meant that, even though the war is terrible and bloody, there is always the hope of a brighter tomorrow.However, I did have a few gripes about the final act. The flashback explaining how Akiva came to be the way he is felt as though it ran on for too long (pushing 100 pages and leading right up to the epilogue). For me, this felt like a bit too much, even though it was interesting and incredibly moving. I also didn't like that the story ended on such an abrupt cliffhanger. Yes, it was rather bleak and shocking, but it just felt as though the story ended too suddenly with no sense of resolution. This is something that I always personally think is a little cheap.Yet the characters more than make up for this as they are all incredibly well rounded and react very realistically to the events of the story. Akiva took a while to grow on me but his actions feel more understandable after his past is revealed. The only thing about him that didn't really gel with me was his insta-love of Karou but there was at least a precedence for this within the story (making it a lot less offensive that most of the love-at-first-sight plots you find in YA literature). Karou made a fantastically strong female protagonist and my empathy for her grew stronger and stronger as the story progressed. Although more than able to take care of herself physically, it was her force of will and positivity that made her truly appealing and I can't wait to see how her story continues in the next book.All in all, this book really needs to be read. I would recommend it to everyone.
    • 5/5
      Karou, a young college student/artist with brilliant blue hair lives in between two worlds, one of which she knows little about, despite growing up with beasts. Daughter of Smoke and Bone begins with Karou living a life she doesn't feel comfortable with. She has a creepy ex-boyfriend, a fun and quirky best friend Zuzana, and a secret life as a seeker of teeth for her father-figure/beast of an employer: Brimstone,The Wishmonger.Laini Taylor did an amazing job creating a world in which monsters live behind-the-scenes of the modern world. Her story was definitely imaginative. With a background in martial arts and teeth identifying skills, Karou is an interesting character. I didn't identify with her. However, I did think she was a kick-ass heroine for young adults because of her ability to take things in stride and not be so whiny like others in the young adult atmosphere. She is one of my favorite female characters in literature.I thought the characters were the best part of this book. The descriptions were very detailed, although the moth-hummingbird creature was terrifying. It made me want to throw the book across the room. I hate moths! In this other world, the creatures are Chimeras-with human/animal bodies with varying characteristics. Issa, Karou's mother-like best friend of the other world was great. She had a spunk about her that made me laugh when she didn't quite understand why humans were the way they were.I felt like Karou had intense relationships with each character. Even the ones she hated. She loves her other-worldly family and her best friend Zuzana. She will do anything for them and keep them safe. All while being constantly wary of her enemies.Something that I thought was going to bother me about this book was the angel/demon thing. This was the first book I read of the genre. It seems to be popular. Taylor took angels and demons and mixed in bits of myth and modern times. How awesome is that?The romance... Umm. It was okay. I can look past it. Some people despise instant romance (I do sometimes), but sometimes it happens. Not magically, but given the story behind Karou and her discovery of her... life... the insta-love between her and Akiva, the angel, it was pretty damn romantic.The ending was okay. It was predictable but I loved the twists at the very end. I was highly skeptical of the second book because of the decision made at the very end. I thought it should have been the opposite of what happened, but oh well. Days of Blood and Starlight turned out to be great!Daughter of Smoke and Bone is Karou's attempt to discover who she is and why she lives this secret life. Laini Taylor created a world in which a young girl, who is brought up by monsters, tries to find herself among her everyday life, even if it isn't normal. The writing just sucked me in. The humor, the character descriptions, and the problems in Karou's life were extremely well integrated to create a beautiful book. I am so excited to see how Karou's story ends in Dreams of Gods and Monsters.
    • 3/5
      Daughter of Smoke & Bone is a decent, stop-thinking-for-a-moment-and-rest-your-brain kind of read. I enjoyed the mysterious plot and snappy main heroine quite a lot. Cannot say much about writing, since it is very plain and simple (not in a bad sense, though, since IT IS a YA novel). Will be reading the other two, because, you know, of that mysterious plot.
    • 3/5
      Karou is a art major living in Prague. She lives in a cute little flat, her favorite haunt is a cafe called Poison, and has a very feisty, yet petite, best friend. Seems normal enough, right? Wrong.
      She also runs errands for monsters that frequently appear in her sketchbook, speaks a multitude of languages, and has blue hair...
      Her life is as normal as it can be considering her position, but when she was running an errand for her "friends" she comes across a stranger that makes her blood boil. After an...interesting...encounter, Karou is left confused and wanting answers...

      Woah. I finished this book 2 days ago and I still don't can't sort out my feelings.

      The writing is FANTASTIC. Like better than almost any book I've ever read. It was wonderful. Laini Taylor is a writing goddess.

      Karou is such a wonderful character to read about. She's so different from most of the female protagonists these days. limited to no whining, not too overly dependent on her love interest. And can hold her own in a fight. Yay!!

      The plot was awsommeeee!! I don't want to give too much away, but the "wishing" aspect of this book was perfect! I've never read a book with anything like it! It added a very new aspect to the story.

      This book was going to be my favorite, I could feel it. But then I got through about a third of the book... Then I got massively bored and shortly after that, I got massively confused. Everything changed. Completely. The only way I can explain it is by calling it one huge flashback. But it wasn't really a technical "flashback" It was strange. And weird. And completely uninteresting for me. It broke the flow of the book. When the flashback ended, Karou was changed. Less light hearted, more like the person she was during the flashback. Karou was gone, replaced by the new (or old, depends on how you look at it.) person. It made me seriously sad :(

      But this writing was gorgeous the entire way through.

      All in all this book was good, I guess. If major, like as in HUGE flash backs don't bother you, read it.
      If that would bother you, I wouldn't by it. borrowing it from a friend would be a good option though...
    • 3/5
      They are too perfect for my taste. So much love iugh...but the rest of the story was interesting and enjoyable.