Bel:

Cover

I have the UK paperback edition so there’s an orange doorway with a hand print to the right of the opened door and a disheveled book laying on the ground. It doesn’t really make me sit up and take notice like some of the other editions do, but after reading the book it makes more sense. I don’t love it or hate it. It just is.

Characters

This book made me question the perception of good and evil characters, which was a really nice surprise. There were large areas of grey when it came to how much I liked each one.

Favourite

That would have to be Brimstone, without doubt. A character, who in any other story, would be portrayed as evil, and amoral. Hidden depths make me really like them so much more.

Least Favourite

This is a difficult one, because in each character’s mind they are only ever doing what they see and ‘the right thing to do’, but for the sake of picking one I have to choose Chiro.

Beginning

Life for Karou is all about doors, where they lead and what she’ll find on the other side.

Storyline

Karou meets an angel, Akiva, and I can’t tell you any more in case you’ve not read the book. I do not want to spoil it.

Ending

The crap hits the fan and book 2 is going to be EPIC!

Thoughts

I was taken aback as to how much this book made me think outside the box. You and I both know there are no winners in a war, but to see something from both sides of the coin, really was a change of pace for your good versus evil tale of woe.

Quote

“I don’t have many rules to live by,” he said. “But here’s one. It’s simple. Don’t put anything unnecessary into yourself. No poisons or chemicals, no fumes or smoke or alcohol, no sharp objects no inessential needles – drug or tattoo – and… no inessential penises, either.” ~ Brimstone

Krista:

BBC Daughter of Smoke and Bone –Below are  Krista’s thoughts aka I listened to the audiobook and loved it!

Cover

The US hardback edition has the face with the blue mask. I was unsure of how it represented the book until the end, and it really does hold true to the best part of the story. Also the blue mask, I think, represents the main character’s hair colour.

Characters

It was nice for a change to read a fantasy novel in which the characters are not meant to be relate-able to the reader specifically but meant to take you to another world. These characters are not the norm, they are fantastical and there were traits that I liked about each and didn’t like. It was a very back and forth read leaving me unsure exactly who I wanted to root for in the end.

Favourite

I agree 100% with Belinda on this one, Brimstone is one of those characters that was hard to nail ie do I like him or hate him. The enemy or the protective father figure? The relationship he held with Karou is what won me over.

Least Favourite

At this moment I am going to pick Kaz, Karou’s ex-boyfriend, who is pretty obnoxious and cocky. I mostly get this because of Karou’s emotions, as she currently hates him as well. He never did grow on me, but I do have a feeling we will see more of him in the series, and my feelings may change.

Beginning

The first part of the novel did take awhile to get into. The world was very fantastical and every time she’d travel through a door it took awhile to get readjusted mentally of the setting.

Storyline

Strange hand prints are starting to pop up on doorways and strange tells of how they got there. The errands that she runs for Brimstone are starting to over-run her life and she is noticing that strange things are happening. Enter Akiva, an Angel that she falls for or who’s really out to destroy her.

Ending

A little more than halfway through, all the stories begin to intertwine. The plot becomes more complex and it’s a roller coaster ride? The ending was amazing, it answers a lot of questions, yet leaves so much more to happen next.

Thoughts

Again, I agree with Belinda here. The story takes you to a new place that gets you to question what you normally thing of heaven vs hell and good vs bad. My favourite part was that there were just a few characters which the author has taken great detail to round out and I found myself really getting attached to each in their own way. I wanted to add that I actually listened to the audio-book for this one and really enjoyed it. I think the narrator did a great job with the accents of the characters.

Quotes:

“Have you ever asked yourself, do monsters make war, or does war make monsters?”

“Love is a luxury.”

“No. Love in an element.”
An element. Like air to breathe, earth to stand on.”

Lisa:

Cover:

May I say this is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen?

Characters:

I was a bit confused at first with who was who (when am I not?) but once I got into the groove and started learning names (which by the way are all very unique) I started really enjoying the characters, their personalities and the roles they played throughout the story.

Favorite:

My favourite would have to be Karou, the main character! Again she’s really unique, just like the rest of the characters. She’s an art student,with blue hair, and doesn’t know where she’s from, who she is, or who her parents are. Karou’s childhood wasn’t normal. Instead of growing up in a foster or group home, she grew up with Brimstone; the definition of Evil. If I didn’t pick Karou as my favorite character, I would have pick Brimstone, simply because he isn’t who people assume he is.

Least Favorite:

I don’t think I disliked anybody, which is surprising! All characters had depth, personality, and play an interesting role in The Daughter of Smoke and Bone.

Beginning:

We get to quickly learn about a blue haired art student, who isn’t who she seems. Karou lives a second life outside of school, and drawing, she runs errands for an Evil lord!

Story line:

The Daughter of Smoke and Bone follows the story of Karou, her running of Brimstone’s errands (such as collecting teeth), and discovering who she really is and where she is from.

Ending:

*I’m still in shock from the ending, and can’t find the words to explain it*, but one thing I can say, is I would have never guessed the ending!

Overall Thoughts:

It’s about time I finally read this book. When it first came out, there was tons of hype throughout the blogging world, and really, I’m not one to jump on the bandwagon right away. But now I see why everyone did! If you haven’t read The Daughter of Smoke and Bone yet, you really should! (The second book just came out at the beginning of November, and I can’t wait to read it!)

http://www.lainitaylor.com/

Mass Market Paperback, UK, 418 pages

Published June 7th 2012 by Hodder Paperback (first published September 27th 2011)

ISBN 1444722662 (ISBN13: 9781444722666)

Everyone dreams of getting the kiss of a lifetime – but what if that kiss carried some unexpected consequences for the soul? Three tales of supernatural love, each pivoting on a kiss that is no mere kiss, but an action with profound consequences for the kissers’ souls:

Goblin Fruit: In Victorian times, goblin men had only to offer young girls sumptuous fruits to tempt them to sell their souls. But what does it take to tempt today’s savvy girls?

Spicy Little Curses: A demon and the ambassador to He…moreThree tales of supernatural love speak about the deliciousness of wanting and waiting for that moment when lips touch.

Having come away with mixed feelings following Laini Taylor’s debut YA novel The Daughter of Smoke and Bone, I entered into this anthology with slight trepidation, despite glowing reviews, gorgeous illustrations and the presence of a fairy tale-style theme. However, I was very pleasantly surprised, and have come away with a greater appreciation of Taylor’s writing style and her unique handling of mythology.

All three short stories were compelling and beautifully crafted in their own right. The first and shortest tale, The Goblin Fruit, is of course based around Christina Rossetti’s famous poem The Goblin Market, and is a simple tale of temptation and desire. Despite being raised on family warnings against the danger of faerie folk, teenage loner Kizzy risks everything to chance a kiss with the new, handsome boy at school, who is suddenly paying her a great deal of attention.  This story captures effectively, within less than 40 pages, the distinct feeling of longing that dominates an isolated and awkward adolescence, and it’s notably dark ending is to be applauded.

In Spicey Little Curses Such as These, Taylor moves her focus from British to Indian folklore, incorporating the Hindu concept of heaven and hell into a tale of a beautiful young woman who grows up mute due to a curse forced upon her by a vindictive spirit. This was by far my favourite of the three tales, due in large part to the exotic Indian setting, the incorporation of diary entries, and the quite sweet and plaintive romance that featured.

The final and longest selection in the anthology is Hatchling, an amalgamation of the fae concept of a changeling child, and elements of the Zoroastrian faith. Esme discovers, just before her fourteenth birthday, that her mother may have been hiding vital secrets from her, and that her fate and past may somehow be linked to a mysterious race of fanged demons. This tale was in many ways the most graphic and mature of the trio, but Taylor remains suggestive as opposed to provocative, and the content makes for a much more poignant emotional journey for all of the characters.

What I enjoyed most about this collection, aside from Taylor’s often lyrical and poetic style, was the inclusion of moral grey areas for many of the characters. Rather than just sticking with the traditional notion of good vs. evil, as so many fairy tales do, presented here are people whose motives are not always clear-cut and whose loyalties can shift. This made for a much more credible portrayal of human nature, while still retaining the magical essence of a classic piece of folklore or mythology.

Also, it can’t be denied that the accompanying illustrations for each narrative, as crafted by Taylor’s husband, Jim Di Bartolo, are absolutely stunning, and compliment the tales brilliantly. These could potentially make amazing films!!

Lips Touch: Three Times – Laini Taylor

Scholastic Inc.

ISBN – 0545055857

266 pages

Released October 1st 2009