Dreams of Gods & Monsters (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #3) by Laini Taylor

Synopsis: "By way of a staggering deception, Karou has taken control of the chimaera rebellion and is intent on steering its course away from dead-end vengeance. The future rests on her, if there can even be a future for the chimaera in war-ravaged Eretz.

Common enemy, common cause.

When Jael's brutal seraph army trespasses into the human world, the unthinkable becomes essential, and Karou and Akiva must ally their enemy armies against the threat. It is a twisted version of their long-ago dream, and they begin to hope that it might forge a way forward for their people.

And, perhaps, for themselves. Toward a new way of living, and maybe even love.

But there are bigger threats than Jael in the offing. A vicious queen is hunting Akiva, and, in the skies of Eretz ... something is happening. Massive stains are spreading like bruises from horizon to horizon; the great winged stormhunters are gathering as if summoned, ceaselessly circling, and a deep sense of wrong pervades the world.

What power can bruise the sky?

From the streets of Rome to the caves of the Kirin and beyond, humans, chimaera and seraphim will fight, strive, love, and die in an epic theater that transcends good and evil, right and wrong, friend and enemy.

At the very barriers of space and time, what do gods and monsters dream of? And does anything else matter?"
Title: Dreams of Gods and Monsters
Series: DoS&B #3
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Pages: 613
Ages: 14+ Just because it's so condense
My Rating: 4.5 stars
One Word: DAMN
Fave Quote: (in review)

Review
Oh my LAWD. I've never read a book with so much in it. I despise long books because they are usually filled with fluff and could be easily trimmed down. This book, however, is as condensed as a brick I'm not kidding you. I'll also be honest that it was tough to get through, with about 50 different things going on at once, I had to read very slowly and it took me exactly a month to actually read this with all of my school work going on.

So like I said, this book has A LOT going on. I usually don't even know where to begin when I write book reviews but with this book I literally have no clue what to even talk about.

First off I'll say that when they mentioned Stormhunters in the novel, I kind of imagined Appa from Avatar the Last Airbender.


He's so ADORABLE



And as far as relationships go, Mik and Zuzie are going to forever be on my top fictional couples list. They are just hilarious with everything they do. I laughed out loud several times. Especially with the Stormhunter part, but I don't want to give anything away.

"'Now, let's not be hasty,' said Mik, holding one of the saucer-broad wishes in his hand. 'What exactly is a samurai, really? Do you think that's something we should know before we wish it?'
'Good point.' Zuzana held a matching wish on her own palm...'It might turn us both into Japanese men.' She squinted at him. 'Would you still love me if I were a Japanese man?'
'Of course,' said Mik, without missing a beat. 'However, as cool a word as samurai is, I don't think it's what we really mean. We just want to be able to kick ass, right?'
'Well, don't phrase it that way. We'd probably just become highly skilled at kicking people in that ass. Don't turn your back on them,' she intoned. 'They never miss.' (449).

Liraz and Ziri are also tear-up worthy with how they never been with another person before. Then there is Akiva and Karou. After being with them for three books, you'd expect the reader to get sick of there relationship because really how much more is there to describe besides them loving each other? Well, Laini Taylor has a mind of a genius because I melted everytime they were mentioned together, and I was virtually screaming towards the end of the book. In my imagination, I can expect lot of cake for Karou and Akiva after they kick monster asses.

The storyline was so brilliant. I can't even say "storyline" because there were multiple storylines, each one in another. I'm almost convinced that Taylor did not just think of this entire world-no worlds-no Continuum-in her head. I mean, every little detail with the Stelians the Stormhunters, the characters, the resurrections. It makes you wonder if maybe there is something beyond the world where revolutions and new beginnings are being created.

I wish.

A mind can only dream *sigh*. If it were real, I'd be there in no time with Karou and Akiva kicking some ass and maybe get a little angel guy myself *wink*. Oh and lots of cake. And chocolate. (for Zuzana of course)

Okay my mind has wondered away, but honestly Taylor created the story so realistically, yet so not realistically because realistically how can one tame a Stormhunter or wish upon a gavriel? Yet with Laini Taylor's writing, I was ready to jump into the portal myself to Eretz.

I have to stop writing this review or sooner of later I'm going to be listing off ideas for a gavriel wish or deciding whether to be a Chimeara or Seriphim. So I'm just going to say READ THIS BOOK AND MERRY CHRISTMAS.
Oh and I'd want to be a Chimeara obviously.
★★★★1/2

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Synopsis: "Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real, she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands", she speaks many languages - not all of them human - and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.

When beautiful, haunted Akiva fixes fiery eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?"

Title: Daughter of Smoke and Bone
Series: DoSaB #1
Genre: Romantic Fantasy, YA
Pages: 418
Ages: 14+
My Rating: 5 Stars
My Word: Perfect Romance
My Fave Quote: "Snap.
Rushing, like wind through a door, and Karou was the door, and the wind was coming home, and she was also the wind.
She was all: wind and home and door.
         She rushed into herself and was filled.
         She let herself in and was full.
         She closed again. The wind settled. It was as simple as that.

         She was whole" (307).

Review
So I got this book at the library, right when I walked in I saw it on the "staff picks" shelf, and while checking it out, I sort of made friends with the librarian. She picked the book as her "staff pick" and since I picked it out, we were instant friends. She told me how good it was, and that there were two more books in the series.

So, taking the advice from a librarian, I had contradicting feelings about the book before reading. Will it be a good read? Did she over exaggerate? And yes, these are the kind of thoughts that go through my head when I think of a book.

You can never understand how much you hate a good book that says "to be continued..." At the end until you've read one.

I'm still processing... My mind is screaming from everything that I just read. This book was amazing beyond words. Everything that Karou felt I felt, the anguish, the fear, the love, the hatred.

I'm laying in my bed here with the book on my lap while my brain is still recuperating from a roller coaster of emotions. This book was one of the few that felt like I was actually there as Madrigal or as Karou instead of reading the journey.

The ONLY thing I have to critique is that the book was left into two story lines, with Karou's life in the beginning and madrigal flashbacks towards the end. I really wanted to know more about Suzanna and Kazmir, but I will hopefully get more of them in the upcoming books.

What else is there to say? Laini Taylor made this book a whole other world, so pure, emotional, and real with the most simplistic, yet meaningful writing. The romance was so beautiful and real between Akiva and Madrigal that I felt like I was there. Brimstone, Chiro, Suzanna, and all of the other characters flavored the book with a twisting and juicy storyline.

I'm so happy for making friends with the librarian and for picking out this book. Maybe it was meant to be for me and this book since it was right there when I walked into the library, just like Akiva and Madrigal were meant to be ;D no? Not funny?
★★★★★