GoodRead - Days of Blood and Starlight

Last year, Hodder went gaga over the first book in a trilogy that people were raving about. That was Daughter of Smoke and Bone. I read it (review here, though my feelings have changed a little bit since when I wrote it) and went to the UK launch party (was so much fun!). And it wasn't just Hodder that got excited. The US publisher, Little Brown, were excited. Universal Pictures won the movie rights to the whole trilogy after a huge bidding war (how on EARTH are they going to make these movies is ANYONE'S guess!). And readers went nuts over the world of Karou...

And now, with some hype (but nothing compared to Daughter of Smoke and Bone's), the sequel will be released in a week's time! So, Days of Blood and Starlight. Shall I review it for you?

After the events of Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Karou is missing. Zuzana, Karou best friend in our world, is frantic with worry. Is she with Akiva? Is she ok? Why hasn't she responded to her emails? And will that scumbag known as Karou's ex go away before Zuzana drops a water balloon that might be filled with bladder tea?

Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love. Once upon a time, they held a wishbone between them. Once upon a time, the wishbone's snap split the world in two...

Now, I had to be be careful what I wrote there because I know there is a fair few of you that would be screaming "NONONO! TELL ME NOTHING!!!" while at the same, hunger for more details. So, it's hard to get the balance right.

Now, I have read other people's reviews of this book and they're split. Some people say this book suffers a little from Second Book Syndrome. Other people disagree and rave about this book. I think it depends on how you view this book. If you put a lot of hype and pressure on a second book in a series like this, it can go one of two ways: it meets your every expectation or it will disappoint you completely.

But I LOVED this book. I think this is because, while I like Daughter of Smoke of Bone, I didn't love it. I think the hype put me off as did the back story as it slowed the whole book down (but, like I said above, my views on Daughter of Smoke and Bone have changed since I wrote and published my review. It's one of those book you have to finish and take time to think about). But with Days of Blood and Starlight... wow. It was addictive reading. I kept trying to read it when I could find time - and I started a new temp job last week so I had to sneak quick reads in my lunch break, on the Park and Ride bus, in bed at a stupid o'clock...

With Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Laini laid the world of Karou and Akiva out. A real fantasy that we had to make sense of as it felt like the book had taken drugs. But with Days of Blood and Starlight, we got to the meat of the story. What was hinted at in Daughter was there in full force in Days. This is a book about war where no side is the right side. And we see this from several points of views...

And the last 100 or so pages... oh, Laini, you ripped out my heart and left me gasping for air. I can not WAIT to see what you do in the third and final book in this trilogy! I don't know how you are going to top yourself. It's a good thing Hodder is going to publish Lips Touch next year as I need something to get me ready...!



PS - sorry about the Ellie Goulding video. This was the only one I could find that did the sound right and the video wasn't trying to sell you something...