One of my favorite series

I first read this book just before it was released and was immediately captivated by it. having read the whole series now it was really interesting to listen to the audio book version of it. The lyrical magic of the writing fits beautifully in an audio book. I love it.

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Original story idea, not enough chemistry

I really liked the premise for this book. The mystery of the teeth and why Karous is running the mysterious errands is enough to keep you hooked but ultimately I didn't....



SPOILER



... buy into the chemistry between Karou and Akiva. There just wasn't enough to it and I found that I didn't care enough about their relationship. I would also have loved to hear more about Karou's other family but there just wasn't enough details on this either.

I really liked Karou as a character, she was interesting and brave but otherwise I don't know if I will bother with the next book. This book just didn't draw me in enough.

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Can't believe I wasted a credit on this!

Save your money/credit and skip this audiobook. The story is absolutely terrible and ridiculous. I didn't read the other books in the series and I will never read/listen to another book by this author. I am not even curious about what happens to the characters; I really don't care. I either didn't like or was uninvested in the characters. I really didn't like Akiva, which is a problem given he is a protagonist and I didn't really buy into his relationship with Karou. I think their relationship and her character is given a disservice by her being the reincarnated spirit of another woman. It seemed like a cheap way to quickly make their relationship intense and meaningful without actually putting in the groundwork. The performance isn't terrible but it isn't great. The narrator really doesn't seem well suited to the content and her delivery is jarring when she is talking about Eastern Europe and fantasy lands and people. Can't warn others against this title enough.

Brilliant series

I will read anything Laini Taylor writes, she has a beautiful mind and a lyrical writing style and her world-building is superb.
Khristene Hvam did an admirable performance and I will gladly listen to her narration of the rest of the series.

Can we just...

Totally lived up to the hype! The story and writing was beautiful and absolutely fantastic, the narrator was surprisingly great (I love the accents especially!) and the ending was completely heartbreaking...

What a different and awesome book!

If you could sum up Daughter of Smoke and Bone in three words, what would they be?

Eastern fantasy mystique

What did you like best about this story?

It is so unusual in style and story line. I loved every minute and hungry for the next!

What about Khristine Hvam’s performance did you like?

The accents and interpretation of lines brings the book to life brilliantly. She makes the story fly!

Any additional comments?

Buy it now!

Keep Going!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

When I first started reading this story I got really bored and ended up putting it down, but it had come highly recommended by a trusted source so I turned back to it several months later and pushed on through. I'm so glad I did.

What did you like best about this story?

The characters in this story are really captivating and whilst they seem to start out ambling aimlessly through the pages without very much excitement at all, that soon changes and you find yourself willing them forward.

What about Khristine Hvam’s performance did you like?

I've given the performance four stars; it could have been five since Khristine Hvam performs this audiobook brilliantly capturing all of the individual characters with one voice. The only slip ups which dropped the star for me were several mispronunciations of words like gibbet (which appeared a lot in the text and so it got distracting), which you can forgive the reader for if they don't know the word, but what was unforgivable and very annoying was the complete change of pronunciation of the character's name Liraz, which she ended up changing to Leeeraz, towards the end of the series.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

What I loved most was the intertwining of plot: how so much that happened was dependant on events previous with cause and effect being wielded like a master. It had wonderful continuity and fluidity, and you found yourself willing Karou and Akiva to achieve their goals.

Any additional comments?

It is a slow start, but don't let that stop you. Loved it.

This story rocks!

I loved this story and the sequel. Laini Taylor is one of the best contemporary fantasy writers.

Innovative and well-written

Would you listen to Daughter of Smoke and Bone again? Why?

I almost never listen to an audiobook twice unless it is part of a series and the next book in the series has come out and I can't remember the previous book. So, I guess I will listen to this book again when the sequel comes out.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked that it is innovative and deals with a completely new concept in the YA-world.

Which scene was your favorite?

Ah, it is hard to pick a favourite scene since I enjpyde the whole concept so very much. I like that the author has managed to create an entire new world and that it is logical in it's own way.

A magical fantasy world

I've chosen this book on a whim and was very happy I did so. It is a magical story, somewhat different from the typical fantasy set-up: you won't find the was of angels and chimerae in many books. I was starting to feel a bit bored when getting to the middle of the book, but then it was as if the whole new world has suddenly opened before me and I became totally engrossed again.

I am pretty sure, it is mostly meant for teenagers, but still it was refreshing to find a fantasy book without mountains of gore and pages of love-making.

It is also very well narrated.