Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Nov 2012
528 pages
Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Speculative, Alt. History
Publication Information
Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love and dared to imagine a world free of bloodshed and war.
This is not that world.
Art student and monster's apprentice Karou finally has the answers she has always sought. She knows who she is - and what she is. But with this knowledge comes another truth she would give anything to undo: She loved the enemy and he betrayed her, and a world suffered for it.
In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Karou must decide how far she'll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, secrets and impossible choices, Days of Blood & Starlight finds Karou and Akiva on opposing sides as an age-old war stirs back to life.
While Karou and her allies build a monstrous army in a land of dust and starlight, Akiva wages a different sort of battle: a battle for redemption. For hope.
But can any hope be salvaged from the ashes of their broken dream?
"Taylor's dazzling writing and skill at creating suspense are strong as ever; fantasy lovers will gobble up this book with satisfaction, even if it offers less of the cross-genre appeal that made its predecessor so extraordinary. " - Publishers Weekly
"Mostly about licking wounds in the wake of the opener's savage inner and outer conflicts, but well-endowed with memorable characters and turns of phrase." - Kirkus Reviews
"If you're a fan of YA fiction (paranormal/romance/horror/fantasy/whatever) even in the least, this is one book that you absolutely must read. The words, the prose, at times it's like a master storyteller is weaving their spell with words. The environments, the emotions each character feels, these are so poetically brought to life. Some would consider this "overwriting", I just consider it an opportunity to become even more immersed with the world and the characters." - Making the Grade (a YA Lit Review Site)
"Days of Blood and Starlight stutters initially for new readers but is a great story once you get into it and is definitely worth a look. It isn't a typical fantasy story so if you aren't in to that sort of thing, don't dismiss this book as you'll miss out on a treat." - The British Fantasy Society
This information about Days of Blood & Starlight was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Laini Taylor is the author of five novels including Days of Blood & Starlight, Daughter of Smoke & Bone, the Dreamdark books Blackbringer and Silksinger, and the National Book Award finalist Lips Touch: Three Times. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband, illustrator Jim Di Bartolo, and their daughter, Clementine.
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