Book Review: Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor *spoiler free*

By: Laini Taylor

Published by: Little Brown

Released on: November 6th, 2012 TODAY

Source: book from publisher to review

5 stars: I Loved It!

Purchase from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Series: Daughter of Smoke & Bone #2

In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Karou must come to terms with who and what she is, and how far she’ll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, mysteries and secrets, new characters and old favorites, Days of Blood and Starlight brings the richness, color and intensity of the first book to a brand new canvas. - quoted from Goodreads

A dark, intense, irresistible sequel you won't be able to put down. If you thought putting down Daughter of Smoke & Bone was hard, wait till you pick up this book. Thrown right back into the mesmerizing world I fell in love with Laini's debut (you can read my review for it here), this book took me on one incredible fantasy ride. With the stakes even higher than they were before, Days of Blood & Starlight is brimming with suspense, heart break, twists, and love. I loved being back with the characters I got to know before, and enjoyed meeting new ones. Each of these characters plays a role in this storyline. Whether it's deciphering which side of the war they really belong to, knowing their place in Karou's world, and if they're part of the ongoing secrets, plot twists and betrayals that continue to plague this incredible world. 

Laini Taylor is a literacy genius. I would love to sit down and have a peak inside her mind. I'm in awe over her storytelling, her series's history and this absolutely incredible world she has conjured up. I'm not sure what I love more, the storyline, her characters or the world. I love how all three of these things go hand in hand. They're all beautifully crafted and create a story unlike anything I've read. There's something I find utterly fascinating about her dark, and richly detailed series. There's this incredibly rich history that allows this story to take place both within our world and within the world Laini's characters were created/born in/re-born in, that I love. This series goes beyond fascinating for me. It's one that lures me in and makes me wish I could crawl into the pages of this book just to get a peak around it's dangerous world. 

The other thing I loved about this sequel are the characters, and the changes within some of the characters, the yearning some of them felt, because I felt it too, and the heartbreak! Laini Taylor can you rip my heart out any more. I was not prepared for the yearning and the loss of something that two characters no longer have, but in their own ways fight to regain. That's saying something without giving anything away. This wanting not only allows readers to see the changes that have taken place with some of the characters, and the reasoning behind their changes, it also allows for other options to possiby be explored. This may not make sense to you until you read it, but believe me it will. I am not going to give any spoilers away. 

I loved each of these characters, even the not so nice ones. There's something about each of the characters that I couldn't help but like. They were both good and bad, but above that, they each fought for something they believed in. That's not to say some of them aren't ruthless, because they are. Mixed into their moments of violence are characters on both sides that have their moments of good, and I liked seeing both sides of them. The way they were written allowed me to understand their motives, which also made me like something of even though I knew better than to not. I just couldn't help myself.

Let me just say this sequel is AWESOME! It's everything I hoped it would be a whole lot more. Don't let the size of this book fool you. It's incredibly well paced, flawless written, and once you start it you won't be able to stop reading it. It's one of those reads you want to devour, but instead you can't help but savor each word. If you're someone who's grown tired of the demon/angel lore, than you haven't read any of Laini Taylor's books. This series is far from "just another angel/demon book." It's a dark, beautiful written fantasy, that gave me a sigh worthy ending and makes me wish book three was already being released. 

Austin fans, don't miss meeting Laini this THURSDAY night at BOOK PEOPLE! And be sure to stop back by the blog on Thursday for my post in Little Brown's Days of Blood & Starlight blog tour!