TITLE: Days of Blood and Starlight
AUTHOR: Laini Taylor
FORMAT: eBook, 462 pages
Karou always wanted to learn the truth behind her identity. Now she does know; the mystery is solved, but the knowledge is painful to bear. Battling her own conscience and struggling with the fact that she not only betrayed her people, but was betrayed in turn, Karou becomes determined to atone for her sins. Meanwhile, Akiva forges ahead with his own fight for redemption. Once, in another world and another life, they had dreamed of a different way of living. Now, that dream seems even more impossible than ever. The sequel to Daughter of Smoke and Bone takes us to the Moroccan desert, to the shining spires of the seraphim capital, and into a new and even deadlier war.
Let’s get one thing straight: I love Daughter of Smoke and Bone. Also, I love Laini Taylor. I read her blog often and I’m on a mission to pick up and read anything/everything she has ever written, including her short story in Foretold. I think she’s an incredible writer and I always feel like crap in comparison when I read anything of hers. Her heroine, Karou, was beguiling simply for the fact that she was so completely aware of herself and who she was. Yes, her past was a mystery, but she was Karou and she had a firm hold on that. She was comfortable in her own skin, with her own personality. She was funny, smart, creative, strong. There was a wee tiny bit of romantic in her, but not much; she was a sensible girl, a practical person, and that was okay with me. She acted like a grown up instead of an annoying teenage girl, a plus for me because I can no longer read YA the same way I did when I was seventeen. Karou was refreshing. The book itself was refreshing.
Now, I’d been looking forward to this sequel for months as a result of my love affair with Book 1. I wanted more of the world, more of Karou, more of Akiva. I wanted to know what happened next. But the thing is, I should’ve been prepared… because I hardly ever like the middle book in a trilogy. This is because it seems like most middle books can’t stand on their own and always end up in the shadow of the first book; they’re never as good, never as bright and shining and thrilling, somehow. There are a lot of in-between events and set ups for the finale. And this is what happened with me and Days of Blood and Starlight.
I didn’t dislike it. But I wasn’t completely enthralled either, and I think that’s why I feel so sad. I wanted more out of it. I wanted Karou to keep on being Karou, only changed of course by the events of Book 1. I wanted her to be even stronger, to stay true to herself and be smart about her decisions. I wanted Akiva to forgive himself. And really, I wanted the two to forgive one another for everything that happened in the past and for everything that might happen in the future. Because there’s still enough of a hopeless romantic in me that I hope their relationship can survive somehow. I’m not saying that I would be upset if it didn’t turn out that way. I know that reality doesn’t always comply. And it would make perfect sense to me, despite my hope for them, if they never did reconcile. If the truth and all its consequences ended up being too much to bear, I would understand. Still, what annoyed me was that Karou keeps fighting the fact that she belongs with Akiva in some way. She keeps treating him like shit, and he keeps coming back to her, trying to help her. I want one of them to just stop. Either Karou stops being a bitch or Akiva stops coming back. One of you, grow a spine.
Also, I want Zuzana to shut up. Just shut up. And stop making out with your boyfriend every 2 seconds because it is seriously disturbing and DOES NOT give me a fuzzy, happy feeling. I get that it’s a sharp contrast to Karou and Akiva being alone and separate, but still, please stop. Zuzana should not have been so prevalent in this book. Her personality needed to be toned down many, MANY notches. I can appreciate her the way she was in Book 1, in the background, a sort of tether for Karou in the human world, but I don’t like her increased involvement in this book. Her endless nattering on and on stopped being funny/amusing/charming and just became irritating after a while.
It bothered me that many characters were introduced in this book but were never mentioned in Book 1. My specific peeve is with Ziri, who I feel should have been included in the first book because apparently he was ever so present in the events of Karou’s past life. He is also poised to become a major player in the final book, not to mention as a (GAG) potential love triangle corner. Oh man, that really killed me when she started setting up this love triangle. WHY! I was so HAPPY when Daughter of Smoke and Bone had no love triangle! The love triangle is so over-used in YA. I just want to be done with it. I like Ziri as a character, sure, and I have no issues with how his part played out, but man. A love triangle, dawning on the horizon. PLEASE STOP.
I’d say the most character development occurred with Liraz, and I was glad about that. She is an interesting character and her point of view was a welcome change from Karou’s drudgery and guilt-fest in the desert and Akiva’s moaning and wailing about Karou. I am intrigued by the Stelians and I hope they don’t disappoint me in Book 3. I also want the old Karou back, please. And for everyone to plleeeaaassseee stop going on about how awesome and lovely and perfect Madrigal was. It seems odd and bordering on Mary Sue-ish. Also, whatever happened to Madrigal’s sister? Or did I just miss that somewhere…?
Anyway, it pains me to do this but I have to rate the book with 3 stars. It was just very meh for me. I wanted more. It got considerably better in the second half of the book when it seemed like Karou was finally coming to her senses and Akiva was being less of a big whiny baby about life. I LOVE Akiva and I LOVE Karou but I was really not impressed with either of them in this installment. BUT. I am still going to read the last book. Because I still have faith in this trilogy, and I still believe that the story is unique in the YA world. (But if there is a love triangle, I will scream.)
RATING: 3/5
About Paola
Paola is a teacher, blogger, and book devourer currently living in Las Vegas, NV. She has an unhealthy obsession with popcorn, office supplies, and Target.
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