Welcome to another Paranormal Book Club post! The Paranormal Book Club is a casual book club I do with my friends Rachel, Kristin & DJ, and it came into being because we decided we wanted to revisit (or experience for the first time) a few older YA paranormal/fantasy books together.
Last month, we decided we wanted to reread Daughter of Smoke and Bone. It had been six years since I'd revisited this story! I'm so happy that we did this because I loved this book as much as I did the first time. Laini Taylor has a gorgeous writing style, and she uses it to build up a world with incredible lore and characters that leap off the page. It was a phenomenal rereading experience!
What were your initial thoughts about the book? Were you excited to read it?
All I remember from six years ago is that I was late to the party on this series. For some reason, I'd just never picked it up until I was peer pressured into it - and that would have been a shame. This time around, I went in knowing I'd loved the story. I was so excited, particularly because the characters are still so vivid in my mind. I decided to go the audio route this time around, and it was an additional bonus to experience this story in another format.
What was your favorite quote or passage, and why did it resonate with you?
There are so many lines that stand out in this one, which is another testament to how much I love Laini Taylor's writing. The passage below resonated with me this time around, as it felt true to me deep down in my bones.
“Happiness. It was the place where passion, with all its dazzle and drumbeat, met something softer: homecoming and safety and pure sunbeam comfort. It was all those things, intertwined with the heat and the thrill, and it was as bright within her as a swallowed star.”
Which character did you relate to the most, and what was it about them that you connected with?
Zuzana is both my personal favorite and the character I found most relatable. She's loyal, creative, sweet and willing to go to great lengths (both for her best friend and her art). I also admired the fact that she's so fiercely protective of Karou, and that her love for her friend gives her the confidence and trust to embrace the magical world she didn't know existed until it was revealed to her.
Was there anything you wanted to see more of in the book, like more page time for a secondary character or a plot point you wish was explored more?
Honestly, I felt like this book was basically perfection. It gave me enough about the world, the characters and how their stories intersect that I felt satisfied, but also hungry for the rest of the tale (which comes in the rest of the trilogy). I would have mentioned wanting more Zuzana and Mik, but since the have an entire novella, I'm good.
What are your final thoughts? Would you read this book again and/or continue with the series?Would you read another book written by the same author?
I love this book so gosh darn much! It's an incredibly magical reading experience from start to finish, and I could see myself rereading it again. (I'd also be torn between physically rereading or going the audio route again, since the audio was so great to listen to this time around.) However, at the moment, I'm not going to continue on with my reread of the series because I just know the next book will pull at my heartstrings even more and I'm not ready for that just yet! I'll definitely reread the rest eventually, and I will also read anything else Laini Taylor has written.
So pleased we managed to squeeze in a third read for 2020, and here's to hoping we (maybe) manage one more before the year ends! If you're interested in seeing what the others thought, definitely check out their posts below:
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for leaving a comment! I love seeing what you have to say, and will try to reply (here or on Twitter) as soon as I can :)