Name: Days of Blood & Starlight
ISBN: 9780316224338

Laini Taylor

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. Daughter of Smoke and Bone was declared a "must read" by Entertainment Weekly, was named a Best Book of the Year by Amazon.com, and The New York Times called it "a breath-catching romantic fantasy."

Days of Blood & Starlight

i already LOVE that it’s starting in the bff’s pov

Ralie Sutton

"What? I wasn't even going to ask you to." In her most reasonable tone, Zuzana explained, "I just want you to pee in a balloon so I can drop it on him."

A sequel to Daughter of Smoke and Bone finds Karou struggling to come to terms with her nature while pursuing revenge for her people. By the National Book Award finalist author of Lips Touch: Three Times. 250,000 first printing.

Jess

Read this review on my blog! --&gt; <a href="http://www.gonewiththewords.com/2012/11/review-days-of-blood-starlight-by-laini-taylor.html" rel="nofollow noopener">Days of Blood &amp; Starlight by Laini Taylor</a> This review is both easy and difficult to write. Easy because I get to tell you how much I loved every word, every punctuation. Difficult because the right words--the proper words--don’t seem to come to me. Where to even begin?! I guess let’s start with the fact that this was one dark book. There was very little to be happy about really, what with a war taking place and all. So much death...days of blood and starlight, indeed. I think what helped me not get sucked into the darkness of the book were those moments of humor and love and sweetness. I think that had we not had those moments, brought to us not by the people we expect, this book would have been such a downer. So thank you, Laini, for giving us them when you couldn’t give us who we wanted. Geez...cryptic much, Jess? ;) I’ll tell you one thing...if you’re expecting this book to be a Karou and Akiva reconciliation book, it is not. What Laini Taylor has given us in regards to them is a much more realistic plot, where characters have to first find and forgive themselves before moving on to a real, lasting relationship, if that’s even possible for them. These characters have grave decisions on their hands that don’t revolve around their love story, and as much as I would have loved more romance, there wasn’t really a place for it for them just yet. I didn’t feel let down by this at any point because I saw the greater picture, so hopefully you won’t feel gypped either. Once again, the setting painted such a vivid picture. I could taste the sand and feel the heat from the desert where Karou spent her days. And I could imagine so perfectly the countryside and mountains that were scoured throughout the course of the story. The battles and the blood and the magic, all so incredibly vivid! Karou is so changed in this book. She’s ruled by guilt, and characters around her completely take advantage of that. Most of the book I just wanted her to get up and kick some butt! But sometimes it takes the help of quite a few others to get even a sliver of confidence back when you’re that low on yourself. And Akiva. *sigh* My poor, broken-hearted Akiva. He somehow found strength to choose to fight for so many things he thought were lost to him, including his own life. He held on to hope against all odds. Oh, Akiva. I love you so. I also fell a little bit in love with quite a few secondary characters: Zuzana, Mik, Ziri, Hazael, and yes, even Liraz. They add so much depth to this book. This story could not have turned out as amazing without them. Some really surprised me and my heart broke for others, but all in all, they all have my heart. There is a twist at the end that completely had me jumping off the couch exclaiming, “HOLY SHIT!”, as many of you who follow me on Twitter or Goodreads may have seen. I completely did not expect that!! It was such a genius move! I really thought Karou had made a horrible move in this particular moment, but wow...GENIUS! So now here I sit, going over this book over and over in my head. I can’t let it go! My heart is completely owned by this series. How am I to wait a whole year for the next book?! How, I ask! I have a feeling fans may be split on their feelings toward Days of Blood &amp; Starlight, but I have faith that they will see the purpose of this installment and why it was written the way it was. I’ll be on the side that finds it completely beautiful. *gets comfortable in her seat* But whatever you do, I implore you, do not put off reading this for very long.

Monicap

I want more Akiva!!!!!
*Squeeing*

AFTER READING
Plot: 5/5
Neer!
(for me, Neer serves as an all-purpose word for excitement and/or anger)
So, we have all this… all this War going on, and Karou being all like… and Akiva, he—he was like, and-and it.
I can’t use words to describe this and I don’t know how to use gifs.
But really, it was super epic.

Characters: 5/5
Karou: Karou was amazing in this book. Kind of annoying in her attitude towards Akiva for most of it. But, not so much that I was yelling at her (which is something that I do)
Akiva: I love Akiva. This will never change.
Karou and Akiva (reviewing these two characters as one): I love how much these two developed. It was the change in their ‘dream’ which is now all dirty and bruised, but having a dream is better than not having a dream , so they keep it even though it looks like it won’t ever be and-and—and—sob.
Zuzana: Zuzana is so much fun. Neek-neek!
Hazael and Liraz: We really got to know these characters better in this book and I liked it. I really liked both of them, but then—one of them… well, I won’t spoil it. But—it was bad.

Romance: 5/5
Okay, so I know that our main two, Kaoru and Akiva, were separate for most of this book. And Karou spent most of this book trying to convince herself that she hated Akiva. So how, exactly, does the romance section get such a high mark?
Well, Akiva, for one. Akiva spent most of the book thinking about and longing for KArou. And also there was al that stuff about their dream, which I count as a helping factor in the romance section.
Also, we had Sveva and Rath. I really want to see that happen. (view spoiler)[Rath is GOING to get resurrected (hide spoiler)]
And then there was Ziri. He was so cute. He helped too.

+1 point extra credit for beautiful words

Overall grade: 16/15

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?

chateau

An art student and monster's apprentice must decide how far she'll go to avenge her people in this riveting sequel to the mesmerizing, acclaimed book Daughter of Smoke & Bone by National Book Award finalist Laini Taylor -- now with a gorgeous new package! 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?

Annika Arguemore

It wasn't as exhilarating as the first but it sure still has its own redeeming qualities. It still continues to provide the environment the last book provided. And we also get to see the harsh side of Karou/Madrigal's life which was/is her chimaera life. And we also get to see Mik and Zuzana's relationship develop. 

Mostly though, this book annoyed me. The characters most especially. The length of the novel, sort of because I just wanted to finish it but I can't because of schoolwork but it's not really the book's fault. The writing, a little bit. The writing nagged at me. It was a little off. The natural flow fades at times and the conversations tend to be less than realistic. I was sort of annoyed at Karou and Akiva. They're both playing hard to get and it's starting to really get on my nerves. The ending was nice, though. The ending was a reprieve from the events that's transpired within Days of Blood and Starlight. It was a good ending. It's so sad that Hazael had to die. And that Brimstone would never live once more as well. Nevertheless, some twists and turns weren't as expected. So let's cheers to that!

MUCH better than the first and beats the third instalment by a mile. it's magical, bloody, thrilling, with themes of war, morality and genocide, and I loved the whole lovers-to-enemies subplot going on. 

fairuza hanun

this book made me SICK I care about the characters and their happiness so much and this was largely Not a happy book so it was devastating however I do hold out hope for a happy ending in book 3. the writing is very good, I did just feel like I was slugging very slowly through it because it was rich and dense. I am absolutely invested for book 3! if anything happens to zuzana I will riot in the streets

fris🐝

Danny Werhane

This was about 10x times better then book one. The world was developed so much to the point that it was basically a high fantasy. There was great political intrigue! It got really intense at some points too. I love all the new characters that where included, they where all so intriguing and three dimensional. I still don’t think I love this as much as Strange The Dreamer, but it this series has definitely redeemed it self after me just thinking the first was meh.

It began with the breathtaking DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE... The story continues in the astounding, must-read sequel, DAYS OF BLOOD AND STARLIGHT Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love and dared to imagine a new way of living - one without massacres and torn throats and bonfires of the fallen, without revenants or bastard armies or children ripped from their mothers' arms to take their turn in the killing and dying. Once, the lovers lay entwined in the moon's secret temple and dreamed of a world that was like a jewel-box without a jewel - a paradise waiting for them to find it and fill it with their happiness. This was not that world.

Days of Blood and Starlight

Nessa Luna

I'm not sure if this is due to me not rereading the first book, but I just didn't love this one as much as I did DOSAB. Mostly the characters are what made me continue reading, because I was interested in their journeys and how they would (hopefully) all come together in the end but I was... for lack of a better word, kind of bored throughout this book. 

Especially Karou's parts slowed me down because most of it took place mostly in one place (view spoiler)[hell she hardly ever left her room (hide spoiler)] and nothing much happened (view spoiler)[up until Zuzana and Mik appeared, which wasn't until about 200-ish pages into the book. (hide spoiler)]

I also wasn't a huge fan of the everchanging POVs, like sure I get that it's needed to tell a complete story but did it really have to be so many different POVs and so many POV changes within a chapter? I'm glad this book was written from third-person perspective because had it been first-person, I would probably have put it down at some point. I can't remember whether the first book was like this with all the different POVs, honestly I probably really should have reread it (but I thought reading a recap would suffice). 

Yeah, I did enjoy this book, but honestly, it just didn't manage to grab me as much as I hoped it would. Will definitely continue because I do own the third book and I'm lowkey participating in a read-along for the series, but I'm slightly hesitant if it's gonna be like this book with all the POVs. 

Cawpile: 6,71 (3,5 stars).

"The otherworldly Karou struggles to come to terms with who and what she is, and how far she'll go to avenge her people"--

April

** spoiler alert **
           Honestly, i was gonna give it 2.5/5 stars but the last 20% of this book got to me. I cried. Several times. The first 80% of this book was dragging, but that last 20% redeemed it. My gosh. My heart. 

Who knew that Brimstone, even in death, could make me cry? But i guess that really is the whole point, isn’t it? Death is never the end. 

I’m just glad that i’ll finally be seeing more Akiva x Karou moments in the last book. Ugh Laini has DEPRIVED me of my need for sum Akiva x Karou romance in this book. Wtheckkkk! But honestly, it’s beautiful that even though they were separated from each other the entire book, what tethered them together was beyond any amount of physical proximity. It was their shared dream. One could say it was their souls. 

Laini’s beautiful world building still really gets to me. Her way with words is a skill unheralded. It just hits you unannounced at the heart. 

Onto the next one!

menna

trigger warning: attempted rape.

this book is amazing but in like a traumatizing way. it destroyed me, i don't know how i'll ever move on from this book, well unless the third book fucks me up even more but we're not going to think about that right now.

i knew i would like this book given how i felt about the first book, but my feeling for this one is so much more than what i felt about daughter of smoke and bone.

for starters it was much more complex. the first book is more or less a love story between star-crossed lovers while glimpsing some of the war and seeing little about it's two sides. this however is about the war itself, which is why it's so much darker than the first.

the writing is still so beautiful. i don't know how laini taylor does it but her writing is amazing. i could read it for days and not get bored. the pacing is perfect, it held my attention throughout the whole book, i never once was bored or wanted to put it down. the plot twists and the way the story went was amazing and i loved every moment of it.

the characters had amazing development, especially Akiva. I mean he really went from "the monsters made us who we are" to realizing it was the seraphim who took the chimaera's land and enslaved them, from thinking they were barbarians and monsters to trying to save their lives and warning them. 

karou is still amazing as she ever was, her taking her new role and the ways her thoughts towards helping the chimaera changed throughout the book was great! 
(view spoiler)[Issa coming back to her was the best thing! i couldn't handle her feeling so alone (hide spoiler)] 

i adored all the side characters, zuzanna and mik were one of the many highlights of this book, ziri also! liraz and hazael's character development from just soldiers to them now was great!

so if for whatever reason you still haven't picked this book up, i really recommend that you do because it's amazing!

also did this remind anyone of saga or an ember in the ashes or was it just me?

Jamieson

this was amazing! I enjoyed it so much more then book one. I CANNOT RECOMMEND THE AUDIOBOOK ENOUGH THE NARRATION IS BEAUTIFUL AND CAPTIVATING 

Okay, I enjoyed this so much more then book one because it focussed much more on the war and the political going ons within the Angel and Chimera communities. So many things explored were so interesting, especially resurrection and I LOVED ALL THE PLOT TWISTS AND HOW LAINI TAYLOR SETS YOU UP FOR AN EXPECTATION THE UNDERCUTS YOU

Also, I literally love the characters so much. Karou, Zuzannah, Mik and Akiva, Xirri and Haziel and Loraz (cannot tell you if those are spelt right due to audio lmao) ARE ALL SO GOOD I love them! Every character is so well fleshed out and dynamic it makes it so interesting

Anyway I am so glad I enjoyed this so much I cannot wait to listen to Dreams of Gods and Monsters full review to come

The NYT bestselling sequel to the mesmerizing, acclaimed book Daughter of Smoke & Bone by National Book Award-finalist Laini Taylor -- now with a gorgeous new package! 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?

Shay Lynn Crace

Leonor Ribeiro 

Elisa Bieg

It used to be that sequels kind of sucked, for the most part. They were just trying to capture the magic of the original, or rehash storylines with new twists and coming out... blah.

Alas, that’s no longer the case. This is the third sequel I have read just this year that was actually even better than the first book of a trilogy/series. 

I mean, Daughter of Smoke and Bone was VERY GOOD. But Days of Blood and Starlight... Oh.my. This book destroyed me. (Which would normally not count as praise from me, but hear me out.)

The writing, the new characters, the plot twists, the world building, the shocks... it was bliss. And torture. 

It was a bit slow at first, and I wasn’t clear on what was happening. But then it was non-stop, and I didn’t want to miss a beat, but the atmosphere was so tense that I ended up going all “polygamist bookworm” and reading another book concurrently just to catch a breath and slow down. (I have found that that’s a good way to prevent über-severe book hangovers and obsessive bookworm behavior.)

Once I had read Daughter of Smoke and Bone, I knew I wanted to read the whole trilogy; but I was extremely doubtful that I'd enjoy it as much as the first book in the series. 
Boy, I have never been so happy to be proven wrong!!It was every.bit. as good... and then some. 

Recommended, pick, 5 stars, you name it 😊
READ THIS. And weep (which you will) and possibly fangirl.

Ayden

** spoiler alert **
           Karou basically hates herself this entire book which I understood but it was also annoying that she never stood up for herself I mean the chimaera army wouldn't exist without her she can demand a little information
Is it creepy to say that I was glad that the wolf tried raping her it was the only time you could finally see his true colors which are hideous but the entire time it felt like you were just waiting for something like this to happen and than it did so 
I don't like it that the Angels came to earth because that takes away from the Harry Potter feeling that it is actually happening and we're just unaware of it

Megan Lowe

I seem to have gotten in the habit of starting a finished series, reading one book, then leaving the rest for ages before picking it up again.
I’ve done it with this book, so take this review with a grain of salt.
I felt this book was super slow and most of it was setting up for the big finish in the last book. Or maybe I just couldn’t remember what happened in the first book so I spent a lot of it trying to figure out what was going on.
One thing I did love was the absolute sass of Zusanna and Mik. They saved this book for me.
I also really love the found family trope here, which does give the book backbone.
Still, not a lot happens here and was a bit of a slug for me. I do want to finish the series, so i will, but it might be a while, lol

Dee B. 

I have so many emotions.....so many 

( www.deereadsforfood.wordpress.com )

Livia

Excuse me, but, uhh, have you seen my heart somewhere? No?
Oh, probably because Laini Taylor just smash it to pieces by this book

Srsly, the amount of pain and angst and tension is unbearable.
In a good way.

Thmaiden

Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love and dared to imagine a new way of living - one without massacres and torn throats and bonfires of the fallen, without revenants or bastard armies or children ripped from their mothers' arms to take their turn in the killing and dying. Once, the lovers lay entwined in the moon's secret temple and dreamed of a world that was like a jewel-box without a jewel - a paradise waiting for them to find it and fill it with their happiness. This was not that world.

The Sunday Times Bestseller. Daughter of Smoke and Bone Trilogy Book 2

Gem Koeman

** spoiler alert **
           I found myself a little disappointed with this book. I didn't love that Karou teamed up with Thiago, I saw that scene near the end coming a million miles away. 

Who in their right mind would trust the leadership of the petty guy that had her beheaded?! 

Even so, it was nice to have Issa back to offer a motherly figure and Zuzanna/Karou's reunion was probably one of my favourite parts. The incessant need for Karou to push Akiva away at every given opportunity felt a bit silly and I hope that there is less of that in the thrid installment.

It began with the breathtaking DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE... the story continues in the astounding, must-read sequel, DAYS OF BLOOD AND STARLIGHT Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love and dared to imagine a new way of living - one without massacres and torn throats and bonfires of the fallen, without revenants or bastard armies or children ripped from their mothers' arms to take their turn in the killing and dying. Once, the lovers lay entwined in the moon's secret temple and dreamed of a world that was a like a jewel-box without a jewel - a paradise waiting for them to find it and fill it with their happiness. This was not that world.

Amy 

You've done it again 

You've donw it again blown me away with such a breath taking story can't wait to read the third and final part

This series! I am loving it SO very much. While it took me a minute to get into the second book - as is usual for me in series - I found this installment just as good as the first! Heartwarming and beautiful, gut-wrenching and tragic. Laini's writing!!! I can't get enough. And more talk of those hummingbird moths I love so much and then there was Ziri, and Zuzana and Mik! Oof, and Akiva and his siblings...! My heart is so full with these characters and this story. I can't wait to finish it!

Leah | @LeahsLittlePleasures

Mackenzie Sutton

** spoiler alert **
           The second book was for me a little slower than the first in some ways and so much more interesting in others. I was already invested in the story and got through it fairly quick. 

(view spoiler)[I liked the separation of Akiva and Karou initially and found it necessary. I wasn’t a fan initially in the book how Akiva thought Karou was dead as I think it could have been better explained about why he was in the mines. 
I thought it was cool how the author portrayed Karou’s struggle with Thiago throughout all eventually culminating to the point of his attempted rape and death. As well, how Ziri (loved Ziri) came and made the ultimate sacrifice that was even worse because he was the last of the Kirin. 
I obviously loved Zuze and Mik. Brought me so much joy. Also, the souls in the church and Issa. Great! Truly some hope. 
I really found it interesting how Karou kinda became so much smaller as a person in the series. I thought it was interesting, but I was waiting for this big moment where she showed us how strong she was - the soldier, the girl who without hesitation fought an angel - but I felt it never came. I think it was meant to be when Thiago attacked her, but I just didn’t feel it was as big of a culmination as I wanted! It was still good though especially her speech with all the chimera prior.

My favourite quote about Karou and Akiva at the end of the book was: “They are creatures grasping at life with stained hands.” (hide spoiler)]

I really enjoyed the authors writing style, but felt that some parts which I initially found really impactful were overused. For example, the author mentions if only the narrator knew it would turn out very differently about situations - first few times loved this, but then I felt it was overdone a bit. I find the story interesting though and the pace a little slower than the first book for sure, but still good. Excited for the next book!