Author: Laini Taylor
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Publisher: Little Brown Books
Pages: 418 pages
Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.
In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grows dangerously low.
And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.
Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real, she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands", she speaks many languages - not all of them human - and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out. (More from Goodreads)
First Impression
It's easy to get lost in this book. I have heard so many good things about it, and I was afraid I would be disappointed with the first few chapters. Everything overwhelmed me, but not necessarily in a bad way; no, I was assaulted by the visions of a setting entirely new to me because I wasn't brought up in art school in the middle of one of the most historical cities in Europe.
But more than that, the characters that opened the books did so with gusto.
They weren't slowly introduced to the reader by means of tedious monologues; rather, witty banter and daily happenings abound, and just like that you are easily introduced to Karou and her seemingly odd world, with its quirky occupants and musings.
Characters, Settings & Overall Writing Style
The element of magic, like anything else in this book, also wasn't introduced painstakingly. It just was, as everything else is. And that's what's so entertaining and, at the same time intimidating, about the story.
Karou isn't your typical 18-year-old girl, not by her looks or her personality. She is made out to be a mysterious person from the get-go. It wasn't hard to find the compulsion to get to know her better. This book (and now I have come to learn, the entire series) has an abundance of characters brimming with personality. The way they are developed, and their backgrounds, do not disappoint. Laini Taylor breathes life into her characters in ways many could only dare to dream.
And her prose can be so lyrical. An entire chapter can consist of a mere few words; a sentence turned into a paragraph. This may be a hit or miss with readers. Where I felt certain writers' lyrical prose were languorous, Taylor's prose gripped me, sung to me and hooked me in. And it can be done in either a wondrous manner, or devastate me to no end.
Oh, the writing is certainly beautiful.
The description of Prague really had me wishing I could go there. The mystical way it was described, as if it was meant for fantasy and fairy tales: Prague is vibrant, teeming with life.
Which brings me to one major minus point, at least to me- that the other world was not as painstakingly described. By no means does it detract from the overall experience of this book, and in case this wasn't highlighted enough I found it to be quite the read. However, when it comes to fantastical settings I prefer them to be lavishly described, with run-on sentences and adjectives aplenty. Aside from a few select places and some general overview of certain scenes, this I cannot find.
Of course, many may disagree with this- it is a matter of personal preference after all.
The storytelling is not as linear as most. In certain parts of the book, the plot turns back to the past to illuminate the present situation, for several long chapters, before bringing us up to speed in the present; in others, it weaves through time, back and forth. Somehow- and this is very important to note, because it should be very tricky- Laini Taylor pulls it off and creates a beautiful tapestry of the characters' journey through time.
Flawlessly.
Book Audience & Genre
The story is probably targeted to the YA populace, although I think this is one book adults may find easier to devour than most YA fantasy books. I think it easily passes as urban fantasy too- that is not entirely the case for the second instalment.
There is an element of good vs evil, the mention of angels and demons. Non-humans? Yes, most definitely. There is the occasional intimate scene, but mostly romantic rather than erotic, more feeling than flesh. I would say this would be fine for most teenagers but for sheltered ones (yes, the latter still exist in certain parts of the world).
If I had to give this book the most general rating, I would say... PG-16- only to account for the larger variation of cultures globally, although most readers of the book would not fall into that category.
There are lessons to be learned. Some are more sublime than others, but all are pivotal to the story. After I finished reading this book, I was reeling in shock. I wanted more. Alas, I had real life responsibilities to fulfill.
~My Rating~
5 out of 5 Gavriels!
★★★★★
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