Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor, published 2011

Young Adult, fantasy

Read March 2012

3.5 Stars

My Review:
Wow! Laini Taylor has written a book that is very different from anything I have read. She uses a familiar mythology of chimaera and seraphym, but then creates a world with them that exists within our world through a portal. I was fascinated by this story and truly didn't know what to expect next, which is refreshing in a young adult book. I also really loved that a large part of the setting was in Prague. I think it is a beautiful city.
Having said that, I was occasionally lost in this book. There were times that the author jumped from one time frame to another and I had to go back and remember what was happening before she went into this memory. And, as much as I enjoyed this book, I had a hard time visualizing some of the characters and remembering which chimaera was which animal and how they related to each other. I think this has a lot to do with my lack of imagination in this particular fantasy world.
If you enjoy fantasy, then this is the book for you. It has an interesting world, an intriguing story, and a romance that spans the worlds and time.

Warnings: Teen sexuality, not described in detail.

I would not let my 14 year old read this just yet. I would recommend this for an older teen and up.