Book Review: DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Daughter of Smoke and Bone is a story that straddles two worlds – our female protagonist, Karou, resides in Prague, while the male protagonist, Akiva, lives in an alternate world called Eretz, occupied by warring creatures known as Angels and Chimeras. From very early on, we are told that both protagonists are unique and special. In Akiva’s case this is obvious from the start – he is an Angel, albeit one of low rank, and he is eventually sent to Earth to find the chimeras living there. Kaoru, on the other hand, appears to be a normal human – she lives on Earth, goes to a normal school, has normal friends. Nevertheless she shares a connection with the Eretz, as she was raised by chimeras (the same ones that Akiva is searching for), and, as the story progresses, she begins to find out just who she is and what her connection to Eretz is.

This is what a chimera supposedly looks like,
if it exists. Hideous, eh?

One of the best things about Daughter of Smoke and Bone is the mystical forces at work, the magic within the story. Of the chimeras who raised Karou, one of them, Brimstone, is able to work magic. He can use the magic to give people wishes (in the form of beads), and all it takes for him to do so is teeth which Karou, who acts as his runner, collects. I think that the idea behind using the teeth to create wishes (the reasoning is that wishes are magic, and magic has a price, and its price is pain) is extremely original. The wishes are also ranked accordingly – the smallest wishes can only do the smallest of things and are taken from the teeth of animals, while the most powerful wishes, which can bestow superpowers like flight and invisibility, can only be obtained by using one’s own teeth (since one’s own pain is the most valuable). This idea, I find, is quite creative and it reflects a universal truth: there is no free lunch.

Another great thing Daughter of Smoke and Bone has is the sense of mystery and the pacing. The biggest mystery in the story is who Karou is and how she ends up being raised by the chimeras, and unlike many other books that reveal the big secrets much too quickly, this book heightens the suspense by giving us little hints about Karou’s past at the appropriate moments, escalating the tension for the big reveal. The book isn’t too fast-paced but has enough content and is not too slow-moving such that it becomes boring, which is excellent as there are many action or fantasy books that move far too quickly and don’t give us time to become invested in the characters, which this book allows.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone also introduces a very interesting conflict between the chimeras and the Angels. Karou is told that in Eretz, the chimeras have always been the lesser beings, the slaves of the Angels, only they rose up in rebellion years ago, led by a powerful chimera known as the Warlord. Both sides have their reason for fighting the war: the chimeras fought back because they no longer want to be enslaved, while the Angels fought because many of their kind were brutally murdered during the initial rebellion, and they justify the slavery as a consequence of their own superiority (which is true, as Angels are more advanced than the chimeras and should be able to provide them with better livelihoods). The question of who’s in the wrong becomes complicated then, and both Karou and Akiva, who are exposed to both sides of the story, become conflicted as well. Karou sympathizes more with the chimeras, and yet can understand the Angels’ point of view, while Akiva understands the Angels more, and yet cannot help feeling sorry for the chimeras. This moral quandary makes for interesting food for thought.

As I mentioned previously, the characters in Daughter of Smoke and Bone were all extremely enjoyable and believable. Karou is a strong female protagonist – when she gets cut off from the chimeras by the Angels, she does not sit around waiting but goes searching for wishes that Brimstone has given to other humans. She uses the wishes to enter Eretz, in the hope that she can find the chimeras again. She is also willing and capable of fighting Akiva, a strong Angel, proving that she is a very strong female character and one worth rooting for.

The chimeras who raised Karou are also particularly likeable. Brimstone, as her father figure, is stern and rarely gives praises or explanations. Nevertheless his care for Karou is evident, and it is later revealed that he saved her life and gave her a new one. Issa, Brimstone’s assistant, acts as Karou’s mother figure. She’s caring and often concerned over Karou – their conversations make her care extremely plain. All this makes the relationship between Karou and the chimeras seem like a real family, something quite touching in this book.

All in all, Daughter of Smoke and Bone is a well-written and extremely enjoyable book. It has good pacing and its content is original and creative, with likeable characters that we can root for, making this a book well worth reading.

Rating: 4/5

For ages 14 and above

By TCH