Days of Blood & Starlight

Author:  Laini Taylor

Series:  Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Book 2

Year: 2013

Publisher:  Little, Brown

Pages:  513

Goodreads Summary:

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?

What one word would I use to describe this book - MAGICAL. Cause really, that's what it is. Laini Taylor creates this amazing parallel world where other creatures live that's harsh and gritty and in the midst of a horrible war but then she places these amazing characters within the world (and our world) that are full of life and laughter and beauty. She makes the two worlds contrast each other so perfectly. I love Karou and Akiva but at the same time I want to hear more about Zuse and Mik. I'm sensing companion novels here. My heart was breaking for both Karou and Akiva and I so desperately want things to work out for them. I can't wait until the final book so that I can see for myself how things work out. And when you put all these ingredients together, the end result is magical.