sampena16's review against another edition
5.0
"Have you ever asked yourself, do monsters make war, or does war make monsters?"
At first, I was skeptical of reading this book. It was a recommendation from my sister. I have nothing against YA novels - in fact, I think YA books have a knack for telling truth in a more straightforward way. However, I thought this book was going to be a stereotypical teen love story. I was wrong. While there is a love story, it's not the central point of the narrative. Set in Prague, the book is a story of magic and hope but also of longing, despair, war, and what it can do to people embroiled in it. If you can, listen to this book on audio as the narrator is quite excellent at bringing the story and its characters to life.
At first, I was skeptical of reading this book. It was a recommendation from my sister. I have nothing against YA novels - in fact, I think YA books have a knack for telling truth in a more straightforward way. However, I thought this book was going to be a stereotypical teen love story. I was wrong. While there is a love story, it's not the central point of the narrative. Set in Prague, the book is a story of magic and hope but also of longing, despair, war, and what it can do to people embroiled in it. If you can, listen to this book on audio as the narrator is quite excellent at bringing the story and its characters to life.
kaleygb's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
lolasreviews's review against another edition
5.0
I have no idea where to start with this review and I also didn’t know how many stars to give it. I ended up giving it 5 stars, because every time I thought I would read only one more chapter and then go to sleep I ended up reading many more (while I was really tired and needed to sleep), because I wasn’t looking at the page number to see how much I still had to read (which I normally do way too often), because even though it was written in third person it took me no time at all to get used to it (which is strange for me).
I started reading this and except for hearing people say it was a good book I actually had no idea where it was about. I just finished a book I didn’t like and I really wanted to read a paperback for a change. So I picked up this. The story immediately intrigued me and the writing style made it even better. Like mentioned before normally when I start a book written in third person it takes me some time to get used to it, but in this book it felt normal, like it was supposed to be written in third person. This book also had that keep-reading-feel, every time I thought just one more chapter I ended up reading much more than I intended to read. This book certainly isn’t perfect, there was this one thing that wasn’t explained well and ruined the story a few times. Also some parts were a bit predictable, but these things didn’t ruin the story.
The characters are awesome, well especially Karou. She is such an awesome character with her blue hair, her personality, her hope and her humor. She was unlike any other character I have read about and I immediately liked her. The other characters are also done really well, although I would’ve liked to know a bit more about some of the characters (I guess that’s just me).
The world building is done really well. The world is really original and kept surprising me. Also the writing style really fits the world building. I just loved how original the world was and I was happy with every new bit of information we got. The world was so interesting and I wanted to read more and more about it and I still don’t know enough and can’t wait to read the second book so I can read more about this world.
To conclude: I loved this book, I ended up reading more chapters than I intended to and I loved the characters. The world building is done really well and I was happy with all the information we got. The writing style is also great, I don’t know how to describe it well, but it is really good.
I started reading this and except for hearing people say it was a good book I actually had no idea where it was about. I just finished a book I didn’t like and I really wanted to read a paperback for a change. So I picked up this. The story immediately intrigued me and the writing style made it even better. Like mentioned before normally when I start a book written in third person it takes me some time to get used to it, but in this book it felt normal, like it was supposed to be written in third person. This book also had that keep-reading-feel, every time I thought just one more chapter I ended up reading much more than I intended to read. This book certainly isn’t perfect, there was this one thing that wasn’t explained well and ruined the story a few times. Also some parts were a bit predictable, but these things didn’t ruin the story.
The characters are awesome, well especially Karou. She is such an awesome character with her blue hair, her personality, her hope and her humor. She was unlike any other character I have read about and I immediately liked her. The other characters are also done really well, although I would’ve liked to know a bit more about some of the characters (I guess that’s just me).
The world building is done really well. The world is really original and kept surprising me. Also the writing style really fits the world building. I just loved how original the world was and I was happy with every new bit of information we got. The world was so interesting and I wanted to read more and more about it and I still don’t know enough and can’t wait to read the second book so I can read more about this world.
To conclude: I loved this book, I ended up reading more chapters than I intended to and I loved the characters. The world building is done really well and I was happy with all the information we got. The writing style is also great, I don’t know how to describe it well, but it is really good.
madwomaninanattic's review against another edition
4.0
3.5/4 stars
Well...I was slightly disappointed with the lack of any significant and/or engaging events. It felt a lot of the time a lot like a prologue, as if it was building up to the real story that never really comes. As another note I will also say that it took me three days as I was never 100% bouncing off the walls excited to get back to reading... whilst a book this size would generally take me a day and a half if the story had me hooked.
I enjoyed it to an extent where I was interested to read the history of each characters in particular Karou and Madrigal as well as Brimstone and his dark magic. Nevertheless, this whole book felt very drawn out and offered little excitement with the exception of a handful of short lived action and romance scenes.
I’ll admit it offered a very unique and gorgeously composed universe and an intriguing overarching conflict but I still remain disappointed at the way this book ended before anything truly thrilling occurred! It was practically a back and forth between the past (of the growing war that is still occurring to the day, the history of it’s politics and chronicles of different characters childhoods) and present (this frustratingly prolonged, quite mystical, relationship that develops between two characters drawn to each other on the barest of spiritual and physical attraction)
I quite quickly put together one of the main mysteries while other things surprised me. I’d say this was a good and bad thing. It it wasn’t a difficult book to follow or understand which I like (helps me avoid the confusion and flipping back and forth between pages to help recount that I have experienced many times). However, it meant that there was this constant feeling as if something was missing or it was making its way to being too contrived for my liking if I was able to put almost the entire story together before I made it even 70% into the book.
I really wanted to love this book but as I had to wait to the very last few chapters to feel like I may possibly invest myself into the story, wherein it unfortunately comes to an end, I have a feeling that the next two books (based on their size and the fact that the only way to go from rock bottom is up) will provide a sense of catharsis as to what I had originally wished from this book.
This entire review is in no way a diss towards the author as I have absolute respect for every individual who has put their work out. When I plucked this book off the shelf with a smile on my face it wasn’t because it had a ‘nice’ cover it was because the story that was being proposed spoke out louder than the others.. The story sounded magical and although I didn’t find it life changing, it was still as much a pleasure to read. Notably, it was a book I allowed keep me up late into the night and that says something as I do not let that happen unless I find the book worthy. I also felt like I needed the take the time to write this review. It felt important.
I would recommend this to the readers who take to an easy read, with the addition of some beautiful and creatively, yet absurdly built, characters. It was written with a universal voice that makes for welcomed evening company.
Well...I was slightly disappointed with the lack of any significant and/or engaging events. It felt a lot of the time a lot like a prologue, as if it was building up to the real story that never really comes. As another note I will also say that it took me three days as I was never 100% bouncing off the walls excited to get back to reading... whilst a book this size would generally take me a day and a half if the story had me hooked.
I enjoyed it to an extent where I was interested to read the history of each characters in particular Karou and Madrigal as well as Brimstone and his dark magic. Nevertheless, this whole book felt very drawn out and offered little excitement with the exception of a handful of short lived action and romance scenes.
I’ll admit it offered a very unique and gorgeously composed universe and an intriguing overarching conflict but I still remain disappointed at the way this book ended before anything truly thrilling occurred! It was practically a back and forth between the past (of the growing war that is still occurring to the day, the history of it’s politics and chronicles of different characters childhoods) and present (this frustratingly prolonged, quite mystical, relationship that develops between two characters drawn to each other on the barest of spiritual and physical attraction)
I quite quickly put together one of the main mysteries while other things surprised me. I’d say this was a good and bad thing. It it wasn’t a difficult book to follow or understand which I like (helps me avoid the confusion and flipping back and forth between pages to help recount that I have experienced many times). However, it meant that there was this constant feeling as if something was missing or it was making its way to being too contrived for my liking if I was able to put almost the entire story together before I made it even 70% into the book.
I really wanted to love this book but as I had to wait to the very last few chapters to feel like I may possibly invest myself into the story, wherein it unfortunately comes to an end, I have a feeling that the next two books (based on their size and the fact that the only way to go from rock bottom is up) will provide a sense of catharsis as to what I had originally wished from this book.
This entire review is in no way a diss towards the author as I have absolute respect for every individual who has put their work out. When I plucked this book off the shelf with a smile on my face it wasn’t because it had a ‘nice’ cover it was because the story that was being proposed spoke out louder than the others.. The story sounded magical and although I didn’t find it life changing, it was still as much a pleasure to read. Notably, it was a book I allowed keep me up late into the night and that says something as I do not let that happen unless I find the book worthy. I also felt like I needed the take the time to write this review. It felt important.
I would recommend this to the readers who take to an easy read, with the addition of some beautiful and creatively, yet absurdly built, characters. It was written with a universal voice that makes for welcomed evening company.
dlberglund's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. The world created by Laini Taylor is wonderful to read. Karin is a teenaged art student in Prague, an old soul who has a mysterious secret life outside of school, her friends and her charismatic con-artist ex-boyfriend. She was an orphan, raised by hybrid chimera in a magical house that is not quite in Prague itself, but some extra dimension. The chimera themselves have a secret life, beyond the door through which Karou is never allowed to enter (or exit, depending on how you look at it). The characters are rich, the scenery is incredible, and the story of traveling around the world to gather special items for her gargoyle-ish father figure...engrossing.
The book lost me when the angel fell from the sky, tried to kill her, but didn't because they were suddenly so in luuuuuuuuuvvvvvvv. I felt like the story had suddenly turned into Twilight, an obsessive and unhealthy love story that didn't make any sense to me. When the story flashed back to the angel's homeland, and we learned more back story and interstory and world development? Great. But the luuuuuvvvvvvv story made me feel a little like throwing up. I know I have to read the sequel ( and, wait, the sequel after that because I've heard there's a cliffhanger to #2...and also the 2.5 novella because it's set in Prague!) but I'm not really rooting for the main love story, which is the driving action of the plot. There's a lot to love in this book, anyway.
The book lost me when the angel fell from the sky, tried to kill her, but didn't because they were suddenly so in luuuuuuuuuvvvvvvv. I felt like the story had suddenly turned into Twilight, an obsessive and unhealthy love story that didn't make any sense to me. When the story flashed back to the angel's homeland, and we learned more back story and interstory and world development? Great. But the luuuuuvvvvvvv story made me feel a little like throwing up. I know I have to read the sequel ( and, wait, the sequel after that because I've heard there's a cliffhanger to #2...and also the 2.5 novella because it's set in Prague!) but I'm not really rooting for the main love story, which is the driving action of the plot. There's a lot to love in this book, anyway.
pageofpentacles's review against another edition
5.0
I found this book by accident, while looking for another duology by Laini Taylor, and although I'm still planning on getting my hands on those, I think it'll wait until I'm done with this trilogy.
Paranormal fantasy has been my biggest fascination for years now, but it can be difficult to tackle down and, ever since Twilight, my expectations seem to be high and strict when it comes to that (sub)genre. This book, however, met those expectations pretty quickly.
First off, the story's set in one of my favourite cities, Prague; the atmosphere of that city is magical and mysterious, just like Karou and her past. Descriptions are lyrical and romantic, which can unintentionally come across as cheesy; by mixing with just the right amount of dark and dangerous, the author achieved balance, which I think was also on intention, since one of the messages in the book is surely that light cannot exist without dark.
The stakes seemed to be unusually high for a "book one", it gets me greedy to get my hands on the sequel and see how high can they really go!
If I'm so excited to read the rest of the series, why the four stars? Well, one of the few things I couldn't wrap my head around was this crazy amount of beautiful in characters. Not even pretty, or conventionally attractive, but so profoundly beautiful I couldn't help but roll my eyes on physical descriptions of Karou, Akieva, the angels, heck even her best friend is gifted with fairy-like beauty due to her height and cute looks. Yeah, I get that it might be to show another example of difference between chimeras and angels, and even with all the beauty angels are blood-thirsty warriors who know no love, but it just cuts no ice with me...
Also, the ending is slightly confusing, I mean I saw it coming, but it'll take me some time into second book to get used to it, that's all.
Definitely gonna be checking out Laini's other works and maybe even following her upcoming titles!
---
2nd read: July 2022
I have to say, I missed Taylor's worlds more than I expected. I remember my thoughts when I first read this book in quarantine, thinking that the romance is too fast-paced but now I had time to pay attention to all the Easter eggs and all of the hints in Karou's memory, which made me appreciate every chapter and love this trilogy even more!
I took my precious time annotating and Zuzana might be my favorite in this installment, mainly because she reminds me of a dear friend. Brimstone is also one of the wisest and most fascinating characters I've read about, I kinda got Sazed (The Mistborn trilogy) vibes.
All in all, Love is an element and I don't know how prepared I am for the heartbreak that is book two, since I vividly remember DoBAS being the saddest one.
Paranormal fantasy has been my biggest fascination for years now, but it can be difficult to tackle down and, ever since Twilight, my expectations seem to be high and strict when it comes to that (sub)genre. This book, however, met those expectations pretty quickly.
First off, the story's set in one of my favourite cities, Prague; the atmosphere of that city is magical and mysterious, just like Karou and her past. Descriptions are lyrical and romantic, which can unintentionally come across as cheesy; by mixing with just the right amount of dark and dangerous, the author achieved balance, which I think was also on intention, since one of the messages in the book is surely that light cannot exist without dark.
The stakes seemed to be unusually high for a "book one", it gets me greedy to get my hands on the sequel and see how high can they really go!
If I'm so excited to read the rest of the series, why the four stars? Well, one of the few things I couldn't wrap my head around was this crazy amount of beautiful in characters. Not even pretty, or conventionally attractive, but so profoundly beautiful I couldn't help but roll my eyes on physical descriptions of Karou, Akieva, the angels, heck even her best friend is gifted with fairy-like beauty due to her height and cute looks. Yeah, I get that it might be to show another example of difference between chimeras and angels, and even with all the beauty angels are blood-thirsty warriors who know no love, but it just cuts no ice with me...
Also, the ending is slightly confusing, I mean I saw it coming, but it'll take me some time into second book to get used to it, that's all.
Definitely gonna be checking out Laini's other works and maybe even following her upcoming titles!
---
2nd read: July 2022
I have to say, I missed Taylor's worlds more than I expected. I remember my thoughts when I first read this book in quarantine, thinking that the romance is too fast-paced but now I had time to pay attention to all the Easter eggs and all of the hints in Karou's memory, which made me appreciate every chapter and love this trilogy even more!
I took my precious time annotating and Zuzana might be my favorite in this installment, mainly because she reminds me of a dear friend. Brimstone is also one of the wisest and most fascinating characters I've read about, I kinda got Sazed (The Mistborn trilogy) vibes.
All in all, Love is an element and I don't know how prepared I am for the heartbreak that is book two, since I vividly remember DoBAS being the saddest one.
mishasb97's review against another edition
5.0
This book wowed me. I was only 14 when I read the first book and continued to follow the trilogy until the end because I just couldn't stop. It was amazing, Karou as a character is relatable and insightful and really shows how innocent you are growing up when shielded from the real world you live in. Its beautiful, exciting and I've re-read it many times simply because I want to be surrounded by this world of beasts and angels.
jenn_the_unicorn's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25