A review by revanchists
Days of Blood & Starlight, by Laini Taylor

5.0

Most of the books I read for mere entertainment usually do something beyond what I've asked for. Remembering Daughter of Smoke and Bone, I can't help but admit that these books gave me utmost joy, slight contentment and--DESPAIR! When I read the first book, Laini Taylor gave me the impression of her deft writing and imagination. I'm so glad that I chose this randomly--or rather, the godstars might have set this book in my lifeline--that I overreact when this passes my mind.

As said in the synopsis, the story was brought into a brand new canvas. Indeed it was, but this second book was so deeply connected with the first that you won't mind. Though this has more to do with war and everything in it--purpose, salvation, vengeance--this still encompasses the shared dream that Karou and Akiva had or have. It was darker, and even more heartbreaking.

Spoiler

Ha! I had a fit when Hazael DIED. You know, sometimes I just wait for him to appear because I'm getting tired of the emperor's and the captain's chaotic reign. But it's more than that.. And Ziri! I miss him. His true self.

This emphasized the White Wolf's and the emperor's reasons for their continuous attacks on the other, and the aftermaths. It takes a great deal to understand how to establish peace and that paradise we always dreamed of, and it also means everything to stay on the right path even shadows are ahead. Those scenes where Zuzana and Mik made me laugh has a far greater effect than what I thought--it made me think that if war continues, those happy moments they share would NEVER happen again. What's implied here, I think, is this: war is not on assaults and skilled murders but the thing that makes them do it. Loss of loved ones can greatly affect us but we must not forget the essence of what we fight for. We all know that the symbol of Karou's name--hope--is the crucial thing to gain courage and strong determination. Karou and Akiva’s attempts to lead a new life amidst great disapproval of both societies is an obvious personification of invisible matters we face today. To find prosperity, to achieve contentment, if we all know that we dream for the greater good no matter who or what hinders us, we must not forget that "A dream dirty and bruised is better than no dream at all."

Moving on to the romantic relationship between the two main characters

Spoiler

damn, I remember that scene where they fought behind the kasbah and Karou ended up dazed

, I think nothing was lost between them. Sure thing, she felt like Juliet, she believed that Akiva has killed her race, but she can’t do it. She can’t avoid it. That fervent feeling they’ve got for each other was only fogged--and God forbid that that fog would last a lifetime--and in the end they finally saw themselves establishing that dream together, with their fellow comrades, though not the exact way they had imagined. And don’t worry, the lack of them showing affection to each other is not a factor of my wishing for their reunion, because I know deep inside that there they are. Butterflies.

All in all, I deeply enjoyed this book. Laini Taylor’s writing is fascinating and moving, rich with words that describe scenes so vividly (though I didn’t know what a couscous was) and sentences that explain every thought and action in the best way imaginable. Like the first, this is a masterpiece. However, this has developed wings and it’s soaring above all us, who, I assume, is anticipating what happens next.

P.S. I do not like getting hanged. Over and over.