Taylor, L. (2012). Days of Blood and Starlight. Great Brittan: Hodder & Stoughton.
ISBN-13: 978-0316133982
Genre: Fantasy,
Romance, Chimera, Angels, War, Genocide
Reading level/
interest age: 16+
Plot summary:
Sequel to Daughter of
Smoke and Bone, the story starts off with Karou finding her way back to
Eretz. Karou’s joy at being home quickly vanishes. The town she lived in has
been destroyed by angels lead by Akiva, her former lover, along with everyone
who lived there. Full of the memories from her previous life, she takes up the
mantle of resurrectionist in a mad attempt to bring back the lost town’s
inhabitants.
Another chimera, Thiago, warlord of the chimera empire,
finds Karou and brings her to a safe haven back on Earth so that she can work
safely there. Karou is at first shamed because her love for Akiva caused their
current situation but she slowly grows resentful at Thiago’s demands for more
work. Already at her wits end, Karou cannot take much more abuse from him. Just
when Karou begins to wonder if she should escape, her two friends from art
school show up at their camp. Shocked, Karou is delighted to see them and
immediately fearful for their survival. Akiva ends up finding the camp as well
and seeks Karou’s forgiveness along with her aid. In order to defeat the
angels, Thiago and Karou might have to work alongside a select few if chimera
wish to have any chance of a future.
Reader’s annotation:
Karou is devastated when her memories come back to her and
she remembers that Akiva is responsible for the destruction of almost the
entirety of her chimera race. However, if she wants a chance at revenge, she
might have to put aside her feelings and work with Akiva to achieve it.
Information about the
author:
“Laini Taylor was born 1971 in Chico, California. She moved
around a lot growing up (Hawaii, Italy, Belgium, Virginia, California) and can
speak some French and Italian. She graduated from Fountain Valley High School
in Orange County CA in 1989 and then from UC Berkeley with a degree in English
in 1994.
“She has always wanted to be a writer and past jobs include
working as a travel book editor (Lonely Planet), a bookseller, a waitress, and
an illustrator/designer. She is married with a daughter”
(FantacyBookReview.com, 2014).
Curriculum ties: N/A
Booktalking ideas:
1.
Would you team up with the person who killed you
if it meant saving your entire race?
2.
Do you think Karou was right to let her friends
stay with her?
Critical evaluation:
Days of Blood and
Starlight is no less amazing than the first book in the series. Readers are
transported to different worlds, exposed to different creatures, deal with
interspecies love, confront genocide, and wonder about the capacity for
forgiveness. Karou is a very strong female character who is not tied down by
her love for Akiva or defined by it. She is a great role model for remaining
mature and calm under pressure.
This book is only disappointing in that it is so borderline
between adult fiction and young adult. The writing is just below the adult
standard as the descriptions lack depth and most of the characters besides
Karou are too juvenile to make the harder decisions faced in life. Slightly
more effort on the author’s part really could have made all the difference and
turned this series from a good read into a great one. Still, the author did a
great job for her first works and Days of
Blood and Starlight is a fantastic continuation of the story.
Challenge issues: N/A
Why included:
Days of Blood and
Starlight is an amazing sequel to Daughter
of Smoke and Bone that continues the extraordinary story of Karou. I
believe the book teaches us to hold onto hope even when things are at their
darkest.
Reference:
FantacyBookReview.com. (2014). Laini Taylor biography. Retrieved August 22, 2014 from
http://www.fantasybookreview.co.uk/Laini-Taylor/biography.html
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