Taylor, Laini. Daughter of Smoke and Bone, New York: Little Brown & Co., 2011.
17 year old Karou is the main character in Taylor's fantasy. She is independent (living in romantic mysterious Prague as an art student) yet seeks human connection as well as her personal origins. Karou's only family are the chimera, mixed human creatures, that send her on teeth collecting missions around the world through magical portals. Mystery surrounds Karou's beginnings, what the teeth are for and why she is drawn towards an enemy of the chimera, a beautiful angel named Akiva. Taylor's pacing is spot-on. She reveals plot and characterization seamlessly and her writing style is both visceral and elegant. This novel will have cross-genre appeal as it blends realism, fantasy, and supernatural romance into one. Readers will be anxiously awaiting the next in the series. Grades 9 and up.
Reviews and Awards:
~"A breath-catching romantic fantasy about destiny, hope, and the search for one's self." NY Times Book Review
~"Young adults who enjoy fantasy, romance, and mystery will find this book difficult to put down."
VOYA
~ Publishers Weekly Best Children's Books
~School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
