One sentence and I’m enthralled - Laini Taylor managed it once more.This book was all I hoped it to be – there was humor, originality, love and so much heartbreak. The writing gets to me in a way that barely any other book manages. The world the author builds holds me captivated like only a very good fantasy series is able to do. The writing has an almost lyrical quality to it, I’m not quite sure how to explain it but one thing is for sure – I could read about this series for days on end but like all good things it came to an end (Really, 500 pages aren't nearly enough ;)). And what an end it was. I should’ve listened when I heard that there was a cliffhanger that would leave me waiting for almost 2 years. There are so many characters, plots and subplots that it’s sometimes hard to keep track of them all but nonetheless I want to know more about each and every one of these characters – good and bad. Laini Taylor has an exceptional gift to engage her readers and make them care about every single character. The plot kept surprising me - I always had many theories but there was always a different twist waiting for me that I hadn’t thought of. Unlike Daughter of Smoke & Bone, the second installment was darker. Karou and Akiva were confronted with the reality of things and we get to read how each of them deals with their hardships and trials.
