Review for Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor

Days of Blood & Starlight is written by Laini Taylor. It is the sequel to Daughter of Smoke & Bone. The third installment of the series is not yet titled but is expected to be released early 2014.


Days of Blood and Starlight thrusts you back into the world of Akiva and Karou. Akiva is dealing with the consequences of his actions, which include betraying the love of his life. he finds it hard to redeem himself but special circumstances reveal a way that he can try. Karou is helping the rebellion by resurrecting soldiers. but as she gets less complacent and more curious about what the rebels are actually doing, she discovers that her side is just as bloodthirsty as the angels.

as always with a series, i vaguely remember what happened in the first book. that is the case here. especially since i read Daughter of Smoke & Bone over a year ago. thank my lucky stars that this book goes over the important parts that i need to know in order to understand what the hell i'm reading. i can tell you for sure that this book kicked the first one's ass. the heroes are more complex, the enemies are more evil, and the writing is out of this world. Laini Taylor just sucks you into her world and there is no getting out of it. it's been 20 minutes since i've put the book down and i'm still shaken about some of the shit i was put through reading this.

this is not a happy feeling book. it's honest and brutal and violent. people are dying in almost every chapter and Taylor does not spare the details. each chapter cuts into your heart as you are shown every angle of the war between seraphim and chimaera. there are multiple narrators in this story which adds a different layer to it. you would read a scene from two different view points and it added a twist that you didn't even know existed.

the characters were the best part of the story to me. Karou and Akiva's heartbreak was...heartbreaking. as  they come into each other's lives just to leave again, you can feel their anger and anguish. i hope they find happiness in the next book but i don't think that's in the cards for them. Taylor does not sugarcoat the war she writing about and i wouldn't like it if she did. but on a brighter note, i'm glad that certain people are dead. i mean i was hoping with all my soul that they would die and i'm glad my dreams came true. the real surprise character that i related to was Liraz. as Akiva's sister you only got that she was a proud soldier and disgusted with Akiva's love for Karou. but this book broke through her facade and you get to know another side to her. i hope to hear from her POV more in the next book.

this is one of the best books i've read so far this year and it comes highly recommended. and out of all these YA books that are popping up in the theaters, this is one series i wouldn't mind seeing.

5 STAR RATING

Review for Unwholly by Neal Shusterman

Unwholly is the second book in the Unwind series written by Neal Shusterman. The first book is Unwind and the third book, which has yet to be released, is titled Unsouled.


i don't really remember what happened in the first book. i have a vagueness about the main events but can't tell you what they were. thankfully you don't need to know exactly what took place in Unwind to follow this book. you might appreciate it more but you can still follow it. all you need to know is that things are going to be even harder for Risa, Connor, and Lev this time around.

the book starts off with a new character named Starkey who you know is going to be a problem. every one of his chapters are him singing his praises and how he's this and that and a bag of chips. he is not a hero in this story nor is he a bad guy you love to hate. i just disliked him and everything he stood for. in dire times it is best to stick together and unite, not look out for yourself or certain people like SPOILER Storks SPOILER i hope he gets what he deserves in the third book because i would like nothing more than to see him perish in the most ironic of ways.

Connor is struggling to keep the Graveyard running smoothly. he has yet to fit into the role of leader and has to deal with the consequences because of it. his chapters were a hit and miss for me. before he was betrayed, i liked hearing about the struggle within himself. his "unwound" arm, running the Graveyard, and dealing with Risa were issues that i cared about. but once it seemed like SPOILER Risa deserted the Whollies and was a spokesperson for unwinding SPOILER, i was turned off by his whining. it was all "I should have done this" or "This is not the way it was supposed to go." dude, get your shit together. it was unrealistic to think that everyone was going to survive. i'm kinda hoping he dies before this series is over.

Lev and Risa were both amazing. i remember loving them in the first book and that just carried over into this one. Lev has to deal with a cult while Risa has to deal with SPOILER being healed SPOILER. their plot lines were the strongest and i would write more about them but i'm all bitched out over Connor and Starkey. but believe me when i say that they're the reason to read this book. i loved the alternating chapters between the characters. with a story this big and complex you have to get all the voice-overs you can get. everyone feels and reacts differently to unwinding, making the story even more real. having to wait for the last book is going to be hard but i'll be patient. good things come to those that wait.