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Book Review of Days of Blood and Starlight (Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Bk 2)

Days of Blood and Starlight (Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Bk 2)
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I was surprised to find how much I enjoyed returning to Karous world of chimaera. And then I was surprised again when I found myself incredibly bored, heartened only by the short chapters and a few moments of brilliance from Karou.

The first half of this book was really difficult for me to get through. All of the main characters (Karou, Akiva, Zuzana) are separated and for some reason it takes 200 pages to basically catch the reader up on each of their lives. Interspersed were chapters from other characters points-of-view that were stuck in just as plot movers so that the reader could see parts of the war that the main characters werent privy to. This really slowed down the story and made me feel like I was drowning in plot (and misery).

The second half of the book picks up when Zuzana and Karou are finally reunited, but I can only admit to being fully rapt for about half of the remaining chapters. Very little of Akivas story held my interest, and as I have no personal stake in Karou/Akiva I didnt really care if they found their way back to each other or not. (In fact, after this book, I am firmly in the Karou/Ziri camp.)

This book was written with the knowledge that there would be one more book to come, and it really shows. There is no end to this one; it ends more like a breath is held. The purpose, Im sure, is to make me really want to read the next book, but honestly this one wore me out and Im going to have to take a break from Karous world yet again.