Cover War: Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Cover War is something I decided to start doing after seeing different covers for the same book. I realized that I liked some covers better than others. For example one book might have a different cover for its US and UK copies. I thought making this "Cover War" feature would be a fun way of showing the different covers and why I like one more than the other.

I probably won't have a Cover War for each book that has a different cover. This will most likely only be a sporadic post for "special" covers or books.

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Today's Cover War is between what I believe is the original US Hardcover and the final US Hardcover of Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor. The cover that I think was the original US cover may just be the cover for a country other than the US, so feel free to correct me if I'm wrong! The original US Hardcover is to the left and the final US Hardcover is to the right.

Both covers actually do hold significance in the story, but there is a clear winner in my eyes. The winner of this Cover War is the final US Hardcover. I'll admit that the original does hold more significance than the final cover, but the final cover is so much more appealing.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Title: Daughter of Smoke and Bone
Author: Laini Taylor
Published: September 27, 2011 by Little, Brown and Company
Pages: 420/Hardcover
Series: Daughter of Smoke and Bone #1
Source: bought


Summary: Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky. 

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

Review: I've only ever read about chimaera in books that were mythology based, and even then they were only talked about in passing. So to have an entire book about them and finally get to learn what exactly they were was very interesting and fun.


I started out loving Daughter of Smoke and Bone. The setting was fresh and amazing, and I love Karou and her friends. They were real and intriguing. Getting to know Brimstone and his art (even though you don't really know what he does) was also fascinating. That's another thing. This book is one big surprise by the end. There's really know way to guess what's going on with the teeth or the chimaera unless you've read similar stories about them. 


I liked Akiva, but when he came into the story was where my interest lagged. I didn't like how he and Karou had that "insta-love" connection. I did like them together, I just think it happened too fast with not a lot of development. But once they were together and things started picking up my interest was rekindled!


My favorite part had to be the last part where we learn about Madrigal's history and Akiva's history and pretty much all of the history of angels and chimaera that's pertinent to the story. You find out everything in this part. What the teeth mean, what the title means (Yes it is relevant! HUZZAH!), and so much more!


Daughter of Smoke and Bone immediately caught my attention with its beautiful setting and fascinating characters. Unfortunately my interest waned with a bit of cheesy love but was revived with the history of both the characters and different paranormal races. This book is intriguing, fast paced, and an overall breath of fresh air to the fantasy/paranormal genre!


More Books by Laini Taylor
Lips Tough: Three Times
Blackbringer
Silksinger