Dreams of Gods & Monsters

Starred review from March 24, 2014
In the final book of the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy, Taylor revives the strong interweaving of reality and fantasy that gave the first story such cross-genre appeal. When a seraphim army with a terrifying message arrives in Rome, fittingly taking up residence at the Vatican, humanity is brought face to face with the chimaera and seraphim universes. Meanwhile, Karou and Akiva, now in control of their respective armies, doggedly pursue their dream of forging an alliance between their enemy races and themselves. The opening scene introduces a new character, a scientist with a secret past; her story builds in satisfyingly intricate pieces to culminate in a pivotal role. The twists and turns of the dense plot deepen the complexity and the danger, leading to a potential apocalypse. Delivering less blood and gore than Days of Blood & Starlight and more yearningâfor love, for peace, for a homeâthan both preceding books, the story is borne along by an increasingly strong undercurrent: the hope of overcoming embedded prejudices and instinctual hatreds to create a more harmonious world. Ages 15âup. Agent: Jane Putch, Eyebait Licensing & Literary Management.

March 1, 2014
Destiny and love commingle despite, it sometimes seems, the author's best efforts to prevent them in this culmination to the 1,000-year war between angelic beasts and bestial angels. Taylor takes up the tale where it left off in Days of Blood and Starlight (2012). Mad, scarred angel Jael leads a shining, 1,000-strong Dominion to this world in search of the human weapons that will at last exterminate the despised chimaera. Meanwhile, back on parallel Eretz, blue-tressed Karou and winged Akiva concoct a desperate scheme to unite the remnants of the chimaera army with the Misbegotten--rebel seraphim. The teeming welter of betrayals, anguished sacrifices, abrupt reversals and revelations entails gut-wrenching choices ("Uncomplicated," remarks Karou at one pass. "What's that like?"). Despite this, not only does a fragile peace seem possible--albeit expedited by a previously clandestine third power bearing news of a much older, larger conflict--but the author metes out just deserts to the despicable characters while consummating the central romantic relationship (and several secondary ones) in discreet but fully satisfactory ways. Furthermore, the author's gift for poetically intense language is on display everywhere, from chapter titles ("The Abyss's Mad Gawk") to general description: "Her heartbeat felt like cannon fire--doomful and deep and reverberating through her entire body," etc. Delicious. Despite being speeded to resolution, an ambitious, gorgeously edgy drama lit up by its coruscating characters and prose. (Fantasy. 13 & up)

COPYRIGHT(2014) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

May 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-Eliza Jones, a research fellow at Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, wakes from a recurring nightmare to the discovery that angels have appeared in the sky above Uzbekistan. Unbeknownst to Eliza, she is the linchpin upon which the salvation of worlds depends. The battle is well and truly on in this finale to the "Daughter of Smoke and Bone" trilogy (Little, Brown). Star-crossed lovers Karou and Akiva have fleeting moments together as their worlds threaten to implode in a power struggle hemmed by uneasy alliances and surprise players. Jael, the psychopathic emperor, has made good on his threat to invade the human world, and human authorities, ecclesiastical and political, struggle to make sense of the shining angels negotiating for human weapons of mass destruction. With the soul of Karou's friend Siri sealed into the body of chimaera leader Thiago, the slim possibility of alliance and survival exists. Revelations and betrayals, multitudinous characters and fulfilled prophecies speed past in a blur of action and intensity. The introduction of Eliza this late in the game is convenient but useful, since she provides the knowledge that gives victory to the rebellion. Characterizations serve the plot and do not achieve any notable depth, but the momentum is more than enough to keep the pages turning. The obstacles between Karou and Akiva multiply exponentially and finally dissipate. The conclusion promises resurrection, renewal, and long-postponed love happily resolved, and that should satisfy even the most meticulous fans.-Janice M. Del Negro, GSLIS Dominican University, River Forest, IL

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2014
Grades 8-12 In Taylor's third and final installment in her Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy, Karou and Akiva's dream of peace and a life together comes tantalizingly close, only to be repeatedly thwarted by their peoples' separate and conflicting histories, both mystical and real. Joined by angels and chimaera, Karou and Akiva lead their armies and fight side by side to prevent the apocalypse by banishing Jael, captain of the Dominion of Seraphim, from the earth he is determined to destroy. New revelations, characters, multiple love stories, and constant plot twists and suspense will not disappoint Taylor's many fans, who will also appreciate the novel's subtle philosophical undercurrents about racial harmony and the profound difficulty of making choices that reconcile duty, the greater good, and personal happiness. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Angels! Chimaera! Seraphim! Marketing plansand fans' online discussions have been ramping up for months in anticipation of this best-selling series finale.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

July 28, 2014
A mesmerizing conclusion to this popular fantasy trilogy will leave fans utterly satisfied. A band of angels descends to Earth, and humanity is brought face to face with the chimaera and seraphim universes. Meanwhile, Karou and Akiva, now in control of their respective armies, doggedly pursue their dream of forging an alliance between their enemy races and themselves. The Romeo and Juliet-esque love affair between Karou and Akiva is described in well-balanced tender moments with a backdrop of battles, terror, and various life-threatening situations. The narration is tight and skillful, giving listeners heart-stopping action as well as a deftly paced backstory. Taylor’s often-poetic prose is translated with incredible voice talent, balancing lyricism and brutality with masterful skill. Short musical interludes complement Hvam’s performance and add to the atmosphere of the book as a whole. For new listeners, this isn’t a story that one can jump into, with a multitude of characters introduced in the beginning. A Little, Brown hardcover.

July 1, 2014
The trilogy's concluding book (Daughter of Smoke &Bone; Days of Blood & Starlight) adds new character Eliza Jones, who suffers apocalyptic visions and proves to be the link from past to future. For all the well-made trappings of fantasy and horror, the patchwork amalgamation of myth and legend, the machinations of plot, and the colorful ensemble characters, this story remains a romance.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

May 1, 2014
Although a new, uneasy truce between chimaera and seraphim is tested by betrayal, it holds fast, allowing Karou and Akiva the chance to forgive each other and reconcile. This sets the stage for looming confrontations, not just with the despotic seraph Jael in Rome, but also with the mysterious Stelians back in Eretz. Just as the second book elevated the trilogy (Daughter of Smoke & Bone, rev. 11/11; Days of Blood & Starlight, rev. 1/13) from urban fantasy to high fantasy, so this concluding book raises it further to epic high fantasy with the addition of a new character, Eliza Jones, a doctoral candidate with a strange past who suffers apocalyptic visions and proves to be the link from past to future. For Akiva, this means becoming more powerful and godlike than anyone could have imagined. Karou enjoys a brief respite with him (at the end of the novel) before the impending war with the titular monsters: "It was not a happy ending, but a happy middle at last, after so many fraught beginnings." For all the well-made trappings of fantasy and horror, the patchwork amalgamation of myth and legend, the machinations of plot, and the colorful menagerie of ensemble characters, this story remains, at heart, a romance -- clear-eyed, tender, and satisfying. jonathan hunt

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)