Published 2011, US hardback edition (not pictured), library copy.
Wow! I've heard so much about this book and I'm so glad I read it.
Laini Taylor's beautiful writing + a unique fantasy world + a Romeo and Juliet love story = an amazing novel!
The story moves along at a great pace -- so much happens and the characters go through so much. Karou is an awesome protagonist -- curious determined, funny, but she also feels like something is missing in her. She grew up with a group of chimaera -- creatures from fantasy stories, made up of various animals. She doesn't know where they came from or where she herself came from, and the arrival of a mysterious seraphim drastically changes her life.
The characters and the world work together to make an entrancing story. There is so much going on -- romance, the war, family, loyalty. The fantasy/magic world is unique, both dark and creative, drawing from folklore and religions but also injecting new life and original ideas.
The romance is phenomenal! I find myself look for more romance in my books than I used to, and this one was not lacking. There is so much chemistry, love, and heartbreak, all wrapped up in Taylor's beautiful writing.
The ending tied so much together yet at the same time was a semi-cliffhanger. September can't get here fast enough!
Cover thoughts: Everyone loved the US cover, but I thought it was kind of. . .sloppy. I actually thought it was a self-published book for a while. I like the UK cover much more (the one pictured).
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