Daughter Of Smoke And Bone is a fantastic young adult book written by Laini Taylor. It has been awarded as one of the best YA Books of All Time by Time Magazine.
The book is a classic young adult fantasy, featuring a coming-of-age story, entwined with mythical creatures, the paranormal, angels, and romance.
The story begins with the protagonist Karou, a young art student who lives in Prague. All over the world, mysterious black handprints begin to appear, left by winged strangers that have come through a slit in the sky.
Karou is soon swept up in an otherworldly war, becoming entangled with one of the winged strangers, Akiva. Karou finds herself in a world full of secrets, hoping to uncover the truth about herself and her past.
Daughter Of Smoke And Bone is followed by two other books in the New York Times bestselling trilogy, Days of Blood And Starlight, and Dreams Of Gods And Monsters. But, if you’ve read all three, and want something fresh and new, but similar to dig into, then I can help you.
If you enjoyed reading Daughter Of Smoke And Bone, and are looking for something similar to fill the void, then you should try reading Hush Hush, Fallen, Throne Of Glass, The City Of Bones, or The Wicked King.
Themes In Daughter Of Smoke And Bone
Star-Crossed Lovers
Daughter Of Smoke and Bone does have elements of romance, as the theme of star-crossed lovers becomes apparent around halfway through the book.
The two lovers must make sacrifices and compromises if they want to be together, but it feels like the whole world is against them.
Supernatural
This book is set in a deep, intricate world of supernatural creatures and magic. There are Chimaera, who are demons or monsters, and winged angels all around the protagonist.
Identity
Not only is Karou on a quest involving supernatural beings and great battles, but she is also on a journey to find herself.
She finds out that she is Madrigal resurrected, and is unsure how this affects her identity.
Does she simply have to leave Karou behind? Will she just have to forget about those 17 years of her life? She must figure out who she really is.
Lies And Deceit
Daughter Of Smoke And Bone is filled to the brim with lies and deceit. Karou has been deceived her whole life, and she must lie to others or everyone will know that she is not human.
Many characters are also betrayed throughout the book.
Books Like Daughter Of Smoke And Bone
If you want something similar to Daughter Of Smoke and Bone, I have some great options for you.
Hush Hush is another New York Times bestselling saga, focused on Nora Grey, a young girl who has never been much interested in boys at her school.
That is until Patch came along. He is handsome and alluring, and Nora finds herself drawn to him like never before.
Following a series of terrifying and fearful events, Nora is unsure who to turn to. Patch seems to appear everywhere she looks and somehow knows everything about her. She doesn’t know whether to go to him or run and hide from him.
Soon, Nora is mixed up in an epic and ancient battle between the Fallen, and the immortal. She must choose a side, but her choice could cost her her life.
This book is another supernatural young adult romance and is also followed by another three in the saga, Crescendo, Silence, and Finale.
Fallen is an exciting and dark romance series that is set to be made into a TV series too. It is a New York Times and USA Today Bestseller and has been voted one of the best teen novels.
The protagonist, Luce finds herself attracted to Daniel Grigori for some reason. He appears on her first day in boarding school, where students are tucked away and constantly watched by security.
Daniel tries his hardest to stay as far away from Luce as possible, but she can’t do the same. She is drawn to him so much so, and his mysterious nature enthralls her.
Luce has to find out what he is hiding, and why he is so secretive in this scary yet thrilling romance.
Throne Of Glass is set in a fantasy world, in a land devoid of magic. A King rules with an iron fist, and so an assassin is called to the castle. But she is not there to kill the King, she must win her freedom in a twisted game.
If the assassin is able to defeat a combination of warriors, killers, and thieves, she will be released from the prison walls of the castle. However, something evil is hiding within the walls, and her competitors begin dropping like flies.
Now, this is no longer a battle for freedom but a battle for survival, where the assassin must root out the evil before it takes over the kingdom.
The first book begins with Clary Fray, a seemingly normal girl, who witnesses a murder committed by three mysterious teenagers with strange weapons and even weirder tattoos.
They are Shadowhunters, secret warriors who protect the world against demons.
Clary is soon wrapped up in this world when her mother is kidnapped, and her home is overrun with disgusting demonic monsters.
But Clary’s connection to this world runs deeper than she knows, and she must discover why the Shadowhunters are so interested in her, particularly why Jace is interested in her.
The Wicked King is the second installment of The Folk Of The Air series, but it is very similar in nature to Daughter Of Smoke and Bone.
The protagonist Jude has discovered that Oak is the heir to the Faerie, and must do everything in her power to keep him safe.
She has bound the wicked king to her, so she has the power of the throne. With political unrest and betrayal all around her, Jude must find out who the traitors are to maintain control of the Faerie world.
Pros
This book’s story is enchanting and thrilling.
We have a strong female lead character.
It entails an elaborate fantasy world that you can get lost in.
Cons
Some readers find the storyline and pace a little slow.
Themes: Betrayal, Deceit, Romance, Young Adult, Fantasy.
Final Thoughts
If you are looking for a book that is as exciting, filled with supernatural beings, drama, betrayal, romance, and fantasy as Daughter Of Smoke and Bone, then you will enjoy any of the ones on this list.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Age Group Is Daughter Of Smoke And Bone?
The book is a young adult book, which is targeted at readers who are 12 and up.
However, this book does deal with some sensual themes and sensitive topics, so it could be worth giving to a more mature reader of 14 and up.
How Old Is Karou In Daughter Of Smoke And Bone?
Karou is 17 years old in the book and is an art student. She is raised by the ‘chimaera’; Brimstone, Twiga, Yasri, and Issa.
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