Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor

Received for review
Hardcover: 528 pages

• Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton (8 Nov 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1444722670
• ISBN-13: 978-1444722673
• Sequel to Daughter of Smoke & Bone
• Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love and dared to imagine a new way of living – one without massacres and torn throats and bonfires of the fallen, without revenants or bastard armies or children ripped from their mothers’ arms to take their turn in the killing and dying.
  
  Once, the lovers lay entwined in the moon’s secret temple and dreamed of a world that was a like a jewel-box without a jewel – a paradise waiting for them to find it and fill it with their happiness.
  
  This was not that world.
• Cover: At first I wasn't a big fan of the UK covers for Daughter of Smoke and Bone & Days of Blood and Starlight, but they've definitely grown on me.  This one in particular.  When I first saw pictures of it online I wasn't amazed or anything, but in person, this cover is stunning.

I finally read Daughter of Smoke and Bone last month and loved it so much.  It instantly became a new favourite, and I couldn't wait to delve into the sequel.

I wasn't disappointed at all!

It flowed on from book 1 so well, and I was just as hooked.

Everything about it was so well developed, plot, characters and the writing is what really makes these books, beautiful, almost poetic but then some parts can be very witty and cutting.

The characters make this book so special.  They're all so individual and vibrant, that it's so fun to read about them.

I loved Karou's character more in book 1, and in this one she's a little harder to like, I didn't agree with a lot of her decisions so I was practically screaming 'Oh My God NOOOO' at some parts, but I always understood how she felt and why she felt she had to do what she did.

Akiva...there are not enough words to describe how much I love his character.

Zuzana is the highlight of this book.  Karou's best friend is described as a 'rabid fairy' and her energy, loyalty and humour give a much needed lighthearted-ness to the book.  She is the ultimate best friend character so I loved that we got more parts from her point of view.

I took my time reading this because I didn't want it to end, I just wanted to carry on turning the pages forever and I was sad when it came to an end, so I can't wait for the third book next year- one of, if not my most highly anticipated release of 2013.

I really hope there is a happy ending for Karou and Akiva and I can't wait to find out.

Without a doubt 5/5 stars!  If you haven't read this series you need to!  I recommend this to absolutely everyone!