Laini Taylor is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers, thanks to the gorgeous emotional landscapes that her lyrical prose always ends up painting for me. In this short book, she uses that gift – and the help of actual illustrations from her husband Jim Di Bartolo – to revisit a side story from the first novel in her Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy, sharing the magical first date between two of its minor characters. Taylor brilliantly captures the excitement and wonder as Zuzana and Mik come together one night in the snow-swept streets of Prague, and although the character voice is more quirky and irreverent than what the author usually writes, it’s every bit as warm.
The whole book is pretty much an extended deleted scene, and it’s in no way essential to anything in the rest of the trilogy. It’s just one isolated moment between two new lovers, and it could probably even be read by someone who didn’t know the context of the larger story. But if you’ve read and loved the series already, this companion novella is definitely worth seeking out.
I am so excited for Furyborn! I was ever since I read the plot on Goodreads. Two queens in prophecy, but a 1000 years apart? I’m calling that a unique idea in YA fantasy. The book also looks pretty amazing, and after reading it I am still just as enthusiastic about Claire Legrand’s Furyborn. I wonder what’s going to happen in the next books, and even though we got some answers now, there is still…
Next up on the papercraft backlog - this one! Inspired by StrangeTheDreamer by Laini Taylor , featured on the Illumicrate mug that was included in the recent DOSAB Collections Edition box!
I really love how both of Laini’s series have drastic contrasts of themes between light and dark, good and evil, ally and foe - and those themes really directed concept for this. The chaotic field of moths dissolving out of Sarai’s dress balanced out the buttery-smooth golden beasts flowing from Lazlo’s book as the two are joined in the middle, meeting somewhere halfway between dreams and nightmares.
Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy is a daily deal for Saturday, July 11th, at Amazon and B&N (sorry, iBooks users!). Each book in the series is $1.99 today only.
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 grows 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 beautiful, haunted Akiva fixes fiery 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?
“You’re a storyteller. Dream up something wild and improbable,“ she pleaded. “Something beautiful and full of monsters.” “Beautiful and full of monsters?“ “All the best stories are.” ― Laini Taylor, Strange the Dreamer
Just wanted to show you all my latest personal illustration I did. This time I did Sarai from the Strange the Dreamer duology by @lainit. I really wanted to do this character for a long, I just like doing different skin colors, it’s really fun . Well! Hope you like the final result.⠀⠀
More Lazlo WIP! Do you guys like seeing WIPs?? What do you want? Do you want anything? I want to have no responsibilities in life except for finishing this Lazlo painting ahhhh
A fanart of a scene that has not yet happened but I don’t doubt will. Sarai and Karou from Strange the Dreamer/Muse of Nightmares and Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Karou from Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
The first fanart I did in the new year. Back to an old love =) I think, next time I want to imagine Karou and crew meeting up with Lazlo and gang. I’d love a book about that! but till then, imagination will have to see me through.
