The Sunday Times Bestseller. Daughter of Smoke and Bone Trilogy Book 3

“Twice-daughter, my joy. Your dream is my dream, and your name is true. You are all of our hope.”

I've been looking forward to this book for what seems like a very long time. And I'm very pleased to say it did not disappoint. It wasn't perfect (I'll get into that later), but it was damn close.

The book picks up right as the Angels (led by Jael) arrive on Earth, and we're immediately introduced to a new human character named Eliza who appears to have quite the mysterious past. It seems odd to introduce someone new, and apparently major, this far into the trilogy but it does eventually pay off (somewhat....again, we'll get to that later).
As for Karou, Akiva, and all our old favorites, we actually back track a bit from where the last book left off (with the Angels and Chimaera already in the Kirin Caves), and we get to see how they eventually ended up there.

For the most part, fans of the book will get closure on their favorite characters from the previous books (well, the ones that survive). I was elated (with tears in my eyes) with where some of them end up. One of Laini Taylor's strengths is in creating characters that you fall in love with. Even ones that start off as unlikeable (Liraz) could end up being your outright favorite by the end. There were a few notable exceptions when it comes to closure though. For example, my favorite character from Book 2, Sveva doesn't appear in the book at all (I guess my hope for her and Rath ending up together will need to stay as fan-fiction).

The major storyline that was set up in book 1 and 2 (Angel/Chimaera War) is seen through to a worthy conclusion. It came a bit earlier than I expected, with nearly 20% left in the book for the resolution, but still it was quite satisfying. It was equal parts, exciting, infuriating (on purpose) and at times heartbreaking.

It's that last 20% (well, technically the last 8%) of the book where I am I not sure what to think. Spoilers to follow:

SPOILER BELOW:
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Eliza (now with the memories of her kin) informs them that the myth of the Godstars is one yet to happen....and that *gasp* THEY are the Godstars. Destined to fight off the darkness in an epic war.
The trilogy is over, but now we have this new piece of knowledge. We aren't told when this war will take place, or who will survive the battle (many are slain, one hundred survive). Though if you take the myth literally, those that survive ARE the Godstars, so maybe we do know a few of the 100 who survive (Akiva, Karou, Mik, Zuzanna, Liraz, Ziri, Rath, etc). I don't know, like I said, I don't know how I feel about this. It almost feels as if the author is setting up another book. That the Daughter of Smoke and Bone was just the warm up for the real story. Or maybe we're just meant to believe that these characters were fated to come together, and eventually save the world and succeed? The story is about how they came together...so maybe we already know the important part....
I'm just rambling...I'll stop now.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
END SPOILER

So yeah...take away that one part, and I absolutely LOVED the book. Without a doubt, it stands aside The Hunger Games, His Dark Materials, and Harry Potter as one of my favorite series of all time.

I loved books 1 & 2 and book 3...until the final few chapters. Im not a little kiddie or a young adult. I am a grown woman happily married for right at 33 years.

The ending was not only atrocious for the characters but was vicious for the readers who have laughed, loved and cried along with Karou and Akiva.

To Laini: WTF!! I will never again spend my hard earned money on anything by you.

At some point I'll do a proper review, I will but this isn't going to be it.
I'm dead, this book killed me, I come to you as a ghost and tell you to read this book and fall in love and feel my heartbreak.

I never throw around this word, but I will use it with capital letters right now:

EPIC.

DREAMS OF GODS AND MONSTERS by Laini Taylor, the conclusion to her Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy, is truly epic… Not to mention, it’s poetic, incredible, stunning and one heck of a (perfectly solid) finale.

Honestly, I will tell you right now: I am a hugely insane, forget everything you thought you knew about me because I am out of control, fan of Laini’s writing. There was very little chance that this book wasn’t going to “wow” me. I mean, yeah, there’s always a chance, but… no. Disappointment didn’t happen at all here. Not even one ioda of disappointment. I was in love with all 624 pages – and most likely 150k+ words – of this book. Will it be for everybody? I don’t know – and really, I don’t care. I loved this book… The series… Everything. As a (basically rabid and salivating at the mouth) fan of the series, I can tell you that the conclusion will not disappoint.

From chapter one, there were fireworks between me and DREAMS OF GODS AND MONSTERS. Starting with the first chapter, I was reminded as to why I love Laini’s writing so much. Even the simplest of passages, such as…

“Revenant soldiers and Misbegotten, together. At best, it would be miserable. At worst, devastating. But in spite of his misgivings, it was as if there was a brightness beckoning to him – the future, rich with light, calling him toward it…”

And…

“…For just a moment, in spite of the burden of the weapons bag, and the thuribles, and her pack – not to mention the anvil weight of her duty and the deception and the future of two worlds – Karou felt almost light. Hopeful.”

If you recall, Days of Blood and Starlight was rife with sorrow and death and deception and pain (literally, lots and lots of pain). DREAMS OF GODS AND MONSTERS is still full of pain and deception and plenty of things bad, but where there is sadness here, there is also hope lining every page. The entire book contains a perfect see-saw of emotions that will keep readers turning the pages, forgetting just how many of them have been turned and how many have yet to be touched.

In the end you may not physically be in the happiest place on earth (or, who knows, maybe you will be), but you will certainly feel as though you’ve been there thanks to DREAMS OF GODS AND MONSTERS.

DREAMS OF GODS AND MONSTERS begins mere hours after the conclusion of Days of Blood and Starlight (3 hours, to be exact). We are introduced to a new character right off the bat – someone who will play a larger part than you can presently imagine. Some people may boo and hiss at this detail, but alas, the character is almost as likable as Zuzana and Mik or, at the very least, as much as Liraz. Eliza… What an intriguing character to follow. (And that is all I will say about that.)

Just as intriguing as the new character are the interactions between our two most familiar characters, Karou and Akiva. Their story begins at the kazbah in Morocco. Over and over again, their paths cross – with the shadow of previous deceptions still weighing on their shoulders. More than once I found myself yelling at the two of them out loud to just TALK to each other and work things out... But that’s really only because I am such a mushy-gushy Madrigal/Karou-Akiva fangirl. Yes, I admit it. I am a shipper. I was devastated at the end of Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and seeing them as enemies in Days of Blood and Starlight was pure torture. Will they ever get together again? I will not say. Either way, their story is so, so very satisfying and ends in the most appropriate of ways, regardless of whether or not they get their “happily ever after”.

But back to the story: In DREAMS OF GODS AND MONSTERS, the combined troupes of chimaera and Misbegotten must work together to save their world and ours… Honestly, I have often wondered how humanity would react if beings like “angels” or “demons” ever did descend to our level. Laini answers these questions in the most logical of ways, with people reacting to their presence in the name of both religion and science. She handles what could easily become a touchy subject both tastefully and with grace. No obvious opinion on the subject of religion can be seen within these pages. Although religious themes are present, the reader can still enjoy the story for what it is: pure fantasy, through and through.

In DREAMS OF GODS AND MONSTERS, Zuzana and Mik are featured more prominently than ever before. Thanks to their novella, Night of Cake and Puppets, we know enough about their relationship to have strong feelings for both of them. Thanks to them we witness some very, very creative usage of wishes – one or two of which have a major impact on the overall story. On that note I say: Keep on keeping on, Zuzana and Mik! You two have proven that I want you in my corner if anything bad were to happen to me!

Did I mention that this book is beyond gorgeous? Not just Laini’s words – which anyone who has already begun the series can see are quite impressive – but also the scale of her world(s) and her story. The book is divided into parts; half taking place in Eretz, as the chimaera and Misbegotten attempt to work out their “truce”, and the other half on Earth. First we get to experience the building tension involved in an unsteady alliance and the planning of war and and then we get even more tension as an “espionage-esque” mission is carried out. Somewhere in-between there’s also some glorious flying, including a scene that contained some of my favorite words in fiction, ever.

Alas, just when you think the story is over – and there couldn’t possibly be anything more to befall the surviving characters – the ultimate bombshell of the entire series is dropped.

My reaction?

O.O!!!!

You’ll have to read it to believe it.

Pros:
- Everything.
- Gorgeous writing.
- Unforgettable characters
- Worlds beyond imagining.
- Romantic fantasy at its best.
- It is everything that a conclusion should be.
- …Chimaera.
- …Neek-neek!!!

Cons:
- Nothing?
- No seriously. Nothing.
- …I mean, maybe the page count might scare people off?
- But seriously, don’t let that scare you…
- Or the epic bombshell at the end.
- (It’s perfect.)

I hereby declare DREAMS OF GODS AND MONSTERS THE BOOK of 2014. In addition, I implore EVERYONE… be you a reader of young adult fiction (or not), a fan of fantasy novels (or not), a man or a woman, beast or god-like in appearance… to read this epic series.

Let the fireworks commence.

Plot: 10+
Characters: 10+
Setting: 10+
Pacing: 10+
Style: 10+

Grade: 100+

Dreams of Gods and Monsters is one of those books that inspires conflicting reactions upon finishing it, the overwhelming love of the previous two books predisposing us to adore this final book as well, but even with our desire to love at its highest, we find ourselves perhaps less enthused upon finishing than we might have hoped. Reading this final book is a bit like watching a chess match without a full understanding of the rules, well aware each move on the board is leading up to either victory or defeat, but our ignorance keeps us from emotionally engaging in the epic battle of strategy.

Much the same way, Ms. Taylor spends nearly the entirety of this impressively substantial final installment moving pieces around her board, but where the first two books felt like an intimate game between she and us as readers, Gods and Monsters sees our single chessboard expanded to include so many more, and the sheer enormity of the expansion leaves us feeling slightly adrift. New players are introduced, and with them comes enormous implications for Karou, Akiva and the rest of their ragtag group. Suddenly, the final battle we were prepared to face in this last book is rendered nearly insignificant as the shadow of the new threat creeps into clarity. We’re left then with an end that is in fact a beginning–unarguably fitting given Karou and Akiva have called themselves a beginning all along, but also a bit frustrating after everything the characters have been through in this series.

All of that being said however, Dreams of Gods and Monsters is as gorgeous a story as its predecessors, Ms. Taylor’s writing achingly beautiful and her characters the stuff of cherished memories. The core characters of Karou, Akiva, Zuze, Mik, Ziri and Liraz carry this tale even when the tying together of disparate plot threads slows the pace to a near crawl, the six of them acting as emotional anchors who keep us tethered to this world and its questionable fate. Overall, beloved fans of the series will undoubtedly be pleased with some of the truly stunning moments Ms. Taylor paints on page, and I certainly can’t wait to see what her astoundingly imaginative mind has in store for us next.

Rating: 3.5/5

Well, this was unexpected. It seriously never crossed my mind that I wouldn't enjoy Dreams of Gods and Monsters after absolutely loving the previous two books. Maybe my expectations were too high, or perhaps the book and I really just didn't mesh well. Either way, I'm saddened. I was beyond excited, but also nervous to find out how Karou and Akiva's story ends. This series has been heartbreaking and beautiful, but also full of hope and a little humor, but most of that was missing for me from this finale.

My biggest issue with Dreams of Gods and Monsters was that it felt long. It is long at just over 600 pages, but it felt never ending. There's a lot of detail, and many characters to follow, but it's also repetitive. Many scenes are repeated in adjacent chapters and this annoyed me to no end. It's not like I forgot what happened two pages ago and needed a reminder from another character's perspective. Then there's also repeats from earlier scenes that I don't think were needed. All of these things are short on their own, but they do add up and really messed with the pacing.

Another element that I didn't care for--and which added to the substantial length--was the introduction of Eliza. I simply wasn't interested in her from the beginning. She felt like an addition just so we had a way to see what was happening in the human world while the Seraphim/Chimaera war was starting. She does wind up being important at the end, but all of her chapters bored me. Most of them are the same: her worrying about her dreams and anyone finding out who she really is. Then I was bothered by the fact that she had run away from home as a teenager, and wants nothing to do with her family at all, and yet her mother calls and texts her constantly. This made no sense, and seemed to only serve as a way for someone to expose her identity. To what purpose? I have no clue. I think she hurt Dreams of Gods and Monsters more than she helped.

After the whole Eliza fiasco, I had to wonder what did happen in the human world after the war ended. I know it's not that important in the grand scheme of things, but humans were brought into it, so I want to know. There's no way to write away humans not noticing a swarm of angels, but what about when they found the Chimaera bodies? What about when the angels were gone? What happened to humanity?! Did they study the bodies? Write it all off as a hoax? What happened?! We see what happens in Eretz in the epilogue, but Earth is completely forgotten!

There were parts of Dreams of Gods and Monsters that I loved, but those scenes were few and far between. They also didn't grab at me the way the other two books did, which was disappointing. I loved the tension between Karou and Akiva! I wanted to smash their faces together almost as much as Zuzanna did! I also found myself oddly drawn to Razgut and actually wanted a novella or even a full story about him and his past. Zuzanna and Mik provided some lightness that I appreciated, but overall I found them a bit out of place.

So, in the end, Dreams of Gods and Monsters did not make me happy or satisfy my craving for more from this fantastic world. Everything felt drawn out and over complicated. And I'm not even going to pretend like I understood those last chapters all. It felt like a new book, with new world building, and a new plot was starting, then abruptly ending. It was a struggle for me to get through, since I felt like I was reading forever and making no progress. Dreams of Gods and Monsters will, of course, work for many fans of the series. I just couldn't get into it.

1. Daughter of Smoke & Bone ★★★★★
2. Days of Blood & Starlight ★★★
3. Dreams of Gods & Monsters ★★★★★

I am bereft of speech. Laini Taylor is my kind of storyteller. She's not afraid to go big. To be nuanced. To leave the reader filled to the brim with her tales of monsters, worlds and love.

She's also hard to read. The suspense felt like it was literally killing me at times. She is not afraid to create conflict so thorough that you are sure that everything and everyone you love is sure to die (Game of Thrones style) in her stories.

I hated, without fail, every book I read before that had angels in the subject matter. They always turned into angel beauty worship erotica on some level. They were often regurgitations that were as poorly imagined as they were written. No of these critiques can be laid at the feet of Laini Taylor and Daughter of Smoke & Bone.

This book is action packed, cooky with it's many surprising and very funny jokes and endearing.

I'm embarrassed to admit that the ending, with its wording and beauty, coaxed from me a single dramatic tear that my husband would have teased me mercilessly about if he had witnessed it.
What I love about Daughter of Smoke & Bone series, is that it doesn't really end. The final book is the beginning for the characters with untold stories that my own imagination is whirling around. Yet, I still feel an immense amount of closure. I really did enjoy this book.

Laini Taylor can take all of my money when she decides to create a universe in the form of a story!

The ending was satisfying for the most part. Going into the final book, there were three characters (Ziri, Liraz and Akiva) who I was deeply invested in, and Laini Taylor did not let me down with them. She definitely gave them satisfying resolutions.

But the words ... Oh godstars ... the words. How many times while reading this did I beg for a bit of Vonnegutian editing? "Every sentence must do one of two things--reveal character or advance the action." If it doesn't take it out. It might seem brutal, killing so much prose that an author clearly toiled over, but I, the reader, had no need for it. I sped-read so much of this book and I missed nothing important in doing so. So many of the words and chapters and scenes were unnecessary, especially anything with Mik and Zuzana, Razgut and Jael, or Eliza (her chapters were the most tedious and repetitive and I dreaded them and died inside everytime a new Eliza chapter surfaced). I literally had to speed-read much of the prose because if I hadn't, I would have given up. But I wanted to see what would happen to Akiva, Ziri and Liraz, so I waded through a swamp of purple prose. So much purple.

Laini Taylor is a good writer, but she needs a better editor. This book could have been 350-400 pages and told exactly the same story with the same emotions and gravitas, and if it had, I would have given it four or five stars. But it didn't, so I gave it two.

“Once upon a time, an angel and a devil pressed their hands to their hearts and started the apocalypse.”
~Laini Taylor, Dreams of Gods & Monsters

I do not have the words for how much I love this series. I cannot believe it took me so long to pick it up and read it. It is all so beautifully done. The love between Akiva and Karou:

“They were violin strings, the pair of them, ready to sing”

The beautiful friendship between Zuzanna and Karou:

“‘We’re playing Three Wishes’ she told her friend, “Cake, hot bath, soft bed. How bout you?’
‘World peace,’ said Karou.
Zuzana rolled her eyes. ‘Yes, Saint Karou.’”

The ongoing adorableness of Mik and Zuzana:

“‘You know what?’ Zuzana said. Mik looked up questioningly. ‘I am too going to complain. Why even bother living if you can’t complain about the absence of chocolate? What kind of life would that be?’
‘A pale one,’ said Mik. ‘But the absence of chocolate? What ’s wrong with this?’ He was pointing at the menu.
‘You better not be messing with me.’
‘I would never joke about chocolate,’ he said, hand to heart.”

And some new favorite characters, a lot of drama, and a seriously heart-breakingly beautiful ending. If you have not read this magical series yet, you really should. I am absolutely giving this book 5 stars.

I stumbled across the first book in the series (daughter of smoke and bone) while scrolling through the store recommendations and I instantly fell in love with it when I gave it a shot. Now that I have finished reading the trilogy I have to say that book 1 is still my favorite with each book in the series being less compelling than the last. Although I wanted to be blown away by a thrilling and epic conclusion to this unique and compelling world I have to say I was left overall disappointed and wanting more.

The good: As always this books is very well written,beautiful poetic passages fill every chapter and you could be swept off your feet reciting some of it to a lover.

Eliza is a compelling and likable character with a rich back story,she wound up being my favorite character in this book.

There is a lot of rich backstory and universal beginnings that take some unexpected turns towards the end.

Zuzana as usual steals every scene she is in.

The bad: The ending feels anticlimactic and uneventful

There are a lot of unanswered questions and loose threads left undone.

There is no epic all out battle,instead we get a LOT of talking about battle plans and tactics.

The middle drags on far too long

There are many themes and plot lines that become very repetitive and are repeated far too often throughout the story.

Some cringe worthy lovey dovey dialogue that feels more at home in twilight

An extremely cliche ending ,I expected something a little different from such a dark and unique setting.

Overall: I wanted this to be the best of the bunch but I never really fell in love with this book the same way I did with the first and partially with the 2nd. Its yet another lackluster ending to a trilogy that starts off incredible (Im looking at you Grisha trilogy) So much wasted potential.

I read the first book in the series and was very happy. The second book took a rather steep dive to mediocrity and then this book, the 3rd one went into an even deeper dive if possible. It is frustratingly repetitive, using different words and POVs to say the same thing. It is loaded with inane self-questions which made the writing juvenile. It goes on and on and on! At 34% I gave up and returned it. But worst was how Karou became weak and a liar in this last installment. Why she had to hide behind Thiago felt flimsy and in stark contrast to her character in book 1. She is the resurrectionist, the only one! She had massive power. Why Ms Laini chose to make her weak and silly in this book eludes me. Both her and Eliza caring so much of what others thought of them was a let down. The story line also lost its grip.

This series is so unique and so beautiful and this conclusion delivered. The reader has been put through so much heartache and pain and with this one we finally get our answers and some happiness. This whole series has been a great ride.

Karou and Akiva. My gosh. Their story has been the sweetest mix of agony and wonder. They have traveled a long, dark, and hard road, but watching them work their way to one another was beautiful. I absolutely adore these two and they deserve all the happiness in the world. One of my very favorite couples.

And I also love the side characters. Zuzana and Mik are the best. I have such a soft spot for the wonder that is Zuzana. And Issa is another favorite of mine. Love her to bits. And Ziri. Oh how I love Ziri. And just so many more. These characters come together to create such a great cast and world.

Laini Taylor really created something special with this story and this world and I’ve loved it. My one complaint with this one that held me back from loving it as much as the first two was the end. There was just a bit too much open for my taste. Don’t worry, you get a conclusion, but there are just a few threads I would have liked to see fully wrapped up. Other than that, it was fantastic.

This series has been such a ride and I’m so glad I finally made time for it. If you’re like me and haven’t read these yet, I highly recommend you do so ASAP.

I know I'm alone when I say that Dreams of Gods & Monsters is not my favorite book. I just had a difficult time connecting to any of the characters and the story just felt like it dragged on and on forever. The story felt convoluted and Akiva and Karou's love story was torn apart by war between the seraphim and the chimera. By the time Jael's storyline wrapped up, it started to feel like the end of the The Return of the King movie where every minute felt like surely this was the end?

A new character was introduced, Eliza, and she was mystery enough for me to keep reading, but that soon faded once her secret was revealed. The constant switching of POVs was too much for hold my interest. I had hoped Razgut had more of a story, but it sort of just faded with no resolution at all. Liraz and Ziri's storyline kind of redeems this book? It's the one good bit to come out of this story while everything else was disappointingly anti-climatic. I liked the first book, Daughter of Smoke & Bone, well enough, but the two books in the trilogy after that just never regained the sense of mysticism and magic that I loved at the beginning.

Laini Taylor is a master of words and knows how to weave words beautifully in a way that sounds lyrical, so I look forward to her next works. For this trilogy, however, it just ultimately wasn't enough for me.

3.5 stars

While I enjoyed the series as a whole, I found that this book had too slow of pacing for me in the middle. I like the addition of Eliza once we found out her importance to the story. It was also nice to finally learn more about the Stelians. There are definitely a lot of important revelations that happen in this book but it seems that maybe there was too much time spent on how to deal with Jael. I'm kind of torn about the ending though. I like that Karou and Akiva finally get to be together, at least for a little while. The part I'm torn over is that there is another phase in the story that the Lain Taylor left open at the end. Based on the fact that this book had "The End", it seems that this is the end of Karou and Akiva's story. But I want to know how they will eradicate the nithilim which is where the next phase in the story was heading.

I would still recommend this series. Taylor has such an enchanting writing style that just sucks you into the world she creates and let's you envision everything as if you were actually there. I hope that she will bring us back to this world, in the future or the past. It feels like there is so much more she could tell us about Eretez, Meliz, the Chosen, the Cataclysm and the war with the Nithilim.

Dreams of God & Monsters is the last of the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy and I am so sad to see it end. This has been a wild ride with a beautiful cast of characters and a thought-provoking story that held me from beginning to end. Despite the length of these books, they were all fairly quick reads because I just couldn't put them down.

This book was full of adventure and intrigue, suspense and twists, and I loved it! The mythology of this series takes humans, demons, and angels and changes your perception of them. What does it mean to be good or evil? How does one person or thing become evil? Are those thought to be evil truly bad, or is it just one's perspective? These are all questions that this book, and the series, makes you ask yourself.

I felt like this book was the most emotional of the series. It tore my heart to shreds more than once, and built it right back up. The imagery and the characters are so vivid that it was impossible not to put myself in the middle of the story with them, feeling their pain, their angst, their joy, their sadness. So delicious!

I am so disappointed. I wanted so much to love this book. The first book in the series was amazing! I flew through it and couldn't wait to start the next book. When I found the hardcovers on sale, I bought them immediately. Then I started reading Days of Blood and Starlight and I felt like I was in school reading one of those dull books they made me read. The story was so sluggish and difficult to read and I ended up skipping parts of the story to get through it. I put off ththe final book off bbecause I was scared that it too would be disappointing. On booktube, I saw that several people were not impressed with DOBS but that they loved this book, so I decided to finish it up.
Although COGM was better than the last book, it was just okay for me. Where Daughter of Smoke and Bone was lyrical and beautifully written, I felt that this book was info dump heavy. I missed the magic and the wonder and the burning to desire to know more. I actually got the audiobook in hopes that it would be easier to get through (I did that with City of Heavenly Fire and it worked), but alas, it was no better.
I made it to the end although I did, again, skip some parts of the book. I will read another book by Laini Taylor in hopes that it will be rich and beautiful like DOSB was.

I'm satisfied by the conclusion of this trilogy, but I do find it a tad underwhelming after that excellent middle volume. There's a lot of attention given to a brand-new viewpoint character of dubious importance to the plot, and some worldbuilding revelations that largely come out of nowhere and aren't really given space to breathe. The author also keeps throwing new contrivances at her central romantic couple to keep them from sharing a quiet moment together, and at a certain point that plot mechanic gets obvious and tiresome. I don't want to be too harsh, because there are some pretty great moments in this story, and I'm glad to see how the war between the seraphim and chimera finally resolves. This is a beautiful setting with characters that I've grown to love, but this final novel just didn't hit the expected heights for me.

My heart hurts in the best way. I can't believe I've reached the end of Karou's journey. What a story.

Even weeks later I can hardly find the words for how much I loved not just this book, but all the books in Karou's journey. This book broke my heart and my soul and my brain with its twists and emotional, gut-wrenching moments. I rooted for Karou and Akiva, I yelled at the pages, I read between my fingers. I was nothing short of emotionally invested in every page.

It was amazing to see in this book the seraphs and the chimaera have to work together (or at least not kill each other) long enough to take on a bigger enemy. The clashes are wonderful, both within and without, and many of the chaotic moments had my heart slamming in my chest.

What an amazing ending to an amazing series.

DNF, I could not get past the first 5% which is rehashing the ending of the last book but very slowly like how they got to the caves. It is extremely slow and I just can't get myself to finish the book. I have read two other books since starting this one and I just get so bored when I start reading it. I like the first book a lot, the second one was okay and this one just went downhill from there. I don't even have the urge to find out the ending. The only thing I am remotely interested in, is the new storyline of Eliza.

I really tried but it was so hard to get into especially since the stuff with Akiva and Karou was all stuff that had already happened in the last book but more in detail and it is sooo boring.

*Full review in my blog! *

I was very surprised that... I didn't enjoy this book, in general. I loved the first two books, but the third one was absolutely underwhelming. It's not totally bad, but it wasn't totally great either. It was just decent, but with obvious flaws that could've been easily fixed.

The plot was okay, but there was just TOO many information here and there, and it was the unnecessary ones too. I did like the turn of events in the middle of the book, but overall? At the end of the book, there were definitely some questions that were never answered. And there were times when the author could've just squeezed in the answers but didn't, and instead wrote unnecessary details. The "war" wasn't much of a war, so this book was definitely not action-packed. Instead, it focuses more on relationships, both intimate and friendly ones. So if you're not into reading developing-relationships, then you won't enjoy this book. Also, there was another plot introduced almost towards the end of the book, but it was short-lived, so...what was the use of it?

Again, another flaw is the world building. Lack of details were given to describing the world and the environment but the world building was definitely better than the second book. It still didn't have that 'magic' that the first book had though.

The characters were decent, just mostly developed from the previous book in terms of their relationships and how they handle situations. There were interesting characters like Esther. But there were also many unanswered questions about the characters, Yasri to be exact. What was the "news" she was supposed to bring? What about Zuze's and Mik's families and how they feel about them being gone all the time? What happened to Razgut? The characters weren't really focused well in this book, so that was a shame too.

The writing was definitely the most confusing one in this book out of all of them in the series. It wasn't easy to follow, and it just... Didn't register well.

Overall, the conclusion was just okay. This book could've been better though.

Well I guess I am amongst the minority once again. It kind of makes me a little sad to say that I was REALLY disappointed with this book. I was just SO bored for most of it.

We get introduced to many new characters here. Primarily Eliza. She's a grad student working at the Smithsonian who gets caught up the whole thing when the pit at the kasbah is discovered and she's taken there to examine the bodies. And while she played a pivotal role in the whole conclusion, the build up to it all, and actually pretty much every chapter about her, was actually the least interesting parts to me and the most boring. I guess that the revelation about her and what she was was actually kind of interesting though. I did so hate her enemy Morgan Toth though. My gawd, was he one of the biggest asses I have ever read about! I couldn't believe what he did with absolutely no regrets.

Zuzana and Mik were once again the absolute BEST part of the book. I really loved how well they got along with the chimeara (the fact that it was not only Virko who was always there to defend and protect them was great) and were always so much fun despite any situation. Hooray for them finally getting engaged too!

Okay, so. Jael has come to Earth with his army and all the fanfare that included to pull off their whole "angel" appearance. Despite how Razgut had promised they would be received, it didn't really happen that way. They were pretty much "held" prisoner in the Vatican. Part of which is because while the whole army was beautiful in every way they appeared, Jael hid behind a helmet and spat when he spoke. Which was also impeded by the fact that he had no idea what the humans were saying and everything, including what he said back, was all translated thru Razgut on his back. It was surprising how it was played off how skeptical the governments were over them, with only the really religious people going crazy about it. Jael wanted his weapons. Unfortunately for him only one offer ever made it to him. Honestly, who it turned out to actually be surprised me a little bit. While Jael is completely unhappy with how things are going on Earth, Karou and Akiva are doing all they can to keep their two enemy armies together. Thanks primarily to Ziri wearing the Wolf's body. It's hard on Ziri but he does enough of a great job to convince the others that he's still their general even though the whole joining armies thing is something he never would have done. It's tough going but eventually the two sides grow to trust each other enough to actually fight side by side. The final plan that this joined army comes up with to get Jael out of the human world without any weapons is actually rather simple. Too simple. It's up to Karou, Akiva, and Virko (with Zuzana and Mik) to pull it off when they leave the battle on Eretz and go to Earth for the most important part. Before heading to Rome is when they encounter Eliza and end up taking her with them. Once there, Karou, Akiva, and Virko part from Mik, Zuzana, and Eliza to do what they gotta do and then head back to Eretz. Like I said before, their part of the plan goes pretty easily and Jael takes his army back to Eretz. There literally is no climax to this story. It's like the war is simply over once they get back. With that all pretty much over, we are introduced more to the Stelians who have been following Akiva because of his power and what is happening to the sky. Akiva has been crushed by what they tell him and though he doesn't want to leave Karou, feels he has to. That is until Eliza speaks up and sheds new light on many things. She gives everybody there hope. Akiva and Karou are still pulled apart because each have their own things that must be taken care of. Months pass, the sky is healing, and Akiva is getting better at controlling his power. Then one day out of the blue Karou comes to him because her task is done until the spring and they happily fly off together to Akiva's chosen island. Yeah...that's how it ends. We get no big final battle (okay, we got the one near the middle, but we saw very little of it), no real excitement after a build up, and a let down ending. This book seemed so much more like a angst filled love story more than anything else sometimes...especially because I was really hoping for an epic conclusion to the whole story.

Angry and frustrated sums up this read. I loved book 1. It was beautiful. Book 2 started to waver. I skipped a few paragraphs, but hung in, and it was okay. Book 3? What the hell happened? The plot is all over the place. New characters appear, as though we're supposed to care about them. (Does anyone actually care about Eliza? Book 3/3 is not the place to start introducing new characters!) Akiva & Karou; there's only so many times we can go back and forth between the 'I love her/she doesn't love me/she loves the wolf/blah blah' They spend half the book just looking at each other. I managed 50% and started to really really dread picking it up again. If I have to force myself to read? That's not good. I couldn't see the story for all the flowery prose. For goodness sake; Ms Taylor, stop trying so hard and just let the story shine through. Once I started reading some of the less satisfied reviews, I realised the ending isn't even going to be worth slogging through 600 pages. No thanks. I skipped to the epilogue. Meh. What a terrible disappointment after such a fabulous start to the series.

Ok...I'm not gonna lie, this book was tough for me to get through. I finished reading book 2, Days of Blood and Startlight, on January 12, 2013. Yes, over a year ago. Needless to say with this HUGE cast of characters I was LOST! There really isn't any recap at all to speak of, just kind of throw into the story again. MAYBE I should have re-read (re-listened) to the last book but I rarely (okay never) do that. Of course since I was kind of lost it didn't help when there were SO MANY POV changes. LOL! I'd figure out what's going on then get lost again. UGH!

Anyways...I figured I'd get that out.

I've seen other reviews complete there was just too much going on in this book and I would completely agree. There were new characters that I wasn't invested in. Then as I'm not really caring for them BAM something major happens to that character and they are part of a HUGE plot point. My head is still reeling and more happens and then more. There was never any downtime at all. Poor Karou and Akiva barely had anytime together with all the mess that was happening in their lives.

My favorite thing in this book is Karou's bff, Zuzana. She never fails to make me laugh and breaks up the seriousness of the situation in the book.

I liked that Akiva and Karou had their HEA after EVERYTHING they've gone through but the journey was just TOO much I guess.

I thought this book was going to end at least twice...but then it continued and then continued and then continued. This is one of those books that I just thought was WAY TOO long. I really wanted to like this one more. :-(

Narrator Note: As I stated in the last two books in this series, Khristine Hvam is an AMAZING narrator! Her voice for Razgot is SOOOOO good I'm in aww every time I hear it. I can't wait to hear more from her.

This review can be found on my blog, Reader Rayna, as well as Goodreads.

I feel as though I've become an emotional wreck on the inside. My heart is filled with happiness after reading the third and final installment to this trilogy.

This book picks up right around where the last one let off and it was filled with nothing short of action, heartbreak, vengeance, mystery, love, and so much more.

The plot of this book encompassed so much and introduced us to a few important characters, namely Eliza, and the Stelians. Each were crucial to the story, and though I didn't figure out why until the end, I thought that their parts in it played important roles and that they were much needed and added not only to the story itself, but to the lore of the world that Laini Taylor created.

I'm not sure that I can fully do justice by explaining the plot without giving away too many spoilers, as this is the third book, so just know that there is a lot of tension between the chimaera and angels, and that Jael wants to have complete control over Eretz by not only using what powers he may have available to him there, but also from Earth. It's a crazy, twist and turn story that weaves itself in ways I wasn't expecting, telling the story from many points of view. Each part of it, though, I felt like progressed the story and didn't hinder from it.

There was a heavy focus on the romance aspect at times, but from the first book - where it was introduced and we learn of the manner of Karou and Akiva's relationship - to the second book where there was virtually no romance, it was kind of understandable why it was there as much as it was. And trust me, I'm not complaining, because there were a few scenes in particular that made me squeal in excitement for what was going on - and it wasn't between our two main heroes.

So let's talk about the characters.

Karou really bounced back from the grieving, anger driven girl in the second book to a strong individual in this book. She has her moments where she is lost or down, as there's a lot of war and death and destruction going on around her, so it's understandable. I thought that she came a long way from where she first started not knowing anything about who she is or where she came from, to accepting her fate, to making it her own and realizing the dream she wanted to see come true when she formed it with Akiva so long ago. I thought that her persona was true to who she was and that she was really a huge driving force in this book.

Akiva seemed a bit more lovesick than anything in this book, but he also had a lot going on in terms of learning about himself and his people, and his powers and the consequence of using his powers. We still got to see a warrior side of him, but I think that it was more of the strategic side than the fighting side. He, too, has come a long way, but like I said, the romance was a large driving force between him and Karou in this book - and again, I can understand why. I think that their love and relationship is beautiful and strong, and even though they may desire after one another, it's not in itself a bad thing; it's a very powerful motivator for them. I do love how their relationship is often described as two magnets either being pulled together or pushed apart, because it's true.

We got to see more chapters from Liraz's point of view, and oh. My. God. I love her. She's become one of my new favorites, especially toward the end. When we first meet her she seems like this cold, mean person, but it's the way she's brought up and how she has to stifle that part of herself that makes her that way. But as she warms up to others and slowly gets to understand them and care for them, the ice in her heart cracks and she shows that she is capable of having emotions and feelings. She's strong, though - physically, mentally, and emotionally - and I love that about her. My favorite quote that I read about her was, "She was no mere weapon as she was trained to be, but a woman in full command of her power, unbowed and unbroken, and that was a dangerous thing." Like, seriously Liraz, SLAY.

We got a lot from Ziri, too, as he was performing in secret as someone for a while, and though he tried his best to be like the one he had to portray, some of himself continued to shine through, and that was tough on him. I really enjoyed his chapters because I felt myself growing more and more attached to this kind soul. He has a sense of innocence about him that draws you in, but he's still an incredibly capable warrior and just, wow. I'm amazed at what he can do.

Also, for the record, I SO ship Liraz and Ziri. Read the book to find out why because I was giggling like a freaking schoolgirl, and omg I can't even.

Eliza was a new character introduced, and at first I was confused as to who she was and why she was important to the story to have her own perspective and chapters thrown in. As the story of her and who she was unfolded around her, though, and the circumstances for which she was put into, I realized that she is incredibly important. I just didn't know how much so until the end. I found her character to be useful, and slightly filler, but not really? I liked her, though, and I think that she's a very bright woman.

Zuzana and Mik, ah, one of my OTPs, never fail to make me smile. They go through a lot in this book with Karou and everyone else, but they always try to stay true to who they are and how they react to situations and everything. I love the dynamic that these two throw into the mix because they a) provide much needed comic relief sometimes, b) they're adorable together, and c) they each have distinct personalities that really help to show the story in a different perspective. I think that they really helped to progress the story, as well, and am so glad as to where they were at the end.

P.S. Morgan Toth is a jerk and I hope he enjoys his punishment delivered to him.
P.P.S. Razgut is also kind of manic and crazy, but he does provide us a lot of insight into who he is and what happened when he was, you know, not a crippled Fallen.
P.P.P.S. I don't like Ester. She got her just desserts.

As for the rest of the novel, well... there is honestly so much I could cover, but that would be an extremely long and spoilery post, and since this is the third book I'd rather you all read it and then see how much I loved this book and why this trilogy has become one of my favorites of all time. The writing is still exquisitely beautiful in this book with many phrases that caught my eye, and the story was all encompassing and I felt a sense of completion when I finished. I didn't think that there was any kind of cliffhanger or anything like that.

I still want more, though.

Overall, I think that this was an extremely solid final book to the trilogy. Not only was the plot large and encompassing and complete, but it allowed the characters to reach out and reach their final destinations - their potential destinations - whatever they might be. It's filled with heartbreak, romance, friendship, betrayal, second chances, lore, truths, discovery, and so much more.

I rated this 5/5 stars and highly recommend it.

My overall series rating: 5/5 stars

I FINISHED THIS TRILOGY. In three weeks, I might add. And it’s a monster. The second was the longest of the year so far at 518, and then the third (this one) was even longer at 613. BUT I did it, all in June (in compliance with my Summer of Series goal). But, yes, I did. And I’m proud. And I loved this series. So much. I hold these characters is my heart.

But let’s talk about the third one specifically: Dreams of Gods and Monsters. I really enjoyed it. Like basically everything good I’ve said in the first two books (here and here) are true here too–great pacing (not as good in this one as the others), character development, humor, things I don’t see coming. All great. But in this one, I was a little let down by the ending. Not a lot…just enough to bring it from 5 stars to 4. Let’s talk about it. Also gifs.

THE GOOD
There is so much good in this novels and this one specifically. First I just have to talk about Zuzana. In the first review, the only bad thing I had to say was I missed the secondary characters (mostly Zuzana) in the second half of the book. So I was so excited to see that in the second book, Laini Taylor had retroactively knew what I wanted and brought Zuzana in abundance. And then in third book, she was present even more. And I decided that’s she’s my favorite character. Sorry, Karou, you’re at a close second but I love Zuzana more. She’s the ultimate best friend and just hilarious.

Just look at this quote: “Laugh achieved. Maybe she couldn’t make Karou’s life–or love–less complicated, and maybe she didn’t have any helpful hints when it came it, oh, angel invasions or dangerous deceptions or armies that clearly just wanted to start killing each other, but she could do this at least. She could make her friend laugh.”

Oh my gosh, I just love her so much. Also she has what Taylor calls a “eyebrow master class,” where some lady raises a judging eyebrow at her and Zuzana demonstrates how an eyebrow raise is truly done. I tweeted about it and got retweeted by Laini Taylor herself, no big deal or anything (GUYS, I’M JOKING. THAT’S A VERY BIG DEAL).

So, yes. Zuzana. My favorite character and the ultimate best friend. She’s just so well-developed despite the fact that she’s just a secondary character. Also she and Mik are the cutest.

Second, the writing is just so beautiful. Beautiful writing = beautiful imagery. And imagery is very important in this book as the characters are so unique and everything is so visual. It’d be interesting to see this as a movie, I think. But literally her writing had me in tears at two points. I was at work both times, so when I say “in tears,” I mean my eyes welled up and I sniffled a little. If I had been home it would have been more like this:

Okay, moving on. There’s more good I could talk about, but I feel as if I’d just be reiterating what I already said in my first two reviews…so go read those.

THE ALRIGHT
There wasn’t anything bad to me in this novel, but there were a few things that I just thought were alright. Like: the pacing and the ending.

I noticed the pacing in the first two novels and I thought it was awesome. Each chapter end, part end, perspective switch seemed so deliberate and it made me just want to keep reading and reading. In this third one, I didn’t notice that as much. The first 300 pages took me four days to read (which is a long time for me)…so I just felt like it was slow-going. The second half it definitely picked up, though, and I read the last 300 pages all yesterday. So it wasn’t bad, just not as fast-paced as the first two.

And then the ending. Again, in no way was the ending bad. I closed the book with a very satisfied, happy feeling. It just seemed like Taylor built up, up, UP for a certain ending and then that ending didn’t happen. So kind of anticlimactic. But, everything worked out well and there were no holes or quick fixes to tie up the plot. It just wasn’t what I was expecting, what I felt like the first 450 pages were leading up to.

But, please, if you like fantasy at all read this series. It’s a beautiful mix of normal and fantasy, humor and tragedy, love and betrayal. It’s just so good and I need to buy it so it’s on my shelves, like, now.

The war between the chimaera and the seraphim takes a frightening final turn in Dreams of Gods and Monsters. Jael, the new seraph emperor, has brought the conflict to Earth - to implore humanity for help against the "Beasts." Now, Karou and Akiva find themselves on the same side again, and must maintain a tenuous alliance between their armies in order to defeat the enemy they share. Blood will be shed. Betrayals will unfold. Unfathomable choices will be made. And in the midst of it all, a mysterious stain bruises the sky, bringing a deep foreboding to Eretz - and a certain seraph might be its cause. Will Karou and Akiva's long-held hope for a world remade - and for a love rekindled - be enough? Or will it all be in vain?

In some ways, I'm not sure what to make of Dreams. I still love the characters, Taylor's writing is still breathtaking, and the humor is just as uproarious as before. I also like new POV character Eliza, who plays a much bigger role than being humanity's eyes to the "apocalypse." However, the literary style and frequent POV switches hindered the storytelling this time around. The first 100 pages dragged, later scenes were slow and overwritten, and some subplots seemed unnecessary. I also still can't grasp the godstars concept; it doesn't seem to affect the ending.

The parts of Dreams that did work, though, sparkled with magic. The paranoia on Earth as Jael's angel army descends, the tenderness and tension between Akiva and Karou, the quivering suspense between their allied forces and how it could break at any moment - and, most importantly, an ending that allowed my heart one final leap of joy. So, yes, I enjoyed Dreams of Gods and Monsters. Not as much as the first two books in the Daughter of Smoke and Bone Trilogy, but it doesn't change how grateful I am for reading - and falling madly in love with - this series.

These days, it's very rare for me to look forward to the next book in a series. This was one of those books. I loved the first two and thought there was plenty of story left in this epic tale. I still think there is, but in my view, Laini Taylor didn't find it.

As an author, I usually have a sense when things aren't going well, and I could scarcely imagine that Laini didn't have some clue about the terrible mess she was writing, but apparently, she remained oblivious to the end. I have a lot of trouble understanding that as well as the five and four-star reviews for this novel. How could anyone not see the drastic decline in story quality in the third book? One of the mysteries of this art, I suppose.

Where to begin? This series was amazing. From the first book to the last. I can't say that I like one more than the others. I am at the point where if I could read this again for the first time I would do it in a heart beat. I prolonged this book as long as possible because I wasn't ready for it to end and it ended the perfect way. It is so rare to have an ending that I 100% agree with and now all I want is to see what would happen there a few years from now. The couple's in this book are perfect pairs and some of the most hated bad guys I've ever read are too. Karou and Akivas journeys are so well written. The new characters complement the whole story perfectly and bring just what was needed to finish the story.

I felt like I missed a good bit of Days of Blood and Starlight while I was listening to it on audio. And so in an attempt to prevent that from happening with Dreams of Gods and Monsters I did two things: 1) I took notes. 2) I progressed slowly and only listened when I felt like I could really pay attention. And I still came out of Dreams of Gods and Monsters feeling a little like I missed some important parts, but not nearly to the level of Days of Blood and Starlight. I say all this to say that this is a complicated series, and while I would definitely recommend this series to lovers of fantasy, I would not really recommend the audio version. Khristine Vham does a great job with the narration. I applaud her pronunciation, and I even like the voices that she does for the characters, specifically Zuzana. It's just that there is a lot to absorb, and I think it's probably better done through actually reading it.

As I said, there's a lot that happens in this book, and it's one of the more complicated stories with pieces coming in from all angles. Coming in at 613 pages, Dreams of Gods and Monsters has a lot to wrap up and bring together. I dealt with frustrations in the beginning with story lines that felt like they didn't have anything to do with what's happened so far. And that's true to some extent, but mostly they were there to pull everything together for the ending. But it took quite a while for the events to begin to make sense. And most of the time, I just wanted to get back to Karou and Akiva.

Karou is one of those characters that has it all. She experiences almost every emotion you can think of throughout this book and especially over the entire course of the series. Zuzana is still one of my favorite best friend characters, and probably one of my favorite characters period. She brings the humor and I heart her. Akiva...poor Akiva. He's been through so much and Dreams of Gods and Monsters doesn't really give him a break either. Ziri shines in the parts that are focused on him. I was fearful of his affection towards Karou, but I didn’t have to worry. Liraz softens as a character throughout Dreams of Gods and Monsters, and I’m so glad because she was a throwaway character for me before.

Dreams of Gods and Monsters does wrap up all the loose ends so no worries about a cliffhanger. I was especially stressed out about the ending there for a while, but everything worked out in a way that I was completely okay with. This series as a whole has been an extremely enjoyable fantasy and I look forward to going back through it whenever I have a chance—maybe then more of the details will sink in. I definitely recommend Dreams of Gods and Monsters and the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series as a whole. Dreams of Gods and Monsters gets 4 stars from me. Have you read Dreams of Gods and Monsters? What did you think? Let me know!

*Having not actually read this book since I listened to the audio version, I didn't see the spelling for each character's name and may have misspelled some above. If you notice any misspellings, please let me know in the comments. Thanks!

For more book reviews, check out Somewhere Only We Know - http://sandyfarmer.blogspot.com

Once upon a time, an angel and a devil pressed their hands to their hearts and started the apocalypse.

So, sometime ago I reviewed Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and a few weeks ago I reviewed Days of Blood and Starlight. So I might as well complete the trilogy and write the review of Dreams of Gods and Monsters, shouldn’t I?

Well, uh…I didn’t like it as much as I liked the first two.

Now, don’t get me wrong, Dreams of Gods and Monsters was still a really good book, but I had problems with it. You would have this perfect, epic chapter where you just want to know more, and, whoopie, the POV would switch. To a character that had only introduced in this book, that, honestly, I cared little to nothing about.

Karou and Akiva are in caves with two opposing armies who don’t trust each other, both baring marks of war on their hands. On the Chimaera’s side, it’s the hamsas, which cause the Seraph sickness. On the Seraph’s side, it’s the tally marks tattooed over their hands, their wrists, their arms; each black mark signifying one more life lost on the Chimaera side. Karou is in charge of making sure the Chimaera don’t murder the Seraph. Akiva is in charge of the same on the other side.

Meanwhile, Ziri still walks in a body that doesn’t feel like his own, a body that disgusts him every time he sees his reflection. He still believes in Karou, yes, but at the same time, he’s so tired of war.

Zuzana and Mik continue to be awesome, and it’s really no surprise that everyone loves them. Even Akiva’s sister, who would never admit that she actually likes the two pesky little humans.

Speaking of Akiva’s sister, Liraz doesn’t trust the Chimaera. She barely even trusts herself. She blames herself for the loss of her brother, and, the longer she stays around the Chimaera, the more she feels disgusted by the tally marks on her hands. And she can’t help but like Ziri a little too much, even though she should view him as the enemy.

The writing remains beautiful, as always. There are quotes like this: “Once upon a time, there was only darkness. And there were monsters vast as worlds who swam in it.”

And this: “How could you tell if your instincts were just hope in disguise, and if your hope was really desperation parading as possibility?”

And also this, because you have to love Zuzana: “All of this cuteness, it was one of nature’s great bait and switches, because… that wasn’t all there was to Zuzana Nováková. Not even a little bit. Deciding to take her on was akin to a fish deciding idly to gobble up that pretty light bobbing in the shadows and then–OH GOD THE TEETH THE HORROR!–meeting the anglerfish on the other side.”

So, while I had a few problems with this book, I still enjoyed it quite a lot.

I finished this book a few weeks ago but I've had to sit on the review. That's because for the past few years whenever someone asks me what my favorite book is (always an impossible question) I end up answering "Daughter of Smoke and Bone". I ordered this book as soon as it was released, was dying to read it--and still couldn't force myself to sit down with it because that meant the end of a trilogy I've been holding close to my heart. Something that influences my own writing, as well as showing me the kind of book that I'd die to work with as an editor. Eventually, lovingly, and fearful that I'd be spoiled (something I would never, ever recover from) I opened Dreams of Gods and Monsters.

It was perfect and yet nothing like I'd expected. Laini Taylor is always fantastic about crafting a story where the reader is certain they knew what will happen and then adding an extra twist, whether it be a setback or an entirely new villain. The books, for all their fantasy and chaos, are realistic in that most of these characters are not entirely good or evil, there is no single 'bad guy', and a lot of these people and chimera and angels just want the chance to live. This epic finale to a war that has raged for thousands of years will leave you crying.

I would have liked to have seen more of Karou and Akiva together . . . but, yes, they were in the middle of a war, and unlike most YA trilogies where protagonists find love in the midst of war, this angel and chimera actually pay more attention to saving thousands of lives than focusing on their relationship. But a few shared glances across a fire or secret invisible meetings can go a long way and get my heart beating a little faster over my favorite couple, ever. They're just so sweet with each other, despite the past and occasional fighting.

There were some new characters, as well as old ones who were given more pages, that I came to adore. Like a new romantic pairing that was almost as heart-wrenchingly wonderful and sad and glorious as Karou and Akiva (possibly just as great and beautiful for me to love forever). Add on the characters I absolutely love to hate and this was a showdown that had me on the edge of my seat. I think I read through this in two days, hundreds of pages at a time because once I started I had to know what was going to happen. Had to know that everything would be alright.

The ending was perfect. Nothing like what I'd hoped for and yet it lends itself perfectly to me picturing how things might be for that universe a year or five or ten in the future, where the surviving characters might be and what new problems might arise. There was a little openness to the ending that had me hopeful that more would be announced, but I think that this is the end. As painful as that thought is, I'm okay with that. I can love and reread Karou and Akiva and all the rest. Whatever Laini Taylor reads next, I'm reading it. This author sets a bar that no other has passed for me.

Dreams of Gods & Monsters is the final book in Laini Taylor's gorgeous Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy and I have absolutely no excuse for taking two-and-a-half years to finish this series. Except that perhaps I knew somewhere in my cold, black heart that I would be disappointed by this ending to the series. Which isn't, in fact, an ending to the story.

So there's the characters that you love, an the angstbucket that is the entire story to date. And then Laini Taylor adds a few more characters you're gonna love, and subplot AND a side plot because why not. I felt pulled in so many directions, I actually cared less about Karou and Akiva than almost everyone else in this book.

And there are some heart-tweaking sacrifices. And then some undoing of those sacrifices, because apparently The Doctor was in Eretz that day.

And while I appreciate happy endings, one of the things I adore Laini Taylor for is yanking my heart through my tear ducts. So when she plays take-backsies, I kind of wonder what happened to one of my favorite authors. And then when she introduces pretty much the plot for another trilogy in the final chapters of this trilogy-ending book, I felt like there was some marketing and sales pandering.

And THEN, worst of all guys, she did the Lord of the Rings never-ending ending.
(also known as the Battlestar Galactica never-ending ending).
So I basically finished this novel out of sheer spite, but it was difficult and awkward and I didn't understand why it was such a slog compared to the first two.

I recommend it to anyone who needs to know how the series ends, and doesn't have the same plot tics that I do. It's not a BAD novel, I just had higher expectations than I perhaps should have.

Goodreads / the store

By way of a staggering deception, Karou has taken control of the chimaera rebellion and is intent on steering its course away from dead-end vengeance. The future rests on her, if there can even be a future for the chimaera in war-ravaged Eretz.

Common enemy, common cause.

When Jael's brutal seraph army trespasses into the human world, the unthinkable becomes essential, and Karou and Akiva must ally their enemy armies against the threat. It is a twisted version of their long-ago dream, and they begin to hope that it might forge a way forward for their people.

And, perhaps, for themselves. Toward a new way of living, and maybe even love.

But there are bigger threats than Jael in the offing. A vicious queen is hunting Akiva, and, in the skies of Eretz ... something is happening. Massive stains are spreading like bruises from horizon to horizon; the great winged stormhunters are gathering as if summoned, ceaselessly circling, and a deep sense of wrong pervades the world.

What power can bruise the sky?

From the streets of Rome to the caves of the Kirin and beyond, humans, chimaera and seraphim will fight, strive, love, and die in an epic theater that transcends good and evil, right and wrong, friend and enemy.

At the very barriers of space and time, what do gods and monsters dream of? And does anything else matter?
Travel Companion:

If we traveled with the main character Karou, she would be
The Artist

She would read stunning artwork. Her art would be internationally known. She would also move and never stay in one place. Her art would represent the world and the suffering within.
We would meet her working on some street art in Prague. We would go over and talk to her. She would be evasive and would leave. We would follow her. (Like the stalkers we are.) She would go into her favorite cafe, a weird place with coffins for tables. We would pay for her meal and strike up a conversation with her about art and everything else under the sun. We would mention our travels, and she would be interested. We would invite her to join us on our adventures. She would join us because she would want to see the world with other people.

If we traveled with the main character Akiva, he would be:
The Leader

He would be the one in the front, charging towards the enemy. He would fight with everything he had. He would never resort to violence, though. He would resolve things peacefully.
We would meet him leading a protest. He would be breaking up a fight. We would start talking about rights and dreams. We would understand his dreams and want to make his visions comes true. We would ask him to come with us to bring peace to the world. Akiva would join because he would see hope in our cause.

If we traveled with the main character Eliza, she would be:
The Secretive Friend

She would be kind and warm. She would be funny and jovial. But she would be hiding things. Certain things she said would be odd. Her actions might be different than her words. We would be able to tell that she had secrets. We would never push it, though. We would let her have her space.
We would meet Eliza in a library, working on research. We would take her hand and toss her into an adventure. (I mean...research is boring.) She would be reluctant at first. She would finally accept the adventure when she gazes at the sunrise from the mountains because it would remind her of the fiery wings of her kin.

Karou (I keep misspelling her name, so bear with me) was pretty awesome as always. She had her magical flying powers as well as her creative thinking. Her creative thinking helped her create some amazing battle strategies. Or…ways to escape a full-on war. She played peace maker in this book. A medium between the seraphim and the chimaera. As well as translator to Zuzana and Mik.
This book had less of her, though. I wanted to see her side of things. I didn’t mind it when Akiva took center stage in this book. Karou was mostly the lover in this book. The girl who thirsted for the boy's touch. That annoyed me. She was an awesome character. She was brave and powerful. She was her own person. She didn't have to be somebody's lover. She could be her own character. Truth be told, I wouldn't mind Karou having her own book that was entirely about her. (But the reality of the matter is that Karou is part of a package. It's either Karou and Akiva or no Karou at all.) What I’m saying is that she didn’t need to be just The Lover in this book. She could have been Just Karou, and everything would have been great.

Akiva was great. He was the main actor on the stage this time. We got to see Akiva work his magical mojo in this book.

Akiva was a great character. He had motivations behind his actions. Sure, he did a lot for Karou, but he also did some things for himself. His decision with the Stelians? That was entirely him. It showed that Akiva could do things without Karou. He loved being with her, but that doesn’t mean he needed Karou 24/7.
His magic was awesome. He could disappear and summon large flocks of birds. (That's actually from Days of Blood and Starlight, but let's not dive into specifics, okay?) He used his wounds to his advantage. It gave him access to his magic. And sirithar? That was so cool. Being able to access that massive amount of power was a huge advantage for him. He could had the ability to do so much more with sirithar. And he did. Akiva was given this power, and he used it wisely.

And we were introduced to Eliza. She was this quirky character who had a burning hatred of Morgan Toth (but it was understandable.) She was a researcher who lived in America. She had a shady past.
I didn't know her purpose in the beginning when we were introduced to this girl. I was confused. Who is she? What's her importance? Gimme Akiva and Karou! I thought. She
wasn't given a huge part in the majority of the book. She was the sort of character I would write off as a side character with not much of a purpose. It was only when she started spouting nonsense in Seraphic that I understood. All in all, I didn't particularly like her. The ending spotlighted her, but it didn't show her in an appealing light. I know Laini Taylor tried to make her seem nice by making Zuzana the People Hater enjoy being in her company, but I just couldn't like Eliza.
BUT. I understood her hatred of Morgan Toth. He was evil. I wanted to strangle him. He was a terrible person. My anger boiled underneath my skin when I read what he did.

He sent out those messages? And unveiled Eliza's secret? Excuse me? You had no right to do that. It’s her secret to tell. I condemn you! Shame on you! He was a terrible person.

I have to praise the neek-neek Zuzana and her faithful violinist Mik here. They were pretty amazing. They were just humans, but they charmed the pants off the chimaera. They were charismatic and humorous. I loved their romance. (They were amazing together. And what great chemistry!)
Zuzana was fierce. She was a perfect example of a fierce female. She was a true neek-neek. She was witty and quick to a retort. She would snap at you. And Mik brought out the best in her. He calmed her down. He made her laugh. He was the water; she was the fire. They were great on their own, but they made a better pair when together.

Read More at: http://http://booksinmysuitcase.blogspot.hk/2015/07/review-dreams-of-gods-monsters-by-laini.html

I don’t know how I can write a cohesive review for this book. I picked up this one immediately after I finished the second book, no waiting a year between books. Yay! I was on an emotional rollercoaster the entire time waiting to see what would happen.

Kaoru, with the surviving chimaera, have forged a tentative alliance with Akiva and his group of Misbegottens after the events of the last book. They’re planning their attack on Jael while making sure that each of their sides do not kill one another. I’m not sure what more I can say about this book without giving away more of the plot. Just know that there’s a cycle of hope and disappointment, success and failures, tons of deaths, betrayals, angst, and agonizing heartbreak.

I haven’t felt so emotionally drained finishing a series since I read Lumatere Chronicles last year. I just couldn’t put the book down. I also loved that Laini Taylor gave us other characters to love and cheer for other than just Karou and Akiva, with Karou’s friend Zuzana and Akiva’s sister. There’re also new characters in the book, such as Eliza, and new plots in addition to the war between angel and chimaera. This book just had so much going on and not a page was wasted!

Lastly, Laini Taylor’s writing is beautiful, if you don’t already know. Nothing more to say about that.

If you’re already read the first and second book, nothing should hold you back from reading this one.

When I started Dreams of Gods & Monsters I was hoping it would be just as good as the two books before it. But alas it wasn’t the case. I’m not saying the book wasn’t good, but I was disappointed. The first 60% of the book were awesome, filled with tension and mystery and action and just all around feels and after that it just went ….. splat …. down the rabbit hole it goes.

And it didn’t help that the ending left me unsatisfied and wanting more. I was hoping we would got more explanation on the Stelians and of the Nithilam or the Beasts as the Faerers called them. But no, they’re just mentioned briefly a few times during the course of the book and we don’t even get so much as a glimpse of them or the epic battle between them and the “Godstars” which consists of a few Stelians, Karou and her friends, som Chimaera and Akiva of course.

As for the story itself I still believe it’s beautiful, Laini Taylor has this way with words that I envy her for. She knows exactly how the spin her story around to make it awesome sauce gorgeous and addictive, making you read every page right until the very end.

And the characters, I still love them so much. Karou improved a lot from Days of Blood & Starlight and she and Akiva finally grow closer to each other again, their tidbits of romance spread across the book were so sweet. Akiva is still awesome, especially with those powers of his. Zuzanna and Mik were just adorably and I’m so glad Mik finally popped the question. And Eliza, oh I loved her, eventhough we don’t really get to know her. As for the Stelians, Scarab, their Queen, in particular, I don’t really know what to think of them. They didn’t have enough “air time” in the book for me to feel anything for them. But Scarab sure didn’t leave a very good first impression. I still believe she’s a nasty piece of work, we just won’t be able to see it.

All in all, because of the disappointing ending and a few other details which bugged me, I’m giving Dreams of Gods & Monsters, 3.5 STARS. It’s still a good book and I’m sure other readers will be more than happy with this kind of ending, but I just wasn’t.

My heart hurts.

For a second I felt that the book was a bit overwritten, that it dragged in some places, a bit drawn out in others and at 600+ pages that can be the case. Until I got to the end and was like THERE ISN’T ENOUGH STORY LEFT. Silly me, thinking there are too many words. There just weren’t enough.

It’s actually exhausting reading a book like DREAMS OF GODS & MONSTERS because of all the WORDS. Of all the beauty with those words, all the finely strung sentences and scenes made complete by such precise description that I’m pretty sure I’m witnessing perfection. I don’t care what anyone else says. I don’t care what they think. They’re wrong. This series is perfect. PERFECT I TELL YOU.

I went to one of Laini’s signings when book two came out and she was saying that it takes her a long time to finish a book because she slaves over each word until it’s perfect. It shows. It really REALLY does. Beautiful. There’s no other word for it. The Daughter of Smoke & Bone story is beautiful. The world she created, the creatures, angels and chimaera, the Stelians, Jael in all his grotesque visage. It’s all just beautiful. And the story itself pulled my heart out of my chest.

But in a perfect Laini way it liked to rip it out and then shove it back in further down the line. I can’t count the tears I cried over this book. How hard it was not to sob at the end of it because I finished it at work and that would just be inappropriate. There are few things more awkward than a crying co-worker. I doled out death glares over being interrupted while reading (seriously, people, is reading so inconsequential that I might as well be staring out a window, drooling on myself, with my thumb up my ass for all the people trying to talk to me while my face is in a book?). My breath hitched, my soul cried, I didn’t want it to end. A glorious pain.

It took a while for the story to get to the battle confrontation and then the ending after that was pretty quick but there was a lot of build-up to be had. Characters need to come to fruition, broken down, built back up. And then everything came together in the end, well-rounded and generally happy, if only momentarily. I’ll have to read it all again because reading through tears is difficult.

I feel satisfied with the way the book ended. It ended as it should and the characters ended up with lives that were fitting. Reprieves were had, lives were beginning to be rebuilt, the dream was starting. It took a lot to get there but it was like finishing off a good meal. My palette, my stomach, and my brain were all in harmony.

This is probably one of the most useless reviews ever but I tend to have this problem when I love a book so. Putting my thoughts together in anything coherent and intelligent gets difficult. I don’t want to spoil anything (even though the book’s been out for nearly a year now, don’t care) and I don’t feel my words are sufficient enough to accurately explain the amazing cluster of words that is this book. They really can’t. The writing is fantastic and I will read anything that Laini puts out if this is what I’m going to get. Since I’ve read all three Daughter of Smoke and Bone books and LIPS TOUCH THREE TIMES and the perfection has never wavered you can consider me a fan for life.

5

Review:
Overall: I thought that this book was a Beautiful sequel to Daughter of Smoke and Bone (have a review on this book). This book picks up a about couple weeks later of the ending of Daughter of Smoke and Bone. I love how she changes views in the book. You get to see what is going on in different places in the story. The cover is so GENEROUS! Akvia wants to end the war in this book and he wants Karou to give him another chance when he finds her. A lot of revelations happen as well some battles. This book is a little slow but it starts picking up pace with the battles. The languages didn’t bother me because author explains what is being said. Some people don’t like that there a lot of languages and weird names. Those things make book so successful. Most people read to escape to different places and worlds. Some examples of other books that have weird names, places, and languages are Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Game of Thrones. Please keep in this mind while picking up this book. I think everyone should give it a try. Check out my review on Daughter of Smoke and Bone first then read this one. I HIGHLY recommend this book!

What to say? Oh my jeez. How I feel after finishing this book is....satisfied. Sad? Yes. Disappointed? No. Just satisfied. Which I suppose is the best way to feel at the end of a book series. There really wasn't anything I hated, I loved the book and the ending was pretty close to perfect, a few times it strayed and I am not a hundred percent sure on how I feel about that last chapter as it was kinda strange but I'm happy with the book and after having read it I would still recommend the series which to me says a lot.
So, in this book a lot happens, like it's a 600 page book and you could never guess all the craziness that happens in it, but a good crazy.
New elements are introduced partially in the form of a girl named Eliza and something called the Cataclysm, s*** hits the fan I tell you but in one of the best most interesting and fulfilling ways. There are definitely some nice twists and turns that you never see coming and it's magnificently heart poundingly gut twistingly good. While you might be worried by the length of the book that it might be slow and boring it' not, so much more happens than I think allot of people expect out of it, at least more than I did, it goes so beyond everything we have seen so far and it reads fast, you know?

Likes -
- Zuzana and Mik - They always must be number 1, they are absolutely my favorite part of these books and I love that they played a bigger part in this book. And of course we see more of the 3 fairytale tasks and could they be more adorable/swoon worthy?
"Would you still love me if I were a Japanese man?"
"Of course." Said Mik, without missing a beat. -Page 449
- The Plot - It goes so much further beyond what we have seen in this world and it's crazy and I just loved every minute of it.
- Liraz - Okay, I have loved her character for a while now but she grows and evolves so much in this book, partly because of her brothers death and partly because of Ziri and can I just say that I ship them so hard? But seriously even on her own Liraz becomes so much more and I was rooting for her the whole time.
- Eliza - Okay for the biggest part of this book Eliza is a mystery and not a huge part. A seemingly normal human girl who kinda gets swooped up in aftermath of the angels appearing on earth. I loved her right away and her mystery was only part of it. Also for the brief period that she journeys with Zuzana and Mik, just the best.
- Akiva - Okay so I haven't been one of those people who have always loved Akiva and always shipped Akiva and Karou in fact I kinda hated him, that changed slightly with book two and in this book I kinda started to love him.
- Karou - She also really grows in this book I feel, she learns that it's okay to be happy and it's okay to forgive Akiva and other things that might spoil you. And of course she's still her badass self.
-Their relationship - Again I have been pretty anti-Akiva from the beginning but in this book I actually enjoyed it for the most part. I think mainly because they actually acknowledge the fact that they don't really know each other and that they have to kinda start from the beginning rather than just pick up from their old lives and it was sweet...until it wasn't.
-The writing - What else to say? If there is one thing that can not be denied it is Laini Taylors' beautiful writing.
-Everything else....I don't know I loved pretty much everything about this book but I think if I go any further I shall spoil everything! There are just so many new elements to this book and old ones and it just goes in so many directions and it's just so good. I mean, Eliza, Razgut, Meliz, The Cataclysm, not to mention the war and the angels are on earth and the Stelians and, and, and all the things!

Dislikes -
- I liked the ending, I really did, but something about the last chapter, I don't know, it was just strange, not bad strange just strange.
- Okay, Akiva continually mentions to them in their past "making love" and like to me the way he thought it was just kinda creepy, okay?
- I know we get a lot of Zuzana and Mik but I wanted more!!
- Stormhunters - I wanted to see more of them and learn more about them!

Overall - While I will freely admit it is not my favorite last book ever it is pretty damn awesome and in my opinion no true fan of this series will be disappointed.

“Wasn't that what religions did? Squint at one another and declare, 'My unprovable belief is better than your unprovable belief.'"

"Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love. It did not end well."
This series is insane. Bat-shit insane. Maybe bat teeth, mixed with jaguar, crocodile, payara, and hippopotamus teeth - insane (just imagine that chimaera). The world-building in this is fantastic. Yes, there were points where I thought it was moving slowly, but overall the writing style was magnificent and this Romeo and Juliet love story is unlike anything I've ever read.

Trilogy finale. Not a standalone.

I devoured Dreams of Gods & Monsters in a day and I'm looking forward to rereading it as well as the previous two books in the trilogy. While DG&M has its own distinct story arc, this is definitely not a standalone and not a book you should read without re-familiarizing yourself with the first two installments.

Laini Taylor remains one of THE most talented writers - not just in fantasy, but in YA/A literature. Her love of prose - her willingness to be playful and flexible with language - is distinct, gorgeous and unparalleled. I particularly enjoyed her cut-away to the larger, meta story lines in DG&M, i.e. the Fallen and Razgut (heartbreaking) and the Cataclysm, which were written lyrically and compassionately.

I also appreciated the comparative lightness of DG&M after the second book. While the finale is still quite heavy, there were pockets of peace, if not happiness for characters; Zuzanna and Mik brought some much-needs levity to scenes, and even Karou was able to unwind a bit for a quip or two.

Interestingly, my take away from DG&M is that Karou and Akiva, as epic as they are, are a piece of something far larger than themselves. It's actually refreshing, particularly in YA literature, for the protagonist-couple's relationship to be put in its proper persecutive; however, I do think the first two books built its arc upon an Ultimate Act of Defying Love and it was a bit startling when the lens zoomed out and their relationship (as would any relationship) became an aside to grander plot questions - the Fallen, Akiva's mother's people, universal battles, etc. Karou and Akiva, in the end, may have been the cataclysm for and part of the battle, but they were only a part of it - neither a rallying point nor its center, after all.

Taylor has definitely set up the premise for future books in the same world, although there are no hints as to whether Karou would remain a central character. Either way, I'll be purchasing them and I highly recommend her other books as well. As with Daughter of Smoke & Bone books, they are superbly written.

This is more a review for the trilogy than the final book alone. I found the first book to be absolutely amazing. Yes, it has cliched wish fulfillment characters and follows lot of the formulaic patterns of YA fiction but I still couldn't put it down. You can't deny that Laini Taylor has one hell of an imagination. I love the idea of the worlds she created throughout the entire series, and sometimes her turns of phrase took my breath away. The second book was also good, and the third could have been another five-star but was 100-200 pages too long to qualify. Unlike some reviewers, I really liked the new plot lines of Eliza and of the Stelians. What I didn't like, and what bumped this down to a four-star review, was the failure to edit. There are just so many instances of repeating what had been said earlier via a character literally quoting something to him or herself, and of long-winded rehashes of what the reader already knows, that I just couldn't lose myself in the final book the way I did with the first one.

I also got bored with Akiva and Karou. Their interaction was like watching two people go "you go first, no you go first, no you, no I insist . . . ." I loved Akiva and Madrigal, but I just couldn't stay interested in Akiva and Karou. Their repeated sacrifices to be apart in order to fulfill their self-imposed duty gets to the eye-rolling point pretty quickly. Maybe 12 year old girls think this is what love is, but these two really don't know each other and their belief in their soul mate-ness made me want to vomit to the point I hoped they'd end up with other people. Fortunately, though, Liraz is exceptionally well developed in this book and becomes such a favorite character that Karou, for me, was almost irrelevant. Same for Razgut - I felt sorry for the broken old thing.

Bottom line: This series is definitely worth reading, but do not expect the second and third books to dazzle the way the first one does.

I really don't know what to say about this book, actually I do know what to say: READ THIS SERIES.

With each book this series got better and better, each one is unique and has its own soul and style, each one amazing! But this one was definitely my favorite, we were everywhere, every character was going through something different, new experiences, new battles to fight, new friendships and relationships to make.

The writing is BEAUTIFUL, there is no other way to put it, Laini Taylor is just amazing with words, the way she writes just speaks to my heart, the way she describes places and feelings and people is just beautiful, amazing, wonderful . . . So many things!

Karou and Akiva got a great ending or beginning as I like to look at it. Also the rest of the gang, although I wouldn't mind to know a bit more about certain characters and what happened to them after the book ended.

This is by far one of the best series that I've read since falling in love with reading.

In short, Dreams of Gods and Monsters is a satisfactory conclusion to an interesting series. But first, a mention of my petty annoyance, and I hope you forgive my curmudgeonry. I found the first two installments of the series spending a little too much time in the heads of the various characters, but nothing too egregious. In the finale, however, that practice flowed a bit over the top, sometimes dragging me through page after page of a character's detailed thought process. I would have preferred more of a "show me, don't tell me" approach.

Anyway, got that off my chest. Now for the good! Ms. Taylor has conceived a unique storyline that manages to avoid cliche much more deftly than similar series have. The characters are well drawn, the settings are palpably described, and the action (when it happens) is riveting. As the novel progressed, I found myself rooting for a particular relationship to develop (no spoilers, but you will know what I'm talking about). That is a mark of great story-telling in my opinion - when secondary characters draw you in just as effectively as primary characters do.

As with all great story-telling, the story is only as good as its ending. Endings are difficult for stories of such scope and sweep. Too tidy of an ending is not believable. Too devastating of an ending is too bitter. However, the author gave us the perfect middle ground: a satisfying ending that serves as a great jumping off point for each of our individual imaginations. In all, the series is well worth the journey!

This series is one of my favorite reads ever. I didn't know how I was going to feel after finishing Dreams of Gods and Monsters. I have been with these characters for years and I knew I was going to be sad because I would have to say goodbye to them. But after reading the last page I felt sad but elated at the same time. My characters finally got to where they were supposed to be. I didn't envision the ending quite like Taylor wrote it. BUT that doesn't mean it wasn't perfect. It was. And I'm happy with what she gave us.

After reading the first book in the series, I was all about Karou and Akiva. I thought that their love story was the main plot of the book. But after finishing book 2 and 3 I realized how wrong I was. This story is about so much more than these characters finally getting their happy ending. This is about saving worlds, people and to achieve this you have to look at the big picture and sometimes sacrifice happiness. I found myself getting annoyed at Karou and Akiva. The moments where they would almost touch but didn't because of x reason made me not like them that much. I know, that's a horrible thing to say. I wanted to know what was going to happen with everything else except them. I still love them, though. I just needed a little break from them.

In this installment, there are new characters introduced, which was kind of weird because one character in particular got a lot of pages. She was basically a main character. I didn't mind, but I don't know if it was really necessary. Unless Taylor is planning on writing a spinoff with this character as the main character. I would totally read that series.

Dreams of Gods and Monsters was a worthy end to an amazing series. I know I said Karou and Akiva were getting on my nerves, but they were still awesome. All the characters were amazing, even the bad ones. With that said, I'm a forever fan of Laini Taylor.

I love this series! I started a Pinterest fan-board, so that should show how much I love it. So there really isn’t much more to say. Taylor’s writing is magnificent. She transports me to another world and I read her books as I breath air. I feel as if I am a character in the book, feeling the despair and the heartache, experiencing the never-ending war that seems to have no resolution, and hanging on to the thread of a hope that something can be done. Taylor moves us through the story, until we can see an ending. We can understand all the characters, their thoughts, motivations, actions and desires. We aren’t left wondering why did they do that? Or how did they get to this point? All is shown and taught and developed within us, until it is just a story that exists in our minds much like a fairy tale drilled into us from childhood. It doesn’t need explaining, it just is.

If Taylor had a drawback, it was this. She succumbed to the established author problem of over-writing the book. I’m not complaining. I’ll take as many novels as she’d like to produce, but she definitely could have shortened things up.We had two to three pages explaining a second in time and how it affected each and every person in the room, or drawn out descriptions of how someone felt in graphic detail. I enjoyed every second, don’t get me wrong, but only an established author with a strong following can get away with that. Oh, to have that pull some day!

And the ending. It was acceptable. I don’t need fairy-tale-perfect-everyone-lives-happily-ever-after. In fact, I don’t like those. You can’t go through hell and be Mary Poppins on the other side. Yes, I’m talking about you, Bella. And there are others, but I like my characters to suffer, and for the reader to understand that suffering doesn’t stop with THE END. So, Taylor makes sure we get a realistic ending. And I liked it. But she left it open. Is there another book? Is there another series? You can’t leave them with, “Oh, you saved the world, but now here’s another major catastrophe you need to fix. Good luck!” Or rather, you can’t leave ME with that! Dear God, woman! Have you no heart? Well, if there’s more to read: Yea! If not: Seriously?! I need a little more resolution than that.

For more reviews: http://jenniferaustinauthor.wordpress.com/

Karou and Akiva are still fighting for their hope at peace. Karou's new desperate plan with the white wolf is the last chance to forge a peace treaty with the Seraphim. Will the fragile plan work? Can they really establish peace? Unfortunately before they can find out, Jael, the new Seraphim Emperor, leads a host of angels to earth in preparation for a take over. Now it is up to Karou, Akiva and their allies to not only stop the war between the Chimera and Seraphim, but to also save Earth. Can an angel and a devil find love and peace at last?
What I Liked:
*I have been waiting for this finale for a year and a half. Needless to say, I had high expectations going into this one. Ms. Taylor presents a gorgeously written, epic book, complex in plot and characters that will surely satisfy fans.
I was blown away by the complexity of the story. This book extends to new levels with all the additional new characters, worlds and so forth. The creativity and imagination in the story are mind blowing. If you are a reader that likes intelligent reading, don't miss this series. I still have no idea why this is marketed as YA in the U.S. This is far beyond YA fare.
*Once again, I was completely blown away by Ms. Taylor's beautiful writing. She has a way with words that is so impressive. I wish I could convey to you how lovely the writing is, but I can't. All I can say is if you are someone who loves gorgeous writing, this is without a doubt one of the most impressively written series I have read to date. The writing is absolutely stunning. Read it for the lovely writing alone, but along with that you will get an intelligent and complex story with intriguing characters.
*The romance kept me on the edge of my seat. I kept waiting for that moment when Karou and Akiva would come together again after all the strife and heartache they have endured. The book is absolutely ripe with sexual tension as I waited and waited for that moment. There are several promising moments when I was holding my breath thinking this would be the scene, only to be thwarted. I loved the way the romance unfolded and I liked that it took its time. Along with the main romance between Karou and Akiva, there is an additional new romance that surprised me and stole my heart. I was in tears during the scene at the river hoping against hope that the soul be recovered.....
*Mik and Zuzana are back and as charming as ever. I was pleased to see that they played an important and pivotal role in the book. You can count on Zuzana to provide much needed comic relief, while Mik is the knight in shining armor ready to perform three huge tasks to win his lady's hand. I love these two.
*For the most part, I was pleased with the way everything wrapped up. There was a lot of darkness before hope shone through, and I liked the way the romances played out. Most of my questions were answered even though they were through unexpected means. Overall, it was an epic read. One I intend to revisit.
*I listened to the audio version of this book. The narrator, Khristine Hvam, does an outstanding job with the material, and her job wasn't easy with all the pronunciations and such. I thought her accents and voices were terrific. I would definitely listen to something she narrates again.
And The Not So Much:
*Even though I was satisfied overall with the book, I couldn't help but feel like it was lacking a bit of something. I think one of the issues was the book felt like it was almost too ambitious. There are numerous points of views, story lines and new developments. At first, it was hard to keep track of everyone and all the story arcs, especially when I had no clue how they would all tie into the main story. Thankfully, as the store progressed, the story began to weave together and I could see how all the characters and threads fit into the overall picture. However, due to the great scope of the story, not everything finished off and reached a satisfactory conclusion. I think the breadth of the story left too many dangling threads that I would have liked to come to fruition. I desperately wanted more of the fledging relationship that was formed between another angel and chimera. I was also disappointed that many of the souls were not resurrected, especially the one hidden in a thurible left to Karou by Brimstone. I kept waiting and waiting for that one.
*New big unexpected players were suddenly thrown into the mix of the story and it was a bit rattling to have these new characters play such key roles in the finale. It was a bit jarring. I don't know why they weren't introduced earlier.
While I loved the romance, it drove me crazy as well. There are so many moments when I thought the moment was here only to be disappointed. I wanted a bit more in those final pages.
*I couldn't help but feel like the story wasn't finished. There is another huge conflict in the future and things are by no means at a happily ever after moment. I am hoping that there will be a spinoff down the road because I think there is still so much more story to tell.
*I am still perplexed as to why this series is marketed in the U.S. as YA while it is in the adult genre the rest of the world. By no means is this a YA series. Not because of the subject matter but because of the complexity and the brilliance of the story. This is a series that should be read by everyone.
*While I loved the audiobook, I feel like that this might have been a book that is better to be read if you are easily distracted while listening to books. This is such a detailed and difficult story, it wasn't easy to absorb it all. I will definitely go back and reread this one to glean things I missed.

Of Gods and Monsters is a brilliant and satisfactory conclusion to one of my all time favorite series. Ms. Taylor's story telling reaches new heights as she delivers a complicated and rich finale. Be prepared for plenty of shocking developments as you go through this one. Nothing is as it seems. I am hoping that this really isn't the end and that Ms. Taylor will treat us to more stories in this world down the line. This is a series that is not to be missed.

I purchased a copy of this book. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.

This series has been so interesting and unique. I have loved the world-building, the characters, and the struggles for peace and love. There was so much going on and so many pieces in play. I loved many of the twists and how much of it all turned out. I also loved all the characters. There was such an impossible task ahead of them and I felt that this was a fabulous end to the series. It explained much and nothing was easy. No nice little bows to tie off this series.

I did become a little impatient with how the book was drawn out, at least it felt a little that way with all the back and forth and trying to describe everything that needed to be described. There was also a lot of melancholy thoughts here and there that made the story somewhat languid even in the midst of intense situations and these parts also stretched the story out more. It's not that I didn't like any of these moments, but there were a lot of them almost every time the story switched from what was going on with one set of characters to another. It was a longer book at over 600 pages, so I do think some things could have been cut or maybe made a little more concise. It felt like maybe the author didn't want to let the series go and was trying to fit everything in.

Overall, Dreams of Gods & Monsters was a great ending to this series. It also left room open for a subsequent series. The writing was smooth, the characters still beloved (if not more so), the twists were fabulous, and the ending was everything I would have hoped for and it was bittersweet, which fit the series perfectly.

Content: Some language, violence, and sexual content.
Source: Library

3.5 stars

I absolutely adore Laini Taylor's writing style and I have devoured loved all of the books in this series like they were made of the most delicious, decadent chocolate. So it'll come as no surprise when I say that I had high expectations for the final book in the trilogy, in fact my expectations were so high that I was almost scared to start reading Dreams of Gods and Monsters because I was worried that there was no way it would be able to live up to them. I can't even begin to tell you how much it pains me to say this but unfortunately my fears did kind of come true.

I don't want to say that this was a horrible novel because it really, really wasn't BUT it didn't quite manage to reach the highs of the earlier books. It still has Laini Taylor's beautiful, descriptive writing and it still has the characters we've come to know and love so much but I did find the story dragged in places and there were actually times when I wanted to put the book down and walk away which is unheard of for me with this series. I was torn between giving this book a 3 and 4 star rating but the parts I loved I REALLY loved so I've been generous and gone with the higher number.

I have been rooting for Karou & Akiva since the very beginning but I was nervous that there was no way they would be able to find their way back to each other after everything they had both seen and done. There has been betrayal and hurt on both sides and it isn't going to be easy for either of them to get past that. Not to mention the fact that they're both on opposite sides of a war that has been raging for centuries. Even if they want to be together they would have to leave everyone else that they love and care about for that to happen, unless they can find a way to make the chimaera and angels work together. Now that both sides have a common enemy and both stand little chance of surviving unless they put their differences aside they are closer to a truce than they have ever been in the past but that doesn't mean putting aside over a thousand years of hatred is going to be easy and it's going to take a lot of patience on both sides if they are going to have a chance of success.

I absolutely loved the way the author brings the two sides together, it isn't an easy truce and there are times when I feared it wouldn't be successful but it is so cleverly written that it was believable that these enemies would be able to put the past behind them even if it is only temporarily. I loved seeing Karou and Akiva working together to achieve their goals, this is something they have dreamed of since they first met a whole lifetime ago and now it is finally within reach. The story contains heart-stopping action, some unexpected twists and moments that absolutely broke my heart. I was a sobbing, hysterical mess during some scenes and towards the end I was crying tears of happiness. Laini Taylor pulled on my heart strings for sure and it's the fact that she can make me so invested in the lives of her characters that made me go with the higher rating for this story.

It isn't only Karou and Akiva that I'm invested in though, I also absolutely adore Zuzana, Mik, Ziri, Issa and Liraz and was just as keen to see how things would play out for them too. It's unusual for a series to have so many side characters that I become attached to and I desperately wanted all of my favourites to get a happy ending. I fell more in love with these characters throughout this book seeing their loyalty to Karou, Akiva and each other. They are all willing to risk everything in the hope of achieving peace in Eretz and risks like that aren't always rewarded so I was incredibly nervous about how things would play out.

As you can see there was a lot to love about Dreams of Gods and Monsters so you're probably wondering why I was disappointed. I don't really want to dwell on the negative but I hated that so much of the story was told from the point of view of a complete stranger. Eliza's character seems to have been included here as a convenient way of tying certain plot threads together and it felt like she had been added on as an afterthought. I had no connection to her because I've not spent the previous two books getting to know her. Quite frankly I couldn't care less about her and the chapters that were from her point of view left me feeling bored and irritated. I wasn't interested in the pointless drama between her and a work colleague and I could have done without learning her family history. I just wanted to get back to Karou & Akiva or any of the other characters I love.

Towards the end of the book I also found myself getting incredibly irritated at the way things kept contriving to keep Karou and Akiva apart. The will they / won't they pull between them has kept me hooked throughout the whole series but there comes a point when it starts to get a little ridiculous and overdone. I just think there was a point at about three quarters of the way into the book where it would have been nice for things to come together for them. Then you add in the fact that the series doesn't really have an absolute resolution, although a lot of lose threads have been tied up to me it definitely felt that things have been left open for a sequel and I'm not quite sure how I feel about that. I just think if we hadn't had Eliza added to the mix we could have trimmed a good hundred or more (boring) pages from the story and also had a more resolved ending. If the story had been tightened up like that it would have been a much more gripping and addictive read and I think I'd probably have finished it in one sitting.

Like I said I don't want to dwell on the negative though because even though Dreams of Gods and Monsters wasn't my favourite book this is still one of my favourite series and Laini Taylor is definitely an amazing author. A not so good book from her is still better than most of the other books out there so when I rate this a 3.5 star read by her standards that's probably still the equivalent of 5 star books by many other authors. If you haven't started the series yet then I honestly can't recommend Daughter of Smoke and Bone highly enough, I reread the previous books before starting this one and I loved them even more the second time around. There is no doubt that I will buy anything Laini Taylor writes in the future, I can't think of another author who writes so beautifully and I'm excited to see what she comes up with next.

Laini Taylor is the kind of writer that makes me grind my teeth.
In jealousy, mind you.

She casually sprinkles her story with luscious, indulgent sensory sentences as if the creation of them took no effort at all. It’s hard to choose just one passage, but here’s one I read 3 times just for enjoyment. And I’ve been accused of adult-onset ADHD, so it’s no small thing to make me re-read something.

“To his heart. His chest, his solidity. His arms around her, that’s what she wanted, and …she wanted movement that spoke to movement, skin to skin and sweat to heat to breath to gasp. Oh god. His touch made her foolish. It spliced her right out of real life with its drumbeat of armies angels portals weapons war and into that paradise they’d imagined long ago—the one that was like a jewel box waiting for them to find it and fill it with their happiness.”

And she manages to construct romantic interactions that elicit maximum angst. What? We are star-crossed lovers? Well at least I can save you from your dire enemy…oh wait, I can’t? Well at least I know you hate him and I don’t have to watch you being intimate…oh wait, now the last of your kind is secretly inhabiting the body of your dire enemy and in order to keep up appearances you’re going to go with him?

Angsty-angstyness to the max. On top of it all, this is the third book in the series. There are so few trilogies featuring a star-crossed love that manages to be true to the feelings of the characters and serve the need for plot-tension without obvious, heavy-handed strategies not organic to the plot that make me frustrated. Taylor does a good job of keeping Karou and Akiva apart but still working towards the same goals.

And looking longingly at eachother from across caverns filled with their respective peoples about the make war on eachother. Or sit down and eat dinner.

Do NOT read this book out of order. Part of the magic of this trilogy is understanding the depth of the lives Karou and Akiva have left behind—and that requires the slow layering of knowledge you glean from reading the first two books in the series.

So maybe by the end, I have to admit, the obstacles between Akiva and Karou got a bit much. But then Zuzana-the-human would throw in a snarky comment, or there would be another amazingly heart-string stirring sentence, and I would forgive Taylor.

I don't think I've ever given 5 starts to all three books in a trilogy before. And I'm not sure if its the writing, or the unabashed angsty melodrama, or the cool details about Prague and kasbahs and gleaning souls to save them in thuribles, or the satisfaction of watching extremely tough, bad-ass characters get their deserved comeuppance-- be they evil or in the end sympathetic. Whatever it was, kudos to Taylor for a satisfying end to this story that manages to answer questions, tie together disparate character arcs, fulfill the romantic tension, and still leave that necessary room for the characters to strive for a future.

Now I'm going to go hide in a corner and grind my teeth some more and most likely fall asleep thinking of chimaera and seraphim.

Review originally posted on The Book Addict's Guide

** This is a SPOILER-FREE review of Dreams of Gods and Monsters but beware that if you haven’t read the first two books in this series yet, there may be some spoilers for those! **

This was by far the hardest book of this series for me to read — that’ snot necessarily a bad thing, although it may sound like one, but I really felt like I needed to give it my full attention and unfortunately as of lately, I just haven’t had the time or mental clarity. If you’re a fan of Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy, I’m sure you’re aware how deep, how detailed, and how complex this series is. It’s not one to be taken lightly and really does require the perfect mood and proper amount of time so when I tell you that it took me a month and a half to finish it, that’s a good and a bad thing all at the same time.

I read the first two books no problem. I actually streamed pretty quickly through DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE and tried to take my time and really let myself soak in DAYS OF BLOOD AND STARLIGHT. But DREAMS OF GODS AND MONSTERS was a different story. Yes, I decided to really slow myself down and make sure I was really taking it all in, but there were actual weeks where I completely ignored it because I just didn’t have the motivation to pick up such a daunting book. I was overwhelmed by the amount of pages and the time I knew I’d need to read it. Was that the book’s fault? Well, no, but the sheer size of it really did factor in to my reading plans and with time being a pressing issue lately, it was a bit frustrating to me when things felt a little too drawn out.

Laini Taylor’s writing has been beautiful from the start, but DREAMS OF GODS AND MONSTERS was the first book where I felt like the gorgeous, lyric-type prose was getting a bit too drawn out. I usually enjoy the way a plot point is revealed and then we back-track to see how it all evolved, but in some places it felt unnecessary and I was frustrated that I felt like I was reading a whole chapter here or there that didn’t feel entirely necessary to the development of plot or characters. I could chalk that up to my personal impatience or just my experience with reading… I think it was actually a little bit of both.

The introduction of Eliza’s character was not entirely unwelcomed but I wasn’t a fan that she was thrown in as a new main character with POV chapters and everything. I really did like how she fit into the story and it was very exciting to see all of those pieces click together but… I didn’t really enjoy her chapters much at all. The book kicks off with one of Eliza’s chapters and that was actually a really exciting one. I was so excited to see the book start with a bang and I was anxious to get to know more about Eliza, but the more I got to know about her, the less I liked. I didn’t hate her, but I think I would have liked to see her as more of a secondary character because I felt like I lost so much of the focus of Karou and Akiva as well as secondary characters from the previous books (Ziri, Liraz, Mik, Zuze) who were starting to grow into more of a main focus. I think it was too much for me to meet a brand-new character who had such a strong presence in the book, taking over chapters, and also having a strong personality. I wanted to spend so much more time with characters I already knew instead of a brand-new one who wasn’t that important to me and who I wasn’t connecting with.

I really did enjoy the book — I always appreciate how beautiful the writing is and how the books really make me focus on what I’m reading. Everything is so wonderfully detailed, thoroughly thought out, and sort of paradoxically magically realistic. I’m so glad that things were pretty well wrapped up at the end of the book and it was sort of one big sigh of relief to see how everything ended. To be honest, I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending and I felt like some things ended up being glossed over. For example, Eliza’s entire part in the book is explained and then seemingly dropped to make room for Karou & Akiva, which usually I don’t mind since I’m more excited for Karou/Akiva plot, but I felt like I was finally getting answers and then they happened but I didn’t get any detail.

All in all, I did enjoy DREAMS OF GODS AND MONSTERS a lot, but it seemed like this was the book I had the most issues with out of the series. Some things had been weighing on me since the beginning but it was new love and not a big issue to me. Some things didn’t really seem to appear until the last book and I was at a point where I wasn’t in the mood for things to be drawn out. It was a stunning conclusion but I was left just a bit unsatisfied, to be perfectly frank. Maybe it’s just that it still feels unreal that the series is over! Maybe I’m just hoping that Laini Taylor writes more in this universe… (oh please, oh please!!) but I don’t think I was quite prepared for this series to end!

Dreams of Gods and Monster is the last book in the Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy and it is a worthy ending for it. It might have affected me emotionally more than other people due to personal circumstances, but it is a book full of wonderful epic writing, tension and our very beloved characters and a few new ones.

As with any final book review I will do my very best to keep it as spoiler free as possible but there might be some spoilers for the other two books in the trilogy.

After the quite cliffhangery ending of Days of Blood & Starlight we are facing quite dangerous odds, from enemies within and without and if the stakes weren't high enough, we're introduced to some new characters which was a bit surprising. Who are these people and why are we getting to know about them only now? How are they gonna be relevant to the story?

The story is told through various different POVs and although some weren't as central to the bigger picture, they all gave us some insight or other, and they all started or took part of the action and moved the plot along.

Through Morgan and Eliza we see how people on Earth and the bulk of humanity react to the arrival of the angels, and we also get much more than I would have expected at first, even if I suspected something big was afoot. Nope, THAT I was not expecting! And that's all I will say about them, anything else would risk spoilers cause once I start talking about what a weasel Morgan was but how in the end it was the starting point of something for the best... I might end up spoiling something!

Akiva and Karou are still finding their footings as new allies, and it's painfully amazing seeing them work through the differences of their races and search for that hope of a better world for everyone and a chance at love and a future for themselves. My heart was hurting with every interaction, full of hope, joy, sadness, mourning... A bit of everything really!

Zuzana and Mik have to be my favourite characters in this series. Being human they might lack the magic and the powers to make big contributions, but trust me, they are not useless at all! Not only they provide a bit of comic relief, but they also provide a different perspective and a different support for Karou. These books wouldn't be as wonderful as they are without the rabid faery and the violin boy!

Liraz and Ziri are two secondary characters that really come into their own in this book, and that take charge of themselves and their lives. Not only that, they are instrumental in the changes and battles to be fought and in the outcome of not only the battles but also the whole course of the war!

The world building has always been extraordinary in these books, but now it takes on a bigger dimension. Magic and science mix in an epic way and show us that knowledge lost can be utterly dangerous and that Earth and Eretz are not the only places out there, and that the portals are more dangerous than we knew.

The ending is more open than I had expected but it is a perfect ending. Full of hope and beginnings and middles and with a lot of not exactly dull moments to image. It left me bawling like there was no tomorrow, but it was just perfect. Very much deserved 5 stars for this final book, and all the stars to the whole trilogy. Thank you, Laini Taylor, for these wondrous books!

There will be spoilers form books 1 and 2 in this review so if you haven't read those books don't read this review.

Dreams of Gods and Monsters picks up with a new character a human named Eliza who gives us a human point of view of Jael's coming to earth.Then you switch right back to where book 2 left off and it tells you how the armies made an alliance and set up camp in the kirin caves.What follows is a multiple world wind adventure quest to save both Earth and Eretz for Jael and his army.

Karou is my favorite kind of heroine strong,smart,unique,devoted and willing to anything for the people she loves but vulnerable at time.Karou's struggle to help her people but still being in love with Akiva the man who destroyed most of her people and killed her adopted father Brimstone is heartbreaking.I love how Laini was able to merge the characters of Karou and Madrigal together yet without losing on character to the other.

I love Akiva.*swoon*How he is willing to do anything for the girl he loves.I love how the author didn't make Akiva a "bad boy"and more a wounded tortured hero.I have a great respect for Akiva as he is willing to take responsibility for his mistakes and wants to atone for them.

No Love Triangle here and I am happy for it.I love a good love triangle but not in every book I read.It seems like to many authors just use them because they are the in thing sense Twilight.Every time Karou and Akiva are in the same scene it sizzles with passion and longing.I love them as a couple.

Liraz's character makes the most growth in this book and watching her grow is one of my favorite parts of the book.I connected with her character in a way I never thought I would.With Hazael gone Liraz doesn't have him to hide behind and that is a good thing.Eliza the human scientist with a mysterious past is just a very sympathetic character plus she becomes someone so important to the story and I was surprised how much of the story was told form her Point of View.

I grew to love Ziri more then ever with his choice to pretend to be the White Wolf to save his people.Noble sweet kind Ziri pretending to be the cold cruel wolf.What a horrible thing for a good soul to have to act like a evil one.Mik and Zuzana are back and as adorable and loveable as ever.I love learning more about the Stelians and how important they are.I have been chomping at the bit to meet the people who sent someone a fruit basket telling them they don't have time for war maybe later.I love the ending and felt it was perfect for the series.Like all last books in series to me the ending is bittersweet.I will miss Karou,Akiva,and all the other characters but Laini gave the characters the ending they needed.Reading Laini's writing is like reading beautiful poetry and I can't wait to see what she writes next.

star rating:5 stars

Genre:Young Adult Fantasy

Will I reread:YES.

Nicole The Reading Reading

I’ve been anticipating the release of Dreams of Gods and Monsters since I finished Days of Blood and Starlight. I adore this series and I admit am guilty of trying to get all my friends and family to read it. One of the things I like most – not including Laini Taylor’s gorgeous writing style and fantastic characters – is that I never know what to expect next.

Dreams of Gods and Monsters picks up where the previous book left us. Jael’s army has come to Rome and revealed to the humans that angels exist. Karou and Akiva are trying to lead their people – Chimera and Angels – to victory whilst at the same time being reminded of their past relationship at every turn. New characters with their own mysterious secrets bring drama to the story leading in a climax I never saw coming. And throughout it all – Zuze and Mik are there doing heroic deeds and adding a touch of their own personal sparkle to Chimera and Angels alike.

Karou is trying to do what she thinks is right. Right for the Kirin she was born as. Right for the human world she adopted during her second life. And right for Brimstone – the father figure she loved and respected as though he was her own blood. But at times it seems like an impossible mission. It’s a delicate balance not letting her romantic feelings towards Akiva unsettle her position with the Chimera. Their stolen moments together were beautiful to read and I loved how Ms. Taylor grew the tension between them. I also loved how this book is a collision of their pasts and presents. Karou returning to the caves she was originally born in but also having her “grandmother” assist her and her friends. Akiva’s magic and its origins combining with his love for Karou as well as having to lead the army against his uncle. It’s a family affair – and it might sound like a disaster but Ms. Taylor makes it work so well together.

New characters are introduced and whilst their motivations and relevance are not always apparent, they are integrated brilliantly into this novel. Eliza Jones, a twenty-four year old who has been running from her past for years. Now a research fellow and doctoral student, Eliza thought she could live her life her way. She’s not going to let her nightmares of monsters – or her horrible co-worker – take the freedom she fought so hard for. Eliza is one of those characters that I enjoyed reading about because despite her past, she now lives in a world ruled by science and rules. But the horrors she witnesses and things she experiences are things she just can’t explain. Whilst it may not be initially clear her role in the the battle between Angels and Chimera, Eliza is a great addition to the series.

I adore Zuze and Mik and I was delighted that they featured so prevalently in this book. They are adorable and bring out the best in each other – but also in others too. It’s hard not to be caught up in their infectious enthusiasm and love of life. But we also get to see a deeper side to the pair. A war is not without its casualties and both Zuze and Mik get forced to face the reality to the fanciful world they stumbled into. Brave, faithful and intelligent – we get to see the best this pair have to offer and I would love to do samurai-monster training with them and become as dangerous as Zuze is feisty.

Dreams of Gods and Monsters is an amazing conclusion to the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series. All of the characters have grown so much and continue to do so throughout this book. The plot is both unique and thrilling. I never knew what to expect but the twists and turns felt right and authentic to the characters and the worlds in which they live. I will continue to recommend this series to everyone I know and will rush out and read anything else Laini Taylor decides to write.

Favourite Quotes:

And that was why she was angry. Because they weren’t giving her a reason to be angry. Feelings. Were. Stupid.

We are the beginning, he heard inside his heard, and it felt like prayer. We have always been. This time, let it be more than a beginning.

“You are a conniving, deceitful hussy. I stand in awe.”
“You’re sitting.”
“I sit in awe.”

Zuzana sensed a t-shirt design coming on. Be a Samurai because you never know what’s behind the freaking sky.

What an unforgettable series - in SUCH a good way - and what a finale!

Beautifully written, this book reminded me why I love Laini's storytelling so much ... why her books are magical and lyrical and enjoyable in equal measure. Her worlds are vast, breathtaking; her characters and dialogue so very good. As this final book in the series unspooled, I was utterly captivated - to know that it was all coming to an end (sob) ... and yet, it's all coming to an end (YES!) Read slower ... no, read faster!

This final book is worth reading for the quality of the prose alone, but then we have: the ongoing love story of Karou and her Akiva; the oh-so-sweet-with-spikes-on Zuzana, and her violin boy; then the emotional story of Ziri and Thiago, the changes transforming Liraz, the Kirin caves, the mystery of the battle at the portal; and oh, who are these new characters - and what is the story behind *them*? Oh ... and OH!!

If you've already read Daughter of Smoke and Bone and Days of Blood and Starlight, why on *earth* would you forgo this treat, the bringing together of all the threads and all the lives and all the worlds, into this magical, perfect ending? :)

Dreams of Gods & Monsters is the final installment in Laini Taylor's The Daughter of Smoke and Bone Trilogy. Laini Taylor is one of my favorite storytellers of all time. She makes art out of words and it is beautiful. She has such talent for building characters, worlds, and relationships on the page and her writing just sucks you in and won't let you go. I LOVED the first two books in this trilogy, but sadly I didn't love this one quite as much. I still liked it...a lot...but I was looking forward to the mental hallelujah chorus that proceeds amazing fiction but it just didn't come for me personally. I wanted Karou and Akiva! But new characters, plots, and complexities were added that took my attention away from them too many times. Also, I think it had to do with the varying perspectives in which the events were told, the way new characters and events were introduced, and how complicated the existing and new plot(s) became. There's no way this is the end to these characters' stories. Ms. Taylor put way too much work into developing new characters and plots in this final installment to just end them all here. SPINOFF- possibly plural! Pretty please?

The things I loved were 1.Karou and Akiva's romantic tension! Even though it was a little over the top, at least Karou and Akiva were the focal point during those parts! For a while I thought (view spoiler) 2.The lovely Zuzana and Mik (love, love those two-just can't get enough!!!) 3.And such a surprise: (view spoiler). Eliza and her gang just didn't make it to my favorite's list. I think it had to do with my complete confusion with why she had a parallel story in the first place...but it did make sense later on in the story. Anyway, this can't be the last we see of these folks, and any novellas, books, etc. that are written will make it to the top of my book pile!

My favorite quote:
“Be a Samurai. Because you just never know what's behind the freaking sky.”

The journey that began with DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE and continued with DAYS OF BLOOD AND STARLIGHT is over. I am a sad yet very happy person. I feel like I was part of the journey, from that moment when I first read that an angel and a devil fell in love, to those bittersweet words of the last page of DREAMS OF GODS AND MONSTERS. Karou, the blue haired girl with a perilous destiny, and Akiva, an angel with amazing power, are preparing for war. Their mission does not come without irony: they're leading enemy armies against a threat which has the cunning to destroy worlds. It's a battle for the ages and one which could change everything.

**THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN MILD SPOILERS**

Since this novel is more broad in scope, multiple points of view are given. It's a little disorienting at first, especially for those who want to see more of Karou. She's put more on the back burner. This is such a disappointment because the story should essentially be about her. We do get to experience more of Akiva's thoughts, as well as Zuzana, who is the best best friend in literary existence. There is also the introduction of a new character named Eliza, who is more than she seems. Anyone who read DAYS knows of the White Wolf. All I will say is that the White Wolf is a force to be reckoned with in this book.

The language is gorgeous and the world building is breathtaking. Locations in Eretz--the home world of the angels and the chimaera--are described in lush detail. Places on Earth--Morocco, Rome, and even the National Museum of Natural History--are given life. There is a strong sense of friendship, duty, honor, and love in the writing, which is what makes the series so compelling. However, I noticed there were some elements which were jarring, Maybe it's due to the broadness of the book, but I had a part time picturing some of the things which happened near the end. I had to re-read these passages several times before the information would stick.

Those expecting a slash-and-jab battle will be sorely disappointed. But this introduces an element which makes you ask, "Is there something more?" It feels like there should be more. I think you're supposed to make your own ending, which is head-smashingly sad. I want closure.

I tip my hat to Laini Taylor for creating this world, these characters, and the girl who introduced it to us. This is a series I will hold close to my heart. If you have not ventured in to this world, please do.

“Once upon a time,an angel and a devil
pressed their hands to their hearts
…and started the apocalypse.”

Where do you even begin with a book like DREAMS OF GODS & MONSTERS? It was a utterly fantastic conclusion and a nearly perfect book. I liked the other two books but this finale just cemented the series into my shelf of all time favorites.

Characters, characters, characters. Probably one of the best things about this series (among so many others) are the characters. The huge variety of characters, not only differing in appearances, but also personalities, motives, and dreams. Each one has so much depth, and they all add a little something extra to the story.

In addition to all the familiar faces, there are some new characters introduced as well. I like when series do this because it keeps things fresh and Taylor has yet to write a character that wasn’t made from unicorn blood and rainbows (meaning: awesome).

And I think these quotes say everything I could about the writing. It’s probably the best I’ve ever read in any young adult book. Beautiful, without being too complex and hard to understand.

And boy, is there darkness. Everything is at stake and no one is safe. That’s why I was on the edge the entire time I was reading this-you really have no idea what could happen and we already know Taylor doesn’t pull any punches in her writing. Even with everything, I’m still very satisfied with the ending, although there is opportunity to see more from this world. *crosses fingers*

A great conclusion.

I have fallen in love with Karou, Zuzana and Mik. They have to be some of my favorite book characters ever. I was so excited to get my hands on the final book in the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series, Dreams of Gods and Monsters. When I went to pick it up at the library I almost fell over. The book is huge! It is like Harry Potter huge with smaller text! Uff-da!

Likes:

I never really liked Karou and Akiva in the first two books, but this one I could really finally see them being together.

The changes to the story were interesting, I liked how Eliza was added to the story. It was a good way to see the human and other reality perspective.

I was happy with the way the series ended. I wasn’t really why the whole Akiva situation needed to happen, but it worked out fine. I almost wonder if it gave her an edge to write a spin-off series or something.

It was need seeing Brimestone’s hopes come to life in this book. I really wish there was more Brimstone, but at least his legacy shines through Karou and Issa.

Gripes:

I listened to the first two books and I really felt like I connected with the book a lot better with the audio version. Sometimes with the written version I felt like it was so jumpy. It sometimes felt like Laini was speaking with a train of conciseness, so I think I related better to that having someone read it to me rather than reading the book. I almost wish I would have done the audio version instead.

There was not enough Zuzana and Mik! I was so sad that Zuzana really took a back seat and this book really was lacking the original spunk and wit that I loved in the first two books in the series.

My initial response was "perfect."

Upon Further Reflection, well... not so perfect. Or maybe too perfect? Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it, immensely, it just didn't quite live up to what I expected. I'm having trouble articulating exactly what it was about this that has left me less than entirely satisfied, but I'll give it a shot.

After the incredible pathos and struggle of the first two books, the denouement here seemed (despite the page count) almost rushed. Much of Big Important Conflict that was set up was resolved with "told, not shown" levels of difficulty. And then... and then New Understandings of the Nature of Things.

It wasn't that I disliked the bits toward the end. It was that it felt like our characters, our merry band of players, suddenly had all the set dressing changed out from behind them and everyone kinda just shrugged.

Maybe I'm just being picky, but the world(s) had been well-built and well-established, and while technically making things MORE complex and dangerous and adventure-requiring, the direction the story went, for me, robbed our characters of the chance to really *win* their hard-fought battles.

ALL of that said, it was still a fantastic and gripping read, and I will continue to recommend the series. (Hence the 4-star review.) Parts were beautiful and lovely and made me cry, and I am glad for the characters, if slightly dissatisfied for the readers.

In my years of reading, I have discovered that writing comes with a power; some authors abuse it; some are unsure of what to do with it; and some, like Laini Taylor use it to it's fullest.

I don't have much to say about Dreams of Gods and Monsters except that I kind of hate that I loved it so much. So many different emotions passed through me while I read, and my heart leapt every time Karou and Akiva were together.

Dreams of Gods and Monsters was both a conclusion to the Daughter of Smoke and Bone Trilogy as well as introduction to what comes after a series finishes, what is left to the reader's imagination. I will never forget the journey I went through with Karou and Akiva, and their world will not be forgotten. Laini Taylor concluded the trilogy in he most perfect way possible and still let a door open for what ifs. I will definitely be looking out for Laini Taylor in the future.

3.5 stars. I was totally and completely engaged by Laini Taylor's first book in this series, Daughter of Smoke & Bone. I read it several times and found such wonder in the characters and the plot, despite fantasy not being my favorite genre. I dutifully read the second book in the trilogy, Days of Blood & Starlight, and was a little less enthralled (why would the author take such pains to separate her two interesting protagonists, the chimera Karou and the angel Akiva, who clearly need to be together?!). She separated them to give her plot the impetus it needed to propel through the third and final book, Dreams and Gods & Monsters.

While this book moves along at a fairly good clip, parts of it began to feel repetitive to me -- the cruelty of Jael, the forced separation of Karou and Akiva, the happy sarcasm of Zuzana and Mik. These all felt a little contrived and caused the plot to sink under its own weight.

I wanted this third and final novel to soar, just like the first one did. And, parts of it did. But other parts of the novel were difficult to get through and stirred a sense of boredom. In addition, I can hardly believe the is YA fiction as it is very graphic in its depiction of violence and cruelty.

I'm glad I read it...I just wish I was more satisfied with the outcome.

This was my least favorite book in this series. I wanted to love it so bad, but it just fell short. The only people that kept me going with this book were Zuzana and Mik.

The first thing is I think this book was just a little too long. I’ve listened to this trilogy, and really enjoyed the first two books. They seemed to just fly by. This one felt like it was never going to end. And there was so much new information being given to us in this one. By now, the threads should be tied up, but we were given more questions. I didn’t know if maybe this wasn’t going to be the last one, or not. My other complaint is the addition of new characters. Some of the new characters ended up being vital to the plot, but I wish we had met them sooner.

I love Zuz nd Mik even more after reading this book. They seriously go through hell and back, and manage to stay strong. I also think they are what kept the story going along. I needed more of them in the end. I know it sounds like I hated this book, and it’s not that. I just felt like it was a little too much for a last book.

This Book I can only give 3 Stars. Agreeing with the other reviews, this was not nearly as strong as the other books. It's lazy writing when I'm constantly told how beautiful the characters are and how much they're in love. I get it already, but there was enough of a plot to keep me going. I didn't mind the introduction of new characters, but they did seem a little rushed. And although her writing can be beautiful and poetic at times for some reason this book seemed to drag because of it.

I'm noticing the last book in a trilogy seems to be the hardest to write. Mockingjay and Aligent were huge disappointments. This isn't as horrible, but what the other books were building towards was extremely anti-climatic. When Karou says "It had all been too easy" I laughed... and said "Yes, yes it was." The book does seem to redeem itself a bit by the end, but it wasn't enough for me to feel like this was a solid book series. The end didn't feel finalized. There's still more story to tell so perhaps we'll get another 3 books like what the Mortal Instruments did. And that would be awesome. To review the entire series I would definitely recommend it to anyone.

This lush, complex conclusion to the Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy is set mostly in the high fantasy realm where Karou and Akiva cut the deals and make the sacrifices required to rewrite the histories of their own species. There are unknown players on the sidelines that factor in, and add a mystery feel to this epic fantasy story. Then there is the human realm, where a woman named Eliza is having memory problems, and locked somewhere deep in her brain is yet another mystery. What is fantastic about this book is the depth of emotion that the characters go through as they struggle to rise above historical grievances to fight for the greater good. It takes a special kind of leader to accomplish this, and Karou must do this surreptitiously through Akiva and the disguised Ziki. Given their resources and circumstances I could not envision a scenario in which things could end well, but factor in the serendipity of fate and allies can come from the strangest places. And where fate is fickle, everything comes down to choice. It wasn't enough for Karou and Akiva to have a vision for a different world, but they had to choose to act on that vision...accepting all the terrible risks that come with possible failure. On top of that, every individual fighting with them had to agree to those choices...and risks. Truly an epic, world-expanding saga.

Ehh. Too many new plot threads were introduced in the final book of the trilogy, making the book feel bloated and distancing the reader from the most compelling element: the characters. The whole cataclysmic plot line seemed cobbled together at the last minute. Similar to in Days of Blood and Starlight, the charm and romance of Karou & Akiva, Prague, Brimstone, and the mystical chimera that I fell in love with in Daughter of Smoke and Bone were lost. The original book was no doubt YA, but it had the essence of a timeless fable. This book feels more immature than that, with prose that intermittently grows too purple and never-ending "I just really wish I could kiss Akiva" moments that grow stale.

Spoiler:
Also, that Ziri/Liraz romance felt shoe-horned in, it was way too tidy.

As you can see if you check all the reviews I have posted, I don't often give 5 stars and am honest in my opinion, to the dismay of many. I feel I have paid for the privilege, and although it may be difficult to swallow, I think I say things that others might not but which the writer needs to hear. Be that as it may, Akiva, Karou and company are my current all time favourites. By far. I was so apprehensive that Laini was going to blow it in the last instalment (sad), that I almost did not want to read it. And a few times during the over 600 wonderful pages (more, more!!) I almost put it down.

But it was so wonderful! Thank the godstars that Ms Taylor understands the fundamental sacred contract between the writer (creator) and reader (subject) - no matter what hardships the characters have to endure there MUST be a HAPPY ENDING. So so many writers don't get this, and they will fail, fail, fail.

There were a few things that puzzled me, but which I will probably pick up on the next read through (and the next, and the next...:-)) like are the Stelians vampires? What's with the blood and teeth?? And is Karou going to have a monster baby because she's human? As if any off-spring of Akiva could be..... :-)

Laini, you deserve awards and accolades and fame and fortune. You deserve it. Really. 10 stars. Know that you have provided joy to many people. True.

Here's hoping you can continue to give us fabulous stories such as this for many years to come.

If they make a movie if this, and they should, please cast that beautiful guy from the Spanish Lays add as Akiva. I don't know anyone else pretty enough!!! The casting always ruins it you know.

*SPOILERS* My main issue with this book is the big twist at the end. The twist being that the war we've been following for basically the first two books and three-quarters of the third was essentially pointless. But what was really peculiar was that this book is allegedly the end of this series...and yet, it was completely open-ended. Taylor introduces this big twist at the end that makes all the suffering of the characters seem like sort of a moot point, puts Akiva and Karou back together, and then is like, "well, there's this big thing coming....THE END." It's weird. It would make sense if the story were going to continue (and if it does, you can disregard this review), but as it stands, it's a strange finale.

I had some other minor issues with the book, but the weird ending really overshadows all of that. Unlike the other books, this one seems hastily put together and not quite as carefully rendered. I hope the series continues so that the ending can be justified, rather than just seeming abrupt and odd.

Now that is how you conclude a trilogy. Too often authors build up and build up only to let down, but Taylor did no such thing here. The ending is satisfying while remaining open-ended. The story of Akiva and Karou goes on, but the portion of it Taylor had to tell is over. I love when a series ends like this. It can always feel harsh when coming to the end to have the lives of characters you've come to care about abruptly ended, not by their death but by the simple ending of a story. Much better, in my mind, to know that life will go on for them and to have hints of what that life might be, even if we will never see it written on a page.

As with the rest of the series, Taylor's writing is engaging in part because the language she uses is evocative and often beautiful, and the characters are so very likable--at least the characters we're supposed to like are. The story feels true of young love while remaining focused on larger conflicts and deeper troubles. And to top it all off, Taylor adds some rich history to flesh out the series and provide some striking context for all that has come before.

I enjoyed this series and this concluding volume a great deal.

What do you get if you cross Paradise Lost with Romeo and Juliet?

Laini Taylor's "Daughter of Smoke and Bone" trilogy, a story that centres on an epic war between angels and demons with a pair of star-crossed lovers caught in the middle. Only the angels and demons aren't exactly what you'd expect. In the world of Eretz, "angels" are winged humanoids known as seraphim and "demons" are half-human, half-animal hybrids known as chimaera. Their conflict has been going on for centuries - and has finally spilled over into our world.

When this third and final instalment begins, the world's population is riveted on live footage of thousands of angels sweeping through the skies and descending upon Vatican City. Riots, vigils, baptisms, suicides and mass panic commence. In the midst of all this chaos, a young university student named Eliza Jones cannot help but feel that something is very wrong with the overly staged nature of the angels' meeting with the Pope. From childhood she's been plagued with terrifying nightmares, and after a government-ordered trip to Morocco with her professor reveals a startling find, she realizes she's somehow linked to all these incredible events.

In Eretz, our protagonists Karou and Akiva are facing the greatest challenge of their lives: trying to forge an alliance between refugee chimera and renegade angels so that they might fight as a unified army against the seraphim invasion. Their desperate hope is that by stopping Jael, the commander of the seraphim forces, they'll somehow be able to find a way to end the war and create a life together.

At this point, it seems redundant to outline either Karou or Akiva's story-arcs. Their complicated history has been built-up over the course of two books, and you can't simply jump into this final instalment before first reading its predecessors: Daughter of Smoke & Bone and Days of Blood & Starlight. Suffice to quote the epigram at the start of the story: "once upon a time, an angel and a devil pressed their hands to their hearts and started the apocalypse" and you can easily infer the rest.

Although the odds seem impossible for Karou and Akiva, they have a secret weapon. Despite the superior numbers of seraphim, the chimaera have the ability to transfers souls from one body to another - and at the end of the previous book, the greatest chimaera general of all, the cruel and violent White Wolf Thiago, had his dead body reanimated with the soul of their most trusted ally: a young chimaera called Ziri. It's only by Ziri impersonating Thiago that they have a chance of convincing the rest of the chimaera that an alliance with Akiva's Misbegotten Legion (named so because of their status as the illegitimate offspring of the seraphim emperor) is possible.

As the culmination of the trilogy, "Dreams of Gods and Monsters" finishes most of what it set out to do. The story very much revolves around two major conflicts: the war between seraphim/chimaera and the love story of Karou and Akiva. Only by resolving the former can the latter have a chance at happiness, and Taylor deals with each plot in equal measure throughout the book's considerable length.

MINOR SPOILERS BELOW

I think most readers will be satisfied with the conclusion that "Dreams of Gods and Monsters" offers, though some minor characters remain unaccounted for and there's a sense of "ending fatigue" in the book's final stretch. In an odd choice, the resolution of the seraphim/chimaera war is wrapped up surprisingly early (just over three quarters of the way through the book) leaving the reader with a lengthy wrap-up of the book's third subplot which involves a mysterious team of angels hunting Akiva for reasons that have something to do with the intense magic that he can summon. It's a little out of left-field and introduces a brand new conflict in the last segment of the book that feels a little incidental.

END OF SPOILERS

But one of the joys of Laini Taylor's writing is her poetic-prose, and her seemingly effortless ability to spin an elegant turn of phrase. In describing the wings of the angels she reports that "every feather was its own lick of fire" and that the after-effects of a nightmare were "still perched on her shoulder like a carrion bird". Amusing chapter headings include "The Longest Five Minutes in History" and "Cake for Later", and Zuzana's continuous banter provides a certain amount of levity in the midst of the story's darkest moments.

So I'm sad to see this trilogy end as I've enjoyed it immensely. It's beautifully written, with plenty of great characters and incredible world-building, epic in scope and rich in creativity. What I find most telling is the fact that on finishing this book, my first impulse was to go right back to the start of the trilogy and read it all over again, enjoying it anew with the power of hindsight and watching all the disparate threads come together over the course of the three complete novels. The "Daughter of Smoke and Bone" trilogy is definitely an achievement, and I look forward to whatever Laini Taylor does next.

Others have (and will) provide evidence-based synopses/critiques/pros-cons. I'm going with my gut response:

--Author had a list of plot/sub-plot arcs and checked them off as she tied things up
--Author had a list of character pairings and checked them off as they became openly legitimate couples
--Author wanted the protags (and readers) to suffer just a wee bit more to get to the ultimately satisfying ending
--Author wanted to leave a bit of an open ending re: Godstars/fulfilling of Godstar prophecy in the event she felt like starting another series with fresh POVs

Like so many others, I looked forward to the arrival of this book with bated breath. I wanted to bask in the sunlit poetry of Taylor's prose. Yet even the writing was merely 4 stars--too many cutesy end-of-the-chapter-narrator-comments that pretty much lay to rest any surprises (don't worry, there aren't that many).

Don't get me wrong--4 stars is great, even fantastic, for most writers. But Taylor is a solid 5-star author, and I suppose I just expected a little more.

5 stars for tying up loose ends, deduct 1 star for execution.

What you're in for: Longing. Hopefulness and shattered hearts. Magic. Angels and chimaera. Slow-moving plot. War. Death. Surprises.

The Writing: Beautiful, gorgeous, magical, lyrical. I could go on and on. It's the words she chooses and the way she strings them together to create sentences that makes her writing so enjoyable to read.

The Ending: I liked how it ended. It was an epic ending of sorts. There was quite a bit left after the war was over, but that's because there was still a lot left to discover about the world and the characters. I thought the Epilogue was way too long and kind of unnecessary (in some ways).

Am I glad I read it? Well, of course. Anything written by Laini Taylor is worth reading. I found this book was a bit on the lengthy side and tended to drag on at times. It could've been shorter. I disliked the fact that we didn't really get to see much of the war because of the circumstances of the main characters. I felt like the war ended abruptly too. All of a sudden it was over and the story was moving on. But it was a good ending to the series.

The third and final book in this trilogy was bigger than the first two. Taylor introduces more characters, more world-building, more intrigue, while continuing the epic love story of Karou and Akiva. The story centers on Karou and Akiva bringing together the chimaera and seraphim to stop the Apocalypse on the planets of Earth and Eretz, but when Taylor wraps up that plot line, the book isn't over. She could have wrapped up the story nice and neatly. Instead, she goes bigger and beyond the chimaera and seraphim to the bigger forces of light and dark at work in the world. I found her decision to leave threads of the story untied interesting, and I wonder if one day she will continue this bigger story arc. Overall, I loved the book and series. Taylor's writing is breathtakingly good.

Jael has come to earth for weapons that might bring even greater destruction to Erez and start a war against the Siphrims. To have the slightest hope to fulfill their dreams about peace in Erez Karou and Akiva must combine their armies that have fought against each other for as long as they remember. The two armies will have to set aside their differences and work together if they want to have any chance at defeating Jael.
But there is more that they will have to worry about:
What is happening to the sky? What are the Stelians really up to? And how does a young woman from earth fit in to this all?

I really liked this book. It was exciting, fun, unpredictable and had just the right amount of romance for me. The Daughter of smoke and bone trilogy is now one of my favourite trilogys, because somtimes the last book in a trilogy is very disappointing and kind of ruins the whole trilogy but Dreams of gods and monsters is not one of those last books, I thought it was a satisfying ending to this trilogy.

I read the first two books in this series a while back and really enjoyed them. The world building, story and characters are just so creative, I was eager to read the final installment. This book did not disappoint. This book was a very intense journey filled with tragedy, heartbreak, suspense and love. If I had to choose one word to describe this entire book, it really would be intense. Laini Taylor is an amazing writer and storyteller and I'm very glad I've read these books. This book has a vast array of characters, twists, and enough action to keep you completely interested and hooked in the story. I experienced a lot of emotion in this book, happiness, fear, anticipation, horror, sadness. Really, it was a phenomenal story and I hope to re-read the series again.

The vastness of Laini Taylor’s genius makes the universe she describes seem like a speck in comparison! And Khristine Hvam... she had me at “Daughter of my heart”, and it was all sobs from there... This is without a shadow of a doubt the very best trilogy I have ever listened to.
May the Gods continue to bless them both, and may they forever be the nightmares of monsters who dare to dream to cross their paths!

This was good. Oh so very good. It didn't disappoint in any way, shape or form. There's something about Laini Taylor's writing that is captivating. You just get immersed in her world and characters so completely. This is world-building at its very best and character driven plot at the top of its game. I've never read anything like this series and honestly hope I never will so it maintains it's unique mystery. All of the characters in these books are gems. Not perfect by any means but full of vitality. They're life in all of its facets, its highest heights and lowest depths and every shade of grey in between. I wish I could go back and read it all again with fresh eyes and experience it all over. I wish for a bit more of this world and this writing but sometimes it's just not to be. I'll just have to be thankful for the enjoyment I received from this series from start to finish.

Overall I enjoyed this series. But this book was my least favorite. The endless pages of flowery explanations got tiring. They often lost my attention. Sometimes they would go on for so long I'd forget what was being expounded upon.

Overall, I felt this book was 10% plot, 90% needless fluff that was put in just for the sake of lengthening the book. Meaning that very little actually happened considering the amount of pages.

That said, I found the ending completely lacking. It was not explained well, while being over explained. I don't know how else to say it. She spent, again, pages and pages on the explanation without actually giving one. Or if it was given, with the godstars, I didn't accurately follow. I fond that extremely disappointing.

I hugely enjoyed the first two books in this trilogy. If you're reading this review, I bet you did too, and I bet nothing I could say could put you off buying it. I absolutely couldn't wait to read it, and on the whole, this final book doesn't disappoint.

All the old characters make a return, along with some interesting new ones, and both the war-focussed and the romantic plotlines are satisfyingly resolved. This is an extremely long book (I read it on my kindle, but the hardcopy must be around 600 pages), but between the intriguing plot, engaging characters, and strong writing style, it never dragged - though I found it to be slightly less of a page-turner than the previous instalment.

This series has always trod a strange line between YA paranormal romance/urban fantasy, and the sort of full-blown high fantasy that George R Martin would be proud of.For me, the first book fell more into the former category, especially towards the end, while the second book prioritised war and history over forbidden love. This instalment falls somewhere in-between, combining scenes of relatively normal life on earth with full-scale battles in another world.

I enjoy both of those genres, but I prefer this series when it focusses on the latter, and gives the reader strange creatures and conspiracies in other worlds rather than concentrating on the romance between an angel and a (more or less) human girl. For some reason, the relationship between Karou and Akiva doesn't do much for me. He doesn't capture my imagination, and they never seem to have much chemistry. Things were better in Book Two, when there was real tension and distance between them and I started to warm to their story, but here, the author seemed to be manufacturing reasons to keep them apart, and it didn't really capture my imagination. It's odd, because the relationship between the two supporting characters, Mik and Zuzana, is always both touching and funny, and a new cross-species love affair that sprung up in this book really touched me too.

The more fantastical side of things continued to be very well done. We get more history, more folklore and more of the ongoing war between chimera and angels, along with lots of internal conflicts within the two sides. We finally get to see the Stelians, a different race of angels with a totally different culture and history and different powers. There are all sorts of revelations and drama. With the new ruler of the angels "off-screen" for 95% of the time and the White Wolf dead, it sometimes felt like we were lacking an immediately loathable villain. The latter really made the second book for me, so though I couldn't regret his well-deserved death, I did miss his effect on the plot. That said, Ziri's attempts to portray him to keep the army under control and the internal struggles it causes him were some of the highlights of the book. Generally, I really couldn't fault the fantasy side of things.

From reading some other reviews, I suspect I'm in a minority here, but one of my very favourite aspects was the completely new plot involving a genetics PHD student who has terrifying, literally heart-stopping dreams about the end of the world, in which the apocalypse is her fault, and who is hiding some initially undisclosed secret about herself and her family. The "what on earth is going on here" aspect of this reminded me of the sense of mystery I loved so much in the first book, when you didn't know why Karou was collecting teeth for monsters. And when the answers were finally revealed, the backstory and revelations it led to were amazing.

Overall, not quite a perfect book, due mainly to the sometimes lacklustre romance, but a really fantastic one all the same, and absolutely worth a read. A fitting end to a great series.

3.5 Stars.

I love this series so much, but this final installment was a bit of a disappointment. I felt like there was so much going on and so many new characters, and it just felt like too much. I really liked Eliza, but I found her chapters distracting for a while. I also thought all of the Stelian stuff got kind of confusing and took away from the conflicts that I was really interested in.
I also probably would've liked the book more with more Mik and Zuzana and Liraz and Issa, because I've never been all the invested in Akiva and Karou's relationship, and I like the secondary characters a lot more than either of the protagonists.
I think I just felt like this book could have used some serious editing to make everything a bit more crisp and connected.

It is always bittersweet finishing a series that you fell in love with. Book 1 was amazing and I liked book too. I wasn't sure what was going to happen in this book. Most of the story is satisfying but I am not sure how I feel about the end. The author introduces a whole new layer to the story right at the end. It wasn't resolved and I'm not sure we really needed it. Leaving Akiva and Karou to rebuild Eretz seems like enough of a project to me. I feel like they had earned their peace (and blanket ;). I wish the story had spent more time with the two of them. They have been the heart and soul of the series. I like using multiple POV's but at a certain point I was just hoping we would skip some of the people and go back Karou/ Akiva or the people surrounding them. Especially the amount of time spent on Eliza which for majority you had no clue the point.

Ten stars. Need I say more? Look, I have to admit that after not loving Days of Blood and Starlight as much as I did the first book (still, I gave it four stars, but…), I was kind of scared that I’d lost my passion for this series. Oho, how emphatically I was proven wrong, and thank the godstars! Laini Taylor, I don’t know HOW this woman is so good at weaving together such lyrical and eloquent writing with the quirky and casually humorous scenes this book is full of. This book is everything I could have hoped for in a series ending and MORE. I don’t even know what else to SAY because every time I think about it I just go incoherent with all the FEELINGS squeezing my heart! (Which is why I opted for the mini review this time.) OH MAN. I love this fricking book.

[...]

Series: Daughter of Smoke and Bone Trilogy

Titles: Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Days of Blood and Starlight, Dreams of Gods and Monsters

Author: Laini Taylor

Label: Realistic Fantasy

Published in: Dreams of Gods and Monsters was published in April 2014.

The world that Laini Taylor builds in this series is very complex and very thorough. Much like The Hunger Games series, each book in the trilogy represents a different stage in the overall conflict: Daughter of Smoke and Bone introduces readers to Karou, an art student in Prague who lives with a family of chimaera (creatures made up of different animal parts, like, for example, a gryphon). She helps collect teeth for Brimstone, her chimaera father, but has no idea why he needs them. When she meets and falls in love with the angel Akiva, she discovers that she is part of a thousand-year war between angels and chimaera in the parallel world of Eretz. Days of Blood and Starlight deals with the aftermath of war and the process of organizing a rebellion. Karou, in discovering her past self, realizes that Akiva has betrayed her and her family. While Karou works, she deals with her desolation and slowly recovers, reacquainting her past self with her current self. Dreams of Gods and Monsters begins with a rebellion and ends by bursting the entire story wide open. Karou and Akiva discover a backstory to the backstory they thought they had figured out. The war between angels and chimaera, no longer contained in Eretz, collides with human history on Earth. Karou and Akiva achieve their main goal, to end war and tyranny, only to discover an even bigger threat to their newly acquired peace.

As anyone can see from the plot overview, Laini Taylor has created a layered world inhabited by well-rounded characters. But rarely do I encounter an author who can build complex worlds and characters while maintaining a hilarious narrative voice. She tells her story like an epic legend through beautiful, dream-like prose but also keeps everyone sane with hilarious dialogue. Taylor's blend of epic description and humorous reality-checks is effective because she understands when to reveal a crucial piece of plot and when to take a step back and note the ridiculousness of a situation. As Karou and her best friend Zuzana watch the angel and chimaera armies attempt to form an alliance and share their food rations, Zuzana remarks:

You know what would be good now?" Zuzana whispered, when the sounds of spoons on plates had mostly quieted. "Chocolate. Never attempt an alliance without chocolate.

With that statement, it's impossible not to smile in one of the most tense situations of the series. Taylor balances these quips with abundant richness of description: she develops both her characters and her world with care, treating the color of a tree's leaves with the same curious reverence as a soldier's fatigue. She describes one of Karou's "aha!" moments with lyricism:

Her heart started to pound. An idea was taking shape. She didn't give voice to it, but let its traceries unfurl, following them and searching for defects, anticipating what the arguments would be against it. Could it be this simple?

Taylor offers the perfect blend of quirky humor and sad beauty. The only other author I know who is able to manage such a balance is Tamora Pierce with her Tortall series.

Taylor boasts a solid cast of characters too. The main couple, Karou and Akiva, are definitely an OTP (One True Pairing). Their forbidden relationship, centered around a period of happiness surrounded by grief and loss, is strangely attractive. But the supporting characters make this series especially well-rounded: Karou's best friend Zuzana is a tiny, feisty puppeteer, master of the eyebrow arch. She is the reason for every uncontrollable bout of laughter I had while reading:

Zuzana Nováková was a pretty girl. She'd often been compared to a doll, or to a fairy, not just because of her slight stature but also her fine, small face...Deciding to take her on was akin to a fish deciding idly to gobble up that pretty light bobbing in the shadows and then-- OH GOD THE TEETH THE HORROR!-- meeting the anglerfish on the other side. Zuzana didn't eat people. She withered them."

Other memorable characters: Akiva's sister Liraz is an uncrackable warrior with so many chimaera death tallies on her hands that her arms look like black sleeves. The White Wolf, leader of the chimaera rebellion, is full of plying charm and an unnerving love of killing. Again, I could go on.

Taylor's handling of the crossover between Eretz and Earth, between fiery angels, demon-like chimaera and humans, is also applaud-worthy. She takes a very basic human belief, and asks us to re-evaluate it: Angels are good, and demons are bad, right? Then who do we support when the war between the two invades our daily lives on Earth? Should Liraz be punished because of the chimaera she's killed or be honored? Should Karou's surrogate father Brimstone die because he has scary horns? Taylor reminds us that all of our preconceptions started from a whisper, a rumor, a story. This idea that basic human beliefs are all relative appears much more in Dreams of Gods and Monsters. As Taylor rewrites Eretz's history and consequently Earth's history, the feeling that "nothing makes sense anymore" is just present enough to tip the reader off balance.

Of course, whenever an author tries to bend time and space and history, there is always a chance that the story arc will spiral out of control. Halfway through the final book, I started worrying about how Taylor was going to tie everything together. Using her third book to expand the backstory and character roster was risky. Just look at George R. R. Martin's Game of Thrones series--HBO might finish it before he does! As I mentioned, Taylor ends her story a bit unconventionally:

It was not a happy ending, but a happy middle-- at last, after so many fraught beginnings.

Most of the time, ending with a beginning just leaves fans totally pissed off. But Taylor wraps up her initial plot neatly and leaves us with the knowledge of a satisfying future ordeal. Because she reassures readers that each character has a renewed purpose, we are content to end in this intersection. After all, if you survive reading all three books, you've also survived a war, a rebellion, and a prophecy with these characters. So when Taylor asks us to let these beloved fictional people go, we trust in their ability to attack the endless future possibilities. It's An End, not The End.

If Taylor ever decides to write a fourth book, I'm 100% positive that she'll create an epic journey filled with renewed vigor. She has set up more than enough material to explore. But if she doesn't, that's fine too. Though I'm accustomed to getting my happy endings like everybody else is, I sit here wholly satisfied and deeply touched.

Rating: 9 - so crazy good that if the plot, characters, and world were real I would just run away and join them

The last book in this series was a little more convoluted than the first two, and we got a brand new, very important character (Eliza) who seemed to come out of nowhere. It took a while for Taylor to bring all the threads together and make it clear where the story was going, but the payoff was worth it. This installment got 4/5 Stars from me.

I LOVED the first and 2nd book and had such high expectations of the 3rd. Honestly it started off really good for me but then I'd say 3/4 in I was getting so frustrated with pointless chapters and characters that could of been left out?! I felt myself speed reading through just so I could find out how it finally ended. I have to say I honestly skipped the last 10 chapters and went to the epilogue, which I have never done before. I had quite a few unanswered questions, main one is how do the Beast and Angels even communicate, it was clear that they speak completely different languages? So how did Liraz and Ziri even speak to one another and how did they all battle in war together???
Overall I really feel like this drug on and could have been 200 pages less and the whole Eliza character should have been left out, I did not like that addition to the series.

This book was very much like the last book with its similar situations and additions of unnecessary characters. These last two books could have easily been condensed into one book, and would probably have been more satisfying. There were hints at another mystery subplot through the story, but it doesn't come completely out in the open until the very end, and by that time, I was just ready for it to be over. I hate to say that. I really do. feel this loyalty to Karou and Akiva, but I wasn't able to enjoy them much at all within this last book. All the other different characters and happenings swallowed them up. I missed the Akiva and Karou of book one.

I totally enjoyed this series. It was interesting and action-packed. I was glad that the angels and chimaera were finally working together for the same cause. Karou and Akiva were finally on good terms, which I was totally waiting for and things were finally looking good for the future of Eretz. I would recommend this series to fans of fantasy and romance. And I was quite satisfied with the way the series ended.

DNF 18%

I really intended on reading this book - front to cover, even though the previous installment prepared me that this one is heavier on the Fantasy side than I would prefer. I'm not even sure if that's the problem really I just couldn't find my interest in the plot. I felt lost. Everything moves SO damn slowly I just wanted for something to HAPPEN and nothing actually did. I should say that maybe 18% into a book isn't a lot, yet considering the length of this novel, I'd say more than 100 pages into a book something SHOULD happen.

I can't and won't review this book. There is nothing that actually happened that I can write about. The invasion on earth - very little is known at this point (there is a new side plot with a human woman telling it from her POV), Akiva and Karou are trying to work together but it's hard from all accounts to make it happen. That's it. No real progression in anything really.

So sadly I'm concluding this series in a bit of a sour note. I think it's me, not the book. I just don't find the interest I used to find in slow progressing Fantasy novels. It used to be my go-to genre years and years ago, but I guess I'm looking for different things now. I would still HIGHLY recommend it to ones who are into the genre. It's very well written and the characters are very relate-able. I want to say that they feel very "human" but it's feel kinda stupid when some of them aren't ACTUALLY human ;)

Tags: Fantasy, Young Adult

More Reviews - http://ultrameital.blogspot.co.il

This book was disappointing. It lost it's way from the previous books. This was completely devoid of the charm that was present in the other books. Too much time was spent on characters who weren't interesting and in the end were rather inconsequential. The ending was satisfying although not perfect, which is fine because it seems more realistic. However the ending was perfect for everyone except for the two people who I wanted to have a perfect ending. Not nearly enough time was devoted to Akiva and Karou. It felt like they were shoved into the background for this installment, which was a shame since they were the heart and soul of the series

Well, it's been a rough ride with this series. After really liking the first book I struggled through the emotional trauma that was the second book of the series. Despite feeling absolutely drained by the constant bad news of that book I kept reading. Why? Because despite all the heartache and anger and cries for vengeance that constantly assailed me as I read that depressing second book I couldn't help but be drawn to the masterful writing of Laini Taylor. She managed to make me care about these hopeless characters and want to stick with them as they hopefully found their way to some semblance of happiness.

I am glad that I read book two immediately before starting Dreams of Gods and Monsters. The events were fresh in my mind. I knew exactly what each character was facing and how difficult it was going to be to overcome these obstacles created by eons of constant warfare in order to find lasting peace and happiness. It made the stakes in this book come alive as I began. And what an absolutely amazing conclusion to this series. After suffering through the anxiety of hopelessness found in the second book I found myself rewarded a hundredfold with a satisfying finale to this masterfully written series.

What I loved:

The writing. Hands down, this was the best thing about this story. Sure, I loved the characters, and I loved the plot, and even the setting could be great at times, but it was the writing that stood out and captivated me from the beginning. Laini Taylor didn't just write a story ... she wove it together. I felt as if I was looking at a bunch of individual strings, but as Laini continued to write she pulled me to a place where I could see those strings come together and create a beautiful tapestry of a story. Absolutely gorgeous imagery. It never felt contrived or overdone or extraneous. It was perfect. This is a long book, and the imagery created for this story is a lot of the reason for this, but I never felt as if it was too much. It just made the story richer for me as I read. There were times in this story when I just stopped and said, "Awwwww. So sweet." There is a greater story, but within that story there are moments ... simple, poignant moments that just reached right in and touched my heart. Ziri. Liraz. (Total sigh moment.)

The characters. Every single character was written so wonderfully. Without the depressing anger and angst of the second book Karou and Akiva finally get a chance to hope for a touch of happiness. But this happiness is not quick in coming. There is a two steps forward, one step back action going on with them, but it is never frustrating ... okay, it's a little frustrating. I just wanted them to have the chance to be in love without something pulling against it. Just when you think things will be fine, they aren't. But through it all Karou and Akive are wonderful. They remain strong. They never turn pitiful or whiny. I adored this couple. And the secondary characters? As in the first two books the secondary characters are wonderful! If anything, they are even more wonderfully written. Zuzana and Mik have some great scenes, and they prove their hero qualities, even in the midst of such mythical creatures. The emotions of these secondary characters come through almost as powerfully as Karou and Akiva's do at times. I never really cared much for Liraz, but in this story ... loved her! There is a heart in this seemingly cold seraphim.

The story. Like I said, Laini Taylor weaved this story together. Each part came together eventually leading to a conclusion that was nothing like I was expecting. There is not a typical bad guy to defeat followed by the amazingly wonderful happily ever after. There are layers of danger, and just when one layer is removed another rises to take its place. After so many years of war, these two groups of creatures do not just hold hands and dance merrily along their way together. This does not end with a typical Happily Ever After Ending. There is damage to repair and struggles to overcome ... but there is hope. Finally there is hope. So well written!

I highly recommend this series to those who like a love story that is epic, but isn't overwhelming. For those who love action and intrigue and good finding a way to triumph over evil. It isn't an easy series to read. It is long ... really long. At times it is horribly depressing. But the payoff is well worth the effort. I give this finale five solid stars!

I picked up this book the very day it became available and was done with it 3 days later, and as soon as i was done, i simply turned to page one and started again.
I did this because the first time i read it on a tidal wave of emotion, the buildup from books 1&2 was strong enough to make me forget that 'hey, it's just a book'. Laini Taylor has a way of making you connect with the characters, to make you care about what happens to them, and to make even me (the cynic who rolls her eyes at happy endings), wish that they could have a happily ever after.
This book is epic in a way that even the second one doesn't reach, however, the one thing i can say as a criticism is that it made me wish for the simplicity of book one (mostly on the character's behalf).
Halfway through it, when she has built up hope in you that everything might actually work out, she destroys it, and then it is a tidal wave after tidal wave of victories and disappointments, she brings you to a new high, and then crushes you, again and again.
I loved that, the emotional carnage of it, and the desperate plea that was like a mantra in my head "No. No. No. Please no." which would turn into a wave of pleasure on the next page "Yes! Yes! Yes! Thank you, godstars!"
And when it does end, the simplicity of a shred of peace makes you put the book down and sigh, "Well...ok."
And now I'll be waiting to see if she ever decides to finish what she hinted at, or will she leave that to my (and all her readers') imagination.
Thank you again, Ms. Taylor, I have immensely enjoyed this trip.

(I'm looking at you, Mockingjay!)

Laini Taylor has created characters that we absolutely adore and this continues in book 3. And it's not just Karou and Akiva that we love...it's all the other characters around them that we adore as well. I am so sad that this series is over and I no longer get to live in this beautiful, magical, AMAZING world that Taylor has created. I laughed, I cried, there may have been some swooning involved as well....

Please write more, Ms. Taylor!!! I would love to see a whole book devoted to SPOILER ALERT AVERT YOUR EYES the relationship between Liraz and you-know-who. Pretty please?

this is a great trilogy and Taylor is an exquisite writer and someone to continue to watch. That said, this last book while obviously wrapping so much up, left me slightly cold. The woman knows how to write sexual tension like nobody, and after following the story of Akiva and Karou for these three book, (SPOILER ALERT AHEAD) I was hoping for some kind of pay off. It was the one ultimate tease in a book that seemed to take you right to edge,and then she said, 'Nah, can't do that now, sorry'. Otherwise the writing is dense and the mythology so involved it really transcends it's genre and is a terrific book for adults as well.

Did I say this series was amazing? I loved everything - the writing, the imagery, each POV character, all the different threads...

The final book introduces more threads, more characters, but everything comes together so wonderfully. I didn't think it possible, but the third book expanded the world even more as it brought every single shiny piece together into a mosaic. There were tears in my eyes as I read the last line. Because the line was so beautiful and because the series was *long sigh* over.

But it's not over because this is the sort of story you keep thinking of and replaying in your head and in your heart for a long time after.

I have to tell you these books are awesome! I have been not so patiently waiting for the last and final book and it finally arrived!

I am not going to give an spoilers away, just know that she did a great job of wrapping everything up. There is no such thing as happily ever after but she left them all in the happiest place possible in their current state. You get so many answers to your questions from all the other books and then maybe a few other questions? I think she introduced one new plot at the end to leave it open to another book or books. It had some finality to it just in case she doesn't decide to write it but I think that was left slightly open on purpose.

I listened to this book straight through, which is probably a little unhealthy. I loved it, as I did the rest of the series, but I'm not going to do a full review because there are a few things I just haven't processed yet (I'm looking at you, last two hours). I will say that these stories have given me chills, literally, like no other books I've read. The narration is flawless, or possibly some fictional word that surpasses it. Khristine Hvam is going on my all-time favorites narrator list.

If you haven't read Daughter of Smoke & Bone, do it now.

3-1/2 but rounding down for the store because this book was so darn frustrating much of the time. It all ended well but gosh it was painful to read about all the hurdles the characters had to mount. I am still in awe at the mind of Laini Taylor. She is definitely one of the most creative writers and excels at painting a picture in the reader's mind. I loved her characters again and her new settings. And I was really happy it wasn't all a battle book like #2 was. I'll gladly read more by this author.

I was sad for the saga to end... But at the same time I almost hope to dare to wonder if the way in which it ends leaves the door open for there to be more at some point. A spin off perchance? I love these characters and do not want to leave this fantastical world in which they live, dream, create, and so much more. Please, don't let it be over just yet... I have so much more I need to know!

This was such an incredible series, Laini Taylor gave us this beautifully written series. Such well written characters. So much was going on, I was worried how this book was going to end but, like on pg. 612 " It was not a happy ending, but a happy middle-at last, after so many fraught beginnings." Loved it. Loved Karou and Akiva, they suffered so much, separately and together. So many of the characters grew in this book. An incredible and beautiful series!!! :)

To be honest, I found this book to be rather long and a bit confusing. I kept trying to figure out who Eliza was. Had she been introduced in a previous book and I forgot about her? The whole Eliza and the Stelians parts were a bit confusing and rambley seeming. I did enjoy the parts with Mik and Zuzana and of course Akiva and Karou and there were some other fun twists too. Decent ending to a good trilogy.

Dreams of Gods and Monsters is a great series ender, save for that epilogue that I’m torn on. There were so many different emotions running through me as I read on to find out what happens to Karou, to Akiva, to this entire cast of characters I’ve grown to love (or hate, in the case of villains). It was exhilarating and terrifying, and altogether, one of the most intense reading experiences I’ve had in ages.

What a phenomenal end to the trilogy. You want to rush through it so you know what happens but then you also want to take your time to appreciate Laini Taylor's beautiful prose, storytelling skills and delightful imagination. She develops the existing story of the battle for the worlds and adds new and intriguing plotlines and characters that expand it even further into a fantastic story. This series is not to missed and I eagerly await what she does next!

I enjoy the writing style of this author. Her descriptions take you where you can see the characters and relate to them. The world she creates is enough believable and enough fantasy to keep it entertaining and enthralling. The whole series was good. I recommend for those who like fantasy with angels and demons mixed with interdimensional travel.

Science fiction, paranormal, magic are favorite genres. With trepidation I also found myself immersed in a love story that was as sumptuous as chocolate cake! This is one of my favorite YA series for ALL ages. Neek-neek!

The exquisite words of Laini Taylor, a detailed and unpredictable plot, with layer upon layer of depth along with complex and extraordinary characters all combine to make an exceptional story, one that I will carry with me always.
@crushingcinders

I absolutely loved book 1! Book 2 was also good but not as amazing. Book 3 I found myself terribly bored and thinking of what else I could be reading instead. I tried so hard to finish it and at 60% I gave up. I read the epilogue and moved on. Too bad cuz I really loved book 1. My reading time is precious so I had to make a choice.....

This book was great the author is very imaginative I must say her ideas were creative and original and I enjoyed the book. at first Eliza's parts in the story mostly bored me until her story intertwined with Karou. Not sure if this is the last book or not because it the story seemed to conclude but there also seemed like there will be more to the story. I look forward to the next book if there is one.

Where should I begin? Oh to be as eloquent as Ms. Taylor! The series had me completely enthralled. This book in particular had me breathless and my heart pounding so many times I sometimes had to put the book down and take a breath. An absolute must read. This is going into my collection to be read again as I am sure I missed stuff in my haste to see what transpired nex.

Jesus, this trilogy. oh my goodness!!

Mad props to Ms. Laini Taylor because holy crap this trilogy! No words.

The characters - AMAZING!
The world - AMAZING!
The plot/conflicts/everything about this book down to the commas and periods - AMAZING!

Geez... I loved this book.

Loved this series! This final book wasn't what I expected, in a good way, and I really enjoyed it. The ending was a bit unconventional and left it on an uncertain note (but not necessarily a cliffhanger), but it worked. Overall, I found the series unique, well developed, and well written, and I hope to read more from Laini Taylor in the future!

I've loved this series start to finish. Gorgeous writing, fantastic settings, memorable characters. My only beef with this book is there was one too many storylines crammed into it. I won't write in a spoiler here, but I wish it had focused entirely on the original characters and had kept the universe more tightly contained (pardon my pun). Otherwise, it was a beautiful read.

The first book in this trilogy was the best! It was so good, a great story line and fantastic world, very different from the regular fantasy worlds of hobbits, dwarves and dragons. So I eagerly awaited the second book's release, which was not so good. But this, the third and final book of the trilogy was better than the second, still no where near as good as the first book, but a decent read. Definitely read the first book! Push through the second and conclude with the third, which goes into more (mostly vague) detail about the back story of this world and it's inhabitants.

I really enjoyed this trilogy and will miss the characters. What a great story. I listened to the audiobooks and I loved Suzanna and Mick a lot. They were such fun characters. This one is well worth the time.

I truly enjoyed this series of books. I remember wondering what I had got myself into as I started the first book, and it's been 'anxiously wait for the next book' ever since. Love the characters. Love the unique storyline. Love the pace and flow of the story. But the minus one star is that this ending begs another book for completion! I cannot believe this is the resolution and ending! There must be another!

The whole Eliza story is completely unnecessary. I get that it is important for the ending but I feel that even the story with the Stellans is unnecessary. It's like she tried to cram a fourth book on the third. I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first. I hat how these trilogies always start amazing then get worse.

No disappointing or controversial series ending here - This book was fabulous! Full of Taylor's trademark poetic writing, all of our favorite characters along with a few new faces, a full spectrum of emotion, conflict, twists and turns and revelations, I found this to be a brilliant and utterly satisfying conclusion to this remarkable tale. LOVED IT!

I'm not great at reviewing books but I am good at knowing when I absolutely LOVE a book and I LOVED this book. I read this last one much more slowly than the first two in the trilogy because I didn't want to leave this universe that Laini had created, and when I did finish it, I had tears in my eyes and just sat with the book for close to an hour because it was such a magnificent ending.
Don't even think twice about buying this. I can't imagine anyone not being blown away by it. Can't wait to see what she writes next!

An amazing end to a fantastic trilogy. A happy middle was achieved. This book is very well written. The series is targeted at young adult but the themes and characters are so well formed adults can enjoy them just as well. The end is heart wrenching in the best possible way. Read this trilogy. You will not be disappointed.

This is probably one of the best written and the best 3rd book in a trilogy that I've ever read. Laini Taylor outdid herself on this one. There definitely wasn't any rushing to get it to print. I loved it! It's a must read if you've read the previous two. And how this book gets less than 5 stars I have no idea. Brilliant!

This was a very decent conclusion to an enjoyable trilogy. My only real complaint was that it seemed too long. There was a good deal of "world-building" that might have been better suited for one of the earlier books. It felt just a bit like the author was having to create a backstory that would justify the conclusion. I would still recommend this trilogy to teens who enjoy fantasy.

Throughout this series, Laini Taylor has been able to do what so many have not - create a series where each book resolves important story arcs without feeling like things were short-changed Yet, each book has also left open the possibilities of a future for the reader to imagine. The depth of the worlds she created in this series is impressive and her skill in weaving details and parallel timelines is deeply satisfying.

When I read the first two books in the trilogy; Taylor's writing became the reason I got up every morning. It is that way again. Ever hear of the girl who married the Eiffel tower? Well there is somthing serious going on here between me and these books. If Jinnis and wishes were real, I believe Laini Taylor could make a great living as a go between wish consultant; lest we cheat ourselves from even a small lack of imagination. Taylor makes that word shimmer like new.

Although this was a good book, the introduction of new characters and new storylines really detracted from the major events. Also, the tension between Karou and Akiva was getting a bit frustrating. Otherwise, good conclusion to a great trilogy!

I had hoped for a bit more than a romance novel set in a war. I guess you would call this a romance/war story/sci fi novel. I especially enjoyed the characterization, and the world building was wonderful. I felt that the author lost the plot by book three however and was just wrapping up loose plot lines. Still a very good read.

I loved the first book, liked the second book and only sort of liked this book. it was just so long and convoluted. I typically read a book very quickly and don't get distracted. This book, I kept putting down and forgetting I was reading it. It just did not always capture my attention.

In this third book of the trilogy, all questions are answered. However, it takes over 600 pages to reach the answers. Looooong boooook. It was ok. Not my choice. Unless you are into all the flying angels and demons stuff I would pass....

In the end, the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series is more like Twilight than Harry Potter, but Dreams of Gods & Monsters was a satisfactory ending to a fine series. (And there is room for a sequel series!)

This is a wonderful series for a beach read. Just plan on slathering on the sunscreen because you won't want to put the books down. I usually don't like to read series but this world was unique and truly different.

couldn't put this book down but I would have liked to read more about what happened to the main characters feel like the author could write another book. Would be nice to hear more about the happy ending after so much misery.

I LOVED it. It was a magnificent end to the trilogy and didn't disappoint in the least. The book kept me up from when it was released (12 am ) to the wee hours of the morning until I was done with it. I simply couldn't put it down. It was beautifully written (as expected ) and even more perfectly paced.
I simply LOVED it!! Can't wait to read whatever Laini Taylor writes next.

A fantastic series! Taylor weaves a delicious and satisfying narrative that I couldn't put down. In fact, I checked out the text version AND the audio version so I was able to get MORE DoSaB while not neglecting daily tasks. Will buy the series in print to have I my library.

This book is so fantastic.
I can't get over how talented the author is. Laini Taylor's imagination and her unique style shone through this series, and especially this book. The covers were always beautiful, but the story inside is incomparable. This book; this entire series, was just awe-inspiring. Everything was so amazingly written and the plot was so intricately woven together.... I am mind-blown. This book was just perfect.

I'm deeply in love with this series and this ending was completely satisfying and wonderful. This final book rounds out everything so perfectly that I'm tempted to read them all again just to enjoy the imagery as a single block all at once. You will not be disappointed if you've enjoyed the others.

Enjoyed two first books but third is very weak. Ending is the most important part in any book and author, obviously, did not know how to finish the story. All over the place, luck of story logic, and loose threads. God out of machine, etc. Bad editing.

I really enjoyed the first two books, abut a can not say that about the third one. The series is about the war between the angels and the chimera.Akiva and Karou are trying to bring peace between their races,and that is what the story should have revolved around. The story goes two far off track with plots twist that make no sense. Considering the caliber of writing in the first two books, i had very high hopes for the the last one. I would not waste my money,( or promotional credit) on this book a second time.

This book was so amzing I can't even find words to describe it. I have loved this series from the very begining, and this conclusion lived up to the splendor of the others. Laini Taylor you have blown my mind and mangled my heart yet again.

Great ending to a great series. I was very happy with the ending to the trilogy, although it could go on forever. I wouldn't have minded a little bit more lovin between Karou and Akiva, but all together I am satisfied. Thank you for writing such a magical book, your world building is amazing.

I always worry about the final book in a trilogy. They are usually disappointing but Laini Taylor does not disappoint in this amazing final book. I was riveted and finished in 2 days.

My kindle battery died while reading at a coffee shop and I nearly had a panic attack. This book is a must read!

It is so good but with so much MUCH that you'll question, you'll scream in frustration and cheer in exaltation. All in 100 pages. Imperfect only because you want more and more and more. Read with someone to discuss everything with!

I first started reading Laini Taylor's books a few years ago, starting with Blackbringer. I loved her whimsical writings involving sunlight and walnuts and fairies. Her short stories, "Lips Touch", was just as whimsical, if a little darker.

I read the first novel of the trilogy a few years ago, and I adored it. The book describes what it feels like to meet someone you like, an what it feels like to meet someone you'd rather not go near. The descriptions were accurate, and Madrigal and Brimstone's story arc was extremely well done. I like Laini Taylor's whimsy. That's her trademark, I think (her blog's filled with them). But she doesn't forget what makes a good novel - close character descriptions, dynamic characters who wander through hardships.

So why am I giving this one a bad rating?

For one thing, I found couple of character settings rather questionable. We finally get to see Karou's "grandmother", who was rather doing Karou a favour because of Brimstone. EVERYONE gets angry when Esther hears Brimstone's demise and decides not to support Karou any more. But Esther isn't Karou's grandmother. She doesn't even like Karou, was never obligated to like Karou, and now people are angry at her because she's not nice? But why exactly should she be nice anyway? Transpose it to this world, and that's akin to your coworker's daughter asking you for your credit card to hunt her parents down.

Mik, Eliza. Okay, I'm a violinist, but can people give up what they've done all their lives with a snap of a finger? I decided to take a different path after working for it for 17 years, and it was no easy choice to make. I most certainly didn't say "okay, wasn't for me, movin' on". And I just can't imagine a violinist dumping his violin into a bathtub. For us, that's akin to dumping your baby in the bathtub and filling the baby carrying basket with wishes. The fact that these two so easily gave up what they had done all their lives was a little shocking. It's no easy feat getting to where Eliza was - it's a dream of a dream of a dream for me - and giving it up is extremely unrealistic to me. Morgan Toth, unfortunately, isn't unrealistic, but would Morgan give up his career? Probably not.

The war. The war ended... too easily into happily ever after. I know this book's mainly for girls who'd cry watching The Notebook and most likely won't read Silmarillion, but wars don't end like that, I think. And no permanent casualties? War doesn't work like that... Liraz' partner shouldn't have gotten a "get out of jail free" card. Allowing Jael to live would also be a tactical mistake. Putting him on trial and executing him would be far more likely. This was a very pretty war, but I don't think such things exist. It's usually filled with spilled guts and gore and dead people. While I'm not asking for a graphic description of spilled guts, some loss would have made a far bigger impact on me. Old animosities seem to melt away in an instant. Do millennia-old hatred die off that easily? Looking at the Jews, I doubt it.

Deus Ex Machina. I'm not going to go into this in depth here, but you see it coming. And it's there. As very little character psychology was shown here and I imagine the guy could have done what he did without the DEM, I'm not sure why that scene was necessary, except to facilitate three million kisses scene afterwards. As I'm not that into watching people kissing, that was a scene non grata for me.

Ziri/Karou/Akiva love triangle. This is where the novel turns into shojo-manga/Twilight turn, and the reason why this novel gets 2 stars. The serious shojo manga ALWAYS has the same plot. Girl A gets hit on by Boy A, but Boy B also likes Girl A. Conflict (hint: Boy A and Boy B are both HAWT, but in totally different ways). Resolved by Girl A choosing Boy A after "agonising" over it, Boy B finds Girl B. Everyone lives happily ever after. The end.

Which is basically what happens. Ugh. Asking for Thomas Hardy level conflict is asking too much, but relationships do not end with happily ever after". And I'm blaming this kind of mentality for "big weddings, divorce two years later" people that I've seen already. You start a relationship, you try your best maintaining it, okay you got married, and boom, it's day to day, not "romantic flowers". You fight over money. Your husband leaves bread crumbs all over the floor and it drives you crazy. You leave foundation in the sink and your husband has asked you for the fifth time not to do it, but you forgot to wipe it off... again. (No, I'm not married, by the way.)

This story? Happily ever after. No "Akiva snores and Karou considered suffocating him with a pillow". No "Karou leaves blue hair all over the sink and it drives the angel crazy." That's a picture of domestic felicity too, no?

This is a fairy tale, I know. But for once, I wanted a fairy tale... without the fairy tale ending.