Title: Dreams of Gods and Monsters (Book 3 in the Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy)
Author: Laini Taylor
Social Media: Blog, Facebook, Twitter
Publisher: Hodder
Rating: 4 out of 5
Source: Book provided by Collins Booksellers – Bacchus Marsh
About The Book:
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?
Aspects I Liked & Enjoyed
~Red String Resolutions: All Romantic Entanglements were resolved to a satisfactory conclusion. I ended up liking Liraz and Ziri a lot more than Karou and Akiva
~Narrative Conclusion: Everything was all wrapped and Laini Taylor did a good job of it, They came, they saw, they saved the world. However I did like how the narrative focused on the sheer effort of the aftermath and not painting it a rosy “happily ever after”, especially since this war has gone on for centuries. However, I’m a bit conflicted over Razgut’s fate, it seemed as though Esther was getting off lightly (from my POV)
Aspects I Had Problems With
~Narrative Pacing: With Books 1 and 2, I was glued to the pages, with Book 3 I found myself drifting and getting distracted (though I am easily distracted by nature). The Third book’s pacing seemed rushed in comparison to the other two books and the Epilogue did have a tacked on feeling about it (though not nearly as bad as the Harry Potter Series epilogue)
~Scene Transition: This book was in eBook format, so the transition between scenes (in comparison to the previous books I read in paperback format) was unclear in most points, I had to go back and re-read certain sections. Also the Narrative Back-tracking that was present in Book 2 (irritating but manageable) was also present in Book 3 (very irritating)
~Red String Problems: While I understand the need for the Stelian sub-plot to be resolved and the greater ramifications of it dealt with, the extended Karou and Akiva relationship drama did start to wear thin with me.
All in all, a good conclusion to an excellent trilogy, happy to recommend.
Ambiguous Pieces 