While I’m playing catch-up here and getting back to book work, I wanted to take a moment to tell you about a couple of great reads I recently could not put down (children starved, phone went unanswered, husband was neglected). They’re both by Laini Taylor, who I’ve just read for the very first time and I’m telling you now that I would read absolutely anything of hers. Even grocery lists because I’m sure they’re just as brilliant as her books. I’m not kidding. She’s magical. Her writing is amazing. These books were so beautifully crafted, the words woven together to tell a most original, exciting tale.
The first book in the series is Blackbringer. Laini has built this incredible world that exists right within our own, and populated it with fierce fairies, crows that talk, elements (wind and fire) who change form and are like gods. She pieces together a creation myth inside the high stakes adventure of the story. And it’s just so lovely, enthralling, and perfect. Really. If you haven’t read this yet, read it. You’ll love it.
Silksinger, the second book, continues the story, adding more fairies with astonishing and unique skills. (The Silksinger fairies weave flying carpets with their voices. When they sing, threads of silk weave together into the magic carpets. And the sound of their voices, speaking or singing, has the magical power to soothe anyone who hears them. So cool.) The story is another grand adventure on a quest to save the world, flipping back and forth between the Silksinger fairy’s story and Magpie’s story (the main character from Blackbringer), which intertwine and come together near the end. Just as fabulous as the first book. Read this one too.
Laini has a book coming out at the end of this month, also, that I’m very excited to read. The Daughter of Smoke and Bone. (Is that a fabulous title or what? That alone makes me want to read the book.) It’s getting rave reviews so far. Here is the description from the publisher: “Featuring necklaces made of wishes; an underground shop dealing in teeth; magical tattoos; a wishbone on a cord, DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE is a thrilling story about Karou and her secret life as an apprentice to a wishmonger. Karou manages to keep her two lives in balance. On the one hand, she is a seventeen-year-old art student in Prague; on the other, errand-girl to an inhuman creature who deals in wishes and is the closest thing she has to family. Her life is surrounded by mysteries she is desperate to unveil.”
(Okay, so I put two different book covers here of Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and I’ll tell you why. The top one with the blue feather mask is the US cover and the bottom one with the purplish feathers is the UK version which I LOVE so much that I’m trying to figure out how I can buy a copy of the UK book. Honestly, the US book cover just isn’t that interesting to me, would not get me to pick up the book, but I would pick up the UK cover in a heartbeat. So. I just had to show you both.)
Sigh. Laini Taylor is one of the authors that just makes me want to spend all my time trying to write a book as beautifully as she does. Okay, go to your library tomorrow and request her books. Really.
And then tell me what good books you have read lately.
