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Dreamdark: Silksinger by Laini Taylor

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silksinger_lainitaylorWarning: Contains spoilers if you haven’t read the first book.

In this sequel to Dreamdark: Blackbringer, Magpie, Talon, and the crows return. Magpie, now champion of the Magruwen, who is the Djinn King, sets out on a quest to find and wake the remaining five Djinn so that the Tapestry, which weaves the world and keeps it together, will not be lost forever. It also introduces the mysterious Hirik, and Whisper Silksinger, guardian of the Azazel, one of the very Djinn that Magpie is searching for. Together they must bring the Azazel to his temple before the demons catch them and destroy them all.

This sequel is just as good and maybe better than the first. It contains more action and many plot twists as well. To any who have read the first book, I would recommend this one. To those who have not, read the first book before considering this one, as much of the plot and characters contain elements from the first book and would confuse someone who did not have that information. This book contains slight violence, so I would not recommend this to anyone who is under the age of ten. I would rate this book a 10 out of 10, as it is just as good as the first. The only downside is that, for some reason the author left the series to start another and so even though this book leaves off at a point that implies that there will be other books, there aren’t any other books in the series. Dreamdark: Silksinger is a thrilling, enjoyable book that I would recommend to anyone in middle school or who likes fantasy.

Dreamdark: Silkbringer is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Public Library.

-Linna C.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

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daughtersmokebone_lainitaylorKarou seems to be an ordinary girl who goes to an art school and lives a normal life. Except for the fact that she draws monsters in her sketchbook. And aquamarine hair that grows straight out of her head. The thing is, those monsters in her sketchbook are real. Sweet Issa, the “snake goddess”, and Brimstone, the wishmonger, are only a few of these monsters, called chimaera, that she knows. And speaking of wishes, she gets them every year for her birthday, or when she runs errands for Brimstone, and uses them on things like her unnatural hair and the many languages she has in her collection. And her true life remains a secret to all, and everything goes fine for her. That is, until black, scorched handprints begin to appear on the doorways between Brimstone’s wish shop and the human world, and Karou knows she has to do something about them. But is it just too late?

I loved Daughter of Smoke and Bone. I originally was going to read it at the recommendation of a friend, but when I found out that it was written by the same author who wrote Dreamdark: Blackbringer and Dreamdark: Silksinger, I wanted to read it even more. I admit I had my doubts because the author left her previous series mid-story to start this one, but once I started reading, it completely sucked me in. It didn’t let me down once, and I continued on to read the other two books in the trilogy, Days of Blood and Starlight and Dreams of Gods and Monsters. I would recommend this book to any teen, like my friend did for me, as although it has a little bit of violence, it is well worth your time. If you happen to see this book in a library or bookstore, pick it up, as it has a great read in store.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone is available for check out from the Mission Viejo Public Library.

Book Review: Blackbringer, by Laini Taylor

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blackbringerMagpie Windwitch is the granddaughter of the West Wind, and also a demon hunter, just like her idol, Bellatrix, djinn champion. Magpie and her faithful clan of crows, led by one named Calypso, track down demons and seal them into bottles from which they can only be freed by one kind of creature: humans. They fish them out of the ocean and open them up, hoping to get three wishes, as one lucky human once got.

One day, Magpie comes across a very strange sight: a fishing boat, completely empty except for a few pairs of shoes. Magpie uses her “memory touch” on one of the pairs, hoping to find a clue as to what happened before their wearers disappeared. All she feels is hunger and darkness. Upon closer inspection, after the memory touch wears off, Magpie discovers a bottle used for sealing demons in the boat. With a shock, she realizes that the bottle was sealed by the Magruwen, king of djinn himself! She then heads to the Dreamdark, home of most faeries, to see if she can find any other clues to this puzzling incident.

This book is a book like no other, with charming characters and fearsome foes. It, like many other fantasy books, contains mythical creatures and a sort of afterlife, also known as the Moonlit Gardens, where all creatures go after they die. This is the reason why demons are bottled instead of killed, as not to disturb the peace there.

I would read it again and again without ever getting tired of it. 10 out of 10 is what this book deserves, being probably in the top ten that I have ever read.

-Linna C., 7th grade