Book Review: Dreams of Gods and Monsters

Dreams of Gods and Monsters

by Laini Taylor

Why Did I Pick It Up:

After reading Daughter of Smoke and Bone and Days of Blood and Starlight, I had to know what happened to Karou and Akiva (not to mention Zuzana and Mik and everyone else). I can tell you that I picked up Daughter of Smoke and Bone half because someone recommended it and half because it has an awesome and unique cover. This book, as far as covers go, has my favorite cover. Delightful!

The Good:

The last book in a series is always hard, and I rarely read them. Even sequels are usually not all that great. The magic is gone, the characters have been introduced, the action has started, people have fallen in love, and the world has been created.

Plot doesn't have a lot to do with why I like a book. Nothing could happen and if the characters are interesting, I'd love it (I'd totally read Harry Potter and the Very Boring Shopping List). Ms Taylor created these characters that are rich, deep, and unique. People I feel like I know. When something happens I know how Karou is going to respond before I read it. I love that! It is like making a friend between the pages of a book. Although much of this third book is plot driven, I got to see my friends drive around in that plot and it worked for me. 

In a way this series is exactly what I want from a book series: Book 1 presents characters in a rich and interesting way. Book 2 presents a situation and starts to tell why nothing will ever work out - ever. Book 3 slowly fixes those situations. 

Another thing I love is a REALLY great ending. I mean, those endings that you didn't see coming from three pages away. I won't actually tell you anything about it, but when I was reading the last 25 pages and feeling a little teary eyed because I thought it was going to be a massive disappointment, Laini pulled magic out of her keyboard. I was certain that it was going to be terrible, but it was perfect. I wish I could tell you why it is perfect, but that defeats the purpose of reading the book and you really should.

The Bad:

Wowza is this book long. 613 pages. Now, Harry Potter books are that long and I savored every page that dripped with detail, this one just felt a little long. 

The Ugly: 

In college my writing professor/mentor told me several times that I really sucked at showing instead of telling (I like to talk, that really isn't my fault) ... I think that this also applies here sometimes. 

Who will love this book? 

This one is hard because it isn't like anything else. If you like the Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo, you'll probably like these. If you like monsters/demons vs angels or a great supernatural plot you'll like these. If you like crazy names and want to read about a naturally Blue Haired heroine who is fabulous - you'll like these!

How much did I like it? 8.5/10

Will I read more?

This is it. This is the end. Maybe Laini will write more for us (when she isn't playing with Clementine - her daughter with the cutest name ever).