Get the audiobook here! Publisher: Little Brown Young Readers
Release Date: First published & Audio unabridged edition on April 8, 2014
Format: Audio MP3
Pages: 613 (Hardcover) / Audio Length: Approx 18 hrs and 11 mins
Narrator: Khristine Hvam
Source: Library Borrow via Overdrive
Genre: YA Fantasy (High Fantasy)
Review Date: August 6, 2014
Rating: 5 bookmarks
Synopsis: 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?
Release Date: First published & Audio unabridged edition on April 8, 2014
Format: Audio MP3
Pages: 613 (Hardcover) / Audio Length: Approx 18 hrs and 11 mins
Narrator: Khristine Hvam
Source: Library Borrow via Overdrive
Genre: YA Fantasy (High Fantasy)
Review Date: August 6, 2014
Rating: 5 bookmarks
Synopsis: 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?
I finished this novel 3 weeks ago and for some reason it took me forever to get my thoughts together for this review. This story was a long time coming. After I pretty much inhaled Daughter of Smoke and Bone and Days of Blood and Starlight, then I was waiting, and waiting, and waiting. Was Dreams of Gods and Monsters everything I hoped for? Yes, and more!
In all honesty, there's not much I can say about this book without giving away major spoilers. I don't want to do that, because you need to savor every moment of this artfully written book. Taylor has a gift with words. While her writing style is a somewhat whimsical, it's still captivating and you feel the characters pain, joy, relief, or whatever the feeling is.
In a nutshell, finally, the Chimaera and the misbegotten Angels come together to fight a common enemy! Bastards and Beasts fight together against the Seraphim hierarchy. Against Jael. In essence against the white wolfs Chimaera reign as well. The Angels have come to earth and not for what the humans may have imagined. Karou, Akiva and their joined army fight to save the humans. To save Kirin. This is war, there's nothing pretty about war. Betrayal, lies, backstabbing, and the whole nine contribute to this stories many layers.
In all honesty, there's not much I can say about this book without giving away major spoilers. I don't want to do that, because you need to savor every moment of this artfully written book. Taylor has a gift with words. While her writing style is a somewhat whimsical, it's still captivating and you feel the characters pain, joy, relief, or whatever the feeling is.
In a nutshell, finally, the Chimaera and the misbegotten Angels come together to fight a common enemy! Bastards and Beasts fight together against the Seraphim hierarchy. Against Jael. In essence against the white wolfs Chimaera reign as well. The Angels have come to earth and not for what the humans may have imagined. Karou, Akiva and their joined army fight to save the humans. To save Kirin. This is war, there's nothing pretty about war. Betrayal, lies, backstabbing, and the whole nine contribute to this stories many layers.
What does that mean for Karou and Akiva? Can they overcome the prejudiced and be together? Well...I'll just say that while the ending wasn't happy go lucky, I loved the realistic ending. I felt the struggle was real for them and the ending it was as happy as they could have gotten under the circumstances. The conclusion left me with a feeling of hope for them and I feel that they'll have a future together.
I listened to this on audio as I did the previous two books in the trilogy. The narrator is amazing. As I mentioned before, I just love her impression of Zuzana. Khristine Hvam's voice is captivating and her voice works well with Taylor's writing. Speaking of Zuzana, I just adore Zuzana and Mik, they really add some comic relief to a tense story line and make something very serious easier to digest. The very large supporting cast, all have their place and are a necessary part of the story. The characters and the plot come together and fit perfectly, like a puzzle.
I recommend this series for any and everyone who enjoys or wants to try out high fantasy. The story is a fresh breath of air and completely original.
Happy Reading & Listening,
~Tamara
I listened to this on audio as I did the previous two books in the trilogy. The narrator is amazing. As I mentioned before, I just love her impression of Zuzana. Khristine Hvam's voice is captivating and her voice works well with Taylor's writing. Speaking of Zuzana, I just adore Zuzana and Mik, they really add some comic relief to a tense story line and make something very serious easier to digest. The very large supporting cast, all have their place and are a necessary part of the story. The characters and the plot come together and fit perfectly, like a puzzle.
I recommend this series for any and everyone who enjoys or wants to try out high fantasy. The story is a fresh breath of air and completely original.
Happy Reading & Listening,
~Tamara
