New Laini Taylor Trilogy News!

As you guys know, I love Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy by Laini Taylor. I love it! So when I heard this news a few days ago, I was very excited. And the lovely people at Hodder sent me a press release, I REALLY wanted to show you guys. But I have been a bit busy over the past few days so I have only just got time to do this now!

So, who wanna get excited with me?

SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING FANTASY AUTHOR LAINI TAYLOR SIGNS NEW THREE-BOOK DEAL WITH HODDER & STOUGHTON

Following the international success of the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy, Hodder & Stoughton will publish three new young adult novels by Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling fantasy author, Laini Taylor. Kate Howard, Associate Publisher at Hodder, acquired British Commonwealth rights (excluding Canada) from Jane Putch of Eyebait Management. The first book, The Muse of Nightmares, will be published in Autumn 2016 and is a fantasy young adult novel with a gothic flavour. Taylor describes it as follows: ‘There was a war between men and gods, and men won. The few surviving children of the gods have grown up in hiding, dreading the day they know must come: when humans find them, and end them. That day is at hand.’ The book will simultaneously release in the US from sister company Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

Kate Howard said: ‘I am so thrilled to publish Sunday Times bestselling Laini Taylor’s new books across the UK and Commonwealth, starting with The Muse of Nightmares next Autumn. Laini’s imagination is second to none, the fantasy worlds she creates truly unique and I know that come Autumn 2016, The Muse of Nightmares will be the book everyone is talking about.’
Of The Muse of Nightmares, Taylor shared, ‘I’m excited beyond belief to have found the proper form, at last, for this story that’s been in my head for about two decades. I can’t say much about it, but I’ll say this: it’s about otherness, and yearning to belong in a place you never can. I can only hope that readers will respond to these new characters with the same passion as they have to Karou and Brimstone, Prague and Eretz.’

The widely acclaimed Daughter of Smoke & Bone Trilogy, for which Universal Pictures acquired film rights (with Joe Roth set to produce), is currently available in thirty-three languages. Of her experience meeting fans internationally, Taylor said, ‘The reception of the Daughter of Smoke & Bone Trilogy has been and continues to be a dream come true. I’m blown away by the incredible fan art, cosplay, and tattoos from readers all around the world, who give the books new life and new dimensions every day. Fantasy readers are the best.’

About Laini Taylor
Laini Taylor is the Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author of the Daughter of Smoke & Bone Trilogy: Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Days of Blood & Starlight, and Dreams of Gods & Monsters, and the companion enovella, Night of Cake & Puppets. She is also the author of the Dreamdark books, Blackbringer and Silksinger, and the National Book Award finalist Lips Touch: Three Times. She lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband, illustrator Jim Di Bartolo, and their daughter, Clementine. Her website is www.lainitaylor.com. 

GoodRead - Dreams of Gods and Monsters

As you guys are probably aware, I am a fan of this series. I liked Daughter of Smoke and Bone, loved Days of Blood and Starlight and I devoured Night of Cakes and Puppets. So, of course, I had to get my hands on a copy of Dreams of Gods and Monsters when it came out back in April. I got one of the special first editions that was signed and had a drawing (by the author) of Karou. 

So, why have I waited to review it now? Because I was just swamped with books. And it's size! I got scared by its size and, also, I had The Fear. The series was such a good urban fantasy that I was scared that, somehow, the final book in this series wouldn't live up to the hype. 

So, I held off. And then, the lovely Fliss from Midas (working on behalf of Audible.co.uk) asked if I wanted an audiobook version of this and I said no. Then changed my mind. And Fliss was very kind to send me a credit to download the audiobook. 

Now, before I go, I would like to make clear that I only listened to under half of the audiobook and I read the rest. I have reasons which I will get to, but bear with me. 

In this, the final book in the series, Jael's forces have made their way to Earth. Pretending to be holy angels, they are playing on religion and the fears of the humans to get weapons to crush his enemies once and for all. 

But for Karou and Akiva are going to stop. Or die trying. They must ally their enemy armies to defeat Jael. It's a twisted version of their dream from previous life. But Jael isn't the only threat... 

Now, let me explain why I only listened to under the audiobook. It took me over a month or so to get to that point. I stopped because of two reasons. The first was the last chapter I listened to, a section was missing. I think this was because of the download or the file got corrupt on my laptop/iPhone. The second reason, and the most important, was that there were times when the audiobook didn't follow the text within the book. It wasn't a big deal when it was a sentence of a slang/saying. But in one chapter, a paragraph was added. Out of nowhere. Which makes me think the audiobook is read from the US edition rather than the UK edition... 

And with reader of the audiobook - Kristen Hvan. I liked her voice - it fitted well with Laini's writing style. Though it did take me a while to get use to Kristen's voices from Zuzana and Mik - well, they are my favorite characters and, when I first heard them, I thought Kristen was having a laugh! 

Now, my thoughts of this book. I really liked it. I didn't love it like Night of Cakes and Puppets and Days of Blood and Starlight, but I really enjoyed it. I liked the fact that we had the new character, Eliza - a character who became a fave of mine very quickly (although not as much as Zuzana and Mik. Who, while reading this book, I was scared that Laini was going to kill off! If she did, I'm not sure I could forgive her...). And with the plot and twists, I liked how this book ended the series. 

I can completely get why there are some people that didn't like it. Some people will say the ending was too open-ended (which means that Laini could return to this world), certain characters never really got their just-dessert... 

But I enjoyed myself once I got into my stride (which was when I actually read the book), and I'm quite excited to read more from Laini Taylor's pen. 

GoodRead - Night of Cake And Puppets

When the news of this novella was announced, I was excited. So excited, I spent ten minutes trying to find then preorder it on Amazon.co.uk. Sorry, but I am a huge fan of Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy. It was only after I preordered it that I actually read what the synopsis was about. All I saw when I saw the first time round was the title, the cover and the names Zuzana and Mik. That's it. Then I read it fully and went "This is gonna be good!"

In the novella, we go on Zuzana and Mik's first date. With a small handful of magic from her best friend, Karou, and a plan - a treasure map, actually. And the treasure is her. But will "violin boy" follow the map? And what will he find on the way...?

I forgot how much I LOVE this world! The world of Daughter of Smoke and Bone is such a wonderful world and reading Zuzana and Mik finally meeting up was wonderful. I LOVED reading this as it was sweet and fun and it makes me very excited over Dreams of Gods and Monsters.

And now we have to wait till April for Dreams of Gods and Monsters... SO FAR AWAY! So, if you are a fan of the series and you haven't read this, you need to read this. Like now.

GoodRead - Goblin Fruit

I'm pretty sure most of you have read this short story. It's one story in the short story collection, Lips Touch,  by Laini Taylor (author of Daughter of Smoke and Bone and its sequel, Days of Blood and Starlight) which has been out in most countries for ages and yet, we in the UK won't get till next year. But, as a taster, Hodder Books has released Goblin Fruit as an eNovella, just to wet our appetites (pardon the pun) and, also, to get us over the shock of Days of Blood and Starlight.

Kizzy wants it all. To look prettier. To be girlfriend of the hot guy in school. To not be involved in her weird family. She wants it all so badly, half her soul is hanging out of her. And this drives goblins crazy. They feed on souls and they want Kizzy's if she's not careful...

Laini's writing style is different in Goblin Fruit compared to Daughter of Smoke and Bone. Yes, I know it's because she wrote Goblin Fruit before she wrote Daughter of Smoke and Bone as I get her writing style has changed. And the fact that this was a short story so Laini had to get to the heart of the story quickly, unlike Daughter of Smoke and Bone where she could take her time, makes a bit of difference.

I'm trying to figure out how I feel about this story. While I am excited over more Laini, this story was ok. Just ok. I feel like I'm saying that alot lately, but this was a fast fun read where I was clicking at my Kindle, needing to know how it ended and where the story was going. Afterwards, though... I feel like it was a bit of a candy floss read. Fun and addicted while reading, but once finished, you realise that there wasn't any substance to it...

Maybe I'm being a bit harse. It wouldn't be the first time. I mean, have you guys not read my review/instant reactions to Daughter of Smoke and Bone? But this does wet my appetite for Lip Touch so I will be waiting for Hodder to reveal more info on this in the new year...

GoodRead - Days of Blood and Starlight

Last year, Hodder went gaga over the first book in a trilogy that people were raving about. That was Daughter of Smoke and Bone. I read it (review here, though my feelings have changed a little bit since when I wrote it) and went to the UK launch party (was so much fun!). And it wasn't just Hodder that got excited. The US publisher, Little Brown, were excited. Universal Pictures won the movie rights to the whole trilogy after a huge bidding war (how on EARTH are they going to make these movies is ANYONE'S guess!). And readers went nuts over the world of Karou...

And now, with some hype (but nothing compared to Daughter of Smoke and Bone's), the sequel will be released in a week's time! So, Days of Blood and Starlight. Shall I review it for you?

After the events of Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Karou is missing. Zuzana, Karou best friend in our world, is frantic with worry. Is she with Akiva? Is she ok? Why hasn't she responded to her emails? And will that scumbag known as Karou's ex go away before Zuzana drops a water balloon that might be filled with bladder tea?

Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love. Once upon a time, they held a wishbone between them. Once upon a time, the wishbone's snap split the world in two...

Now, I had to be be careful what I wrote there because I know there is a fair few of you that would be screaming "NONONO! TELL ME NOTHING!!!" while at the same, hunger for more details. So, it's hard to get the balance right.

Now, I have read other people's reviews of this book and they're split. Some people say this book suffers a little from Second Book Syndrome. Other people disagree and rave about this book. I think it depends on how you view this book. If you put a lot of hype and pressure on a second book in a series like this, it can go one of two ways: it meets your every expectation or it will disappoint you completely.

But I LOVED this book. I think this is because, while I like Daughter of Smoke of Bone, I didn't love it. I think the hype put me off as did the back story as it slowed the whole book down (but, like I said above, my views on Daughter of Smoke and Bone have changed since I wrote and published my review. It's one of those book you have to finish and take time to think about). But with Days of Blood and Starlight... wow. It was addictive reading. I kept trying to read it when I could find time - and I started a new temp job last week so I had to sneak quick reads in my lunch break, on the Park and Ride bus, in bed at a stupid o'clock...

With Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Laini laid the world of Karou and Akiva out. A real fantasy that we had to make sense of as it felt like the book had taken drugs. But with Days of Blood and Starlight, we got to the meat of the story. What was hinted at in Daughter was there in full force in Days. This is a book about war where no side is the right side. And we see this from several points of views...

And the last 100 or so pages... oh, Laini, you ripped out my heart and left me gasping for air. I can not WAIT to see what you do in the third and final book in this trilogy! I don't know how you are going to top yourself. It's a good thing Hodder is going to publish Lips Touch next year as I need something to get me ready...!



PS - sorry about the Ellie Goulding video. This was the only one I could find that did the sound right and the video wasn't trying to sell you something...

DAYS OF BLOOD AND STARLIGHT UK COVER REVEAL!

Earlier today, Laini Taylor and her UK publisher, Hodder, revealed the UK cover for Daughter of Smoke and Bone sequel, Days of Blood and Starlight. And they are very excited at it. They created an animated cover, just to prove how awesome it is...

For those of you want to see it minus the animating glow, here is the cover:

Oh, how I LOVE this cover! I just love it! It's simple yet gorgeous! And I am very excited for this book. I don't know whether to buy this or wait and see if I get sent a copy (which I think is HIGHLY unlikely), but who cares?! I can't till November 8th! 

Daughter of Smoke and Bone News!

As you are probably aware from other booky blogs, today is the release date of Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor in paperback. And, to celebrate this, Hodder is going all out!

Today at 5:30 pm UK time, Laini will be taking over the official UK Twitter feed of Daughter of Smoke and Bone - @SmokeandBone - so if you have ANY questions for her, tweet them to her and she might answer yours!

Also, Hodder is doing 2 competitions! The first (and my fave) is to win an early proof of Days of Blood and Starlight, the sequel to Daughter of Smoke and Bone, which isn't out in the UK till November (SO FAR AWAY!). All you have to do is tweet a 140 character review of the book & send it to @SmokeandBone and use the hashtag #SmokeAndBone. This contest is open to Sunday 8th July and some of the tweets might be used in online adverts, so you might see your reviews on websites such as Glamour.com.

One of my fave tweet review I've seen so far is from @MattLibrarian who has now given Hodder a idea for the cover for book two... Can you go one better?

Also, if you go to their website - www.daughterofsmokeandbone.co.uk - you can enter a chance to win a trip to Prague, where the book was set! I think it's UK entrance only, but not... check Terms and Conditions!

And, because the five teaser trailers for the hardback edition release wasn't enough (no, seriously! They did! I watched and loved each of them!), Hodder has revealed a new trailer... Enjoy!

Daughter of Smoke and Bone Paperback Cover

Probably a bad few days to send news emails to book bloggers. Oh well...

Hodder has revealed the paperback cover for Laini Taylor's DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE, which will be available on 16th August (perfect summer reading). And I thought I would show you the cover. So here is it:



I kinda love this cover. There is so much in here that's important to the book and it's... it's just perfect. Don't get me wrong, I loved the UK hardback and the UK advance reader copy, but this is very pretty!

Actually, I was thinking of this book yesterday (before JK Rowling news had hit me) and I was thinking about what the sequel's cover - DAYS OF BLOOD AND STARLIGHT - would look like. And when it would be revealed. This will keep me tied over till then... (you haven't got long, Hodder. The book blogger fans of this book are getting twitchy...)

Daughter of Smoke and Bone Book 2 Title Reveal!

After the excitement of Daughter of Smoke and Bone (with it receiving a stupid amount of love from bloggers and readers worldwide [and it going to be turned into a movie]), Laini Taylor has FINALLY revealed the title of the second book within this trilogy on her site.

Also on her site is a tiny teaser (which might not be in the book as "... this book is unedited and unfinished. It is not a book at all. It is a manuscript, a work in progress. Bear all that in mind."). If you want to read it, go to Laini's website.

Now, to reveal the title... Ready? Oh, before I go any further, Laini has asked that, if we use the image below, we must thank the US publisher, Little Brown. So, now that's out of the way, the reveal...!



So, guys, what do you think? I really like it. Another mouth-full, but there's something so cool about it. A beautiful horror of a title (blood is horror, starlight is beautiful [this is my logic talking so bear with...]).

We have to wait till autumn to get our hands on this book and, for now, we will wait with excitement (or till the cover has been reveal...)

Daughter of Smoke and Bone MOVIE NEWS

Yesterday, news was revealed that the movie rights for Laini Taylor's DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE was snapped up by Universal after a fierce bidding war with Paramount. Twitter went nuts with this news and this morning, Hodder sent the following press release:

NEWS RELEASE
UNIVERSAL PICTURES ACQUIRES CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED
FANTASY NOVEL DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE

Los Angeles, CA, December 14, 2011 — Universal Pictures announced today that it has acquired the worldwide rights to the celebrated fantasy novel Daughter of Smoke and Bone written by Laini Taylor. A highly sought after property in Hollywood, the book was
published this September and is the first in a trilogy. Universal’s Co-Presidents of
Production Peter Cramer and Jeff Kirschenbaum made the announcement.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone was released in over 25 countries to critical acclaim and has been one of the most well-received books of the year. Honours include Amazon.com Top Ten Books of 2011, Publishers Weekly Best Books 2011 and the New York Times Notable Books of 2011.

The novel has also been hailed by UK critics – the Guardian called it, “Remarkable and beautifully written… The opening volume of a truly original trilogy.” And the Sunday Telegraph said, “For once the frenzy over a teen novel is justified. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor is one of those books that blots out reality, so consumed do you become in its fantasy world.”

At the news of the acquisition, Laini Taylor said, “My goal is always to write stories that readers will want to climb inside of and live in, and which – I hope – will allow them to just lose themselves in the page. It is a hugely thrilling prospect to think about Universal and filmmakers translating my world onscreen and giving it a second life in such a grand way. I’m over the moon.”

Jane Putch, Taylor’s manager and producing partner, said, “Taylor is a stunning visual writer, whose superbly developed characters shape a plot filled with intrigue, epic wars, love, betrayal and ‘teeth.’ I can’t wait to see her world on screen!”

Daughter of Smoke and Bone is published in the UK by Hodder & Stoughton. The second book in the trilogy will be published in September 2012.

Taylor is managed by her producing partner, Jane Putch of Eyebait Licensing & Management. Attorney Peter Nelson of Nelson David Wetzstein oversaw the acquisition.

About Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures is a division of Universal Studios (www.universalstudios.com). Universal Studios is part of NBCUniversal. NBCUniversal is one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production and marketing of entertainment, news and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group and world-renowned theme parks. Comcast Corporation owns a controlling 51% interest in NBCUniversal, with GE holding a 49% stake.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone LAUNCH PARTY!

Last night, in a small bar in the city of London, Hodder did a launch party for THE DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE by Laini Taylor. It was filled with the author (and her amazing pink hair!), people from Hodder and the PR company Hot Cherry, booksellers, bloggers...

... and myself.

Yep. I was there! And it was one interesting and slightly random evening.

As you know, I don't see myself as a blogger (still waiting for the day when someone goes "Hey! You're faking it! GET OUT!" but still... no one notice!) so getting invited to these events and ACTUALLY BEING ABLE TO GO is kind of a big (and surreal) thing for me.

So, after turning up at the location (getting lost while trying to find the place), I bumped into bloggers I have met before (HELLO!!!) and bloggers I haven't met before and only know through Twitter and spying on their blogs (HELLO! Have you survived meeting me?). And after we got our hands on a special cocktail made for the event (it was PINK! And a video of it being made is at the bottom of the blogpost), everyone went and chatted to everyone else. And there was a lot of people at this event that loved the book - basically, people who love books and get excited over books!

And then, we all met the author. Laini Taylor. She's lovely! Really nice and smiley! She was on Woman's Hour that morning (here it is - start around the 25 minutes mark!) and looked like she was enjoying herself at the event to celebrate her book's success so far in the UK! She chatted and signed copies of our books and, while she signed mine, I asked if her hair grew out pink (if you have no idea why I ask that, I suggest you read the book...) and the answer was yes (though don't look too closely to the roots)...

And with that, everyone chatted. We chatted about the book and other books (that was cool. Expect when I said I didn't get and didn't finished Delirium by Lauren Oliver, and one of the people I chatted to was from Hodder and the look of shock on her face... yeah...) and onto random stuff (One chat random went from Harry Potter to Twilight to Hobbits to big feet to... yes, it was THAT random).

And we had food. I have decide that to please book bloggers, you need three things. One: books. Two: drink. Three: food. And the food was something else. It was smoking! Seriously! As you can see from the pic, it was eeire yet cool! With this and mini delights like Chocolate Air, it was a fun evening for food. My random fave was the little meringues that, when popped into your mouth, made you look like a fire-breathing dragon as smoke came out of your nose and mouth!

The most random part of the night was discovering that, in the main room where this launch party was placed, there was a side-room which had (for no reason), a iron bathtub. Don't believe me? See below!



Told you! Anyway, it was a fun night so I have to thank Hodder and Hot Cherry for inviting me and everyone who turned up and made the event a right laugh!


And now, as promised, the video of the Special cocktail made for the event last night...


Oh, By the way! I'm hosting a competition to win a copy of Daughter of Smoke and Bone. Well, last night, I got it signed. So, it's now a chance to win a SIGNED COPY OF DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE! You have till 7pm Friday to enter! Go! GO!

(Also, there are pics of me meeting the author, Laini Taylor. But I don't have them - other bloggers do. Once I see them, I will retweet on Twitter and share on Facebook).

The "Daughter Of Smoke And Bone" Competition

I have a competition for you!

Do you want to get your hands on a hardback copy of THE DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE by Laini Taylor? If you do, then you might be in a chance to win!

If you live in the UK (sorry, International readers! I am planning something soon! Hopefully, I will have the funds by then...), and you fill in the form below, you can win a copy of THE DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE, thanks to the lovely Hodder Books!

If you haven't read anything about this book, here is my review. If not, just Google it and ALL WILL BECOME CLEAR!

You have till Friday 7th October (7pm) to enter. GOOD LUCK (and remember: "Once upon a time, an angel and demon fell in love. It didn't end well...")

EDIT! The competition has closed! The winner was Rosie! CONGRATULATIONS!!! Your signed copy of DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE is in the post and it's on its way to you as I type!

GoodRead - Daughter Of Smoke And Bone

This book has quite a bit of hyper round it. And the UK publisher, Hodder & Stoughton, have revealed five - that's right, FIVE! - teaser trailers for this book (all at the bottom of this review) in the run-up to the book's general release (tomorrow!). And, according to my sources, Hodder will also be releasing a special hardback limited edition of this book!

So, Hodder love this book and they want us to love it. But will Daughter of Smoke and Bone live up to the hyper?

Karou has lived two lives for seventeen years. In Prague, she is an art student with dyed blue hair. But she's, also, an errand-girl to Brimstone, a chimaera. A Wishmonger who collects teeth. Oh, and her hair actually grows out blue.

But something is happening around Karou. The mysteries that surround Karou and the chimaeras she class as her family are about the lay bare and it looks like it's beyond anything she could possibly imagine...

It is insane. That is the only thing I can say about this book. IT'S INSANE (but in a good way)! It feels like a fantasy book on drugs at the very start of the book so when I started reading the book, I always felt like I was backtrack to get my head round the names and over which chimaera was which. But because the story was so strange and imaginative, I got sweep along with the story.

But, there were one or two things that bothered me. The main thing was the back story. Most of the way through the story, there were hints and seeing as this is the first book in a trilogy, I thought things won't be explained till book 3. But the back story was explained at the end of the book and, because of that, I had the feeling it slowed the book down. I still read it, but I could have easily put the book down and left it for a while before return.

But when you start the book with the lines "Once upon a time, an angel and a demon fell in love. It didn't end well", your kinda hooked to know what happens! That was the thing that kept me going. And I know there's more to come as it's a trilogy...

I think this book falls victim to its own hype. Which is sad, as this is a very imaginative read. I can see why people are saying "It's like His Dark Materials meets Pan's Labyrinth meets Twilight". All I can say is if you like your fantasy books on drugs, this book will be perfect for you! And I will wait patiently for the sequel...

*

And now, for the five trailers of this book and my song choices! ENJOY! (Sorry for the amount of videos. But I do think you need to see them)