Review: Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor
“Once upon a time, an angel and a devil pressed their hands to their hearts and started the apocalypse.”
The Basics
Title: Dreams of Gods and Monsters (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #3)
Author: Laini Taylor
Published: 2015 (originally published 2014)
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company — Hachette Book Group
Pages: 613
Format: Paperback
Genres: Fiction — Fantasy, Urban fantasy, Paranormal, Young adult, Young adult fantasy, Fantasy romance, Paranormal romance
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Book Synopsis
In this final installment of the Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy, Karou and Akiva have negotiated a tenuous alliance between the chimaera and Misbegotten for the sake of taking down their common enemy: Jael. Together, they must find a way to prevent Jael from staying in the human realm and procuring weapons to bring back to Eretz. Now on the same side and in constant contact with one another, Akiva and Karou are also forced to examine their feelings for one another and determine if there is still a future for them.
My Review & Overall Thoughts
TLDR: On its own, Dreams of Gods and Monsters is a decent book, but as the conclusion to a trilogy, it is deeply unsatisfying.
The first ¾ of Dreams of Gods and Monsters is wonderful – it is rife with action, suspense, twists, and romance. Unfortunately, during the final ¼, the book takes a turn for the worse. The story begins to feel rushed, with a series of major revelations occurring one after the next. The ending does nothing to improve the situation; rather, it actually intensifies that feeling of hurriedness. It is also immensely unsatisfying, as the precise fate of the characters is left a bit up in the air.
Another critique of mine relates to the characters, namely Zuzana and Mik. Although I enjoyed them in the preceding two books, I found them somewhat irritating in this book. They do not evolve much over the course of the book, in spite of experiencing some rather traumatic events. They are also too perfect, somehow managing to not only make it through a battle unscathed (both physically and emotionally) but also accomplish a feat that no chimaera or seraphim, let alone a human, has been able to. All in all, they just feel a tad stunted, one-dimensional, and unbelievable.
The good
Whereas Zuzana and Mik stagnate, Liraz shines. She truly develops over the course of the book, gaining a sense of compassion and expanding her emotional repertoire. I also enjoyed the relationship between her and a certain chimaera; it is very sweet and fitting that those two should end up together.
I was also glad to see that this book features many more interactions between Karou and Akiva, as I love their dynamic. Unfortunately, their ending is not entirely gratifying, because it is not a true ending. As Taylor notes, it is a “middle.”
The last thing that I will say about the characters is that I really liked Eliza, a new character introduced in this book. She is a strong character with a bit of mystery surrounding her, and bestowed with a detailed backstory, she is also one of the more fleshed-out, lifelike characters. I enjoyed the chapters from her point of view and would have actually preferred more.
Lastly, as with the other two books in the series, Taylor’s writing is impeccable. She is a master at setting a scene and crafting engaging dialogue. She is also adept at building a world and making it come to life.
Overall
On its own, Dreams of Gods and Monsters is a good book, but as the finale to a trilogy, it is disappointing. The book ends just as the characters set off on a new journey, leaving us to wonder how things will unfold for them. Sigh. All in all, I enjoyed this series more than I didn’t, but I likely won’t be rereading it any time soon.
Have you read the Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy? If so, what did you think of Dreams of Gods and Monsters? Let me know in the comments section below!
