Karou leads two lives. One is in the tangled streets of Prague, as an orphan and art student; the other in a clandestine workshop, overflowing with jars of teeth and wishes, run by the ram-horned magician, Brimstone—the closest thing to family Karou has ever known. She doesn't know where she came from, but she's about to find out. When Karou meets stunning, haunted Akiva, she finds a love whose roots drink deep of a violent past, and an ancient war that is far from over. Master storyteller Laini Taylor imagines a wholly unique fantasy about a forbidden love, an epic battle, and hope for a world remade.
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Creators
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Series
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Publisher
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Awards
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Release date
October 12, 2011 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781611137743
- File size: 361578 KB
- Duration: 12:33:17
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Languages
- English
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Levels
- Lexile® Measure: 850
- Text Difficulty: 4-5
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Reviews
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Starred review from July 25, 2011
National Book Award finalist Taylor (Lips Touch: Three Times) again weaves a masterful mix of reality and fantasy with cross-genre appeal. Exquisitely written and beautifully paced, the tale is set in ghostly, romantic Prague, where 17-year-old Karou is an art studentâexcept when she is called "home" to do errands for the family of loving, albeit inhuman, creatures who raised her. Mysterious as Karou seems to her friends, her life is equally mysterious to her: How did she come to live with chimaera? Why does paternal Brimstone eternally require teethâespecially human ones? And why is she "plagued by the notion that she wasn't whole.... a sensation akin to having forgotten something?" Taylor interlaces cleverly droll depictions of contemporary teenage life with equally believable portrayals of terrifying otherworldly beings. When black handprints begin appearing on doorways throughout the world, Karou is swept into the ancient deadly rivalry between devils and angels and gradually, painfully, acquires her longed-for self-knowledge. The book's final pages seemingly establish the triumph of true loveâuntil a horrifying revelation sets the stage for a second book. Ages 15âup. -
Khristine Hvam portrays a confident, inquisitive, and grounded young woman who lives an ordinary life by day but a far from ordinary life at night. What does Karou, a 17-year-old girl with naturally blue hair and tattooed palms, do when she's not in art school in Prague? She travels through portals, running errands for the chimaera (half-human, half not) she calls family. As Karou confronts her heritage, Hvam presents the story's adventure, romance, and humor with a smooth grace. Hvam maneuvers her way through the fantastical characters smoothly, sharpening the contrast between ordinary and extraordinary events. As the first installment in a young adult urban fantasy series, this book introduces a host of characters and mysteries for further exploration. J.E.M. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine -
February 1, 2012
Gr 9 Up-For centuries, the Chimera and the Seraphim have fought, unquestioningly, on opposite sides of the same war. Meanwhile, in a dusty shop suspended between worlds, a strange creature dutifully collects teeth for a mysterious purpose. This lyrical and beautifully atmospheric story centers around the forbidden love that develops between Karou, a human girl lovingly raised by four Chimera, and Akiva, a Seraphim soldier brought up knowing only battle and blood. A deeper message warns that deadly wars are often fought over nothing more than ancient prejudices. Hoping to end the war, the Seraphim burn the portals linking Elsewhere and Earth, and Karou finds herself brutally shut out of her family's world. Still reeling from the pain of a long-lost love, Akiva begins doubting everything he has been taught to fight for-and against. Fearing for her family's safety, Karou enlists Akiva to take her on a perilous journey to find them. The pair discover love, heal old wounds, and share a tragic story of soul mates who should have been sworn enemies. Karou will finally unlock the greatest mystery of all: the truth of her identity. But a confession from Akiva could destroy everything. Interwoven with this deliciously romantic tale of loss and hope are the gorgeous imageries of ancient cities, mythical creatures, and mysterious other worlds. Laini Taylor's storytelling is masterful and her character development is outstanding. Brought to brilliant life by narrator Khristine Hvam, this fabulous story will enthrall listeners-and the cliffhanger ending will leave them clamoring for the sequel.-Alissa LeMerise, Oxford Public Library, MI
Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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