Review: Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor

Dreams of Gods and Monsters

By: Laini Taylor

Series: Daughter of Smoke and Bone Trilogy

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Length: 613 pages

Synopsis From Goodreads:

Two worlds are poised on the brink of a vicious war. By way of a staggering deception, Karou has taken control of the chimaera's rebellion and is intent on steering its course away from dead-end vengeance. The future rests on her.

When the brutal angel emperor brings his army to the human world, Karou and Akiva are finally reunited - not in love, but in a tentative alliance against their common enemy. 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.

But with even bigger threats on the horizon, are Karou and Akiva strong enough to stand among the gods and monsters?

The New York Times bestselling Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy comes to a stunning conclusion as - from the streets of Rome to the caves of the Kirin and beyond - humans, chimaera, and seraphim strive, love, and die in an epic theater that transcends good and evil, right and wrong, friend and enemy.

Goodreads | Amazon

My Review:

Rating:

***Caution May Contain Spoilers***

The time has come to say goodbye to Eretz and the magnificent character we found there. Laini Taylor worked her magic one last time in Dreams of Gods and Monsters transporting us into a realm with angels and devils preparing to go into battle and give the fight of their life. 

“Once upon a time, an angel and a devil pressed their hands to their hearts and started the apocalypse.” 

I must be honest that when I first delved into this trilogy all those months ago I was hesitant and worried that I would be among the minority of people that downright hated these books. Daughter of Smoke and Bone was slow at the start and took some getting used to when it came to writing style, but has I ventured forward with Karou and her many mysteries I found myself completely engrossed. 

Dreams of Gods and Monsters brings you to the final showdown, Karou and Akiva have quite the struggle ahead bringing together the Chimaera and the Misbegotten, once mortal enemies. But the time has come to unite as one to face off against the villainous Emperor hell-bent on destroying Eretz and the mysterious Seraphim known as the Stelians. Can Karou and Akiva accomplish the unthinkable?

Thankfully they are not alone in the efforts they have their allies; Ziri, Liraz, Issa, Zuzana and Mik along for the ride prepared to help unite these two clans. Along the way Ziri and Liraz find a fondness for one another that Liraz believed she was incapable of feeling. After a near death experience her eyes are open to the beauty of the Chimaera race. 

Then there are the humans that have been thrust into the world of angels and devils, discovered magic and experienced loss; Zuzana and Mik. Karou's best friends from the human world have come to love the Chimaera has if they were of the same blood and are determined to help save Eretz at any cost. Plus there is no way Zuzana is leaving Karou to fight this battle alone. 

Dreams of Gods and Monsters, the final book in this beautiful trilogy was just has captivating as the first two. So much detail went into writing the story of Karou and Akiva, their struggles and their triumphs. Laini Taylor truly has a way with words and brings to life such an astonishing world of gods and monsters. Every word follows into the next like the loops in a perfectly woven scarf, the ebb and flow of words so magical that you felt transported into the world of Eretz right along with these characters. 

It's bittersweet to say goodbye to a story as epic as this one, but in the end there were happy endings and misguided sadness. Your left with hope for the future of the Chimaera and Seraphim, and hope for Karou and Akiva. Never-ending hope for all! 

Published by: K