"Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love. It did not end well."

They say you should never judge a book by it's cover and this gem by Laini Taylor, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, proves that rule. It was recommended on the BN website and I heard from some friends who saw Scott Westerfeld (Pretties, Uglies, etc.) that he raved about this book. Add me to the list of fans! This is the story of Karou, a 17 year old girl who has her foot in two worlds. One is the human world, where she lives in Prague. The other is the world of the Chimaera, part animal, part human, where she is being raised by Brimstone. Brimstone is a  chimaera with a secret, a HUGE secret, about who Karou really is. The drama begins when Akiva, a seraphim soldier, spots Karou while she is on a mission for Brimstone in Marakkesh. He instantly feels a connection to her, and it stops him from killing her on site. You see, the Seraphim (Angels) and the Chimaera have been at war since the beginning of time and that make Karou his enemy. They are drawn to each other and when Akiva realizes why, both his wildest dream and worst nightmare comes true. His vengeance when he lost his greatest love, will have lasting impact on Karou and her Chimaera family. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these characters and this book. I haven't read anything like it and look forward to the sequel... which I am actually glad about. Some books you just want to end, but I could live in this strange world for a while longer. Laini Taylor has some absolutely fantastic lines in this book- beautifully written figurative language. "The air in the grove was rich enough to sip, full enough to dance with"  I hope you all take my advice and don't judge this book by it's cover. You'll fall in love with Akiva, Karou and Brimstone and maybe you'll find a wishbone to hope on.