Days of Blood and Starlight (review)

The much anticipated sequel to Daughter of Smoke and Bone (BCCB 9/11) finds the angel Akiva grieving his separation from Karou and wondering if she is still alive as he strives to rebuild his relationship with Hazael and Liraz, the brother and sister he betrayed. Karou herself is in Morocco; she has taken up the resurrection work of her beloved mentor Brimstone under the direction of the dangerous chimaera leader, Thiago. While she hates Thiago with a passion, the angel army is menacing the countryside in an attempt to kill the remaining chimaera, so she is designing and resurrecting stronger, more effective winged warriors to protect her people. Meanwhile, Akiva has had enough of fighting his father’s wars, and he decides he must undertake a task long overdue: to kill his father. Karou is wracked with conflicted emotions as she tries to sort out her memories and current feelings about Akiva, who has done so much to destroy her people yet still holds a piece of her heart. As Akiva’s father and uncle plot to extend their reach by waging more wars, the story fills in gaps and fleshes out minor characters. Karou’s human friends Zuzana and Mik provide laugh-out-loud comic relief, while the last of her tribe, Ziri, emerges as an endearing new hero; Hazael and Liraz, reared like Akiva to a life of ruthless intolerance and bloodshed, show signs of reluctant transformation before tragedy strikes. The impossible choices each character faces compel readers to consider the fission when ethics slam into power, creating a chain reaction of pain and grim, uncertain outcomes that must be worked through even if chances for hope on the other side are slim. Of course, the surprising twist at the end will leave readers in breathless anticipation for the next installment, but the intensity of this middle piece is a satisfying feast all on its own.