Katie's Reviews > Dreams of Gods & Monsters

This was a hard book to read - and to finish - because I knew that once I was done, I'd be done with this series, which has been one of my favorites since I read the ARC of Daughter of Smoke & Bone back in 2011. I've loved spending hours with Karou, Akiva, Zuzanna, Mik, Brimstone, and Ziri. Taylor has crafted an amazing world with characters who, despite their many different, fantastical forms, feel like living, breathing people.

Dreams of Gods & Monsters is a huge book, with lots of plot threads that somehow are all tied together in the end. That being said, I was surprised to find so many new plots introduced when this is the final book in a trilogy. There are new characters and new worlds and themes not touched on in the previous two books, so I was a little thrown by that at first. However, once I got used to the newness, I found the new characters and worlds really interesting. However, there really isn't closure at the end of Dreams. Like everyone else who's read this, I'm definitely sensing a spinoff series. There's just so much that hasn't been resolved and so many different characters Taylor could focus on in more books, that I think it would really be a shame if this is the last we heard of the seraphim and chimaera.

The tension is SO THICK in this book. I found myself having to take breaks between chapters because I'd become really tense. There's this huge ominous feeling that builds and builds from the very beginning, but there's also some serious romantic tension between Karou and Akiva. Taylor holds out on the romance for a long time, but I don't know why I was surprised by that - this is the author that wrote Lips Touch, which is all about the importance of a single kiss, so it makes sense that she would put a lot of importance on kisses in her books.

I think it's interesting that this series started off as what felt like a paranormal romance but became something completely different by the end. This book almost feels like high fantasy. The worldbuilding is so intricate and well-developed that it no longer feels like paranormal.

Okay, I've got to say this, because OMG: I LOVE ZIRI! I started falling in love with him in Days of Blood & Starlight, and this book just solidified my undying love for him. I can't even stand how sweet he is, and basically, I just wanted to hug him whenever he appeared in a chapter. Also, (view spoiler)[ I totally ship him with Liraz. If there's a spinoff, I'm going to revolt if they're not the main characters. Like, seriously. My absolute favorite chapter was the one towards with the end where Liraz is so awkward around him, post-resurrection, and she has no idea how to interact with him but it's so freaking adorable I couldn't stop smiling (hide spoiler)].

Overall, this book wasn't exactly what I was expecting. I thought there would be more of a conclusion, but this felt like it was just opening up the story to something bigger. I also don't see how this series is YA; it feels very much like an adult fantasy series to me, especially since none of the characters are actually teens except for Zuzanna and Mik. There were also some themes I didn't agree with in terms of religion and humanism, but I appreciated facing them head-on and discussing them, instead of writing from a nebulous worldview.

Laini Taylor is still one of my favorite authors, and I'll read anything she writes. I'll just be sitting over here, crossing all fingers and toes, and holding my breath until she announces a spinoff series. Because it needs to happen. PLEASE LITTLE BROWN! WE NEED MORE BOOKS!