Welcome to today's tour stop in Little Brown's Official Days of Blood & Starlight Blog Tour! If you have not yet picked up this book, DO IT NOW! You can read my spoiler free 5 star review for it here. It's really more of a 10 star book than a 5 star one. Laini Taylor's sequel is AMAZING! Today I'm thrilled to be able to share an excerpt from the book, along with Laini's thought on the quote she choose.
p. 321
“There was a note … in archaic Seraphic, in a feminine hand, and stamped with a wax seal depicting a scarab beetle: Thank you, but we must respectfully decline your overture, being more enjoyably occupied at present.”
Ah. This page. Well, this chapter is called “A Basket of Fruit” and it has to do with a certain character’s brazen response to a declaration of war. Perhaps more than anything else, DAYS is about the habitual perpetuation of war, the seemingly inescapable cycles of hatred and violence and reprisals, and how individuals caught up in it lack the power to affect it or act against it. (Or do they?)
So there’s this thing that happens involving the not-very-nice emperor of the seraphim, and it’s dramatic, and a catalyst for major events in the book, and it’s also the shadowy introduction of a mystery character, a hinted-at personage.
To whom do the feminine hand and scarab seal belong? Hmmm …
Ahh, this trying to describe a scene without spoilers? It’s tough! What can I tell you? Events have transpired involving magic that greatly piques Akiva’s curiosity, and a death that have finally goaded him into action. Big action. Writing the chapter (55) that precipitates all this, was one of those awesome writing moments of really rolling along and everything clicking into place, where I feel energized and invincible, caught in some tide of story where my fingers do not fall still on the keyboard. These moments are so precious, and not as frequent as they could be, and I tend to remember them with a kind of golden glow around them. A choir of angels singing, ha!
I guess it’s kind of a merciless chapter; terrible things that happen in it. As soon as I finished writing it, I thought to myself (and Tweeted to the world) that I had just written the scene I would likely use for readings. Now I’m not sure if I will though, as it is a scene that contains neither Karou nor Akiva, but new characters to provide context for the state of their world, what they are fighting for/against.
In any case: the feminine hand, the scarab seal. Keep your eyes peeled for this character. Hint, though: you may have to wait until Book 3 to really find out what she’s all about …
About the Book:
By: Laini Taylor
Published by: Little Brown
Released on: November 6th, 2012
5 stars: I Loved It!
Purchase from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Series: Daughter of Smoke & Bone #2
In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Karou must come to terms with who and what she is, and how far she’ll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, mysteries and secrets, new characters and old favorites, Days of Blood and Starlight brings the richness, color and intensity of the first book to a brand new canvas. - quoted from Goodreads
Don't miss the other Days of Blood & Starlight excerpts posted here:
11/5: Page 44 – Forever Young Adult
11/6: Page 115 – YA Bibliophile
11/7: Page 245 – The Book Smugglers
11/8: Page 321 – Mundie Moms
11/9: Page 413 – The Book Rat
Laini's on TOUR! Don't miss meeting her at the following upcoming stops:
** AUSTIN, TX ** this event is happening TONIGHT! I'll see you there!
Thursday, November 8th
7:00 PM
Saturday, November 10th
Barnes & Noble (Desert Ridge)
3:00 PM
LOS ANGELES, CA
7:00 PM
KANSAS CITY, MO
Monday, November 19th
Unity Temple on the Plaza (7:00 PM)
Organized by Rainy Day Books
Tuesday, November 20th
Barnes & Noble (Zona Rosa)
7:00 PM
You can learn more about Laini on her website and connect with her on twitter at @lainitaylor. And remember to follow Little Brown on Twitter via @lbkids, for the latest news on Days of Blood & Starlight