Night of Cake & Puppets (Daughter of Smoke & Bone)

This review can be found on my blog, Reader Rayna, as well as Goodreads.This novella was everything I wanted between Zuzana and Mik and I’m so glad that it exists in this world.Zuzana and Mik are two of my absolute favorite side characters ever. They’re both so three dimensional, just like the rest of Taylor’s characters, and I felt like I got to know a lot more about them in this short novella.Zuzana is best described as she’s described in the novella: a rabid fairy. She’s fiery and sarcastic and witty, but she also has feelings and insecurities and I just. Love. Her. Anytime I read her sections and saw something witty or something, I’d be smiling like an idiot and laughing out loud. I never laugh out loud when I’m reading! This was big.I felt that I got to really know her and her thought processes, because even though we do get her POV in the main series, I thought that this really helped to not only show her rabid fairy personality, but it also allowed us to know more about her inner thoughts and her world (family, friends, lifestyle) in such a short span of pages.And then there was Mik and oh my God, I love him. He’s such a gentleman – even if his other guy side pops out every now and then; it’s still entertaining – and he really likes Zuzana! He doesn’t even really question or doubt that the “treasure hunt” to find her was anything but genuine, and I love that. Even he has some insecurities about the whole things, of whether or not Zuzana might actually like him, and I think that that fact is key and important because neither one was too cocky about that aspect of who they are. They don’t even deny that they don’t really know anything about the other except for a few simple (and sometimes biased) facts.Even his parts were full of witty banter, but not as much as Zuzana’s. But he still had several parts that made me smile like an idiot and laugh out loud. Best couple award goes to them because they are too adorable for words. I can’t even.I also enjoyed the fact that there was interaction with Karou in here and that we got to see more of their friendship – and even a time when they had just recently became friends at the beginning. I find that friendships are important, and healthy female relationships and friendships are so important because oftentimes it’s not enough for them to just be there or cause drama. These two stick together and love each other unconditionally as sisters and soul mates and they make my heart happy.If you’ve read the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy (at least the first two books) then definitely check out this novella because it will make you feel things, and most of these things will be swooning.I rate this novella 5/5 stars and absolutely recommend it!

Laini Taylor is a brilliant author. She has created a massive world with incredible characters that command my complete attention. Normally with novella’s I can take them or leave them. Seriously, I’m not always DYING to read them and sometimes I find them disappointing because they seem like a filler in the series that’s pure fluff without any substance. I can count on one hand how many novella’s I actually like, let alone LOVE and this is one I adore!!!“His eyes are blue, and blue eyes up close are a celestial phenomenon: nebulae as seen through telescopes, the light of unnamed stars diffused through dusts and elements and endlessness. Layers of light. Blue eyes are starlight.”Zuzana and Mik’s story is absolutely magical, both are quirky but so perfect each other. It’s a sweet story about how these two fall in love with and their magical first kiss. I don’t often like sugary-sweet stories but in this case, it worked and it worked well because they aren’t your typical characters you would find in a YA story.“Around Mik, my powers desert me. I lose basic motor function, like my brain focuses all neural activity on my lips and shifts into kiss preparedness mode way too early, to the detriment of things like speech, and walking.”If you are a fan of Zuzana’s voice in books 1 and 2, then you will continue to love her in this book but what makes this short novella so fantastic is Mik’s POV. Everyone needs a Mik in their life. He’s the perfect mix of wit, humbleness, beautiful and self-assuredness (I made that word up) that makes him irresistible.“Milquetoast girls raised on princess stories might sit tight and bat their eyelashes in desperate Morse code–notice me, like me, please–but I am not that girl.”Don’t go into this story thinking you are getting a complex plot or a super long story because you aren’t. What you will get is the much-needed story of how Zuzana and Mik came to be and even though it’s 2.5, it should be read after book 1, The Daughter of Smoke and Bone. What you WILL get in this story are the colorful characters we’ve come to love in this series and beautiful prose that will make you laugh and move you all at the same time.

Faz menos de uma semana que eu terminei de ler a trilogia Feita de Fumaça e Osso e esse livro já me fez querer reler! A Zuzana e o Mik sempre foram a melhor parte da história, porque, como a própria autora disse, eles eram como uma âncora para coisas boas mesmo nos piores momentos! Super aceitaria uma trilogia só deles, mas, como não tem, esse livro aqui se tornou um tesouro meu!A história é exatamente o que você espera dela e mais. Apesar de já saber um resumo de como Zuzana e Mik ficaram juntos, me surpreendi com os detalhes que a autora criou! E adorei poder ver os dois fora do universo da trilogia (ou seja, dos problemas que eles ajudaram a resolver), ao mesmo tempo que lembrava do quanto esses dois ainda passariam juntos. Esse livro só me fez amar ainda mais os dois e querer reler a trilogia.Eu comprei a versão em capa dura (inglês - Night of Cake and Puppets), que super vale a pena, mesmo que você não leia em inglês. Se você tiver amado a trilogia como eu, compre essa edição em capa dura. Leia o e-book em português, tanto faz, só compre essa edição. Porque ela é simplesmente maravilhosa!Tem ilustrações em praticamente página sim, página não, como se a história estivesse no meio de um caderno de desenhos da Zuzana! No final, também tem ilustrações do próprio caderno dela, algumas de polaroids dela, da Karou e do Mik. Além de algumas páginas de uma cena do primeiro livro da trilogia em HQ (juro que se eles lançassem a trilogia toda em HQ, eu compraria e leria loucamente!). A capa é rosa na frente, azul atrás, cheia de detalhes também!É uma edição tão linda, que não consigo acreditar que não é daquelas exclusivas ou que foram produzidas só umas cem para as pessoas mais sortudas (e ricas) do mundo. É uma edição quase de colecionador, que só vai aumentar seu amor pela trilogia! Aumentou o meu!

Hacía tanto tiempo que no leía una novela taaaaan romántica. ♥Esta novela corta narra la historia de Zuzana y Mik y la manera en que inician su relación. La trilogía de Hija de humo y hueso no da pistas de la forma en que Zuzana finalmente consigue ganarse al violinista así que el por fin conseguir su historia es toda una delicia, al igual que esas hermosas ilustraciones.

This is one of the most interesting books I've read lately. A whole different world that we don't know about where things are done quite differently. It explains a lot of what is said in the history of religion and fiction mixed together. I was up all night reading Laini's books that were related to these characters as well. I loved the exoticness of the book and the other related ones.

This tale of love draws you into the night on a journey that is both complex and simple, and above all magical. If you've enjoyed daughter of smoke and bone then you simply must read this side story. It is a beautiful story.

Si bien el guardapolvo me gustaba, la pasta del libro la supera con creces en una cara Suze y en la otra Mik. Vale la pena por las ilustraciones y el pequeño ofragamebto de Hija de humo y hueso en formato gráfico