In short: I was in awe of Laini Taylor's breathtaking prose and epic creativity in Daughter of Smoke and Bone. 
 An orphan girl with blue hair who travels the world collecting various kinds of animal teeth for a mysterious purpose; an alternate world in which angels and chimaera have been fighting in a millenia-long war; monsters made up of bits and pieces of different beasts: this is the level of creativity we are presented with in Daughter of Smoke and Bone (and really, I didn't even come CLOSE to doing it justice). I was in near constant AWE of the story and world that Laini Taylor has created. I would like to know what is in that brilliant mind of hers that she was able to come up with such fantastical concepts! 
 And she presents all her ideas in the most gorgeous way possible: through her lyrical and moving writing, so beautiful in its complexity and feeling. I was held utterly MESMERIZED by the depth of Laini Taylor's descriptions. And it's a good thing she is such a gifted writer: certain aspects of the story were just so extraordinary and unreal that I think if the writing had not been so beautifully descriptive, the effect would've been lost and left me bewildered. As it is, this was definitely not the case: Laini Taylor's gorgeous prose really brought the world of Daughter of Smoke and Bone to life! 
 I guess the only thing that left me feeling ambivalent about Daughter of Smoke and Bone was that there was such a major focus on the romance - more than I generally like in fantasy/paranormal novels. And it was insta-love to boot! An instant connection was made between the star-crossed lovers upon first meeting and I wasn't a huge fan of the lack of a slow-building relationship, personally. Their relationship was a bit too superficial. BUT I have to say that even while this major portion of the novel was being devoted to the romance, I was STILL held captivated by Laini Taylor's writing all throughout it. 
 So what am I hoping for in Days of Blood and Starlight (to be released November 6, 2012)? Ideally, I would like to see a bit more development in Karou and Akiva's relationship. And of course, all of the same thrilling intrigue and fascinating story and characters that were present in Daughter of Smoke and Bone!