Review: Night of Cake & Puppets

Night of Cake & Puppets by Laini Taylor
Daughter of Smoke & Bone #2.5
Published November 26th 2013 by Little Brown Books

In Night of Cake & Puppets, Taylor brings to life a night only hinted at in the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy—the magical first date of fan-favorites Zuzana and Mik. Told in alternating perspectives, it’s the perfect love story for fans of the series and new readers alike. Petite though she may be, Zuzana is not known for timidity. Her best friend, Karou, calls her “rabid fairy,” her “voodoo eyes” are said to freeze blood, and even her older brother fears her wrath. But when it comes to the simple matter of talking to Mik, or “Violin Boy,” her courage deserts her. Now, enough is enough. Zuzana is determined to meet him, and she has a fistful of magic and a plan. It’s a wonderfully elaborate treasure hunt of a plan that will take Mik all over Prague on a cold winter’s night before finally leading him to the treasure: herself! Violin Boy’s not going to know what hit him.

Night of Cake & Puppets is an absolutely perfect read for fans of the Daughter of Smoke & Bone series - especially those who need a little something to hold them over until the last book in the trilogy comes out and we can compulsively read and re-read the entire series to our little heart's desire.  Despite being a quick read, I was surprised by  how invested I became in the adorable little love story of side characters Zuzana & Mik.  And to be honest, 'adorable' is putting it mildly...

Night of Cake & Puppets is ooey gooey romantic in the best. possible. way.  I had a big goofy smile plastered on my face for the better part of this entire novella and I'm not the biggest 'romance' fan out there!  I don't know how she did it, but Laini Taylor managed to mix the perfect amount of humor, charm...and magic to make this such an enjoyable, not to mention memorable read.

I think I speak for all the DoS&B lovers out there when I say I've always been a huge fan of Zuzana.  Her banter with the series's main character Karou is such a wonderful and important part of the series! I especially liked how the story tied in to the DoS&B story arc: in the actual series, we got Karou's side of conversations with Zuzana so it was fun to revisit some of those key moments from Zuzana's perspective... In fact, this new glimpse into Zuz's thought process made me love her even more.  Her voice is entirely different from Karou's so kudos to Miss Taylor for bringing the rabid fairy to life in such a vibrant and memorable way (especially considering the number of pages she had to work with).

The story alternated between Zuzana's voice and Mik's and both were equally fun to read.  Mik's voice was perfect as well - he was distinct from Zuzana's, perfectly boyish and thoroughly sweet ♥  Literally in an instant I felt completely re-emersed  in the world of Daughter of Smoke & Bone. The ambiance returned full-force, I could imagine the streets, the people and the action as they unfolded.  Another plus for all you Karou lovers out there?  We get to see Karou from someone else's perspective!!  Hint: she's just as mesmerizing as we imagined *fangirls* XD  Yup, Night of Cake & Puppets was a blast.

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars