Summary
- Daughter of Smoke & Bone predates ACOTAR, showcasing the blend of romance and fantasy before BookTok's rise.
- The book was a hit in 2011, even gaining attention for a potential movie adaptation by Universal Studios.
- Despite similarities in plot and characters, Daughter of Smoke & Bone holds its own unique magic system and premise.
A Court of Thorns and Roses has undoubtedly been BookTok's biggest hit, but a book series that started in 2011 would have easily been the first ACOTAR had it not come too soon. The type of book that falls under the category of romantasy isn't new, but it's gained new life in the past few years thanks to Sarah J. Maas' Court of Thorns and Roses and other books like Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. Though the books would be bestsellers on their own, BookTokkers have certainly helped them to blow up bigger than even their publishers might have anticipated.
Love and romance are common draws in fantasy books, with the genres meshing well together. While ACOTAR undoubtedly kicked the spice up a notch, it's not the first book series to have more adult, erotic scenes, and it's certainly not the first book series to blend a passionate love story with a strong fantasy setting. In fact, there's one excellent romantasy book series from 13 years ago that might have beaten A Court of Thorns and Roses to the BookTok punch had the social media app existed back then.
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Laini Taylor's Daughter Of Smoke & Bone Was A Great Romantasy Series Long Before ACOTAR
It Had All The Elements Of A Great Romantic Fantasy Story
The Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy by Laini Taylor would have fit perfectly into the romantasy genre long before the phrase started popping up on BookTok, initially to describe Sarah J. Maas' A Court of Thorns and Roses. The books have one of the most unique premises and magic systems in YA fantasy. The story follows 17-year-old Karou, an art student living in Prague who hides a secret: she's a chimaera, a kind of being that combines animal and human aspects. As a girl, she was raised by Brimstone, a powerful chimaera who grants wishes in exchange for teeth. Thanks to how human she looks, Karou is able to step between the human dimension and the dimension of chimaera and angels, or seraphim, their mortal enemies.
Of course, a romantasy book wouldn't be possible without romance, and there is plenty of that in the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy. Karou crosses paths with Akiva, a powerful soldier in the seraphim army. Though chimaera and seraphim are at war, Karou and Akiva feel an undeniable pull toward each other that soon turns into an all-consuming love. Through them, other friends in the form of humans, chimaera, and seraphim interact, and they soon start to realize that they've been fighting the wrong enemy.
ACOTAR has many of the same beats that Daughter of Smoke & Bone did first: complicated romance, stalwart friend groups, and magic, all set against the backdrop of war. There are similarities in the characters, too. Though angels as warriors is an ancient story, Daughter of Smoke and Bone's seraphim warriors feel like the blueprint for ACOTAR's Illyrians, and the friendship Akiva has forged with his squad mates, sister and brother Liraz and Hazael, is very similar to the bond between Rhysand, Cassian, and Azriel. Even Karou and Feyre are similar in ways: fiercely independent, self-sufficient, and wise beyond their years thanks to their tough upbringing.
Book Title | Publication Year |
|---|---|
Daughter of Smoke & Bone | 2011 |
Days of Blood & Starlight | 2012 |
Night of Cake & Puppets (tie-in standalone) | 2013 |
Dreams of Gods & Monsters | 2014 |
Daughter Of Smoke & Bone Was A Hit When It Was Released In 2011
It Was Even Going To Be Adapted As A Movie
Even though it was released long before the BookTok romantasy trend, and well before TikTok itself existed, Daughter of Smoke & Bone was a big hit upon its release. Reviewers praised the gorgeous romance at the heart of the story, and the heightened language and witty, funny dialogue. It was also a finalist for the Andre Norton Award in 2011 and landed on a number of Best Books lists for that year. It was published in almost three dozen languages and sold over a million copies, an impressive feat no matter the era.
In fact, Daughter of Smoke & Bone was such a hit that Universal Studios acquired the rights in late 2011 to adapt it as a movie. At the time, it was a hot property, with four different studios vying for the right to adapt Laini Taylor's book. Unfortunately, the failure of a few YA adaptations in the next few years spooked studios off adapting it; as of now, there's been no movement on the project. Still, the audience for Daughter of Smoke and Bone was clearly there, and were it released today, it might rival A Court of Thorns & Roses' popularity.
A Court of Thorns and Roses
Based on theA Court of Thorns and Rosesfantasy novel series, A Court of Thorns and Roses is a television adaptation that follows Feyre Archeron, a young woman dragged into the world of faeries after slaying one of their kind. The series will follow her journey through the lands of Prythian and her relationship with one of its lords, Tamlin.
