Description:

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

Art? Paranormal? PNR? Hm... give me a second to think if I want to read it. YES! Oh, did I answer that too quickly? :D So, of course when I got the chance to read and review this one I jumped at it! I couldn't wait until it reached the top of the review pile. :)

I really loved this book. I loved the way each section of the book was introduced. It gave you just a hint as to what was coming. For example, the beginning intro:

Once upon a time,
an angel and a devil fell in love.
It did not end well.

Just enough to whet your appetite as to what was coming. Of course the others made more sense as you read them, but I will not reveal those here as I refuse to spoil this intriguing tale.

There was also humor in the book. One of my favorite quotes that made me LOL when she was being reprimanded by her guardian:

..."I don't know many rules to live by," he'd said. "But here is one. It's simple. Don't put anything unnecessary into yourself.  No poisons or chemicals, no fumes, smoke or alcohol, no sharp objects, no inessential needles~ drug or tattoo~ and... no inessential penises, either."
   "Inessential penises? " Karou had repeated, delighted with the phrase in spite of her grief. "Is there any such thing as an essential one?"

Hm... I don't think anything would have gotten through to her quite like that... despite the many tattoos she already sported. ;D Oh and as you can see, most would consider this an older YA book.

Karou was an interesting character. Someone fully human, and yet had such an inhuman existence. Both her worlds, the one with the creatures she has always known and in her human one are lushly built. In fact, I would love to visit Prague where she lives in her human home. It sounds so beautiful. You also love the secondary characters in the book like her best friend Zuszana. She is a snarky and loyal best friend. One you root for along with Karou. Ah, and then there is Akiva. Do you find out why he is so tortured? Why he is drawn to Karou? Heh... you know it's coming.. *evil laugh* I'm not telling, but you will want him to heal and become the "person" you think he really is beneath the pain.

There is also a recurring theme of wishes and hope. One I can't wait to see how it develops as the trilogy goes on. Yes, it is a trilogy and I want the next one now! That, of course, brings me to my biggest complaint... it is a cliffie! I will say this... it wouldn't have mattered if it wasn't a cliffie. I didn't want to leave Karou and her worlds. So, I would have wanted the next one anyway. So, that is the only reason I am not taking off stars for the cliffie. *sigh*

I give this book 5 stars. I really recommend this book to YA and adult PNR readers. You will love the romance within. It has a bit of Romeo and Juliet as well as Beauty and the Beast quality to it. So, if you enjoy those stories you will enjoy this one.
I received this book through Little Brown and no compensation for my review was given.