Lips Touch: Three Times

This is a story about what it means to be human. It stuck with me the first time I read it and I struggled to remember the title. I finally did and re-read it. It’s a love story and a reinterpretation of possession at the same time. I wish it was a full novel, and that it had sequels, but I will have to settle for re-reading It often.

The blurb on this is a bit misleading: "three tales of supernatural love that all hinge on a life-changing kiss." Oh, each story does have a fateful kiss. But these are haunting, dark tales more in line with the original Grimm fairytales (wherein the witch EATS Hansel & Gretel) rather than Disney with a sugar-coated happily ever after. Taylor's writing is excellent: lyrical and fluid, with rich and vivid description that brings her worlds to life. The illustrations, in the hardcover edition, truly add to the experience rather than just being window dressing. Each story is preceded by several pages depicting events in the story - but you do not immediately understand the importance of the scenes until you reach them in the text. I often flipped back to look at the illustrations. These tales are dark, but delicious.GOBLIN FRUIT - Kizzy isn't the popular girl at school. Her family is weird and believes in the supernatural; her two friends are outcasts like her. Despite the potential inside her, Kizzy wants to be normal. She wants it so bad it is a tangible thing that is enticing goblins to try and steal her soul. When a beautiful new boy shows up at school, with eyes only for her, she should have suspected. But want is a powerful force. This was my least favorite tale because it simply ends, rather than giving the fallout. Never-the-less, it was an intriguing tale about the dangers of wanting what we can't or shouldn't have - even a kiss. 3 StarsSPICY LITTLE CURSES LIKE THESE -Estella descends into Hell (not your typical Christian one) each day to bargain with a demon to give dying children a chance for more years in life. The demon offers to save all 22 children dead in an earthquake in exchange for Estella delivering one special curse to a newborn. Amanique is cursed with a voice so beautiful, anyone who hears it will die. She holds in her voice for 18 long years, until she falls in love. But, the demon will discover this spicy curse has consequences he never intended. I loved this tale! It was creative, suspenseful and intense, with an oh so satisfying ending. 5 StarsHATCHLING - Esme wakes one morning to discover one of her eyes has turned blue. Her young mother Mab takes them on the run, but one of the Druj finds them. He takes Esme back to the cold, heartless realm of the Druj Queen. A queen who kept her mother Mab as a pet, until she was no longer a child, and then forced her to "breed" a new pet. Only that pet, Esme, would be the undoing of the Queen. This tale is very dark, and even disturbing. The story of Mab's captivity is heartbreaking, and the Druj are truly inhuman. I thought it was brilliant. A creepy fairytale should leave a reader edgy, and this certainly does, but the ending also has a strong note of hope. For Esme, and perhaps the Queen as well. 5 starsOverall, I thought this collection was an unexpected delight. I was anticipating somewhat sappy fairytales with the standard HEA. There was an ever after, but the happiness was tempered with sadness. Taylor's novel,  Daughter of Smoke and Bone , is what tempted me to read all her other books. I'm so glad I did. Highly recommended. Also look for  Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbringer  and  Dreamdark: Silksinger (Faeries of Dreamdark) .

Last spring, I fell in love with Laini Taylor's first novel,  Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbringer , and its recently released follow-up,  Dreamdark: Silksinger  was equally wonderful. I was very excited about Lips Touch for two reasons: 1) I wanted to see what Taylor could do with a slightly different genre aimed at a slightly different age group and 2) I had hopes that a successful YA book would bring new readers to the Dreamdark series.So, what DID Taylor do with that slightly different genre? She aced it, of course. This woman can write. Period. She is a master storyteller who weaves richly detailed worlds, fully developed characters and carefully crafted plots flawlessly together, creating stories that I'm confident will prove over time to be completely unforgettable. Taylor's writing touches me in ways the writing of other authors - even very gifted authors - has not done for many, many years.  Lips Touch is a trilogy of unrelated stories all of which have to do with a kiss. They are darker and more adult than the Dreamdark books and proved to be just as impossible to put down. The first, Goblin Fruit, is the shortest at only 40 pages, has the most modern feel to it and more amusing moments than the other entries. ("You could have his mouth baby!") The second, Spicy Little Curses Such as These, takes us to hell and back in more ways than one and gives us curses and sacrifice along the way. The last of the three is my favorite, the gorgeously dark Hatchling, an incredibly original tale of love and humanity and souls. It moved me to tears. All three tales have an edge to them and I found the ending of each to be perfect, if not necessarily perfectly happy.Taylor uses language beautifully, but it all seems to flow without effort. When I'm reading her stories, I never get the feeling that she is trying to hit me over the head with her talent as a wordsmith. Her descriptions, while lush and often lyrical, never cross over into the land of overblown. In my very humble opinion, she is a writer to watch, one that has a brilliant future. I'm thrilled that I've already discovered her and can watch that future unfold.Do I think Lips Touch will earn Taylor new readers that will, in turn, read her Dreamdark books? I think it will. And I couldn't be happier. They deserve to be widely read.Finally, I simply have to comment on what a visually beautiful book Lips Touch is. Taylor's husband, Jim Di Bartolo, is a gifted artist whose work is a wonderful addition to his wife's tales. The cover is his, but better yet, he has lavishly illustrated each of the stories within - and with color! (So unusual!) The first two stories have 13 pages of art each, the last 15 pages. I especially appreciate that, because Di Bartolo is Taylor's husband, we can be relatively sure the characters and settings are depicted as she imagines them - something that is not always the case with a book's artwork. The jacket and book design by Christopher Stengel is also lovely. I have something of a love affair with great book covers and design so would enjoy seeing the work here recognized for its excellence.Highly, highly recommended!

Having read daughters of smoke and bone I was excited to read this book. Unfortunately I was disappointed that the characters were not as well crafted. This could be because the book is a series of unrelated short stories.

I found this book as little confusing and didn't realize until about half way through it was a collection of different stories as none of them seemed to conclude one way or another. However i am a great fan of Laini Taylor's work and can't wait for the conclusion to her smoke and bone tril ogy

I really enjoyed these short stories. The final story of the three was my favourite because it was so different from anything I have read before. Laini Taylor truely has a brilliant inventive mind for fantasy novels and short stories.

Laini Taylor has become one of my favourite authors. I enjoyed the short stories in this book and bought it to fill in my Laini addiction while I await the 3rd instalment in the daughter of smoke and bone trilogy.

Beautifully written tales reminiscent of Arabian Nights, Brothers Grimm & Tolkien.Wonderful characters, twists & turns and glorious pictures that perfectly complement each tale.