Black City by Christina Henry

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Jesus Ibarra

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Check out details on how to win a copy of this book at the end of this review.

Christina Henry's book series staring the angel of death and Lucifer's granddaughter Madeline Black has come a long way since book one Black Wings, and it is all for the better. I wasn't really hooked into this series until the third book Black Howl where the overarching plot of the series really took a turn for the better.

Christina Henry is a good writer, but sometimes urban fantasy authors are brought down by over done tropes and themes that seem overdone. Luckily, Christina Henry has built an awesome universe with something that is rare in urban fantasy today: a main character who grows. In this book, continuing the cliffhanger of the last book, Maddy and her friends are horrified to see vampires overrunning Chicago in the daytime. Now Maddy has to save her city, her friends, and herself by making some uncomfortable choices, even making a deal with her grandfather Lucifer.

If you have been reading this series then you know that Maddy has grown very much and the story is better for it. In past books, she was a reluctant hero; in the last book and this one she is insanely proactive. Another great thing is that for the last two books the main character is driving the events, things happen and Maddy has to do things. So basically, we get a ton of character development and the supporting characters get to shine more.

Image source: Ace

This book is my favorite of the series so far because of all the stuff that just goes down. Maddy becomes more powerful, more is revealed about Lucifer and his family with some great mythology building, and we are treated to Maddy becoming more of a badass character who kicks ass and tolerates no grief for what she does. A common complaint is that Maddy is becoming an increasingly unlikeable character, to which I say really? My thing is she is the granddaughter of Lucifer, an angel of death, and the descendant of the first human who loved an angel. How is she supposed to act? At least she has a consistent character and isn't second guessing herself every other page, which is an overdone trope in urban fantasy.

The other great thing about this series is Christina Henry's ability to pack so much into a short book page wise. She has gotten increasingly better at streamlining important things that are happening. The result is a fast, lean, and fantastic read which you shouldn't miss. And to get the full experience pick up the first book so you aren't completely lost.

To enter to win a copy of Black City, simply email KRL at life@kingsriverlife[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “Black”, or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen March 9, 2013. U.S. residents only.

Use this link to purchase Black City & a portion goes to help support KRL:

Jesus Ibarra is 20 years old and currently attends UCLA; with a love of all media, he's always on the lookout for the best finds.