Review - Black City

by Elizabeth Richards
publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons BFYR
date of publication: November 13, 2012
format: ARC
pages: 373
source: Around the World ARC Tours

From Goodreads:

A dark and tender post-apocalyptic love story set in the aftermath of a bloody war. In a city where humans and Darklings are now separated by a high wall and tensions between the two races still simmer after a terrible war, sixteen-year-olds Ash Fisher, a half-blood Darkling, and Natalie Buchanan, a human and the daughter of the Emissary, meet and do the unthinkable--they fall in love. Bonded by a mysterious connection that causes Ash's long-dormant heart to beat, Ash and Natalie first deny and then struggle to fight their forbidden feelings for each other, knowing if they're caught, they'll be executed--but their feelings are too strong. When Ash and Natalie then find themselves at the center of a deadly conspiracy that threatens to pull the humans and Darklings back into war, they must make hard choices that could result in both their deaths.

I wasn't sure what exactly I would be in for with Black City.  First and foremost, I was beyond curious to find out just what a Darkling was as portrayed in this story.  Second, I wanted to know what the war had been waged for and who the different factions were.  When the story opened with a clandestine meeting in the shadows for nefarious purposes, I was even more fascinated.  It is at this point that I learned what a Darkling is.  From then on, I was as hooked as a Haze addict. 

The book opens with Ash, so I will start with his character.  At first, you get the impression that he's a dangerous, immoral character.  After all, he deals Darkling venom (Haze) to addicted humans, which is disconcerting and beyond what I was expecting.  However, as more of his characteristics come to light, you find out that there is something more behind the mask.  As his situation, past, and inner thoughts are revealed, he becomes a more sympathetic character.  I eventually came to enjoy him a lot.  Natalie is also a character that takes a little observation to fully understand.  Her past is tragic and the scars she bears both inside and out mark her as a girl who has been through a lot.  As she begins to wake up and see the real state of things, she becomes a remarkable, admirable character willing to fight for the right thing. 

The premise for Black City is simply fascinating.  There is a truly heinous despot behind the atrocities in Black City and the results of his reign of terror are frightening.  However, I would have loved to know a little more about the reasons for the war.  Knowing more about the catalyst would have made an already great story all the better.  The setting is absolutely perfect for this story: gritty, dark, and bleak.  It serves very well to highlight the slivers of hope that begin to emerge from the ashes of a terrible situation.  It is a fantastic setting for a great storyline.

Black City was very difficult to put down.  The story flows so well that it is very easy to lose track of time and, before you know it, 100 pages will have gone by.  Filled with romance, gritty surroundings, and top notch characters, Black City is an engaging read that will keep you on the edge of your seat.  The intensity of the conflict situations can't be beat.  This is definitely a series to watch.

Buy Black City at the Following Locations:

Amazon / IndieBound / B&N / The Book Depository

Obligatory legal statement: This ARC was provided to me free of charge via Around the World ARC Tours. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.

Review - Harbinger

by Sara Wilson Etienne
publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons BFYR
date of publication: February 2, 2012
format: ARC
pages: 320
source: Southern Book Blogger ARC Tours
Amazon / IndieBound / B&N / The Book Depository

From Goodreads:

Girl, Interrupted meets Beautiful Creatures in this fast-paced thriller.

When sixteen-year-old Faye arrives at Holbrook Academy, she doesn't expect to find herself exactly where she needs to be. After years of strange waking visions and nightmares, her only comfort the bones of dead animals, Faye is afraid she's going crazy. Fast.

But her first night at Holbrook, she feels strangely connected to the school and the island it sits on, like she's come home. She's even made her first real friends, but odd things keep happening to them. Every morning they wake on the floors of their dorm rooms with their hands stained red.

Faye knows she's the reason, but what does it all mean? The handsome Kel tries to help her unravel the mystery, but Faye is certain she can't trust him; in fact, he may be trying to kill her - and the rest of the world too.

Rich, compelling writing will keep the pages turning in this riveting and tautly told psychological thriller.

What I Thought

By simply reading Harbinger's description, I knew that there would be some creepy elements to the book.  What I wasn't prepared for was the rich detail injected into the story through the use of ancient history and a surprising amount of the supernatural.  All of these details combined made for an eerie, intriguing read that constantly left me guessing and floored me with its final outcome.

Harbinger's setting was both interesting and confusing.  The woodlands of coastal Maine added to the overall creep factor of Holbrook Academy, which is so full of spooky areas that it is difficult to read without a sense of foreboding.  However, some elements of the world in which the story takes place aren't as clear as I would have liked.  There is much mention about a war, but relatively few descriptions of it.  One gets the sense that the struggle is fuel source based, but that's the extent of it.  There is no real indication as to who was involved, what the catalyst event was, or even exactly when it took place.  Another thing that I had questions about was the cooperatives.  I got the sense that they were closed neighborhoods, but little else.  They are frequently mentioned, but not fully explained, which left me somewhat confused as to their importance.

The main character, Faye, is very well portrayed.  It is easily apparent that she is a girl with much inner conflict, which is portrayed beautifully by her inner dialogues and her interactions with her Family (the group of teens which she is placed with in the home).  She teeters on the edge throughout the book, so part of the intrigue is in finding out whether or not she will manage to rise above her problems or succumb to the pressures put upon her by the tyrannical Holbrook staff, as well as her own nightmares. 

The story line definitely has its pros and cons.  The entire concept was thrilling, creepy, and enjoyable.  However, there were definitely a few things that caught my attention and left me feeling puzzled.  The idea of ecological consciousness becomes a big part of the story, but I noticed that Faye wasn't overly concerned about it, at first.  When she arrives at Holbrook, she mentions feeling intimidated by the forest, then practically ignores it as far as something to be concerned about.  It came across as somewhat wishy-washy and I still am not sure of what to think.  However, when Faye does begin to pay more attention to it, her reactions are very intense and observant.  I did like that preservation of natural resources played such a role in this book.  Another aspect of the story that was, perhaps, left unexplained was the source of the Family's red hands.  There are some clues as to what the cause may have been, but no definitive answers, which I found to be a little disappointing, as I had been very curious about that particular event.  I will say that it did punch up the thrill factor and really clued the reader in that something serious was going on.  Overall, it was a very eerie story that I found to be entertaining and interesting.

Harbinger wasn't what I had hoped it would be, but it was a good read that provoked much thought and did a great job at keeping me guessing.  It has great elements of mystery and a definite feel of a thriller.  In spite of a few plot holes, I found that I liked the story and would definitely like to read more by Sara Wilson Etienne in the future.

Obligatory legal statement: This ARC was provided to me free of charge by the publisher via Southern Book Blogger ARC Tours. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.