Title: Black CityAuthor:Elizabeth RichardsEdition: hardcoverSeries: Black City #1Released Date: November 13th, 2012Publisher: Putnam
Goodreads / Amazon 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.Natalie hasn't had much of a family growing up. Her father was killed a few years ago from a Darkling - a group of blood-sucking monsters that he was trying to help. Her sister, Polly, was tortured in the event and rarely talks anymore. Now her mother, the Emissary off the area, rarely talks to her. Natalie is then transferred to a new school where she has constant run-ins with Ash. He's a half-Darkling, half-human, that's insanely hot. When the two of then fall in love, they have to go through a series of hardships to make it work.
Natalie seemed like a bitch sometimes, but honestly, she had a right to! With her upbringing, I wouldn't have expected much more of her. I like how she's able to overcome some of her fear and become a normal girl though. She's not as materialistic as everyone makes her seem, and feels sorrow for the people that live harshly.
Ash is also just as stone-cold as Natalie. He puts up a wall, but it's in defense since he was made fun of as a kid because of his family. Ash has lots of secrets, which makes him one of the most well-developed characters. He always have motives for what he does, and doesn't do things irrationally. He may realize things to late, but that's because he thinks things through before doing them. I think this is why Natalie and him work together. Natalie is impulsive and does whatever she desires, while Ash is semi-reasonable and thinks some things through. He may be a bit straight-to-the-point, but that's sometimes necessary.
But really, THIS BOOK WILL RIP YOUR HEART ONE WAY AND THEN TEAR IT ANOTHER WAY. Seriously. I'm not joking. The book was going smoothly, and then BAM! There's a plot twist and your torn to a whole new emotion. Once you finally start to get used to it, BAM! You're pulled another way and you're screaming at the awesomeness of the novel. The plot in this book is just OHMYGOSH crazy good.
Elizabeth Richards, you are sincerely amazing. I didn't think I would like this book as much as I did, but I think it was because of all the twists and turns of the novel. Honestly, I didn't expect anything that happened, even though all the clues were laid out before me. Sure, the writing may have not been that great, but the killer-plot and killer-setting made up for all of that.
I really need to get my hands on Phoenix. I have no clue what is going to happen, but I JUST WANT IT NOWWW.
