Black City, by Elizabeth Richards

Black City, by Elizabeth Richard

I will read anywhere.

Thankfully, for reading time, anyway, I own a Jeep.  It takes at least four pages to fill the tank.

For those of you who like dystopia, vampire-ish characters, and really dislikable side characters, Black City, by Elizabeth Richards, is for you.

Star-crossed lovers, Natalie, the daughter of the Emissary of Black City, and Ash, the son of a human and a Darkling (a twin-blood), meet under not-so-great circumstances.  She's escaping her guard, he's biting a human to give that human a Haze high.  The two of them feel an immediate connection but neither can explain it.

In this time, war has come and gone.  The Darklings are segregated behind huge walls, starving and decimated by the Wrath Plague.  The United Sentry States are 9 states governed by military law.  Natalie and Ash are by-products of the war and never should have met.

Natalie has recently moved back to Dark City and is in school with Ash (she is a stubborn girl who really wants to give her mom fits by going to public school).  They make physical contact and sparks literally fly:  Ash's heart gives its first beat ever.  

A Twin-Blood has two hearts, neither of which beats until they meet their blood mate.  But how can they make their attraction to each other work?  It's against the law for either of them to love the other, crucified citizens are mounted at the city walls for loving someone other than those of their own species.

Ooh, it's good.  I'm not done, yet, just had to let you know that you need to look for this book in your piles of galleys (if you're a bookseller or a librarian).  It pulled me out to the porch the other night for a couple of hours of reading as the sun set.

I will say that when I caught the, now fairly obvious, reference to our past history in these United States, I had a complete palm to head D'oh moment, but, when you are taken by a book from the beginning and are moved by plot, sometimes someone has to yell at you to pay attention.  I don't know if that gives anything away or not, I haven't gotten to the end yet so...

I am thoroughly enjoying the ride.  I'm looking forward to finishing it and I'll let you know if the ending lives up to the rest of the tale.

(Ages 14 and up.  Putnam.  Available November, 2012.  Hardcover, $17.99.)

Addendum:  Finished it last night and it was good.


(no recompense was received for the review of this book.)