Black City by Elizabeth Richards

Black City by Elizabeth Richards
Genre: YA Paranormal Dystopia
Publication: November 13th, 2012
Publisher: G.P Putnam's Sons
Page Count: 374

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 really expected this one to sweep me off of my feet.  I may not be one for books centered around a romance, but, considering that I had loved Twilight in it's heyday, I thought I would enjoy this one.  I met Elizabeth Richards on the Breathless Reads tour and I really liked her and I got super excited for her book.  It sounded like something I would enjoy--gritty, dark, and full of action.  It sounded exciting and fun!  It's not say that I didn't enjoy this book at all, but I didn't like it as much as I would have hoped.

First of all, the whole sense of insta-love really got on my nerves.  Now, I know that the whole reason that there is even  a book is because of their relationship, but I really hate insta-love.  It wasn't just a teenage infatuation; it was this full-blown love that they had that bothered me.  I didn't buy into their connection, Ash's and Natalie's, and I think this is what significantly brought down the value of the book for me.  There's the whole meaning behind why they're so in love, but I don't think that it was properly executed for me to enjoy it.  I've read books where the insta-love didn't feel like insta-love because the characters got to know each other more than just the stage of wanting to jump each others' bones.

On top of this, I couldn't connect with any of the characters.  They all seemed so dull and naive and I quickly became bored with the book.  I finished it, because I knew that it was worth finishing and that there was at least some inkling of interest in me that kept me going--but, man, was it hard.  I will read the next book, definitely, but I'm in no rush to get there. 

This book has a lot of potential.  I see it.  I want it.  I'm hoping that with the second book that there will be an improvement in character development and more plot twisty kind of stuff.  I don't know.  I want to like and enjoy this series.  I really do.  There was plenty of action--and a little bit of plot-twisting that went on.  The world building was pretty awesome to picture.  It was very different from what I have ever read in a dystopian.  Like I said, this idea for the book is very interesting, but I can't help but feel that there is something missing from it all. 

Black City was definitely something I haven't read before.  It was gritty and bloody.  Fans of Twilight will definitely enjoy the relationship Ash and Natalie share.  While the book did not reach my expectations, there were a few elements that made the book enjoyable, like the plot twists and world building.  I enjoyed the dual perspectives, like I always do when they're included in books, and I hope to see more of a complex storyline and dimensional relationship to spring up in the second installment.

3 Splashes