Black City by Elizabeth Richards – a Review

Description:
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.

Review:

Black City by Elizabeth Richards is another YA Dystopian story.  I have read many of these this year, and most of them were excellent.  Richards’ Black City is now being added to the excellent dystopian novels of the year that I have read.

Black City is city in ruins, with the city divided by the Sentry, who are in charge; the humans, who want to revolt against the government and their horrible living conditions; and lastly, the Darklings, who are living in worse conditions, and most are segregated by a wall, that separates them from the rest of the people. What is a Darkling you ask?  They are sort of vampires, as they are pale, have fangs, and need blood.  Their taking of human blood, gives humans a high, like a drug.  There are different kinds of darklings, but most live in peace, until their lives where threatened by this government.  Now they want to fight back for their freedom.  Black City is on the brink of war, and the government is determined to eliminate all the dissidents

We meet our hero and heroine almost from the start.  Natalie Buchanan has only been in Black City for a short time; she is the Emissary’s daughter, which gives her a privileged life.  Natalie’s mother was sent to Black City by Purian Rose, the leader of this world, to clean up the budding revolution against the evil Rose. Natalie isn’t happy, as she sneaks out at night to wander the streets, and sees all the destruction, and unsettling conditions. 

It is there she meets Ash Fisher, a half Darkling; he is a twin blood; with a human father and a darkling mother.  Ash, lives in poor conditions, with his human father, and nightly he goes out to sell his blood to give humans a drug high.  This is what he does to help his family survive.  If he is caught, he will be put to death.  Natalie sees Ash taking the blood of a young girl, whom she didn’t realize was paying for the drug high.  Both start off on the wrong foot, neither trusting each other.  Ash, warns Natalie, if she tells anyone, he will kill her.  She says nothing, and hurries back home before anyone notices her missing.  The days ahead she sees Ash at school, and they both ignore one another. 

We also learn early that Natalie’s life isn’t as easy as people may think.  Her father was killed by the government for information, as he watched his other daughter Polly be tortured, and was subsequently killed anyway.  Her mother, who is working for the evil Purian Rose, is very hated in Black City, as she is manipulating, sadistic, and cold hearted.  Natalie has no relationship with her mother, and is always forced to have guards with her, since being part of the Sentry and being the Emissary’s daughter puts her in danger.  One of the guards is her ex boyfriend, Sebastian, who becomes a major character, though not a good one in this story.

Natalie being lonely at a new school, becomes friends with Day, who lives in poor conditions, but has high hopes of becoming part of the Sentry.  Beetle is Day’s former boyfriend, and Ash’s friend, and he is also part of the Human group fighting the government.  Though Day hates Ash, since she feels he made Beetle an addict giving him his blood for a Haze high. But, they all become friends, which pushes Natalie and Ash to be together more often, and their dislike of each other begins to change. 

Elizabeth Richards does a wonderful job bringing Natalie and Ash together, despite their so many differences.  It turns out to be a beautiful romance, that at first is slow to build, but wonderfully done, as they both felt the sparks straight to their hearts.  I loved Natalie and Ash together, and how despite the difficulties for them to meet, as their romance was forbidden, they would find a way…since they were Blood Mates.  There were quite a few surprises and twists along the way.  But the crux of the story, besides their love, was the dangers involved; the developing unrest that would put Ash’s life in danger more then once, was the discovering of the conspiracies by the government that threatened to destroy them all. Natalie at first torn, sees the evil plotting that her mother, the Sentry and Purian Rose are plotting, decides to help Ash, Beetle, find out the truth. 

Elizabeth Richards has also created some amazing villains, from the evil Purian Rose, who is terrible dictator; Natalie’s mom, who will let nothing stand in her way to her own reasons, which we learn later on; Sebastian, who slowly is becoming an evil disciple of Rose; and the horrible Gregory, who I wanted to kill from the start.  Very well done by Richards, in creating these villians. 

The ending was very exciting, wild, and very emotional. I can’t tell you much more without being a spoiler, other then it was an emotional train wreck that left you drained.  Things do get tied up, but enough is left open for the next book to continue this series.  Black City was an excellent first novel for Elizabeth Richards, and I cannot wait for the next book.  

Reviewed by Barb