Black Heart by Holly Black
May. 24th, 2012 10:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
quippeThe Blurb On The Back:
Cassel Sharpe knows he’s been used as an assassin, but he’s trying to put all that behind him. He’s trying to be good, even though he grew up in a family of con artists and cheating comes as easily as breathing to him. He’s trying to do the right thing, even though the girl he loves is inextricably connected with crime. And he’s trying to convince himself that working for the Feds is smart, even though he’s been raised to believe the government is the enemy.
But with a mother on the lam, the girl he loves about to take her place in the Mob and new secrets coming to light, the line between what’s right and what’s wrong becomes increasingly blurred. When the Feds ask Cassel to do the one thing he said he would never do again, he needs to sort out what’s a con and what’s the truth. In a dangerous game and with his life on the line, Cassel may have to make his biggest gamble yet – this time on love.
It’s several months after RED GLOVE. Lila’s started work for the Zaharov family as a foot soldier, Cass’s mother’s on the run after working Governor Patton to stop him from supporting a proposed law that would restrict Workers’ rights. His brother Barron is a junior agent for the FBI and Cass himself is working with a secret FBI teen Worker unit run by Agent Yulikova, despite the fact that Lila’s dad is pressuring him to work for the Zaharov family.
When Governor Patton resurrects plans to restrict Worker freedoms, Yukilova reveals that the curse worked by Cass’s mother has made the Governor emotionally unstable. The only way to stop him is for Cass to use his transformation powers on him. But having being used by his brothers to kill, Cass has sworn never to murder again.
With the line between good and evil blurred, the only way out is for Cass to pull the biggest con of his life …
Holly Black’s bestselling Curse Worker Trilogy concludes with a peculiar mix of con tricks and obsessive love but despite some great world building it didn’t quite gel together for me.
Obsessed with Lila, guilt-riddled over the murders he committed while under his brothers’ control and uncertain whether his deal with the FBI was a good thing, I really enjoyed the personal journey that Black gives Cass in this book. The scenes between him and Yukilova are well executed as are his scenes with Barron, who remains amoral and self-serving but who calls Cass on his creepy behaviour.
Unfortunately the book centres on Cass’s relationship with Lila and I never quite understood what she sees in Cass given what he did to her (albeit against her will) and so much of their relationship is based on not talking to each other. Similarly disappointing is the Governor Patton storyline, which turns on Cass simply not telling the reader key things, which feels artificial. The civil rights story is underdeveloped, which is a shame given the richness of Black’s world building and so too is a plot line involving Daneca, Sam and Daneca’s new boyfriend, which could have really fleshed out those characters.
Ultimately I wished this book was twice its length because what’s there is fine but feels under baked and could have done with more room to breathe. Although romance fans will be satisfied, the trilogy had promised so much more.
The Verdict:
Holly Black’s bestselling Curse Worker Trilogy concludes with a peculiar mix of con tricks and obsessive love but despite some great world building it didn’t quite gel together for me. Ultimately my problems with the book boil down to the fact that it simply isn’t long enough to satisfactorily deal with all of the fabulous ideas and plot points that it contains. As a result too many plot lines are underdeveloped and I was disappointed that what seemed to be the main story arc relating to civil rights for Workers is shunted aside by the romance between Lila and Cass (although if you’re a romance fan then you will probably enjoy it). I do enjoy Black’s way with words and the way she turns a phrase, but despite an excellent beginning in WHITE CAT, this trilogy didn’t live up to my hopes.
Cassel Sharpe knows he’s been used as an assassin, but he’s trying to put all that behind him. He’s trying to be good, even though he grew up in a family of con artists and cheating comes as easily as breathing to him. He’s trying to do the right thing, even though the girl he loves is inextricably connected with crime. And he’s trying to convince himself that working for the Feds is smart, even though he’s been raised to believe the government is the enemy.
But with a mother on the lam, the girl he loves about to take her place in the Mob and new secrets coming to light, the line between what’s right and what’s wrong becomes increasingly blurred. When the Feds ask Cassel to do the one thing he said he would never do again, he needs to sort out what’s a con and what’s the truth. In a dangerous game and with his life on the line, Cassel may have to make his biggest gamble yet – this time on love.
It’s several months after RED GLOVE. Lila’s started work for the Zaharov family as a foot soldier, Cass’s mother’s on the run after working Governor Patton to stop him from supporting a proposed law that would restrict Workers’ rights. His brother Barron is a junior agent for the FBI and Cass himself is working with a secret FBI teen Worker unit run by Agent Yulikova, despite the fact that Lila’s dad is pressuring him to work for the Zaharov family.
When Governor Patton resurrects plans to restrict Worker freedoms, Yukilova reveals that the curse worked by Cass’s mother has made the Governor emotionally unstable. The only way to stop him is for Cass to use his transformation powers on him. But having being used by his brothers to kill, Cass has sworn never to murder again.
With the line between good and evil blurred, the only way out is for Cass to pull the biggest con of his life …
Holly Black’s bestselling Curse Worker Trilogy concludes with a peculiar mix of con tricks and obsessive love but despite some great world building it didn’t quite gel together for me.
Obsessed with Lila, guilt-riddled over the murders he committed while under his brothers’ control and uncertain whether his deal with the FBI was a good thing, I really enjoyed the personal journey that Black gives Cass in this book. The scenes between him and Yukilova are well executed as are his scenes with Barron, who remains amoral and self-serving but who calls Cass on his creepy behaviour.
Unfortunately the book centres on Cass’s relationship with Lila and I never quite understood what she sees in Cass given what he did to her (albeit against her will) and so much of their relationship is based on not talking to each other. Similarly disappointing is the Governor Patton storyline, which turns on Cass simply not telling the reader key things, which feels artificial. The civil rights story is underdeveloped, which is a shame given the richness of Black’s world building and so too is a plot line involving Daneca, Sam and Daneca’s new boyfriend, which could have really fleshed out those characters.
Ultimately I wished this book was twice its length because what’s there is fine but feels under baked and could have done with more room to breathe. Although romance fans will be satisfied, the trilogy had promised so much more.
The Verdict:
Holly Black’s bestselling Curse Worker Trilogy concludes with a peculiar mix of con tricks and obsessive love but despite some great world building it didn’t quite gel together for me. Ultimately my problems with the book boil down to the fact that it simply isn’t long enough to satisfactorily deal with all of the fabulous ideas and plot points that it contains. As a result too many plot lines are underdeveloped and I was disappointed that what seemed to be the main story arc relating to civil rights for Workers is shunted aside by the romance between Lila and Cass (although if you’re a romance fan then you will probably enjoy it). I do enjoy Black’s way with words and the way she turns a phrase, but despite an excellent beginning in WHITE CAT, this trilogy didn’t live up to my hopes.
