by Terrance Mc Arthur
Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of Black Spring, along with a link to purchase the book where a portion goes to help support KRL & supports an indie bookstore.
When all the paranormal series end, what will be left to read? The last few months have brought a number of final books under my reading lamp. Authors are reaching the end of their story arcs or have nothing more to say left and right. Now, Christina Henry is putting a lock on the Black Wings novels with Black Spring.
Madeline Black, a former Agent of Death, is still mourning her slain husband, Gabriel, and is great with his child, but she is nearing a commitment stage with Nathaniel, who is the son of Puck, an uber-powerful being. Maddy is no slouch in the powerful department, either, being a many-great-granddaughter of Lucifer, brother of Puck, and there are two other brother-gods: Alerian of the sea, and dragon-being Daharan, the eldest.
Although Maddy has saved Chicago from vampires, the mayor shows no gratitude and announces plans to register and sequester all supernatural/paranormal beings. Giant beasts and a shape-shifting assassin are complicating Middy’s world even more, and then she gets an invitation to Lucifer’s wedding, where many of the guests would like to kill her, and where she doesn’t dare give birth for fear that great-great…great-granddad Lucifer will claim the child.
The god/brothers have alliances and plans that they each are undermining to their greatest advantage, acting like petty children squabbling for the largest piece of cake. On Maddy’s side are Nathaniel, werewolf Jude/Judas/J. B., omnivorous gargoyle Beelze, deaf angel Samiel, and troublemaking blogger Jack (who wants to write all about Maddy and her powers). Things are going to get messy, especially when Madeline’s water breaks.
Black Spring brings together all the surviving characters for a final wild ride, and a lot has changed. Some readers may be put off by the still-chaste Maddy-Nathaniel relationship, and it’s hard to be a powerful, knock-em-out heroine when she’s carrying a tummy with a growing bowling ball that won’t fit in her leather pants. Christina Henry manages to fill this swan song with typical snarkiness, more twists and turns than an anaconda, and a goodly amount of action, even with a semi-massive amount of thinking and talking. She sends her characters off into happy-ever-after territory, but urban fantasy readers know that goodbyes aren’t always forever, so there will be hope in their hearts.
To enter to win a copy of Black Spring, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “Spring,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen January 24, 2015. U.S. residents only. If entering via email please include your mailing address.
Check out more fantasy book reviews in our fantasy and fangs section.
Use this link to purchase this book & a portion goes to help support KRL & it supports an indie bookstore:
We have a winner
Lorie Ham, KRL Publisher