BLOG TOUR (6): BLACK CITY BY ELIZABETH RICHARDS.

Today is the first stop for the Black City Philippine Blog Tour that I am hosting and I am so excited for all the blog participant's reviews! This is the first blog tour I ever hosted and I am so glad that Elizabeth Richards has nothing but kind! I also interviewed her so please check out my post!

Title: Black City (Black City #1)

Author: Elizabeth Richards

Edition: Hard cover

Published: November 13, 2012 

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons BYR

Pages: 374

Source: (1) Bought from Fully Booked; (1) Copy provided by the Author

Category: Paranormal, Romance

Trailer: Here.

Synopsis:

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.

Black City is darkly amazing.

When you have a heart that doesn't beat since you were born, it would feel as if you're dead. Ash Fisher is a twin-blood Darkling that doesn't have any other thing in life to want but have his heart beating. While dealing with Haze, he's been seen by a beautiful girl that gave his body a wave of electricity he never felt before and he knows he has to find her and confirm what she did to him. The problem occurs when he finds that the lady is the Emissary's daughter, someone he couldn't be with. Being with Natalie means death.

Black City is one of my most anticipated novels for 2012. The plot sounded so unique to me and for sure, everyone drooled over its pretty cover. Richards did a great job in making her debut novel such dark and cruel world that it stood out from the novels under the same genre. The Darklings and humans trying to live together is truly hair-raising because this is not the typical vampire-novel. It is more than just the fuss going on with the Paranormal genre. It feels like its approach is somehow political and whenever I think about what transpired in the novel, I could not help but feel like I've seen it happening everyday around me. Richards' way of alternating the narration made it easier to breeze through and it highlighted each of the character's thoughts about their current situation. The turn of events from each point of views is consistent and backs up not only the sub-plots but as well as the other character's motives. I also loved how nicely the pacing went directly to the point, not slow and not fast.

I loved so many things about Black City. The city itself, the way Richards put up political notions so strong that I want to kill some antagonists myself, how she managed to incorporate it to paranormal which I thought balanced it well, the lovely characters and the romance which gave color to it. I was surprised how Natalie's character developed from being bratty to being someone who fights for what she thinks is right. There were no hypocrisy on her part though there were just annoying moments like when she acts stubborn. I appreciated her efforts in making it better for the Darklings but I wish she would at least think first to prevent costing other's lives by her impulsiveness. I loved Beetle. He reminds me so much of Simon from The Mortal Instruments. His character appeared weak at the beginning but it progressed to someone one can easily get along with, love and be proud of. I also like Sigur, Day and Sebastian. Sebastian may have been a n impossible character and easily shaken, I still see good things within him. Like he's more than just the government's puppet. I loved how bad can he truly be and how soft if he really wanted it to show. And lastly, my lovely Ash. I love everything about him expect for the fact that he is immediately drawn to another darkling though of course, the reason is acceptable. I just thought he could resist it. 

I was truly glad that there's no hard core love triangles in this one. The romance proves that it could get intense and can still bring color to a novel. The romance here did not complicate any important plotting or twists instead, it added life to it. Amidst the dark streets they live in, a little sparkles of love wouldn't hurt. I am so glad Richards wrote it the way she did, it's painful but worth it.

Black City is a dark and cruel world were humans are hard on other creatures. It is fantastically composed and knowing Ash and Sebastian exist in it makes it even more beautiful. It is definitely a novel everyone should read, a different vampire-y type of a novel, and it is one you would ask for more! I thirst for Phoenix and I cannot wait to find out what happens next!

VERDICT:

"So begins my heart, so begins our life, everlasting."

Blog Tour stops:

- My Stop -

Nicole from The Twins Read on March 2, 2013

Kazhy from My Library in the Making on March 3, 2013

Dianne from Oops, I Read a Book Again on March 4, 2013

Tiffany from Read, Breathe, Read on March 5, 2013

 Leslie from Bibliophile Kid on March 6, 2013

Michelle from Michelle Shouts Random on March 7, 2013

Chyna from Lite, Rate, Ture on March 8, 2013

Milly from Home of a Book Lover on March 9, 2013

and to start off this blog tour, we are also hosting a giveaway!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

GOOD LUCK!

Don't forget to check out tomorrow's blog stop and join again the giveaway! Thank you so much for dropping by and huge, huge gratitude and love to Elizabeth for making this possible!

 About Elizabeth:

Elizabeth Richards is an award-winning journalist, who spent her early career reviewing videogames before making the bold (or crazy) move into travel writing, despite suffering from terrible travel sickness.

In her spare time, she ran a successful lifestyle website aimed at teenage girls, where she got to interview many of her favourite bands, go to gigs and basically blag loads of free swag all in the name of ‘research’.

Elizabeth lives in Buckinghamshire, England, with her husband. Black City is her debut novel.
Fun facts

- She's an identical twin. (No, they don’t have psychic powers, and yes she is the evil one.)
- She's a little bit in love with Daniel Radcliffe.
- Her favourite book of all time is Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
- Her second favourite book is Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
- Her third favourite is Harry…oh, you get the idea.
- Her ambition is to see 10 volcanoes before she dies. She's already seen Stromboli, Vesuvius and Mt Etna. Just 7 more to go!

Black City (Black City #1)

Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Barnes and Noble
Books-A-Million
Book Depository
Chapters Indigo
Indie Bound

Phoenix (Black City #2)

Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Barnes and Noble
Book Depository
Chapters Indigo
Indie Bound

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