Series Recap: Black City Trilogy by Elizabeth Richards

Reading Order: (sort by date)

Black City (Book 1, Published on November 13, 2012)
Phoenix (Book 2, Published on June 4, 2013)
Wings (Book 3, Published on June 12, 2014)

Click on the titles to check out the reviews.

***

Synopsis recap:

Set in the future, The United Sentry States is a country intolerant to non-human residents. Natalie is the daughter of the Emissary, Ash is the rare half-Darkling with no heart-beat. They're on opposite sites and they're supposed to be enemies. But against all odds, they find themselves falling for each other and there's a connection between them. Meanwhile, a dark force is rising - a force that can destroy the non-humans and humans who help them. The Sentry and the non-human forces has to join together in order to defeat it and have a future that is not full of blood and war.

***

Thoughts recap:

Black City is not the brightest and most powerful series openings I've ever read. It's got some issues. However, despite some problems with the book, I still like it because of the innocence and the romance between Ash and Natalie, which is by all means, sweet and real. They have really great chemistry between each other and they truly care for each other. It's one of the reasons why I decided to read the sequel
.
And Phoenix is beyond awesome. For a book that's not even reaching 300 pages yet, it's certainly dark and twisted enough to be called crazy. There's a lot of character improvement in the book and I love that. It's more emotional than the other two books in the series. There are a lot of angst and ache, which is written really masterfully. Though I'm usually not a person with emotions pouring from every orifices, I admire the writing.

Wings is action-packed, and a truly impressive conclusion for a dystopian series. Besides the weirdness I feel when I read some certain scenes, which is not exactly a bad thing, but I don't know how to process it, it's mostly good. The triple point of view is fascinating and it gives us a insight of how the future world has come into being. Truly mesmerizing.

Overall rating: 8/10

Do I recommend this series: Yes

Wings: Review

Synopsis:

Following the cliffhanger ending of Phoenix, Natalie finds herself separated from Ash and unexpectedly reunited with her parents, including the father she thought was dead. But she can only think of Ash. She hasn't heard a word of him since she and Elijah were brought to the underground headquarters of the Sentry Rebellion. But she vows to find him.

Ash, meanwhile is back in Black City; it's the perfect place to hide from the Sentry government. But not for long. He won't give up on Natalie or bringing an end to the terrible reign of Purian Rose.

A pulse-racing end to an exciting series.

***

I love Wings as much as I do Phoenix, as it is a really action packed and darkly heart-pounding conclusion of the trilogy, which is one of the better books I've ever read. However, Wings gives a weird edge of the story. Certainly not a bad thing. It's just... weird. Strange. It dissipates a little of my liking towards Wings, but I wholly enjoy the story nonetheless.

Wings is slightly different from the previous two books. Besides Ash's and Natalie's point of view, we get to learn about one more important character's past in the book, as the story is told in triple point of view. Personally I like the turn of things, because we get to learn more about how this certain character comes to be who he is, which makes his character more three-dimensional. But it's slightly disturbing to see just how twisted and morbid he is. However tragic his early life was, I still can't muster any sympathy for him.

We also get to see a lot of Ash/Natalie moments. There are not a lot of big moments between the two of them, which is slightly disappointing, because they're really cute together when they have their romantic times. But given that they're at war, I'm gonna pass. What we can see is a lot of little exchanges between them, which is pretty sweet and makes the book endearing as much as it's exciting. There are some... metaphoric-literal moments between them which is awe-inducing but hilarious in a kind of weird way at the same time. We'll also have some heart-breaking moments in the book, which I'm not going to talk about because it's spoiler and my ass will be kicked if I spilled more. Not as much as in Phoenix or even Black City, but it's definitely present. Prepare for that. 

The plot twist and turns are slightly lacking though, despite the awesomeness of it. Don't get me wrong, it's still really nicely-written. However, with the triple point of view thing, not much has been going on. Of course, I really love that those few twists are big ones and very shocking. But comparing to Phoenix, there's not enough of that. I'm down with that though, because my hurt was hurting when I was reading the book. An overdose of exciting plot twists will most definitely result in my head explosion.

Side note: And I guess heart transplant is really common in the future, huh? Everyone is like "oh, transferring one heart to another is no biggie. It's gonna be alright." As a high school student who want to study medic at university, I totally want to see that happen in the future as it indicates a rise in medical tech. However, I can't say it's not weird that people are so casual about heart transplant.

Rating: 8.5/10

TBR #14: June 2014

Ah. June. The worst month in a year, because of those pesky exams. But then there are good books :)

1. Chasing Stars (After Eden #2) by Helen Douglas

Synopsis:

The boy Eden loves just saved her life. Now she must save his. To do so she must make a huge sacrifice. Eden can never see her friends or family again, as she travels a hundred years into the future. But the dangerous risk Ryan took to rescue Eden has been uncovered, and now Ryan faces an exile ...which will leave Eden separated from him - the one person she can't live without - and stuck in the future. She must fight to save both of them.

The mesmerising sequel to the author's wonderful debut, After Eden.

Expected Publication: June 5, 2014

2. Hexed (The Witch Hunter #1) by Michelle Krys

Synopsis:

If high school is all about social status, Indigo Blackwood has it made. Sure, her quirky mom owns an occult shop, and a nerd just won’t stop trying to be her friend, but Indie is a popular cheerleader with a football-star boyfriend and a social circle powerful enough to ruin everyone at school. Who wouldn’t want to be her?

Then a guy dies right before her eyes. And the dusty old family Bible her mom is freakishly possessive of is stolen. But it’s when a frustratingly sexy stranger named Bishop enters Indie’s world that she learns her destiny involves a lot more than pom-poms and parties. If she doesn’t get the Bible back, every witch on the planet will die. And that’s seriously bad news for Indie, because according to Bishop, she’s a witch too.

Suddenly forced into a centuries-old war between witches and sorcerers, Indie’s about to uncover the many dark truths about her life—and a future unlike any she ever imagined on top of the cheer pyramid.

Expected Publication: June 10, 2014

3. The Murder Complex (The Murder Complex #1) by Lindsay Cummings

Synopsis:

An action-packed, blood-soaked, futuristic debut thriller set in a world where the murder rate is higher than the birthrate. For fans of Moira Young’s Dust Lands series, La Femme Nikita, and the movie Hanna.

Meadow Woodson, a fifteen-year-old girl who has been trained by her father to fight, to kill, and to survive in any situation, lives with her family on a houseboat in Florida. The state is controlled by The Murder Complex, an organization that tracks the population with precision.

The plot starts to thicken when Meadow meets Zephyr James, who is—although he doesn’t know it—one of the MC’s programmed assassins. Is their meeting a coincidence? Destiny? Or part of a terrifying strategy? And will Zephyr keep Meadow from discovering the haunting truth about her family?

Action-packed, blood-soaked, and chilling, this is a dark and compelling debut novel by Lindsay Cummings.

Expected Publication: June 10, 2014

Check out my review here:

http://smoking-hot-books.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-murder-complex-arc-review.html

4. Wings (Black City #3) by Elizabeth Richards

Synopsis:

Following the cliffhanger ending of Phoenix, Natalie finds herself separated from Ash and unexpectedly reunited with her parents, including the father she thought was dead. But she can only think of Ash. She hasn't heard a word of him since she and Elijah were brought to the underground headquarters of the Sentry Rebellion. But she vows to find him.

Ash, meanwhile is back in Black City; it's the perfect place to hide from the Sentry government. But not for long. He won't give up on Natalie or bringing an end to the terrible reign of Purian Rose.

A pulse-racing end to an exciting series.

Expected Publication: June 12, 2014

5. Ruin and Rising (The Grisha #3) by Leigh Bardugo

Synopsis:

The capital has fallen. The Darkling rules Ravka from his shadow throne.

Now the nation's fate rests with a broken Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker, and the shattered remnants of a once-great magical army.

Deep in an ancient network of tunnels and caverns, a weakened Alina must submit to the dubious protection of the Apparat and the zealots who worship her as a Saint. Yet her plans lie elsewhere, with the hunt for the elusive firebird and the hope that an outlaw prince still survives.

Alina will have to forge new alliances and put aside old rivalries as she and Mal race to find the last of Morozova's amplifiers. But as she begins to unravel the Darkling's secrets, she reveals a past that will forever alter her understanding of the bond they share and the power she wields. The firebird is the one thing that stands between Ravka and destruction—and claiming it could cost Alina the very future she’s fighting for.

Expected Publication: June 17, 2014

6. Dark Metropolis (Dark Metropolis #1) by Jaclyn Dolamore

Synopsis:

Cabaret meets Cassandra Clare-a haunting magical thriller set in a riveting 1930s-esque world.

Sixteen-year-old Thea Holder's mother is cursed with a spell that's driving her mad, and whenever they touch, Thea is chilled by the magic, too. With no one else to contribute, Thea must make a living for both of them in a sinister city, where danger lurks and greed rules.
Thea spends her nights waitressing at the decadent Telephone Club attending to the glitzy clientele. But when her best friend, Nan, vanishes, Thea is compelled to find her. She meets Freddy, a young, magnetic patron at the club, and he agrees to help her uncover the city's secrets-even while he hides secrets of his own.

Together, they find a whole new side of the city. Unrest is brewing behind closed doors as whispers of a gruesome magic spread. And if they're not careful, the heartless masterminds behind the growing disappearances will be after them, too.

Perfect for fans of Cassandra Clare, this is a chilling thriller with a touch of magic where the dead don't always seem to stay that way.

Expected Publication: June 17, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday #6: Top Ten 2014 Releases I'm Dying to Read

Top Ten Tuesday is a bookish meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Today's question is my top ten choices of 2014 new releases that I'm dying to read.

1. City of Heavenly Fire (The Mortal Instruments #6) by Cassandra Clare -- well who wouldn't be dying to read this?

2. Opposition (Lux #5) by Jennifer L. Armentrout -- apocalypse is ready to throw up in our world. As well as alien hotness.

3. Cress (The Lunar Chronicles #3) by Marissa Meyer -- Cress! And Cinder! And Captain Thorne! 

4. The Forever Song (Blood of Eden #3) by Julie Kagawa -- the ending of The Eternity Cure kills me! I need this right now!!!

5. Untitled (Throne of Glass #3) by Sarah J. Maas -- Yep, another killer ending

6. Ignite Me (Shatter Me #3) by Tahereh Mafi -- I'm curious about how it will end. Everything seems so uncertain.

7. White Hot Kiss (The Dark Elements #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout -- I'm curious about how this series will turn out!

8. Wings (Black City #3) by Elizabeth Richards -- I want Ash and Natalie together is it too much to ask?

9. Evertrue (Everneath #3) by Brodi Ashton -- I really, really want to see the Everneath brought down by Nikki and Jack together

10. Killer Frost (Mythos Academy #6) by Jennifer Estep -- I like Gwen. That's all.

Top Ten Tuesday #4: Top Ten Sequels We Can't Wait To Get Our Hands On

Top Ten Tuesday is a bookish meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Today's question is top ten sequels that we can't wait for. And for me, there's a whole lot of them.

1. City of Heavenly Fire (The Mortal Instruments #6) by Cassandra Clare - Who wouldn't want City of Heavenly Fire?

2. Opposition (Lux #5) by Jennifer L. Armentrout - I'm curious if it will turn out as good as Sentinel :)

3. Into The Still Blue (Under The Never Sky #3) by Veronica Rossi - Aria and Perry and Roar. There's no need to say anymore.

4. Cress (Lunar Chronicles #3) by Marissa Meyer - The whole series is awesome.

5. World After (Penryn & The End of Days #2) by Susan Ee - After the whole Chapter 59 revealed thing, it's on.

6. The Forever Song (Blood of Eden #3) by Julie Kagawa - I know this is going to break my heart, but still I really want it

7. Ignite Me (Shatter Me #3) by Tahereh Mafi - Although not my favorite series of all time, Shatter is pretty cool

8. Wings (Black City #3) by Elizabeth Richards - I need to know what will happen!

9. Killer Frost (Mythos Academy #6) by Jennifer Estep - I want to see Loki go down. For good.

10. Secret (Elemental #4) by Brigid Kemmerer - Nick!

4 Series That Should Not Be Made Into Movies

People are worried about if the books will be ruined by movies. And that's not the only reason why people don't want a movie based on movies. Well, some books should not be made into movies, I think. Remember, this is just my opinion. And all of these are adapted.

1. Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James

Seriously, this is the worst idea. I mean, don't you find really absurd of actually seeing the story played by a bunch of Hollywood actors and actresses? The story is normal by human standards, just an innocent woman who falls for an attractive man who is a little bit sadistic. It's normal enough, yes. But what do you think about the trend? Dystopia novels like The Hunger Games, Divergent, Delirium, Uglies. Paranormal novels like The Mortal Instruments and Beautiful Creatures have a much better plot and more exciting story.

And really, what's with the... kinky fuckery (is that what it's called?)? I just can't imagine what it will be like when it hit the big screens. I think I would hurl if I actually see it in theaters because... this is the last book that should be made into a movie. Seriously, this is bad news.

2. House of Night by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

 

I'm not a hater of this series. But comparing it with The Vampire Academy (I am not a fan of VA, but even I know about the craziness out there) and even The Vampire Diaries, I don't think that's a good idea. I think y'all know about that there is an army of haters of HON. I seriously doubt that it's gonna be as popular as The Vampire Diaries. Yes, the plot is very different from The Vampire Diaries and even The Vampire Academy. There's very little bloodlust and it's more like... a dystopian novel. But the plot is simply just not as addicting as the others. And the characters... well they are a little bit too innocent. What people like is a rather complicated situation. 

And the main thing about the series that will certainly be ruined by the movie, is that it lasts way too freaking long. There are what, ten books out in stores already, and the series still hasn't been finished. How will you imagine when there's a movie? It will last like, more than 10 years? And it's YA novel for crying out loud. The characters are supposed to be young. 

Some also said that House of Night should be made into a TV series instead of movie. That's a slightly better idea, but I still don't really wanna see it happen. The reason? I really think that the TV series will last even longer than the movie, not the time itself, but the plot. I hate to see the plot being stretch into a long think strip, and the story is long enough.

3. Fallen by Lauren Kate

I kinda like this series, really. Fallen is quite good and relatively peaceful. But perhaps the peace is the reason that Fallen shouldn't be made into a movie. I think if I had to choose between Fallen and Hush Hush, I will definitely choose Hush Hush. I understand the good things about the book. The natural scenes will be beautiful, especially in Rapture. The love shared between Luce and Daniel is remarkable. I get that. But Fallen is seriously not the most popular books in USA now. People have moved on to something more powerful. 

And there's a post in IMDb about Fallen. And you know what? I seriously doubt that Fallen will actually be developed into a movie because there's still no news from Disney Pictures. What takes them so long? The time is long enough and if there's still no news from them, the franchise will eventually fade away. So why should we have a Fallen movie if the craziness is already fading away and nothing is helping Fallen from the falling popularity?

4. Wings by Aprilynne Pike

It's about faeries. Yes, it's not the most normal thing happen on big screens. But I think The Iron Fey is much better. Not just the plot itself but also the writing skills. I mean, seriously, if The Immortal Rules is gonna be made into a film, why shouldn't The Iron Fey? And yeah, Wings is not that bad. But it's not suitable for a movie. The plot is just not exciting enough. And the characters are too naive, and a little bit stupid. I mean, what's with the relationship between Laurel and David? I am seriously not a big fan of Tamani. And for some reason I just don't wanna see it happen. Not just because the movie may ruin the book, but also the book is just not good enough and not popular enough.

(P.S. I really want The Iron Fey movie. I am thrilled by that idea. If Blood of Eden series by Julie Kagawa is going to be a movie, then there should be The Iron Fey movie. I will be excited to see Ash and Meghan and Puck on screen).