Black Wings - Christina Henry

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Subgenre: demons, elves, a gargoyle
Age Appropriate: Adult, or mature older teen
Recommended for my sister: Probably

"You're still Maddy. You're still Maddy Black." - Beezle


Madeline Black works for an agency that oversees the collection and guidance of souls. It was an inherited job through her mother, and includes the trials of dealing with stubborn newly dead and some awesome wings. Along with the job, Maddy has inherited a house guardian - a endless pit of hunger named Beezle. His job is protect the domicile, and includes being a sassy companion for Maddy. The plot of the story is founded in a new discovery in Maddy's life.

Somehow, after losing a dear friend, she's found herself in a strange, difficult relationship with her long-lost father and subsequently fighting against a demon who is terrorizing souls. As in most series in the urban dantasy genre, there is an aspect of romance between Maddy and a pseudo-demonic protector, Gabriel. It's a forbidden romance, on many levels, but that is also a traditional plot device. The meat of the series is in the relationships that develop as Maddy struggles with her internal battles between good and evil, and her external battles between good and evil. Everything goes to hell (harhar) when Maddy discovers her actual bloodline relationships, and slowly gains powers that seduce her to the dark side.

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This isn't the best series I've ever read, but it's consistently entertaining. I think it's probably a positive thing that there isn't a new book every few months, which has become fairly common with some authors. Sometimes, I just stumble on the fact that there is a new one out. The negative is really that I have pretty high expectations sometimes. I think book 4 was a little outside my fun-meter, but the most recent book was pretty up there. I'm not sure how I feel with the way her relationship is developing with Gabriel. I'm kinda over it, really. I'm really enjoying her new relationship with her uncle, though.

I'd recommend it to most who like the urban fantasy, with a little romance, genre. The romance part is not very explicit, which I appreciate in a series like this, but it's definitely necessary to the storyline. You have to be willing to stick with it, though. It's not really a chore, but if LKH or Jacqueline Carey came out with a new book I would probably read those first. I would probably recommend it to my sister, but mostly because sometimes you need something to read.

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Keep it movin'!: Morrigan's Cross series