Black Heart by Holly Black

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry

Pages: 296pgs

The Story

Cassel Sharpe know 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 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 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.

The Review

Prepare yourself ladies because our charming, incredibly witty, and conning anti-hero, Cassel Sharpe, is finally back to swoon us for the finale of the Curse Workers series where all of the stakes are much higher than ever before - not only for himself, but for his family and most especially for his friends too.

Right from the very beginning I have adored this series and honestly why does it all have to come to an end? Sadly for readers like me, feeling the exact same feelings as I am right now, unfortunately it has ended but I don't regret reading this series. Not one bit. Over the last year or so, Holly Black has become one of those rare writers where you would read anything written by her even though she offers up so many difficult situations for our favourite characters but she's a great writer and I had a lot of trust in her especially when it came to ending this favourite series of mine. All round this book was fantastic, though it wasn't my favourite installment but it was great regardless. And ending-wise, sure everything is not exactly tied up nicely in a cute little bow and some characters doesn't exactly drive into the sunset with not a care in the world, but it was a satisfying conclusion that I'm sure will please many of its readers.

Now onto the characters . . . Throughout the previous two books in the series, White Cat and Red Glove, Cassel Sharpe has gone through many stages of development as a main character and has grown into a fine young man if I do say so myself. Before we really got to know the inner him and seeing what a good person he really is, cheating, lying, conning and stealing became second nature to Cassel's character arc and he was the type of character you shouldn't love or rather someone you should love to hate, but in this final book, BLACK HEART, he sort of became the better man and was doing his best in getting past those mistakes that he has made previously which I really admired about him. However, no matter how hard he tries to wash his hands clean from all the lies and crimes he has committed, Cassel soon ends up back to his original roots and instincts that we know and love him for. And trust me you guys . . . we love him for being the conning man that he is with not a black heart but with a heart full of gold. I just adore him to the core and honestly there's no other words to describe how I feel about him. Again, I adore him!

The only character I truly didn't like in this entire series was Cassel's crush and only love interest, Lila, whom I couldn't connect with nor could I love her like many other readers do. It's not like Cassel should be up on a pestal nor be praised for his troubling lifestyle and past mistakes, but for me Lila wasn't a likable person at all. Sure, she was the daughter of a big crime boss and had a lot to live up to in being the heir of upcoming crime, but there's just this quality about her . . . this core of her character where I had often found myself questioning her actual feelings for Cassel. I get that she liked him and I get why she hates him after all he's done to her (he did turn her into a cat after all), but I don't feel like she's worthy of Cassel's affection and adoration. Sure straight off neither of the characters are perfect, but I still care a lot about Cassel - almost like a real person - and I think he deserves someone who could treat him right and that's not Lila I'm afraid. She's incredibly multipulative (part of the reason why I don't like her) and I don't know . . . after all this time of knowing Cassel I don't understand why NOW she expresses her feelings for him. Yeah . . . I still don't like her character but I guess when it comes down to it, whether or not her and Cassel get together in the end (I won't spoil it for you guys), I'm still very happy for the both of them and wherever their path leads may lead to . . . I say good for them.

Overall, BLACK HEART hooked me from the get go and there's so much there to keep you invested in the storyline from the complicated romances to the family bloodlines that run thick in crime, magic, and danger. If you haven't picked up this series yet, then I would highly recommend to do so because it's both for guy and girl readers . . . not to mention brilliant!

The Rating

4/5 stars