Black City by Elizabeth Richards

Black City 
(Black City, #1) 
by Elizabeth Richards
Released |November 13th 2012 by G.P. Putnam's Sons BYR|
Edition |Ebook|
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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.

I've always had a soft spot for books that involve forbidden loves. Something about forbidden love always draws me in and Black City was no different for me. I really enjoyed the world of the darklings and twin-bloods that the author has created. It was kind of a spin on vampires, but twisted into a new concept. I found that I could not put this book down and was anxious to see what would happen next.


I completely fell for the two characters Natalie and Ash. In this book, we get to read from both Natalie and Ash's POV, which I really enjoyed and appreciated. I loved being inside both their minds and understanding the way each felt and acted. I thought Natalie was pretty brave. With her Mom being an Emissary and a supporter of Rose, everything she did was a risk of it getting back to her mother and on top of that, she had guards watching her 24/7. But that's what I liked the most about her. She didn't want to follow the path that her mother has taken and chosen for her, which let me tell you, is no good. And she also didn't believe in the things that she 'should' follow, being an Emissary's daughter and all. And then there was Ash, the only twin-blood who lives in Black City. In the beginning, I didn't like him all that much, but as the book progress and fell for him more and more. Anything that Ash did would have been an offense to people because the city hates darklings. People would have jumped at any opportunity to have him killed. But he was tough and held his ground.

I loved the romance between the two and I wanted more as I got to the last page of the book. They had a love that they were both willing to die for! And the action was there two. There were so many different things going on within the city. The Rose followers trying to pass a law to keep ALL darklings separated from the humans, the golden haze that is killing kids, bombings, and of course the forbidden love. All of that kept me immersed in the story and wanting more with each page turned. I can't wait to read book two to find out what happens next!