Valiant (Modern Faeries Tales #2) by Holly Black

Author: Holly Black
Title:  Valiant (Modern Faeries Tales #2)
Publication: October  1, 2006
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Genre: Young Adult, Faerie Tale
Pages: 320
Audience: 15 and up
Rating: 3 out of 5
Source: Public Library

Synopsis (fromGoodreads): When seventeen-year-old Valerie runs away to New York City, she's trying to escape a life that has utterly betrayed her. Sporting a new identity, she takes up with a gang of squatters who live in the city's labyrinthine subway system.

But there's something eerily beguiling about Val's new friends.
And when one talks Val into tracking down the lair of a mysterious creature with whom they are all involved, Val finds herself torn between her newfound affection for an honorable monster and her fear of what her new friends are becoming.

 
My thoughts: I have no idea how this book relates to Tithe, but I guess I will find out when I read Ironside. Unfortunately, the experience of the book was lessened as some jerk had censored the book.  

 This book is full of drama and twists and turns at every corner. You don’t expect the bad guys until it is too late. Val is a strong female character who runs away after finding out the truth about her boyfriend. So she jumps on a train and heads to New York on a date by herself…except she decides to stay in New York for a while. Val and her new street friends Lolli, Dave, and Luis aren’t exactly angels. They use fairy glamor, which they call Never to get high. They then have fairy powers to glamor people. Never is very much like heroin and has withdrawal symptoms.  Val runs into some trouble and indentures herself to a fairy to repay for the trouble she and Lolli caused. However, there is some major drama going on amongst the fairies and you don’t know who you can trust. It is a gritty, dirty story, but it is part of the series and it wasn’t terrible, but wasn’t fantastic either.

Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale by Holly Black

Author: Holly Black

Title:Tithe (Modern Faerie Tales #1)

Publication: October 1, 2002

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Genre: Fairy Tale, Urban Fantasy, Young Adult

Pages: 336

Audience: 15 and up

Rating: 4 out of 5

Source: Public Library

Synopsis (from the cover):

Sixteen year old Kaye is a modern nomad. Fierce and independent, she drifts from place to place until an ominous attack forces Kaye back to her childhood home. There, amid the blue collar New Jersey backdrop, Kaye, finds herself an unwilling pawn in an ancient and violent power struggle between two rival faerie kingdoms- a struggle that could very well mean her death.

My thoughts:

This book has been on my to-read-list for a while. I finally got around to reading it. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it was different than I thought it would be. I guess part of it was I did not read the back cover before I dove into the book. I was expecting most of the book to take place in the faerie kingdoms. not in the modern world, or as the faerie call it, the Ironside, which is also the title to the third book in the trilogy. I read this book in about 4 days or so.  However, there are so many characters and places to keep up with, that by the end of the novel I had confused myself. I was wondering who certain characters were, but I finally got it all figured out.
If you like fairy/faerie tales, then I recommend this book. Kaye is an interesting character who is strong willed and fiercely loyal. I liked her a lot because I too am stubborn and loyal. I don't want to say too much about the other characters, but it appears just like faerie glamor some people are not as they seem.
It is a quick, fun read especially if you like faeries. I hope to find and read the second book eventually. Unfortunately, my public library does not have the complete trilogy.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black (Audiobook)

Author: Holly Black

Narrator: Christine Lakin
Title:The Coldest Girl in Coldtown

Publication: September 10, 2013

Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal

Pages: 432
Length: 12 hours 6 minutes

Audience: 16 and up

Rating: 3.5 out 5

Source: Public Library

Synopsis (from the cover): Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. The only problem is, once you pass through Coldtown's gates, you can never leave.
One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself.
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is a wholly original story of rage and revenge, of guilt and horror, and of love and loathing from bestselling and acclaimed author Holly Black.

My thoughts:
My coworkers kept laughing at me every time I talked about this book. I listened to it and it took most of the first disc for Tana to get out of the blasted house! It was a slow moving book. My husband hated it, we listened to it on our way to our hometown to get married actually and we listened to it on the way back home. Something about it made me keep going even if it was so slow paced. I loved the last 3 disc so about chapter 30- to the end held much more action and felt more YA. I listen and read everything. I listened to the acknowledgements at the end. Holly Black says The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is a "love letter to all the vampire novels she has ever read." with that in mind it seems like she tried to pay homage to other writers in the genre and finally found her groove towards the end of the novel. So that little bit of information helped me like the book a little more.
The characters were interesting. Tana is such a head-strong, independent character. She fights for what if right no matter if she dies trying and I loved that about her. I still have questions about the scar on her arm, but not enough for it to keep me awake at night. I thought Aiden was going to be another main character, but I was wrong about that. He is a jerk and it shows. I wanted to kick him in the shins a lot. Gavriel is a character with a rich history and a lengthy story. He is a crazy vampire, but I love the way he speaks and even though he is mad, he is trying to keep some sanity about him. The vampires are typical vampires and they don't sparkle, they burn. The only characters who really got on my nerves was Tana's sister, Pearl and Midnight. I wanted both of them gone, but they help the storyline along...so I understand their purpose to the story. 
I really liked Christine Lakin's ability to change accents and characters so well. One minute she is a vampire with a Russian ancestry, then a back woods county cop, then back to Tana or one of the various characters. It was easy to differentiate as each character had a specific voice that she did not deviate from. The only thing, her voice was so calm and soothing that it made me sleepy at times. 
Overall the book was an okay read.  There were a few parts I had not guessed and was actually shocked. There were a few that I guessed or were just obvious. I would not buy this book , but if you like Holly Black, vampire novels, or need something new to read then I suggest checking this book out.

 

Black Heart by Holly Black, (Audiobook)

Author: Holly Black
Narrator: Jesse Eisenberg
Title:Black Heart Curse Workers Book 3

Publication: April 10, 2012

Publisher: Listening Library

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Pages: 304
Length: 6 hours and 33 Minutes

Audience: 15 and up

Rating: 4 out of 5

Source: Public Library

Synopsis (from the cover):

In a world where magic is illegal, Cassel Sharpe has the most deadly ability of all. With one touch, he can transform any object- including a person- into something else entirely. And that makes him a wanted man. The Feds are willing to forgive all his past crimes if he'll only leave his con artist family behind and go straight. But why does going straight feel so crooked? 
For one thing, it mean being on the opposite side of the law from Lila, the girl he loves. She's the daughter of a mob boss and thought Cassel is pretty sure she can never love him back, he can't stop obsessing over her. Which would be bad enough, even if her father wasn't keeping Cassel's mother prioner until she returns the priceless diamond she scammed off of him ears ago. Too bad she can;'t remember where she put it.
The Feds say they need Cassel to get rid of a powerful man who is spinning dangerously out of control. But if they want Cassel to use his unique talent to hurt people, what separates the good guys from the bad ones? With no easy answers and no one he can trust, love might be the most dangerous gamble of all.

My thoughts:
The book starts off a bit slow. It seemed to be about the same pace as the others, but the last few discs had some action to them! I was shocked by the actions Cassel takes and the events that unfold for Cassel and his friends. This book was the perfect ending. However, Holly Black crafted the book so that if she decides to visit Cassel Sharpe and his friends again, she can. If she chooses not to write anymore Curse Worker books, this book won't leave you hanging off a cliff, but you'll wonder about a few things that were left open. As I mentioned before, this book is the most action packed. Cassel and Sam are up to their usual crazy shenanigans again. Sam and Danica are having some major relationship issues, so are Cassel and Lila. Then there is the Feds and the crime families, as well as Cassel's family thrown into the mix. As well as crazy dude and an unusual mystery to solve. It is a great book to end the series with and makes the books worth the read.

 

Red Glove by Holly Black (Audiobook)

Author: Holly Black

Narrator: Jesse Eisenberg
Title: Red Glove (Curse Workers #2)

Publication: April 12, 2011

Publisher: Listening Library

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult
Length: 7 hours 5 minutes

Pages:  336

Audience: 15 and up

Rating: 4 out of 5

Source: Public Library

Synopsis (from goodreads.com ): Cassel always thought he was an ordinary guy, until he realized his memories were being manipulated by his brothers. Now he knows the truth—he’s the most powerful curse worker around. A touch of his hand can transform anything—or anyone—into something else. That was how Lila, the girl he loved, became a white cat. Cassel was tricked into thinking he killed her, when actually he tried to save her. Now that she’s human again, he should be overjoyed. Trouble is, Lila’s been cursed to love him. And if Lila’s love is as phony as Cassel’s made-up memories, then he can’t believe anything she says or does.

When Cassel’s oldest brother is murdered, the Feds recruit Cassel to help make sense of the only clue—crime-scene images of a woman in red gloves. But the mob is after Cassel too—they know how valuable he could be to them. Cassel is going to have to stay one step ahead of both sides just to survive.

My thoughts:
I enjoyed this book better than White Cat. Issues with his family really start to effect not only Cassel, but his entire family. I felt like they all needed a wake up call to lure them from their destructive paths, but I don't see that happening any time soon. This book throws in a mystery that I actually did not know that answer to (it was not mentioned to what I listened to of the third book). Just from being a some what smart person, I thought I had the mystery solved, but Cassel is never sure about his answers and it always made me question mine. However, at one point I was like, "Okay, this person MUST have done it! There is no evidence of anyone else." I was right! Besides a mystery that Cassel is forced to solve, he realizes how precious and valuable friendship truly is. He is also trying to get on the right path in life. He is the lovable bad guy and you kind of feel sorry for him. It wasn't really his fault he was dealt the cards of life that was handed to him. So he struggles with his inner goodness and the devil on his shoulder through out the novel. It is a great sequel to White Cat.

White Cat by Holly Black (Audiobook)

Author: Holly Black
Narrator: Jesse Eisenberg

Title: White Cat (Curse Workers #1)

Publication: May 11, 2010

Publisher: Listening Library

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult
Length: 6 hours 41 minutes

Pages:  320

Audience: 15 and up

Rating: 3 out of 5

Source: Public Library

Synopsis (from Goodreads.com):
Cassel comes from a family of curse workers—people who have the power to change your emotions, your memories, your luck, by the slightest touch of their hands. And since curse work is illegal, they’re all criminals. Many become mobsters and con artists. But not Cassel. He hasn’t got magic, so he’s an outsider, the straight kid in a crooked family. You just have to ignore one small detail—he killed his best friend, Lila, three years ago.            
Cassel has carefully built up a façade of normalcy, blending into the crowd. But his façade starts to crumble when he finds himself sleepwalking, propelled into the night by terrifying dreams about a white cat that wants to tell him something. He’s noticing other disturbing things too, including the strange behavior of his two brothers. They are keeping secrets from him. As Cassel begins to suspect he’s part of a huge con game, he must unravel his past and his memories. To find out the truth, Cassel will have to outcon the conmen.

My thoughts:
I had picked this book up about a year ago, but never got the time to read it. I was at my library looking at books and picked up Black Heart. I got about half way when I realized that there was a lot to explain in three more discs. I went to Goodreads and it explained that Black Heart was the third book in the series! I quickly returned it and checked out White Cat because I was intrigued. I kind of knew what was going to happen due to my book mix up, so it wasn't a thrilling of a read for me. I guess that is why it got a 3 out of 5. It isn't a bad book, but I was listening to find out how Cassel became who he is in the third book. Separating myself from the fact that I ruined a good book for myself, I think it would be a neat read. There were some twists I was not expecting. There were a few I were expecting but did not happen (it must be in book two, which is waiting for me in the car). Either way, Cassel's antics and faulty memory are pretty funny. This book however, is basically setting up characters and the story line. In the book , some humans have/contain magic. You touching someone is all you need to do, but each time you perform your magic there is a blow back as a consequence. It is kind of an alchemy/magic, which is really cool. The cat is one of my favorite characters because she adds some humor to the book. 
I have heard great things about Holly Black and I'm enjoying this series. Mr. Eisenberg is a great narrator. If they ever made a movie of this book. He would have to play Cassel. I imagined him as Cassel the entire book. He is surprisingly a great narrator. I'll admit, I'm not a huge fan of his acting, but he is a fantastic voice actor. Anyway, if you are a Holly Black or Jesse Eisenberg fan, you should check this book out. It is a short, fun read.