Jennifer Estep - Dark Heart of Magic

The second book in the Black Blade series, published October 27, 2015.
Genre: young adult urban fantasy
Cover: intriguing



Something Wicked This Way Comes . . .
As a thief, I stick to the shadows as much as possible. But when the head of the Sinclair Family picks me to compete in the Tournament of Blades, there's no escaping the spotlight--or the danger.
Even though he's my competition, Devon Sinclair thinks I have the best shot at winning what's supposed to be a friendly contest. But when the competitors start having mysterious "accidents," it looks like someone will do anything to win--no matter who they hurt.
As if I didn't have enough to worry about, mobster Victor Draconi is plotting against Devon and the rest of my friends, and someone's going around Cloudburst Falls murdering monsters. One thing's for sure. Sometimes, humans can be more monstrous than anything else...


The second book in the series is just as good as the first. Lila proves her skills in dealing with monsters again, and I did like that part a lot. Something or someone is killing them, and they are not even bad monsters, so I felt sorry for them. She is also stealing into the Draconi Mansion, trying to find out Victors plans. He is after the Sinclairs, and probably the other Family's as well.
And then Lila's name has been announced as a contestant in the Tournament of Blades, and she is very unhappy about that. She is a thief, and she doesn't like the limelight one single bit. And now she has to compete, show her skills to all the Family's? But the Sinclair Family seems to be really proud of her and her skills, so she doesn't have a choice. Especially when she learns that the head of the Sinclair Family knows who she really is, and knew her mother very well. Her mother died saving Devon when he was a small boy, and Victor Draconis murdered her for that.

Felix, Devon's best friend, has secretly been in love with Deah Draconis for a while now, so when his fling from last year, Katia, is back in town and she wants to continue with their fling, he is not so happy. He doesn't want to hurt Katia, and Deah is not tolerating Katia flirting with him. Of course, she also can't let her Family know she likes Felix. The only time her father pays any attention to her, is when she wins the Tournament. Deah is really, really good at that, she has a Mimic talent, and it works a lot like Lila's own powers. But meeting Deah's mother is strange every time. She is a powerful Seer, but she keeps confusing Lila with her mother. Did they al know each other in the past?

Lila learns a lot more about her own Family, and her parents. And to make it out of the hands of a deranged killer alive, she will need to work together with her new cousin …

I look very much forward to reading the next book in the series. Even though it is YA, with all the longing that involves, I enjoy this very much. Bring on the monsters!


9 stars.

© 2016 Reviews by Aurian

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