Review: Dark Heart of Magic (Black Blade Book 2) by Jennifer Estep | Author Stacey Brutger

Review: Dark Heart of Magic (Black Blade Book 2) by Jennifer Estep

In the last few months, I’ve been craving books that can transport me to a new world using unique twists that I haven’t seen a hundred times. The Black Blade series, with their quirky, beautiful covers, aren’t your normal paranormal genre, and I think that’s why I found myself so drawn to them.

 

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Title: Dark Heart of Magic (Black Blade Book 2)

Author: Jennifer Estep

Genre: Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy

Publisher: Kensington via NetGalley

Release date: October 2015

Pages: 368

ASIN: B00TE7O9AC

 

Rating:
stars 35

 

DESCRIPTION:

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…

 

 

REVIEW:

Lila has always been a loner, using her skills as a thief to make a living. Much to her surprise, those skills are a prized commodity to the Sinclair Family. The one-time job of keeping Devon Sinclair alive ends up stretching into a long-term commitment. The Tournament of Blades happens once a year, and all the Families participate in the much celebrated contest. Much to her horror, Lila has been chosen as one of the contestants to represent the Family, stealing her anonymity in one fell swoop. But what should be a friendly contest turns into a nightmare when people start dying. Lila must use all her unique Talents to survive and bring the killer to justice or she and her friends might end up as the next victims.

 

I like how Lila uses her Talents to get out of trouble, not waiting for anyone else to come to her rescue. She’s not only clever, but confident in her abilities to take care of herself and those around her. I love that her use of her Talents  stay consistent, and that she relies on her wits to stay alive. I enjoyed the romantic tension between Devon and Lila. His confidence in her is sweet, and something she’s not used to receiving. He’s a good match to Lila, strong enough to stand back and allow her to take the lead when the situation warrants. This book suffered a little from the middle book syndrome. A lot of high-tension scenes ended up petering out without any physical confrontation. By the end of the book, I found myself missing all the monsters. These are both minor things in my overall enjoyment of the book. If you like a unique twist to your paranormal world, you’ll enjoy the Black Blade series.

 

Previous books in the series:

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