I review Liz De Jager’s Vowed, the second book in the young adult urban fantasy series The Blackheart Legacy, published by Tor
Books.
The Blackhart Code: Don't let the monsters grind you down
A Blackhart can see the supernatural behind everyday
crimes. But some crimes hide even greater evils . .
.
Kit Blackhart must investigate why children are
disappearing from a London estate. Their parents, the police and Kit's fae
allies claim to know nothing. And as more children disappear, the pressure
mounts. Luckily, or unluckily, government trainee Dante Alexander is helping
Kit with the case. Yet just as her feelings towards him begin to thaw, his life
falls apart. As Kit struggles to unravel Dante's problems and solve their case,
she meets fae Prince Thorn in her dreams - but their relationship is utterly
forbidden.
Then Kit digs too deep, uncovering a mystery that's been
hidden for one thousand years. It's a secret that could just tear down our
world.
I can’t resist a good urban fantasy,
especially when it’s set in London, and given how strong the first book in The Blackheart Legacy, Banished was I was really
looking forward to seeing what Liz De Jager could come up with in the second
act, and she didn’t disappoint, delivering a wonderfully fun, fast paced read
that really impressed. The characters are great and the world that’s developing
around them is awesome, with the mystery and suspense really helping to add to
the mix of a fantastic novel that keeps you hooked from the beginning to the
end.
Kit’s one of the more fun characters whose
journey I’ve followed in a while and her development is great to watch unfold
here as she changes over the course of the novel, evolving and leaving a strong
impression on the reader. She’s kickass and a great protagonist for the reader
to follow, especially with the curtain pushed back on the Fae World. We are introduced
to more things than we were before, and it’s good to see that the other
characters that we spend time with are just as compelling, with newcomer
Government Trainee Dante Alexander being a welcome addition to the book and
Prince Thorn offering some perspective on the Fae side of things, offering up
an interesting, well balanced cast.
Something that’s also refreshing to see in YA
urban fantasy is a platonic relationship between a female and male lead
character that doesn’t end up becoming a romantic one, with the friendship
between Kit and the werewolf Aiden being one of the more fun parts of the
novel, with both characters having some good interactions that were pretty
enjoyable to read.
There’s plenty of expansion on the world here
as it starts to get more and more fleshed out in front of us. We learn a lot
more about the Fae World, with some interesting teases dropped about things
like The Dragon Lords of Chin that will make you want to discover more. There’s a
lot of mystery here with it feeling very much like a Detective novel, obviously firmly planted in the Urban Fantasy genre. The themes highlighted in
the novel are more complex than its predecessor, affecting the characters and continuing their development, with the characters, not just Kit, really developing well. There's a lot of stuff here that makes me really excited to see what happens in the third act of The Blackheart Legacy, and it couldn't get here quickly enough.
I mentioned that I love good Urban Fantasy
books set in London, and Vowed is no exception. When done properly, London can
almost feel like a character in itself (See Tom Pollock’s Skyscraper Throne Trilogy and Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere for good examples, and I’d also point older readers in the
direction of Kate Griffin’s Matthew Swift
Series and the Hellblazer Graphic
Novels from Vertigo Comics), and something similar is on display here, with the
level of world building being played out very well. It doesn’t feel like a
bland, forgettable backdrop that could be changed with any other city and you
wouldn’t notice the difference, having its own unique identity, and coupled with the fascinating world building, the rich setting really works in the book's favour .
There’s never a dull moment in Vowed, and readers of Banished will find more to love in the
book’s second outing. It’s well plotted, fun, fast paced and intriguing, featuring
some great lead characters set against a fantastic backdrop and once again, offers up an excellent
read for fans of Young Adult Fiction.
VERDICT:
8.9/10
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