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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.

"Detailed postapocalyptic world building makes Richards' series debut intriguing."--Booklist

"Provides a balanced combination of romance, action. and fantasy."--SLJ

"A Romeo and Juliet–type of relationship, yet there’s so much action, anger and angst that the plot line is just as vital as the romance aspect. Fans of urban fantasy and forbidden romance will definitely want to pick this one up."--USA Today

"Compelling and fresh."--VOYA

"A quick, lusty romance in a world gone awry."--The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Book

"Elizabeth Richards’ debut as a fiction author is inspiring. Her sense of drama, combined with brilliant attention to detail and the striking ability to create tension, makes the book a great read . . . The next books of the Black City series will be awaited with bated breath."--Teenreads

"This book is one that will be enjoyed on many levels from the literal plot of two very different teenagers who fall in love (think apparently doomed love as in Romeo and Juliet) to the subplot of discrimination leading to violence and chaos. 4/5 stars"--Examiner.com

  • Pages: 400 Pages
  • Series: A Black City Novel
  • Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
  • Imprint: Speak
  • ISBN: 9781101591239

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