Review – Black Heart (Madeline Black, Book 6) by Christina Henry (5/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Size: 288 pages
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: October 29, 2013
ISBN: 978-0425256596
Stand Alone or Series: 6th book in the Madeline Black series
Source: eGalley through NetGalley.com
Rating: 5/5 stars

This is the sixth book in the Madeline Black series by Henry. There will be a 7th book in this series, but as of right now it is untitled. This was an excellent continuation of the series and the best book of this series yet!

Maddie has saved Chicago from raging vampires but the Agency is still out to get her. In an attempt to deal with her once and for all, the Agency sends the Retrievers after Maddie. In a desperate attempt to help her escape, Nathaniel opens a portal to another realm. When Maddie jumps through she finds herself on a Fae world where the strange mantis-like creatures she has dealt with before are threatening existence. This can’t be coincidence and Maddie finds out that Lucifer and Puck have their own long games going on even in this far out realm.

This book fixed everything that was wrong in the previous books. Maddie admits that she is more of a “blow everything up” kind of girl and in this book she works on refining her power. She is starting to actually think things through before she acts, to plan, and to explore the depths of her new power.

Sadly Nathaniel isn’t in the story much (he is one of my favorite characters). However, with his power from Puck unlocked he is a force to be reckoned with. Him and Maddie make an excellent pair and together they are a power to be feared.

We get closure on a lot of things in this book. Maddie and Gabriel have a scene where they finally get some closure. The issue with the Agency and the Retrievers is brought to a close in a most satisfying way. Maddie and Titania also have words in a very climatic and impressive way.

We finally meet the brother of Lucifer and Puck, and he is a most excellent addition to the story. I absolutely loved this character and can’t wait to read more about him.

There is also a ton of background regarding Lucifer, Puck, and Titania. We find out a lot more about their long games and get a much better understanding on just how immense their power is.

Unlike previous books, this plot was not scattered at all. In fact the plot was incredibly well done. There are multiple storylines that come together nicely in the end. There is a main plot point that is resolved in this book and the continuation of a larger story. This book was just very very well written.

Overall an absolutely fantastic urban fantasy, the best book in this series yet. I love the new characters we meet and the way our old favorites are changing and growing. I loved the background and the new worlds we get to see. I also really enjoyed how well the plot was done and fit together so nicely. I highly recommend this series to urban fantasy fans. It just keeps getting better and better!

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
– 100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge
– 150+ Reading Challenge