Words on Black City by Elizabeth Richards (Black City Trilogy #1)

Dystopian romance
Feb 5, 2015
4 min read

The United States are recovering from a lethal, brutal war, and the dust hasn't yet settled. Humans and (ha) darklings, fueled by fear and hatred of each other, clashed for years, and in the aftermath of the darklings' surrender, humans and darklings live alongside each other in an unstable peace. Darklings are treated no better than animals, taking the blame for any harm that may come to humans, including the deaths caused by Haze, a new, potent drug.

The president of the United States, Purian Rose, is determined to humiliate the darklings further, pressing laws that are more and more severe. Sadly, many share his views, and tensions run high. Groups such as trackers enforce strict curfews and other laws, and many humans look for any excuse to harm darklings. However, the public isn't being told everything. Most of them are totally unaware of the daily struggles darklings are faced with as they try to survive. Makes me wonder what would happen if their roles were reversed.

Natalie lives a privleged life, and any number of the lower-class children at her new school would do anything to be her. Her mother is the Black City's emissary, a position much like a govenor. Natalie's mother has no time for either of her daughters, convinced that Natalie is incapable of doing anything and ignoring Polly, her older daughter, who sufferes from severe PTSD.

Ash is the complete opposite. Living on the city's fringe, half-darkling Ash carves out a meager living for himself and his father, dealing in pure Haze to druggies. While he doesn't like his work, it's the only way to survive in the dark city. His friend, Beetle, is constantly trying to get him to join an organization called Humans for Unity that opposes Purian Rose and wants humans and darklings to live without harsh segregation laws. Ash is sure that nothing will ever change. Why would it? The humans always get their way.

By a stroke of fate, the two meet one night, and they later find themselves thrown together in everything from school to their friends. Natalie and Ash can't stand each other - Ash is, as Natalie so perfectly sums it all up, a total jerk. Ash doesn't think too highly of Natalie, either. He considers her just another selfish, jaded human who doesn't get what's going on with the less fortunate. Even so, they find themselves drawn together, and they may be what it takes to bridge the gap between their people.

Okay, so the book was a lot more blunt:

"In the aftermath of a brital and bloody war, in the still-smoldering Black City, sixteen-year-olds Natalie Buchanan and Ash Fisher do the unthinkable - they fall in love."

I'm serious. Most books are a lot more vague and at least leave something up to the imagination. It was actually kind of funny when I saw that. Points for being honest, I guess. This is one of the first books wher I've seen that. Even Twilight didn't do that. Heck even Hush, Hush was a bit more tactful. I laughed a little when I was reading that.

So now you get the character rundown. Ash is really, really pessimistic. He's also sullen, not to mention, as I already said, a total jerk. It's funny how we're always supposed to like the jerk in the series, and it's kind of depressing that we sort of go along with it and prove the authors right. I have absolutely no idea what Natalie sees in the guy, besides the whole "soul mates" and "forbidden love" appeal.

Natalie isn't quite as offensive. In the begining, she doesn't get how unfair the system is, but that changes, and she becomes for aware of darkling suffering. She's very protective of her sister, but she blames all darkling for her father's daeth, which was the fault of one very mentaly ill darkling. Need I point out how unreasonable that is? Natalie's sister, Polly, might be my favorite character. Sure, she's usually caught up in her on little world, but when she's lucid, she's one of the most insightful people in the book.

I kind of liked Day, this little girl from the slums who wants to be a high-ranking official. She's nice enough, and she tries to be kind. Beetle, her ex (And Ash's best friend.) is caught up in Humans for Unity, and sometimes goes a bit to far to help them, even if he thinks it's the right thing to do. Sebastian, Natalie's ex and bodyguard, is disgusting. He's only interested in anything that will benefit himself, and he's a hypocrite that's been brainwashed by Purian Rose and is now a zombie.

The world of Black City was very dark, but also kind of sweet. However, while the plot and setting was pretty good, the characters leave much to be desired. I would be ready to read the sequel in hopes of development. This had a lot of potential, and I hope the sequel will to that justice. 4/5