A Book Obsession..: Early Review: Black Spring by Christina Henry

Early Review: Black Spring by Christina Henry

, by Kt Clapsadl

Black Spring by Christina Henry

Black Wings #7

A former Agent of death, Madeline Black now has everything to live for, most importantly, her unborn child. But Chicago has become ground zero in a struggle between ancient creatures, and only Maddy can stop the carnage…

The mayor of Chicago has announced a plan to round up the city’s supernatural beings and put them in camps. With her due date looming, Maddy’s best move would be to lay low for a while. But not everyone is willing to respect her privacy. Hounded by tentacled monsters, a rogue shapeshifter, and a tenacious blogger, Maddy turns to her most powerful ally, her uncle Daharan, only to find him missing.

Just when it seems like things can’t get any worse, Maddy gets an invitation in the mail—to Lucifer’s wedding. Turns out everyone has been invited, friends and enemies alike. And with that kind of guest list, it’s highly unlikely there will be a happily ever after.

Something you don't see too often is a pregnant protagonist in Urban Fantasy novels. Things are just too brutal and action-y so pregnancy and young children always seem to be left out of things in the direct storylines, or at least don't happen until the last epilogue of the series as part of the happy ever after. So, I really enjoyed seeing Maddy being pregnant and dealing with the mess of her paranormal life throughout. It just seemed more realistic as supernatural stuff and mayhem don't just go away after the HEA. It's just that we don't see that stuff, with the writers perhaps choosing to save that HEA and baby stuff untainted. So with Maddy, it just rang more real to me, and I loved it. She's one heck of a power, and trust me, being pregnant doesn't change that one bit. In fact, it may have made her even fiercer, and I was rooting her every step of the way. No delicate flowers here, but one kick butt mama.

I'm still rather surprised at how much Nathaniel has grown on me. If you had asked me at the start of the series if I could see Maddy with him and be happy about it, I would have laughed. That being said, he's come a really long way, and I think the start of the turning point was when he stood by Maddy when everyone else turned their back on her saying she was going too dark. However, at that point he was so desperate for her to accept him that frankly he was a bit of a push over, just going with whatever she said. Sure, he had a bunch to make up for, so it made sense. However, what I loved about his character in BLACK SPRING was that he solidified his back bone, and stood up for what he believed when it came for taking care of Maddy. He refused to always let herself only put her own self in harms way, and fought to be an even partner in their relationship, earning my stamp of approval for them long term. He's exactly what she needs, and I'm happy to see that for this last book.

Wow has this series has been one heck of a ride, and I'm sorry to see it ending. That being said, while most series enders just don't seem to live up to my expectations, but I'm happy to say that wasn't the case here. Sure, I think some of the resolution could have been expanded a bit, and I would have loved an epilogue, but all in all, I feel BLACK SPRING left things in a place that has me largely content. And in the end that's all I ask for in a series, keep me entertained along the way, and leave me satisfied in the end. The Black Wings series delivered, and earns a stamp of recommendation from me for any Urban Fantasy fan.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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