Black Lament (Black Wings, #4)

Nov 13, 2012 Ami rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy-paranormal-futuristic

I have problems making up my mind about whether I like this book or not, to be honest. I can say that I like some parts and dislike the others. Thus, I'm still giving it my so-so/standard 3-stars rating. Because I cannot say outloud that I dislike it ...

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On one hand, I started warming up to Maddy in book #3 and my heart broke for her when Gabriel was killed in the hand of her father, Azazel. Even if I never actually cared enough about Gabriel and Maddy's relationship in the first place. Still...more

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Oct 26, 2012 Carmel (Rabid Reads) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Reviewed by: Rabid Reads

The Black Wings series started out relatively strong with the first installment. In fact, I gave book one 4 stars out of 5. The two follow-up novels, Black Night and Black Howl, were only so-so, but Black Lament was absolutely atrocious. The main plot is trivial at best, the protagonist is a childish, arrogant, crazy person and the action is over-the-top ridiculous. This series went from good, to ok, to really bad and, as a result, I'm giving up on Madeline Black. There's...more Reviewed by: Rabid Reads

The Black Wings series started out relatively strong with the first installment. In fact, I gave book one 4 stars out of 5. The two follow-up novels, Black Night and Black Howl, were only so-so, but Black Lament was absolutely atrocious. The main plot is trivial at best, the protagonist is a childish, arrogant, crazy person and the action is over-the-top ridiculous. This series went from good, to ok, to really bad and, as a result, I'm giving up on Madeline Black. There's just no coming back from this. I gave Christina Henry 4 chances to win me over and she failed so I can't say that I didn't give it my best shot.

Madeline comes across as a 4 year old throwing a temper tantrum for most of this novel. She just goes around pissing on everyone and then kills them when they oppose her. No matter how powerful and/or ancient her opponent is, she somehow manages to slice through them like butter. It's ridiculous. "Oh hello millennia old fae king... *BAM* I win." I mean, what the hell kind of battle is that!?! "Look at me, I'm Madeline Black, granddaughter of Lucifer and I can do whatever the f#@k I want." Normally a heroine is supposed to grow with every installment not deteriorate. Towards the end I think that Black actually turns evil. I somehow doubt that that's what Henry was going for but that's what I got out of Black Lament. Also, why did the author make her an Agent of Death when she doesn't collect any souls? Maddy's asked to do one, maybe two pick-ups (which she botches) but other than that... this aspect of her character is completely ignored and seems pointless.

"Too bad I don't think anyone is superior to me," I said. - Page 193.

The main plot was, for lack of a better word, insignificant. First off, there are so many competing story lines that it's hard to identify which one is the main one. Secondly, the only reason why any of these problems exist to begin with is because of Maddy. If she'd stop mouthing off and killing people for no good reason, maybe just maybe, they'd stop trying to off her! All of her allies are aware of her bad habits and they just shrug them off or make jokes about them. Ooh, it's just Black, she has a tendency of burning things to the grown. Eeumm, hello? Does no one else see a problem with this? Lastly, the plots from the four books don't really seem to follow each other overly much. I still haven't been able to figure out the direction in which this story is going. The only reason why I've persisted with these novels for as long as I have is because of the cliff hanger endings but even those won't be able to save this series this time. I refuse to fall for it again; I'm not even slightly curious about what comes next. I just don't care. She's probably going to blow up the world at this rate.

All of the elements that I disliked in previous installments are magnified in Black Lament. Madeline Black is one of the most annoying characters that I've ever had the displeasure of reading about. The plot is a senseless mixture of nonsense and the flow reminds me of being in a car where the driver doesn't know how to work a stick shift. Farewell Black Wings and good riddance.

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Nov 07, 2012 Gianne Kris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Teaser From Christina Henry's Website!

CHAPTER ONE

Lucifer put his arm around me. It felt comforting, like the act of a parent, a parent I’d always wanted – a father. The air filled with the scent of cinnamon. It reminded me so strongly of Gabriel that the tears that always hovered beneath the surface spilled over.

Lucifer said nothing, only held me as I wept. After a long while, it felt like there were no more tears to be cried. I lifted my head and saw Lucifer watching me with great compassion in...more

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Nov 05, 2012 Cindy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Madelyn "Maddy" Black is devastated, she has just watched her husband be murdered by her father right before her eyes. Though she is surrounded by friends and her Gargoyle Beezle, it takes a lot to shake her from her grief. The fact that she as an Agent of Death carries responsibilities that the agency does not seem to care whether the Fae, her father and several other entities want her dead. They inform her she is not get involved in anything that does not involve collecting souls she has been...more

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Nov 16, 2012 Sherri rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: update-2012, demons, favorite-series, gargoyles, magic, fae, read_2012, part-of-a-series, angels, shifter, urban-fantasy, vampires, werewolves

<3.5 Stars out of 5

I can’t say that I loved Black Lament, but I can’t say that I disliked it either. It was kind of a “Eh” read for me. So much happened at the end of Black Howl that I wasn’t sure where Christina Henry would take this series. After reading Black Lament, I’m really hoping she has it figured it; because I certainly don’t. I’m not even sure I know what I would like to see for Maddy.

With everything that happened in Black Howl, Maddy is left emotionally wrung out and depressed. Si...more <3.5 Stars out of 5

I can’t say that I loved Black Lament, but I can’t say that I disliked it either. It was kind of a “Eh” read for me. So much happened at the end of Black Howl that I wasn’t sure where Christina Henry would take this series. After reading Black Lament, I’m really hoping she has it figured it; because I certainly don’t. I’m not even sure I know what I would like to see for Maddy.

With everything that happened in Black Howl, Maddy is left emotionally wrung out and depressed. Since Black Lament takes up almost immediately after Black Howl, she hasn’t had the time to deal with the turmoil she went through. However, those evil forces never cease working and Maddy is thrust into another plot to kill her; the poor woman just can’t catch a break. Despite being pregnant she jumps right in with the same reckless impulse she has displayed in the other novels. What is a bit frightening in Black Lament is Maddy’s cold calculation and dismissal to brutalize and kill those that get in her way. As she heads down this path the reader can’t help wonder if that is Lucifer’s ultimate plan for her, is he shaping and molding her for his final plans.

I continue to love the supporting cast of characters; Beezle with his comic relief; Samuel the strong and silent reasonable one; Jude the werewolf who initially mistrusted her; J.B. who loves her but is not loved in return and Nathaniel her ex-fiancé who was an instrument of her father’s and sought to betray and kill Maddy in Black Howl. I wasn’t thrilled with Nathaniel’s addition to Team Maddy initially, but by the end of the book I enjoyed that element, since the dynamics between Maddy and Nathaniel almost reversed themselves with Maddy becoming more “angel” and Nathaniel becoming more “human.” It was an interesting twist on their character traits.

Overall, I continue to enjoy this series, maybe mainly because I just can’t “see” what is coming down the pipeline. There are so many new scenarios and plots that can be developed now, I am looking forward to picking up Black City, Book #5, in February 2013.(less)

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Nov 19, 2012 Karissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the fourth book in the Madeline Black series. It was a solid installment in this series, if not the best one in the series. The fifth book in the series, Black City, is scheduled for a Feb 2013 release.

Madeline Black finds out from Lucifer that she is pregnant with Gabriel's baby. Now she not only has to evade numerous assassination attempts from the Faerie court, she also has to hunt down her father to revenge Gabriel, and keep her unborn child out of Lucifer's hands. All of this while...more This is the fourth book in the Madeline Black series. It was a solid installment in this series, if not the best one in the series. The fifth book in the series, Black City, is scheduled for a Feb 2013 release.

Madeline Black finds out from Lucifer that she is pregnant with Gabriel's baby. Now she not only has to evade numerous assassination attempts from the Faerie court, she also has to hunt down her father to revenge Gabriel, and keep her unborn child out of Lucifer's hands. All of this while she continues to grieve for Gabriel.

This story was fast-paced and has a lot going on. Definitely more of an urban fantasy than PNR. These are always interesting books because, while they don’t always have a clear story or objective, there is always a lot happening and it’s engaging.

Maddie has embraced her power and isn’t afraid to destroy everything in her path to get to a goal. This book is interesting because she is forced to temper her behavior slightly to allow for her pregnancy. I do enjoy how powerful she has become and how she is always kicking someone’s butt.

My favorite character in this series continues to be Beezle the gargoyle; he just adds so much witty banter and humor to the story. Simon and JB are also running support for Maddie and it was great to have them be part of the story as well.

The other character that features in the story that I was surprised to enjoy is Nathaniel. He is in the story a lot because he is assigned by Lucifer to guard Maddie. He is becoming a more complex character and you couldn’t help but feel a bit bad for him at times.

We delve a lot deeper into the faerie realms in this book and I really enjoyed all the crazy faerie creatures that try to hunt Maddie down. There are some seriously creepy faerie creatures in this book and I loved reading about them.

I do like that they were some big revelations with Maddie’s character; I think this book paved the way for her to really grow and change in future books. She is finally embracing her godlike heritage.

My only complaint is that Maddie is a bit too lucky and powerful and is continually getting out of situations she shouldn't be able to get out of. She tends to blast her way through situations that she could probably talk her way out of. While I enjoy the action scenes; I do feel like Maddie’s overzealousness and crazy luck is a bit over the top.

Overall I really enjoyed this story. Fans of the this series should be happy with this installment. We meet some new and interesting fairy creatures. We also get to see Maddie go through some big changes. Maddie’s continual ability to escape impossible situations unscathed does get a bit old, but I do enjoy the fast pace of the story and all of the interesting characters. I recommend this series to fans of urban fantasy. There are better urban fantasy series out there, but this is still a solid one that I enjoy reading.(less)

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May 12, 2013 Helene rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love this series... not because it great writing or because its great escapism... nope I love Beezle the Gaygoyle. Beezle makes the books imo, he has been with Maddy since she was born and is addicted to sugar, donuts, pizza, popcorn ... really good character.
Erm, about the actual book... *Spoilers*

Maddy's Husband ( only literally just got married) was murdered and now Maddy is pregnant something she tries to keep secret and yet everyone knows.. is in trouble with Titania & Oberon for kill...more

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Apr 11, 2013 Whitney Newman rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-books

I am having a hard time deciding how to best rate this series, so I give it 3 stars. I honestly enjoy reading it, it is a quick, easy, and entertaining read but when I sit back and think about it certain things start to fall apart.

The main one I will discuss here is character development. To me, it seems rushed in places. For example, you spend two and a half books building up a forbidden relationship, finally allow it in book 3 only to have it taken away 8 chapters later.

The main complaints I...more

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Dec 03, 2012 Rebecca rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, angels, urban-fantasy

This is probably my least favorite book in the series thus far. In fact, I think I'll wait on reviews of the following book in the series before I buy it, because I was really frustrated with Maddy's behavior in this book. She seems to act impulsively and without thinking several times, and even though her friends warn her that she's heading to a dark place, she ignores them. It felt like her character didn't really develop much. I am interested in seeing how she's changed in the next book, thou...more

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Jan 05, 2013 Laureen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 13-jan

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 07, 2012 Kirsten Lenius rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was not my favorite in this series of books. The story lacked the depth of the previous tales; the characters were somewhat flat and everything seemed to be solved a little too easily with the swing of a sword and threats. Destruction seemed to be the main goal here, rather than what was right. I like some of the main characters, even if Gabriel was killed off prematurely, but didn't care for the unfolding romantic story. J.B. made a bit more sense than Nathaniel, but still. I hope that the...more

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Feb 09, 2013 Kim Heimbuch rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned-hardcopy, citybook

Having Lucifer as a father can be daunting… and dangerous. When Maddy Black finds out she is pregnant soon after losing the love of her life, Gabriel, at the hands of her father making her unborn child a powerful creation of two of Lucifer’s bloodlines. While still mourning his loss, Lucifer decides he can unite the bloodlines, tossing Maddy a curve ball and demanding the child. Vowing to keep her and the baby safe, even from her father, Maddy gets a small reprieve when Nathaniel has been tasked...more

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Feb 12, 2013 Glennis rated it 3 of 5 stars

There is no downtime between books as Maddy deals with the death of her husband and finding out she is pregnant. This book goes from one battle to the next as she coming to realize that no one give her any breathing room to recover from last battle and charge into the next mess. The sad thing is she knows she is being played by Lucifer and yet hasn't found a way to deal with him without ending up doing exactly what he planned. Super fast paced book and new possible ally / antagonist introduced i...more

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Jan 24, 2013 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars

WARNING: SPOILERS FROM BLACK HOWL AHEAD!!

I managed to finish Christina Henry's Black Lament in under two days really and it was pretty great! I don't know why I didn't just read this one right away after it released, especially after the ending of the last one!

After Gabriel's death at the hands of her father Azazel, Maddie is distraught, depressed...all the feelings that come with grieving the lost of loved one. Then when Lucifer tells her she's pregnant, she realizes that it is in fact true. Sh...more

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Jan 28, 2013 Astarte rated it 5 of 5 stars

Gabriel, her husband, has just been murdered in front of her and Maddy's grief stricken. Her strength to carry on is mostly because Lucifer (yes, THAT Lucifer) her many-times-over-grandfather reveals that she is pregnant. Never-the-less, there's a blood price on her head that the fairy courts are more than happy to try to claim, her father, Azazel, to extract vengeance upon, Agents to rescue, old enemies to reconcile with and her Agency gig to keep track of through space-time portals, all whilst...more

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Feb 09, 2013 Cathy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: angels-demons, elves-fae, fantasy, paranormal, read-in-2013, urban, werewolf, vampire

This books was just a mess. The girl is still dumb as a rock. She spends most of the book in fights with creatures that would terrify everyone else in this world except maybe for her great-great-(how many greats?)-grandfather, Lucifer, but she never shows one moment of fear or concern. She never stops to consider that her antagonism and childish behavior is putting her friends at risk. She just keeps bulldozing along, ignoring politics, politeness, and any form of good judgement. And the abiliti...more This books was just a mess. The girl is still dumb as a rock. She spends most of the book in fights with creatures that would terrify everyone else in this world except maybe for her great-great-(how many greats?)-grandfather, Lucifer, but she never shows one moment of fear or concern. She never stops to consider that her antagonism and childish behavior is putting her friends at risk. She just keeps bulldozing along, ignoring politics, politeness, and any form of good judgement. And the abilities that she has can't be explained by her heritage. How are we supposed to believe that this woman with no experience at all can fight a sword duel against Oberon, King of the Fairies for who knows how many millennia, without using any magic? She's dumber than a rock to even consider it.

I get annoyed at people who write crappy reviews but keep reading the books in a series, but here I am and I just don't know why I keep reading this. I still have a little bit of curiosity about where it goes, I guess, but if I had to pay for it instead of getting them from the library I'd never have read past the second book when it became clear that Maddie was just a giant Mary Sue and just keeps getting more and more perfect as every book gets turned out with less and less justification. The only interesting thing to happen in the series is the thing that most fans probably hate, the spoiler that happened at the end of the last book that has Maddie so depressed during this book. At least it shook things up and made them less predictable, I appreciate that the author took the risk to do something that a lot of fans would freak out about. I hope it isn't temporary like in a certain Chicago Vampire series I know.

J.B. even tries to convince her to do something and she says, "You're talking logic here, I don't do logic." Nope, she just does stupid. Childish brat. The idiot has absolutely no fear of anyone. The entire fairy court wants to slaughter her, the boogymen of the Agency, the Retrievers, are being sent after her for her outright defiance and bad attitude, and she can't ever be bothered to just shut the hell up. It isn't witty banter, it just stupid, stupid, stupid. Why would a smart, ambitious and dedicated guy like J.B. be in love with this woman, it makes no sense?

If she had the tiniest bit of humility, showed any learning curve to her powers and abilities, or even just once considered the consequence of her actions then I wouldn't be so frustrated with this book. Once again it has all of the right elements to be really good, I really like the supporting characters like Samiel and Beezle, but it's so darn irritating that it's nuts. I do know that I forgot how irritating it was going to be, but I must have remembered on some level because I got the book from the library and renewed it four times before I forced myself to read it. And that no one else reserved it and forced me to read it or take it back sooner isn't such a good sign for the series, it's obviously not in such high demand.

I gave it two stars only because I like the supporting characters, and for some reason I keep reading the books, so it must not be a one star. But I would never spend money for these books.(less)

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Oct 23, 2012 Kt from A Book Obsession.. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: received-for-review, hardcopy

Review originally posted on my blog: A Book Obsession..

As an Angel of Death, has seen countless souls ferried to the other side, and has become a little numb to the pain and loss associated with it. But all that changed when that loss stuck home and she is left a grieving mess. But there is a small matter of hope with the new life growing inside of her, a happiness that is lessened once Maddy realizes her unborn child would be a mighty temptation for Lucifer. A child of two of his bloodlines wou...more Review originally posted on my blog: A Book Obsession..

As an Angel of Death, has seen countless souls ferried to the other side, and has become a little numb to the pain and loss associated with it. But all that changed when that loss stuck home and she is left a grieving mess. But there is a small matter of hope with the new life growing inside of her, a happiness that is lessened once Maddy realizes her unborn child would be a mighty temptation for Lucifer. A child of two of his bloodlines would have untold power, and Maddy is determined to keep that from his hands no matter what that takes. Meanwhile, the rest of the courts are still stirring trouble and Maddy has had about enough. This time she'll be taking the fight to them.

This was an incredibly difficult and emotional read for me. Heart ache absolutely kills me in a book, especially when it comes from something as permanent and devastating as death. My heart was in every bit as tatters as Maddy's was, and each time she broke down, my heart bled for her. I cannot count the number of times there were tears in my eyes when everything became too much for Maddy. That being said, the ability to affect my emotions that strongly shows just how good these books are and how real the characters are. If the emotion didn't impact me, well then it wouldn't be worth reading.

After reading Black Lament, my respect for Maddy has seriously ratcheted up another notch. Despite the immense emotional pain she was in, she still found a way to stand strong, especially once threatened. It didn't take long at all for her to go all "Momma Bear" and start eliminating current and future threats to herself and her unborn child. At several points throughout the book, her gargoyle companion, Beezle, seems to worry that she is turning over to the dark side, but I don't have the same worry. Sure she is making decisions she never would have in the past, but her actions are justified by the means. She hasn't sought out the trouble that finds her, she only refused to back down when others wanted to either control or destroy her. Granted, she has become a little more proactive in her defense as she began to take some steps to prevent future attacks rather than waiting to be ambushed, but in all honesty I can't blame her one little bit for that. She has no desire for world conquering and if everyone would just leave her alone, she wouldn't be a threat to any of them.

I have to admit that a part of me didn't want to continue on with this series after the heart shattering ending of the previous book as I just didn't want to face the reality of the horrible changes Maddy would have to face. But in the end it was more than worth it to push through it and keep reading, as Maddy and the gang are still some of my top favorite sets of characters. I highly recommend Black Lament as it is full of both emotion and action that will keep you sucked in from the very start. This series just keeps getting better!(less)

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Sep 16, 2012 Michelle Leah Olson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: literal-addiction-books, reviewed

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Pack Alpha - Michelle L. Olson:

I am absolutely in love with this series, so when Christina sent me an ARC of Black Lament to get me through a tough time following back to back surgeries, she couldn't have given me a better gift.

After crying my eyes out following the conclusion of Black Howl and just KNOWING that Christina had amazing things in store for not only us but her characters, I was chomping at the bit to start Black Lament. Let me tell you that Miss He...more Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Pack Alpha - Michelle L. Olson:

I am absolutely in love with this series, so when Christina sent me an ARC of Black Lament to get me through a tough time following back to back surgeries, she couldn't have given me a better gift.

After crying my eyes out following the conclusion of Black Howl and just KNOWING that Christina had amazing things in store for not only us but her characters, I was chomping at the bit to start Black Lament. Let me tell you that Miss Henry did not disappoint, not even a bit!

My first words upon completing the book were this: "Holy cow! Another amazing read by Christina Henry. Dark, intriguing, action packed, emotion laced, & jam packed with goodness. I can't wait for the next book!"

As the synopsis says, after tragedy strikes, Maddy finds some comfort in the fact that she has something to look forward to. The only problem is that she just can't seem to stay out of trouble, and everyone wants a piece of her for their own personal gains. She's pretty much made enemies in all the supernatural courts, and now she's getting heat from her bosses bosses to boot.

This is an incredibly difficult review to write because SO much happens in this installment and I refuse to spoil any of it. Many, many things change, characters that you hated you have to learn to like, characters that were always Maddy's rocks are beginning to waiver, numerous new characters are introduced and muddle up the already delicate balance that Maddy is desperately trying to hold on to (both for better and for worse), and Maddy discovers and nurtures a darkness within herself that has those closest to her a bit on edge.

One of the best lines is towards the end of the book and sums up a lot of the feeling throughout the tale. Maddy and Lucifer are talking and Lucifer asks "Do you really believe you can defeat whatever comes your way?". Maddy replies with, "I have to believe that, because every time I turn around there's something else". That, in a nutshell, sums up this series thus far, and especially this installment.

In Black Lament, Christina changes things even more than she did in Black Howl (and I wasn't sure that was even possible). She also opens up the series for an entirely new sub-plotline, and I am dying to see how Black City turns out!

Love, love LOVE this series!

LITERAL ADDICTION gives Black Lament a well deserved 5 Skulls and would recommend it to all Urban Fantasy lovers. I do suggest that readers take in the whole series and start with Black Wings, Black Night and Black Howl before Black Lament, however. There is just too much history that you'll miss, and you don't want to miss them anyway; they're too fantastic. (less)

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Nov 07, 2012 Marsha rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Adults

Someone, please explain to me what has happened to this series? It started out so promising: but, now it has turned into a convoluted mess. With each consecutive book, layers after layers of new myths are piled on to an already rich mythological world. Initially, we have the worlds of the agents of death, fathered by Lucifer, protected by a gargoyle, fallen angels, werewolves, attacked by faeries, vampires etc. Enough already!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In this installment, Maddy finds she is...more

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Dec 26, 2012 Arushi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

There is something about Madeline Black that makes you keep coming back for more. Black Lament is the fourth book, and I am still here. And I will be there for Black City.

Maybe what makes Maddy so attractive is the fact that she really really does not want any of this: politics, power, magic, money, none of it; or maybe it is that her reactions are like those of a normal modern woman. She does not want to be controlled. She just wants to live and she judges other people on the basis of how she...more

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Nov 12, 2012 Kristen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: angels, demons, fantasy, immortal, magical, paranormal, shapeshifters, urban-fantasy, vamps

GENRE: Urban Fantasy
THEME: Demons/Magic/Paranormal
RECEIVED: ACE
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/
3.5 star

REVIEW:
I was very weary about starting Black Lament, the ending of the previous book broke my heart in so many ways as the reader and for the lead character Maddy. I felt the relationship between Maddy and Gabriel didn’t get enough build up, but with this book starting right in the aftermath, the reader really feels that emptiness from the previous books.

Black Lament follows the very stro...more GENRE: Urban Fantasy
THEME: Demons/Magic/Paranormal
RECEIVED: ACE
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/
3.5 star

REVIEW:
I was very weary about starting Black Lament, the ending of the previous book broke my heart in so many ways as the reader and for the lead character Maddy. I felt the relationship between Maddy and Gabriel didn’t get enough build up, but with this book starting right in the aftermath, the reader really feels that emptiness from the previous books.

Black Lament follows the very strong willed Madeline Black, once again fighting for her life. After the loss of her husband Gabriel she is heartbroken and now with a baby on the way she has a lot more to protect. Maddy not only wants revenge on her father Azazel for the loss of Gabriel but has to deal with the on going threat and attacks from the faerie court. Life is never easy for the granddaughter of Lucifer.

Maddy, I swear more and more this girl is reminding me a lot of Anita Blake from Laurell K Hamilton’s series. She just keeps on getting stronger and more powerful and I don’t really know why. Some may think she was super reckless in this book but she just lost the love of her life, so I gave her a break from running in head first. Everyone is telling her to be careful, think of the baby and try not to make someone else her enemy, but she totally ignores everyone. In the end I’m still not sure what her weakness is besides the people closest to her but this girl is unstoppable and now with her little one coming, she’s might get even more powerful.

The gang of course is back and my favorite bits of the story have them all in it. Beezle, Maddy’s trusted and always hungry Gargoyle is the humor of all the books and pretty much the one who keeps Maddy stable. Samuel gets a love interest and along with Beezle is by Maddy’s side. We also get a lot of Jude, the werewolf and ally of Maddy who takes a lead role in helping her find Azazel and save her fellow agents. J.B, who always seems to make me smile, his heart still is for Madeline but I feel she wont ever let him in emotionally. Then of course Nathaniel, I was actually surprised that he was brought back into Madeline’s life, but he helps them a lot, even though they don’t trust him. I’m not a real fan of his character and hope he just becomes apart of the gang instead of a love interest again.

Some side stories that came about were of the faerie court, dealing with classic characters such as Titania and Oberon, along with the interesting Puck. Even though I liked the idea of bringing in a new evil threat, I felt there was already so much going on with Azazel as the villain. The ending was a great new start to the series and I hope will pace the story a little better the next time around. It’s pretty shocking what happens not only to Maddy but what Azazel created and left behind for her to deal with.

Overall, this took a little dip from what I loved in the previous books but I feel that everything that happened in this book was so built up that it was a relief to see some bit of conclusion. The characters are still strong and really held on to the plot and kept me reading. I look forward to the next task for Maddy and her friends to battle.

RECOMMENDATION:
This is an adult romance that brings out the best of Urban Fantasies, Fans of Jennifer Estep’s Elemental Assassins series and Devon Monks Allie Beckstrom series, then Christina Henrys Madeline Black series is the perfect fit!
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Oct 29, 2012 Stacy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: from-publisher-author, netgalley

Even though Maddy has been through hell and lost much she is incredibly strong and level headed most of the time. The Agency is breathing down her neck and the Fae are trying to kill her at every turn. She is pregnant and has lost her husband but she is not alone and with so many behind her she continues to fight against those that are against her.

Maddy is in a lot of emotional pain throughout BLACK LAMENT. She broke down a few times and was depressing at many points. Madeline acted a bit like...more

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Mar 12, 2013 Paris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, urban-fantasy, must-read-series

I still am very much enjoying this series. Although Maddy is a tad reckless and all over the place, I feel like she’s doing the best she can given the situations she constantly finds herself in. Christina Henry did a great job showing Maddy’s grief over the loss of Gabriel, but also gave us a woman who was determined to keep going despite the fact that she had lost her husband. Although I love JB, it was weird to have him declaring his love for Maddy so soon after Gabriel’s demise. I think him j...more

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Oct 26, 2012 Shelley aka Gizmo's Reviews rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-releases, publishers-arc

*Genre* Urban Fantasy
*Rating* 3.5

*Review*

Madeline (Maddy) Black has had enough of being pushed around and targeted just because of who she is and what she carries. She is suffering from a loss of the heart, and everyone around her is worried that she might take a leap over to the dark side and be just what Lucifer has always wanted; a protégée.

“Every time you try to cross me (Lucifer) you just get pulled further into my orbit.”

If you’ve read Black Howl (Black Wings # 3), you know that it ended w...more *Genre* Urban Fantasy
*Rating* 3.5

*Review*

Madeline (Maddy) Black has had enough of being pushed around and targeted just because of who she is and what she carries. She is suffering from a loss of the heart, and everyone around her is worried that she might take a leap over to the dark side and be just what Lucifer has always wanted; a protégée.

“Every time you try to cross me (Lucifer) you just get pulled further into my orbit.”

If you’ve read Black Howl (Black Wings # 3), you know that it ended with a shocking death and a surprise revelation that left readers wondering what else we can expect from Christina Henry. Every time Maddy tries to extract herself from the Fallen and her own father’s viciousness, and plots to unseat Lucifer, she somehow finds more enemies and more entanglements than one person should be allowed to face in one lifetime.

Maddy’s job as an Agent of Death is severely tried and tested and she ends up making a decision that left me wondering what will happen next.

Black Lament is filled with intrigue, darkness, action, new characters and their threats, as well as questions that will have to hold readers over until the next installment of this series. We see an entirely different side to Maddy than we’ve seen before.

It’s a story that you will either love or hate because of the way Maddy decides to become something of a vigilante after losing the love of her life. She goes after her enemies with a sort of reckless abandonment and somehow survives despite all the odds which is truly miraculous considering they are supposedly more powerful and have been around since the beginning of time.

In a way, Black Lament is hard to review without spoiling what happens over the course of its pages. The usual suspects are back: Beezle, Samiel, Jude, J.B, and Nathaniel who has been given the job of protecting Maddy from harm at the expense of his own life by Lucifer. There are, of course, new characters that come into the picture and whose own agendas are not fully revealed.

Naturally, there is a cliffhanger, of sorts, that left me screaming and wanting to read the next book asap!

Expected publication: October 30th 2012 by Ace(less)

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Oct 26, 2012 Jen (That's What I'm Talking About) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: black-wings-series, madeline-black-series, urban-fantasy

My Rating:3.5 stars: Liked it - recommend(B+)
Full Review: http://www.twimom227.com/2012/10/revi...

NOTE: review (below) contain spoilers from the previous book, Black Howl.

Black Lament jumps back into the story of our heroine, Madeline (Maddy) Black, moments after the emotionally explosive conclusion of the third book in Ms. Henry’s fabulous series. Maddy has recently lost the love of her life, killed by her fallen angle father, Azazel. She is oddly comforted her by great (great...) grand-daddy,...more My Rating:3.5 stars: Liked it - recommend (B+)
Full Review: http://www.twimom227.com/2012/10/revi...

NOTE: review (below) contain spoilers from the previous book, Black Howl.

Black Lament jumps back into the story of our heroine, Madeline (Maddy) Black, moments after the emotionally explosive conclusion of the third book in Ms. Henry’s fabulous series. Maddy has recently lost the love of her life, killed by her fallen angle father, Azazel. She is oddly comforted her by great (great...) grand-daddy, Lucifer, until she realizes he wants to keep her little bundle of joy growing in her belly - something else that Maddy just discovered. It is a lot for Maddy to adjust to, including her continually increasing powers born from Lucifer.

Although she wants to just be left alone, Maddy still has a job to do (she is an agent of death and has souls to guide to the “Door.”) To compound her problems, she’s on the hit list of all the major faerie factions after taking out one of their queens (who also happened to be her boss/friend, JB’s mom). Surrounding Maddy is her ever present house guardian gargoyle, Beezle and her friends Jude and Samiel. Adding to the equation is her ex-fiancee (arranged marriage), Nathaniel - there to protector her at the arrangement of Lucifer.

Once again, the greatest strength of this series is the cast of amazingly well-developed characters. Maddy herself is changing and growing. Not only does she have a larger “family unit” to protect and care for, but soon she will be a mother. She rises to the challenge time and time again.

Overall the story flows well, with a great pace and balanced mixture of thought vs action. The plot progression is just right - never lagging behind, even with some emotionally-laden scenes. The dialogue is plain fabulous.

There are two things that did bother me while reading. One, I felt at times that “too much” was happening to Maddy. For a while it felt like nothing was going right. I began to worry that the story would become one-sided, with Maddy always fighting and in trouble with someone. The second thing is Maddy’s growing “relationship” with Nathaniel. Throughout the story, Nathaniel was actually unselfish and kind (or so it appeared). This caused some confusion in Maddy, who wanted desperately to hold on to her hatred of the man. It annoyed me that she should even feel conflicted emotion.

In the end, this is a good follow up to one of my all-time favorite books. Maddy created some enormous enemies this time around and ticked off just about every paranormal faction (to include her own people). Just as Beezle fears where Maddy is headed, I fear it as well. Black Lament felt like a turning point - a transition - in the overall story arc. There was a lot of change, and I'm not sure how it will sit with me in the long run. Maddy is walking a fine line, and if she falls, I don't know if I can't follow her. With that said, I cannot wait to read the next installment!(less)

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Nov 04, 2012 Mara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

The cartoonish element are still prominent in this fourth instalment. Maddy keeps winning against all odds, but gathering enemies as she goes.

I do wonder how the author thinks of extricating Maddy from her life/problems given what happens in Black Lament. Maddy is bordering invincible, even if she pays a very high personal price for every action. She's losing a bit of humanity with every step.

There are many problems that I see in Black Wings, but this series is still one I love.

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Apr 29, 2013 Blodeuedd Finland rated it 3 of 5 stars

Wow Madeleine is just crazy kick-ass, she always was but now, ha, kick-ass beyond everything. But that is why she is fun to read about, she rushes into a situation, tries to kill somneone (does kill someone) and often end up mortally wounded. She is not stupid, she is just, let's get this S#¤t done!!

And of course after the true evilness! after book 3 I was dying to read this one. Gabriel was killed..killed and I was all wtf?! Not to mention Maddy is preggers and Lucifer could not be happier. But...more

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Jan 17, 2013 Natalie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Maddy is back in her fourth adventure, and once again, thrown into a battle she does not seek or want. What I liked about this book is it picks up immediately after the third book--no pause whatsoever.

Maddy, of course, still needs to learn how to reign in her emotions, and the demons after her just keep coming. Her allies grow, but so do her enemies.

An enjoyable series--it'll be interesting where the author takes the storyline next!

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Nov 02, 2012 Maya rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fae, urban-fantasy, angel, demon

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 29, 2013 Gail Newbold rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love Madeline Black. Why? Because she is naturally defiant, and does what she wants and takes no bullshit. Even when she wasn't all powerful, she refused to shovel shit and I just respect that in any woman- fictitious or real.
I'd recommend this series for anyone who needs just a little bit of love, a bit more action and A LOT of sarcasm. I really enjoyed it, and I can't wait for the 5th installment.

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Black Lament (Black Wings #4)

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