From the Bookshelf of Q&A with Rhi Etzweiler…

Blacker than Black

Rhi Etzweiler

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What Members Thought

Aug 09, 2011 Emanuela ~plastic duck~ rated it really liked it

Shelves: glbt, romance, urban-fantasy

Not your ordinary, bloodthirsty vampires! They are Lyche, beings who feed from the energy of other living creatures - humans, animals, vampires.

Black and Jhez, twins, are Nightwalkers, who sell their chi, their life energy to vampires, but they're also special, because they get from their johns not only their credits, but also their own energy. One night, though, Black steals chi from Monsieur Garthelle, the ruler of York, who demands Black for compensation: Black and Jhez will work for him at o Not your ordinary, bloodthirsty vampires! They are Lyche, beings who feed from the energy of other living creatures - humans, animals, vampires.

Black and Jhez, twins, are Nightwalkers, who sell their chi, their life energy to vampires, but they're also special, because they get from their johns not only their credits, but also their own energy. One night, though, Black steals chi from Monsieur Garthelle, the ruler of York, who demands Black for compensation: Black and Jhez will work for him at one of his gatherings of vampires. During that first night, a powerful vampire, who is connected with the twins too, is killed and Garthelle asks them to help him investigate. Slowly, as they get deeper into the politics, history and rules of Lyche, Black discovers things about their heritage, while the connection with Garthelle - prompted by that fateful first chi-theft - becomes more intimate and dangerous.

This is not an easy read, so if you're in the mood for something fluffy and light, this might not be the book for you, but it might be right if you're looking for a complex and dark story.

The writing, the setting and the protagonists are not only written, they are chiseled in this book. I read another book co-written by the same author, where I loved the imaginative politics ruling that world, and I found the same depth of analysis here. Honestly, the bonds and maneuvers ingrained in the Lyche mentality and Black's complexity sometimes seemed more that the author could chew, so I think the ambition and strive for perfection that are palpable in every single word of the book sometimes weighed on the telling.

The author chose a difficult path. The story is written in the first-person present-tense point of view of Black. It probably couldn't have been written in another way, because we need that kind of immersion in the story to be able to appreciate what Black decides to show or to hide to the reader, what Black understands or misinterprets of what's going on.

In the literal swirl of emotions binding all the characters, I felt I sometimes lost the connection with Black, as if I was being cut off. Maybe it was because Black was often guarded, in a self-protection mode, so I wasn't able to feel close enough. Usually it's the love interest that elicits the most unguarded emotions of the protagonist, but in this story I thought Black was more sincere while reflecting on how the father abandoned their family. It showed the deep hurt that experience caused to Black, especially when Black was trying to hide it, to deflect the attention of other people.

I think the part between the 25% to the 50% of the book was a bit long and I admit I thought the description of the emotional bond between Black and Garthelle was repeated too many times. It's true that it shows the progression of this link, but this paired up with the slow investigation at the beginning made the book drag a bit. After the 50% mark, the book literally flew for me.

Another small complaint. (view spoiler)

There is clearly a lot of research in the terminology used. I confess I hadn't used the dictionary in my Kindle so much in a long while, but as I said before, it showed the care the author used to forge every sentence. A fascinating story. ...more

13 likes · Like · see review

Apr 13, 2012 Rhi Etzweiler marked it as books-i-wrote · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, speculative-fiction, gender-fucked, romance

If you're not sure you want to read this one...

You can read the first eleven chapters without paying for them.

The first six chapters are on Riptide's website, or here on mine. And check the "Blog Tour" archive on my website for the next five chapter excerpts that were passed around during the release tour in January.

And of course, feel free to stop by my Q&A group with any other questions you might have! ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Mar 09, 2015 Gwen rated it liked it

I must admit that this isn't the usual kind of romantic book I read and I wasn't going to review it, but I really think that this book, with a bit of tweaking has mainstream potential. I know there are grammar problems blah, blah, blah but I really enjoyed the new take on vampires, it was a fresh idea in a saturated market as well as having series potential, all you need to do (if you want) is to change Black into a girl, which should be easy and your book will appeal to a wider audience. ...more

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Aug 07, 2011 Amara rated it it was amazing

I'm not sure what to say about Black really. I've tried for a while now to form some kind of comprehensive review, and just can't quite get one to come out like I want.

Bottom line... I loved it. I've read several things by Rhi Etzweiler now, and I just love Rhi's writing style. In this one, although written in First person POV, which rarely works for me, it really works for me with Black. The world Rhi has created is wonderful, the vampires are like none I've ever read before, a whole new take o ...more

4 likes · Like · see review

Feb 02, 2012 Darkm rated it it was amazing

Shelves: vampires, paranormal, m-m

This is one of those books it's impossible to forget. The world is very interesting and the story is full of twists and turns, I was instantly captivated and fully engaged with it. The characters are complex and with multiple layers, I was fascinated by all of them, although my favorite one is absolutely Black.

What else can I say? I'm sorry I've finished it, I wish there was more.

On a side note, I find the cover absolutely amazing. I loved it. ...more

8 likes · Like · see review

Aug 07, 2011 Rhi Etzweiler marked it as books-i-wrote · (Review from the author)

Shelves: urban-fantasy, speculative-fiction, gender-fucked

If you're not sure you want to read this one...

You can read the first eleven chapters without paying for them.

The first six chapters on Riptide's website, or here on mine. And check the "Blog Tour" archive on my website for the next five chapter excerpts that were passed around during the release tour in January.

There's also some interesting conversation about the book and characters over here in M/M Italia which hosted a live session Q&A.

And of course, feel free to stop by my Q&A group with any ...more

1 like · Like · see review