After the realization that his own brothers forced him to to perform deadly transformation curses and then altered his memories to him make him forget, Cassel Sharpe is trying to go legit. Now, the boy whose family views the government as the enemy is a trainee for the FBI. But being one of the good guys doesn't come easy for Cassel. And when the head of a crime family--who just happens to be the love of his life's father--threatens to kill Cassel's mother unless he finds an important artifact, being good gets even harder. Then when the Feds want to turn him into an assassin again, Cassel has trouble figuring out who the good guys are and if they even exist. Once again, Cassel has to outsmart both sides, each of which are fighting for a piece of him.

Just like the first two installments in The Curse Workers trilogy, Black Heart is engrossing, entertaining, and unpredictable. The plot is as spirited and intelligent as is its protagonist, who has just the right mix of irreverence, street-smarts, and sarcasm to appeal to teen readers. Part of Cassel's charm is that he is acutely aware of his own weaknesses, and the reader will identify with him as he struggles against his nature to do the right thing. Once again, Cassel is forced into impossible situations from which he uses his wits to emerge triumphant, without becoming a pawn for those who want to take advantage of him. While the premise of the story is fantasy, some content is mature, including murder, organized crime, one episode of underage drinking, and implied teen sex. Language is relatively mild (b-tch, b-stard, a-s, h-ll, d-mnit, sh-t). Fans of this fast-paced and suspenseful read will be left completely satisfied by the trilogy's conclusion.

{be the first to share your thoughts about this book}

{Click on a keyword to find other books containing the same subject matter}