For too long, Violet and the people of the outer circles of the Lone City have lived a life of servitude, controlled and manipulated by the royalty of the Jewel. But now, the secret society known as the Black Key is preparing to seize power and knock down the walls dividing each circle.
And while Violet knows she is at the center of this rebellion, she has a more personal stake in it—for her sister, Hazel, has been taken by the Duchess of the Lake. Now, after fighting so hard to escape the Jewel, Violet must do everything in her power to return, to save not only Hazel, but the future of the Lone City.
❝ “The people you love make you strong, Violet. They make you brave and fearless. I wish there were some way I could make you see that.”❞
I finally reached the end of this great series! I put it off for a while but it was so easy falling back into this world. I was excited to see how things ended and this book did not disappoint!
In the Black Key, Violet and her friends are preparing to finally take the fight to the Jewel. The Black Key society along with the surrogates descended from the Paladins are setting things into motion to finally take the walls down and change the world. But first, Violet has to return to the world of the Jewel in order to save her sister.
I definitely enjoyed this book more than the last one, and I think the reason for that is we had a lot less Ash in here. Ever since Ash and Violet escaped in the second book I felt like Ash changed. He was more moody, whiny, and sometimes a little bit rude to Violet. We still saw a little of that in this one, but just briefly since the group splits up and Violet goes to the Jewel. And yes, I totally get that he’s in a stressful situation – but so is everyone else and it doesn’t mean Violet should have to put up with it.
The story really picks up once Violet makes her way back into the Jewel. I think it was interesting that her cover was as a servant because it gave us a new perspective. The last time she was here Violet was there as a surrogate and she had a completely different experience. I think it was great to see things from a servant’s perspective to see how they were treated slightly better but still not entirely as people. Their identities were erased in a way when they came there because the royalty would rename them. They were only to be seen when they were needed, they could only rest and eat when the royalty didn’t need them anymore. They basically had to put their lives and needs on hold until the royalty released them.
Another element I really enjoyed was a closer look at the history between the Duchess of the Lake and the Exetor. We know from the past books that they were deeply in love but driven apart for reasons unknown. We get to know more about those circumstances in this book and it paints a different picture of the Duchess. I liked seeing more depth to her and getting to understand her better.
Overall, I loved the plot and pacing. It never slowed down and was a quick fun read. The ending was everything I wanted even though it left us with some questions about what would happen next on the island (and what laid beyond it). Still, it was a great conclusion.
In the end, I think this was a great series that I recommend to the fans of YA fantasy with elements of female power and rebellion!
Stellar Kitten Book Reviews 