Title: A Good Bargain
Author: Christina Henry
Series: Black Wings #1.6
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Angels, Ghosts, Paranormal fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: Free online short story
Publisher: Christina Henry online
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: The ground shook like the tremor of an earthquake, and I staggered a little.

Everyone loves a good bargain. And, although I can’t imagine what it is like to go shopping at a Walmart or some such shop, it was still quite amusing reading about Maddie’s (once again) chaotic experience of shopping. The appearance of Lucifer, and Beezle’s snappy comments just helped to increase the enjoyable feeling of mayhem that I know I experience when I have to go to the shops.

This is a great little short story that, although it doesn’t quite add to the overarching storyline, is a great aside of Maddie’s daily existence under the shadow of Lucifer’s lineage. A nice way to fill up 5 minutes when you don’t have the time to read one of the novels.

Image source: Fang-tastic Fiction

Title: Night Out
Author: Christina Henry
Series: Black Wings #1.5
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Angels, Ghosts, Paranormal fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: Free online short story
Publisher: Christina Henry online
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: He stood in a shadow cast by the taller hotel across the alley from the movie theatre roof.

It’s kind of difficult to find the time, not to mention the money to spend a night out on the town. And I don’t have supernatural duties and forces to contend with. Maddie and Beezle’s night on the town, although it had a happy ending had the same catastrophic, chaotic style that well, all of her stories do. It made me feel a lot better about my own hermit-like existence at times…

Dragons, illusions and weird little demons are a great way to work up the energy to watch Toy Story 3 (which I haven’t seen yet by the way). And Beezle’s determination to have his popcorn is both irritating, and endearingly obnoxious. Maddie’s ability to constantly maintain her sass and attitude, even when she’s quite possibly bleeding to death shines again throughout this story. If you’re feeling bad about not going out to socialise as much as you’d like then this is a good little story to read. It will not only make you laugh on your night in, but it will also remind you that sometimes it is just better to stay at home.

Image source: Fang-tastic Fiction

Title: Aren’t You Glad You Didn’t Turn on the Lights?
Author: Christina Henry
Series: Black Wings #0.6
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Angels, Ghosts, Paranormal fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: Free online short story
Publisher: Christina Henry online
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: He was young, surprisingly young.

In hindsight, this isn’t really the type of story you should be reading while you are in the middle of nowhere, doing fieldwork at 3am… The title alone kind of shows that. Regardless, I actually thoroughly enjoyed these five pages of slight terror that I felt in my tiny, accessible cabin on reserve. I just didn’t so much enjoy it when I decided to turn out the lights…

Maddie’s position as an Agent of Death must have some pretty difficult deaths which she is forced to witness. And, although they don’t fit into the overall structure of the novels, I like that Henry was able to find time to pen a short story of one such moment. I can’t imagine the horror that Maddie felt at watching a, well, horrifying murder take place right in front of her. Yet, the poetic justice of the story did help it to come full circle and emphasise that at least in this literary world, good always triumphs.

Image source: Fang-tastic Fiction

Title: Black Lament
Author: Christina Henry
Series: Black Wings #4
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this),
My Bookshelves: Angels, Ghosts, Paranormal fantasy
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Ace Fantasy
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: I acknowledged this with a nod.

As an Agent of Death, Madeline Black deals with loss every day. But when tragedy touches her own life, Maddy will have to find the strength within to carry on…

Devastated and grieving, Maddy unexpectedly finds hope with the discovery that she is pregnant. But her joy is short-lived when Lucifer informs her that he wants the baby, hoping to draw on the combined power of two of his bloodlines. Maddy is determined that her grandfather will never have her child, but she’s not sure what she can do to stop him.

Being pregnant is stressful enough, but Maddy suddenly finds herself at odds with the Agency, which forbids her from meddling in the affairs of the supernatural courts. When a few of her soul collections go awry, Maddy begins to suspect that the Agency wants to terminate her employment. It should know by now that she isn’t the sort to give up without a fight…

Black Lament had a very drastic change in tone to the first three Black Wings stories. And honestly, I’m not sure how I feel about it. On one hand, it showed an amazing ability to have a changing and dynamic character; on the other, I love Maddy Black for her sass, sarcasm and wit, all of which were tainted by a black halo of depression. When they were present. However, this change in the general ambiance of the tale really should have been obvious from the title of the novel.

Although the black haze through which Maddy travels in Black Lament was incredibly bothersome, it was really her slow greying of morals that I found difficult to stomach. Throughout the series she has clung stubbornly to her morality and sense of self, yet, the moment her unborn child is threatened, she does everything she always swore she wouldn’t. Yes, it is a fantastic testament to the lengths that a woman will go to for her child, but, mostly I just found it difficult. The change seems totally plausible in a character’s development; it wasn’t one that I truly appreciated. I suppose because this character had always conducted herself in very much a ‘right and wrong’, ‘black and white’ way, and all of a sudden the lines are incredibly blurred.

Honestly, it was Beezle and Samiel who really saved this story for me. Where Maddy is almost difficult to really sympathise with throughout this story, Beezle and Samiel stay true to themselves, and even to Maddy. Although Beezle is often a voice of conscious to her, and constantly questions whether she has already crossed the line, he is still loyal. Both characters seem to be determined to save and protect her, even if it is just from herself.

Image source: Goodreads

Title: Black Howl
Author: Christina Henry
Series: Black Wings #3
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Angels, Ghosts, Paranormal fantasy
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Ace Fantasy
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: I thought the Romans would protect him.

Madeline Black is an Agent of Death, meaning she escorts the souls of people who have died to the afterlife. But lately, some spirits don’t feel like crossing over…

Something is wrong with the souls of Chicago’s dead. Ghosts are walking the streets, and Maddy’s boss wants her to figure out why. At the same time, the pact that Maddy unwittingly made with the local werewolves comes back to bite her when their alpha is kidnapped. As Lucifer’s heir, she should be able to discover who – or what – is responsible for both occurrences, but the fallen haven’t been too happy with her since she agreed to harbor Gabriel’s half brother, Samiel.

And while work is bad enough, Maddy has a plethora of personal problems, too. Now that Gabriel has been assigned as her thrall, their relationship has hit an impasse. At least her sleazy ex-fiance, Nathaniel, is out of the picture – or so she thinks…

The end of this story was one of the most insanely powerful stories that I have read in a long time – it both made me want to cry and whoop for joy. Maddy’s constantly dramatic tale gets more intense with each book in the Black Wings series, and I’m not really sure how it can get any more potent than Black Howl. I read the entire book in about three hours – it was just IMPOSSIBLE to put down! And even four hours after finishing the last page, my head is still spinning and twirling with the tale I just read.

There is a lot of use of Christian lore within the Black Wings series – starting with Lucifer and the Grigori. This theme continued with the introduction of Judas (yes, that Judas), and a poignant reminder that Lucifer is a multi-faceted creature with inconceivable and convoluted goals for each and everyone of his actions. Yet, he isn’t inherently evil – after all, Lucifer was originally beloved by God, although this fact does depart from the mythos created in the series. However, it is the politics and Lucifer’s manipulations and disregard of others which are truly concerning about his actions and intents.

Maddy’s small entourage and her courage (and gumption) in protecting them, no matter the cost are incredibly enviable qualities. Granted, they constantly get her into much more trouble than she really needs, but it is her loyalty and brutal honesty that is a constant reminder of her inner strength. Her ability to stay true to herself and her small family are a great way to highlight the importance of family – the family that you find for yourself, not the one with which you share blood.

Image source: Goodreads

Title: Black Night
Author: Christina Henry
Series: Black Wings #2
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Angels, Ghosts, Paranormal fantasy
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Ace fantasy
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: My magic rose up, hot and angry, and I could tell when Nathaniel sensed it.

Madeline Black is an Agent of Death, meaning she escorts the souls of people who have died to the afterlife. Of course, not everyone is happy to see her…

If obstinate dead people were all that Maddy had to worry about, life would be much easier. But the best-laid plans of Agents and fallen angels often go awry. Deaths are occurring contrary to the natural order, Maddy’s being stalked by foes inside and outside of her family, and her two loves – her body-guard, Gabriel, and her gargoyle, Beezle – disappear. But because Maddy is Lucifer’s granddaughter, things are expected of ther, things like delicate diplomatic missions to other realms.

Dear old granddad wants Maddy to go to the faerie court and negotiate a new land and power treaty. The fallen’s last emissary was decapitated, so it’s up to Maddy to keep her head – both literally and figuratively…

This was a great sequel to Black Wings – it had the same wit and humour, Maddy’s same ability to stumble unwittingly into problem after problem, and a gorgeous cast that you couldn’t help but feel attached to. Maddy’s clumsiness, and talent for putting her foot in her mouth have turned her into one of the most relatable heroines I have read recently. I’m constantly tripping over my own feet and getting confused about what I’m supposed to be doing in life – much like Maddy.

Most of the heroines in stories have their vulnerabilities and are often sassy, but Maddy is a thirty-something year-old virgin with almost no clue what she is doing. It’s rare that there is a story about a virgin of that age, but adding to that the fact that Maddy is literally floundering for the vast majority of her adventures, although there is still plenty of sass in every drowning moment. Black Night highlighted this beautifully – she messes up negotiations with the Faerie Queen from the very beginning. Yet, even though she knows that she is deeply in trouble, she manages to hold her head high and somehow wade her way out of the muck that she has found herself in.

Black Night also brings us closer to Maddy’s supposed fiancé Nathaniel, and highlights the depth of her feelings for Gabriel. Throwing J.B. into the mix creates a wonderfully sticky and complex web of relationships that I for one, do not envy. The stark contrast in the three men adds flavour to the mix – their different personalities and approaches to Maddy creates a more confusing attraction between her and them, at least in some circumstances.

Image source: Christina Henry