The Black Wings series has an enticing ecosystem of Agents of the Dead, angels, demons, fairies, and gargoyles. Despite those natural advantages, however, I think it is time for me and Madeline Black to part ways. Maddy has a very "Hulk smash" approach to life, and though she shows some flashes of self awareness in BLACK CITY, it seems admitting she has a problem has brought Maddy no closer to reforming her behavior.

Beyond my issues with Maddy's recklessness, there is certainly a lot to enjoy in this series. Henry has taken some interesting risks with her characters, allowing life changing disappointments and developments to play out without resorting to magic to wipe everything away. Maddy is a pregnant heroine, something I haven't encountered often. She's also grieving the loss of her lover with very human emotion, not immediately embarking on a quest to miraculously restore him (though now, more than ever, it feels like Gabriel's resurrection is right around the corner).

The plot pluses aren't outweighing the minuses for me, anymore. I've finally become numb to the arbitrary choices of Maddy and her band as they seem to survive no matter how ridiculous the plan or how bad the odds. If there is an immortal, all-powerful being opposing them, Maddy will magically annihilate everyone with heretofore unknown powers. If she's not yet in a killing mood, she'll bluster and punch her way through the scene... a habit that is more boring rather than fun or funny. Prefacing every situation with hand wringing and arguments doesn't make everything dramatic, it just makes everything equally boring. I may pop in down the line if Maddy has her baby (I'd love to see an UF heroine manage an infant alongside magical mayhem), but for now the series has exhausted all of my interest and patience.

Sexual Content: Kissing, references to sex.