Author: Amy Ewing
Genre: Young Adult/Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Publication: HarperTeen
Release Date: October 4th 2016
Pages: 295
Spoilers: Probably not, but be sure to have read The Jewel first, and also The White Rose.
Rating: 
(4.0 / 5)
I had to freaking wait a WHOLE YEAR before I could read The Black Key after finishing The White Rose, the second book in The Lone City trilogy. I loved the first part with my whole heart and was super exciting to read the final book as well. I was hoping for an early review copy, but Harper decided not to hand out review copies at all. That was a bummer. So I had to wait and wait and wait… and then all of the sudden, the paperback wasn’t being published. I even e-mailed Harper, but they had to wait to publish it. So in January (which was a 16 month wait), I finally got the read it. IT. WAS. WORTH. IT.
“For too long, Violet and the people of the outer circles of the Lone City have lived in service to the royalty of the Jewel. But now the secret society known as the Black Key is preparing to seize power.
And while Violet knows she is at the center of this rebellion, she has a more personal stake in it—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.” [Goodreads]
Okay, quick summary: Violet was auctioned to become a surrogate for some rich lady. The problem was that she’d die if she had the baby. She escaped, found out why she was even a surrogate and then things got pretty weird. In a good way. Spoiler alert (like I said: only read this if you’ve read the previous books), her sister got kidnapped to become a surrogate in her place.
In The Black Key (GORGEOUS COVER) Violet has to save her sister and stop the royalty from killing the girls with special powers. But how can one girl do that, one may ask. Well, Violet is teaching the girls at the surrogate training centers to use their powers (if they have any). Her plan is to build an army, infiltrate and break down the walls surrounding the Jewel.
What I love about this book is how Violet has grown. She has girl power and isn’t afraid to do what she thinks is right even when her man (love him) isn’t totally agreeing with her. She is a real individual and fights for what she believes in. And yes, sometimes she’s a bit stubborn, but isn’t that what makes main characters interesting? As long as they don’t go too far, I can live with it. Reading about Violet was fun!
The storyline? It was a bit slow at the beginnen (like: the first ten pages) but after that it was one big ride of exciting things, building up to the ultimate climax that got me reading until far after midnight. The surrogate powers were a bit weird tho, and for me, it was a bit too much. But as a whole, it really worked and it made sure the plot line made sense. I didn’t really see this coming when I started reading The Jewel, and that is something I can really appreciate about YA-books.
But the thing that made me enjoy The Black Key the most is Amy’s writing style. I. LOVE. IT. It felt like coming home. It WAS coming home. She made and incredible world that was interesting, exciting and sometimes even mysterious. Whenever Amy writes, the world comes to life. It’s not too much – it’s just about right.
The Black Key was super enjoyable. It wasn’t the best book in the series tho – nothing will ever exceed how much I love The Jewel. The Black Key was a worthy ending, tho. It had spunk! The book is dynamic, exciting and sometimes even funny. At the end, when everything unravelled, I felt satisfied. I wish there was more of this series to read about!
Have you read The Jewel of The White Rose yet? Or even The Black Key? Let me know what you think about it down below!
