red glove

This was a cool book.  However, the cover sucks.

Red Glove is the sequel to Holly Black’s White Cat, part of the Curse Worker’s series.  This story begins shortly after White Cat leaves off.  Cassel has discovered his brothers’ deception and fixed it in the only way he knows how.  In doing so he’s revealed to Zacharov (think The Godfather) that he’s a transformation worker.  Zacharov wants him to come work for him ‘taking care’ of people, but Cassel doesn’t want to be a killer.  But now, the Feds are onto him, trying to get him to pick up where his brother left off in exposing the Zacharov family and all their evil deeds.  Stuck between a rock & a hard place Cassel has got to find a way out of the mess.  And that’s not even going into the mess that is Lila Zacharov.

I really like this take on magic and mobsters.  Cassel is a smart kid and he’s doing his best to do the right thing, but he’s surrounded by people who want to bring him down all for their own benefit.  In this world of curse workers there is literally no one to trust so he’s pretty much on his own. 

Holly Black is not a preteen YA writer.  She’s harsh and dark and morbid.  The story is bloody and full of drinking, sex and cursing, but it works.  I felt like this book ended.  There weren’t any questions in the end and while it wasn’t necessarily a happy ending, it was a satisfying ending.  However, I noticed on Holly Black’s website that another Curse Workers book is on it’s way.

But I’m not complaining.  I liked this series, much more than the Modern Faerie Tales or The Good Neighbors.  I’ll definitely pick up the next one when it comes around.  I just wish someone would do something about these covers!