Review: Red Glove by Holly Black

Red Glove by Holly Black

Series: Curse Workers (#2)
Pages: 320
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Published: April 5th, 2011
IBSN: 9781442403390

Source: Galley Grab

After rescuing his brothers from Zacharov's retribution and finding out that Lila, the girl he has loved his whole life, will never, ever be his now that his mother has worked her, Cassel is trying to reestablish some kind of normalcy in his life. That was never going to be easy for someone from a worker family tied to one of the big crime families and a mother whose cons get more reckless by the day. But Cassel is also coming to terms with what it means to be a transformation worker and figuring out how to have friends.

But normal doesn't last very long--soon Cassel is being courted by both sides of the law and is forced to confront his past. A past he remembers only in scattered fragments and one that could destroy his family and his future. Cassel will have to decide whose side he wants to be on because neutrality is not an option. And then he will have to pull off his biggest con ever to survive.

[Synopsis by Goodreads]

Red Glove is, like White Cat, set in a world where curse magic is illegal, and curse workers either become con artists or mobsters or hide their abilities from everyone. Cassel Sharpe comes from a family of criminals: his grandfather's a Death Worker, his mother's an Emotion Working con artist, and his brothers Work for a crime family. Cassel spent his whole life thinking he couldn't Work at all, and recently learnt that his brother was Working his memory so he had no idea he was the most rare kind of Worker of all, and no idea that they used him as an assassin.

After reading White Cat, I was expecting even twistier plots and higher stakes from Red Glove, and I wasn't disappointed at all. Red Glove's plot is clever, complicated and entirely compelling. There's a twist or new revelation around every corner, and I couldn't put it down.

Cassel was a dynamic character, with flaws interwoven into his personality that made him realistic. He was clever, brave, and I felt genuine compassion for him.

Cassel and Lila's relationship was complicated and difficult, yet I found myself looking forward to every scene they had together, hoping for the best.

The ending satisfied the major complications and opened new trials to be faced in Black Heart, the next book, coming out next year.

Holly Black's writing style is simple and dark and captivating. I give Red Glove a 5 out of 5 and recommend it to anyone who likes a paranormal mystery. Look out for it on the 5th of April.

Review of White Cat by Holly Black

I think I'm going to make a habit of starting my reviews with why I picked up the book to start with.
So, I decided to read White Cat originally because (a) the cover art was magnificent, (b) I've read the Modern Faeries Tales by Holly already and some of her stories from The Poison Eaters and loved the whole dark vibe, and (c) because in a Mortal Instruments FAQ Cassandra Clare said that Jace would make an appearance. And I love me some Jace.
After reading White Cat, I found that I love me some Cassel, too.


White Cat is the first in the Curse Workers series. Curse Workers are people who can 'Work' you with just a touch. There are luck workers, emotion workers, and so on. Working became illegal decades ago, and nowadays Workers are underground. Cassel, the protagonist, comes from a family of Workers, but isn't one himself, and throughout the novel is somewhat left out of the loop by his family.

Things I loved about White Cat:

• The family dynamics. Even in a fantasy world, the relationship between Cassel and the rest of his family is totally believable. I especially liked his relationships with his older brothers, and how they're stretched as he discovers his family's secrets.
• The mysterious-ness. Since Cassel isn't privy to what's going on within his family, and we only see his perspective, for a lot of the book we don't know what's going on. This could be seen as a negative point, for some readers, but I personally loved this.
• The open ending. Some books in other series' end happily, so the sequel has to reintroduce a new problem. White Cat is left unresolved enough for the sequel not to see forced.

Speaking of sequels, the next book in the Curse Workers series, Red Glove, comes out on the 5th of April, 2011. Conveniently, a year and a day after White Cat came out.
So, I give White Cat a 5 out of 5.

So, in the comments, have you read White Cat? What do you think about it? Are you as excited as I am to read Red Glove?