Black Heart
PRAISE FOR
WHITE
CAT
“A noir thriller.”—
New York Times Book Review
* “Beautifully realized dark fantasy.”—
Publishers Weekly
, starred review
* “Urban fantasy, con story, coming-of-age—whatever you call it, read it.”
—Kirkus Reviews,
starred review
* “Fascinating and carefully developed characters.”
—BCCB
, starred review
* “A stunning tour de force of magic, crime, romance, and double- and triple-crosses with an end that you will never see coming.”
—Libba Bray, author of the Gemma Doyle trilogy
PRAISE FOR
RED
GLOVE
* “Dangerously, darkly gorgeous fantasy.”
—Cassandra Clare
* “This powerful, edgy
dark fantasy won’t disappoint.”
—Publishers Weekly,
starred review
* “Dark, disturbing fare, crafted by a master.”
—Kirkus Reviews
IN A WORLD WHERE
MAGIC IS ILLEGAL,
Cassel Sharpe has the most deadly ability of all. With one touch, he can transform any object—including a person—into something else entirely. And that makes him a wanted man. The Feds are willing to forgive all his past crimes if he’ll only leave his con artist family behind and go straight. But why does going straight feel so crooked?
For one thing, it means being on the opposite side of the law from Lila, the girl he loves. She’s the daughter of a mob boss and getting ready to join the family business herself. Though Cassel is pretty sure she can never love him back, he can’t stop obsessing over her. Which would be bad enough, even if her father wasn’t keeping Cassel’s mother prisoner in a posh apartment and threatening not to let her leave until she returns the priceless diamond she scammed off him years ago. Too bad she can’t remember where she put it.
The Feds say they need Cassel to get rid of a powerful man who is spinning dangerously out of control. But if they want Cassel to use his unique talent to hurt people, what separates the good guys from the bad ones? Or is everyone just out to con him?
Time is running out, and all Cassel’s magic and cleverness might not be enough to save him. With no easy answers and no one he can trust, love might be the most dangerous gamble of all.
0412
HOLLY BLACK
is the author of the Modern Faerie Tales:
Tithe
, which was an ALA Top Ten Book for Teens and received starred reviews in
Publishers Weekly
and
Kirkus Reviews; Valiant,
which was an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and a recipient of the Andre Norton Award from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America; and
Ironside
, the sequel to
Tithe
and a
New York Times
bestseller.
White Cat
, the first book in the Curse Workers series, was a
Kirkus Reviews
Best Book and an ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults selection, and received starred reviews from
Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews,
and
BCCB. Red Glove,
the second book in the Curse Workers series, received a starred review from
Publishers Weekly
. Holly has also written a collection of short stories,
The Poison Eaters: And Other Stories
. She lives in Amherst, Massachusetts. Visit Holly online at
blackholly.com
and learn more at
thecurseworkers.com
.
DON’T MISS THESE OTHER FANTASTIC BOOKS BY HOLLY BLACK
Jacket design by Dan Potash and Lauren Rille
Jacket illustrations copyright © 2012 by Yehrin Tong
MARGARET K. M
C
ELDERRY BOOKS
Simon & Schuster, New York
Watch videos,
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ALSO BY
THE CURSE WORKERS
White Cat
Red Glove
MODERN FAERIE TALES
Tithe
Valiant
Ironside
THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES
The Field Guide
The Seeing Stone
Lucinda’s Secret
The Ironwood Tree
The Wrath of Mulgarath
BEYOND THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES
The Nixie’s Song
A Giant Problem
The Wyrm King
MARGARET K. M
c
ELDERRY BOOKS
An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2012 by Holly Black
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.
M
ARGARET
K. M
C
E
LDERRY
B
OOKS
is a trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
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.
The text for this book is set in Cambria.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Black, Holly.
Black heart / Holly Black.
p. cm.—(The curse workers ; bk. 3)
Summary: Cassel Sharpe, a powerful transformation worker, is torn between his decision to work for the federal government and his love for Lila, who has joined her father’s criminal organization.
ISBN
978-1-4424-0346-8 (hardcover)
ISBN
978-1-4424-0348-2 (eBook)
[1. Science fiction. 2. Criminals—Fiction. 3. Brothers—Fiction. 4. Love—Fiction.] I. Title.
PZ7.B52878Bl 2012
[Fic]—dc23
2011028143