* "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
This novel is eerie and dark, with terrifying secrets and evil plots. Black weaves a beautiful world where magic exists and is feared. You'll see how backstabbing your loved ones is just as easy as loving them. This starter to a sure-to-be-a-hit series shouldn't be missed.
Summary: Curse working is illegal, and curse workers are branded as scoundrels and con artists. Cassel is the only one in his family who's not a curse worker. Although he's the "straight" kid in a cursed family, he killed his best friend, Lila, years ago. How he's having terrifying dreams of a white cat and suspects a secret plot between his brothers. He'll have to unravel his past to out-con the people he thought he knew best. --
ROMANTIC TIMES BOOK REVIEWS, May 2010
The first in a trilogy, this gritty, fast-paced fantasy is rife with the unexpected. Cassel comes from a shady, magical family of con artists and grifters. He doesn’t fit in at home or at school, so he’s used to feeling like an outsider. He’s also used to feeling guilty—he killed his best friend, Lila, years ago.
But when Cassel begins to have strange dreams about a white cat, and people around him are losing their memories, he starts to wonder what really happened to Lila. In his search for answers, he discovers a wicked plot for power that seems certain to succeed. But Cassel has other ideas— and a plan to con the conmen.