YA Book Review: The Black Key by Amy Ewing (Lone City #3)

Title: The Black Key

Author: Amy Ewing

Series: The Lone City #3

Genre: Young Adult Distyopian

Publisher: Harper Teen

Pub Date: October 4, 2016

Pages: 295

My Copy: Hardcover book in my Too Be Read Pile

Book Summary:

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.

Book Review:

A great ending to what was a phenomenal trilogy. I totally found myself looking forward to every moment of this book. We had a lot of great moments in this book. I thought Violet really stepped up and became the leader that everyone starts to believe in.

I really was looking forward to this as the last book in this series left us on a cliff hanger. We got to learn what is happening with the surrogates and how Violet is dealing with everything. At first, she is very worried about her sister and learns that there are things happening in the Jewel that are going to change everything. The Duchess of the Lake has kidnapped her sister, and this makes Violet very scared for her own sister’s life. If her sister becomes pregnant she will die. So it’s important for Violet to rescue her sister before this happens. 

We learn that there are certain things happening in the Jewel and that certain people and there is another group trying to change things in the Jewel called the Black Key. They are bunch of rebels who want to overthrow the monarchy. So of course this leads some of the leaders of both sides to realize that both the groups should join forces. Of course, Violet and the other surrogates have been practicing using their powers. So their powers can be used to help destroy the walls that protect the Jewel.

Violet also goes undercover and changes her appearance thanks to her powers being developed. She becomes a lady in waiting to someone who is related to the Duchess of the Lake. The Duchess of the Lake is the woman who has abducted her sister and is trying to get her sister pregnant because the Duchess of the Lake has arranged things to happen. Lucien is also helping the surrogates in a lot of ways. He also does things that the royalty and monarchy because he believes that things happen for a reason and for his own reasons.

This book takes a lot of crazy turns. Turns you don’t expect to happen, happen to some of the people. There are a few deaths to characters who you have come to love a lot more in this book. People change sides. The Duchesses realize that there very way of life is threatened when the Black Key does a few bad things and this leads to people being scared. Also quite a few people want the Duchess of the Lake to die. She is quite an evil person who tells Violet off near the end. The former surrogates and the Black Key do fight in what becomes a very impressive display of their powers.

Overall the confrontations at the very end were so well written. I really liked how Raven confronted her former Duchess and really told her off. Even like the showdown between the Duchess of Lake and Violet. This confrontation makes you feel some sympathy for the Duchess of the Lake, but then you realize she has done a lot of horrible things. Many people have died because of her greed, arrogance and thinking she can do whatever she wants because of her place in society. Violet feels disgust at this woman, the monarchy and nobility way of life is over and that they are going to build a better society. When everything is settled, many people feel like there is a better future and that everyone needs to help to build it.

A totally great conclusion to this series.

Rating:

4.5 Hearts