Black Howl
BLACK WINGS
“A fun, fast ride through the gritty streets of Chicago,
Black Wings
has it all: a gutsy heroine just coming into her power, badass bad guys, a sexy supernatural love interest and a scrappy gargoyle sidekick. Highly recommended.”
—Nancy Holzner, author of
Bloodstone
“An entertaining urban fantasy starring an intriguing heroine…The soul-eater serial-killer mystery adds to an engaging Chicago joyride as courageous Madeline fears this unknown adversary but goes after the lethal beast.”
—
Midwest Book Review
“Fast action, plenty of demons and a hint of mystery surrounding the afterlife make for an entertaining urban fantasy populated by an assortment of interesting characters.”
—
Monsters and Critics
“Henry shows that she is up to the challenge of debuting in a crowded genre. The extensive background of her imaginative world is well integrated with the action-packed plot, and the satisfying conclusion leaves the reader primed for the next installment.”
—
Publishers Weekly
“I love the world-building…The take on demons and angels is sufficiently different to separate
Black Wings
from the recent spate of tales in that milieu…I do recommend
Black Wings
if just for the unusual world and enjoyable plot and characters.”
—
Errant Dreams Reviews
“Readers will enjoy a fast-paced adventure with an interesting cast, especially Beezle, the gargoyle, and be ready and waiting for a future still yet unwritten. Pick up your copy of
Black Wings
today, and stay tuned for
Black Night
.”
—
Romance Reviews Today
“A fast-paced first novel…
Black Wings
is a lot of fun.”
—
Fresh Fiction
“Henry does an excellent job of unveiling the first layers of her unique world and its fascinating inhabitants. There’s plenty of kick-butt action and intriguing twists to ensure that this story grabs you from the very first page. One to watch!”
—
RT Book Reviews
(4 stars)
“The story was a nonstop action blast full of smart-alecky gargoyle guardians, devilishly handsome (and enigmatic) love interests, arrogant demons, wicked witches and more jaw-dropping revelations than a Jerry Springer show. I barely had time to catch my breath between chapters.”
—
All Things Urban Fantasy
“Fast-paced, action-packed and hard-core—breathing new life into the vast genre of urban fantasy…
Black Wings
is intense, dark and full of surprises.”
—
Rex Robot Reviews
“Amazing…Henry’s pacing is incredible and keeps you absorbed; plus the characterization is fantastic…I strongly urge all you [urban fantasy] fans to get this book!”
—
Read All Over Reviews
“I finished this book in one sitting and will definitely look out for more by this author.”
—
Bibliophilic Book Blog
“A fast-paced book that I had a hard time putting down…I can’t wait to read
Black Night
and find out where Gabriel, J.B., Antares and Beezle all stand in Maddy’s world.”
—
A Romance Review
“
Black Wings
was one of the better beginnings to a series that hit every point that it needed to hit. This is a series that I plan to continue [reading] and will continue to enjoy if Christina Henry maintains this caliber of writing.”
—
Books By Their Cover
“It isn’t often that a first book grabs your attention and refuses to let you go. Christina Henry’s book was that book for me. I loved every minute of this newest paranormal story about one woman’s struggle to figure out her place in the world when everything around her seems to be changing.”
—
Fantasy Romance Writers
“I read
Black Wings
in one day, and I loved spending that time with Madeline (and Beezle). I recommend Christina Henry to readers who enjoy the dark humor of Ilona Andrews’s Kate Daniels series and the demon politics of Stacia Kane’s Megan Chase series.”
—
Fantasy Literature
Ace Books by Christina Henry
BLACK WINGS
BLACK NIGHT
BLACK HOWL
HOWL
CHRISTINA HENRY
ACE BOOKS, NEW YORK
THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
Published by the Penguin Group
Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA
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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
BLACK HOWL
An Ace Book / published by arrangement with the author
PUBLISHING HISTORY
Ace mass-market edition / March 2012
Copyright © 2012 by Tina Raffaele.
Cover art by Kris Keller.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
EISBN: 9781101560402
ACE
Ace Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
ACE and the “A” design are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”
For Henry, because he never complained when I was writing this book, even though he didn’t see his mom very much for a few weeks while I was finishing it.
I love you, little bear.
Thanks, as always, to my super-awesome editor, Danielle Stockley, and my equally incredible publicist, Rosanne Romanello.
Thanks to Sarah Kaiser, Faith Park, Anne Posner and Pamela Schneider for moral support when I was trying to finish this book without having a nervous breakdown.
Much gratitude is due to Cynthia, Pedro, Jessie, BJ and all the wonderful staff at Einstein Bros. on Southport (my unofficial office).
Love to all of my family, especially Chris and Henry, who keep me going.
“LEGS IN THE AIR, HEELS TOWARD THE CEILING. CRUNCH, quick!”
I lay flat on my back, legs extended up, and started crunching as the instructor counted off reps. After about three movements the atrophied muscles in my abdomen started to scream for mercy. My legs dropped toward the ground.
“Uh-uh-uh. No, no, no,” the instructor said to me as he walked around the classroom checking our form. He was a tall, handsome African American man with the demeanor of a drill sergeant. “Keep those legs
up
.”
He grabbed my ankles and jerked my legs back into position. I tried to remember why I had made this asinine New Year’s resolution to lose weight in the first place. Beezle had laughed for a full half hour when I told him I was going to an aerobics class.
“You should be going with me, too,” I’d said. “Except that you’d scare the crap out of all the fit people.”