Seven Black Diamonds

January 4, 2016
Half human, half fae Lilywhite Abernathy is the daughter of one of the most powerful crime lords in the world, and although Lily has grown up sheltered, she is more than able to take care of herself. Having any fae blood means automatic imprisonment outside of the Hidden Lands, so her father has always taken pains to hide her heritage. After Lily’s 17th birthday, she is sent to the exclusive St. Columba’s school, where she finds out that she is the final member of the Black Diamonds—a sleeper cell of seven, each with different magical “affinities”—put in place by the Queen of Blood and Rage to rid the world of the humans who have destroyed it and slaughtered their people. Marr spends a great deal of time setting up the premise, yet the larger world, irreparably ravaged by human folly, is only lightly sketched. While fans of Marr’s Wicked Lovely books will appreciate her melding of ancient faerie lore with complex contemporary characters, those expecting exciting action scenes may be disappointed, and revelations about Lily hold few surprises. Ages 13–up. Agent: Merrilee Heifetz, Writers House.

December 1, 2015

Gr 9 Up-Contemporary issues are woven into a futuristic story in this exciting urban fantasy. Eilidh is a faery princess in a world at war. Her mother, the Queen of Blood and Rage, declared war on humans many years ago. In response, anyone containing even a drop of faery blood was banished to the Hidden Realms. Humans have nearly ruined the natural world with their horrible environmental policies, while the faeries have sustained a brutal terrorist campaign. The seven black diamonds are "sleepers," carefully bred humans with faery blood, brought up in human families in preparation for future service to the Queen. Abernathy is unaware that she is one of those seven black diamonds. As she discovers more about her role in the faery kingdom, Eilidh struggles to find a way to leave a legacy apart from her mother's endless war. As their story lines begin to connect, secrets are revealed and surprising coalitions are formed in the effort to bridge the divide between faery and human. Once again, Marr has built an urban fantasy world that readers will find irresistible. The contemporary issues brought up throughout the book are not always dealt with in the most elegant way; however, readers will find that the realistic dialogue and teen emotions make it easy to relate to the characters, both human and faery. Several romantic relationships develop, which adds levity to the nonstop action of this violent tale. VERDICT Recommended as a first purchase.-Sunnie Scarpa, Wallingford Public Library, CT

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2015
Grades 9-12 Marr returns to her roots after the thriller Made for You (2014) with this tale of warring faerie courts. The Summer and Winter Courts, at least temporarily, settled their differences when their rulers, the Unseelie queen and the Seelie king, married and produced an heir. Years earlier, the queen's first daughter disappeared as an infant, and the queen declared war on humans, blaming them for the loss. In that human world, Lilywhite Abernathy is just waking up. She's half human, half fae, and the daughter of a human crime lord. Lily was raised apart from the world of faerie and is hardly expecting to be thrust into a group of the queen's trained soldiers (and assassins) and told she's one of them. As she navigates court politics and tense relationships, Lily learns about her own muddy ancestry and that she might have more stake in this war than she ever would have anticipated. The large cast and complicated plot become occasionally convoluted, but Marr's trademark use of suspense and romance will make this irresistible for her legions of fans.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Marr has been a hot commodity ever since her Wicked Lovely series, and this return to the world of faerie will no doubt capitalize on that popularity.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)