The more I consider it, the more I wonder if I was just having a bad day when I read Red Glove and found myself mostly underwhelmed by it. I still think that White Cat was this series' highest point and the other two installments never quite achieved what the opening book did, I just thought that White Cat had so much going on but Ms Black somehow managed to juggle it superbly so the plot never felt too much or overcrowded. And there was just a touch too much relationship drama going on in Red Glove and Black Heart for my tastes.
However, I didn't have the same problems with this as I did with the second book, despite the relationship dramas. I still remained hooked throughout and enjoyed revisiting Cassel and his family. Though the main mystery occasionally got lost behind various subplots involving blackmail and Sam and Daneca's tumultuous relationship, I enjoyed these mini-stories enough this time around that I wasn't bored.
My final conclusions on the curse workers series is that it is most definitely worth reading. It stands out so much from all the other YA urban fantasy novels that are available today, as of yet I haven't found anything quite like it - which is a huge plus! It's a unique world with an array of interesting characters - some of which you can both love and hate equally - and excellent mystery stories. I don't know if it's because I'm extremely dense or because Ms Black is such a talented writer, but she always manages to surprise me.
As a reader who has had some not so great experiences with Black's other work, I can say that this is the kind of series you should still read if you hated Tithe, and I am awaiting the publication of The Coldest Girl in Coldtown with a mixture of excitement and apprehension.
