Sequels are tricky things. At least, I think so. You write an awesome book, it is well received and you are left with a warm glow of satisfaction of a job well done, of getting your message expressed and understood. And then you are faced with a sequel. Where people will expect even more from you. They will expect you to sustain the wonderfulness that was the first novel while adding something a bit extra that will set it apart from its predecessor and make it awesome sauce in its own right. It’s a tough proposition but I’m happy to say that (in my opinion) Red Glove retains the flavour that drew me to The White Cat and adds something more to the narrative.We left Cassel at an interesting point in his life. He was teetering on a fence and the choices he was poised to make could…would radically affect his life. In Red Glove, some choices are made but not cemented in any way, leaving the possibility of a different outcome entirely possible. So while Cassel grows quite a bit as a character – he gains emotional depth – there is still that quintessential mystery that is Cassel. I have to mention here how interesting it is to have a male protagonist for a change. I like emotionally charged main characters, don’t get me wrong, but Cassel’s nonchalance – the boyness of him that Ms. Black has captured so perfectly – is such a refreshing change from the seesawing of “loves me/loves me not/now what do I do? and the most awesome “I don’t love him like A but I’ll keep him around because the more the merrier.” This is not to imply that the story does not portray romance but to assert that the way it portrays romance and the accompanying drama is rejuvenating.Lila’s character sees more development as she becomes a larger part of the narrative. We are starting to delve more into the person she is though she remains somewhat veiled as we see her through Cassel’s eyes. There are interesting developments where Daneca and Sam are concerned and I seriously appreciate the time spent on the friendship between the three people.I liked how Ms. Black has made the environment and setting of the story multicultural. Sometimes, as I reader, I am able to tell when certain types names are inserted into a narrative to give it a cultural diversity but Red Glove didn’t give off that feeling at all. I was curious to see how grief would be handled in the book. It’s not easy to write grief without skirting into melodrama or appearing callous – two extremes and the space in between is murky waters. I thought it was well-handled. The plot is riveting – who doesn’t love mysteries? And the ending is not a cliffhanger, thank God. It ties up the most important issues in the book while leaving a teasing potential for the story to continue in the same tone.All in all, I found Red Glove to be an extremely satisfying read and recommend to anyone/everyone who likes good books.
