Review RADIANT SHADOWS by Melissa Marr

RADIANT SHADOWS
by,

Melissa Marr

Details:

published April 20th 2010 by HarperCollins (first published April 2nd 2010)

Hardcover, 340 pages

PLACEMENT IN PILE: Top Picks

Summary:

Hunger for nourishment.
Hunger for touch.
Hunger to belong.

Half-human and half-faery, Ani is driven by her hungers.

Those same appetites also attract powerful enemies and uncertain allies, including Devlin. He was created as an assassin and is brother to the faeries' coolly logical High Queen and to her chaotic twin, the embodiment of War. Devlin wants to keep Ani safe from his sisters, knowing that if he fails, he will be the instrument of Ani's death.

Ani isn't one to be guarded while others fight battles for her, though. She has the courage to protect herself and the ability to alter Devlin's plans—and his life. The two are drawn together, each with reason to fear the other and to fear for one another. But as they grow closer, a larger threat imperils the whole of Faerie. Will saving the faery realm mean losing each other?

Alluring romance, heart-stopping danger, and sinister intrigue combine in the penultimate volume of Melissa Marr's New York Times bestselling Wicked Lovely series.

REVIEW: Wow, I loved this book! I was hooked right from the start, and stayed up late to finish it. This and WICKED LOVELY are now my two favorites in the series. I can't wait for the last one! (Melissa just announced a few days ago that DARKEST MERCY is being released in February of 2011!) I loved Devlin. Melissa creates characters that are complex and believable and dang sexy! ;) This book will grab you and not let go until you finish the last page and then leave you dying for the next one. Of course, the last one will probably be Aislinn's POV again, because while I would enjoy continuing to read about Devlin and Ani, their story is complete enough that I think to finish the series, she will have them be invovled in the next book; but it has to go back to where it started. Aislinn, Keenan and Seth. That was my only problem with this book, was that she and Keenan are completely absent from the story, except to say that Keenan is missing or something. Um, what? But that's all we get told. So... anyway, other than that it was fabulous. It also gave even more depth into the Dark Court and Irial and Niall as well as the High Court, Sorcha and her twin War (Bananach). I love it when books I'm told are great, really live up to my expectations (or exceed them).

Only one more and this series will be done! Have you read it? What did you think?

Review INK EXCHANGE by Melissa Marr

INK EXCHANGE
by Melissa Marr
Published May 1st 2008 by HarperTeen
Hardcover, 325 pages
It is also out in paperback and on AudioBook

Placement in the Pile: Middle of the Stack

Summary:
Unbeknownst to mortals, a power struggle is unfolding in a world of shadows and danger. After centuries of stability, the balance among the Faery Courts has altered, and Irial, ruler of the Dark Court, is battling to hold his rebellious and newly vulnerable fey together. If he fails, bloodshed and brutality will follow.

Seventeen-year-old Leslie knows nothing of faeries or their intrigues. When she is attracted to an eerily beautiful tattoo of eyes and wings, all she knows is that she has to have it, convinced it is a tangible symbol of changes she desperately craves for her own life.

The tattoo does bring changes; not the kind Leslie has dreamed of, but sinister, compelling changes that are more than symbolic. Those changes will bind Leslie and Irial together, drawing Leslie deeper and deeper into the faery world, unable to resist its allures, and helpless to withstand its perils. . . .

Review:
I really did enjoy this one but it was a lot more dark than the first. Leslie lives in a much darker place in this tough urban world that Marr created than Aislinn did/does. And some of the things she had to deal with were a bit disturbing.

I think one of the common issues with this book is Aislinn's story was more romantic and more fun to read about than Leslie's. And if I had been reading these when they came out I would have wanted more about Aislinn and Keenan and Seth specifically, than jumping into someone else's story.

I did enjoy, however, that this book delved deeper into the faery world and we got to see the dark court. I have always liked this type of story, the juxtoposition of the dark and light (of the summer court that Aislinn and Keenan rule). But delving into the dark means there was a lot that was difficult.

Irial was honestly just creepy. Niall was intoxicating though. I love characters that are complex, have depth and have made decisions in their lives that put them on a path that they never expected to be on. Really, I think Niall's story is what saved this book for me.

All in all it was worth reading, more language than the first, more violent content (but none of it was too explicit either). Overall, a good read that makes me want to read the next ones even more.

Review WICKED LOVELY by Melissa Marr

WICKED LOVELY
by Melissa Marr
Published May 31st 2007 by HarperTeen
Hardcover, 328 pages (also out in paperback and audiobook)

Placement in the Pile: Reaching New Heights!

Summary:
Rule #3: Don't stare at invisible faeries.
Rule #2: Don't speak to invisible faeries.
Rule #1: Don't ever attract their attention.

Suddenly none of the rules that have kept Aislinn safe are working anymore, and everything is on the line: her freedom; her best friend, Seth; everything.

Faery intrigue, mortal love, and the clash of ancient rules and modern expectations swirl together in Melissa Marr's stunning twenty-first-century faery tale.

Review:
WICKED LOVELY is a gritty "faery" tale that kept me captivated. The characters were fun and really drew me in. The faery lore was a throw back to more classic fey mythology (each chapter also quotes an old lore book such as Celtic lore, about faeries). I really like these stories that think of faeries as feirce creatures rather than the sweet "Tinkerbell" types. (Which if you know the real Tinkerbell from the original story you might not think she's so innocent either...)

The narration was true to this urban teenager's life, as well as the other characters whose perspectives we see. I couldn't help but get pulled in the the love triangles, squares, the faery lore, the unique abilities of Aislinn (pronounced ASHlinn, etc.). I think having multiple POVs is my favorite way to have a story. I like seeing more than one character's internal thoughts and how it all plays together in the end. Revealed in the right order, it makes for a riveting read. I thought it was written well and was a really good read. I am excited for the rest of the series but dissapointed in a way that it doesn't necessarily continue Aislinn's story.

Content wise, there is one part that made me go "Oh!". It isn't described in depth, but it was enough to know there was some very sexual behavior going on. The romance can be intense in this one, so I would recommend it only for older readers.