Radiant Shadows - Melissa Marr

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 in 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.

(Synopsis taken from goodreads.com)

Title: Radiant Shadows

Author: Melissa Marr

Genre: Young Adult, Faery

Publisher: Harper, An Imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers

My Rating: 4/5

I was a little apprehensive that this book was about Ani as I wasn't a major fan of her character in the previous books. I shouldn't have been worried though, because she really comes into her own in this book. I really enjoyed the chemistry between her and Devlin, and I was actually really happy to learn more about Devlin. I find that I am enjoying the "Dark Court" books more than the other ones. I like the depth and character of the Dark Kings and the Dark Court more so than the Summer Court.

I loved seeing Devlin struggle between his duty, and his heart. I loved seeing the friction between him and Ani. She has really come into her own and she was well-deserving of this story. I really liked seeing her learning to control, or curb her appetite and how this affects her relationship with Devlin.

Based on what has happened in the book, I am really curious to see what is going to happen next in the last book of the series. Everything seems to be in fluctuation and I really want to know what is going to happen with all of the courts.

I found it strange that I didn't really miss any of the characters from the Summer Court that I enjoyed reading about in the previous books. Then again, I love Irial and Niall's characters, so I was really happy with them in this book. I really wasn't impressed with Sorcha though, and thought Bananach was portrayed better--though I don't like her either.

All in all, this was a solid performance, and it opens up the possibilities for the final book of the series. We get a glimpse of the inner workings of Faerie and it is definitely not one to miss!

This book was received through the Borrow My Arc Tour hosted by Katrina over at Bloody Bad.

Mieradome - Kate O'Hegarty

Mieradome, revolves around a young girl named Amavia, who believes she is a human girl, but slowly comes to find she is a faery in the world of Mieradome. Amavia's mother, Anastasica, had taken her out of the faery realm and hidden her away here in our human realm, so that she may be protected from her parents' past mistakes. But that was not enough, the forces that be found Amavia, and brought her back into the cosmos of the Grandmother Tree. There she meets other faeries, goblins, Telkar dragons, and Utopisols. Slowly who Amavia really was began to unravel to show the truth. The truth, that she just may be the evil they need to destroy. This is where the story begins.

*Synopsis taken from goodreads.com*

Title: Mieradome (e-book)

Author: Kate O'Hegarty

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Faery,

Publisher: Hegarty & Co.

My Rating: 2.5/5

This is one of those books that I couldn't decide whether I loved it, or hated it. I think I fell safely in the middle though. There were times that I really enjoyed the story, and there were times where I couldn't stand it. The "bones" of the story itself were good, but the writing was very much underdeveloped. In certain areas, I noticed that we were told several times in a sentence that Amavia was in Mieradome. I found that that detracted from the story, because it seemed redundant. I also noticed that there were several key points that were mentioned in the middle, or end of the story, and I thought that they would have done much better at the beginning (or closer to the beginning), as they could have been explored more. However, in saying that, I think that the ending definitely is leading up to a second installment. Certain scenes contained too much description, but then in other instances I found the character development was lacking. I did find that there were some parallels between "Narnia" and "Mieradome" as well. I do think that O'Hegarty has potential, and I hope she keeps up with Amavia's story. I am intrigued as to how everything fits together. We are left with some questions at the end of the book that hopefully will be answered in the next one. All in all, I think it was a good first effort, and I hope she does continue the story as I do want to see what happens next.

DISCLAIMER: This e-book was received free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

The Faerie Path - Frewin Jones

Anita was living an ordinary life.
Until an elegant stranger pulled her into another world.

Swept away into a court of magic and beauty, she discovers she is Tania, the lost princess of Faerie. Since Tania's mysterious disappearance five hundred years before, Faerie has been sunk in darkness and gloom. With her return, Faerie comes alive again as a land of winged children, glittering balls, and fantastic delights. But Tania can't forget Anita's world, or the boy she loved there.
Torn between two loves and between two worlds, Tania slowly remembers why she disappeared, and realizes that she is the only one who can stop a sinister plan that threatens the entire world of Faerie.

Title: The Faerie Path
Author: Frewin Jones
Genre: Young Adult, Faerie
Publisher: EOS (An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers)
My Rating: 2.5/5

This book grabbed my interest immediately once I started reading it. However, that slowly started to change the further I got into the book. I was struggling to continue to read it as it was getting monotonous. I'm glad that I stuck with it though, because the last 80 (or so) pages picked up and made things interesting again. If you could read the beginning and end, it might be an easier read as during the middle we meet several characters that seem to flit in and out of the pages never to be seen again. I did find it amusing that Anita is Tania (re-arranged, letterwise). I thought that the beginning was good, with Anita and Evan, but as soon as Tania/Anita was swept into Faerie, the story promptly dropped Evan/Eldric. Tania spends more time wanting to get back to the Mortal world, than she does finding out what happened (to her) in the first place. She doesn't remember anything from when she left Faerie before, and at the end of the book (well, nearly the end of the book) she finds out that there is a plot that would overturn everything in Faerie unless she stops it from happening. It seems like everything was crammed into the latter end of the book, and if it had been fleshed out, it would have read more smoothly. As it stands, the ending of this book makes me want to find out what happens next in the series. Here's hoping that the second book flows more coherently!



This book counts toward the 2010 100+ Reading Challenge over at J. Kaye's book blog.

Wings - Aprilynne Pike

Laurel was mesmerized,
staring at the pale things
with wide eyes.
They were terrifyingly beautiful--
too beautiful for words.

Laurel turned to the mirror again,
her eyes on the hovering petals
that floated beside her head.
They looked almost like wings.

In this extraordinary tale of magic and intrigue, romance and danger, everything you thought you knew about faeries will be changed forever.

Title: Wings
Author: Aprilynne Pike
Genre: Young Adult, Faerie
Publisher: HarperTeen (An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers)
My Rating: 4/5

What an interesting concept! This book definitely has its own unique spin on the faerie mythos. The story grabbed my interest from the beginning. It didn't introduce the faerie world until you were well into the book as it focused more so on Laurel who is learning new things about herself. The only complaint is that I wish that it had been longer, and that we could have learned more about the characters and the faerie world. I can't wait to read the second book in this series, Spells, which is out on May 4, 2010.

This book counts toward the 2010 100+ Reading Challenge over at J. Kaye's book blog.

Fragile Eternity - Melissa Marr

Seth never expected he would want to settle down with anyone--but that was before Aislinn. She is everything he'd ever dreamed of, and he wants to be with her forever. Forever takes on a new meaning, though, when your girlfriend is an immortal faery queen.
Aislinn never expected to rule the very creatures who'd always terrified her--but that was before Keenan. He stole her mortality to make her a monarch, and now she faces challenges and enticements beyond any she'd ever imagined.

Title: Fragile Eternity
Author: Melissa Marr
Genre: Young Adult
Sub-Genre: Fantasy, Faery
Publisher: Bowen Press (An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers)
My Rating: 4.9/5

This is the third book in the Tales of Faery series by Melissa Marr. I don't know where to even begin with this review. We see several alliances change through the different faery courts. We get to see the fourth court that is almost solely in Faery. Sorcha, the Unchanging Queen, was very (surprisingly) kind at times, not as fickle as the other faeries, and her character is amazing.
I'm beginning to have a love/hate relationship with Aislinn and Keenan now though. Aislinn is entirely way too trusting, but she also mopes around a LOT. Keenan is the same as he has been through the previous books, devious as only faeries can be. Seth on the other hand... I love Seth. He is awesome. (So is Niall). I love what Melissa has done with Seth's and Niall's characters. They are definitely heavy-weight contenders in the series now. I figured that Seth would become a faery since Aislinn accepted the title of Summer Queen. I love how it all happened though. I really can't wait for the next book to hop on the ride with Seth to see what his new life entails, and what he discovers about himself along the way. We get a teaser also about Leslie (I'm still hoping for a follow-up story for that love triangle!) However, we're going to have to wait as the next book out is Ani's story. (Can't wait!) I'm officially hooked on this series now.

Current song that I'm listening to: Bleeding Love - Leona Lewis

Ink Exchange - Melissa Marr

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. . . .

Title: Ink Exchange
Author: Melissa Marr
Genre: Young Adult
Sub-Genre: Fantasy, Faerie
Publisher: HarperTeen (An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers)
My Rating: 4.5/5

This is the second book in the "Tales of Faerie" series by Melissa Marr. It was exceptionally well written, especially for how dark the story gets. We see the dark and addictive side of Faerie and how Leslie deals with her ties to Irial, and her relationship with Niall. I loved the character development for both Niall and Irial, and how they deal with their growing feelings for Leslie. I thought that the ending was brilliant and it opened it up for a follow-up book to continue the storyline with all 3 characters. I find that there is a lot of depth to Melissa's characters (in both Wicked Lovely and Ink Exchange) and that they draw you right into the story. The story flows fluently and makes for an easy and interesting read.