Darkest Mercy

Darkest Mercy
by Melissa Marr
Wicked Lovely, book five

The Summer King is missing; the Dark Court is bleeding; and a stranger walks the streets of Huntsdale, his presence signifying the deaths of powerful fey.

Aislinn tends to the Summer Court, searching for her absent king and yearning for Seth. Torn between his new queen and his old love, Keenan works from afar to strengthen his court against the coming war. Donia longs for fiery passion even as she coolly readies the Winter Court for battle. And Seth, sworn brother of the Dark King and heir to the High Queen, is about to make a mistake that could cost his life.

Love, despair, and betrayal ignite the Faery Courts, and in the final conflict, some will win . . . and some will lose everything. (description taken from Amazon.com)

To be totally honest, each of the books in this series has elicited a different reaction from me. I loved some, felt "eh" about one, was slightly confused in one...Darkest Mercy was somewhat confounding for me.

I had a really hard time getting into the final book in this series. I couldn't connect to the characters. I felt like there was too much going on ...things were too disparate. I almost put the book down without finishing it, but it's the final book in the series and I couldn't abandon it!

So, I stuck with it. A few chapters at a time...and then I hit the last third of the book and it was like the whole world shifted! There again was the Melissa Marr that I loved in the original Wicked Lovely. There again was the gorgeous writing, the complex characters, the rigid and unforgiving faerie society that I missed.

I am sooo glad that I stuck with it. The end of the book, and the series, was beautiful.

Full disclosure: ARC received as part of a Book It Forward Blog Tour

In My Mailbox - April 24, 2011

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme, hosted by Kristi at the Story Siren, inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. Every week bloggers can share what they received in the mail or at the bookstore or at the library. The goal is that everyone can be exposed to more books this way!

Borrowed:

Vespers Rising by Rick Riordan *Thanks to my awesome friend, Miss Kim!!*

For Review:

Morpheus Road: The Black by D. J. MacHale
Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins *Thank you to Book It Forward ARC Tours*
Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr *Thank you to Book It Forward ARC Tours*

On My Nook:

The Strange Case of Finley Jane by Kady Cross

Radiant Shadows

Radiant Shadows
by Melissa Marr
Wicked Lovely, book 4

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 her 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 impails the whole of Faerie. Will saving the Faery Realm mean losing each other? (description taken from Amazon.com)

I really enjoy this series, though I was a little leery after reading Fragile Eternity (book 3). That book was good...but it didn't completely flow. I kept putting it down and not being sure I really wanted to pick it up again, though by the end, I loved the storyline.

I find the Wicked Lovely world compelling. I love dark fae and dark magic and Marr has a way of making both her humans and fae fascinating in their darkest moments. Of the series so far, I think that Wicked Lovely and now Radiant Shadows are my favorite volumes.

In this book, Ani and Devlin both ride the line of "people" who can and have done very bad things, and yet want to be good. Their passion for doing the right thing and finding and keeping each other is palpable. It leapt right off the page and I found myself frantically trying to finish this book in one sitting. I did not want to stop reading!

I really loved to, beyond their romance, the upheaval and resettlement that takes place in the larger Fae realms. I don't want to spoil this for anyone, but there were some really good betrayals, loyalty tests, and political maneuverings in this book. With the way it ended, I am very, very curious to see where Marr plans to take this in the final fifth book.