Wicked Lovely is my second foray into the world of the fae and Young Adult urban fantasy. It’s the first in a series of books, all of which have garnered rave reviews.
Aislinn sees fairies. She’s always seen them. Heeding her grandmother’s advice, she strives to keep her sight a secret from her fellow mortals and – most especially – the fae themselves. Aislinn struggles to ignore the havoc-wreaking faeries she sees around her, and concentrates on navigating the rocky waters of high school and boys. When it all becomes too much, she can visit her friend, Seth, who conveniently lives in an iron-clad residence: a train car.
When Keenan, the Summer King, decides Aislinn is his missing Summer Queen, he is insistent and persistent in his pursuit. Keenan’s mother, the Winter Queen, has somehow bound his powers in order to rule alone. (We’re not told exactly how she achieved this. Apparently, more information about the curse will be revealed in the second book in the series, Ink Exchange.) The only way for Keenan to regain control over his half of the fae is to find his queen.
To further complicate matters, Beira, the Winter Queen, has attached a curse to the search for a Summer Queen: a girl who agrees to become queen must hold her staff and swear an oath. If she is the true Summer Queen, she will be infused with power; if not, she will be doomed to wander the earth as the Winter Girl until the next person takes the challenge. The current Winter Girl is Donia, whom Keenan loved but ultimately betrayed. She is dispatched by the Winter Queen to watch over Keenan’s search for a Summer Queen and report back.
When Aislinn realizes Keenan has chosen her as his queen, she is terrified. She confides in Seth and together they try to find away to prevent her from having to take the challenge.
Melissa Marr writes beautifully and her rendition of the world of the fae was more to my taste than Holly Black’s in Tithe. Marr’s fae seem more human than Black’s, and she explained much of the folklore surrounding them. I felt a little at sea while I was reading Tithe, so I was relieved that Marr didn’t assume I knew a lot about faeries from other fantasy books. As someone who has read very little fantasy, I will say that my favourite scenes are those which take place in the mortal world. I liked the juxtaposition of the humans and the faeries.
The characters are multifaceted and I wanted to learn more about them. Aislinn is a strong heroine who begins the book frightened and vulnerable, but slowly discovers her inner strength and confidence. Seth is incredibly nice, but perhaps too perfect. He’s been in love with Aislinn for ages but waits until she’s ready before pursuing her. The development of their relationship is probably the strongest aspect of the book. Donia, the Winter Girl, is intriguing. To say more about her would spoil the end of the book, but suffice it to say I’m looking forward to reading more about her. Keenan is spoiled, arrogant and shallow. I have no idea how his character could be redeemed in future books, but perhaps Marr doesn’t intend to.
Wicked Lovely is a riveting read which managed to captivate a reluctant fantasy reader such as myself. I plan to read Ink Exchange and Fragile Eternity in the near future. Grade: B
Also Reviewed:
Ink Exchange (2008) by Melissa Marr (Book 2 in the Faerie series)
Note: As part of their YA appreciation month, The Book Smugglers have a new review of the manga version of Wicked Lovely.
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I agree with you Sarah that Marr has some incredible world building and I overall enjoyed the story & romance but I can’t seem to be able to connect with teenage characters somehow. I graded it within the genre it is published but for me it didn’t hold that punch I long for in the end. But I also must confess I am a Fantasy reader so perhaps there’s the glitch.
@Leontine I actually like Young Adult fiction, so this aspect of the story didn’t bother me. That said, I’m keen to try more urban fantasy which is targeted at an adult audience.
I love this book and this series – great review. I haven’t read Tithe yet so I can’t compare but I am somewhat relieved that you thought Wicked Lovely the best out of the two.
The manga is not really a version of the book though – it is set in the same world, with different characters, after the events in Wicked Lovely. Keenan does make an appearance – and he is everything you say he is. I really can’t stand the guy either *g*.
@Ana I’ve never actually read a manga! I would probably like them, though, as I loved the old-style comic book stories which British girl magazines like ‘Mandy’ and ‘Judy’ used to publish. They also released a couple of feature-length stories per month and they were wonderful.
‘Ink Exchange’ and ‘Fragile Eternity’ arrived in today’s post. I read the first chapter of ‘Ink Exchange’ and I am hooked! Thankfully, my mother is visiting and has promised to take the kids out for a walk to give me some rare afternoon reading time.
I have Wicked Lovely sitting on my TBR shelf and I hope to get to soon. I’ve read so many reviews giving this book a good rating, I need to get a move it. Thanks for the review!
This book definitely sounds like the better of the two. Although Seth sounds bor-ing.
@Donna (Fantasy Dreamer) ‘Wicked Lovely’ is a good read and ‘Ink Exchange’ is even better. I stayed up late to finish it last night, even though I knew I’d pay for it this morning.
@heidenkind Seth is boring. Apparently, the third book, ‘Fragile Eternity’, is told from his point of view. I’m hoping we’ll see some flaws in his character as we’ve only seen him through other people’s eyes so far. Although it’s less of a romance than ‘Wicked Lovely’, I found the hero(es!) in ‘Ink Exchange’ more compelling than Seth, particularly Irial.
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