March 2024
S M T W T F S
« Mar    
 12
3456789
10111213141516
17181920212223
24252627282930
31  

Review: Ink Exchange, Melissa Marr

Ever since Leslie’s life spiralled out of control and she was raped by her brother’s friend, with his permission, she is desperate to reclaim control of herself and her body.  She sees a tattoo as the way to do that, laying a mark on her skin that is for her benefit alone.  But the tattoo design she chooses is not that simple and instead links her to the king of the Dark Court of the faerie, Irial.  Isolated from her friends, especially Aislinn who cannot tell Leslie about the world she now inhabits, Leslie finds herself in a dark place which harbors the unlikeliest heroes.

While this book is definitely considerably darker than Wicked Lovely, I found myself enjoying it just as much if not more. I like darker stories and I completely admired Leslie, who sometimes makes wrong decisions but certainly has her heart in the right place.  After what happened to her, almost anyone would be damaged, and I thought that she was for the most part on the right track, strong enough to attempt to save herself but still vulnerable enough to also inspire the best in others.  This creates for some fascinating character dynamics revolving around Leslie and her friends.

Many of the characters from Wicked Lovely return, like Seth, Keenan, and Aislinn; Niall returns for a very important role, which I was happy to see since I hadn’t learned much of his character before.  I love when books take minor characters and flesh them out in such ways.  This is definitely more of a sequel to Wicked Lovely than I had initially expected.  It’s very interesting to see the characters from the first book through the eyes of others who don’t know about the world they inhabit or the deals they’ve made to continue the status quo.  Leslie discovers the faerie world for herself but in a completely different way from Aislinn for obvious reasons.  Her journey is more painful but more affecting as a result.

I’ve also come to really appreciate the world that Melissa Marr has created.  The faerie court is fascinating and multi-faceted.  Seeing another of the courts in close detail like this has really broadened the perspective that Marr has given to the series and I can’t wait for it to expand even further.  I’m really looking forward to going back for more with Fragile Eternity to see how these characters develop and interact in their future.

These books are wonderful.  I definitely think they can be appreciated by adults as well as their target YA audience.  If you want to spend some time in a faerie world, look no further.

IndieBound | Powell’s | Amazon | Amazon UK

Share

8 comments to Review: Ink Exchange, Melissa Marr

  • I barely skimmed your review (because I hate to be influenced before I read a book), but I’m so glad to see that some of the characters from Wicked Lovely are in this book and that you loved it. I can’t wait to read this one and then on to Fragile Eternity!

  • I’m glad you enjoyed ‘Ink Exchange’ as much as I did! Marr writes beautifully. I have ‘Fragile Eternity’ on my bookshelf and intend to read it soon. I agree with you that Melissa Marr’s books have a strong crossover appeal. While the ages of the characters place the faerie series in the YA category, they deal with some very adult themes.

  • Yay! I love this book so much and it gets rather negative reviews sometimes, b/c it’s different from Wicked Lovely.

    Great review Meghan, and great points about the book!

  • I’ve heard lots of great things about this book, but I haven’t picked it up yet. Bad me. :)

  • I haven’t read any of the faerie books yet, but I definitely want to. This sounds like the series to start with.

  • I just started “Fragile Eternity” and definitely agree about the world Marr has created, even if I wasn’t crazy about this one because it was less of a sequel than I wanted.

  • These books sound very interesting and entertaining. I especially like that you mention that there is great world building in them. I am going to try and get a copy of Wicked Lovely this week and give it a try. I am really beginning to enjoy all the new urban fantasy that’s coming out, and these books look like something I could get caught up in. Thanks for the great review, and I will let you know what I think of Wicked Lovely.

  • I love these books too! Glad you enjoyed this one. Great review–I’ve linked yours to mine, as well :-)