Countdown: October 2013 (3)

I've been excited to feature this month for countdowns for some time now. October is my birthday month, so I always look forward to seeing what books are going to be hitting the shelves throughout the thirty-one days that make up this calendar month. It's never a bad idea to have my birthday wish list ready for friends and family to draw from right? I've also always been a big fan of Halloween and getting dressed up and celebrating and marking the day with all the good fun that comes with it...and don't even get me started on pumpkin carving. The competition is pretty steep in my family and I've yet to come out on top, but it is a whole new year, and I'll have plenty of time to try and create a very impressive looking jack-o-lantern that will hopefully put my dad's to shame.

 

Countdown Pick #1:  The Brokenhearted by Amelia Kahaney (10/08/2013)

 

A teenage girl is transformed into a reluctant superhero and must balance her old life with the dark secret of who she has become.

Prima ballerina Anthem Fleet is closely guarded by her parents in their penthouse apartment. But when she meets the handsome Gavin at a party on the wrong side of town, she is immediately drawn into his dangerous world. Then, in a tragic accident, Anthem falls to her death. She awakes in an underground lab, with a bionic heart ticking in her chest. As she navigates her new life, she uncovers the sinister truth behind those she trusted the most, and the chilling secret of her family lineage…and her duty to uphold it.

The Dark Knight meets Cinder in this gripping and cinematic story of heartbreak and revenge. From Alloy Entertainment, this inventive new superhero story is sure to captivate any reader.

This upcoming release sounds more like a movie to me than a book, but that won't stop me from picking it up on it's release day to see what it's all about.  This will be my first experience reading Kahaney's work, and I'm looking forward to hopefully adding another favorite author to my list.

 

Countdown Pick #2:  Desert Tales: A Wicked Lovely Companion Novel by Melissa Marr (10/22/2013)

 

Return to the world of Melissa Marr’s bestselling series and discover how the events of Wicked Lovely set a different faery tale in motion...

The Mojave Desert was a million miles away from the plots and schemes of the Faerie Courts—and that’s exactly why Rika chose it as her home. The once-mortal faery retreated to the desert’s isolation after decades of carrying winter’s curse inside her body. But her seclusion—and the freedom of the desert fey—are threatened by the Summer King’s newfound strength. And when the manipulations of her trickster friend, Sionnach, thrust Rika into a new romance, she finds new power within herself—and a new desire to help Sionnach protect the desert fey and mortals alike. The time for hiding is OVER.

Originally presented as a manga series, and now available for the first time as a standalone novel, Desert Tales combines tentative romance, outward strength, and inner resolve in a faery story of desert and destiny.

 

I was a huge fan of the Wicked Lovely series, but I was never really able to get into the manga style novels.  So when I found out that Marr would be spinning her manga series into a standalone novel I was thrilled and eager to pick this one up.

 

Countdown Pick #3:  Premeditated by Josin L. McQuein (10/08/2013)

 

A week ago, Dinah’s cousin Claire cut her wrists.

Five days ago, Dinah found Claire’s diary and discovered why.

Three days ago, Dinah stopped crying and came up with a plan.

Two days ago, she ditched her piercings and bleached the black dye from her hair.

Yesterday, knee socks and uniform plaid became a predator’s camouflage.

Today, she’ll find the boy who broke Claire.

By tomorrow, he’ll wish he were dead.

Yikes!  While this whole set up kind of puts me on edge and tips my scale into scary, at the same time, I'm already finding myself wanting to root for this female lead if she's going to try and make sure this "boy" doesn't hurt another girl like her cousin again.

 

Countdown Pick #4:  Tandem (Many-Worlds Trilogy, #1) by Anna Jarzab (10/08/2013)

 

Everything repeats.
You. Your best friend. Every person you know.
Many worlds. Many lives--infinite possibilities.
Welcome to the multiverse.

Sixteen-year-old Sasha Lawson has only ever known one small, ordinary life. When she was young, she loved her grandfather's stories of parallel worlds inhabited by girls who looked like her but led totally different lives. Sasha never believed such worlds were real--until now, when she finds herself thrust into one against her will.

To prevent imminent war, Sasha must slip into the life of an alternate version of herself, a princess who has vanished on the eve of her arranged marriage. If Sasha succeeds in fooling everyone, she will be returned home; if she fails, she'll be trapped in another girl's life forever. As time runs out, Sasha finds herself torn between two worlds, two lives, and two young men vying for her love--one who knows her secret, and one who thinks she's someone she's not.

The first book in the Many-Worlds Trilogy, Tandem is a riveting saga of love and betrayal set in parallel universes in which nothing--and no one--is what it seems.

 

I'm so excited for this title to hit the shelves and cannot wait to read more about Sasha and these parallel universes!

 

Countdown Pick #5:  Teardrop (Teardrop, #1) by Lauren Kate (10/22/2013)

 

Never, ever cry. . . . Eureka Boudreaux's mother drilled that rule into her daughter years ago. But now her mother is gone, and everywhere Eureka goes he is there: Ander, the tall, pale blond boy who seems to know things he shouldn't, who tells Eureka she is in grave danger, who comes closer to making her cry than anyone has before.

But Ander doesn't know Eureka's darkest secret: ever since her mother drowned in a freak accident, Eureka wishes she were dead, too. She has little left that she cares about, just her oldest friend, Brooks, and a strange inheritance—a locket, a letter, a mysterious stone, and an ancient book no one understands. The book contains a haunting tale about a girl who got her heart broken and cried an entire continent into the sea. Eureka is about to discover that the ancient tale is more than a story, that Ander might be telling the truth . . . and that her life has far darker undercurrents than she ever imagined. From Lauren Kate comes an epic saga of heart-stopping romance, devastating secrets, and dark magic . . . a world where everything you love can be washed away.

 

Lauren Kate is back with another series and I think all of her fans agree that it couldn't have come at a better time.  I'm always on the lookout for a good romance, so when that's combined with Lauren Kate's amazing character development and story lines that flow together so effortlessly that readers easily lose track of the hour as they're trying their best to fly through the pages, it was a done deal for me.

Countdown: 2012 Releases (22)

One of my very good friend's is getting married this weekend, so reading has been put on the back burner once again while I try to make sure everything else that I've got on my list of things to do gets done so that I can go to the wedding and reception and enjoy myself without having to worry about everything else that still needs to be done hanging over my head all weekend. So I'm back with another countdown filled with a few more books that I'm anxious to see hit the shelves! How is your Summer going so far? Have you had the chance to check out any of the books you've been counting down for yet? Luckily I've managed to squeeze some reading time in here and there in between all of the activities going on around me, but of course there are always other books that get added to my list, and these are just a few!

Countdown Pick #1: Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr (09/04/2012)

In a city of daimons, the Carnival of Souls hosts a deadly competition. Once in a generation, every citizen can fight to join the ruling elite. Without the competition, Aya and Kaleb would both face bleak futures—if for different reasons. For each of them, fighting to the death is the only way to try to live.

In our own world, Mallory knows that her father—and every other witch—fled the daimons’ city long ago. She trains to be lethal because it’s only a matter of time until the daimons catch up with them.

While Mallory possesses little knowledge of The City, every inhabitant of The City knows of her. There are plans there for Mallory, and soon she, too, will be drawn into the decadence that is the Carnival of Souls.

From Melissa Marr, bestselling author of the Wicked Lovely series, comes a brand-new tale of secrets, love, and the struggle to forge one’s own destiny.

We've got a contest for this one. Goodreads just recently posted the contest and there are ten books up for grabs, so head on over and check it out for yourselves if you haven't already. Melissa Marr's writing speaks for itself time and time again so I can't wait to see what she has in store for her readers this time around.

Countdown Pick #2: Poison Princess (The Arcana Chronicles, #1) by Kresley Cole (10/02/2012)

Sixteen-year-old Evie Greene thought her horrific apocalyptic hallucinations were a sign that she was slowly losing her mind. But when her visions come true, decimating the world around her and killing everyone she loves, Evie is forced to accept that she was seeing the future.

Fighting for her life and desperate for answers, she turns to wrong-side-of-the-bayou classmate, the gorgeous and dangerous Jackson Deveaux for help. As Jackson and Evie race to find the source of her visions, they meet others who have got the same call and discover that Evie is not the only one with special powers. An ancient prophesy is being played out, and as the battle between good and evil intensifies, it is not always clear who is on which side…

I just love Kresley Cole's writing! But I'll admit that I'm a little unsure of what to expect with this series. It's Cole's first try at gearing her writing towards the Young Adult crowd, and I'm crossing my fingers she brings the same magic to this series that she has with her adult series. I've read all of her adult books that I've gotten my hands on and they're great, but definitely far from what you would consider YA material, so I guess only time will tell if she can transition smoothly towards this audience as well.

Countdown Pick #3: Survive by Alex Morel (08/02/2012)

Hatchet meets Lost in this modern-day adventure tale of one girl's reawakening

Jane is on a plane on her way home to Montclair, New Jersey, from a mental hospital. She is about to kill herself. Just before she can swallow a lethal dose of pills, the plane hits turbulence and everything goes black. Jane wakes up amidst piles of wreckage and charred bodies on a snowy mountaintop. There is only one other survivor: a boy named Paul, who inspires Jane to want to fight for her life for the first time.

Jane and Paul scale icy slopes and huddle together for warmth at night, forging an intense emotional bond. But the wilderness is a vast and lethal force, and only one of them will survive.

I'm already tense and somewhat sad reading this short description. I've yet to read a single page and from the sounds of it, I'm going to be on an emotional roller coaster through this whole book. I hate knowing that they both won't make it, and I'm anticipating needing a lot of tissues for this kind of read. I'm of course not letting that stop me, but I'm hopeful that maybe Morel will give readers some kind of wicked twist in the end that changes the outcome for these characters in a good way.

Countdown Pick #4: Before You Go by James Preller (07/17/2012)

The summer before his senior year, Jude (yes, he’s named after the Beatles song) gets his first job, falls in love for the first time, and starts to break away from his parents. Jude’s house is kept dark, and no one talks much—it’s been that way since his little sister drowned in a swimming pool seven years ago when Jude was supposed to be watching her.

Now, Jude is finally, finally starting to live. Really live. And then, life spins out of control. Again.

Acclaimed author James Preller explores life, death, love, faith, and resilience in his first young adult novel that will grip readers from the book’s dramatic first few pages to its emotional end.

Yikes! I'm not familiar with any of Preller's other work, but I'm planning on making this book my first impression. It sounds like it could be a great read, although super emotional for sure. If this description is anything to go by, Preller will have readers empathizing with his main character from the beginning and rooting for him all the way until the very end. I'm curious to see what kind of journey Preller will take us on.

Countdown Pick #5: Safekeeping by Karen Hesse (09/2012)

Radley just wants to get home to her parents in Vermont. While she was volunteering abroad, the American People's Party took power; the new president was assassinated; and the government cracked down on citizens. Travel restrictions are worse than ever, and when her plane finally lands in New Hampshire, Radley’s parents aren’t there.

Exhausted; her phone dead; her credit cards worthless: Radley starts walking.

Another dystopian novel added to the list, thank you very much! While this one has a similar sound to a lot of other dystopian novels that I've come to call my favorites, there's still so much mystery left for our imaginations as well, don't you think? I'm always curious to see what kind of governments or lack there of authors will portray in these kinds of titles, and how the people react to the authority or chaos around them, aren't you?

Countdown: Fantasy Edition

The genre of fantasy has always been one of my favorites. Whether we're talking fairies, or fairy tales, I love it all. While paranormal fiction is it's own genre now, I still lump the vampires, werewolves, etc... into fantasy, at least where my tastes are concerned. So with there being so many amazing fantasy titles coming out in the near future, I thought I would share a few that I'm anxiously counting down until their release dates!

Countdown #1: Warped by Maurissa Guibord (1/11/2011)

Tessa doesn't believe in magic. Or Fate. But there's something weird about the dusty unicorn tapestry she discovers in a box of old books. She finds the creature woven within it compelling and frightening. After the tapestry comes into her possession, Tessa experiences dreams of the past and scenes from a brutal hunt that she herself participated in. When she accidentally pulls a thread from the tapestry, Tessa releases a terrible centuries old secret. She also meets William de Chaucy, an irresistible 16th-century nobleman. His fate is as inextricably tied to the tapestry as Tessa's own. Together, they must correct the wrongs of the past. But then the Fates step in, making a tangled mess of Tessa's life. Now everyone she loves will be destroyed unless Tessa does their bidding and defeats a cruel and crafty ancient enemy.

Stories of unicorns are few and far between. While I'm not completely positive they're features in the upcoming release, I'm hoping and thinking there's a good chance. It sounds to me like Tessa is going to have her work cut out for her with magic tapestries coming to life, the fates intervening and handsome nobleman crossing her path in this tale. I'm crossing my fingers that Guibord produces a book that will give me a really good fantasy genre fix and maybe a possible series in the making?

Countdown #2: Across the Universe by Beth Revis (1/11/2011)

A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder. 

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone-one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship-tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming. 

While this book doesn't feature fantastical/mythical creatures, it features futuristic space age (think Star Trek) scenarios, which in my mind fits the fantasy mold. Characters are cryogenically frozen, control is in a dictator/big brother sort and conspiracies run amok. There is a possible romance in the background, but I don't think it's going to be the focus of Revis' work. Time is an issue and when you're dealing with future situations and worlds, anything is possible. I'm curious to see how far Revis will push the envelope? At the risk of sounding like an idiot...to infinity and beyond!

Countdown #3: Nightspell (Mistwood, #2) by Leah Cypess (5/31/2011)

Here be ghosts, the maps said, and that was all.

In this haunted kingdom, ghosts linger—not just in the deepest forests or the darkest caverns, but alongside the living, as part of a twisted palace court that revels all night and sleeps through the daylight hours.

Darri’s sister was trapped in this place of fear and shadows as a child. And now Darri has a chance to save her sister... if she agrees to a betrothal with the prince of the dead. But nothing is simple in this eerie kingdom—not her sister, who has changed beyond recognition; not her plan, which will be thrown off track almost at once; and not the undead prince, who seems more alive than anyone else.

In a court seething with the desire for vengeance, Darri holds the key to the balance between life and death. Can her warrior heart withstand the most wrenching choice of all?

Who didn't love Mistwood? While this is a part of the Mistwood series, it is a stand alone companion novel. I found Mistwood to be very unique and can only hope Cypess infuses this companion with her style and flare. The idea and sound of ghostland is both intriguing and scary. I'm worried our main character will be forced to sacrifice too much for the sake of her family. I am also holding out hope for another dash of romance much like the series opener. While it didn't consume the first book, it was a nice addition and helped me form an attachment to the characters. I'll guess I'll just have to wait and see what Cypess churns out this time.

Countdown #4: Darkest Mercy (Wicked Lovely, #5) by Melissa Marr (2/22/2011)

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."

The thrilling conclusion to Melissa Marr's "New York Times" bestselling Wicked Lovely series will leave readers breathless.

I'm honestly not sure I'll survive this one. The description ends with, "Love, despair, and betrayal ignite the Faery courts, and in the final conflict, some will win... and some will lose everything." As much as I adore all the characters in this amazing series that Marr has created, I'm mainly concerned with Aislinn and Seth. I don't want them to be torn apart or to have to lose each other again. Haven't they been through enough? Marr spins such an amazing web of intrigue, romance and suspense that I'm sure I'll be amazed all over again, but I'm scared she'll go too far and crush the ideal world as well. Hopefully she can give them a happily-ever after in this final installment in the Wicked Lovely series.

Quote of the Week (6)

"There's always another storm. It's the way the world works. Snowstorms, rainstorms, windstorms, sandstorms, and firestorms. Some are fierce and others are small. You have to deal with each one separately, but you need to keep an eye on whats brewing for tomorrow."

-- Maria V. Snyder (Fire Study)

That's right....I just couldn't resist using one of Maria's quotes after meeting her on Saturday at her book signing in Lancaster, PA.  I had so much fun and it was well worth the road trip....all I can say is Maria is beyond gracious and nice...she's wonderful!  

You guys know how excited I was to go to my 1st book signing and it didn't dissapoint!  She took the time to take pictures with me and to sign multiple copies of her books for me...I got there early and the line hadn't formed yet...I guess sometimes it pays to be punctual...hopefully I'll remember that in the future, lol!  I've got to upload those pictures I took to show you guys, I'll get right on that a.s.a.p.!

So as you may remember, I was talking on Friday about wanting to host my 1st giveaway...and I'm in the process of working on it now.  The 1st place prize will be a SIGNED copy of Inside Out that Maria was kind enough to dedicate to a lucky winner and she threw in a bookmark to go with it!  

I have two other books that I know I'll be adding to the contest for 2nd and 3rd place winners, but like I said this will be for followers only!  You guys have been so great and I love you to death...when I last checked I had 39 on Friday and my number seems to have gone up so if that continues I'll be sure to add onto the contest giveaway to reflect that.  

Also on a side note...because this contest is to reflect how much I love my followers...this contest will be International...I don't wanna leave anyone out...they might not all be like this in the future...I might have to utilize the Book Depository for later contests but this one is for EVERYONE!

I'm hoping to get the google docs contest forms, etc...all that jazz set up and ready to go by Wednesday...if not it will be as soon as I can figure it out, lol!  So check back in and get excited...I know I am, I love reading so much and I love giving away books almost as much as I love getting them..hehe!

P.S. in other news....don't forget to pick up Radiant Shadows by Melissa Marr which comes out tomorrow!  I'm going to try and fly through her 3rd book in the Wicked Lovely series, Fragile Eternity so that I can delve into the new release pronto!

In My Mailbox (3)

This is a meme that I first heard about from Kristi over at The Story Siren and immediately wanted to jump on board. Every week we’ll post about what books we have received (whether they’re bought/borrowed, etc… you get the idea). This is generally done on Sunday, but I’m told that it’s really whatever day works for you; I’m going to be posting mine on Fridays because I tend to post less on the weekends. Everyone participating will try and visit other lists to comment and possibly pine for the new arrivals everyone’s talking about. I’ve learned that it’s a great idea to really try and stop by at least two or three lists because I’m constantly finding out about new books that I’ve later added to my TBR list.Happy Reading!

This week I’ve added the following to my collection:

Heist Society by Ally Carter

When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her on a trip to the Louvre...to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria...to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own--scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving "the life" for a normal life proves harder than she'd expected.

Soon, Kat's friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring her back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has good reason: a powerful mobster has been robbed of his priceless art collection and wants to retrieve it. Only a master thief could have pulled this job, and Kat's father isn't just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat's dad needs her help.

For Kat there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it's a spectacularly impossible job? She's got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in history-or at least her family's (very crooked) history.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. He has no recollection of his parents, his home, or how he got where he is. His memory is black. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade, a large expanse enclosed by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning, for as long as they could remember, the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night, they’ve closed tight. Every thirty days a new boy is delivered in the lift. And no one wants to be stuck in the maze after dark.

The Gladers were expecting Thomas’s arrival. But the next day, a girl springs up—the first girl ever to arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers. The Gladers have always been convinced that if they can solve the maze that surrounds the Glade, they might be able to find their way home . . . wherever that may be. But it’s looking more and more as if the maze is unsolvable.
And something about the girl’s arrival is starting to make Thomas feel different. Something is telling him that he just might have some answers—if he can only find a way to retrieve the dark secrets locked within his own mind.

The Last Stormlord by Glenda Larke

Shale is the lowest of the low-an outcast from a poor village in the heart of the desert. In the desert water is life, and currency, and Shale has none. But he has a secret. It's the one thing that keeps him alive and may save all the cities of the Quartern in the days to come. If it doesn't get him killed first...

Terelle is a slave fleeing a life as a courtesan. She finds shelter in the home of an elderly painter but as she learns the strange and powerful secrets of his art she fears she may have traded a life of servitude for something far more perilous...

The Stormlord is dying in his tower and there is no one, by accident or design, to take his place. He brings the rain from the distant seas to his people. Without a Stormlord, the cities of the Quartern will wither and die.

Their civilization is at the brink of disaster. If Shale and Terelle can find a way to save themselves, they may just save them all. Water is life and the wells are running dry...

Fragile Eternity by 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 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.

In Melissa Marr's third mesmerizing tale of Faerie, Seth and Aislinn struggle to stay true to themselves and each other in a milieu of shadowy rules and shifting allegiances, where old friends become new enemies and one wrong move could plunge the Earth into chaos.

And although I've had this book on my shelf for some time I pulled it down and decided to finally give it a shot...I'll let you know how it turns out.

The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima

Before he knew about the Roses, sixteen-year-old Jack lived an unremarkable life in the small Ohio town of Trinity. Only the medicine he has to take daily and the thick scar above his heart set him apart from the other high-schoolers. Then one day Jack skips his medicine. Suddenly, he is stronger, fiercer, and more confident than ever before. And it feels great - until he loses control of his own strength and nearly kills another player during soccer team tryouts.

Soon, Jack learns the startling truth about himself: he is Weirlind - part of an underground society of magical people who live among us. At the head of this magical society sit the feuding houses of the Red Rose and the White Rose, whose power is determined by playing The Game - a magical tournament in which each house sponsors a warrior to fight to the death. The winning house rules the Weir.

As if his bizarre magical heritage isn't enough, Jack finds out that he's not just another member of Weirlind - he's one of the last of the warriors - at a time when both houses are scouting for a player. Jack's performance on the soccer field has alerted the entire magical community to the fact that he's in Trinity. And until one of the houses is declared Jack's official sponsor, there are no limits to what they'll do to get Jack to fight for them. . . .

Don't forget to visit the Book Blogger Hop over at Crazy-for-Books and check out some great blogs that you may not know about.  Since I've joined I've found some amazing ones and I can't wait to see who joins this week!

Teaser Tuesday (2)

“Teaser Tuesday” is a weekly meme hosted by Mizb of Should Be Reading.  Anyone can do it, here’s how:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.
• Be careful not to include SPOILERS!  (Make sure that what you share doesn't give too much way, you don't want to ruin the book for others.)

• Share the title and the author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers.

I thought it only right to have my "teaser" coincide with the review below.  Happy Reading!

Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr

"Niall pulled her into his arms, holding her as securely as if she'd been falling only to be snatched back from the edge.  His hand cradled the back of her head.  'Will you look poorly on my if I admit I wish I weren't the one to do this?'"

Review: Ink Exchange (Wicked Lovely, #2) by 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 allure, and helpless to withstand it's perils...

In the second book in the Wicked Lovely series readers will get a closer and more in-depth look at the supporting characters from Wicked Lovely. Leslie, Niall and Irial take center stage in this companion novel and readers will get some of their questions answered regarding these characters. While I loved Aislinn, Keenan and Seth from Wicked Lovely, they have not completely gone away; they still remain as supporting background characters throughout this novel.

The world Melissa Marr created in Wicked Lovely still blows my mind, the creativity that goes into her work despite this being a genre that has been done and re-done so many times impressed me with each turn of the page. I felt that Marr took Ink Exchange and went beyond just the superficial to delve deeper into larger issues, real issues and fae issues as you would have it. Leslie is a girl with a clouded past…readers are never given the full picture up front as to what lies in her past or what spurs her to make the choices she does throughout the novel. And although I'd love Marr to answer every question that pops into my head as I'm reading her work, I enjoy and appreciate the intrigue and reasoning behind her careful planning as to when she reveals her information. When all was said and done I appreciated her character and the struggles she went through because Marr helped readers feel as if they experienced some of those struggles with her character.

The triangle between Leslie, Niall and Irial took me a few minutes to adjust to. I will say I came into this novel doubting that it would rank up there with Wicked Lovely and the love triangle that was present because all three main characters in Ink Exchange were not given much of a spotlight in the series' first novel; however I was proven to be a little short-sighted. Niall was not just another male hunk with a tortured past, as I first thought he would be. Marr went deeper than that. I found myself aching for him for all the difficulties he dealt with on a daily basis, and was hoping someone would come to understand his pain and only love him more for it.

Irial was another tough sell for me because for starters, I usually always root for the good guy. And let's face it, if you're the king of the dark faery court that pretty much puts you in my "bad" guy column. Again Marr proved that I needed to exercise a little more patience. I'm not saying that I'm on "team Irial" but after finishing the book I will say that I enjoyed his character and what he brought to the table. He frustrated me to no end because he refused to stay in my "good vs. bad" column. In my mind he was constantly switching sides.

I’m looking forward to continue reading the Wicked Lovely series and to see what Fragile Eternity, the third novel in the series delivers. On a side note I’m hoping to see more of the character Gabriel in future novels, because he is yet another character who was put into the background but yet still fought to come to life on the pages he was given. He fascinates me and stirs up my curiosity, so I’m crossing my fingers to see more of him in novels to come.

All in all I truly do enjoy Marr’s work. The world and characters she creates and brings to life never fail to impress.

I gave Ink Exchange (Wicked Lovely, #2) 3 shamrocks!!!