This week the Cover Art comment change-ups continue, as Kristina subs in for Abigail.  We’re eager to make it to Wordpress so all three of us can post together!  In the meantime, our constellation of commenters continues to change from week to week.  Though only THE SHATTERED DARK made it as my favorite this week, the cover reveal for Patricia C. Wrede’s THE FAR WEST reminded me that this was a beloved series that I was way too far behind on (and sparked an order and pre-order).  I hope these titles bring as many happy reminders to your own To Be Read list, enjoy!

 

*This title will be released on May 17, 2011*

Title: Graveminder Author: Melissa Marr Series: Graveminder #1 Cover Art: N/A Genre: Contemporary Fantasy Excerpt: Yes Source: Goodreads First Read Reviewed by: Abigail Hardcover: 336 pages Publisher: William Morrow (May 17, 2011) ISBN-10: 0061826871 ISBN-13: 978-0061826870 Sexual Content: Vague references to rape. A scene of sensuality. Rating: Good - A fun read with minor flaws. Maybe read an excerpt before buying.

---

Description

The New York Times bestselling author of the Wicked Lovely series delivers her first novel for adults, a story about the living, the dead, and a curse that binds them.

Three sips to mind the dead . . .

Rebekkah Barrow never forgot the attention her grandmother Maylene bestowed upon the dead of Claysville, the small town where Bek spent her adolescence. There wasn't a funeral that Maylene didn't attend, and at each one Rebekkah watched as Maylene performed the same unusual ritual: She took three sips from a silver flask and spoke the words "Sleep well, and stay where I put you."

Now Maylene is dead, and Bek must go back to the place she left a decade earlier. She soon discovers that Claysville is not just the sleepy town she remembers, and that Maylene had good reason for her odd traditions. It turns out that in Claysville the worlds of the living and the dead are dangerously connected; beneath the town lies a shadowy, lawless land ruled by the enigmatic Charles, aka Mr. D. If the dead are not properly cared for, they will come back to satiate themselves with food, drink, and stories from the land of the living. Only the Graveminder, by tradition a Barrow woman, and her Undertaker—in this case Byron Montgomery, with whom Bek shares a complicated past—can set things right once the dead begin to walk.

Although she is still grieving for Maylene, Rebekkah will soon find that she has more than a funeral to attend to in Claysville, and that what awaits her may be far worse: dark secrets, a centuries-old bargain, a romance that still haunts her, and a frightening new responsibility—to stop a monster and put the dead to rest where they belong.

Review

GRAVEMINDER is the adult debut for YA Paranormal queen Melissa Marr, a very slow building gothic/horror mystery, almost like the movie The Village. There is a small, quaint town populated with mysterious characters most of whom seem to be in on a Big Secret: the dead don’t always stay dead.  A legacy, passed down from generation to generation, binds two families to the town in order to magically protect the rest.

The main idea in GRAVEMINDER is fantastic with a big nod to the Hades and Persephone myth.  But Marr takes it a step further and creates her own very unique folklore by imagining two complimentary roles: The Graveminder and the Undertaker.  Both mythologies work well and really serve to inject the story with a fresh yet seemingly historical context.  It was easily my favorite thing about the book.

I did get impatient with the pace and the fact that Rebekkah and Bryan had only one conversation that they just repeated throughout the book (Him: Admit you love me! Her: I can’t, I’m still hung up on my sisters/your ex girlfriend’s death).  It made their relationship feel very stale to me.  We learn throughout the story exactly what brought them together and then drove them apart, but unfortunately, it felt more like an obligatory romantic obstacle rather that a real emotional feat that I could invest in, and given their situation, it could have been.

Another miss for me was the ‘shadowy, lawless land ruled by the enigmatic Charles, aka Mr. D.’ It was kinda cheesy and felt almost like a different story.  There was all this build up about the mystery and the town curse that when that part of it was revealed, I was disappointed.  It didn’t have the same gothic horror vibe as the rest of the story and I couldn’t wait to get back to Claysville.  Fortunately, that’s what happened and the story finished strong.

Overall, GRAVEMINDER is a big departure for Melissa Marr that is mostly successful.  The gothic mystery along with Marr’s easy writing style hooked me and pulled me into to this cursed town, but the romance was repetitive and the reveal was a bit of a let down.  Marr fans will want to check it out as well as anyone who enjoys small town mysteries with a supernatural twist.  So what’s next for this world?  GRAVEMINDER has already been optioned for a television show by Ken Olin (Alias and Brothers & Sisters), and Melissa has confirmed that she’s working on a sequel.

Previous Books in Series	Also Reviewed By:
N/A	Stiletto Storytime Bewitched Bookworms Genre Go Round Reviews

*Disclosure: I received this book courtesy of Media Masters Publicity

 

Book Description

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 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 Melissa Marr’s next volume of Melissa Marr’s New York Times bestselling Wicked Lovely series.

---

Book 4 in The Wicked Lovely Series 

Review:

After Wicked Lovely, RADIANT SHADOWS is my favorite book in the series to date. Like a modern combination of A Mid Summer's Night Dream and Romeo and Juliet. The tone of story is deeply romantic and tragic at the same time, with every page more enchanting than the last.

Main Characters/POVs: (courtesy of WickedLovely.com)

• Ani: The central character of the book, Ani is a Halfling. She is the daughter of Gabe, and has recently come to live with the Dark Court as a result of her ability to "feed" off humans, using their negative feelings for sustenance. Up until that time, she lived with Rabbit and Tish, her half-siblings, in Rabbit's tattoo shop. She is 16 years old and known to be a bit of a wild child.
• Devlin: Devlin was created by Sorcha and Bananach. He is a balance of their opposing forces, and is currently working for Sorcha in Faerie as brother, confidant, and assassin.
• Rae: Rae is a mystery. She is not a faery or a mortal, or anything Melissa Marr has written about before. Devlin is the only person in the faery world who knows her.

RADIANT SHADOWS is a love story between Devlin and Ani. From the first moment these two met, I knew I was hooked in a way that I haven’t been since Ash and Seth (I was disappointed when I realized that Ash and Seth wouldn't be the focus of RADIANT SHADOWS, but that disappointment didn't last). There was a raw desire that pulsed from every scene and every stolen kiss Ani and Devlin shared. Their union was forbidden by every conceivable authority; Devlin knew it and struggled to keep his distance. Ani saw the illicitness of their relationship and craved it the more for it.

There are a few missteps in RADIANT SHADOWS. Ani's dialogue often comes across too juvenile and desperate when she talks with Devlin. I much preferred her internal thoughts. And then there's Ani's Steed. In the human world is takes the form of basically any vehicle she wants, but talks telepathically with her like some annoying kind of Kit from Knight Rider.

Fans of the entire Wicked Lovely series will appreciate the various storylines from each previous book that Melissa Marr picks up and weaves together in this latest installment. New readers, however will probably be confused by the numerous characters and intricate back stories.

My Final Say: Mixing folklore, faerie mythology, and sweeping romance, Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely series continues to be a must read. RADIANT SHADOWS has set the stage for an showdown of epic proportions in the next book. Already I can empathize with Ani’s insatiable hunger while waiting for Darkest Mercy (the working title for book 5 in the Wicked Lovely series).

Sexual Content: (YA titles receive a more thorough breakdown) Kissing, implied sex. References to sex. Vague references to homosexuality.

My Rating (out of 5):
Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now & pre-order the sequel.

Click HERE to read an excerpt of RADIANT SHADOWS

---

Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (April 20, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061659223
• ISBN-13: 978-0061659225

Disagree with my review?  Contact me your review for this or any other book I’ve reviewed and I might use it for 2nd Opinion Review

Book Description

Seth wants to be with Aislinn forever. Forever takes on new meaning, though, when your girlfriend is an immortal faery queen.

Keenan stole Aislinn's mortality to make her a monarch. 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 to 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.

---

Book 3 in The Wicked Lovely Series.

Review:
FRAGILE ETERNITY is the true sequel to Wicked Lovely that Ink Exchange wasn't. Ashlinn, Seth, and Keenan are once again the main characters picking up not long after the events in Wicked Lovely. I had some issues with Ink Exchange because I felt like it was much too similar to the story in Wicked Lovely. FRAGILE ETERNITY is completely its own story.

Seth was so cool in Wicked Lovely, it was easy to see why Ash fell for him. Unfortunately, I think he lost some of his cool this time out. Playing the long suffering boyfriend essentially neutered him in a lot of ways. The role he was reduced to in light of Ash’s new role of Summer Queen to Keenan’s King was pretty emasculating. He just sat in on meetings and watched the two of them fight against the bond that draws them together, and later consoled Ash when she confessed how much she is drawn to Keenan.  Rinse, latter, repeat.  If he had stayed in that docile position, I think it would have ruined the book for me.  ‘If’ being the operative word: he didn’t.

I also think it took a little to long to get into the plot. It hadn’t been that long since I’d read the first two books, but in the beginning, I had difficulty trying to remember who everyone was.  After the first 60 pages or so, everything started to click again, and the plot took off.  From then on, I couldn't put it down.

I can’t really say anything about the plot without giving too much away, but just make sure you read Wicked Lovely first, or you'll have a hard time following the story. If you haven't read Ink Exchange yet, you'll mostly be okay (though you should still check it out).

Overall, Melissa Marr's writing is enchanting and her ability to create empathy with her characters is masterful. Of all the faeries in YA right now, Melissa's are easily my favorite. Now out in paperback, pick this one up and get ready for Radiant Shadows due out April 20, 2010.

YA Warning:  FRAGILE ETERNITY is the most YA friendly in the series to date. The sexual content is very low and there isn't any drug use.

Sexual Content: References to sex. References to homosexuality.

My Rating (out of 5):
Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now & pre-order the sequel.

---

Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; 1 edition (March 23, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061214736
• ISBN-13: 978-0061214738

Disagree with my review?  Contact me your review for this or any other book I’ve reviewed and I might use it for 2nd Opinion Review

Melissa Marr, author of the NYT best-selling Wicked Lovely series, is heading out on tour to share her newest book Radiant Shadows with her legions of fans!  Don’t miss this opportunity to meet Melissa, hear juicy details about the upcoming Wicked Lovely movie, ask her some burning questions about Aislinn, Seth, Irial and the rest of the fae and get behind-the-scenes details about the making of Radiant Shadows.   

• DENVER, CO April 22, 2010:  Tattered Cover Book Store; 7:00 pm
• LEXINGTON, KY April 23, 2010:  Joseph-Beth Booksellers; 7:00 pm
• ST. LOUIS, MO April 24, 2010:  St. Louis County Library; 7:00 pm
• BOSTON, MA April 26, 2010:  Cambridge Public Library, Cambridge, MA; 7:00 pm
• COLUMBUS, OH April 28 – May 2, 2010:  Romantic Times Convention
• CLEVELAND, OH May 12, 2010:   Joseph-Beth Booksellers; 7:00 pm
• PHILADELPHIA, PA May 14, 2010:   Chester County Book Store, West Chester, PA; 7:00 pm
• RICHMOND, VA May 15, 2010:   The Fountain Bookstore; 2:00 pm

What?  You mean like me, you don’t live anywhere near any of those cities?  How about if I give you an opportunity to win a copy of RADIANT SHADOWS by Melissa Marr (courtesy of Media Masters Publicity) just by weighing on a mini Throwdown Thursday.

Throwdown Thursday is a weekly thing [hosted by The Neverending Shelf] where we tackle books with similar characters, covers, themes, etc. to determine which one rocks more. And it is up to YOU to determine the winner!

Last week’s Throwdown asked: Hell Fire vs. On The Edge? And the winner be split decision is…Hell Fire

This week, I’m keeping it simple: Do you like the US version or  the UK version of the RADIANT SHADOWS cover?  Leave your answer and you’ll be entered to win a copy of the US version.

Radiant Shadows (Wicked Lovely)

US Cover                  vs.                 UK Cover

Book Description

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 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.

Check out my reviews here:

• Wicked Lovely (Wicked Lovely #1)
• Ink Exchange (Wicked Lovely #2)
• Fragile Eternity  (Wicked Lovely #3) is coming soon…

Visit HarperTEEN and download Melissa Marr's exclusive e-book original sequel to INK EXCHANGE and the book that started the series, WICKED LOVELY, complete with bonus material, both for FREE!

Giveaway Guidelines

One copy of Radiant Shadows (Wicked Lovely #4)

1. Open U.S. & CA residents only
2. Leave a comment with your throwdown pick (US vs UK cover)
3. Entries must be received by Midnight MST on April 10th
4. Check back on April 11th to see if you won.

That’s it.  Much simpler, huh?  I decided to do away with all the contest hoops.  I’m hoping to try and incorporate more giveaways with my Throwdown Thursdays in the future. 

Of course please feel free to spread the word.  You can click the Retweet, Facebook, Google Buzz buttons at the top of the comments. 

Melissa Marr got permission to share the cover for her fourth Wicked Lovely book.  I’m kind of disappointed.  The three previous covers were among my favorites of the genre, but this one is fairly lackluster.  Can’t wait to read it though.  What do you think?

 

Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr

Book Description:  Unbeknownst to mortals, a power struggle is unfolding in a world of shadows and danger. After centuries of stability, the balance between the Faerie 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. 17-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 that Leslie had 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 faerie world, unable to resist its allures, and helpless to withstand its perils. Melissa Marr continues her tales of Faerie in a dark, ravishing story of temptation and consequences, and of heroism when least expected.

---

Review:

Wicked lovely was one of my favorite paranormal YA reads in recent years. I immediately connected with Aislinn and Seth, and was completely captivated by the Faerie world that Melissa Marr had created. So I fully expected to be equally enchanted by Ink Exchange. After all, it’s the same wonderful world, and some of the same wonderful characters.  So why am I left feeling slightly disappointed?

A human girl is singled out by a faery  ruler as the one who could save his court and slowly drawn into the invisible world of the Fey.  Torn between two men, one of whom she is drawn to despite her better judgment, she struggles to maintain her sense of self, deal with past family issues, and perhaps find true love. 

I just described the general plot of both Wicked Lovely AND Ink Exchange.  Now do you see why I’m disappointed?  Ink Exchange does tell a different story in the details: Leslie is the human in question this time (we met her briefly in Wicked), and Irial is of  the Dark Court (as opposed to Keenan’s Summer Court).  Leslie has spend her life oblivious of fey until she unwittingly chooses a tattoo that links her to Irial and allows him to siphon dark  human emotions (fear, anger, lust, hate etc.) through her to feed all his fey and stave off starvation.  The link is eventual fatal to humans and, in the meantime, Leslie lives as a junkie where her only fix is Irial’s touch.  The love triangle is completed by Niall, Keenan’s guard who falls for Leslie while trying to protect her from all fey, including himself. 

If I hadn’t read Wicked Lovely first, I probably wouldn’t be nit picking. The story is fascinating, but it is also familiar, too much so for me.  And to be honest, Ink is not as strong as Wicked nor are the characters as compelling.  The world of the fey even seems less vivid.  Ink Exchange in not a bad book, quite the opposite.  The only real criticism is that it doesn’t live up to its predecessor.  And considering how lovely Wicked was, that is hardly a fault at all.

Caution: I had a difficult time reviewing Wicked Lovely as a YA book because of some of the subject matter. I’m faced with that same problem with Ink Exchange.  There are a lot of subjects in this book that I would be cautious about introducing to a young audience: Rampant drug use and abuse; child abuse; gang rape, orgies, sex addiction, self-mutilation, etc.  Some of these topics are only briefly touched on, while others are recurring features throughout the story.  Something to think about before handing this book to a teen.

Sexual Content:

Several references to a past experience where a character was drugged and gang raped.  The concept of sexual addiction is present. Sex is implied, but never described. Orgies are implied, but never described.

Click here to read an excerpt of Ink Exchange

(additional cover)

---

Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; Reprint edition (March 31, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061214701
• ISBN-13: 978-0061214707

Variety reports:

Universal makes 'Wicked' deal

Thompson to adapt first book in Marr's series

By MICHAEL FLEMING 

Universal Pictures has acquired screen rights to "Wicked Lovely," the bestselling first book in a fantasy series written by Melissa  Marr that will see its fourth installment published next year by Harper Collins.

The studio bought the book to be produced by Wild West Picture Show Prods., and has hired "Edward Scissorhands" scribe Caroline Thompson to adapt it.
Wild West is Vince Vaughn's U-based shingle.
The protagonist is a 17-year-old girl who can see fairies, and must fend off the advances of a fairy king determined to marry her to save the planet from his vengeful mother.
CAA brokered the book deal with Writers House and ICM reps Thompson.

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

Book Blurb:
Rule #3: Don't stare at invisible faeries. Aislinn has always seen faeries. Powerful and dangerous, they walk hidden in mortal world. Aislinn fears their cruelty—especially if they learn of her Sight—and wishes she were as blind to their presence as other teens. Rule #2: Don't speak to invisible faeries. Now faeries are stalking her. One of them, Keenan, who is equal parts terrifying and alluring, is trying to talk to her, asking questions Aislinn is afraid to answer. Rule #1: Don't ever attract their attention. But it's too late. Keenan is the Summer King who has sought his queen for nine centuries. Without her, summer itself will perish. He is determined that Aislinn will become the Summer Queen at any cost—regardless of her plans or desires. Suddenly none of the rules that have kept Aislinn safe are working anymore, and everything is on the line: her freedom; her best friend, Seth; her life; everything. Faerie intrigue, mortal love, and the clash of ancient rules and modern expectations swirl together in Melissa Marr's stunning 21^st century faery tale.


Review:
Similar in feeling to Twilight. I had read some recommendations for this book from Twilight fans, which is why I picked it up. And while it definitely isn't as good as the Twilight books, the comparison is valid. In both book series, a high school girl, with an ability that differentiates her from her peers becomes a part of a supernatural world and is pursued by a devastatingly handsome nonhuman. The tone of the book and the level of writing elevate it from other wannabe Twilight clones, but there are marked differences that keep this book from feeling redundant. For one, faeries are the supernatural creatures not vampires, and for another *SPOILER*the girl does not return the affections of her faery suitor but rather is in love with her equally handsome best friend. *END OF SPOILER* We also get a lot more information about the world of the fey through various POV's.

Sexual Content:
Unlike Twilight, I wouldn't recommend this one for the kiddies as there is some talk and reference to casual sex and a scene that has a vague reference to a sex act.