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Wicked Lovely #5
Darkest Mercy
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2011)The fifth and final breathtaking instalment in the darkly seductive and best-selling WICKED LOVELY series, about the collision of mortal and faery worlds! 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. Torn between his new queen and his old love, Keenan left Huntsdale to wander aimlessly but after centuries of leading his court it was not long before the reality of being Summer King became too pressing. Violence seemed more inevitable by the day and the Summer Court was not yet strong enough to face conflict, so Keenan made a dangerous deal with the water fey. It is a desperate bargain he makes to strengthen his court against the coming war. Aislinn tends the Summer Court, searching for her absent king and yearning for Seth. She knows she must be a powerful queen to hold her court together, while Bananach becomes more and more dangerous, and she is losing faeries to her. Donia longs for fiery passion even as she coolly readies the Winter Court for battle. Her court is still powerful, but she must remain focused on keeping them that way and not get distracted by Keenan when he shows up at her door again. The Dark Court is thrown into chaos when they are rocked by tragedy. 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. They all know what Bananach seeks -- the raven-faery is the embodiment of war and discord. She and her growing number of allies want mutiny and murder. Love, despair and betrayal ignite the Faeries Courts, and in the final conflict, some will win! and some will lose everything. The thrilling conclusion to Melissa Marr's bestselling Wicked Lovely series will leave readers breathless.
327 pages, Paperback
First published February 22, 2011
345 people are currently reading
29665 people want to read
About the author
Melissa Marr
107 books13k followersMelissa Marr writes fiction for adults, teens, and children. Her books have been translated into 28 languages and been bestsellers in the US (NY Times, LA Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal) as well as overseas. Wicked Lovely, her debut novel, was an instant New York Times bestseller and evolved into an internationally bestselling multi-book series with a myriad of accolades.
In 2024 she released a queer fantasy (Remedial Magic via Bramble), a picturebook about a wee one and his two moms (Family is Family via Penguin), and a DC Comics graphic novel about teen Harley & Ivy (The Strange Adventures of Harleen & Harley).
An Illumicrate edition of 6 Wicked Lovely books will release in 2025.
If she's not writing, you can find her in a kayak or on a trail with her wife.
In 2024 she released a queer fantasy (Remedial Magic via Bramble), a picturebook about a wee one and his two moms (Family is Family via Penguin), and a DC Comics graphic novel about teen Harley & Ivy (The Strange Adventures of Harleen & Harley).
An Illumicrate edition of 6 Wicked Lovely books will release in 2025.
If she's not writing, you can find her in a kayak or on a trail with her wife.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,701 reviews
February 27, 2011
So after 5 books, hundreds of pages, and many years...it all comes down to an ultimatum. If Keenan had just issued one in Wicked Lovely, it would've saved a lot of time.
August 27, 2016
These books have the most beautiful names, where does she get them?
February 25, 2011
Undoubtedly 5 Stars!!
When I told you I wanted to try, I spoke the truth. When I turned away, it was for my former court, and when I tried to make another faery love me, it was for that court. I’ve lived my whole life trying to bring the Summer Court back to the strength it once was. In all those years, in centuries, I’ve only wished myself free of duty because of one reason. You…
Darkest Mercy was the perfect series finale for Wicked Lovely. I am gushing right now because I loved this book… TO.PIECES! I could not have asked for anything more in terms of an ending for my favorite faery series. I’m actually very sad too that this journey is over, and I can only hope that Marr has some spinoffs in the making, not because everything wasn’t tied up properly, but because I want more... simply just not ready to let these characters go yet.
It’s no secret that my favorite character in this entire series is Keenan ((SQUEEEE)))and in this installment it just proves how much he’s willing to sacrifice for his court and the ones he loves. He HANDS DOWN gave up the most and fought the hardest to make sure the Summer, Winter and Dark court survived Bananach’s reign of terror. His final sacrifice made my heart drop!! I did not even phantom that was even possible!!! Melissa Marr is an EVIL GENIUS!! She makes her characters fight, struggle, and sacrifice but not without their just rewards. Gawd she’s brilliant!!
The final battle was EPIC!! I loved how throughout this final book Marr was adamant about one thing – she is willing to spare characters to ensure the storyline progresses properly. None of this “mental battle” bullsh!t other authors use as a cop out. Melissa Marr is fearless and she makes her characters earn their ending whether it be a happy one or simply what they deserve. BRILLIANT!!
I will stand behind my previous opinion on how Fragile Eternity and Radiant Shadows came off as filler books. To be honest, this final installment does not need those two books to deliver this flawless ending. What I do recommend is reading the novellas Stopping Time and Old Habits, so you can understand the relationship between Irial, Niall and Leslie. Other than that, there is nothing I could have asked for that Marr didn’t deliver in this final book for the Wicked Lovely series.
I highly recommend fans of the first few books give this installment a try. So worth it!! It’s one I’ll be re-reading over and over again. Loved it!
When I told you I wanted to try, I spoke the truth. When I turned away, it was for my former court, and when I tried to make another faery love me, it was for that court. I’ve lived my whole life trying to bring the Summer Court back to the strength it once was. In all those years, in centuries, I’ve only wished myself free of duty because of one reason. You…
Darkest Mercy was the perfect series finale for Wicked Lovely. I am gushing right now because I loved this book… TO.PIECES! I could not have asked for anything more in terms of an ending for my favorite faery series. I’m actually very sad too that this journey is over, and I can only hope that Marr has some spinoffs in the making, not because everything wasn’t tied up properly, but because I want more... simply just not ready to let these characters go yet.
It’s no secret that my favorite character in this entire series is Keenan ((SQUEEEE)))and in this installment it just proves how much he’s willing to sacrifice for his court and the ones he loves. He HANDS DOWN gave up the most and fought the hardest to make sure the Summer, Winter and Dark court survived Bananach’s reign of terror. His final sacrifice made my heart drop!! I did not even phantom that was even possible!!! Melissa Marr is an EVIL GENIUS!! She makes her characters fight, struggle, and sacrifice but not without their just rewards. Gawd she’s brilliant!!
The final battle was EPIC!! I loved how throughout this final book Marr was adamant about one thing – she is willing to spare characters to ensure the storyline progresses properly. None of this “mental battle” bullsh!t other authors use as a cop out. Melissa Marr is fearless and she makes her characters earn their ending whether it be a happy one or simply what they deserve. BRILLIANT!!
I will stand behind my previous opinion on how Fragile Eternity and Radiant Shadows came off as filler books. To be honest, this final installment does not need those two books to deliver this flawless ending. What I do recommend is reading the novellas Stopping Time and Old Habits, so you can understand the relationship between Irial, Niall and Leslie. Other than that, there is nothing I could have asked for that Marr didn’t deliver in this final book for the Wicked Lovely series.
I highly recommend fans of the first few books give this installment a try. So worth it!! It’s one I’ll be re-reading over and over again. Loved it!
March 2, 2011
So. I've made it to the end of the story and I'm left with the feeling that Marr has a better story in her head that what actually appears on the page. While she might know what she means, she hasn't expressed it particularly well.
Here's what I think: If you're going to continue to refer to a character's backstory, then at some point you have to tell me that backstory or the current story has no foundation. Also, if you're going to ramp off on these tangents(Devlin/Ani/Rae) they need to actually be a part of the final story. After a whole book about D/A/R, they do not appear at all in this book, other than Devlin informed Seth about the closed gateway. That's it. I'm still waiting to find out what exactly Rae is. I'm waiting to find out how the Shadow Court affects the Faerie world. How does Sorcha feel about a new court just popping up in the world she controls? Nope. Nothing. That isn't good when the story is completed. And no, I wouldn't be interested in reading a story about who Rae is, what a dreamwalker is and what she was before that. No thank you.
In world-building, the world needs to be explained, clearly and sensibly so that as a reader I can lose myself there. I was never able in five books to ever get truly caught up in Marr's world. She tosses the reader into it with no supports. There are all these characters which she seems to assume everyone knows. I've said this before but I feel I needed to read these books with the encyclopedia of fey creatures next to me, but that wouldn't be too helpful because it would actually have to be the fey world according to Marr. After five books, I shouldn't still feel confused.
Having said that, the story here did move me at times and Marr did at the very least give the big battle that has been building throughout the series. There are some surprising twists and turns along the way.
While I am happy with where everyone ended up, I was disappointed that Ash seemed to have been relegated to almost a secondary character while Donia and Keenan took center stage along with Seth and Neill. I felt somewhat short-changed on Ash's story. She has spent too much of the story either moping because one or both of her boys was gone or resisting, kind of maybe or maybe not, Keenan. When this is resolved, she makes the adjustments far too easily. That's all I can say without spoilers.
All in all, I don't think I'd sign on for another Marr series. A single book, maybe. Series, probably not.
Here's what I think: If you're going to continue to refer to a character's backstory, then at some point you have to tell me that backstory or the current story has no foundation. Also, if you're going to ramp off on these tangents(Devlin/Ani/Rae) they need to actually be a part of the final story. After a whole book about D/A/R, they do not appear at all in this book, other than Devlin informed Seth about the closed gateway. That's it. I'm still waiting to find out what exactly Rae is. I'm waiting to find out how the Shadow Court affects the Faerie world. How does Sorcha feel about a new court just popping up in the world she controls? Nope. Nothing. That isn't good when the story is completed. And no, I wouldn't be interested in reading a story about who Rae is, what a dreamwalker is and what she was before that. No thank you.
In world-building, the world needs to be explained, clearly and sensibly so that as a reader I can lose myself there. I was never able in five books to ever get truly caught up in Marr's world. She tosses the reader into it with no supports. There are all these characters which she seems to assume everyone knows. I've said this before but I feel I needed to read these books with the encyclopedia of fey creatures next to me, but that wouldn't be too helpful because it would actually have to be the fey world according to Marr. After five books, I shouldn't still feel confused.
Having said that, the story here did move me at times and Marr did at the very least give the big battle that has been building throughout the series. There are some surprising twists and turns along the way.
While I am happy with where everyone ended up, I was disappointed that Ash seemed to have been relegated to almost a secondary character while Donia and Keenan took center stage along with Seth and Neill. I felt somewhat short-changed on Ash's story. She has spent too much of the story either moping because one or both of her boys was gone or resisting, kind of maybe or maybe not, Keenan. When this is resolved, she makes the adjustments far too easily. That's all I can say without spoilers.
All in all, I don't think I'd sign on for another Marr series. A single book, maybe. Series, probably not.
October 25, 2010
On the day I received my copy of Darkest Mercy, I was late. I'd just driven five and a half hours through one of the poorest regions in the United States after teaching most of the day on very little sleep. It was hot. I was frightened; I had never seen the kind of poverty I'd just driven through, solo, to get to a book signing in Jackson, Mississippi. I slid into a metal folding chair next to a man who looked at me funny. I didn't blame him. I had no idea what was going on and I probably needed a shower.
Many fine writers graced a low stage. One, in particular, was the reason I'd come: Melissa Marr. I had, in fact, claimed that I would crawl through glass to meet her. One writer said something about trivia questions. I remembered a crossroads in lower Alabama where children played in front of a burned out building next to a liquor store. It was the only business for twenty miles. Too badly rattled, I knew I was going to suck at the trivia questions. Melissa Marr said something about "only four copies." None of it made any sense. I was late and glad to be alive. Then Melissa Marr walked down the aisle. She looked as if she was praying and if she might trip, so I stood up to help her. She put a book in my hands and I thought, "Oh. She must want me to help with the trivia questions."
It was Darkest Mercy. One of four copies in the world. I didn't realize what I had done until the man who periodically looked at me funny leaned over and gave me the low-down. Fools and children; separate gods: there is no other explanation.
I absolutely loved it. It definitely merited the emergency hotel room all-night read. I can truly say that the ending of the series fulfilled the promises of the beginning. Several times, when I'd come to grips with a character's fate, she threw a wrench in it. I cried a couple of times. I threw the book across the room once and yelled, "Melissa, how could you?" She took my least favorite character away from me by making me feel sympathy, understanding, and yes, love. Gross! At the very end I smiled, misty eyed at the beauty and logic of it all. This is not a tale of Happily Ever After, however. Rather, Marr leaves her meticulously crafted universe and deliciously wicked faeries room to breathe and grow, if only in our own imaginations. Fans of specific pairings and.. er... arrangements will be satisfied, but to my mind everyone is in for surprises.
What surprises, you ask? There is no way I'm spoiling, but I will say this: Use Your Brains. Re-read the books *carefully.* Marr is nothing if not methodical and her world, although one of fantasy, has consistent rules that she does not break. The answers to some of my most burning questions were gracefully obvious. It made re-reading the series feel like finding buried sub-plot treasure.
Like everyone else, I love certain Courts and certain pairs.. er...arrangements more than others. I traded away my Summer Court bracelet for a Dark Court one, if that gives you a clue. But the beauty of Marr's universe is that she creates a place where everyone, and I do mean *everyone*, can find bits of themselves, both bright and dark, broken down and reflected back in new and sometimes beautiful ways. Tempestuous temper tantrums become a Summer Court asset. Nightmare scenarios of drugs and sexual abuse become the Dark Court's greatest strengths: the fierce loyalty and resilience of the survivor. Darkest Mercy continues the series' astonishing power by taking expectations, shattering them, then rearranging all the broken pieces into a strange new reflection, and asking, simply, "Have you considered things this way?"
No, I hadn't. I hadn't known that nightmares could be beautiful, that lies could be more honest than truth, that summer and winter really had nothing to do with temperature, that I'd come to love a character I didn't like at all.
As a storytelling vehicle, Darkest Mercy is not my favorite. I would have to rank it second or third among all five books. This probably has something to do with a thing that happens that I wish didn't but that's all I'm going to say about it now. I mention it to point out that I wasn't entirely happy, but so what. Some others will be thrilled. Ink Exchange was actually my favorite book, which is not at all usual. When considered against the arc of the entire series, Darkest Mercy ties up loose ends but still leaves the universe room to breathe. Which is exactly what a good finale does.
My favorite part of Marr's writing, and what so often goes unrecognized, is her sheer narrative brilliance, and this is by far my favorite part of Darkest Mercy. Yes, I said it. I have advanced degrees in English Literature to back it up, too. (Yes, I'm touchy about that.) Marr has managed to invent Faerie Courts with their own distinct stylistic traits, including characters, settings, mannerisms, and even Internet hit squads. But she has also given each Court their own unique narrative technique. I'm going to expound, with the caveat that if you're here for the spoilers or Seth's piercings or Irial's British accent (Iri!) you might get a bit bored. (Irial!) Where was I? Narrative technique, right.
Part of what make's Marr's universe so strong is that the very language she uses to create it reflects the Court it represents. Winter and the High Court are both written with more formal diction, complex sentence and paragraph structure, etc., to highlight their cold, remote natures. But with the Dark Court, Marr plays with time, warping character's perceptions of it to emphasize emotional power. As readers know, the Dark Court feeds on emotion. Marr uses one of the most innovative narrative techniques I have recently encountered by compressing two points of view to warp time; after all, time loses all meaning in the grip of strong emotion. The stronger the emotion, the greater the warp. I first encountered this in Chapter 30 of Ink Exchange:
" 'It's been a long day,' she murmured as she swayed under his caresses. She closed her eyes and asked, 'The second day will be better, right?'
'It's been a week, love.' He pulled the covers up over her. 'You're doing much better.' " (272).
This brief exchange caps less than a page of a powerful montage of addiction and loss in which time is an unreliable marker of reality. The emotional connection is the real power here, once again underscoring a key Dark Court trait. Marr is just that good- she's created a unique stylistic technique that is nothing short of (dare I say it) literary brilliance. (I invite my colleagues who disagree to examine pages 271-72 of Ink Exchange. I'll be right here on Good Reads, waiting.) Darkest Mercy serves up more of the same masterful writing, and that is why I love it so.
The reasons why we love the books we do are so often tangled and messy. Part of why I love this one is because it is The End to the series that taught me that Faeries and Literature are not mutually exclusive. It hurts me to say goodbye to the characters I love so much, and even the ones I just kind of tolerate.
But Marr makes sure that her Faeries are happy enough to suit their natures. After all, if she didn't leave them with enough conflict to scheme and plot and be wicked and lovely then they wouldn't really be happy, would they? And neither would we.
Many fine writers graced a low stage. One, in particular, was the reason I'd come: Melissa Marr. I had, in fact, claimed that I would crawl through glass to meet her. One writer said something about trivia questions. I remembered a crossroads in lower Alabama where children played in front of a burned out building next to a liquor store. It was the only business for twenty miles. Too badly rattled, I knew I was going to suck at the trivia questions. Melissa Marr said something about "only four copies." None of it made any sense. I was late and glad to be alive. Then Melissa Marr walked down the aisle. She looked as if she was praying and if she might trip, so I stood up to help her. She put a book in my hands and I thought, "Oh. She must want me to help with the trivia questions."
It was Darkest Mercy. One of four copies in the world. I didn't realize what I had done until the man who periodically looked at me funny leaned over and gave me the low-down. Fools and children; separate gods: there is no other explanation.
I absolutely loved it. It definitely merited the emergency hotel room all-night read. I can truly say that the ending of the series fulfilled the promises of the beginning. Several times, when I'd come to grips with a character's fate, she threw a wrench in it. I cried a couple of times. I threw the book across the room once and yelled, "Melissa, how could you?" She took my least favorite character away from me by making me feel sympathy, understanding, and yes, love. Gross! At the very end I smiled, misty eyed at the beauty and logic of it all. This is not a tale of Happily Ever After, however. Rather, Marr leaves her meticulously crafted universe and deliciously wicked faeries room to breathe and grow, if only in our own imaginations. Fans of specific pairings and.. er... arrangements will be satisfied, but to my mind everyone is in for surprises.
What surprises, you ask? There is no way I'm spoiling, but I will say this: Use Your Brains. Re-read the books *carefully.* Marr is nothing if not methodical and her world, although one of fantasy, has consistent rules that she does not break. The answers to some of my most burning questions were gracefully obvious. It made re-reading the series feel like finding buried sub-plot treasure.
Like everyone else, I love certain Courts and certain pairs.. er...arrangements more than others. I traded away my Summer Court bracelet for a Dark Court one, if that gives you a clue. But the beauty of Marr's universe is that she creates a place where everyone, and I do mean *everyone*, can find bits of themselves, both bright and dark, broken down and reflected back in new and sometimes beautiful ways. Tempestuous temper tantrums become a Summer Court asset. Nightmare scenarios of drugs and sexual abuse become the Dark Court's greatest strengths: the fierce loyalty and resilience of the survivor. Darkest Mercy continues the series' astonishing power by taking expectations, shattering them, then rearranging all the broken pieces into a strange new reflection, and asking, simply, "Have you considered things this way?"
No, I hadn't. I hadn't known that nightmares could be beautiful, that lies could be more honest than truth, that summer and winter really had nothing to do with temperature, that I'd come to love a character I didn't like at all.
As a storytelling vehicle, Darkest Mercy is not my favorite. I would have to rank it second or third among all five books. This probably has something to do with a thing that happens that I wish didn't but that's all I'm going to say about it now. I mention it to point out that I wasn't entirely happy, but so what. Some others will be thrilled. Ink Exchange was actually my favorite book, which is not at all usual. When considered against the arc of the entire series, Darkest Mercy ties up loose ends but still leaves the universe room to breathe. Which is exactly what a good finale does.
My favorite part of Marr's writing, and what so often goes unrecognized, is her sheer narrative brilliance, and this is by far my favorite part of Darkest Mercy. Yes, I said it. I have advanced degrees in English Literature to back it up, too. (Yes, I'm touchy about that.) Marr has managed to invent Faerie Courts with their own distinct stylistic traits, including characters, settings, mannerisms, and even Internet hit squads. But she has also given each Court their own unique narrative technique. I'm going to expound, with the caveat that if you're here for the spoilers or Seth's piercings or Irial's British accent (Iri!) you might get a bit bored. (Irial!) Where was I? Narrative technique, right.
Part of what make's Marr's universe so strong is that the very language she uses to create it reflects the Court it represents. Winter and the High Court are both written with more formal diction, complex sentence and paragraph structure, etc., to highlight their cold, remote natures. But with the Dark Court, Marr plays with time, warping character's perceptions of it to emphasize emotional power. As readers know, the Dark Court feeds on emotion. Marr uses one of the most innovative narrative techniques I have recently encountered by compressing two points of view to warp time; after all, time loses all meaning in the grip of strong emotion. The stronger the emotion, the greater the warp. I first encountered this in Chapter 30 of Ink Exchange:
" 'It's been a long day,' she murmured as she swayed under his caresses. She closed her eyes and asked, 'The second day will be better, right?'
'It's been a week, love.' He pulled the covers up over her. 'You're doing much better.' " (272).
This brief exchange caps less than a page of a powerful montage of addiction and loss in which time is an unreliable marker of reality. The emotional connection is the real power here, once again underscoring a key Dark Court trait. Marr is just that good- she's created a unique stylistic technique that is nothing short of (dare I say it) literary brilliance. (I invite my colleagues who disagree to examine pages 271-72 of Ink Exchange. I'll be right here on Good Reads, waiting.) Darkest Mercy serves up more of the same masterful writing, and that is why I love it so.
The reasons why we love the books we do are so often tangled and messy. Part of why I love this one is because it is The End to the series that taught me that Faeries and Literature are not mutually exclusive. It hurts me to say goodbye to the characters I love so much, and even the ones I just kind of tolerate.
But Marr makes sure that her Faeries are happy enough to suit their natures. After all, if she didn't leave them with enough conflict to scheme and plot and be wicked and lovely then they wouldn't really be happy, would they? And neither would we.
February 27, 2011
Not sure if I can review this book fully right now. It was good. Not great, wasn't expecting much more though on account of my familiarity with Marr's writing style. Some great moments, some annoying as hell moments, and then the conflict was over and the book kind of ended, and I don't have a PROBLEM with how it ended (it was very well crafted in a full circle kind of way), but I just couldn't really bring myself to feel anything for anyone. Okay, spoilers:
But, whatever. I'm always in awe of Marr's ability to create intriguing characters and an interesting mythology, and I'm glad I stuck with the series til its end. I'm not sure when I'll be this invested in another YA novel, tbh (a mysterious investment, as it remained even when I knew the flaws of this series and Marr's writing would keep me from really, REALLY loving the hell out of the story).
Wow, looks like I was up to writing a review. Lol
But, whatever. I'm always in awe of Marr's ability to create intriguing characters and an interesting mythology, and I'm glad I stuck with the series til its end. I'm not sure when I'll be this invested in another YA novel, tbh (a mysterious investment, as it remained even when I knew the flaws of this series and Marr's writing would keep me from really, REALLY loving the hell out of the story).
Wow, looks like I was up to writing a review. Lol
February 25, 2011
WOW just wow! I know some authors don’t mind killing off certain characters but I have to say that Marr is fearless. I have been eagerly waiting for this last installment to Marr’s Lovely series and I am so so happy with the way things ended. The ride throughout this book is griping and painful but very necessary. The story takes off where the last ended, with War gaining strength and the other courts trying to find the strength to fight her. All hell breaks loose among the courts with all the deaths and unexpected twists. I don’t want to give anything away as every twist that Marr throws is so exciting that it would spoil it if I gave anything away. My only problem was that I still don’t exactly know where the Shadow Court comes into play. Her last book centered around this new court and I thought it was going to play a huge role in this final book, but Devlin never even showed up well I am sorry he poked his head in at the beginning but that really isn’t even note worthy. Ahh my Keenan, I am so very happy for him. I still feel that there is a missing chapter from his life. He made a deal that I thought was going to come back and bite him in his booty, but unless I missed it he got off without having to pay up. Don’t get me wrong I am very happy about that but it leaves an unanswered question that will bug me. He made perfect choices imo, and I am very glad that he got his HEA. If you want to know with whom you will have to read it to find out =)
April 17, 2024
This was an absolutely perfect ending to this unique series! Although I could have done without book 2. I hated book 2 a lot, because I find Irial to be a truly despicable character. And I really enjoyed Devlin and Ani in book 4, I would have liked to see them again.
This series was nearly perfect! It was dark without being too dark. There was no shortage of romance and swoon-worthy guys. I'll admit Keenan finally grew on me in this book. Probably because he finally left Ash alone. I had never disliked him as much as Irial though. He was just too manipulative for my tastes, not downright evil like Irial. But Seth still has my heart in this one. And the fantasy and faery magic was so prevalent. We are fully immersed into faery courts and politics and war, seeing as nearly all the main characters were faery regents of the various courts.
Another thing that I really love about this series is that there are so many main characters. In Wicked Lovely, I would say the leads were Ash and Keenan, but they didn't fall in love! And that seemed revolutionary to me at the time. But Seth isn't any less of an important character later in the series. Nor is Donia, or Niall. There are so many people you will learn to care about. So many couples you can put your heart behind. And they all got their HEA! .
If it wasn't for Irial's character in general, I would have loved this series even more than The Iron Fey! Which is one of my favourite series of all time.
This series was nearly perfect! It was dark without being too dark. There was no shortage of romance and swoon-worthy guys. I'll admit Keenan finally grew on me in this book. Probably because he finally left Ash alone. I had never disliked him as much as Irial though. He was just too manipulative for my tastes, not downright evil like Irial. But Seth still has my heart in this one. And the fantasy and faery magic was so prevalent. We are fully immersed into faery courts and politics and war, seeing as nearly all the main characters were faery regents of the various courts.
Another thing that I really love about this series is that there are so many main characters. In Wicked Lovely, I would say the leads were Ash and Keenan, but they didn't fall in love! And that seemed revolutionary to me at the time. But Seth isn't any less of an important character later in the series. Nor is Donia, or Niall. There are so many people you will learn to care about. So many couples you can put your heart behind. And they all got their HEA! .
If it wasn't for Irial's character in general, I would have loved this series even more than The Iron Fey! Which is one of my favourite series of all time.
March 28, 2011
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars.
All of the Faerie courts are in peril and both Keenan and Seth are missing. Devoid of the experience and advantages of the other faery monarchs, Aislinn is doing her best to rule and prepare for the impending War being incited by the malevolent Bananach. But without the Summer King and her newly turned faery lover at her side, how will she protect her already weakened court from destruction?
Apparently I'd forgotten exactly how much I enjoy Melissa Marr's writing. She has this way of writing that makes it almost impossible to put her novels down. It seems like one minute you're on page 10 and the next you're already halfway through.
I will admit that this isn't my favorite faery series, but it has had its good moments. I loved the first installment, the second confused the hell out of me, the third was disappointing, and, I realize that Radiant Shadows was a filler, but it was actually my favorite since the first novel, Wicked Lovely. I'm not sure why, but I really liked Devlin and Ani's story. I thought it was a nice addition to an otherwise okay series. So, for me, Radiant Shadows was an improvement. But Darkest Mercy just blows all of that out of the water.
There's one thing I look for most in a series, and that is that I'll be able to re-read it in future and not have to take a loss because I bought the whole series and ended up disliking it as a whole. (*cough*Vampire Academy*cough*) Fortunately, the Wicked Lovely series is one that I'll be able to enjoy again. In most areas, Darkest Mercy didn't disappoint me. There are some things that I wish the author would've done differently, like make the novel longer so that some of her characters' endings wouldn't have been so rushed, but all in all I'm still happy with the outcome.
Throughout this series my feelings toward Aislinn's character have alternated between liking her and hating her; the latter especially in Fragile Eternity (I think that's my least favorite of this series). I strongly dislike heroines that are indecisive in their relationships. In past installments it seemed as if she were forever leading Seth and Keenan along. And yes, I know there's all of the ridiculous court rules and duties that Aislinn had to consider, but that didn't mean I had to like it.
At the beginning of the series, Aislinn starts out as an average mortal girl with the gift of Sight (the ability to see faeries whereas others cannot). Initally, Aislinn fears and avoids faeries, but she ends up becoming one and ruling over an entire court of them. So her character changes and evolves quite a bit over the course of the series. And she definitely steps up to the plate in this as the Summer Queen and kicks some ass come battle time. Gotta love a feisty heroine. So, in the end, I'm quite happy with her character.
Donia has been my favorite character since book 1. She has a heart of gold that's been crushed by the King she loves, but through everything she still holds strong and takes on the role of the Winter Queen along with all of its duties.
Like with Aislinn, I've always kind of been on the fence with my feelings toward Keenan. Somehow I never really took a liking to him as I did almost instantaneously with Seth (this could very well have something to do with Seth's piercings). But I'm very happy to say that I LOVED Keenan in this. He completely blew me away and I couldn't have been happier with his character in this.
Seth. *sigh* I can't say that I like what Marr did with his character in this. Reasons being that he's not in this enough for my liking, and I think his character kind of got the shaft. I still love him, but I think the way his story is wrapped up should've been handled differently.
I'll handle Niall and Irial's characters together sincethey belong together this is getting kind of long.
Well, if you've read Radiant Shadows then you know that Irial's character is stabbed by Bananach towards the end. And so, in this, Niall's basically a complete mess.
Let's just say that Marr surprised me big time and that I'm VERY HAPPY with that outcome.
FAVORITE QUOTES:
"If it's between love and duty . . . She still wanted love."
"And he was gone before she could think clearly enough to explain that her yes was a Yes, I'll marry you."
In most aspects, Darkest Mercy doesn't disappoint. And I think most fans of the series will be happy with the outcome. The conclusion of this series has made me an even bigger fan of Melissa Marr and I'm eagerly awaiting her next novel, Graveminder, set to release May 17.
All of the Faerie courts are in peril and both Keenan and Seth are missing. Devoid of the experience and advantages of the other faery monarchs, Aislinn is doing her best to rule and prepare for the impending War being incited by the malevolent Bananach. But without the Summer King and her newly turned faery lover at her side, how will she protect her already weakened court from destruction?
Apparently I'd forgotten exactly how much I enjoy Melissa Marr's writing. She has this way of writing that makes it almost impossible to put her novels down. It seems like one minute you're on page 10 and the next you're already halfway through.
I will admit that this isn't my favorite faery series, but it has had its good moments. I loved the first installment, the second confused the hell out of me, the third was disappointing, and, I realize that Radiant Shadows was a filler, but it was actually my favorite since the first novel, Wicked Lovely. I'm not sure why, but I really liked Devlin and Ani's story. I thought it was a nice addition to an otherwise okay series. So, for me, Radiant Shadows was an improvement. But Darkest Mercy just blows all of that out of the water.
There's one thing I look for most in a series, and that is that I'll be able to re-read it in future and not have to take a loss because I bought the whole series and ended up disliking it as a whole. (*cough*Vampire Academy*cough*) Fortunately, the Wicked Lovely series is one that I'll be able to enjoy again. In most areas, Darkest Mercy didn't disappoint me. There are some things that I wish the author would've done differently, like make the novel longer so that some of her characters' endings wouldn't have been so rushed, but all in all I'm still happy with the outcome.
Throughout this series my feelings toward Aislinn's character have alternated between liking her and hating her; the latter especially in Fragile Eternity (I think that's my least favorite of this series). I strongly dislike heroines that are indecisive in their relationships. In past installments it seemed as if she were forever leading Seth and Keenan along. And yes, I know there's all of the ridiculous court rules and duties that Aislinn had to consider, but that didn't mean I had to like it.
At the beginning of the series, Aislinn starts out as an average mortal girl with the gift of Sight (the ability to see faeries whereas others cannot). Initally, Aislinn fears and avoids faeries, but she ends up becoming one and ruling over an entire court of them. So her character changes and evolves quite a bit over the course of the series. And she definitely steps up to the plate in this as the Summer Queen and kicks some ass come battle time. Gotta love a feisty heroine. So, in the end, I'm quite happy with her character.
Donia has been my favorite character since book 1. She has a heart of gold that's been crushed by the King she loves, but through everything she still holds strong and takes on the role of the Winter Queen along with all of its duties.
Like with Aislinn, I've always kind of been on the fence with my feelings toward Keenan. Somehow I never really took a liking to him as I did almost instantaneously with Seth (this could very well have something to do with Seth's piercings). But I'm very happy to say that I LOVED Keenan in this. He completely blew me away and I couldn't have been happier with his character in this.
Seth. *sigh* I can't say that I like what Marr did with his character in this. Reasons being that he's not in this enough for my liking, and I think his character kind of got the shaft. I still love him, but I think the way his story is wrapped up should've been handled differently.
I'll handle Niall and Irial's characters together since
Well, if you've read Radiant Shadows then you know that Irial's character is stabbed by Bananach towards the end. And so, in this, Niall's basically a complete mess.
Let's just say that Marr surprised me big time and that I'm VERY HAPPY with that outcome.
FAVORITE QUOTES:
"If it's between love and duty . . . She still wanted love."
"And he was gone before she could think clearly enough to explain that her yes was a Yes, I'll marry you."
In most aspects, Darkest Mercy doesn't disappoint. And I think most fans of the series will be happy with the outcome. The conclusion of this series has made me an even bigger fan of Melissa Marr and I'm eagerly awaiting her next novel, Graveminder, set to release May 17.
Read
June 10, 2015The characters in this series are lovable, real, and, at the same time, a little scary which is as it should be in the world of the fey. I loved the conclusion to the series. Everything ended in a very satisfactory way. Bananach was certainly frightening. Wanted to rip her wings off myself, but it's more likely I would have run in the other direction. I could feel the sunlight and the winter and the creepy dark things on my skin as I read.
March 12, 2022
Si è un po risollevato, dopo un quarto volume in quel modo, ma mi aspettavo qualcosa di più. Ho dato comunque 3 stelle per Lesley.
Cosa mi aspettavo? Che alla fine " la guerra " otteneva la sua scaramuccia e gli equilibri si ripristinavano. Il problema è il "come" e il " quante vite perderemo"
E questo è proprio il motivo per cui volevo dare due stelle... insomma, non mi ha pienamente convinto.
S P O I L E R :
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Keenaan mi ha deluso.. in parte. Sembrava chissà dove dovesse andare e quali battaglie dovesse combattere dentro di sé. invece è passato come un fatto di poca importanza. Avrei preferito fosse più introspettivo per dar più rilievo ai personaggi. così non è stato.
Ma anche il fatto che deve comunque far scegliere tutto a quella cretina di Ash non mi è andata giù.
Voglio dire: non siete più umani. Siete fate. Tra primavera ed estate ci corrono 6 mesi, altri 6 mesi servono a Seth per stare con Lasair.
Io non capisco perché nessuno ha proposto il triangolo amoroso. Sono veramente indignata.
Poteva passare l'estate con Keenaan e l'inverno con Seth. In questo modo erano felici tutti.
Vabhè, se andiamo oltre...
La ferita mortale che ha incassato Irial è stata una delusione. Dopo la novella old habits l'autrice ti lascia intendere che effettivamente tra Irial e Niall c'è del romance, eppure , a fatti non abbiamo nulla. Non basta un po di pazzia post lutto a farmi vedere che lo amava, anche perché quello era un momento in cui aveva perso l'equilibrio della corte.
Quindi tutto il fatto che tra poco neanche si sfiorano l'ho vista un po come una presa in giro... meno male che è tornata Lesley a compensare perché credo che resti il personaggio scritto meglio.
In conclusione dovevano morire tutti, non è morto nessuno... niente pathos... niente coinvolgimento emotivo.
La maggior parte dei personaggi è piatto e quali che siano le scelte che compiono non ci riguardano in prima persona. Diciamo che è poco immersivo e mi aspettavo di più.
Cosa mi aspettavo? Che alla fine " la guerra " otteneva la sua scaramuccia e gli equilibri si ripristinavano. Il problema è il "come" e il " quante vite perderemo"
E questo è proprio il motivo per cui volevo dare due stelle... insomma, non mi ha pienamente convinto.
S P O I L E R :
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Keenaan mi ha deluso.. in parte. Sembrava chissà dove dovesse andare e quali battaglie dovesse combattere dentro di sé. invece è passato come un fatto di poca importanza. Avrei preferito fosse più introspettivo per dar più rilievo ai personaggi. così non è stato.
Ma anche il fatto che deve comunque far scegliere tutto a quella cretina di Ash non mi è andata giù.
Voglio dire: non siete più umani. Siete fate. Tra primavera ed estate ci corrono 6 mesi, altri 6 mesi servono a Seth per stare con Lasair.
Io non capisco perché nessuno ha proposto il triangolo amoroso. Sono veramente indignata.
Poteva passare l'estate con Keenaan e l'inverno con Seth. In questo modo erano felici tutti.
Vabhè, se andiamo oltre...
La ferita mortale che ha incassato Irial è stata una delusione. Dopo la novella old habits l'autrice ti lascia intendere che effettivamente tra Irial e Niall c'è del romance, eppure , a fatti non abbiamo nulla. Non basta un po di pazzia post lutto a farmi vedere che lo amava, anche perché quello era un momento in cui aveva perso l'equilibrio della corte.
Quindi tutto il fatto che tra poco neanche si sfiorano l'ho vista un po come una presa in giro... meno male che è tornata Lesley a compensare perché credo che resti il personaggio scritto meglio.
In conclusione dovevano morire tutti, non è morto nessuno... niente pathos... niente coinvolgimento emotivo.
La maggior parte dei personaggi è piatto e quali che siano le scelte che compiono non ci riguardano in prima persona. Diciamo che è poco immersivo e mi aspettavo di più.
February 3, 2011
Darkest Mercy is the fifth and final book in Melissa Marr’s Wicked Lovely series.
Each Wicked Lovely book tells it’s own story, and Darkest Mercy is the perfect conclusion.
Each book is a story revolving around four faery courts: Winter, Summer, Dark, and High. The Winter and Summer Courts are the embodiment of their seasons, the Dark Court is surrounded by emotion, and the High Court is bound to provide order. Order and Discord take form in the High Queen, Sorcha, and her sister Bananach. But, Bananach, being no longer content with discord, wants war, and War will go to any length to get what she wants. The only way to stop her reign of terror is to kill her. It is said, however, that if Order or Discord were to die than it would end the lives of all faeries. It is too dangerous to leave Bananach alive, but can she be killed?
The Regents waited too long to act and now War is upon them literally and figuratively. Everyone, (including in the readers) suffers. War has power and she is winning. The Courts have to pull together or they will crumble, and every Faery will either have to serve fealty to Bananach or die.
Every character is hanging off a cliff at the end of Radiant Shadows, and Darkest Mercy ties all the threads together. There are choices to be made, allies to be found, battles to be fought, and loves to be won.
I'm writing this immediately after finishing the book, so please bear with me. The only words I was able to utter 10 minutes ago were, "Oh my God", over and over. I am shell-shocked.
I can tell you this right now: I will not be able to do Darkest Mercy justice.
A while ago I was wondering if Melissa Marr was heartless. She has no problem killing, (or torturing), any character, and I was reminded of JK Rowling’s Deathly Hallows. I am warning you: if you love these characters, as I still do, you will not read Darkest Mercy in a public place.
This is the final book of the series, so you already have favourites. You are attached, and you love certain characters. On the flip side, there are characters you want to burn in the fiery pits of hell. Yes, I am personally holding a grudge towards Bananach.
Putting it lightly, I was (and currently am) very emotional. This book broke my heart. What happened to these characters broke my heart. At one point in this book, I have felt sorry for every faery that is NOT War. Right now, I cannot form words, but what they had to face ... it was avoidable and undeserved.
Melissa Marr has created amazing characters. I want to live with them. I want to keep reading their stories, but I think it is best that it ended they way it did. I do not want to say anything that would spoil the ending for you, but I will say this: If you do not cry, you will scream. (I did both).
These characters, and the writing caused so many strong emotions that I couldn't contain myself. Darkest Mercy is the first book that ever made me scream. And I wouldn't have ended it any other way.
There was one relationship that I believe had a definite destination throughout the entire series, but EVERY other one surprised me. You would have never seen what was coming, and then it changed direction again. I was wrong in nearly all of my predictions. You will not see anything coming, and I am so happy for that. Everything was a shock. And I love it to pieces.
Melissa Marr is as cruel as she is kind.
Keenan is a fool in love, but we already know that.
Irial is my favourite character and it is rare that I can choose.
Seth is driven, and kind, and the most pure.
Donia is strength.
Aislinn is hard and bright.
Niall is as terrible as he is vulnerable.
Sorcha is out of her element.
Bananach is crazy … As if I needed to point that out.
Darkest Mercy is a love story.
Is it tragic? Yes, at times it will rip your heart out.
Is it lovely? The loveliest.
I won this Advanced Reader's Copy from Goodreads. Receiving this ARC did not influence my review in any way.
Each Wicked Lovely book tells it’s own story, and Darkest Mercy is the perfect conclusion.
Each book is a story revolving around four faery courts: Winter, Summer, Dark, and High. The Winter and Summer Courts are the embodiment of their seasons, the Dark Court is surrounded by emotion, and the High Court is bound to provide order. Order and Discord take form in the High Queen, Sorcha, and her sister Bananach. But, Bananach, being no longer content with discord, wants war, and War will go to any length to get what she wants. The only way to stop her reign of terror is to kill her. It is said, however, that if Order or Discord were to die than it would end the lives of all faeries. It is too dangerous to leave Bananach alive, but can she be killed?
The Regents waited too long to act and now War is upon them literally and figuratively. Everyone, (including in the readers) suffers. War has power and she is winning. The Courts have to pull together or they will crumble, and every Faery will either have to serve fealty to Bananach or die.
Every character is hanging off a cliff at the end of Radiant Shadows, and Darkest Mercy ties all the threads together. There are choices to be made, allies to be found, battles to be fought, and loves to be won.
I'm writing this immediately after finishing the book, so please bear with me. The only words I was able to utter 10 minutes ago were, "Oh my God", over and over. I am shell-shocked.
I can tell you this right now: I will not be able to do Darkest Mercy justice.
A while ago I was wondering if Melissa Marr was heartless. She has no problem killing, (or torturing), any character, and I was reminded of JK Rowling’s Deathly Hallows. I am warning you: if you love these characters, as I still do, you will not read Darkest Mercy in a public place.
This is the final book of the series, so you already have favourites. You are attached, and you love certain characters. On the flip side, there are characters you want to burn in the fiery pits of hell. Yes, I am personally holding a grudge towards Bananach.
Putting it lightly, I was (and currently am) very emotional. This book broke my heart. What happened to these characters broke my heart. At one point in this book, I have felt sorry for every faery that is NOT War. Right now, I cannot form words, but what they had to face ... it was avoidable and undeserved.
Melissa Marr has created amazing characters. I want to live with them. I want to keep reading their stories, but I think it is best that it ended they way it did. I do not want to say anything that would spoil the ending for you, but I will say this: If you do not cry, you will scream. (I did both).
These characters, and the writing caused so many strong emotions that I couldn't contain myself. Darkest Mercy is the first book that ever made me scream. And I wouldn't have ended it any other way.
There was one relationship that I believe had a definite destination throughout the entire series, but EVERY other one surprised me. You would have never seen what was coming, and then it changed direction again. I was wrong in nearly all of my predictions. You will not see anything coming, and I am so happy for that. Everything was a shock. And I love it to pieces.
Melissa Marr is as cruel as she is kind.
Keenan is a fool in love, but we already know that.
Irial is my favourite character and it is rare that I can choose.
Seth is driven, and kind, and the most pure.
Donia is strength.
Aislinn is hard and bright.
Niall is as terrible as he is vulnerable.
Sorcha is out of her element.
Bananach is crazy … As if I needed to point that out.
Darkest Mercy is a love story.
Is it tragic? Yes, at times it will rip your heart out.
Is it lovely? The loveliest.
I won this Advanced Reader's Copy from Goodreads. Receiving this ARC did not influence my review in any way.
December 18, 2010
Darkest Mercy was brilliant. I'm in awe! I have no other words to describe it other than it had everything you ever wished for an ending of a series! It was enthralling, full of emotions, it has characters that will surprise you and you will shed tears, but in the end you will close the book and have closure. It has the perfect balance between light and dark. I thank Mrs Marr from the bottom of my heart for this final piece of awesomeness!
Ever since I started Wicked Lovely I was fascinated with this story Mrs Marr created, with the world of Faeries living in the human realm among Mortals but most of all with this incredible characters created. With every book you got to know a new set of characters, yet the other ones were never really neglected and moved on.
With Darkest Mercy this now all came to an end, the captivating story woven together now finally pulled all together ready for the final battle. Decision are about to be made that leave you speechless - from characters you would expect it the least.
Questions we asked ourselves will be answered. Will Ash and Keenan find a way to bring the Summer Court back to his real power? Will Donia - find Peace in being the new Winter Queen, or will be still grief over the loss of Keenan her one and true love? Is there any way she'll ever find love? Will Irial survive the poison or die. What will happen with Niall, with Leslie? What about Seth? Will be fight for Ash - to be with her? etc, etc ....
The storytelling in the last book was perfect. We switched back and forth between all the important characters and but everything is perfectly intertwined to that you'll never feel cheated when switching to another scenery. In the end, all have to work together to defeat War, to defeat Disorder who is getting more and more violent. Fey die. This could be the end if not Summer, Winter and Dark Court don't work together - all Fey could die. The Wicked Lovely books were never just light and sunshine. There was always the darkness and cruelty lingering but I admire this books for this combination. Darkest Mercy had the perfect balance between cruelty, darkness, sunshine and hope.
I was amazed by the development and deepness of all the character. They outgrew themselves and made decisions I never expected them to to. Without any spoilers I can tell Keenan will surprise you the most, but also Ash finally arrived and took the place where she was always ment to be.
Apart from all the amazement you wil shed tears - but truly, what would be a good book without any tears? Emotions is what moves a plot and you have the perfect amount here in Darkest Mercy.
I'm thankful that HarperTeen provided us with a copy and I can assure you my review is truly and really honest. I absolutely loved and adored this book, it was the perfect ending for a wonderful series. If you haven't start with the series yet, start now!
Ever since I started Wicked Lovely I was fascinated with this story Mrs Marr created, with the world of Faeries living in the human realm among Mortals but most of all with this incredible characters created. With every book you got to know a new set of characters, yet the other ones were never really neglected and moved on.
With Darkest Mercy this now all came to an end, the captivating story woven together now finally pulled all together ready for the final battle. Decision are about to be made that leave you speechless - from characters you would expect it the least.
Questions we asked ourselves will be answered. Will Ash and Keenan find a way to bring the Summer Court back to his real power? Will Donia - find Peace in being the new Winter Queen, or will be still grief over the loss of Keenan her one and true love? Is there any way she'll ever find love? Will Irial survive the poison or die. What will happen with Niall, with Leslie? What about Seth? Will be fight for Ash - to be with her? etc, etc ....
The storytelling in the last book was perfect. We switched back and forth between all the important characters and but everything is perfectly intertwined to that you'll never feel cheated when switching to another scenery. In the end, all have to work together to defeat War, to defeat Disorder who is getting more and more violent. Fey die. This could be the end if not Summer, Winter and Dark Court don't work together - all Fey could die. The Wicked Lovely books were never just light and sunshine. There was always the darkness and cruelty lingering but I admire this books for this combination. Darkest Mercy had the perfect balance between cruelty, darkness, sunshine and hope.
I was amazed by the development and deepness of all the character. They outgrew themselves and made decisions I never expected them to to. Without any spoilers I can tell Keenan will surprise you the most, but also Ash finally arrived and took the place where she was always ment to be.
Apart from all the amazement you wil shed tears - but truly, what would be a good book without any tears? Emotions is what moves a plot and you have the perfect amount here in Darkest Mercy.
I'm thankful that HarperTeen provided us with a copy and I can assure you my review is truly and really honest. I absolutely loved and adored this book, it was the perfect ending for a wonderful series. If you haven't start with the series yet, start now!
May 26, 2011
FINALLY I’M DONE WITH THIS SERIES! I forced myself to finish this book despite my not liking of the pairing. It was a good book though, can’t say that it’s bad because it was also good. just an OKAY for me though. BUT i’m so happy I’m done! it’s like one obligation crashed out from my list! haha.
What can I say about the book? Well, it sure was full of MERCY. There was the usual conflicts and resolved. Bananach finally destroyed, and all the fae courts are in unity. With happy ending for both Aislinn&Seth, Donia&Keenan (i’m not happy.) oh well! haha.
What can I say about the book? Well, it sure was full of MERCY. There was the usual conflicts and resolved. Bananach finally destroyed, and all the fae courts are in unity. With happy ending for both Aislinn&Seth, Donia&Keenan (i’m not happy.) oh well! haha.
February 23, 2011
It’s fair to say that I had high expectations for this final installment. Over the course of four books and two short stories, I had become emotionally invested in the outcome of this series. Marr has created a fantastical world with extraordinary scope and creativity that I reveled in with zeal that could rival the Summer Court. I would lose myself in the writing, which I found sparse and yet poetic. And her characters, what can I say of these captivating characters? They made me feel! I’d read their stories and would get twitchy when they were in an uncomfortable situation. I’d groan when one of them would act in a way that I deemed idiotic. I’d sigh, and okay, maybe I inadvertently puckered my lips a time or two, when one of them would say or do something particularly steamy. I cried over their heart break and would break out into a slight sheen when they were tasked with making a difficult, seemingly impossible choice. Naturally, when a reader loves characters as much as I loved these, you want to see them happy; however, I expected, nay, wanted that happiness to have an exacting price. In a series that trumpets choice and sacrifice as the primary themes, I never imagined or even wanted a bow to be tied around the end. It would never do the series, or these characters, justice. But a bow is what I got.
I’m almost embarrassed to admit that I squeed while reading the acknowledgements at the start of the book (yes, I like to read those, don’t judge me). Marr just has a beautiful way with words, and I knew in my heart that if Marr could write such a lovely acknowledgment to her friends, fans, colleagues, and family, she would write one hell of an ending, right? Wrong. I’ll also confess that I stayed up most of the night reading Darkest Mercy and I read through my lunch break so that I could finish it, but I didn’t read because I was compelled by my beloved characters, nope, I read because I felt like I owed it to them to see how their story ended, even though I didn’t like where it was going. What a major blow. Maybe I’m a loon, but I was a bit bored, not to mention thoroughly confused at times. I’m still not sure how things in the end came to pass.
*spoilers ahead, be warned*
*seriously, I mean it, there will be spoilers*
I don’t know where to start, so I’m just going to jump right in. I knew something was terribly amiss when I did not mourn Irial’s passing. So what if I cheated and read the last 5 or so pages about 50 pages into the book, I still should have bawled my eyes out when he died. He was my favorite! And yet, when the time came, it was so sudden and anti-climatic that I just thought, huh, Irial is dead, why aren’t I crying? It was like an out of body experience. And while I’m on this particular topic, does anyone understand how Irial defied death? I’m at a loss. I’m glad, sort of, because I certainly didn’t want him to die, but I already suspected he would, and just assumed that he would go out in a sexy, lusty blaze of glory. Where was his blaze of glory?!
And what about Devlin/Rae/Ani? They were the main characters in Radiant Shadows that re-shaped faery and the mortal world forever, and yet they aren’t even mentioned. Well, Devlin makes a brief appearance to open the veil, but I say that it doesn’t count. I was sort of wondering what would happen to their ménage e trio.
But lastly, was anyone besides myself disappointed in the Ash/Seth, Donia/Keenan pairings? Don’t get me wrong, I loved Seth, liked and respected Donia, and pretty much thought Keenan was an ass, but Keenan was my second favorite character in the series, and for some crazy reason, I really wanted him to end up with Ash. I get that they originally loved other people, but there is something enticing about reshaping your heart to fit around a consuming passion. But maybe that is just me.
Overall, I’m glad that I know how the story unfolds, and Marr did include some lovely writing (most of which occurs between Donia and Evan, or Donia and Keenan) but mostly, I felt let down. Nothing happened the way I hoped, or even expected. And the only character who paid an exacting price was Keenan, which was a shocker to end all shockers. If you love the series, the way I continue to love the other books, you won’t regret reading this installment. But my guess is it won’t ever be a re-read. It wasn’t epic, or even particularly memorable. Mostly, I'm befuddled, and scratching my head as to how the events came to pass.
I’m almost embarrassed to admit that I squeed while reading the acknowledgements at the start of the book (yes, I like to read those, don’t judge me). Marr just has a beautiful way with words, and I knew in my heart that if Marr could write such a lovely acknowledgment to her friends, fans, colleagues, and family, she would write one hell of an ending, right? Wrong. I’ll also confess that I stayed up most of the night reading Darkest Mercy and I read through my lunch break so that I could finish it, but I didn’t read because I was compelled by my beloved characters, nope, I read because I felt like I owed it to them to see how their story ended, even though I didn’t like where it was going. What a major blow. Maybe I’m a loon, but I was a bit bored, not to mention thoroughly confused at times. I’m still not sure how things in the end came to pass.
*spoilers ahead, be warned*
*seriously, I mean it, there will be spoilers*
I don’t know where to start, so I’m just going to jump right in. I knew something was terribly amiss when I did not mourn Irial’s passing. So what if I cheated and read the last 5 or so pages about 50 pages into the book, I still should have bawled my eyes out when he died. He was my favorite! And yet, when the time came, it was so sudden and anti-climatic that I just thought, huh, Irial is dead, why aren’t I crying? It was like an out of body experience. And while I’m on this particular topic, does anyone understand how Irial defied death? I’m at a loss. I’m glad, sort of, because I certainly didn’t want him to die, but I already suspected he would, and just assumed that he would go out in a sexy, lusty blaze of glory. Where was his blaze of glory?!
And what about Devlin/Rae/Ani? They were the main characters in Radiant Shadows that re-shaped faery and the mortal world forever, and yet they aren’t even mentioned. Well, Devlin makes a brief appearance to open the veil, but I say that it doesn’t count. I was sort of wondering what would happen to their ménage e trio.
But lastly, was anyone besides myself disappointed in the Ash/Seth, Donia/Keenan pairings? Don’t get me wrong, I loved Seth, liked and respected Donia, and pretty much thought Keenan was an ass, but Keenan was my second favorite character in the series, and for some crazy reason, I really wanted him to end up with Ash. I get that they originally loved other people, but there is something enticing about reshaping your heart to fit around a consuming passion. But maybe that is just me.
Overall, I’m glad that I know how the story unfolds, and Marr did include some lovely writing (most of which occurs between Donia and Evan, or Donia and Keenan) but mostly, I felt let down. Nothing happened the way I hoped, or even expected. And the only character who paid an exacting price was Keenan, which was a shocker to end all shockers. If you love the series, the way I continue to love the other books, you won’t regret reading this installment. But my guess is it won’t ever be a re-read. It wasn’t epic, or even particularly memorable. Mostly, I'm befuddled, and scratching my head as to how the events came to pass.
March 5, 2011
Oh. My. Goddess!
This book was amazing. I was able to read a borrowed copy the other day. It arrived in my mailbox Thursday, and I was up til 1:30 AM reading it. I could NOT put it down.
This is one of my favorite series, so when I got the book I hugged it close for a while, and then ate dinner while looking at it longingly, and then I dove into the prologue.
When it comes to series that I love so much and have such high expectations of, I'm always a bit nervous to read it. Will it live up to my expectations? But that doesn't really slow me down... at all...
And I have to say that this book does not disappoint! It was fabulous the entire way through. I laughed. I cried. And then I was sad it was over. The last Wicked Lovely book... over... But since everything has to end at some point, I'm glad it ended on such a great note.
If you haven't read the previous 4... do it! And then pre-order this one. I think it may be my favorite of the 5!
This book was amazing. I was able to read a borrowed copy the other day. It arrived in my mailbox Thursday, and I was up til 1:30 AM reading it. I could NOT put it down.
This is one of my favorite series, so when I got the book I hugged it close for a while, and then ate dinner while looking at it longingly, and then I dove into the prologue.
When it comes to series that I love so much and have such high expectations of, I'm always a bit nervous to read it. Will it live up to my expectations? But that doesn't really slow me down... at all...
And I have to say that this book does not disappoint! It was fabulous the entire way through. I laughed. I cried. And then I was sad it was over. The last Wicked Lovely book... over... But since everything has to end at some point, I'm glad it ended on such a great note.
If you haven't read the previous 4... do it! And then pre-order this one. I think it may be my favorite of the 5!
March 14, 2022
*plot-spoiler warning*
The Review: One of the good things about Darkest Mercy is that it's quite a page-turner, I read the whole book with hardly any break. Once again the author provides us with refreshing ideas about fairies, furthermore, there are three (I counted three, to other people there may be more) different storylines to follow, so the book is not just about Ash and Seth, but also about Naill, Irial, Donia and the others; for that I'm very glad. Even though Ash improves a lot from the whinnie that she was in Fragile Eternity, still Seth isn't any bit more likable or interesting than before. Plus in Darkest Mercy for most of the time Seth was being stuck up in a cage, for both character development and plot development, it really is anti-climactic.
In the previous books we're told the War fey tried to create conflict among the Courts in order to bring front the war she wanted, but eventually none of the Court came forward to take up the fight first, so Bananach just...proclaimed herself the Dark Queen and declaimed war against the other three Courts all on her own. Just......why? We know Bananach loves war and for an entire series she had tried to start a massive, destructive war in the world of faery, but the way how the war finally started really isn't right! If Bananach is so powerful to a point that she can start a war whenever she likes; then why she ever bothered to create conflict among the Courts' rulers in order to provoke them into attacking one another in the last two books? I felt so cheated.
Don't get me wrong, I don't hate this book, parts of it are quite enjoyable, but it looks to me the author was rather being rushed to finish the series in one go, or she had simply lost interest so many things are left untouched and unexplained even it's the final book of the series. A handful of major and supporting characters in the previous books, e.g. Devlin, Ani and Sorcha etc, got hardly any mention at all, the same also goes to the mortal supporting characters in the story. Mortals? Where are they? You aren't going to see them in that book because they're of no importance! For example, Ash's grandmother simply got sent out of town and is never heard of again. But from what I'd learnt about that grandmother character, she isn't a woman who would just take off without demanding a decent explanation; especially when it also concern her own granddaughter's safety.
Not only mortals, the few newly introduced fairies are just as plain, for example Far Dorcha, the supposedly scary, mysterious Death Fairy is an interesting, yet underdeveloped flat character.
This is the yaoi fangirl in me speaking, but the way Naill mourned Irial's death is far too...passionate not for something more than friendship to be going on. I can almost sense some Naill/Irial in the air, and the ending of them being happily together with Leslie only adds to my suspicion. *laughs*
And if we left the yaoi factor alone, then Naill's reaction to Irial's death is even more out-of-character. Naill went to pieces after he realized there was no way to save Irial's life? Oh goodness, it's nothing like what I'd learned about Naill from Ink Exchange. *facepalms*
As always, Keenan and Donia remains as my favorite pairing in the story. I enjoy how Keenan finally solves his problems (of having a Summer Queen who doesn't love him, a lover who he can't be with; and the problem of a weakening Court). But I really don't like Keenan's "I don't care about anyone I only want Donia back!" attitude at all. I almost thought that his love for Donia would at least make him a little less selfish and become more likable.......but I was proofed wrong, what a disappointment!
Talking about Keenan, at the beginning of the book, we are told that he went off to find ally among the water/sea fairies, and he winded up making a dangerous bargain with the ruler of the sea fairies, which might cost Keenan dearly if he ever searched help from them. I'd expected to see Keenan paying the price for asking favor from the sea fairies, but in the end nothing happens! During the final battle Keenan did call upon the help of the sea creatures, but the sea fairies never came back to collect their debt! It's totally against everything we'd ever learned about fairies!
The ending is, a bit too happy in my opinion, even though it's not a bad ending. Everyone gets what he or she wants, hardly any major character ends up dead despite of the massive battle; and the Fairie is back to balance again. Happy ending is fine but I think it's just a bit too much.
The Review: One of the good things about Darkest Mercy is that it's quite a page-turner, I read the whole book with hardly any break. Once again the author provides us with refreshing ideas about fairies, furthermore, there are three (I counted three, to other people there may be more) different storylines to follow, so the book is not just about Ash and Seth, but also about Naill, Irial, Donia and the others; for that I'm very glad. Even though Ash improves a lot from the whinnie that she was in Fragile Eternity, still Seth isn't any bit more likable or interesting than before. Plus in Darkest Mercy for most of the time Seth was being stuck up in a cage, for both character development and plot development, it really is anti-climactic.
In the previous books we're told the War fey tried to create conflict among the Courts in order to bring front the war she wanted, but eventually none of the Court came forward to take up the fight first, so Bananach just...proclaimed herself the Dark Queen and declaimed war against the other three Courts all on her own. Just......why? We know Bananach loves war and for an entire series she had tried to start a massive, destructive war in the world of faery, but the way how the war finally started really isn't right! If Bananach is so powerful to a point that she can start a war whenever she likes; then why she ever bothered to create conflict among the Courts' rulers in order to provoke them into attacking one another in the last two books? I felt so cheated.
Don't get me wrong, I don't hate this book, parts of it are quite enjoyable, but it looks to me the author was rather being rushed to finish the series in one go, or she had simply lost interest so many things are left untouched and unexplained even it's the final book of the series. A handful of major and supporting characters in the previous books, e.g. Devlin, Ani and Sorcha etc, got hardly any mention at all, the same also goes to the mortal supporting characters in the story. Mortals? Where are they? You aren't going to see them in that book because they're of no importance! For example, Ash's grandmother simply got sent out of town and is never heard of again. But from what I'd learnt about that grandmother character, she isn't a woman who would just take off without demanding a decent explanation; especially when it also concern her own granddaughter's safety.
Not only mortals, the few newly introduced fairies are just as plain, for example Far Dorcha, the supposedly scary, mysterious Death Fairy is an interesting, yet underdeveloped flat character.
This is the yaoi fangirl in me speaking, but the way Naill mourned Irial's death is far too...passionate not for something more than friendship to be going on. I can almost sense some Naill/Irial in the air, and the ending of them being happily together with Leslie only adds to my suspicion. *laughs*
And if we left the yaoi factor alone, then Naill's reaction to Irial's death is even more out-of-character. Naill went to pieces after he realized there was no way to save Irial's life? Oh goodness, it's nothing like what I'd learned about Naill from Ink Exchange. *facepalms*
As always, Keenan and Donia remains as my favorite pairing in the story. I enjoy how Keenan finally solves his problems (of having a Summer Queen who doesn't love him, a lover who he can't be with; and the problem of a weakening Court). But I really don't like Keenan's "I don't care about anyone I only want Donia back!" attitude at all. I almost thought that his love for Donia would at least make him a little less selfish and become more likable.......but I was proofed wrong, what a disappointment!
Talking about Keenan, at the beginning of the book, we are told that he went off to find ally among the water/sea fairies, and he winded up making a dangerous bargain with the ruler of the sea fairies, which might cost Keenan dearly if he ever searched help from them. I'd expected to see Keenan paying the price for asking favor from the sea fairies, but in the end nothing happens! During the final battle Keenan did call upon the help of the sea creatures, but the sea fairies never came back to collect their debt! It's totally against everything we'd ever learned about fairies!
The ending is, a bit too happy in my opinion, even though it's not a bad ending. Everyone gets what he or she wants, hardly any major character ends up dead despite of the massive battle; and the Fairie is back to balance again. Happy ending is fine but I think it's just a bit too much.
January 28, 2011
Brace yourself. This one's gonna be a doozy. And it's gonna be mostly serious, because I am so ridiculously astounded and in love with the end of this series. I don't quite know what Melissa Marr's opinion of the tale of Humpty Dumpty may be, but she seems to be quite efficient in providing the push for that "great fall." The king's horses and the king's men stand absolutely NO CHANCE of quickly putting me back together again after this one.
Ms. Marr is, if nothing else, a weaver of beautiful webs. I'll be honest: when I picked up Wicked Lovely a little over a year ago, I was completely intimidated by the intelligent prose and the wide variety of creatures and characters within the book. The author does not talk down to her readers, but rather compels you to do a little research of your own on these wondrous fey creatures. I had no idea what a Bananach or a Gancanaugh was, but with each subsequent book, I've understood more. Darkest Mercy focuses on the collective whole of each character's tale from the previous four books.
The character development that's taken place throughout the four books is put on grand display in Darkest Mercy. There are so many conflicts: one large, omnious problem at hand with smaller ones interspersed throughout the cast. This could've potentially been confusing, but Marr's transition from one point of view to the next was flawless. I have such an unspeakable amount of love for all the characters. There are great, GREAT losses, people. You know that feeling where all the blood drains from your face and you have to double take a sentence because you want to be absolutely sure that's what you just read? That happened like, 56 times. In like, 30 minutes. Aislinn is no longer the weak, uncertain mortal she was in Wicked Lovely. Niall is no longer the careful, calculating creature he had been in Ink Exchange (and with good reason.) Irial is no longer the embodiment of evil, but shows a softer side (...with a smidgeon of the embodiment of evil.) And Bananach... well, she's still War. And what a fabulously written villain she is. Melissa Marr can do good, she can do evil, SHE DOES IT ALL. Even the characters that I didn't have much feeling toward became beloved with this book.
The gradual buildup has finally reached its climax and OH MY GOD. It was physically painful to put this down. There was not ever a dull moment. EVER. I read every single word carefully, because there was no need for paragraph skimming or skipping. Every detail is golden and necessary. I actually snuck away from my cubicle at work to hide out in the bathroom so I could finish a chapter before my break was over--DON'T TELL MY BOSS. I didn't know how the massive amount of characters would all be given closure in only 336 pages. I didn't know how, after all of the heart-smashing that Marr did with her bare fist, I could possibly stumble upon an ending that didn't make me hurt--like I said, there were so many terrible losses that made me catch my breath a few times--but this ending was the most perfect way for this series of beautiful, incredible books to bow out.
I cried a lot last night at 2:00am when I finished. Tears of happiness and sadness and because I feel like I'm missing a part of my heart now. IT'S THE END OF AN ERA. Series are difficult to bring to a close. There's always something that just isn't quite right or doesn't sit well with me. I can honestly say that I have no qualms or complaints. This is, by far, the best end to a series that I've ever, EVER read. If I ever meet Melissa Marr, I hope she doesn't think I'm strange when I hug her and thank her.
You guys. Please. Go buy these books. Pre-order this one. Yes, they're confusing at times. Yes, you probably won't have much of an idea what many of the characters are, nor their roles, at first. But the end result is so beautiful and makes perfect sense. Each book builds upon the epicness of the last and in the end, there is sacrifice and there is pain. It's like trying to solve a mystery and each book is yet another mind-boggling discovery. I'm still so happy and so sad... and I want to read them all over again, because there's bound to be something new with every single re-read.
Yep. This one's imprinted on my soul forever and is not only my favorite Fey series of all time but probably the best series I've ever read.
Ms. Marr is, if nothing else, a weaver of beautiful webs. I'll be honest: when I picked up Wicked Lovely a little over a year ago, I was completely intimidated by the intelligent prose and the wide variety of creatures and characters within the book. The author does not talk down to her readers, but rather compels you to do a little research of your own on these wondrous fey creatures. I had no idea what a Bananach or a Gancanaugh was, but with each subsequent book, I've understood more. Darkest Mercy focuses on the collective whole of each character's tale from the previous four books.
The character development that's taken place throughout the four books is put on grand display in Darkest Mercy. There are so many conflicts: one large, omnious problem at hand with smaller ones interspersed throughout the cast. This could've potentially been confusing, but Marr's transition from one point of view to the next was flawless. I have such an unspeakable amount of love for all the characters. There are great, GREAT losses, people. You know that feeling where all the blood drains from your face and you have to double take a sentence because you want to be absolutely sure that's what you just read? That happened like, 56 times. In like, 30 minutes. Aislinn is no longer the weak, uncertain mortal she was in Wicked Lovely. Niall is no longer the careful, calculating creature he had been in Ink Exchange (and with good reason.) Irial is no longer the embodiment of evil, but shows a softer side (...with a smidgeon of the embodiment of evil.) And Bananach... well, she's still War. And what a fabulously written villain she is. Melissa Marr can do good, she can do evil, SHE DOES IT ALL. Even the characters that I didn't have much feeling toward became beloved with this book.
The gradual buildup has finally reached its climax and OH MY GOD. It was physically painful to put this down. There was not ever a dull moment. EVER. I read every single word carefully, because there was no need for paragraph skimming or skipping. Every detail is golden and necessary. I actually snuck away from my cubicle at work to hide out in the bathroom so I could finish a chapter before my break was over--DON'T TELL MY BOSS. I didn't know how the massive amount of characters would all be given closure in only 336 pages. I didn't know how, after all of the heart-smashing that Marr did with her bare fist, I could possibly stumble upon an ending that didn't make me hurt--like I said, there were so many terrible losses that made me catch my breath a few times--but this ending was the most perfect way for this series of beautiful, incredible books to bow out.
I cried a lot last night at 2:00am when I finished. Tears of happiness and sadness and because I feel like I'm missing a part of my heart now. IT'S THE END OF AN ERA. Series are difficult to bring to a close. There's always something that just isn't quite right or doesn't sit well with me. I can honestly say that I have no qualms or complaints. This is, by far, the best end to a series that I've ever, EVER read. If I ever meet Melissa Marr, I hope she doesn't think I'm strange when I hug her and thank her.
You guys. Please. Go buy these books. Pre-order this one. Yes, they're confusing at times. Yes, you probably won't have much of an idea what many of the characters are, nor their roles, at first. But the end result is so beautiful and makes perfect sense. Each book builds upon the epicness of the last and in the end, there is sacrifice and there is pain. It's like trying to solve a mystery and each book is yet another mind-boggling discovery. I'm still so happy and so sad... and I want to read them all over again, because there's bound to be something new with every single re-read.
Yep. This one's imprinted on my soul forever and is not only my favorite Fey series of all time but probably the best series I've ever read.
February 14, 2011
I have my sneaky friend Alicia to thank for slipping me her ARC of DARKEST MERCY--the final installment in Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely series featuring the many wily courts of faerie. I've been looking forward to some desperately needed closure on this series for awhile now. I still remember running across Wicked Lovely what seems like so long ago and loving it. I fell even more in love with the darker Ink Exchange, which cemented my fascination with and unhealthy substantial interest in His Uber Dark Lordliness Irial. And the fabulous short story "Stopping Time" sort of pushed me over the edge as far as my admiration for Marr's storytelling skills and my love for some of these characters went. The other two installments in the series fell a bit flat for me for various reasons. And so I held my breath as I opened up the last one, hoping it would resolve things in both a satisfactory and suitably complex way. High expectations much? Who me?
Nobody is where they should be. Keenan is missing by his own choice. Aislinn is grasping at straws trying to keep the Summer Court afloat in his absence. Seth is floating between this world and that, courting disaster with his various alliances. Niall is losing is grip on the Dark Court with every ragged breath Irial draws. And Bananach is ranging free, inciting death and destruction wherever she goes. Too much discord, too much uncertainty haunts the courts of the fae as their regents struggle to retain power and protect their people. Donia and Aislinn have taken to meeting on a semi-regular basis to discuss their options, though summer and winter have never been pleasant bedfellows. Seth and Niall dance dangerously around their loyalties. And the Gabriel Hounds are out in force as Bananach's trail becomes more littered with bodies. Then a stranger shows up in Hunstdale, full of foreboding and guile. And he seems to know more about each of the main players than should be possible. But one thing is clear, he is just one more unknown quantity in the path toward conflagration they all seem to be walking.
I really had no clue as to how things were going to pan out. I had hopes. Of course I had hopes. For Irial/Niall/Leslie most of all. And Donia. I have always loved Donia. Though I'm pretty sure she deserves better than Keenan--she loves him. And I wanted her happy. And, as long as we're confessing, I may have been harboring a few leftover leanings with regards to Seth and Ash. Because they were great in Wicked Lovely, and what happened to them could not strictly have been avoided. Though there are always choices. And you can choose happiness. And those are my two favorite messages from this series. Ones I won't forget soon. But, overall, this last installment was a letdown in so many ways. Everything played out expediently and essentially along the lines of what I was expecting. But, somehow, it did so with an utter lack of the feeling and emotion that characterized the previous books in the series. There were scenes and particular moments which elicited a smile or a sigh from me, but they were just too few and far between to balance out the strange sense of rote apathy that pervaded the rest of the story. I ended it very puzzled by this, as the strongest emotion I felt at the close was gratitude that this character or that hadn't died. That was it. No joy or relish in the way it came about or in the sacrifices people made. I guess it just wasn't my book. And the ending doesn't taint my love for my favorites of the others. I'm not angry or even too sad. I closed it with a vague feeling of regret at its low impact, and I moved on. Mine is rather an unusual reaction, though, it should be stressed. By and large, I feel certain fans of the series will think this last book closes things out with a bang.
Nobody is where they should be. Keenan is missing by his own choice. Aislinn is grasping at straws trying to keep the Summer Court afloat in his absence. Seth is floating between this world and that, courting disaster with his various alliances. Niall is losing is grip on the Dark Court with every ragged breath Irial draws. And Bananach is ranging free, inciting death and destruction wherever she goes. Too much discord, too much uncertainty haunts the courts of the fae as their regents struggle to retain power and protect their people. Donia and Aislinn have taken to meeting on a semi-regular basis to discuss their options, though summer and winter have never been pleasant bedfellows. Seth and Niall dance dangerously around their loyalties. And the Gabriel Hounds are out in force as Bananach's trail becomes more littered with bodies. Then a stranger shows up in Hunstdale, full of foreboding and guile. And he seems to know more about each of the main players than should be possible. But one thing is clear, he is just one more unknown quantity in the path toward conflagration they all seem to be walking.
I really had no clue as to how things were going to pan out. I had hopes. Of course I had hopes. For Irial/Niall/Leslie most of all. And Donia. I have always loved Donia. Though I'm pretty sure she deserves better than Keenan--she loves him. And I wanted her happy. And, as long as we're confessing, I may have been harboring a few leftover leanings with regards to Seth and Ash. Because they were great in Wicked Lovely, and what happened to them could not strictly have been avoided. Though there are always choices. And you can choose happiness. And those are my two favorite messages from this series. Ones I won't forget soon. But, overall, this last installment was a letdown in so many ways. Everything played out expediently and essentially along the lines of what I was expecting. But, somehow, it did so with an utter lack of the feeling and emotion that characterized the previous books in the series. There were scenes and particular moments which elicited a smile or a sigh from me, but they were just too few and far between to balance out the strange sense of rote apathy that pervaded the rest of the story. I ended it very puzzled by this, as the strongest emotion I felt at the close was gratitude that this character or that hadn't died. That was it. No joy or relish in the way it came about or in the sacrifices people made. I guess it just wasn't my book. And the ending doesn't taint my love for my favorites of the others. I'm not angry or even too sad. I closed it with a vague feeling of regret at its low impact, and I moved on. Mine is rather an unusual reaction, though, it should be stressed. By and large, I feel certain fans of the series will think this last book closes things out with a bang.
Want to read
June 4, 2010All I have to say is Keenan and Ash better end up together
March 18, 2011
I've delayed my review of Darkest Mercy for two days because I'm not sure what I want to write.
First, that i am disappointed -this is, by far, the worst in the Wicked Lovely series. And it is really a pity because, being the final installment, it kind of spoils my general impression on the series. I loved Wicked Lovely and even Ink Exchange, which was my least favorite, is better than this.
The plot is confusing to put it mildly, and there is really no action throughout all the book, save for the epic X-Men-like battle at the end.
Characters I loved, Ash, Keenan, Donia, Seth, Niall, in this book are just going around Huntsdale visiting each other and having pointless conversations, so much so that at times I couldn't even understand the reason in the economy of the plot of said conversations.
Keenan and Donia - I wanted to strangle them both. Their continuous indecisiveness got on my nerves - i could understand the problems behind their being together but their constant changes of mind were really too much, especially from Keenan. I could not feel his torment for not being able to be with Donia and it seemed to me that, if Ash had let him in her bed, he would have been more than happy about it. BUT she refuses him and, after 4 books, he finally decides he needs to be with the one he really loves and dumps Ash and the Summer Court. And Donia? Who loved him for ages, got cheated, deceived, exploited, what does she do when he goes begging to her, the dog? FORGIVES HIM! No questions asked. Not even one doubt. This is SO not how a woman should be treated or how she should react in such a situation. Bad, bad example.
Ash and Seth have somehow slightly better roles but again, Seth, big disappointment. At the end, when there is finally some action, he sits out. Like really, he is sitting in a cage reading his newspaper and smoking a ciggie. The balance to Darkness, my ass.
The only character i did probably like in this book is Far Dorcha, the Death-fey, even though i was laughing when I pictured ethereal sister Ankou hauling corpses on a van, going about the battlefield, whistling to herself.
So, Marr gave us a - rather bloody - happy ending for everybody - except poor Gabriel who went into a pointless battle, got killed and forgotten in 10 pages. Reading this book gave me closure, of which I am happy but I am VERY disappointed by the execution and the plot. I'd never have thought I'd be tempted ti skip pages on a Melissa Marr's book.
First, that i am disappointed -this is, by far, the worst in the Wicked Lovely series. And it is really a pity because, being the final installment, it kind of spoils my general impression on the series. I loved Wicked Lovely and even Ink Exchange, which was my least favorite, is better than this.
The plot is confusing to put it mildly, and there is really no action throughout all the book, save for the epic X-Men-like battle at the end.
Characters I loved, Ash, Keenan, Donia, Seth, Niall, in this book are just going around Huntsdale visiting each other and having pointless conversations, so much so that at times I couldn't even understand the reason in the economy of the plot of said conversations.
Keenan and Donia - I wanted to strangle them both. Their continuous indecisiveness got on my nerves - i could understand the problems behind their being together but their constant changes of mind were really too much, especially from Keenan. I could not feel his torment for not being able to be with Donia and it seemed to me that, if Ash had let him in her bed, he would have been more than happy about it. BUT she refuses him and, after 4 books, he finally decides he needs to be with the one he really loves and dumps Ash and the Summer Court. And Donia? Who loved him for ages, got cheated, deceived, exploited, what does she do when he goes begging to her, the dog? FORGIVES HIM! No questions asked. Not even one doubt. This is SO not how a woman should be treated or how she should react in such a situation. Bad, bad example.
Ash and Seth have somehow slightly better roles but again, Seth, big disappointment. At the end, when there is finally some action, he sits out. Like really, he is sitting in a cage reading his newspaper and smoking a ciggie. The balance to Darkness, my ass.
The only character i did probably like in this book is Far Dorcha, the Death-fey, even though i was laughing when I pictured ethereal sister Ankou hauling corpses on a van, going about the battlefield, whistling to herself.
So, Marr gave us a - rather bloody - happy ending for everybody - except poor Gabriel who went into a pointless battle, got killed and forgotten in 10 pages. Reading this book gave me closure, of which I am happy but I am VERY disappointed by the execution and the plot. I'd never have thought I'd be tempted ti skip pages on a Melissa Marr's book.
April 21, 2011
Darkest Mercy was pretty much everything I thought it would be. Melissa Marr tied up all the loose ends from the previous novels in the series.
I wasn't super thrilled to read this book because, as usual, Melissa Marr's writing style tends to throw me for a loop initially. But I quickly became enthralled in the story. I was excited to see that most of the book was full of startling revelations from all of our characters. It was definitely enough to keep me turning pages.
In the final Wicked Lovely novel, we finally have the opportunity to see how far the characters have developed. Ash, in my opinion, is the most changed. She is now a confident Summer Queen. Keenan has finally realized manipulating people will get him nowhere, fast. Seth seemed to be the same to me, if anything, a little wiser. Donia learned how to release some of her bitter frost, finding happiness.
I really would have liked to see more of Rea, Devlin, Rabbit, and Ani. I think Devlin had one line in this book, while Rea, Rabbit, and Ani were only briefly mentioned. And I won't even begin to try and understand Leslie and The Dark Kings' relationship. @@
All in all, it was a satisfying read.
More reviews and more at Cuddlebuggery Book Blog.
December 8, 2019
I was so shocked when I found out that the Wicked Lovely series is the first series I’ve finished in three months. This was supposed to make me sad and all that, but all it made me feel was relieved.
Anyway, I read somewhere that something was going to happen at the beginning of this book so I was shocked when I found out that this specific event happened past page 100. That was the beginning? What do you call the previous hundred pages, the prologue? And speaking of the real beginning, I was eternally annoyed at Donia and Keenan’s chapters, and of Aislinn’s too. There was just too many things that were irrelevant to me. I also hated one chapter of Seth’s because it was a repeat of the final chapter of Radiant Shadows. I really don’t need to read a chapter twice to understand it. This chapter was a complete waste of paper.
Speaking of wasting of paper, I believe that the whole series could be fit into one book. Why? Because there were so many things that needn’t be said but was there anyway.
There were also a lot of mistakes in the book but I don’t think I want to discuss it anymore since I’m free of the series and can now move on with my life.
The fighting scenes weren’t convincing. It says that there were a lot of faeries in the room but some of the others are just standing around and not being attacked? That’s impossible.
And I now officially hate switching perspectives because instead of getting each character’s different insights, I get NONE.
Nevertheless, I must admit that I would miss this series. It’s one that I’ve read and have journeyed with so it’s a bit sad that it’s all done now. I am grateful that I’m done with the series though. LOL, do I even make any sense?
I don’t think the ending was all that great. Everyone was just in everyone’s pants. Except Chela. Poor, poor Chela.
Overall, I guess you should read this if you want to finish the series (as I did) but if you don’t, you can skip this one.
Oh, maybe I should add my midnight reading insight here. I typed it out on my phone so I’ll just copy it. I won’t edit it anymore:
I got it! The reason why Donia and Keenan don’t seem to love each other is because Keenan never showed any sign that he cared for her. It’s like the author only thought of showing that now. Enter Donia: she’s like a girl who can’t figure out that she can never be with him. Ever. Now she acts all strong and distant like a stupid girl who wants vengeance but doesn’t do it either because of two things: she doesn’t know the word or she hasn’t really lived for 900 years. Melissa Marr has a small, small grasp on immortality that it’s probably nonexistent because she’s making her faery characters act like humans.
Anyway, I read somewhere that something was going to happen at the beginning of this book so I was shocked when I found out that this specific event happened past page 100. That was the beginning? What do you call the previous hundred pages, the prologue? And speaking of the real beginning, I was eternally annoyed at Donia and Keenan’s chapters, and of Aislinn’s too. There was just too many things that were irrelevant to me. I also hated one chapter of Seth’s because it was a repeat of the final chapter of Radiant Shadows. I really don’t need to read a chapter twice to understand it. This chapter was a complete waste of paper.
Speaking of wasting of paper, I believe that the whole series could be fit into one book. Why? Because there were so many things that needn’t be said but was there anyway.
There were also a lot of mistakes in the book but I don’t think I want to discuss it anymore since I’m free of the series and can now move on with my life.
The fighting scenes weren’t convincing. It says that there were a lot of faeries in the room but some of the others are just standing around and not being attacked? That’s impossible.
And I now officially hate switching perspectives because instead of getting each character’s different insights, I get NONE.
Nevertheless, I must admit that I would miss this series. It’s one that I’ve read and have journeyed with so it’s a bit sad that it’s all done now. I am grateful that I’m done with the series though. LOL, do I even make any sense?
I don’t think the ending was all that great. Everyone was just in everyone’s pants. Except Chela. Poor, poor Chela.
Overall, I guess you should read this if you want to finish the series (as I did) but if you don’t, you can skip this one.
Oh, maybe I should add my midnight reading insight here. I typed it out on my phone so I’ll just copy it. I won’t edit it anymore:
I got it! The reason why Donia and Keenan don’t seem to love each other is because Keenan never showed any sign that he cared for her. It’s like the author only thought of showing that now. Enter Donia: she’s like a girl who can’t figure out that she can never be with him. Ever. Now she acts all strong and distant like a stupid girl who wants vengeance but doesn’t do it either because of two things: she doesn’t know the word or she hasn’t really lived for 900 years. Melissa Marr has a small, small grasp on immortality that it’s probably nonexistent because she’s making her faery characters act like humans.
April 3, 2016
While Seth was important in several ways, continuing to be my favourite character in the series as he made it possible for Bananach to be defeated, I didn't like how he was pushed off onto the sidelines for most of the action, even though he'd been training to fight in the inevitable battle.
I wanted something else for poor Niall, my second-favourite character in the series, but he seemed more broken than ever.
Sorcha was relegated to a small part as worried but inactive mother and not seen again.
Given that book 4 was devoted to them, I'd expected Devlin and Ani to figure significantly in the final book of the series; but they didn't.
The book did surprise me several times with plot twists. Some things I never saw coming.
I very much liked that the two main couples ended up with the right people and got happy endings.
Keenan did some things I never expected him to do and turned out to be not so bad, after all. It was nice that Keenan finally put Donia first.
I was glad that Aislinn didn't do anything stupid with Keenan. I liked how it took time for Seth and Aislinn to work out their troubles, but they were still true to each other even during the difficult times.
Aislinn and Donia became stronger characters, and it was good that they both had to deal with major concerns that put their love lives on the back burner for a while. The way Aislinn did most of the work in defeating the evil Bananach (Niall did help finish her off) and rescued Seth was very impressive. Donia put her subjects first and was willing to broker deals with the other courts for the good of all and did her share of fierce fighting, too (her ice swords are nifty).
Wicked Lovely has a rather positive message for girls, in terms of choices and power. Love is very important in the Wicked Lovely world, but there are other significant things, too.
I wanted something else for poor Niall, my second-favourite character in the series, but he seemed more broken than ever.
Sorcha was relegated to a small part as worried but inactive mother and not seen again.
Given that book 4 was devoted to them, I'd expected Devlin and Ani to figure significantly in the final book of the series; but they didn't.
The book did surprise me several times with plot twists. Some things I never saw coming.
I very much liked that the two main couples ended up with the right people and got happy endings.
Keenan did some things I never expected him to do and turned out to be not so bad, after all. It was nice that Keenan finally put Donia first.
I was glad that Aislinn didn't do anything stupid with Keenan. I liked how it took time for Seth and Aislinn to work out their troubles, but they were still true to each other even during the difficult times.
Aislinn and Donia became stronger characters, and it was good that they both had to deal with major concerns that put their love lives on the back burner for a while. The way Aislinn did most of the work in defeating the evil Bananach (Niall did help finish her off) and rescued Seth was very impressive. Donia put her subjects first and was willing to broker deals with the other courts for the good of all and did her share of fierce fighting, too (her ice swords are nifty).
Wicked Lovely has a rather positive message for girls, in terms of choices and power. Love is very important in the Wicked Lovely world, but there are other significant things, too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 10, 2012
I'm a little SAD that This series come to the END...
Indeed, I want KEENAN end up with ASH, cuz they are freakin' WORK together in ' Fragile Eternity ' They are SUMMER KING & QUEEN of each other and their summer power attract them together. I really l.o.v.e this!! But, It doesn't matter cuz they don't Love each other.
Don't get me wrong!! I LOVE Don!! I love her the most in book 1 ' Wicked Lovely ' Donia is Strong and Painful, her character is interesting. And I want her to be HAPPY which mean seeing her with Keenan ' the Boy Don always love, bittersweet love ' I always burst into tears when I read Keenan & Donia scenes. They're CAPTIVATING..
Although, I'm on two Sides, a little bit drawn to Keenan & Ash more. However, I Still love the END of this series and HAPPY with it :)
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November 23, 2010
Easily the best Wicked Lovely book and absolutely beautiful finale. I need to curl up in a ball and absorb for a few hours...
August 10, 2014
I liked the ending,
I just wished that the author did not have to kill off so many of her characters..
I just wished that the author did not have to kill off so many of her characters..
December 17, 2019
> Okay, as disappointing at the third and fourth book have been, this one made it all a whole lot better and.. I'm relieved to say the least.
> We get a whole lot of our characters, old and new, which is what I expected, wanted and loved. You can hardly finish a series without having them all back together at some point, right? Or at least see them back to give them some kind of ending at least. We got that and I'm happy for it.
> The suspense! I really liked how everything came together in the end. After the disaster of the fourth book, I honestly didn't expect it. Maybe that's why I love this book even more so. It's not that hard to top a previous book when it was a disappointment? Pretty sure that helps in giving me a higher rating to this one, haha.
> I really wasn't all that set on Keenan compared to others, but this book really did him justice. Had I known this previously, I might have appreciated him more but.. well.. Better late than never, right?
> Definitely an almost-perfect conclusion to this series!
> We get a whole lot of our characters, old and new, which is what I expected, wanted and loved. You can hardly finish a series without having them all back together at some point, right? Or at least see them back to give them some kind of ending at least. We got that and I'm happy for it.
> The suspense! I really liked how everything came together in the end. After the disaster of the fourth book, I honestly didn't expect it. Maybe that's why I love this book even more so. It's not that hard to top a previous book when it was a disappointment? Pretty sure that helps in giving me a higher rating to this one, haha.
> I really wasn't all that set on Keenan compared to others, but this book really did him justice. Had I known this previously, I might have appreciated him more but.. well.. Better late than never, right?
> Definitely an almost-perfect conclusion to this series!
August 10, 2011
I won this book for free in a first-reads giveaway.
I was so absolutely thrilled when this arrived in the mail! I swear, I danced around the house for half an hour. It took me forever to read, mostly because life was busy, but it was fantastic. And amazing.
Every book in the series is a little bittersweet. There are things lost, but things won. In Darkest Mercy, the things won over-balance the things lost, I think. It was stunning, and while I'm sad it's over, at the same time I'm thrilled!
~~~WARNING, SPOILERS AHEAD!~~~
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.
.
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.
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Right, you've been warned. In this book,Leslie returns when Niall is unbalanced and nearly insane, to try and fix him. As it's been a little while since I read Ink Exchange, I don't remember Leslie's character too well, but she seemed a bit over-aggressive. But then, that may be because she's still part Dark Court.
Finally, Ash has to make a choice between Seth and Keenen. She ends up choosing Seth. I was disappointed at first, since the love triangle was so interesting, but it all ends up working out. Keenen gives her his powers as a monarch and can finally be with Donia, and at the end, Seth can finally fully be with Ash. A happy ending for them all~
There was one little thing that bugged me, though it didn't have anything to do with the storyline. In a few places quotation marks were forgotten, periods forgotten, just a few little grammar errors like that. Other than that, the book was just amazing and I want to read it all over again!
I was so absolutely thrilled when this arrived in the mail! I swear, I danced around the house for half an hour. It took me forever to read, mostly because life was busy, but it was fantastic. And amazing.
Every book in the series is a little bittersweet. There are things lost, but things won. In Darkest Mercy, the things won over-balance the things lost, I think. It was stunning, and while I'm sad it's over, at the same time I'm thrilled!
~~~WARNING, SPOILERS AHEAD!~~~
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Right, you've been warned. In this book,Leslie returns when Niall is unbalanced and nearly insane, to try and fix him. As it's been a little while since I read Ink Exchange, I don't remember Leslie's character too well, but she seemed a bit over-aggressive. But then, that may be because she's still part Dark Court.
Finally, Ash has to make a choice between Seth and Keenen. She ends up choosing Seth. I was disappointed at first, since the love triangle was so interesting, but it all ends up working out. Keenen gives her his powers as a monarch and can finally be with Donia, and at the end, Seth can finally fully be with Ash. A happy ending for them all~
There was one little thing that bugged me, though it didn't have anything to do with the storyline. In a few places quotation marks were forgotten, periods forgotten, just a few little grammar errors like that. Other than that, the book was just amazing and I want to read it all over again!
March 7, 2011
I have followed the Wicked Lovely series since its inception and I have loved every single word. I cried at the last page because I knew that I would no longer hear from my deliciously exciting friends in their deliciously exciting world that Melissa has created so wondrously and so wickedly :o]
Darkest Mercy held some surprises but not as many as I would have suspected and I thank Melissa for that; there is the loss of one character that I absolutely adored, starting in The Ink Exchange & Radiant Shadows. It seemed so minimized in Darkest Mercy and that kind of bothered me but other then that Darkest Mercy was the perfect ending to a perfect series.
Melissa created a beautiful story to end her series and in fact, as gruesome as this may sound, Darkest Mercy was almost a memoriam to our beloved characters and the beautiful world she created. I do believe her characters will go on in our hearts for they've become real to so many of us that saying good bye is extremely difficult (Hence the tears at the last page) that the grieving process is necessary for some, if not all, of her Wicked Lovely fans. As much as I looked forward to reading Darkest Mercy, I also dreaded it. I dreaded it for the mere fact that Darkest Mercy was the LAST book, not like some who say it’s the last book and then dangle another book in front of our faces at the last minute.
So, with much sadness in my heart I will say ‘see ya later’ to the Courts for now but I will never good-bye because I know that they will always be a book shelf away and definitely live on forever in my heart.
Darkest Mercy held some surprises but not as many as I would have suspected and I thank Melissa for that; there is the loss of one character that I absolutely adored, starting in The Ink Exchange & Radiant Shadows. It seemed so minimized in Darkest Mercy and that kind of bothered me but other then that Darkest Mercy was the perfect ending to a perfect series.
Melissa created a beautiful story to end her series and in fact, as gruesome as this may sound, Darkest Mercy was almost a memoriam to our beloved characters and the beautiful world she created. I do believe her characters will go on in our hearts for they've become real to so many of us that saying good bye is extremely difficult (Hence the tears at the last page) that the grieving process is necessary for some, if not all, of her Wicked Lovely fans. As much as I looked forward to reading Darkest Mercy, I also dreaded it. I dreaded it for the mere fact that Darkest Mercy was the LAST book, not like some who say it’s the last book and then dangle another book in front of our faces at the last minute.
So, with much sadness in my heart I will say ‘see ya later’ to the Courts for now but I will never good-bye because I know that they will always be a book shelf away and definitely live on forever in my heart.
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