First things first, if you haven't read Wicked Lovely [my review] yet don't start with this one! These books has to be read in order to make sense to the reader. Book description:
Unbeknownst to mortals, a power struggle is unfolding in a world of shadows and danger. After centuries of stability, the balance among the Faery Courts has altered, and Irial, ruler of the Dark Court, is battling to hold his rebellious and newly vulnerable fey together. If he fails, bloodshed and brutality will follow.My opinion:
Seventeen-year-old Leslie knows nothing of faeries or their intrigues. When she is attracted to an eerily beautiful tattoo of eyes and wings, all she knows is that she has to have it, convinced it is a tangible symbol of changes she desperately craves for her own life.
The tattoo does bring changes—not the kind Leslie has dreamed of, but sinister, compelling changes that are more than symbolic. Those changes will bind Leslie and Irial together, drawing Leslie deeper and deeper into the faery world, unable to resist its allures, and helpless to withstand its perils. . . .
In this second book in the Wicked Lovely series by Melissa Marr we meet again Ash's best friend, Leslie. Although we meet Ash and Keenan this story is mostly about Leslie's life. Leslie is trying her best to survive, make a better life for herself and take control of body and soul. She has decided to have a tattoo done to mark the change but this tattoo gives Leslie more than se bargained for.
Ink Exchange is a much darker book than Wicked Lovely and more realistic in that way. Yes, this is a book about faeries but that doesn't mean that things can't seem real, especially when the main character is human. In all the darkness there is love and perhaps more love and attention then Leslie wants?
I somehow find Leslie more believable and likable as a character than Ash, the main character in Wicked Lovely. I'm not quite sure why but perhaps it's because Leslie's life experiences seems more real than Ash's does?
When I started Ink Exchange my immediately reaction was that this book is better than Wicked Lovely. When I finished the audiobook I still felt that this series lacks something and I think it is the pace of the plot that bothers me and I would have liked some more action. For me this series hasn't lived up to all the hype. I almost feel guilty towards Melissa Marr when I write this about a book/books she has put a huge amount of time and effort into(and difficult personal experiences). Even so I have to be honest, no use in pretending to love a book. If I didn't already have Fragile Eternity here I wouldn't run to the store to buy it.
I've also read Fragile Eternity and will be reviewing it shortly.
My rating of this book:
3,85 out of 5 stars.
If you have reviewed this book let me know and I'll post a link to your review below.
Want another opinion on this book? Check out these reviews below:
Book details(Paperback):
• Reading level: Young adult
• Genre: Fantasy
• Pages: 352 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; Reprint edition (March 31, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061214701
• ISBN-13: 978-0061214707
For more information about the author and her books visit:
I think I rated it about the same !
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed Wicked Lovely more than Ink Exchange. For me, I wanted Ink Exchange to be this dark, gritty book, and it almost made it..not quite. Still enjoyed it though. I have yet to read Fragile Eternity, looking forward to your review.
ReplyDeleteI love these books, but I can admit they're flawed. Of course, I just love the world surrounding them and the way she portrays the faerie world as something more dangerous and how they're really not evil or good, but rather just interested in self-preservation.
ReplyDeletei didn't realise Ink Exchange was about different characters. I honestly thought it was a followup to Wicked Lovely. I have just finished Wicked Lovely, so I should be starting this one soon.
ReplyDeleteI didn't dare to read it...it's about different characters?...That would work for me since the library only has the 2nd book in Finnish
ReplyDeleteI loved Ink Exchange. I thought that it flowed better than Wicked Lovely. I also like Leslie's love triangle better than Ash's. The ending was more satisfying as well. I can't decide if I want to read Fragile Eternity. I might wait a bit and save it for a rainy day. Thanks for the great review.
ReplyDeleteI just got this one recently. I'm not sure it's my kind of book. I got the first one around the time it was released and just couldn't finish reading it. The second one was on sale so of course i had to buy it hehe :)
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