The Summer King is missing; the Dark Court is bleeding; and a stranger walks the streets of Huntsdale, his presence signifying the deaths of powerful fey.

Aislinn tends to the Summer Court, searching for her absent king and yearning for Seth. Torn between his new queen and his old love, Keenan works from afar to strengthen his court against the coming war. Donia longs for fiery passion even as she coolly readies the Winter Court for battle. And Seth, sworn brother of the Dark King and heir to the High Queen, is about to make a mistake that could cost his life.

Love, despair, and betrayal ignite the Faery Courts, and in the final conflict, some will win . . . and some will lose everything.

Keenan is still missing and Aislinn is not happy. Someone has to run the Summer Court, and although she knows it must be her, she really wishes Keenan would return and help her. At least he has some experience with these things. Ash isn’t stupid, though, and knows that when he does return, she’ll have to make a choice – Seth, or the Summer King…

Her court needs her, that much is clear, and things definitely would definitely run better if the King and Queen had a united front, but her heart just isn’t in it. Although he’s very tempted by Keenan, she loves Seth. There’s just no way around it.

But Seth is gone a lot too. He vanishes into Faery for days and days at a time, reminding Ash that he too belongs to someone else now. How did things get so complicated? Why can’t she have her court and have Seth too?

Bananach is up to her crazy shenenigans again, causing chaos and havoc wherever she goes, only this time it seems that she’s playing for keeps. Kill or be killed – that’s how she’s playing now. Things are getting pretty crazy and Aislinn just doesn’t know what to do.

The Dark Court is also a bit of a mess. In the wake of Irial’s death Niall has gone all badass on us. He’s not coping with the loss of his friend, and he’s lashing out at anyone he can sink his claws into. You’ll never believe the cruelty he dishes out in the name of grief.

Darkest Mercy is the highly anticipated last book in the Wicked Lovely series. I think it’s safe to say that in this chapter, readers are given what they want. This is one of those series that has a storybook ending, and everyone and everything ends just as it should. Although it carries an element of predictability to it, Darkest Mercy is the perfect finale to an outstanding series.

Although saddened by the fact that its over, this is a world I love to get lost in, and will continue to do so many times over. Melissa Marr has a real talent for placing her readers right in the middle of all the action and I can’t wait to go back and start again. As we farewell our beloved characters, we wish Seth, Ash, Keenan, Donia and all of our Wicked Lovely friends the best!

Pages: 327

Publication date: 2011

Publisher: HarperTeen

Rating: :

Teaser Quote: Summer or not, there’s no one else in my bed. No one else ever has been there,” she reminded him.

“Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it’s getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she’s haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they’re destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.

As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.”

————————————-

Like most lovers of YA fiction, I’m a fan of paranormal romance/urban fantasy. Some stories are amazing, others are….well, lacklustre or cheesy. It’s the not so great stories that then make us PR/UF fans a bit wary when approaching a new story, which was my reaction to first receiving Josephine Angelini’s debut, Starcrossed. The beautiful cover and interesting blurb however won me over and I gave it a shot.

The story centres on Helen Hamilton who, till the Delos family showed up, lived a fairly mundane existence. Upon seeing Lucas Delos for the first time some readers might suspect an instant attraction between the two – you’re half right. Seeing him fills Helen with an overwhelming, all consuming and inexplicable urge….to kill him. And the feeling is mutual.

Which can be problematic when you’re meant to be classmates with someone.

What Helen doesn’t realize is that her life is influenced by the Fates, which leads her to discover not just where she came from, but what’s in store, and the Delos family is only one piece of the puzzle.

My problem with Starcrossed was that I didn’t really enjoy the first half of the book. Helen annoyed me like crazy – her intense shyness, being desperate to fade into the background, she just came across as very weak. There were moments that were predictable or cheesy and I even had a ‘man this is so Twilight moment’ (I know, I know, authors hate Twilight references, sorry!).

However!

After the halfway point things started to get interesting – very interesting. Helen’s character had a total turn around and the twists in the plot only made things so much more exciting. The ending was heart stopping and dramatic, it’ll leave you dying for more once it’s over. There’s so much left hanging in the end it’ll be interesting to see how it will all unfold in the next book.

I loved the mix of Greek mythology, bringing it into a modern setting, it was really well done and totally fascinating to read. The romantic side of the story was also really great but also a lot more complicated than you might expect.

Though Starcrossed and I didn’t get off to a good start, by the end, I really liked it. Mythology, family conflict, fate, a dramatic cliffhanger ending and of course, lurrrrve, Starcrossed has all the right elements for a great read.

Pages: 487
Publication Date: May 2011
Publisher: Harper Collins
Challenge: Debut Author
Rating: :

Teaser Quote:   “He’s not going around telling everyone you’re monkey-butt crazy, so at least you brutalized a seriously sweet guy.”

Eve knew the stories of the Fall, of a time before she wandered into the colony of Eden, unable to recall anything but her name. She’s seen the aftermath of the technology that infused human DNA with cybernetic matter, able to grow new organs and limbs, how it evolved out of control. The machine took over and the soul vanished. A world quickly losing its humanity isn’t just a story to her though. At eighteen, this world is Eve’s reality.

In their Fallen world, love feels like a selfish luxury, but not understanding what it is makes it difficult to choose between West, who makes her feel alive but keeps too many secrets, and Avian, who has always been there for her, but is seven years her senior.

The technology wants to spread and it won’t stop until there is no new flesh to assimilate. With only two percent of the human population left, mankind is on the brink of extinction. While fighting to keep Eden alive, Eve will discover that being human is about what you will do for those you love, not what your insides may be made of. And even if it gets you killed, love is always what separates them from the Fallen.

First, let me draw your attention to the incredibly beautiful cover. It was impossible for this cover not to catch my eye. As a self-published author, the cover design was left up to Keary Taylor and she truly did an amazing job with an image that leaps off the shelves. And now, onto the review. Eve doesn’t remember anything before the Fall. As far as she knows, her life began when she was thirteen, found by Avian, Sarah, and Tye. The three of them are the only family Eve knows and together they live in a safe haven for perhaps the only humans left alive, Eden. That is, until West, Victoria, and Brady show up.

Now eighteen, Eve recognizes that she’s different from the other inhabitants of Eden. She’s fast, strong, rarely tires, and feels kind of disconnected — emotionally. She doesn’t think she knows what love is, even when it comes to simply loving her best friends and “family.” Yet as she spends more time with West, she finds he awakens certain emotions in her. But for someone who has only ever known life in Eden, how can she learn to trust an outsider? Especially since Avian is suddenly vying for her affection; Avian, whose very presence calms Eve and who understands her better than anyone else. Neither West nor Avian want to push Eve, but it’s clear she has a decision to make.

At first, Eden reminded me of Stephanie Meyer’s The Host, but with non-stop action and a more likable protagonist. Eve is a strong, independent, and utterly selfless heroine. She is so busy taking care of everyone else that she neglects her own feelings. When her inner conflict regarding West and Avian begins, she thinks avoiding the situation will make it go away. She piles on more and more work, leaving barely enough time to even sleep. But it’s impossible for her to ignore the two men. She’s drawn to each one for completely different reasons. This is why the love triangle in Eden appealed to me so much. Eve’s conflicting emotions are completely warranted as she shares common interests with both of her suitors. There is no obviously apparent or “right” choice. It truly seems like she could be happy with either guy and I was right there with her, confused as to who she should pick. Keary Taylor does a great job of opening up Eve’s mind to the reader, allowing us to slip effortlessly into her thoughts. She’s not only a protagonist you can respect, but also one you can identify with.

While the love triangle dominates a majority of the book, the plot is in no way slighted or overlooked. Eden is four hundred pages of glorious characterization, world-building, suspense, breathtaking twists, and heart-pounding action. The post-apocalyptic United States is described in visceral, frighteningly believable detail. The science and mechanical details behind the Fall and the Fallen are innovative and so intriguing. It’s impossible to put the book down because you just want to know more and more — how, why, when? Taylor doles out the answers to these questions, but sparingly, building up the suspense until the very last page.

Personally, I loved the ending to Eden. First of all, I was satisfied with Eve’s choice. Second, even though Eden is meant as a standalone novel, I appreciated the open-ended conclusion. It does leave some questions unanswered and Taylor could easily write a sequel with this incredible world she’s created, but since she’s not planning on it, the openness of the ending leaves room for your imagination, for you to continue the story for yourself. Some books don’t do this well, but I think Eden pulls it off.

At times, I feel like Eve’s inner dialogue unnecessarily rehashes the same thoughts over and over. But since these new feelings are so overwhelming and all-consuming, I can see where she’s coming from. The characters’ dialogue also seems oddly formal and forced, sometimes. It can be hard to get through those occasional formal bouts, as they’re distracting in how noticeable they are, but once they pass, it’s easy to fall back into the story. Still, I definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves insane world-building, intricate love stories, and the idea of technology growing too powerful. Eden does an excellent job of dealing with themes of what it means to human, where we draw the lines of morality and ethics, selflessness vs selfishness, and acceptance. If you’re looking for a completely new world to jump into, try Eden.

Pages: 408
Publication Date: June 2011
Publisher: Self-Published
Challenge: N/A
Rating :

Teaser Quote: “By month four, ninety-eight percent of the world’s population had become infected, not even human anymore. More machine than man. We, mankind, were a dying race.“