Darkest Mercy (Wicked Lovely #5)

by Melissa Marr

"Send the messengers for the Faery Courts. This is the end.

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."

It has been quite a few years since I read the 4th installment of the Wicked Lovely series, so it took longer for me to get the gist of Darkest Mercy.  I will say that it is obviously not a stand alone novel, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.  I hate when series spend the entire book rehashing the previous book, so not knowing what was going on was actually a good thing to me.  Eventually I pieced together what I had forgotten, but this review is based on Darkest Mercy alone, as opposed to part of a series.

I enjoy Marr's writing style.  I also admire the multi-faceted world she has created; making each court with an individual, almost living, personality and characters that live inside. That being said, I wasn't super impressed with the book.  It was good, but lacked the drama of the rest of the series.  Also, five books later and the ending of the series is a little lackluster.  These books have been fraught with peril and heartache and loss, but suddenly everything is right in the world, true love conquers all and Keenan is human. Everything was just a little too easy; Anti-climatic is an understatement. Still, Marr does remain true to the hope she has fostered and the book did not leave me wanting.

Sleepless

by Cyn Balog

"Eron DeMarchelle isn't supposed to feel this connection. He is a Sandman, a supernatural being whose purpose is to seduce his human charges to sleep. Though he can communicate with his charges in their dreams, he isn't encouraged to do so. After all, becoming too involved in one human's life could prevent him from helping others get their needed rest.

But he can't deny that he feels something for Julia, a lonely girl with fiery red hair and sad dreams. Just weeks ago, her boyfriend died in a car accident, and Eron can tell that she feels more alone than ever. Eron was human once too, many years ago, and he remembers how it felt to lose the one he loved. In the past, Eron has broken rules to protect Julia, but now, when she seems to need him more than ever, he can't reach her. Eron's time as a Sandman is coming to a close, and his replacement doesn't seem to care about his charges. Worse, Julia is facing dangers she doesn't recognize, and Eron, as he transitions back to being human, may be the only one who can save her. . . .
Even once they've become human again, Sandmen are forbidden to communicate with their charges. But Eron knows he won't be able to forget Julia. Will he risk everything for a chance to be with the girl he loves?"

I am in love with the concept of Sleepless. The idea of Sandmen, charged with "seducing" mortals to sleep and watching over their dreams is fresh and enticing.

Eron was a well-developed character and I adored his old world gentlemanly mannerisms and mentality. It seemed a little odd that he was so distanced from the world, but I suppose life is a little limited when you hang out mostly in trees for 100 years. I was also bothered by the fact that the originals, who seemed to run the whole operation, were ignorant of the modern world as well. Naive Chimere was endearing at times, but the fact that she was meant to be an authority figure made her wide-eyed, seemingly spacey personality a disappointment. However, her small betrayal in the end was a surprise to me; both innocent and contriving in its purpose.

Julia. I feel less impressed with this character. Balog's back story of her isolation and self-consciousness leaked through into the real world and I don't feel that I really had a good grasp of who Julia was, even despite her narratives. I'm not quite sure what it was that made Eron fall in love with Julia; perhaps a lifetime of familiarity, but also the thought of him being essentially her babysitter since birth is slightly disturbing.

Griffin was an excellent villain. His motivation was pain and loss and selfishness. I liked seeing the progression of his grieving process, which took him from the always smiling jokester to the slightly manic, near homicidal evil doer.

The book ended too abruptly for me and I would have liked a little more conflict resolution after all the build up. However, overall, this was a fun read.

Bound

by Donna Jo Napoli

Young Xing Xing is bound. Bound to her late father's second wife and daughter. Bound to a life of servitude as a young girl in ancient China, where a woman is valued less than livestock. Bound to be alone, with no parents to arrange for a suitable husband. Xing Xing spends her days taking care of her half sister, Wei Ping, who cannot walk because of her foot bindings, the painful tradition for girls who are fit to be married. Even so, Xing Xing is content to practice her gift for poetry and calligraphy, and to dream of a life unbound by the laws of family and society. But all of this is about to change as Stepmother, who has spent nearly all of the family's money, grows desperate to find a husband for Wei Ping. Xing Xing soon realizes that this greed and desperation may threaten not only her memories of the past, but also her dreams for the future.

I've been a fan of Napoli's unique retellings, from Zel, a take on Rapunzel, to Sirena, a vivid depiction of Aesop's fabled sirens. While visual and marked by Napoli's signature historical viewpoint, Bound fell a little short for me.

In general, I liked the book. It was a quick read and gave a very interesting peek into the world of foot binding. Xing-Xing's stepmother had that perfect combination of ignorance and conniving, while Wei Ping brought something new to the role of ugly stepsister in the form of innocence that endeared her to me in a small way, despite myself. I enjoyed the poetry throughout the book and felt it enhanced the cultural setting.

There were several quite grisly scenes, also characteristic of Napoli's style, which always remind me of the origins of these Grimm tales. I did enjoy the read, but Bound doesn't warrant a repeat for me.

A Curse Dark As Gold

by Elizabeth C. Bunce

A Curse Dark As Gold is take on the classic fairy tale, Rumpelstiltskin. We all know what a pushover I am for books like these, especially ones that are less often spun.

I will admit that I'm a bit behind in my reviews, so, while I'm sure I had a few distinct impressions about this one, I'm not exactly sure what they were. I did enjoy that the dark story remained true to its original vein and that, while there was a good amount of creepy, curse-y and paranormal happenings, it didn't get to be too unbelievable. I also liked that there were multiple antagonists, both realistic and supernatural. This facet made the story more complex as I tried to sort out if and how certain events were connected. The setting, in England at the pivotal beginning of the Industrial Revolution, also complemented the story well, marrying the primitive, seemingly sinister with the glorious promise of new horizons.

I enjoyed the romance that was woven into the story, but it really irritated me that Charlotte refused to confide in her husband, choosing omission and deception instead, (that never goes over well) especially when she chooses to give her uncle, an over the top dandy she's never met before, so much credit. Overall, the characters were wonderfully developed and there were many personalities within the story.

The Mermaid's Madness

by Jim C. Hines
The Mermaid's Madness is a companion to The Stepsister Scheme. I say companion, because it doesn't necessarily continue any plot from the first book, although it does continue shortly after the conclusion of The Stepsister Scheme.

I really enjoyed getting to know these characters better. I loved the plot of this second book and the way it continues on in revealing the truth behind beloved fairy tales. Adventure, intrigue, romance and sacrifice were all prevalent in this story. It was fun and engaging, heartbreaking and tragic. I can't wait for the next installment!

Snow White and Rose Red

by Patricia C. Wrede
Snow White and Rose Red is another take of the classic Grimm Brothers fairy tale. I've never read the original story and I've actually never read anything this closely based on the original, so I'm not certain what aspects deter from the Grimm's take.

The book was a little slow for me, but I ended up liking it. I enjoyed the way the villains were almost unintentionally at odds with the sisters. I've procrastinated in writing this review and now a lot of the details of the story escape me. This isn't a favorite, but it was a good read and an interesting story filled with romance, magic and the true love of family.

The Stepsister Scheme

by Jim Hines

The Stepsister Scheme is kind of like all your favorite fairy tales got together and took some Acid. The story's main characters, essentially Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and Cinderella, are Walt Disney meets Charlie's Angels.

I loved this book. It's no secret that I'm addicted to any and all spin offs of popular and obsolete fairy tales, Old Wives Tales and legends. This book was right up my alley and did not disappoint. I enjoyed the personalities of the three princesses and the dynamic between them. I loved the magical elements and the encounters with various mythical and fantastic creatures.

Hines took each well known story and uncovered the truth behind it. These horrific realities, somewhat more along the lines of what the Grimm Brothers may have envisioned, were heartbreaking and gave the princesses more dimension.

I loved this book; it's one that I could read over and over again.

A Kiss in Time

by Alex Flinn

In my review of Alex Flinn's Beastly, I mentioned that I was willing to give him another chance despite my disappointment with that book. I had read a description of A Kiss in Time and thought it looked too intriguing to ignore. I won't make that mistake a third time.

This book was sub par at best. Telling the story of Sleeping Beauty and waking her up in the 20Th Century is a unique take on the well-known tale. However, once again, I wasn't in love with the characters and it seems like Flinn is still trying a little too hard to talk the talk of a seventeen-year-old. I was a little put off by the soul mates vibe, as I prefer characters to be a little more mature in those scenarios. Like Beastly, I was pleased by the Epilogue and the way he wrapped up some stray ideas.

All in all it was an okay book and it was devoid of any adult themes.

Princess of the Midnight Ball

by Jessica Day George

The Twelve Dancing Princesses is a story that has always captivated me. This book was no exception.

George did an excellent job in making this well-known tale her own. Her characters were distinct and each of the twelve princesses has a personality. I've said before that I'm not a fan of authors taking the modern world, calling it something else and creating a semi-new fantasy civilization, but George makes it work in this book. The setting is one I can picture, maybe in the late 1800's or early 1900's, making the juxtaposition of guns and pastoral Europe plausible. The hero, Galen, is likable and clever, but not without fault, which makes him more realistic. I enjoyed the spin George put on the reason the princesses dance; not for some frivolous fancies, but because of something sinister and beyond their control. I really enjoyed reading this book and Jessica Day George is fast becoming one of my favorite authors.

The book is wholesome and there is no swearing or profanity.

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow

by Jessica Day George

This Norwegian folk tale is one that I've come across before and this book did nothing to quell my adoration for the story.

The characters in this book are unique and familiar at the same time. The lass is an endearing and wholesome woman that embodies a loving nature and has an affinity for animals. Her glaring flaw is her curiosity which ultimately places herself and her true love in peril. Although predictable, the fact that the lass perseveres in the end and saves not only herself, but her family, her homeland and many others around her, is not contrived or boring. I don't really have very much to say about this book because it was just an enjoyable, well written story.

There is nothing inappropriate in this book.

Beastly

by Alex Flinn

I expected a lot more out of this book. I thought the idea of the story of Beauty and the Beast, told from the Beast's perspective, should be very interesting. I've read other books based on fairy tales that have been given a modern makeover and still worked. However, I hated the modern spin of Beastly.

The main character, Kyle/Beast/Adrian, really annoyed me, both before his change of heart and after. I didn't enjoy that the characters were so young, only sixteen. The idea of "true love" at that age just makes me think how naive teenagers are; thinking that your first love will last forever. I also thought that Flinn's characters were not only cheesy and predictable, but he was trying too hard to make Kyle/Beast/Adrian cool. Those facts aside, the story was alright. I did enjoy the final conclusion and the way all the loose ends were wrapped up as well as the way the traditional connection of roses was tied in.

I won't read this book again, but I will give Flinn another chance.

Mira, Mirror

by Mette Ivie Harrison

Mira, Mirror is the continuing story of Snow White. It is told from the perspective of Mira, the Wicked Queen's sister, who was trapped in a magic mirror by the Queen. It is Mira's story, after the Queen is defeated by Snow White and her Prince. Mira has learned how to be manipulative throughout a hundred years of doing her sister's bidding as the mirror and has forgotten love and sincerity. She persuades a peasant girl to take her and manipulates her into stealing the identity of a merchant's daughter, magically trading their faces. The book recounts Mira's quest to obtain enough magic to change herself back into a human. Along the way, the two girls, Ivana and Talia, teach her what it really means to be a sister.
I love different renditions of fairy tales and this one did not disappoint. There are several side stories interwoven together to create a tale that somehow embodies Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella and, of course, a continuation of Snow White. There was nothing inappropriate in the book and it had a great message.

The Princess and the Hound

by Mette Ivie Harrison

This book surprised me in several ways. I thought this would be another pretty light read, which it was, but I felt like the main character was very developed, which is something that you don't often find in the YF section. It was also interesting that the book was told from a male perspective. I think the author did a pretty good job at making it an authentic portrayal of the male psyche. The story was a spin on Beauty and the Beast, but I liked the fact that it didn't mirror the fairy tale exactly.
There were a few things that bothered me: In trying to keep the relationship between the princess and the hound mysterious, there was something missing in the development of Princess Beatrice and Prince George's relationship. There was also a point in the book that it seems like the author suddenly realized that she spent too much time in the beginning developing George's character and now she only had a hundred pages to get to the rest of the story and wrap things up.
All in all, I really did like this book. I actually didn't want to put it down, I was waiting for all the pieces to come together and be resolved. I loved the vulnerable strength of George and the intertwining plots. It was innocent and sweet and I am looking forward to reading the sequel.