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Darkest Mercy
Darkest Mercy
Darkest Mercy
Audiobook8 hours

Darkest Mercy

Written by Melissa Marr

Narrated by Nick Landrum

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

About this audiobook

The thrilling conclusion to Melissa Marr's #1 New York Times bestselling Wicked Lovely series will leave readers breathless.

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.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperCollins
Release dateFeb 22, 2011
ISBN9780062062000
Darkest Mercy
Author

Melissa Marr

Melissa Marr was voted in high school the “most likely to end up in jail”. Instead, she went to graduate school, worked in a bar, became a teacher and did a lot of writing. Her novels Wicked Lovely, Ink Exchange and Fragile Eternity are published by HarperCollins.

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Reviews for Darkest Mercy

Rating: 3.9661921419928823 out of 5 stars
4/5

281 ratings31 reviews

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  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This was a nice wrap up to the crazy faerie stories. There was lots of fighting and come-uppance.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This turned out to be a shocking adventure. This being the final book in the Wicked Lovely series, and man, it was amazing. This is a series that I would absolutely tell people to read. I wish that I could just spill about everything that happened. What I will say is this, youve got someone going insane, some people die, Leslie makes an important appearance (I think it's important), Keenan comes back and is finally not an asshole and treats the girls as they deserve . There is war and it starts with War. Hehe. Get it. Let's just say that everyone deals with some extreme emotional pain of some sort, and yet they all struggle and mostly get happy endings. Fantastic story I loved it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book took me through a wide range of emotions. I'm sad to say I spent most of it sort of angry with Keenan. I'm very glad he pretty much redeemed himself by the end. I also spent a good portion of the book being angry with Niall which was hard for me because I actually loved Niall's character. I'm surprised I didn't see what was going on with him sooner. I'm very pleased with how things worked out for all of my favorites (Keenan, Ash, Donia, Seth, Niall and Leslie) but I'm also very sad at some of the losses we had to face in this book. I anxiously started "Desert Tales" as soon as I finished, because I just wanted more!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Didn't see many of the resolutions coming. At least there was enough information about Ink Exchange that erring by checking out Darkest Mercy after Wicked Lovely didn't leave me confused.Not happy about the deaths, except for one.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I loved it!! So sad this series is over, I can't get enough of this characters;)
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The grand finale! Keenan is still roaming the world, attempting to gather allies while giving Aislinn space. Seth still won’t get busy with Aislinn because she hasn’t decided-decided that she’ll never get busy with Keenan. Donia hate-likes Aislinn because they both want the best for their courts, but the Winter Queen is jealous of the Keenan situation. Bananach is just waiting for an open declaration of war, trying to provoke one, and any help from on high is beyond reach due to the sealing of Faerie. The Summer Court is still weak due to its unhappy queen and missing king, Winter Court is doing well but Donia allowing early spring to strengthen Summer means a weakening of Winter, and the Dark Court is in shambles. Oh, and the Death Fae are in town, which means that at least one important faerie will die and they’ve come to collect.This was an almost-satisfying conclusion. The introduction of Far Dorcha, spokesman for the death fae, was perfectly chilling. Every complicated thread of plot is woven into an airtight resolution that leaves everyone happy as can be. Which is kind of the problem. I like happy endings, but everything turns out so unexpectedly peachy-keen for everyone that it robs the series of some of its impact. Faerie is harsh, cruel, beautiful, and capricious. This ending is not. It’s vanilla-sweet. The series had such darkness throughout, that even this perfectly logical, well-supported resolution that comes at some cost just feels too easy. Everyone gets what they want, perhaps not how they thought they’d get it, The End. A disappointment after the masterful handling of the series arc as a whole, and the themes therein (Radiant Shadows excepted). Darkest Mercy started with suspense and kept it building all the way to an ending that left my mouth hanging open with shocked disappointment. I was prepared for it to hurt, then it didn’t.As a series, I’d say Wicked Lovely is an enjoyable read. I would recommend buying it as e-books, because for me at least it will not be a re-read. The plot is complex and meaty on the political side, shining brightest with the darkest characters. The romance is a little lightweight, a lot of teenagers committing to eternity. The characters are many and varied, most so fully realized that one could easily imagine what they’d do an a new situation. Where it all really shines, without fail, is in the worldbuilding. The types of fae, the history and interaction between the courts, the particularities of what each court needs in order to thrive…it’s all beautifully realized. There are also a lot of very natural non-traditional romantic relationships, and an undertone of feminism. The weakest points for me were often characters at the center of things (Aislinn, Seth, Ani), which is a sizable weakness, and a tendency to get a bit hipper-than-thou, which is less so. The series could just as easily have been a trilogy. Still, entertaining enough if it’s up your alley.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    These books have the most beautiful names, where does she get them?
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Not a bad ending.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The final book in the Wicked Lovely series, this book does a thorough job of wrapping up all of the sub-plots that were left hanging throughout the books. As with any decent book series, there were lots of what-ifs that I never got to see play out, but Marr's focus seemed to be on resolving the obstacles that blocked a number of romantic relationships within the series, such as Donia and Keenan's. Many of the main players made an appearance in the book, with quite a number of them exchanging point-of-view for the benefit of the reader. A few new characters were even introduced, such as the king of the water fey that Keenan sought out.
    With the build-up to Aislinn deciding between Keenan and Seth in the previous books, her final decision seemed sort of anti-climactic, though I still liked her decision. I also really liked what followed, though I get the feeling that this series was more about female power, than a balance of power between male and female.
    Reading about Niall's disconnection and madness was quite fascinating, though I believed for most of the book that it was for reasons other than what was revealed. I was quite thrilled when Leslie showed up, though her part seemed rather short and abrupt. Seth's part in the book also seemed stilted. For all his talk and potential, he is not allowed to do much due to poor circumstances, and I was really quite disappointed, as he has always been my favorite character in the series.
    The final battle in the faery war was gruesome, but short and filled with more talk than necessary. The two faeries whose specialty was death seemed to have much potential for creating obstacles, but in the end they just seemed to have rather simple lives - even to the point of ignorance.
    I actually would love for this series to continue, if only to focus more on the politics and power games, since this book seemed to be all about everyone's romantic happily ever after.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    It's a shame this is the last in the series. I loved all of them and wish Marr had done a few more.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I love and hated this book. It was well written, as always, and clever when it needed to be. I just sort of wish....we could get the other version of it.

    ******SPOILERS****

    What I mean by other version is more like the other parings to see how that would have ended up.

    I love seeing Ash so powerful, but I hated who she ended up with. Maybe it was just me, I don't really know, but I have always disliked the whole Donia/Keenan relationship. I get where Marr was going with it, the opposites attract way....but I just felt like Ash/Keenan had MUCH more chemistry.

    I loved what she did with the fighting and what not. Though some part of me still wishes Seth would have died.....

    Oh it's way to late at night to be writing a comprehensive review, but those are my simple thoughts on this book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I enjoyed this book. I don't want to give any story details away, so suffice it to say that as a conclusion to the Wicked Lovely series, I thought it was very satisfying.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Not bad. I don't think this would make any sense to people who haven't read the previous 4 books (too many characters introduced but not explained). There were some elements glossed over and some threads dropped and not picked up again, but inasmuch as this was a fun (if a bit dark) romp, I'd recommend it for the Twilight crowd. Stronger women in this one, which I appreciated, and a little less angst.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Finally an end to this series. This was a good book that wrapped everything up nicely. I kind of felt like it was a long time coming.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    This was my least favorite of all the wicked lovely books. I especially hated the ending. There was so much else she could have done with the ending of the series but this book was drawn-out and boring and half of it was pointless. Needless to say, I was extremely disappointed.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    DARKEST MERCY, by Melissa Marr, is the final book in the Wicked Lovely series. The previous books lead up to a action-filled, suspenseful, and romantic ending to the series. No character was safe in this book. The faeries that I got to know and love throughout the series were tested to their limits against the prospect of a fight against War. I liked the multiple POV structure of this book. Marr weaved her characters in and out of each other's lives to create an amazing web of intrigue and suspense. The pressure of the Courts to be strong overwhelmed the reagents, and I was curious to see how far they would all go to protect their fey. The love quadrangle between Ash, Keenan, Seth, and Donia supplied some heavy sexual tension. Marr definitely tortured her characters through their decisions, and in turn I, as the reader, was tortured! Some incredible events transpired just between these characters but it was astonishing and such a perfect path laid for these characters which I never saw coming.My only disappointment was the ending of this series. I will always pick up a book that Marr writes and these books will stay in my library for a long time. It is sad to see the end but I am very pleased with the result. A cover note: How GORGEOUS is the cover? The Wicked Lovely Series has always been know for its great covers but I think this one blows them all away. That flower and the colors make this book one to pick up even if you have not read the series. Major props to the art department on this one.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The journey is finally over for those of the Wicked Lovely series and Melissa Marr sure did let us go with a bang. Phew. I have to admit my reluctance to even read this final installment of the spectacular series. I couldn't come up with how Melissa would do it, tie it all up and keep me happy. I can be a bit hard to please when I form certain attachments to characters, especially when these characters are conflicting and I know there are losses to be made. Being the end of the series meant Melissa had one chance to do it and one chance to leave me feeling at least content with the final product. Well, she did it. Brilliantly.Darkest Mercy kept pace with the other books in the series offering short moments of clarity and answers in between lots of action filled subplots. This had to be the most complex of all of the action I have previously seen. Yes, seen. I didn't just read Darkest Mercy, I saw it, like every book before it. All of the characters of Darkest Mercy were as they were in the previous novels. Aislinn, Donia, Keenan, Niall, Irial, Seth and Sorcha, all still flawed, multidimensional and not without struggle. It is the previous struggles and the sometimes selfish acts of these characters that got them to where they needed to be. Aislinn's growth. Keenan's ability to earn Aislinn and Donia's respect. Seth's strength to stand against those who could have killed him and be the Faerie he was meant to be. Donia's attempt to push personal feelings aside to see where the greater good of her court and others lay. It was all there, for our taking and it lay the foundation for this final incredible installment.Melissa Marr didn't only give us one more enchanting novel she gave us closure to a very meticulously woven story. Darkest Mercy in the end wasn't just fighting the battle of one or two courts. Darkest Mercy was a war of courts, emotions, and power of all of the courts and all of the main characters. Darkest Mercy can and does stand on it's own but I recommend you take a look at the previous books in the series if you haven't done so already. This is a tale that Melissa doesn't cheat us on and you shouldn't cheat yourself of it either.Cover: 5 Characters: 5 Plot: 5 Re-readable: Yes!Overall: 5+ On The Cover: All of the covers of the Wicked Lovely series are equally as pretty but this final cover is quite stunning. The girl, what we can see of what the girl is wearing, the flower in the palm of her hands. I love it!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I think I would have enjoyed this more if I'd read all the other books more recently - I know I lost some of the emotional impact through distance from the characters. This was a satisfying conclusion, if anything, things were ties up a little too neatly. Each character from the previous books was accounted for, except those locked in Faerie.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    There was a point during my reading of Darkest Mercy when I thought that Marr was going to take the 'final' part of this series a bit too seriously. Luckily, she shies away from going quite that far (which I suppose some might see as a cop out, but I definitely didn't). Instead, we get some fascinating insight into what's probably the best book in the Wicked Lovely series. Our main fairy characters finally come into their own, as does Seth. They become more well rounded than previously, probably because we get to see all three courts acting together and there's both conflict and resolution. I enjoyed this series, because the books were fun, and it was really rewarding to have Darkest Mercy be the final book in the series. Marr ends the series on a stressful, but high, note.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I really enjoyed this last book in Marr's series. Satisfying conclusions and happy endings were had by all, with an added bonus that Marr isn't afraid to change the rules in Fairy, and that good people can die. Keenan, the Summer King, actually got to prove that he isn't as self-absorbed and flighty as he has been in the entire series, and we got to see the dark and crazy side of Niall. All in all, a very good read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was a spectacular ending to a series that I absolutely enjoyed. The characters are still great and full of emotion and passion and even with so many appearing in one story I was enthralled.The conclusion of the Wicked Lovely series focuses on all of the faery courts and their efforts to "bulk up" so to speak before having to take on War. Each court and their regent has a very distinct personality and together they are wonderful. The conclusion has so many twists and emotional turns that it kept me guessing and unprepared for everything that happened next. Great Conclusion.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Summary: War is coming to the Faerie courts, and the Death Fae already walk the streets of Huntsdale. The regents and their courts are in turmoil; Bannanach has alread killed some of her bretheren and mortally wounded others. The former Dark King lies on the edge of death, sending Niall into a spiral of grief and madness. Sorcha has sealed the walls of Faerie, isolating the High Court and creating imbalance in the real world. Summer King Keenan is still torn Donia between the fairy he loves but cannot have, and Aislinn, his Queen, who is herself torn between her duty to her court and Seth, the mortal-turned-fae that she loves. No one is best pleased, but they must learn to work together if they are to have any hope of defeating Bannanach and restoring a sense of order to the faerie world.Review: In Darkest Mercy, Melissa Marr does the impossible: she manages to resolve all of the main plot points from the previous four books, in particular the love triangle (well, square) that seemed impossible to untangle, and she managed to do so in a way that was both surprising and satisfying. The various characters' choices were frequently unexpected yet organic to the story, and that led to a lot of very interesting moments. Marr writes grim and dark very well, but she's good about always infusing just a little bit of hope into the darkness... and conversely, of making sure even happy moments have a tinge of pain to them. I suppose that's fitting for an author whose worldbuilding is concerned primarily with balance among the various faerie forces, and it makes the Wicked Lovely books a bit more complex than the fluffy teen paranormal romance that they appear to be at first glance.Unfortunately, I wasn't ever as involved with the story as I wanted to be. Perhaps it's because over the previous four books I got just a skotch tired of everybody (*ahem*Keenan) bitching about how unfair their situation was, without doing anything constructive to fix things, so when the finally started taking action in Darkest Mercy, it was too late. Or maybe it's because Marr was busily tying up everyone's threads, which meant that there was a lot of bouncing back and forth between various POVs, with no real focal character. In any case, while I certainly appreciated the ending from the perspective of the series-long story arc, it just wasn't as emotionally resonant for me as I could have wished.I was also not crazy about the narrator. I realize that Mr. Landrum has also been the narrator for the previous three books, but I read those rather than listened to them, so I hadn't grown accustomed to him as the voice of Marr's faeries. He was fine for the boys' parts, but his voices for the girls tended to get a little lispy, which made it hard to take them seriously. In a book with this many POVs, it would have made sense to get a second (female) narrator; Alyssa Bresnahan did an excellent job with Wicked Lovely, and I found myself missing her contribution.Overall, I liked but didn't love this book, and thought it was a satisfying conclusion to a very enjoyable series, if not a particular stand-out on its own. 3.5 out of 5 stars.Recommendation: This book will make absolutely no sense if you haven't read the previous books... and if you have read the previous books, you'll already want to read this one, too. I'd recommend the series as a whole to people who like paranormal teen romance but also like their heroines to have a brain and a spine, and those who prefer their fairies to exude power and menace rather than glittery fairy dust.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Loved this whole series and it goes out on a definite bang. Just what I wanted - a "fairy tale" ending. My only regret is that there are no more stories with Aislinn and the rest of the gang. Maybe someday Melissa. Conan-Doyle killed off Sherlock Holmes once upon a time...
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    When I got this book in the mail, I will totally admit to squealing! I am beyond in love with this series so I could not wait to read the final book. I was a little sad since I knew once I was finished I would not get to go in this world again, but I knew the book would be amazing so I curled up in my favorite chair and began reading.I think I am going to have a hard time putting everything I feel about this book into words because it was just that good. Melissa’s books are so beautifully written I get lost in the language and the way all of them seem to flow so easily.On the brink of war, every fae in Huntsdale has something they are fighting for and I don’t think there is anyone who comes out completely unscathed in some way. Which made the story realistic, no one gets through a war of this magnitude without repercussions. Melissa has done such an amazing job of bringing life to so many characters, you cannot help but grow found of them! The downside: it sucks when they get hurt and since they are in a war, they do get hurt.The format of this book shifts point of views quite a bit, which I thought was really interesting. As a reader, you get to experience life through the eyes of some familiar characters and some not so familiar characters. I know it sounds like it might be confusing, but it really isn’t. You get a well rounded reading experience this way and it makes the story richer. The reader gets to view the climax of this series from so many angles that you feel as though you are there experiencing it as well.The craziest thing to me was the ending, which of course I will not share, but when you read it I think you will get what I mean. Melissa is brilliant! As soon as I read the final pages I was immediately taken back to my first thoughts on Wicked Lovely. The way Melissa has weaved all these story lines together is flawless and it is amazing to watch all the pieces just fall into place and fit.If you are a fan of this series like I am, I think you will love this last installment as much as I have. It exceeded my expectations and after I read it I literally hugged the book because I was so sad to see it end. Melissa did a fantastic job of bringing this series to a close. I know I will be re-reading this series again to pick up on hints I think I missed the first time through and that is when I know I truly loved a book. So thank you Melissa for a beautiful and enchanting series. I am sad to see it end, but was thrilled to be along for the ride.Language Love:“He leaned back for a moment to tug her shirt down her arms, with the same wicked, lovely smile that had first stolen her breath years ago.”No, I am not going to tell you who the characters involved in this scene are, but I will explain why I like this quote. I have noticed that the titles of Melissa’s books seem to work their way into the text and when they do it is always in a clever way. This is a feature I have enjoyed throughout this series, so I thought I would spotlight one. Plus I just think this one is really sweet!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    In short: The final book in the Wicked Lovely series, Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr, is a satisfying finale and the most action-packed and intense book yet. Keenan becomes more tolerable.Darkest Mercy was a truly satisfying finale to an involved series. It had tons of interesting plot developments and twists that made reading very quick and easy. It was definitely the most action-packed and fast paced of the series yet which was refreshing because one of my main complaints from the previous books in the series was that there was a lot of talk about the end of the world but very little action to back it up. The main drama of the previous reads was focused on the relationships. In Darkest Mercy, we get both relationship drama and action to create a truly intense read.In Darkest Mercy, the reader gets to read from the point of view of a record total of eight different characters, including three that we hadn't heard from before in the previous books. This brings the total number of unique character point of views to fourteen! Quite a feat, especially because I never got confused or had difficulty distinguishing between so many different voices. If you're interested, here is the breakdown of the characters featured in each of the books (may be spoilery so highlight to read):Wicked Lovely: Aislinn, Keenan, DoniaInk Exchange: Leslie, Niall, IrialFragile Eternity: Aislinn, Seth, Donia, SorchaRadiant Shadows: Ani, Devlin, RaeDarkest Mercy: Aislinn, Seth, Keenan, Donia, Niall, Far Dorcha, Gabriel, ChelaI'm still left with quite a few questions about faery mythology after Darkest Mercy. I'm the kind of person who likes tons of details and world building in everything I read so I was a bit disappointed that I still had a lot unanswered at the end. If you're not one of these people who is so obsessively involved in knowing every little detail about the mythology in a book then this probably won't bother you.The characters in the Wicked Lovely series were ones that I had a hard time relating to. I almost feel like they were too "cool" for me with their multiple piercings, tattoos, motorbikes, and cigarettes. I'm just a simple nerd, a square really. And yet, I found that I really came to care for and love (almost) all of them. I'm probably going to miss Seth and his quirked eyebrow the most. He's a very easy character to love. And I don't think I mentioned this earlier but he lives in a train house! I mean, how cool is that?! I wish I lived in a train house.And of course, I wouldn't be able to write a review for a book in this series without mentioning Keenan. In previous reviews, I've made sure everyone knew my loathing for him, calling him a plethora of things, including fake, manipulative, selfish, a prick, and a dick. He is able to redeem himself in Darkest Mercy which leads me to sympathize with his character a bit more than in the previous books but I have to say, I still dislike him on a whole. When faced with the decision between his court or his true love, there is only one clear choice that he could've made to make me like him and he took way too long to settle on it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    First off, if you haven't read the first books in this series, do not start with this one. Trust me on this. Melissa Marr is an expert at building tension, at weaving hints and teasers into her stories, and at creating such a detailed world, you don't want to skip a second of it. And if you start with the last book in the series, you'll know too much and miss out on the delicious anticipation and wonderment that comes when you get to know a world and those who occupy it.This story picks up right where RADIANT SHADOWS left off. War is on the rampage, Death walks the streets, Summer and Dark Courts are weakened, and Faerie is sealed to those who wish to enter--or leave. Bananach, fully enjoying her role as War, is more powerful than she has ever been, and the Courts are far too weak to defeat her on their own. It seems hopeless.Throughout this series, we've been introduced to each Court and the major players in the world of the Fae. In DARKEST MERCY, all those players are in one place, manipulating each other, forming alliances, and fighting for the survival of their respective Courts and the fate of all the Fae. As I read, I envisioned Melissa Marr weaving her coiled skeins of threads together into a multi-layered story rich with details and color.Tangled, twisted, and definitely bittersweet, DARKEST MERCY delivers as the final WICKED LOVELY book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The premise: ganked from the BN.com: 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.My RatingWorth Reading, with Reservations: The book, let alone the series, ends on a high note. I really like how Marr brings her characters together and shows how they're able to work together. I also like the sacrifices that some characters make in order to get what they really want. Marr surprised me with these sacrifices, and she also turns the whole damsel-in-distress on its head a little, which is fun. I still feel this book doesn't have quite the same punch as the start of the series, but it's worth reading for longtime fans for the closure, especially to see how things work out for Aislinn, Keenan, Seth, Donia, Leslie, Niall, and Irial. There are some memorable moments in this book, far more memorable than any in books three and four, so if you're a fan of the series, I think you'll be satisfied with this ending. Review style: what I liked and what I didn't, with a third section called "General Musings" that has be pondering the behind-the-scenes stuff of writing the series. Please note that this review SPOILS THE ENTIRE SERIES, so if you aren't caught up, save yourself and wait until you are. Then read the full review, which is at my LJ. As always, comments and discussion are most welcome. :)REVIEW: Melissa Marr's DARKEST MERCYHappy Reading!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I have made no secret that the Wicked Lovely Series has been my favorite of all time. Wicked Lovely is my number one favorite book. It was the first novel I had ever read where the faeires were dark and mean and twisted and I loved it! No other book I've read has come close to capturing their world the way she has created it. That being said, there were some books in the series I liked better than others. Wicked Lovely was my favorite, but it might be replaced by Darkest Mercy. This was a beautiful story that wove all the threads left behind from all the other books and tied the knot. Old characters came back, some new characters were added and the old battle with War final came to a showdown. The twists and turns while you saw them coming had twists and turns you could never see coming because you didn't know they could happen. But this is a faery tale and all things are possible. Even Keenan returning. (Grrr)! But he is a little more likable in this story. Seth is there in a predicament of his own. And Aislinn trying to keep things together.The final showdown is so chaotic that I had to keep rereading to make sure I knew what was going on. Who was where and what had happened if anything to my beloved characters. The aftermath is bittersweet and surprising. This is where the stranger especially comes in to play. And that's it. It's all I'm going to say because I'm not going to ruin the story for anyone. It's amazing and very complete and must have been very difficult for Melissa to write. But she did such a great job and I am so happy that I didn't have to wait for my preordered copy to come. I will reread it because I got it yesterday and read it in one night. No way was I going to bed without knowing the ending. And the final pages were a huge surprise and so befitting who they were about I almost laughed except they were done out of love. I will say there is a lot more romance in this final book, but there would have to be because of the conflicts between Seth, Ash, Keenan and Donia. But it's not detailed, just very fitting.I am such a huge fan of Melissa Marr's work. I know Graveminder comes out in June and I believe she has another trilogy she's writing totally unrelated to this series. I'd love to have her creativity and imagination. But, instead, I will settle for reading the worlds and characters she creates and the stories she weaves so magically. If you like faeries and haven't read this series, what are you waiting for? I think it sets the standard by which I measure all other stories about faeries. Oh, and the cover is much better when you see it in person!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Title: Darkest MercyAuthor: Melissa MarrPublisher: HarperCollinsPublishersFormat: ARCLength: 327pgsRating: 5/5The time has arrived (or almost at least) for the Wicked Lovely series finale. I got extremely lucky a few weeks ago. As you know I went to the Smart Chicks Kick It tour, and got to meet a bunch of authors, one of those authors was the fantastic Melissa Marr, author of the Wicked Lovely series, as well as an upcoming novel Graveminder.At each stop of the Smart Chicks tour she gave away a copy of the last book in the Wicked Lovely series, Darkest Mercy, and I was one of the lucky ones to win a copy!So, because I promised that I wouldn’t write anything with a summary or say anything spoilery, (which, I would never want to do anyway, it would ruin it for all the other readers out there, and that’s just not cool) this will be short and sweet.Darkest Mercy picks up were Radiant Shadows left off (to read my review on Radiant Shadows click here), and the plot just takes off from there. This novel is probably one of the absolute best series finales I’ve ever read. Once this novel is released I’ll have to write a “Part 2” review so that I can talk about specifics, but just know that Darkest Mercy does not disappoint. As a reader from the very beginning, I was extremely satisfied with the ending. It felt very complete, and when it comes to a series finale, you can’t ask for anything more.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Ah! Sweet DARKEST MERCY. It was a bittersweet moment when I selected this book to read knowing that it would be the last in the WICKED LOVELY series. How does one say goodbye to a series that is so amazingly compelling? One that hosts the darkness that we cannot shy away from while revealing the promise of hope? I only know that once I began this concluding novel that I could not stop until the last word was consumed. As the DARKEST MERCY continues we find old enemies, lovers and friends together again. Bananach has gained unfathomable strength and her agenda is WAR and she will stop at nothing until she gets it. Meanwhile the ruling monarchs are preparing for the inevitable battle as they try to strengthen their courts, protect their fae and face their own personal demons.While reading the DARKEST MERCY I understood why this series is so dear to me. Simply put, I adore all if it's characters and the brilliant world that is their stage. I can never get enough of Niall and Irial (love them) and even the wicked Bananach for she is the ultimate bad ass. And Aislinn's final transformation from fragile human to a true faery monarch was captivating. While the introduction of the death faery's lent to the eerie wickedness that is hallmark to this series. The combination of all these fascinating characters and all their lives converging as the ultimate battle for blood and love is fought is one of the best stories I have read in a while. I could not be happier for how everything turned out but i will not go into details for I think everyone should experience this story on their own.In the final installment to the Wicked Lovely series Melissa Marr has created a spell binding story that is beautiful and brutal, laced with heartache, despair and deception. But above all, she has written an unforgettable tale of love. Thank you, Melissa for all the times your books have entertained and enthralled me. I am fan forever and cannot wait for whatever adventure you take me on next time.