Author: Melissa Marr
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy
Pub Date: April 2010, HarperTeen
Hardcover, 340 pages
Book Source: Purchased from Amazon.com
Synopsis
Hunger for nourishment.
Hunger for touch.
Hunger to belong.
Half-human and half-faery, Ani is driven by her hungers.
Those same appetites also attract powerful enemies and uncertain allies, including Devlin. He was created as an assassin and is brother to the faeries' coolly logical High Queen and to her chaotic twin, the embodiment of War. Devlin wants to keep Ani safe from his sisters, knowing that if he fails, he will be the instrument of Ani's death.
Ani isn't one to be guarded while others fight battles for her, though. She has the courage to protect herself and the ability to alter Devlin's plans - and his life. The two are drawn together, each with reason to fear the other and to fear for one another. But as they grow closer, a larger threat imperils the whole of Faerie. Will saving the faery realm mean losing each other?
My Thoughts
Interestingly enough, this was the first book in Marr's Wicked Lovely series that didn't initially grab me and hold me the entire way through the book. I'm not sure why that is, except that Radiant Shadows started off a little slow for me.
Not to worry, though this book may not be a gripping adventure from start to finish, Radiant Shadows still left me satisfied and anxiously awaiting Darkest Mercy. And let me be fair, the story definitely picks up the pace for the second half... With each of these books, I find myself liking the main characters and thinking that they must be my favorite of the series, yet. Devlin and Ani are no exception, except that I really do think they may be my favorite "couple." The chemistry between the two of them is beautifully written and a strong desire to watch their romance unfold kept me turning pages as the book came to its climax and conclusion. Ani is an awesome heroine, no doubt about it. Her character really jumped off the pages and came to life.
We also gain a greater understanding of Marr's faery world by the time Radiant Shadows concludes. In truth, I think this series would benefit from a re-reading with each new book, and before the last book is released I intend to do just that. No, the main characters are never the same, but their stories (or threads) are all interwoven and I can't wait to see how Marr ties them together in the last book. There are a lot of little, yet important and sometimes complex, details from the first books that I want to have clear in my mind when I read Darkest Mercy. While I couldn't quite bring myself to give Radiant Shadows a 5-star rating (due to my initial trouble really getting into the story), it is still an amazing piece of the truly incredible faery world that Marr has created.
My Rating:
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