Wicked Lovely: Desert Tales, Volume 1: Sanctuary [Paperback]

Melissa Marr (Author), Xian Nu Studio (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Wicked Lovely: Desert Tales | Publication Date: April 21, 2009

Discover Melissa Marr's mesmerizing world of Faerie . . .

The desert is far away from the schemes of the Faerie Courts—and that's how Rika likes it. Once a mortal and now a faery, Rika seeks isolation and revels in her ability to appear invisible to humans. Then, she meets him. Artistic and kind, Jayce is the last person Rika wants to hide from.

But change is coming, challenging Rika's freedom and her new romance, as her past pursues her, even into the heart of the desert. . . .

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7–9—This first volume in a manga trilogy features characters from the novel Wicked Lovely (HarperTeen, 2007). Rika now maintains a solitary existence in a Mojave Desert cave. She spends her days painting the landscape, invisible to mortal Jayce. Then, she becomes visible to him when she moves beneath his body to break his fall. Mutual attraction fuels this flirtatious dance between faery and mortal. Complicating the plot are appearances by Summer King Keenan, Winter Girl Donia, and interested friends, both human and fey. In the style of manwha, the book reads left to right. Black-and-white illustrations depict the angular bodies, realistic faces, extraordinarily attractive boys, and slim girls not found in traditional manga. While it is possible to read this title without prior knowledge of Marr's faerie world, it is considerably easier for fans of this series to understand its characters, action, and flashbacks.—Barbara M. Moon, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY
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Review

PRAISE FOR WICKED LOVELY: “A fully imagined faery world which even non-fantasy (or faerie) lovers will want to delve into.” (Publishers Weekly (starred review) )

PRAISE FOR INK EXCHANGE: “Another highly addictive read…Compulsive enough to give the Twilight series a run for its money, and dizzyingly more sinister.” (Publishers Weekly (starred review) )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 13 and up
  
• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (April 21, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061493546
• ISBN-13: 978-0061493546
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,241,668 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Hmm, I'm never good at the bio bit. I used to teach college & bartend, now I write novels. I love to meet new people, to hear their stories, to walk through new streets and see new vistas. I enjoy art in all its guises--graffiti, surrealist paintings, classic sculptures, tattoos, interesting buildings, Renoir, photography . . . Art & nature, they feed my soul & thus my muse.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Did not live up to the hype, July 14, 2009

By 

Danielle Arostegui (Miami, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wicked Lovely: Desert Tales, Volume 1: Sanctuary (Paperback)

I'm a big fan of Melissa Marr's and I really loved her first two books set in the Wicked Lovely world. I followed the development of the manga and all the hype surrounding it on Marr's blog with anticipation and excitement. However, I found Desert Tales: Sanctuary, which is the first of her stories to be made into a manga and also supposedly able to be read as a stand-alone, to be unusually full of fluff and weirdly confusing. The panels didn't always seem to match up seamlessly with the story-telling, and there wasn't quite enough story to make sense of what did happen in this short little book. Nor did I leave the book feeling as though there was anything obvious that needed to occur after the book ended. I think it could have been a lot better if a little more time had been spent matching the illustrations with the plot to make the story flow better and if Marr had given more pages to let the plot develop more. As it was it only felt half-baked.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Positively Gorgeous, May 17, 2009

By 

Shannon Johnson - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Wicked Lovely: Desert Tales, Volume 1: Sanctuary (Paperback)

Wow. What a work of art! The pens of stunning artists and a brilliant author combine to create Sanctuary - the tale of Rika, a past Winter Girl. (Rika is mentioned briefly in Marr's YA novel, "Wicked Lovely".) The story is beautifully crafted and keeps you wanting more, more, more!

This was my very first Manga, and I wasn't sure what to expect. I was quite surprised to find it easy to read, easy to understand, and easy to enjoy. If you've never experienced a Manga story, I highly recommend you check this one out, it's a keeper!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Better than Fragile Eternity, May 19, 2009

By 

Caitlin Zielinsky "Caiti Z" (Utah) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Wicked Lovely: Desert Tales, Volume 1: Sanctuary (Paperback)

I bought this item along with Fragile Eternity. I read the book first and was left wanting more. But when I read this I loved the character and the idea about having stories about the other girls Keenan had picked. Melissa's characters outside Ash and Keenan are so much more interesting and fun to read about. I can't wait for the next installment!