Most Helpful Customer Reviews
61 of 65 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Succesful Hook, April 14, 2010
This book is a quick, easy, enjoyable read. In the "Twilightesque" fashion, it is about a high school girl, with an uncommon ability (in this case to see the invisible world of faeries) and someone of the supernatural realm finds her desirable. I am a voracious reader, which means I read alot of books that I don't always care for and across all genres. This book kept me interested from beginning to end. Could the author have developed the characters more, better transitions? Sure, but it was still a good, light, entertaining read...AND, here is the important part, it was free for my kindle--the hook worked, I would (will) purchase the other books in this series and would actually search out more by the author--which means that it was a success. As for the bonus materials--it didn't make a difference to me, but I am one of those people who doesn't watch the deleted scenes on DVDs, so it wasn't really a BONUS for me. If you like the fantasy genre, and need something to keep you interested for a long trip or weekend at the beach--this is a good choice!
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99 of 112 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Courtesy of Teens Read Too, June 12, 2007
This review is from: Wicked Lovely (Hardcover)
Aislinn has always followed the rules. Her Grandmother has drilled them into her since she was a young child. Don't stare at invisible faeries. Don't speak to invisible faeries. Don't ever attract the faeries' attention. Aislinn has developed the skill to ignore them. She walks past them without flinching, even when the faeries are pinching or touching others around her like they love to do.
Faeries come in many shapes and sizes and Aislinn has seen them all. She's seen them in the glamours they wear in order to pass as humans and can pick one out of a crowd even when they are trying to blend in. Aislinn has never been surprised by what she has seen them do - that is, until they start breaking the rules.
Faeries don't like steel. It causes them pain and weakens them. Because of that, Aislinn's "safe" place has always been Seth's house. Seth is a long-time friend who happens to live in a converted steel train car. Aislinn always knew that if she could make it there she'd have peace, because the faeries could never follow her into the train yard. But, something has changed. They are creeping closer and closer and paying more attention to her. They are even gathering outside Seth's place.
Aislinn really begins to worry when two faeries, Keenan and Donia, approach her and speak directly to her. She gets away from them as quickly as possible, now hyper-aware of the growing number of faeries surrounding and following her. She hears them say things like, "Do you think she's the one?" Aislinn realizes that in order to figure out what they want from her she is going to have to break the rules she's grown up with all of her life.
Keenan is the Summer King. His mother, the Winter Queen, has limited his powers and is slowly taking over the elements. Days are colder and eventually everything will be covered in ice, unless Keenan finds the girl who is meant to be his Summer Queen. Together they would have the power to overcome the Winter Queen's chill. Keenan thinks Aislinn is the one and she is in danger because of it. The Winter Queen will do everything she can to prevent her son from getting the power he needs to overthrow her. Another problem, of course, is that Aislinn doesn't want to be Summer Queen. She has avoided faeries all of her life and she sure doesn't want to become one now. Especially when her feelings for Seth have developed into more than friendship - and becoming the Summer Queen would mean spending an eternity with Keenan.
Melissa Marr has written a wonderfully inventive story that incorporates actual quotes from books written on the subject of faeries dating back to the 1800's. Her ability to keep a complicated story with several important characters clear to the reader is phenomenal. The relationship she creates between Aislinn and Seth is heartwarming, leading the reader to fall in love right along with them. If you aren't usually a fan of faerie stories, you might want to give this one a try. The blending of the realistic world and the world of the fey is masterfully done. You'll almost believe faeries are all around you.
Reviewed by: Karin Perry
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30 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Vivid world of faery, August 6, 2007
This review is from: Wicked Lovely (Hardcover)
Aislinn is used to following three rules: don't stare at invisible faeries, don't speak to invisible faeries, and don't ever attract their attention. But suddenly none of the rules that have kept Aislinn safe are working anymore. Everything now is on the line: her freedom; her best friend Seth; her life; everything.
Keenan, the Summer King, has sought his queen for nine centuries. Without her summer will perish. He is determined that Aislinn will become his Summer Queen at any cost--regardless of her plans or desires.
Similar to Holly Black's TITHE and VALIANT, this urban fantasy follows Aislinn as she fights against a persistent Keenan and the idea of turning into the very thing she'd fought against for so long.
Melissa Marr has done a great job of weaving into her tale the world of faery. One of my favorite scenes is the faery-run carnival that only Aislinn can see. I doubt I'll ever look at a carnival in the same way again without wondering if a faery lurks close by! The author has painted a very vivid world of 1800's style faeries colliding with our modern world.
The problem I had with this story is I couldn't connect with the main character. I wanted to see why Keenan had such an attraction to Aislinn and not someone else. Aislinn's tough girl character was believable but she just seemed to be going through the motions without any real emotion to what was happening around her. Seth, her best friend, also was hard to connect with. There is some chemistry later on between the two but the real tension and conflict is between both Keenan and Donia.
The strength of this novel comes from Donia, one mortal who pays a terrible price for her love of Keenan. I loved this character and felt her pain and anguish as she watched the one she loved go after another. I found myself turning the pages, following both Donia and Keenan. I almost felt this was their story and not Aislinn's.
WICKED LOVELY is for those that like urban fantasies and want an escape into the land of faery.
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