Fragile Eternity, by Melissa Marr
Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr
Book 3 in the Wicked Lovely series
Reviewed by Saluki
Fragile Eternity follows Ink Exchange in the Wicked Lovely series. If you have not started this series – please, go out and buy the books now – all of them. This series is set in the world of the fey, and Melissa Marr does an amazing job of weaving together the fey and human worlds in a way that immediately captures your imagination. I promise that you will get sucked in and fall in love with her world. There is angst, drama, intrigue, and of course, a love triangle.
A few months have passed since the events of Ink Exchange. In that time, the Summer Court has experienced a rebirth since Aislinn became the Summer Queen. Niall has taken the throne as the new Dark King, and Donia is ruling the Winter Court. The Earth is enjoying a welcomed respite after years of suffering from the unrelenting winter, and mortals and Summer fey alike are thriving. However, despite the celebratory mood, not all is well.
Aislinn is desperatly trying to find seeks to find a balance between her once mortal life and her new life as a fairy queen. She finds herself increasingly worried about losing the humans she loves and facing an eternity without them. And, to make matters worse, as summer approaches she is growing closer to Keenan. She loves Seth, but it is difficult to keep her growing attraction to Keenan at bay. She knows it is only the onset of summer that causes her to have these feelings, and that giving into them would strengthen her court, but she manages to stay firm in her resolve to stay faithful to Seth. As much as I want to strangle Ash at times, she really is facing problems that no sixteen year old should have to face. I think she will turn out to be a strong Queen – it will just time time and experience for her to get there.
Seth, faced with the possibility of losing Ash, is also forging his own path in the faery world. He is human, yet has the love of the Summer Queen, the trust of the Dark King, and the friendship of the Winter Queen. Because Donia gifted him with Sight, Seth can more easily fit in – but he is still weak – and still mortal. Despite all of his advantages, he is still a human navigating in a very dangerous world. Because he is a friend of three courts, Seth helps smooth over slights and steer the courts toward cooperation – something no mortal has ever done. Seth is easily one of my favorites of the series. He is fiercely loyal, equally matched with a strong determination to protect the people he loves. His vulnerability where Ash is concerned is heartbreaking. So many things are against their relationship, yet he is determined to fight the odds and stay with his true love.
Ash is also struggling with the reality of Seth’s mortality and dealing with the guilt of her court’s weakness. Because she has chosen not to be with Keenan as his true Queen, their court is not as strong as it should be. I have to give her credit for staying true to Seth, but at times I felt like she was needlessly hurtful towards Keenan. His whole life has been dedicated to finding Ash, and now that he has, his court is still weak and he is still alone. Don’t get me wrong, Keenan can be an ass and he’s made some awful decisions, but I see the good in him and want him to get his happy ending. In my heart, I think he belongs with Donia, but after what happened between his father, a Summer Queen, and his mother, a Winter Queen, I don’t know that either of the rules will ever be able to have what they want with the other. Part of Keenan’s heart will always belong to Ash, and Donia deserves more than that. She sacrificed her life for Keenan and loves him with all her heart; she deserves more than half of his.
At it’s core, this is Seth’s story. As the book progresses and he realizes that someday he will lose Ash to Keenan, he decides that the only way to remedy his situation is to become a faery. The problem is that neither Keenan, Nial, or Donia will grant him his request. So, Seth takes the only option left open to him and goes to Sorcha, the Queen of the High Court. In Sorcha he finds the answer to his prayers, and a mother figure. Sorcha finds the son she has always wanted and human emotions she has never felt before. When Seth returns from faery, he has no idea of the unbalance he has created in the courts – or the hurt he has caused Ash by his absence.
Fragile Eternity is lush and dark, takingthe reader on a roller coaster of emotions with every chapter. Everything about this book captivated me from beginning to end. Marr’s characters are richly drawn and deeply flawed, but their inner problems and conflicts are what make them so interesting to me. The characters constantly walk a fine line between good and evil, which provides an undercurrent of tension to every decision they make. None of the characters are completely good or completely evil (well, except Bannach), which makes for great reading.
This is definitely one YA series that should be on your to read list. Watch out for my review of the next book in the series, Radiant Shadows.
Fragile Eternity begins where Ink Exchange ends. The young Aislinn has taken on her new role as the Summer Queen and has accepted her transformation as a faery queen.
I think that is one of the things I loved most about the series as well. My favorite characters are all in the dark court. They just seem so much more interesting and their flaws don’t seem nearly as annoying *lol* Glad you enjoyed the review! I’m reviewing all the books in the series, so keep checking back for more.
Oh yes, the Dark Court…love me some Irial, mmm…
Love these books. Love the slight…okay, more than slight in some cases…malevolence of this series. Lots of flaws, both human and fey. Enjoyed your review!