Radiant Shadows, by Melissa Marr
Radiant Shadows, by Melissa Marr
Book 4 in the Wicked Lovely series
Reviewed by Saluki
Radiant Shadows follows Fragile Eternity in the Wicked Lovely series. I think it is my favorite book in the series so far. It is the story of Devlin, keeper of order in Faerie and Ani, halfling daughter of Gabriel, Leader of the Hound. I think I like this book best because it focuses more on the Dark Court. Ani, although not a part of the Dark Court, has been under its protection since her mother was killed as a small child. Ani is now beginning to change, but she needs both the emotions of the Dark Court and skin touch like the Hounds for nourishment, making her a danger to mortals and faerie alike.
Devlin has come to the mortal world to watch over Seth and encounters Ani – the girl he was supposed to kill when she was only a small child. He has spent the years since wondering whether he did the right thing by saving her. After all, Sorcha is all knowing, so she must have had a very good reason for ordering her death. When Ani and Devlin meet, sparks fly, and Devlin has to deal with his growing feelings for the one person who is living proof of his betrayal of the High Queen. When Devlin realizes he is falling in love with Ani, he begins to question his place in the High Court. His struggle to balance his growing feelings towards Ani with his duty to his court is heartbreaking to watch.
Meanwhile, the High Queen is so distraught by the absence of Seth that she puts herself in a dreamlike state, which is causing Faery to literally fall apart. Bananach wastes no time in using Sorcha’s instability to wreak havoc and create chaos in faery and the moral realm.
There isn’t much plot progression with Ash and Keenan in this book, which was a welcome respite for me. I needed a break from their non-relationship relationship. Seth continues to play a big part in the series, especially now that he is a faery and beloved by the High Queen. It feels like Seth was meant to be a faery and I think his unique position as a friend to all four courts will be both a blessing and a curse as the series winds to a finale.
Once again, I have high praise for Melissa Marr’s writing. I love the way she paints a scene, the way in which she allows us to experience her characters through their emotions and longing. Speaking of longing – I love the relationship between Irial and Niall. You can cut the sexual tension between those characters with a knife. There is something about the former King of Nightmares being in love with the current King of Nightmares that just pulls me in. I cannot wait to see where Marr takes their relationship in the final book of the series.
The final book in the series, Darkest Mercy, has been released. I am completely enamored with the world and characters Melissa Marr has created, and I hope we see more of them someday. I have finished book five, so stay tuned for my review.
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