Radiant Shadows

Written by Melissa Marr

Narrated by Nick Landrum

Alluring romance, heart-stopping danger, and sinister intrigue combine in the penultimate volume of Melissa Marr's #1 New York Times bestselling Wicked Lovely series.

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?

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: May 18, 2010
• ISBN: 9780061983993

Melissa Marr

Melissa Marr was voted in high school the “most likely to end up in jail”. Instead, she went to graduate school, worked in a bar, became a teacher and did a lot of writing. Her novels Wicked Lovely, Ink Exchange and Fragile Eternity are published by HarperCollins.

Reviews for Radiant Shadows

[jalenv_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is mainly Ani and Devlin's book, addressing some problems from earlier books. The summer and winter courts are pretty much absent, but if you like the dark court and the high court, revel in their presence. I really like Barry.

[cindywho-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Another decent weird faerie story with a cranky 1/2 fae hound of the dark court, a ghost and some very old faeries. It was nice to get away from the Summer Court.

[shaunesay · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent!

[the1butterfly · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've been surprised by some of the characters Melissa Marr's created that I wouldn't expect to like, but very much do, and Ani and Devlin are two such characters. I like both of them quite a bit and I like the way things come together. I'm finding that the "side characters" have stories that are just as interesting as the main storyline in this series.

[myntop · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The length of time it took me to finish this book makes it seem as if it was difficult to get through or perhaps unenjoyable. That could hardly be further from the truth. In all actuality this is probably my favorite in the series thus far. Summer has simply been taking it's toll on me and I've not had as much reading time as I'd anticipated. All that blather being said, I did truly enjoy this installment of the Wicked Lovely series. I missed Aislinn, but I really enjoyed getting to know Ani and Devlin more. I also enjoyed seeing a bit more of the relationship between Niall and Irial and how Seth has been faring. It was a sad book at times and even confusing at times as far as how everyone was going to relate to each other and how things would work out. I'm still on the fence about that part because of the details that were left open, however I'm lucky enough to have book 5 waiting for me. If you're a fan of the series at all, you must read this one.

[glitzandshadows · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have this rather annoying habit of completely forgetting the plotlines of all of Melissa Marr’s books. I always remember that I simply adore them, however. So, I admit when I started this one there were a few characters that I knew were significant in the past few books, but for the life of me I couldn’t recall them. It got better as I went further along and by the end I basically recalled everything that happened in the last books. I also remembered Fragile Eternity to basically be a lot of whinging and nothing ever being resolved even at the end… I do remember that.
That said, this is easily my favourite of the series thus far. Then again, the ones that deal with the Dark Court tend to be more my style anyway. As much as I love Keenan and Aislenn and the Summer Court, the Dark Court is my favourite. This story follows two characters, Devlen and Ani. Devlen is the brother to Sorcha and Bananach - the deity like faeries. Sorcha is the Unchanging Queen, the ruler of Faerie, and all that is logic and reason. Bananach is War and chaos. She has no court but is aligned more so with the Dark Court than anything else. Devlen is Sorcha’s Bloodied Hands. Her personal assassin and the one that is sent out to take care of anything that is not of order. Something like a half-fey girl. Ani is half mortal and half fey. Her father is Gabriel to the Hounds, the group of fey of the Dark Court that ride steeds that can camouflage themselves as any kind of ride. Devlen is sent out by Sorcha to kill Ani when she is just a little girl but something stops him, and thus begins the secrets that he keeps from his sister, the one who he is pledged to serve.
Something that I have always loved about these books was how willing they were to be very dark. Now, the vampire thing is very easy to do and do dark, but Marr takes the faeries and their courts and turns them into a world that is deadly, bloody, and dangerous. The characters in this one were more solid than in previous books. Two of the previous books have been about Summer Court fey, flighty and emotional. Perhaps that is why I tend to prefer this books and Ink Exchange (Though, Wicked Lovely remains as one of my favourites…) The faeries of the Dark Court feed off of faeries’ emotions. Because of that the Dark Court faeries are very controlled and keep their emotions in check. It gives me a cast of characters that I simply adore. Even Devlen, who is High Court, must keep emotions in check because he serves the Queen of reason. Emotions have no place in reason.
Another things I adore about these books are the strong cast of characters. There’s always a level of difficulty when dealing with characters that are not human, and I think this is the first of the books that deals with an all fey group of characters. This pulls it all off perfectly though. Ani is a strong willed female lead who would do anything to be included in the Hunt with her father. She knows that she is strong and can fight and would do anything to prove it. She is fiercely loyal to her family as well, especially her halfling siblings. Even when she is approached by Devlen she keeps a level head. I do love level headed characters, even when they are overcome with unfamiliar emotions.
This book was fast paced and exciting. It was dark and gritty and I loved every moment of it. Devlen and Ani are probably two of my favourite characters in this world. I was pleased to see the return of Iriall and Niall, the former and current Dark Court kings, respectively. As well as mentions to the tattooing Ink Exchange that was a main plot point for one of the previous books. I love how all these books connect even thought they usually have different main characters each time.
I just truly adore that this dealt with the dark, gritty world of Dark Court fey. In which death is a usual occurrence and darkness is preferable. Even the title of this book is lovely. I’m really hoping for more Dark Court books as they seem to me to be the most exciting, and this one was definitely exciting. Although the climax was not as dramatic as previous books, it got the point across and was resolved beautifully.
9/10 stars. Easily my favourite yet. It was perfectly beautiful and I sincerely hope that these characters return for more books, especially with the turn out in the end. The end was definitely a brilliant twist that I truly adored. It was a fitting end to the seemingly unfixable problem that Ani and Devlen were faced with. I can’t wait for the next book, hopefully it will come soon enough that I don’t totally forget what happens in this one!

[claire.warner · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Melissa Marr has done it again with Radiant Shadows. She manages to bring a dark seductive nature to her YA novels and this one is no exception.

It charts the relationship between Gabriel, High Court assassin and brother of Sorcha and Bananach and Ani, halfling member of the Wild Hunt and Dark Court.

Beautifully written, it is seductive, dark and full of decent characters. Her female protaganists are usually not mooning after a boy and they can more than handle themselves. She also does not shy away from non standard relationships. I find myself loving Niall and Irial more and more as the books go on. There's just something so appealing about her dark court bad boys.

If there's any negatives, it falls on Ani being unable to exercise any kind of caution and Seth. I'm sorry to all the Seth fans but I don't feel anything for the character. He's just too 'special' and I can't see why.

But am looking forward to the next book.

[armchairauthor · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Half-mortal daughter of the Gabriel (the leader of the Dark King’s guard known as The Hunt) Ani has some appetites that cannot be satisfied short of murder. In a no-woman’s land between a mortal world she’s too fae for, and a faerie that could kill her, she mostly has to sit and hide. Your basic petulant riot grrrl, she spends a lot of the book sulking and running until she catches the eye of a very dangerous faerie indeed. Then she scowls and they run together. Meanwhile, Faerie is being unmade as Sorcha pines for Seth and Bananach is edging ever closer to destroying their entire world and everyone in it.Though I enjoyed the character of Devlin (the High Queen’s assassin and brother-son creation with her sister Bananach), and his dreamwalker ghost-friend Rae introduced in this book, I found the book as a whole rather pointless. Like so much filler. There was one major plot point both introduced and resolved within it, so I feel the series could easily stand without this novel. I actually had stopped reading after Fragile Eternity because I knew this book was about Ani and I just wasn’t interested in her at all as a character. It took me five years to get back to the series. The whole thing reminded me of the advice to “kill your darlings”. Interviews with Marr reveal that she loves the Ani character beyond reason, and it does seem that she felt the audience would connect with the character intuitively (while I found her irritating and incomprehensible). This is probably because I lean more Sorcha than Bananach, and Ani just does things all the time for no reason other than to be doing them and then gets mad when they end in disaster. It pisses me off. The end result of this novel felt redundant within the framework of faerie. This is one darling that should’ve been killed.

[katie1802 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I am an absolute sucker for the court politics and history, and the Dark Court, oh, and Irial, God I love him. Great book and a nice break from Aislinn and Keenan.

[sarah.hansrote · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

what to say, very well written. i liked it a lot but still i couldn't give the fifth star. something was missing and i don't know what it is. i liked the characters and how the story flowed, i want to read the next book yes, but only for how the last chapters went. there should have been more. more with Seth, Nial and Ash.

[jacobsbeloved · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book continued with the theme of each book focusing on different pivotal characters in the world of Faerie by focusing on Devlin and Ani and their respective roles and impact. I loved how different these two were and yet had such a strong connection right from their first meeting. As usual with this series, I could not predict the ending, which makes it all that much more satisfying.
The spectral girl Rae was a very interesting character in that she seems to be an orchestrator of much of Devlin and Ani's relationship, even though she behaves as if she is in love with Devlin. Only once is jealousy even mentioned on her part in the entire book, and it is so brief I almost missed it. This reminds me of the triangle of Niall, Irial, and Leslie, as well as the two triangles that Keenan seems to be a member of. The fact that Marr pulls all of these off so seamlessly marks her as an excellent writer, in my opinion.
The High Queen Sorcha becomes quite a sorry excuse for a queen through most of the book because of her inability to handle all of the new emotions she possesses for her "son" Seth. I find it quite ironic that though she is the creator and controller of Faerie and one of the first two faeries to exist, she is still dependent upon things she can not control in order to continue to exist.
I was very disappointed in the near absence of Aislinn and any information regarding her relationship with Seth. In addition, Keenan seems to have disappeared with no explanation, and apparently very little concern on anyone's part throughout the book. While I never liked the guy, he is kind of important in the world of Faerie.
Another loose thread that really bugged me was the outcome of Irial's injury - one minute he is dying and the next everyone is behaving as if nothing is wrong and he's not going anywhere. So which is it??
The outcome of Devlin and Ani's budding relationship was thoroughly satisfying and exactly what the world of Faerie needed, but now I am wondering what will happen with an odd number of courts. The logical response is that yet another court will be created to restore balance, but Marr rarely sticks to the easy solutions with this series. I can not wait for Darkest Mercy (Wicked Lovely).

[lizziewrites · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was definitely my favorite book in the series. I wasn't a big fan of the second (Ink Exchange) and third (Fragile Eternity) books which made me a bit hesitant to start this one. I'm glad I did, though!

This thing about these is that you have to pay attention and read carefully in order to really enjoy it. And when you do, you will become so enthralled that you don't want to stop. I didn't race through this but I loved it. Melissa has come a long way with these books and I think she really found her footing here. Devlin is a very complex character and I found myself dying to know more about him and the High Court when he was first introduced in the earlier books. Ani, I didn't think I'd really like her but actually, she really fascinated me. She's more complicated than her introduction in the other books lead on.

I did miss Seth and Ash but I still thought this one was amazing! Definitely be sure to pick it up, but read the first three books (Wicked Lovely, Ink Exchange, Fragile Eternity) beforehand, because you'll have a better understanding of what is going on.

[krumbs_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Nice! This was a good push forward in the series, more like book #1 than the intervening second and third books. Action, a bit of romance, some real logic on the part of the characters, and just an overall tighter story.

[sassybrunette · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

this book was okay. it is different than the other two in the series, but still a good book.although it twisted away from the other stories it was still a good book.

[damarisgcr · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the 4th book in Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely series. I have read all the others and this book to me was some what different than the first three. First I want to say that I love Melissa's writing. She makes things so easy to follow. What I liked the most about this book was that the main character Ani was a very strong female. She was not afraid of much, knew what she wanted and was willing to protect what was hers. Now I have to admit that at first I found the book to be going a little slower than Melissa's first three. I believe things picked up at like Chapter 6, but I could be wrong. Anyway, once it did pick up though I could not stop reading. As soon as Ani met Devlin everything started and it was one thing after another. There was even a part that I felt Melissa wrote so well and was so easy to imagine, where they were all at the tattoo shop coming up with a plan and Bananach invades their home with her people and there is a small fight scene and I sat there with my finger in my mouth like “OMG.” LOL I also liked how Ani and Devlin described how they felt about one another and how hard Devlin tried not to care for her. Devlin was not only the Queen's brother, but also her "Hit man" and it was killing him to care so much for Ani, but at the same time such a great pleasure and new experience. Ani of course did not try to fight anything. She wanted Devlin and was pretty clear on it. And when finally having him by her side she refused to ever leave his side. She made sure he understood that where ever he went she went even if it was in battle. Some parts made me a little teary eyed just reading how Devlin felt in certain parts of the book. I had no idea where this book was heading, but the more I kept reading the more and more I loved it! The way the book ended was good to me and it left room for another great story. The one thing I did not like was (and this is a bit of a spoiler) not once did Ani and Devlin say that they loved each other. You can just tell though from the way Melissa Marr wrote the book, but still I found myself at some parts screaming in my head "TELL HER YOU LOVE HER" lol. Obviously though it was a case of knowing without saying. Don't get me started on Niall and Irial... something about those two is just too damn sexy! I like them more and more each book. Love this series and love that with every book it just gets better and better. Can’t wait for the next book it is a definite read.

[dbhutch_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The world of Faery has been right up agaisnt the human world for centuries, both sides knowing the other was there, but basically ingnoring it. Over time though, things always change, even in the world of Faery. Things start to go outof balance when the Queen of the High Court finds herself ingorning her imposed order, giving her twin Chaos a chance to rise to power. Devlin, thier created brtoehr betweenthem, is supposed to keep them in balance, but he can't any m longer. He refused to kill somone his Queen ordered him to, and how he and she may pay the price. Ani, a mixed faery, is part human, part Hound. And with each passing day the human part of her lessens. Can Devlin save her, and Faery, or is the Faery world doomed to fall apart.

[kr15tina · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What I LovedThis is my favorite book of the series so far. What makes this my favorite is the two main characters Devlin and Ani.CharactersDevlin: I love this character type, the brooding, dark, fearsome and very lone male character. This is my weakness for fictional characters, I will always loves these type of boys the very most. But to match this bad boy you need the right female for him as well.Ani: She made a few minor appearances in Ink Exchange, but you didn't really learn anything about her at all. This is her book, her story and her time to shine and boy does she shine well. I love her personality, she is getting stronger during the book, she knows what she wants and won't give up till she has it. She doesn't whine or cry and become an incapable weakling at any point, she wants to stand up and fight to protect those she loves. She is very fierce and gets to tango with a very formidable opponent.The Dark CourtI can't say I would completely want to be a part of the dark court, I don't find pleasure in causing others pain, but I do very much enjoy the characters this court has produced. There is more of a protecting the family vibe that is lacking from the other courts even the frivolous summer court.Bananach: She is scary and freaking crazy, but at the same time I am so intrigued by her devious, blood lusting, war craving chaotic ways and her feather hair (which sounds so cool). She provides the story with a great villain, one who can't be stopped only deterred, a conundrum to say the least.Didn't LikeHonestly, nothing. I loved every page of this book and I think I have come to terms with Seth as well. RecommendationIf you haven't read the series yet, what are you waiting for go out and get them. Great for young adults and adults as well who lost fantasy and the devious faeries.

[lms8esmith · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The tangled webs we weave are very apparent in Radiant Shadows. Marr does a wonderful job giving glimpses of the High Court and Ani's torturous nature is nail biting. To need both touch and emotion must be difficult for Ani, and the more fey she becomes, the more dangerous she can be to those she drinks from. Enter Devlin who is so captivated by Ani, but he has a terrible secret. Falling for the wrong type became more appealing after reading about Ani and Devlin and I cannot wait to share this one with my students. :O)

[sithereandread · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book continued the story from 'Fragile Eternity' from the point of view of Ani, Devlin, and Rae. Where we left off is in the world of Faerie where Sorcha is letting that world unravel until she knows that her son, Seth, is safe. Devlin is told to check up on Seth but in the meantime meets Ani, who he was supposed to assassinate years before, and his life is altered by her.Just when I thought this series could not get any better! This book stepped it up another level with illuminating the lives of the Fey in the High Court. Devlin was introduced in 'Fragile Eternity' very briefly and this book expanded on his character greatly. Devlin was created from both Sorcha and Bananach and needed them for nourishment. He was constantly torn between keeping his two sister-mothers pleased. But when he met Ani again, he realized that there was so much more out there for him, that he began to question his allegiance to the High Court.The character of Ani was fascinating to me. The fact that she needed both touch and emotion to be completely satiated always kept her on edge wanting more. When she met Devlin it was an instant attraction that was unexplainable to either of them, but started a relationship that was both forbidden and vital to both of them. Marr created such a strong character in Ani. She was a compelling wildcat that only wanted to find her place in the Hunt so she could belong. Devlin and Ani complimented each other so fully, it was inevitable that they belonged together.Katherine Rae O'Falherty AKA Rae was an expected twist for me. This character diverged from the typical fey in these novels in the fact that she was a spectral being (who could 'possess' another body) and a dream walker. Rae was one of my favorite characters in this book. She was the exceptional piece of the puzzle who essentially connected the dots in this story.In all of Marr's 'Wicked Lovely' books, love or some form of passion/lust is a major theme, and this book was no different. But the new way it was shown was quite captivating. Devlin and Ani were brought together for a reason, to compliment each other's needs and desires but with painful consequence. The internal struggle of keeping their families away from harm but the preoccupation with each other made this book difficult to put down. I was drawn by the relationship these two created and the balance they tried to ensure to keep each other safe and well.I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of the 'Wicked Lovely' series, or anyone who is in the mood for a thrill-ride exploring the magical world of the Fey.

[francescadefreitas · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was excited that there would be an Ani book, but she didn't jump off the page the way I expected. I think that the conflict between the different courts is becoming so detailed, and Marr characters are so full of lovely nuances that the books no longer can focus on a single character or relationship.Marr writes well about uncomfortable ideas - Ani is a sympathetic character despite her need to feed on both emotion and touch. There is a sweet moment where Devlin recognises Ani need for a little bit of violence to help her calm down - these are not the usual traits for a swoony teen romance heroine!

[suzanne520 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was truly Amazing. I thought I would dislike the absence of the summer court, but Devlin, Ani and Rae are so greatly developed, that, shhhh, I actually think I like this story more than Ash and Keegan's. I love that Seth was in this book because I have been a Seth fan from the get go. Very well written, the only bad thing is I have to wait so long for the next one!

[sunnysd_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Devlin, the High Queen's Bloody Hands, is brother/son to twins War Crow Banannach, bringer of chaos, and to Sorcha, the High Queen of Faerie. He's also the latter's enforcer, keeping the court in check and protecting his sisters' secret. But Devlin has secrets as well, two of them, both female, both in danger - can he keep them and his position? As Sorcha's crumbling balance brings Faerie, and possibly the mortal world to the bring of disaster, Devlin, Ani the half-mortal Hound girl, and Rae offer slim hope of salvation. But for things to run smooth secrets will have to be revealed, trusts broken and new ties forged - will any of them be strong enough?After Fragile Eternity I was almost ready to quit this series. Marr's redeemed herself here - there's still plenty of gloom and doom, but leavened with plenty of action it's much more palatable. She's still woven in a love-triangle, but this one at least offers some hope of a workable balance, and if Devlin feels a bit flat as a character, Ani's much more appealing than the somewhat-vapid-of-late Summer Queen. With the realms in balance in Faerie, it will be interesting to see where Marr takes things from here.

[ayleeargh · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

In short: Unfortunately, I had a hard time connecting to the characters and relationship in Radiant Shadows by Melissa Marr. But at least there was no Keenan!Radiant Shadows is the second departure from the Aislinn-Seth-Keenan storyline in the Wicked Lovely series (the first one being Ink Exchange) while still being a continuation of the story. If that makes any sense at all. Radiant Shadows features halfing Ani, who we learn about briefly in Ink Exchange, the advisor to the High Queen, Devlin, who we learn about briefly in Fragile Eternity, and a completely new character, Rae, who is a dreamwalker.I was pretty tolerant of the first departure from the main storyline in Ink Exchange (Wicked Lovely #2), I think because I hadn't become as invested in the main characters at that point, but after reading Fragile Eternity (Wicked Lovely #3), I found that I didn't have very much patience for these new characters. While Marr does a fairly good job at tying in this book to the overarching storyline, I couldn't help but feel like I just wanted to get back to the main story with the main characters. I think it's for this reason that I had a hard time connecting to any of the characters. Also, the relationship between Ani and Devlin was just sort of random and felt inauthentic. There was no real buildup to their relationship. I hesitate to mention this, but I have one nitpick with the plot that just won't stop bugging me: I really wish Marr had taken the time to understand how the Sleep Cycle and REM Sleep works. Or maybe she does know but she just chose to ignore it. At any rate, there were certain scenes involving Rae, the dreamwalker, that just didn't work for me because they didn't have at least a basis of fact. It might be unfair of me to nitpick to this detail but unfortunately, it did impact my enjoyment of the novel and simple research on Marr's part could have corrected this.The ending was the saving grace of Radiant Shadows; I really liked the direction and advancement of the plot at the end. It sets it up perfectly for the final in the series, Darkest Mercy! Another thing I really liked was the further look into the mythology of the Dark Court, and along with that, Niall and Irial's relationship. Also a plus: no Keenan!

[bookaddictdiary · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I've kept up with Melissa's Marr's Wicked Lovely books since the beginning. Sometimes I wonder why I keep on reading because neither of the subsequent novels (Ink Exchange and Fragile Eternity) were as lush, captivating or enjoyable as Wicked Lovely. I suppose I kept reading in hopes that something would finally live up to the first book, but sadly none of Marr's other Wicked Lovely novels, including the newest installment, Radiant Shadows, can stand up to it.Nothing really happens in Radiant Shadows -a problem that the book shares with its predecessors. Half-faerie, half-mortal Ani is the focus of the novel, but she seems to fade into the background of a Faerie court caught up in bloody violence (a little over the top in my opinion) and lust (there was a great deal more sensuality and adult content than I remember from previous novels, and I found it to definitely be on the heavy side for a YA novel). And, sadly, the plot also seemed to get lost in there somewhere. I have to admit that Marr's writing is as intoxicating as ever, and it did pull me through to the end, but the hope that something would happen/the book would get better also pulled me through. Sadly, it just didn't pan out.Hard-core fans might be able to get into this one, but it's just so tough since Marr is capable of so much better....

[devilwrites · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The premise: ganked from the author's website: 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 RatingTake It or Leave It: Let's be honest: if you've been reading this series and are thoroughly invested on seeing how it ends, then you're gonna want to read this. However, Marr's series has slumped from its debut and its immediate follow-up, and I feel very disconnected from everything that's going on. Maybe it's because Marr's so willing to let other characters take the center stage, but I don't have a single one thing to latch on to. Not character, not place, not even an endgame. I'm not even sure what the endgame is at this point. Sure, this book brings about some nice moments: the truth about the nature of Sorcha and Bananach, the revelation about the Courts . . . there's even blood spilled that will have some fans howling. But it's been so long since the previous installment that I spent most of this book feeling lost, and the only thing keeping me going is Marr's prose, which is smooth and easy to read, as well as the fact it's the second-to-last book in the series and I really want to see where it ends. Still, for fans who are disgruntled with the series, I don't think this installment will do much to make you feel better.Review style: what I liked and what I didn't, with an unfortunate emphasis on what I didn't, though much of that emphasis has a lot to do with the time lag between reading Fragile Eternity and this book. If you're not caught up on the series, DO NOT read this review. Not only do I spoil Radiant Shadows, but I spoil all the books that come before. So don't read it unless you're up to date. And if you are, carry on. The full review is at my LJ, which is linked below. As always, comments and discussion are most welcome. :)REVIEW: Melissa Marr's RADIANT SHADOWSHappy Reading!

[millett23 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Once again the saga contines. I like these books, but it seems like there is no end. I don't know how many books there are going to be, but it seems like it should just end. Don't get me wrong, I like the series, it just seems like they have been going on forever, and this is only book 4.

[amberic · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This first 2 in this series is still my favorite. But this would be my 3rd favorite. I really liked the story and the characters. I didn't miss Seth or Ash. Actually I miss the Seth from book 1. I don't like the changes in his character. Hes too much of a push over or something. I feel we lost his Seth quality that he had in the 1st one. Anyways though the main characters in this one have a steamy chemistry. IF you were like me and weren't a big fan of the 3rd one don't let that affect you from this one. It really is a good read!!

[books007_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ok...another great addition to the Wicked Lovely series with one exception. (I expanded on that below but you'd have to read the book first before understanding.) Due to that one part, I gave it 4 stars instead of 5. Wicked Lovely fans...you're not going to be disappointed with this book.I didn't like the mother/daughter combo kiss and was even more turned off by Rae commenting on waiting for x yrs for that. Gross! Hello...that's your daughter's man! (Even if you are in her "body").

[xtastethesky · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Title: RadiantAuthor: Melissa MarrPublisher: HarperCollinsLength: 352 pages hardcoverRating: 4/5The Wicked Lovely series by Melissa Marr has been sort of an up and down rollercoaster for me. Some of the books are a great ride, while others have fallen flat. In her most recent addition to the series, Radiant Shadows, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The novel, in my opinion obviously, is arguably the best in the series.This novel follows the pattern that Marr seems to have set up, being that every other novel she focuses on other characters, rather than just on Aislinn, Seth, and Keenan (Wicked Lovely focuses on Aislinn, Ink Exchange focuses on another character – Leslie, then Fragile Eternity once again has a focus on Aislinn, more importantly on Seth).Radiant Shadows follows a previously mentioned character, Ani, in her desire to be seen as more than just a very powerful Halfling in her father’s eyes. She wants to join the pack. Enter a new character, Devlin. He’s the brother, and sort of son, of the High Queen of Faerie. He does whatever the Queen tells him to. When one mission sends him to protect her mortal, he and Ani meet and fall into a state of lust/love. Together they find themselves, and work to help put together the faerie world that seems to be slowly breaking apart.I found this novel to be the most interesting of all the novels, rivaling the origin of the series. While Wicked Lovely was fantastic, I found the characters of Radiant Shadows much more compelling. I never got bored with the novel, the plot kept me going until the end.I do warn there is a slight sexual undercurrent in this novel due to Ani’s need to feed on energy through touch. This is seen through her relationship development with Devlin throughout the novel. In my honest opinion it isn’t anything that any parent should be too worried about. The scenes are brief, a bit heavy but done with discretion. The interaction between the characters is nothing more than you would expect from two teenagers, or in this case mythical beings.The story for these characters does come full circle, but it also sets forth change that will cause a steady flow of events for the next novel to come. In fact there is a minor subplot that is brought up throughout the novel dealing with Aislinn and Keenan with the Summer Court that still needs to be solved.I eagerly await the next novel in the series, and as long as you’re not expecting a novel all about Aislinn and Seth, I’ll expect many to enjoy this novel as well.

[macart3 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

When the High Queen wants Ani and her sister dead and sends her brother and assassin to kill her and her brother, her brother defies her and saves her. Seventeen years later he now pays the consequences when War, the High Queen's sister, decides to manipulate Ani to her own ends, who is very protected and cared for by her father, the Gabriel Hound, and the former and current Dark Court kings. Meanwhile, the Summer King is missing, Seth is training for war and trying to repair his relationship with Aislinn, and the High Queen is moping over the fact Seth is away from her causing Fairie to deteriorate .