Book 5: Fragile Eternity

Melissa Marr's Fragile Eternity is a continuation of the Faery saga that begins in Wicked Lovely.

http://www.amazon.com/Fragile-Eternity-Melissa-Marr/dp/006121471X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263701188&sr=8-1

I first happened upon these books because of the cover art. Intense colors, intriguing pictures. So I picked up first Wicked Lovely and then Ink Exchange. Like the Twilight series, these are geared towards young adults, but I think they are in a completely different class than the vampire saga.

This series centers around Faeries, who dwell alongside mortals. Most mortals cannot see Faeries, but a few are gifted with the Sight and are able to see them.

In Wicked Lovely the King of the Summer Court is looking for his Queen, who happens to be a mortal high schooler named Aislinn who has always been able to see, and fear, the faeries.

Fragile Eternity is the sequel to Wicked Lovely (but third in the series-Book 2, Ink Exchange, focuses on the Dark Court) and Aislinn and her mortal boyfriend, Seth, are trying to figure out how their relationship can exist in Aislinn's new world. As Aislinn learns to be a now-immortal Queen to the Summer Court and find her place in that world, she and Seth are trying to navigate their own way with a threat of war between the Faery courts- a war that could destroy humanity.

So yes, it's Fantasy. But for a lot of reasons, I find this series much more compelling than Twilight. Yes, I know I'm risking bodily harm by legions of teenage girls and suburban moms (should more than 3-4 people ever read this blog) by making that statement, but hear me out.

First, this series is darker and edgier. Melissa Marr describes herself as voted most likely to end up in jail when she was in high school. She seems to bring that side of herself, along with her addiction to fabulous tattoos and a quest to meet interesting people, to her characters. They are more real, more complex than in a lot of young adult serialized fiction. Seth has a lip ring, a pet boa constrictor, and lives in train cars. Ink Exchange starts with Leslie's quest for the perfect tattoo, which she seeks to help her overcome a horrific trauma. The characters have real teenage flaws which make them more identifiable, in a lot of ways. Certainly more issues than I had in high school but more the kind of people I think I would be drawn to if I were in high school now.

Second is the faery lore that is included in the books. Faeries cannot be trusted. Any deal a mortal makes with a faery will likely be much more advantageous to the faery. Faeries cannot lie. so the nuance, the particular words they use to convey something, are very important. Loyalty is everything. Faeries are weakened by steel and iron. Faeries are immortal.

I love Ireland, and this particular novel I really enjoyed because that affinity. Many of the faeries have Irish names, for one thing. When I was in Ireland this summer, I saw the Faery Tree at Tara. Local lore says that you can leave a gift for the faeries at that tree, and should they accept your gift, they will grant you aid. However, to take a gift from the tree is to invoke the wrath of the faeries and is done at one's own peril. I felt more connected to the book having seen this place and heard more of the faery lore myself.

The Faery Tree at the Hill at Tara

One thing that really stood out for me was Marr's description of a movie Aislinn and Keenan, the Summer King, watch. "An indie film about street musicians falling in love while they both belonged elsewhere. The music and the message were perfect, poignant, and heartbreaking." (p.291) I got such a kick out of reading the film description and thinking to myself, 'That sounds like Once' and reading just a few sentences later that it was indeed Once that Marr meant. I completely agree with her description and highly recommend both the film and its soundtrack.

The fourth book in the series is due out later this year, and I've already pre-ordered it from Amazon. Highly recommended for anyone who likes Fantasy. So far, Marr is staying true to her characters and the rules she is setting up for their world. I'm confident that however this series ends, it won't be with a Breaking Dawn styled cop-out (my opinion) ending.

So, here we are, 16 days into January. Five books complete, 47 more to go. Next Up is Warrior Queen, a novel based on Celtic Queen Boudicca (http://www.unrv.com/early-empire/boudicca.php)