Rika is a former mortal girl who took the test to see if she could be the missing Summer Queen. Now fey and centuries free from being the Winter Girl, she basks in the heat of the Mojave Desert living a mostly untroubled life. However, after an impromptu visit from the newly unbound Summer King, Keenan, as a potential ally in the bid for more territory in the fey world, Rika's life becomes more complicated especially when the politics of being a solitary fey amongst the hostile desert fey and the unrequited love of a mortal boy named Jayce complicates matters.

This manga is definitely for those who know what the back story is. However, one can easily glean where the characters stand with each other. This quick read is pretty good. ( )

I had to read this book as a panelist of the Cybils Awards this year (09) but I won't be rating the book. I haven't read the novels and I was completely lost with this graphic novel. It is definitely aimed at those who know the story/characters from the novels and while I got a feel for the story, I was baffled for the most part not knowing whether I was supposed to know who someone was or not. It could be interesting. I might read the first book.

Summary: Rika used to be human... a long, long time ago. Then she was one of the Winter Girls - courted by Keenan, the Summer King, and then abandoned when she failed the test and winter's chill took up residence in body, unescapable until the next mortal girl braved the trial. Now she's one of the solitary fey, and has moved to the desert - far from the cold, far from the poisonous cities, and far from the intrigues of the faerie courts. Rika is happy enough with her solitary life, until she meets Jayce - a human boy who makes her want to reveal her deepest secrets. But even though Rika is unattached to any faerie court, she still has to deal with other fey, and a romance with a mortal is not something that's likely to pass unnoticed.

Review: The story in this book is pretty simple, sweet and straightforward for the most part, only really getting interesting on the last page. Although Keenan makes a cameo appearance (and I kind of love than he snits his way into scene by kicking up a sandstorm around himself), this book is mostly independent from the main Wicked Lovely storyline. I think the whole idea of what it meant to be a Winter Girl is explained pretty well, so it could be read as a stand-alone, although it's obviously going to mean more if you know who Keenan is, and what's happening in the faerie courts.

My real problem with this book was the artwork. Not that it was bad - some of it was very lovely, and the storyboarding was very well-done indeed. It's just that - with the exception of the animated Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics that aired on Nickelodeon all the time when I was younger - I'm not particularly familiar with anime/manga. In particular, I have a really hard time distinguishing boys and girls, especially when only their faces are showing (or when they're wearing what appears to be a boat-neck t-shirt, Jayce.) Some of the zoomed-in shots were also kind of hard to figure out exactly what was going on, as well. Still, even with taking the time to admire/decipher the artwork, I zoomed through this book, and while I'm not dying for more, it was a pleasant enough diversion. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Recommendation: A cute but non-essential addition for Wicked Lovely fans, and probably a fun little read for manga fans as well. ( )

Discover Melissa Marr's mesmerizing world of Faerie...
The desert is far away from the schemes of the Faerie Courts - and that's how Rika likes it. Once a mortal and now a faery, Rika seeks isolation and revels in her ability to appear invisible to humans. Then, she meets him. Artistic and kind, Jayce is the last person Rika wants to hide from.
But change is coming, challenging Rika's freedom and her new romance, as her past pursues her, even into the heart of the desert...
(Back Cover)

So, that about sums up the entire book. Not sure why Marr decided to take her Wicked Lovely series into the world of Menga. This is the first in a series? of short story supplements. Also not really sure on the time line of this one but it seems to be either somewhere between the first and second books or the second and third books. It's very short and not really much happens. You really need to have read Wicked Lovely for this short story to make sense. There really isn't any character introduction. We do learn that Rika was the Winter Queen before Donia and Keenan makes a short appearance. The artwork is pretty amazing though. Although, Keenan looked nothing like how I imagined him. In my opinion, it's not worth the $9.99 price tag. Overall, I'm not a fan but if you enjoy Wicked Lovely and happen to love Menga - you would probably like this book more then me :)
2 Stars

Loved the artwork and storyline. I wonder where Marr is going with this one and if any of the other WL characters will make appearances/mentions. It is refreshing to read about a different part of that world. ( )