Melissa Marr

Bluebeard's not exactly my favourite fairytale - the whole room of dead wives creeps me out more than you'd expect given my love of crime shows/books.

I liked this retelling, it had that fairytale (duh) feel to it - dark and gloomy and foreboding. Verena was an interesting character, smart and resourceful but also resigned to her fate - willing to slip into whatever role was required of her. I liked that she was willing to use that to save everyone who came before her. I mean she starts show more as a replacement for her brother, then Karis, then Amina, then Wife and then, most importantly, Widow. I liked how she changed the narrative to benefit her sisters. Frankly I don't think she was willing to do it for herself - I think if it was just her, she would have submitted unless and until someone else came along. Even her leaving with Jakob seems to be about what she can be for Jakob - a replacement for Amina - rather than the happiness it might bring for herself.

I jab the key into the lock and turn it. “WIFE!” Jakob roars, his fists pounding the door. “Open this door.” “My husband died,” I say firmly, leaning back against the door. My voice is as unsteady as my hands. I shake all over. I count my breaths as the door shakes against my back. “There was an accident,” I say a moment later. “My poor Jakob never returned home.” “No!” “He went on a trip, but he didn’t return,” I continue to explain through the door. “He left me here alone, and I’m waiting still for him to return.” I push off the door and shove a heavy wardrobe in front of it. “Wife!” Jakob calls again. “You cannot trap me in my own home.” “This is my home now. I live here with my twelve sisters.” “You may not do this.” “It is already done,” I remind him.

Anders, Charlie Jane. Some of the Best from Tor.com: 2016 (p. 339). Tom Doherty Associates. Kindle Edition.

And of course, I enjoyed how she bests him. 4 stars. It's short, but packs a punch. show less

I've never read any Melissa Marr's YA books, but I will now. I was attracted to Graveminder because of the fabulous cover (weathered building - check, sepia tones - check, nice done edge blur - check, cool font - check). I love it when books get the cover they deserve.

I didn't expect to be all that into this book, but once I started reading, I couldn't stop. The plot is engrossing, the paranormal aspect is not cliched, the romance part of it wasn't irritating, and I wanted to know what show more happened next. I was totally engrossed in this story and am looking forward to the next one.

As any of you who read me regularly know, I am super snotty about most paranormal writing in YA and Romance because most of it is just dreadful. Zombies and Jane Austen? Immortal vampires who want to go back to high school and date cheerleaders? Werewolves with six-packs and relationships that are at the very least emotionally abusive? Really?! That's the best we can do with such a fertile playing field?

Melissa Marr takes a fertile playing field and plays with it to her and my heart's content. These aren't particularly simple outlines of romanticized predators, but rather are full of nuance and worlds and agendas of their own. And no, they're not vampires. And I'm not telling anymore because you're just going to have to go read for yourself. show less

Unbeknownst to mortals, a power struggle is unfolding in a world of shadows and danger. After centuries of stability, the balance among the Faery Courts has altered, and Irial, ruler of the Dark Court, is battling to hold his rebellious and newly vulnerable fey together. If he fails, bloodshed and brutality will follow.

Seventeen-year-old Leslie knows nothing of faeries or their intrigues. When she is attracted to an eerily beautiful tattoo of eyes and wings, all she knows is that she has to show more have it, convinced it is a tangible symbol of changes she desperately craves for her own life.

The tattoo does bring changes—not the kind Leslie has dreamed of, but sinister, compelling changes that are more than symbolic. Those changes will bind Leslie and Irial together, drawing Leslie deeper and deeper into the faery world, unable to resist its allures, and helpless to withstand its perils. . . .

Alright. So we all know that Melissa Marr was incredibly awesome and that she held that contest where I won this book. I am still in a state of euphoria over that one.

To start, my one qualm about this gorgeous cover is that there's only one wing. It's probably supposed to be that way, for symbolic reasons, but ever since I noticed it, I can't stop noticing it! LoL.
Still, the cover is amazingly gorgeous and I like the little details, like how the little vines at the bottom are actually ink quills.

As for the story, I liked this book even better than Wicked Lovely!
I enjoyed how this book stood as a sequel--giving hints into Ash's new life without focusing on her. I enjoyed seeing some of the tension that Seth endures everyday, and learning more about how Aislinn must balance the faerie world with the human one. It was like stepping outside the box, and I enjoyed it because then I could actually look in Ash's eyes, instead of through them, and see the fire there.

Although I didn't like her name (I know, I know, picky me), I did enjoy Leslie as a character. She was wonderfully conflicted, and the way she changed kept the story interesting. I'm not just referring to her transformations as a result of the tattoo. Watching her mature was great; in some stories, it's very predictable and sappy. Here, however, it was done with just the right amount of spice and sugar to make it enjoyable to read about.

I was also thrilled with the night and day balance that this book maintains. While the other faerie courts are reveling in the peace brought on by the defeat of Beira, the Dark Court is starving and struggling. They need violence and the darker emotions and actions to survive.
I also entered into a love-hate relationship with Irial. He was deliciously dark.
Niall, on the other hand, I respected but wasn't in love with. I think the constant mentions of his age threw me off; I felt like Leslie was flirting with her uncle, LoL.
He was also too tortured for my personal tastes. Sure, Irial had problems, but they weighed on different aspects of his life than Niall's did.
So, a good character, but not my cup of tea.

Without spoiling anything, I was disappointed with the ending.
I don't mean the writing style, approach, or anything like that. I am referring to the actual occurrences, which saddened me for selfish reasons.
Still, I felt that said occurrences were completely appropriate for the book, and I was glad, for the story's sake, that it ended so. Honestly, even if it would have satisfied me, it wouldn't have been right any other way.

Speaking of writing style, I have to mention that Marr's is just hypnotizing. I've been sucked into a book, sure, but never quite like I am with her series. When I do manage to pull my head up, it's not without a certain dizziness--like I'm in a daze.
It's odd, but in an enjoyable way.

So again, a deeply-engrossing, thought-provoking, mesmerizing, wonderful novel from Marr.

This review is also a post on my blog. show less

Well goddamn. I picked this because it was the only Marsters narration that wasn't on waitlist, and expected a light whatever-kind-of-fantasy story that I could half-listen to while working. But this light story is actually a deep and uncomfortable examination of consent and gender and prejudice. Whew. No disrespect, it was well done, just not what I was prepared for, and then I had to keep going to make sure it was intentional and well-resolved. I'm undecided.