Fragile Eternity Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr

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4/5 Quality

4/5 Popularity

“Fragile Eternity” is the sequel to “Wicked Lovely”, but the third in Melissa Marr’s “Tales of Faerie”. Chronologically, it takes place after both WL and “Ink Exchange”, although you do not need to read INK to understand this book. However, this book relies heavily on events from WL, and having read INK will allow you pick up on some subtleties.

After the events in “Wicked Lovely” (and “Ink Exchange”), Aislinn is now the Summer Queen, Donia is the Winter Queen, and Seth is still just a mortal (albeit a Sighted one who is best friends with the king of the Dark Court). As Summer nears, Aislinn feels a pull toward Keenan, but she and Seth are starcrossed lovers. Aislinn and Seth are thus each searching for a way to be forever. Their eternity is, appropriately, fragile and finite.

“Fragile Eternity” is longer than either of the previous two novels, and I’m not entirely sure it needed to be. The first half of the book reads rather slowly, and it seems bogged down by lots of internal monologues that aren’t always needed. The first half is very much “conversation, thought, thought, conversation, thought”, and it gets old quickly. However, this leads us to the latter half of the novel, where things begin to happen. I absolutely could not put this book down after page 234. I just couldn’t, I was flipping through it as quickly as possible.

Marr’s writing style is very much character reliant, and the multiple points of view reinforce this. Each character, especially the faeries, has motive behind every tiny movement, thought, and word. Luckily, the characters that inhabit Marr’s world are in turn joyous, interesting, original, coloured, scary, intriguing, and captivating. Every single character is well thought-out, and it shows.

Seth is just the sexiest thing ever. Move over, Edward Cullen, because this guy will work just as hard to stay with the one he loves, although this time it is he that is mortal as opposed to the girl. So romantic.

I have another beef, though. The ending is quite possibly the biggest cliffhanger since the last episode of “The Sopranos”, and we already know that the sequel will be book FIVE, so we have approximately two years to wait. *cries inside*

Anyway, totally the most awesome urban fantasy series of Right Now, Melissa Marr’s “Tales of Faerie” continue to capture my imagination.

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So, you wnt to win an ARC of this, right? Just post a comment on this post, telling me your favorite character in Tales of Faerie (and why if you want). One entry per person. On Saturday, February 28th 2009 I will randomly select one entry, and that person will be mailed the book.

Special note to people with websites: If you link to this post and/or my blog in general so people can come enter, note it in your comment and you will get an “extra” entry.