Review: Radiant Shadows by Melissa Marr

Title: Radiant Shadows (Click here to browse inside the book)
Author: Melissa Marr
Publisher: Harpercollins Publishers
Published: April 10, 2010
Format: Hardcover ($18.99 CDN)
Age Group: Young Adult
Copy: Provided by Harpercollins
Extra: Click here for the official Wicked Lovely fan site
Purchase: Click here to purchase this novel 

From the Publishers: 

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?

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

My Review: 

I have long been a fan of Melissa Marr and my initial love for young adult "faery tales" began after reading the first novel in the series Wicked Lovely.  Over the years I have been very interested in faery mythology and one particular myth I have always been fascinated with is the Wild Hunt so when I began to read this novel and discovered that Ani is the half mortal half faery child of the leader of the Wild Hunt I was hooked. 

Of all the protagonists in the Wicked Lovely series I enjoyed reading about Ani the most.  I love how her vulnerabilities and insecurities are balanced with inner strength, a courageous attitude and a great love for family.  Ani's love interest in this novel Devlin also happens to be an assisin for the High Queen Sorcha and is the brother of both Sorcha and her "evil" twin sister Bananach.  You learn early on in the novel that Sorcha ordered Devlin to kill Ani and the suspense of waiting for that information to become known to Ani and my interest in understanding why Sorcha ordered the kill in the first place held me captive and on edge throughout the novel.  While I enjoyed the pace and emotional connection between Ani and Devlin I was left with the impression that Devlin was much older then her.  At times I feel that a relationship can seem inauthentic when a young protagonists in a novel falls for a man who although may have been their age when they died or were created are now centuries older in maturity due to life experience (such as Devlin or Edward from Twilight). While Devlin did give me the impression of being older then Ani I still felt that they are well matched and I enjoyed reading the progression of their relationship and how they coped with the unusual and serendipitous circumstances of their meeting.

Additionally I found the plot of this novel to be incredibly creative and entertaining and I was fully immersed and captivated by the story from beginning to end.  The novel was filled with action, passion, emotion, creativity and clever characters.  Radiant Shadows fully met my expectations and at times exceeded them and I think fans of the Wicked Lovely series will not be disappointed.  Whether or not you are a young adult if you haven't yet read this series and are a fan the fantasy genre this novel should be at the top of your "to read" list

My Rating: 4/5