Fragile Eternity - Review

Howdy! Kimberly ended up reading a whole bunch of Melissa Marr books recently, so we present an impromptu Wicked Lovely Week. Shortlink to the main post: http://bit.ly/w1ck3dwk

Tuesday 5/24 - Wicked Lovely - review by Kimberly

Wednesday 5/25 - Splash into Summer - Radiant Shadows giveaway

Thursday 5/26 - Ink Exchange - review by Kimberly

Friday 5/27 - Fragile Eternity - review by Kimberly

Saturday 5/28 - Radiant Shadows - review by Alethea

Sunday 5/29 - Darkest Mercy - podcast with special guest Kate G.

Monday 5/30 - Graveminder - review by Jessica from Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile

Tuesday 5/31 - last chance to enter to win Radiant Shadows - giveaway

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Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr

Publication date: 21 April 2009

ISBN 10/13: 006121471X   |   9780061214714

Category: Young Adult Contemporary Fantasy

Format: Hardcover (also available in paperback, audiobook, and eBook formats)

Keywords: Faeries, Romance, Adventure

Be warned! If you haven't read the previous books, this can be a bit spoilery.

Kimberly's review: 

I am easily excited. I clap at the end of movies, I throw myself into warm sheets out of the dryer. If I see people handing out balloons, I ask for one.

So you can imagine my excitement to enter back into the world of Wicked Lovely, especially when we are revisiting Seth/Aislinn/Keenan triangle. Just from the blurb on the back, I pushed aside all other reading that was waiting in line (sorry Everlost and Ender's Game) and jumped into it, the longest of the books in the series yet at around 390 pages or so.

I wasn't disappointed, but I wasn't enthralled either.

This book suffers from what many may call middle series bookitis. We've established all the characters, found new or heightened obstacles they must overcome, yet not much happens. Well, some great stuff happens actually, but I'm just not sure it had to take 390 pages to tell it.

Seth is our main character who takes fate into his own hands and decides instead of just watching Keenan romance his girlfriend, he's going to do something about it. Of course, we all know fairies cannot be trusted so he gets more than he bargained for. As Seth was just the cute boy in the first book, he develops into a full character, experiencing all the emotions you would hope the lead to possess including love, confusion. He is growing fine and by the end of the book, I found myself rooting for Seth.

Aislinn's character becomes more fleshed out in the book, and not necessarily for the better. While she seemed to me a normal teenager in the first book, she's grown into the Summer Queen over Ink Exchange and into Fragile Eternity. There are a few scenes where we see her as Queen, and it helps Aislinn stay sympathetic. That's really important because for the most part we are reminded she is a teenager as she see saws her way back and forth between Keennan and Seth. If you didn't like Aislinn's character before, she's not going to endear herself to you now.

Other characters weave in and out of the story. The scenes between Keenan and Donia are especially rewarding, loving and heartbreaking. And Niall has become my favorite character. He has a large role to play in this book, but not in the way you think...

Overall, a good edition to the series. Once you read it, you'll know it's obviously very important to the story, and as relationships evolve, break and falter, credit is due to Ms. Marr. I don't know how this will end and who will end up with who. Ruling which court. Loving which fairy. And that's wonderful writing!

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