Skip to main content

Featured

Series Review: The Suitable 'Verse by R. Cooper

Greetings and welcome to Reviews That Burn: Series Reviews, part of Books That Burn. Series Reviews discuss at least three books in a series and cover the overarching themes and development of the story across several books. Full Audio Here Powerful noble families known as the beat-of-fours, answerable only to a ruler and the mysterious, godlike fae, scheme and squabble amongst themselves, and go to war for the chance to put one of their own on the throne. But the fae might be pulling more strings than the nobles realize and they definitely have their favorites. A series of love stories loosely centered around the political crisis that led to the current ruler, featuring oblivious librarians, crafty though loving kings, an innocent half-fae noble, a legendary outlaw turned conqueror, worried warriors, clever guards, and an infamous beauty. PUBLISHER: Independently Published LENGTH: ~1000 pages so far AGE: Adult GENRE: Fantasy, Romance RECOMMENDED: Highly Queer Rep Summary: m/m and m/m/...

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

Rule #3: Don't stare at invisible faeries. Aislinn has always seen faeries. Powerful and dangerous, they walk hidden in mortal world. Aislinn fears their cruelty—especially if they learn of her Sight—and wishes she were as blind to their presence as other teens. Rule #2: Don't speak to invisible faeries. Now faeries are stalking her. One of them, Keenan, who is equal parts terrifying and alluring, is trying to talk to her, asking questions Aislinn is afraid to answer. Rule #1: Don't ever attract their attention. But it's too late. Keenan is the Summer King who has sought his queen for nine centuries. Without her, summer itself will perish. He is determined that Aislinn will become the Summer Queen at any cost—regardless of her plans or desires. Suddenly none of the rules that have kept Aislinn safe are working anymore, and everything is on the line: her freedom; her best friend, Seth; her life; everything. Faerie intrigue, mortal love, and the clash of ancient rules and modern expectations swirl together in Melissa Marr's stunning 21st century faery tale.

TITLE: Wicked Lovely
AUTHOR: Melissa Marr
PUBLISHER: HarperCollins
YEAR: 2007
LENGTH: 328 pages (10 hours 10 minutes)
AGE: Young Adult
GENRE: Fantasy, Romance
RECOMMENDED: N/A

DNF 4 hours 34 minutes in (45%).

I liked this as a teenager, but now I'm bothered by the paradigm where Aislinn has no sexual experience and is being pursued by two different people with a lot of previous partners. I remember how the series handles the love triangle and I still care about this series as something more complicated than "girl chooses between two guys", but the story overall feels off to me now.

Graphic/Explicit CW for emotional abuse, toxic relationship

Moderate CW for bullying, sexual harassment, violence

Minor CW for physical abuse, ableist language, drug use.

Bookshop Affiliate Buy Link

Add this on TheStoryGraph

A softly blurred image of a girl holding flowers covered in front


Comments