Ink Exchange (Wicked Lovely)

I start with complaints right off, but let me note that in the end I did enjoy this book.
This is rated as a young adult book, but really - I'm just not so sure about that. I mean, it's about Leslie, a girl who is raped and drugged by her brother and then CONTINUES LIVING WITH HIM!!!! As if it's just the most normal thing in the world. Sure, she doesn't like her brother, and she tries to avoid him, but still, what is up with that?!? As opposed to actually getting out of the bad situation and retaking control of her life for real, she dreams of getting (and eventually does get) a tattoo. As if this will solve all of her problems in the world. That is NOT a good example for any book to be setting for easily influenced adolescents.
It also made Leslie, for me, a rather unlikable character. That, combined with the fact that Aislinn (the main character of the first book, Wicked Lovely) was whiny and controlling and that pretty much all of the other characters were excruciatingly underdeveloped, made this a fairly annoying book for me to read.
I should also mention that there was also a love triangle involved, and unfortunately Marr spent far too much time focusing on this and not enough time focusing on the intricacies and complexities of the wicked plot she had created.
That said, this was a good, dark book about very dark, sad, treacherous things. And Melissa Marr takes those dark, sad, treacherous things and tries to get the reader to understand them and feel sympathetic towards them, and there, she succeeds. The world of dark faerie that she creates is mystical and magical and terrifying. Her descriptions are beautiful enough that I can't help but wonder if these invisible faeries are flitting around my world.
I liked it enough that I'll be picking up the third book in the series.

Okay, when I first got Ink Exchange, I was thinking it was a sequel to Wicked Lovely. I was ready to jump in again with Keenan, Aislinn, Seth and Donia. I immediately saw that it wasn't a sequel, but another story on it's own that tied in to the first one. When I saw the story was about Leslie, my first thought was "What the hell?". She wasn't a big character and wasn't that exciting. As I started reading, I found I was very wrong about Leslie.

Her character is very complex and I quickly started caring about her outcome. I loved how Marr didn't keep us in the dark about Leslie's past. It was immediately hinted at. It bugs me sometimes when the whole book seems to be waiting for 'what happened to this character before', so I was happy Marr kept us in the loop.

This story switched point of views between Leslie (Aislinn's friend), Irial (The dark court's king) and Niall (Keenan's adviser). Marr once again did an excellent job doing the different point of views smoothly and readable.

Irial was a character who I loved, but felt bad for loving him. He really makes you see how subjective the idea of good and bad can be. While we see him doing terrible things, in his eyes, he is just keeping his people alive. He was definitely the sexy bad boy.

Niall is a character with alot going on inside. The whole time he is struggling with what he truly is. He was another character that was more complex then I first thought. With how things ended for Niall, I know we will hearing more of him in the future.

The ending showed this truly was a story of addiction. While it played out most of the time as a love triangle, it didn't end in a romantic way. I feel that this story isn't over. Leslie's story just seems incomplete to me. I know that Fragile Eternity will be the actual sequel to Wicked Lovely, but I hope we still get to see what happens to these characters.

In the end I ended up really enjoying this story. It was darker than the first one, which I liked. Marr once again painted a beautifully dark and edgy world that exists within our own. I am ready to read the next one in the series!

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 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

Things I liked:
-I loved that this had three pov's, Niall, Leslie, and Irial.
-I was thinking before I read this that I would hate Irial, but he's actually a pretty good guy considering he is the King of the Dark Court, and not to mention really hot.
-Niall, I loved this character, he was so complex. I loved that he got to be a bit more independent from Keenan.
-I missed Seth but the parts he was in I loved, he was so sweet caring for Leslie when he was able.
-The plot always kept me interested, Melissa Marr has a way of showing the world of Faerie that just draws me in completely.
-This was one of my favorite lines from Irial 'Sometimes love means letting go when you want to hold on tighter'.
-Melissa Marr sure can write, it's descriptive, beautiful, engaging and it just flows nicely.
-You really get to see inside the Dark Court in this one, which I loved the way it was described was beautifully done, especially the way Marr described the way emotions and feelings taste to the Dark Fae.
-I love Niall, he's everything a love interest should be, hot, scarred, knows how to fight, protective, broody etc

Things I disliked:
-Irial's smoking, he is already the ultimate bad boy, being the King of all things Dark, does he really need to smoke too?
-The Fae are bound to so many rules, it seems like faeries are always torturing each other. I think it would have been nice to have some justice within the courts, that fae could be held accountable for their actions.

Overall I really enjoyed this book, I still think I liked the first one, Wicked Lovely, better but this was definitely entertaining and I will be for sure reading the next one in the series. I give this a 4.75 out of 5

Picking up on the heels of her previous book, Melissa Marr gives us another great book in her urban teen fantasy series. While the first book was mature, this book addresses topics that are slightly more adult than in the last book. The average teen should be able to read the book without it going over their head, but parents should be advised that this book does talk about drugs, rape & addiction. None of it is painted in a glamorous or good light, but I don't want a parent glancing at their kid's book & overreacting. (I actually think this book would be a great way to start up some of those awkward conversations about these subjects.)

While the previous book followed Aislinn's struggles, this book instead follows one of her friends- Leslie. Leslie hasn't had a very good life so far. Not only did her skeevy drug addicted brother sell her to his dealer in exchange for settling some of his debts, but her father is rarely at home or cares about what's going on. As a way of dealing with her problems, Leslie dreams about getting a tattoo of her own- something to help her take away her pain & help her deal with everything that has happened to her. Unfortunately her dream tattoo has attached her to the world of the fae, a world that is full of various dangers- the least of which is the handsome Niall, a fae with an addicting personality of his own.

This book was overall very good. There were a few points to the book that I didn't like as much as others, but most of those were along the lines of story flow. The rape is supposed to be a focal point in the story, yet not much time is actually spent on it & the resolution to that didn't seem to pack the punch that I was hoping it would. Like another reviewer said, the rape almost seemed like it was a plot point that could have been taken out entirely. It seemed like it was more something to highlight the addiction subplot than anything else & the various addiction themes didn't really need to be enhanced. I also thought that the romance with Niall seemed to be a little "meh" in comparison to the sparks that I saw in the first book between Aislinn & Seth. Really & truthfully, it seemed like it was more of an intense friendship than anything else.

All in all, I did enjoy this book, which is why I gave it 4 stars. If I hadn't then I'd probably have given it 3 stars. It's a great book, it just wasn't as good as the previous one. I guess maybe I'm being a little harsh as I'm also comparing it to a similar book that came out a few years before it (Valiant by Terry Black) that I liked more.

Wicked Lovely, Melissa Marr's first novel, was on my Best of 2007 list and I've been very excited about the sequel, INK EXCHANGE. The storyline follows Aislinn's friend Leslie. Leslie is surrounded by a fog of secrets and unable to break through the fog because of something that happened to her while Aislinn was caught up in her own set of the tumultuous events in Wicked Lovely. The gulf between the two girls only grows wider as they find themselves unable to talk about how they have each been irrevocably altered. While Aislinn negotiates a tricky truce between Keenan and Seth, Leslie is left to fend for herself, waitressing tables to pay the bills and avoiding going home for any length of time. She is also storing away a little cash to get a tattoo as a symbol of taking her life back and escaping the terror that's dominated it for too long.

Turns out she's not completely alone, though. Aislinn has commissioned Niall, Keenan's friend and right hand man, to watch over Leslie, haunting her steps in order to protect her from the Dark Court faeries who seem to have developed a sudden, unhealthy interest in her. Chief among Aislinn's worries is Irial, the Dark King himself. But, unbeknownst to any of them, Leslie has chosen Irial's tattoo to ink on her back, a process which will link the girl and the Dark King, allowing him to feed off human emotion through her, and thereby keep his people from starving. Add to that the complication that Niall is falling in love with Leslie. Irial is falling in....something....with Leslie. And Niall and Irial have A History. A long, dark, twisted, and surprisingly moving one.

The thing about INK EXCHANGE is, just when you think it can't get any worse, it does. With a vengeance. A sort of hazy, starbursty kind of worse. Until you want to run screaming onto the page, snatch Leslie (and Niall, and, yes, Irial, too) in your arms and stash them away somewhere warm and safe and dry until they're able to heal. Short of being able to do that, you keep reading. I liked Leslie. I liked her a lot. And I hated that she had so few choices available and that, for the majority of the book, she was being manipulated left and right. By those who loved her, wanted her, and hated her alike. It made me mad. At all the characters, even as I loved them. Even my beloved Seth who seemed to see clearer than anyone, except perhaps Irial. And it made the ending a very satisfying one. But it wasn't an easy read. And it wasn't a pleasant one. And I still, epilogue be damned, have the aforementioned urge to run in and save them all. But I will wait. Somewhat impatiently. For book three.

Ink Exchange is darker, more complex, and more nuanced than Wicked Lovely. Marr ups the ante in this beautiful tale of love, addiction and choice. It's a companion novel rather than a sequel, focusing on three characters briefly introduced in Wicked Lovely (Leslie, Irial, and Niall). The plot has everything to do with the previous book, specifically it deals with the repercussions within the Dark Court of the cease fire between the Summer and Winter Courts. Just as in Wicked Lovely the intersection of worlds (faerie and human) revolves around relationships between a human girl and faerie male, sacrifice, survival, and terrible necessity.

The novel remains as intense and tightly wound as the previous book. Marr has the marvelous ability to wind delicious threads of tension and inevitability into her novels despite all of the choices available. That's the thing that I love most about her books so far. The choices you want to make are never the choices available. Characters still have to deal with those choices, the decisions that they do and do not make, as well as the fact that sometimes they have no control over events except in the ways that they choose to respond. They make mistakes, poor decisions and there are repercussions. No one is all good or all evil, everyone, EVERYONE is a delicious shade of grey. Whether you like it or not, everything is about choice.

Ink Exchange is slightly divorced from the "human" reality in comparison to Wicked Lovely. Where Marr builds a great sense of space and location, here she re-treads old territory, adding a few new locations that introduce the decadence of the Dark Court. She continues to have a deft hand at showing and not telling, weaving the tension and teasing the detail of plot out of the story itself without falling back on straight exposition. A great sense of dialogue, character voice, and descriptive prose meld together into a beautifully fluid, tense and tragic narrative.

It's a more adult novel. Darker, grittier, more sexual, more violent and because we're dealing with the Dark Court it makes sense and is appropriate for the tone of the book. Some of the characterizations are a little off from the first book. Aislinn, who makes a very limited appearance, reads very differently in terms of age and personality. Some of that can be hand waved by the events that ended Wicked Lovely and the changes that Aislinn underwent, but it's jarring to read her in Ink Exchange. The ending is perfectly sad and bittersweet. Ink Exchange avoids the trite, pat close of Wicked Lovely and is all the better for giving us a sad, reflective ending that closes the book just as it should.

Leslie has led a troubled life ever since her mother walked out on her family. Her father has turned to alcohol and can't be depended on to do anything like paying the bills unless he's in a good mood. Her brotherRen has turned to drugs, and unfortunately, hanging out with than crowd under the influence has caused horrible things to happen to Leslie. But Leslie is so ashamed and tries to hide it. She refuses to tell her friends and works as a waitress so she can pay the bills. She feels trapped inside her life.

Release comes in the form of a tattoo, only Leslie doesn't know that it's just another trap. She sees the tattoo as a way of finally claiming her body as her own, as a symbol of taking over her life. What shedoesn't know is that Irial , the king of the Dark Court, is forging a bond between the mortal and faerie world in order to gain nourishment for his court. Leslie stilldoesn't understand until she is forced into Irial's world.

Throughout the novel, Leslie experiences attraction for two different faeries who both like her too. Unfortunately, both those faeries, Niall andIrial , have a sort of drug inside their skin that makes them addictive to mortals such as Leslie. Niall's job is to protect Leslie from the faerie world, so he's not allowed to get close to her; in fact, it's forbidden byAislinn, the Summer Queen and friend of Leslie. Irial on the other hand, does not expect to fall for Leslie, but after spending so much time, he realizes that he loves her.

In some ways, Ink Exchange was just as confusing as Wicked Lovely, also by Melissa Marr. However, if you get into the book, it becomes easier to understand. This novel is primarily in Leslie's perspective, although there are sections told from with Niall's orIrial's point of view. The characterization is amazing, and although none of these three characters were very developed in Wicked Lovely, I felt that I had read about them for a long time. The plot is filled with so much emotion, but not to the point that I started crying. Ink Exchange is a beautiful story about the choices you make, how they affect your life, and how you can live with them.

I definitely recommend every fan of Wicked Lovely and other faerie books rush out to buy Ink Exchange at the end of April or pre-order a copy now. And if you haven't yet read Wicked Lovely, go do so now before Ink Exchange gets published. This is definitely one of my new favorite books, and one I will recommend to everyone.

Leslie was introduced in the previous book "Wicked Lovely" as Aislinn's friend from school. Aislinn, as the new Summer Queen has made arrangements to protect her friends so that they will not know or be affected by the fairy realm. One of the invisible guards protecting Leslie is Niall. Leslie and Niall are very much attracted to each other, but because of Niall's unique magic, it would be dangerous for Leslie for them to become involve. Unfortunately, Niall is not the only one with his eye on Leslie--Irial, king of the Dark Court, needs a human to feed his court through. Leslie is the key to pour human emotions through, which is what his Dark Court needs for sustance.

Lives, fairy and people, alike are affected in this novel. Characters and situations intertwine and move around each other like a delicate dance. My only complaint with this novel is that Aislinn didn't seem like a very nice person anymore and the ending leaves you hanging. I suppose that I was reading this book like it was a young adult romance, and that left me startled by the ending, because it did not end like a romance's happily ever after. Not to say it didn't have "happy" ending, because it did. Leslie was left being shown as a stronger, happier person regardless of how it ended. But for those romance fanatics, they may not see it the same way. Hey, we don't all have to have a man in our lives to make us happy. :-)

*Note to adults looking to buy this for thier teen. This book does have drug and sexual scenes that would not be appropriate for a younger teens. Please remember that Teen books cover ages 13-19. This book would be closer to a 18 year old level.

After reading Wicked Lovely, I ordered Ink Exchange, because I just had to have more of Melissa Marr's fey world. I'm not sure what I was expecting from Ink Exchange, because I had read about it being more of a stand-alone offshoot of Wicked Lovely, dealing with some of the minor characters from the first book.

Basically, Ink Exchange centers on Ash's friend, Leslie. I won't describe the book, because I don't really like giving out spoilers, but I will say I was pleased by the end of the book. Marr weaved a story of the emotions we feel, the issues we deal with, and the choices we face when we seemingly have no good choice. I see this as a theme that's gone through the first two books, and probably will remain through the series.

I loved how Marr dealt with the idea of choice. I hear a lot of people say that they didn't have a choice. Well, Marr does an excellent job making the reader (at least this one) think about that, and if there are ever really situations where we don't have a choice. Even if it's a bad one, we have them. And thought that was handled beautifully here.

I teetered between 3 and 4 stars on this one, but when it came down to it, I just wasn't as tied to Leslie, Irial, and Niall like I had been with Ash, Seth, and Keenan. I found myself sometimes questioning if I really cared all that much about them. In the end, I did, but I think it was more the situation than the characters.

All in all, it was a good read! I doubt you have to read this one to go on to Fragile Eternity (the next book about Ash, Seth, and Keenan), but I have a feeling (confirmed by other reviews) that events from Ink Exchange do have effects on events in Fragile Eternity.

Note: Before I read a book, it automatically starts out at 3 stars and either goes over that or under that. So, 3 stars means I liked it.

Easily as good as Wicked Lovely, but really? Even better.

I started Fragile Eternity, not realizing that Ink Exchange should come between it and Wicked Lovely. This has probably been my biggest complaint with Melissa Marr's books, because it really wasn't easy to figure out which books should be read in what order--because this really isn't a series. But for all intents and purposes, it IS a series and should be read: Wicked Lovely, Ink Exchange, Fragile Eternity and the soon-to-be-released Radiant Shadows. Now that I've read Ink Exchange Fragile Eternity is making SO much more sense.

Ink Exchange deals with the topics of rape and drug use in an amazing way. Those who have been through such challenges will find truth and honesty in Melissa Marr's story, but those who haven't had to walk through those darker alleyways of life will still enjoy the story and the journey.

Niall and Leslie are strong and admirable characters--Leslie especially. Every girl should hope to be as strong and capable as she.

Throughout the story there is a thread of what it means to be a survivor, and Leslie, is a true survivor.

And excellent, excellent novel, especially if you enjoy stories that take you to the darkest parts of your soul before leading you back out into the light.

INK EXCHANGE is the second book in Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely Series. Where the first book dealt with the Summer and Winter Faerie Courts, this one opens readers to the Dark Court and its faeries.

Peace between Summer and Winter Court has weakening the Dark Court for they feed on the negative emotions. Peace doesn't exactly bring on those emotions. Irial, King of the Dark Court, works with Rabbit, a tattoo artist to find the right human to strengthen them - a human who will filter the emotions to Irial so that he can feed his court.

When Leslie, Aislinn's friend, makes up her mind to get a tattoo as a way to reclaim her body from the abuse she has been subjected to, it's one of Irial's enchanted design she elects to have. Little does she know this symbol will bind her to Irial and a fate will be far worse than before.

Leslie ends up caught in the dark world of faeries and sandwiched between a rogue who wants to save her and one who wants to possess her. The bittersweet ending stays true to the dark theme Marr has portrayed in this emotionally addictive story.

Out of the two, this is my favorite. And to be honest, I have no clue as to why. Maybe because I could understand Leslie's abuse and identify more with the outcasts. Or maybe it was so dark. No matter why, I am hooked on the series and will be there with the next book is out - FRAGILE ETERNITY.

I enjoyed Ink Exchange much more than its predecessor, Wicked Lovely. The writing is much tighter and the world of the Dark Court is so much more enticing and seductive than the Winter or Summer courts. Irial is wickedly lovely (haha). He's not your typical villain; he has a soul and heart that he hides well, but the reader is still afforded a few delicious glimpses into his true nature. His affection for Niall and Leslie were endearing without being too lovey-dovey. (If you love bad boys, you'll love Irial). I finished the book wanting more. I wanted to learn more about Irial and Niall, their pasts and their futures. Leslie was far more compelling a character than Aislinn in the first book. Be warned that this book is very dark, and at times, reading about Leslie's struggles was difficult. In the end, there was no happy ending, which was refreshing. Irial and Niall are both significantly altered by their experiences, and I wish the author would expand upon their characters. Considering that the book is over 300 pages long, I expected more character development (though I loved the character development of Irial) and more background information. There's a lot of dialogue, but not much action. A lot of questions about the faeries, their courts and the mortals are left unanswered. I hope that there is a sequel to this book.

Ink Exchange wasn't quite as good as Wicked Lovely, but it was still highly readable and addictive. I think the thing lacking in the second book was deep character connection. I felt like I knew the characters in the first book better than the ones in the second book which isn't a huge problem, but I think that if anything could be improved in Ink Exchange, that would be the one small thing I would fix. Other than that, the rest of the aspects of the story were on par with the first book and I finished it satisfied. In Wicked Lovely, some of the details of the other faery courts were skimmed over and this book gave us an opportunity to look at the dark faery court from a different view point; the view of someone who has no idea what she is getting herself into. I think the best part about the book, for me, was how all of the tattooing tied in. I've never thought about getting a tattoo myself, but after reading about the whole art and history of it, I think I have a deeper understanding of what drives people to permanently mark their bodies. I would never go through with it as I have a very low pain thresh hold, but I like the idea of claiming your body as your own, as Leslie did. I think Melissa Marr put a lot of effort in to that part of the book and it definitely paid off. I was a teensy bit disappointed by the ending of the book, but I think the contrast of the endings between Wicked Lovely and Ink Exchange was needed and overall, the end fit the book; even if I didn't particularly like how things were tied up. I am looking forward to a possible third book because there is one (maybe two) faery court(s) that haven't been told about yet, and I think the last one, Sorcha's court, should be the most interesting of all. Let's cross our fingers that a third book is one its way!

Yikes! Hepatitis sounds like a walk in the park compared to what you can get from the tattoo parlor in Huntsdale. The first book in this series, Wicked Lovely, had a dark side to it but this book is all dark side--surprisingly so. Leslie is a heartbreaking character and some of the things that happen to her are hard to handle. And although I'm not sure I fully understood why Irial needed Leslie (I listened to the audio book and I don't think the narrator really brought the story to life, which made it hard to follow at times) the horror of her situation was quite clear.

Once again, Ms. Marr has given us an intriguing premise, but I didn't think the book flowed all that well. We spend a lot of time building up to Leslie's ink exchange, which didn't leave much time for the resolution. And I wondered why Leslie didn't have more questions along the way, or why Niall didn't do more to protect her. I also didn't think Irial's reaction to Leslie was quite believable--sort of a reverse Stockholm syndrome--but the strength Leslie shows is admirable. I didn't like this book as well as Wicked Lovely, but I liked it well enough to pick up Fragile Eternity to see how the series progresses.

Ink Exchange is more of a companion novel to Wicked Lovely than a sequel. Its set in the same world with a new cast of characters, and some of the old characters making a few appearances.

Ink Exchange revolves around Leslie (one of Ash's friend), Irial (the King of the Dark Courts), and Niall (Keenan's advisor). Overall, the characterization was good, but I never fully felt any connection to the characters like I did in Wicked Lovely. Leslie is a complex character and because of what she's been through, I understand how she must feel. However, it was rather annoying to hear her tale told over and over again.

Marr creates a beautiful and chaotic world where fae and mortals exist together, although unknowingly. Her writing style is so magical and I just love the fact that her stories don't always end with that perfect happily ever after. Makes the story more believable and enjoyable to me. Even though I didn't enjoy this as much as Wicked Lovely, and despite the slow parts, I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

**Spoiler Alert**

I agree with some of these other reviewers. It seemed almost as if this book was unfinished. I wanted to know more about Leslie. Does she ever go back to Niall? What happened to Irial after he gave up the throne? I just wish it would have answered these questions and more. Despite that, it was very compelling and I couldn't put it down. I love the darkness of it and the mystery of the faerie world. I also enjoyed the fact that it's not actually a direct sequel to Wicked Lovely. This book takes place DURING Wicked Lovely as it starts where Aislinn sees Irial in the tattoo shop. I defintiely wish that Melissa Marr would continue on with this story line, but I don't want her to forget about Aislinn's story either.

I do kind of wonder what the point of this book is though, if it's not going to be continued in the future. Was it really part of the WIcked Lovely series? Is Leslie going to make a return in the world of faerie?

I loved Wicked Lovely, so I was expecting to feel the same way about Ink Exchange. I still liked Ink Exchange but it did not have the same appeal as Wicked Lovely for me. The book felt very dark, since it focuses on Irial, ruler of the Dark Court and the emotions the court thrives on. Leslie becomes enmeshed in the Dark Court when she chooses a certain tatoo. I'm not really into tatoos, and the focus on them here did not help me like this book. I was anxious to read more about Aislinn and Seth, and we didn't get much more of their story in Ink Exchange. Don't get me wrong, this is still a good read, it just wasn't one of my favorites.

Just One Gripe:
The book as a whole was kind of depressing since it was all so dark.

The Best Thing About This Book:
I love Marr's faery world.

I actually liked Ink Exchange better than Wicked Lovely. This book was so much darker than the first one and mainly concentrated on the dark court and the relationships between Irial, Leslie and Niall. In which I found the three of them combined to be way more interesting than Keenan and Aislinn.

It did slightly annoy me when I found out that the second book in the series was not about the main characters but the story line made up for it and the well fleshed out characters.
The main characters in the series - Keenan and Aislinn were "just around" in Ink Exchange. And even than Keenan got on my last nerves.

As far as the ending it was truly bittersweet. I felt sorry for Niall and Irial as well.

Overall this was a great read, much darker and interesting than the first in the series in my opinion.

Invisible to humans, a world of fairies coexists with ours, a world in which shadows and light, summer and winter must be carefully balanced to avoid war and chaos.

Now, after centuries of searching, the Summer King has found his Queen and made peace with the Winter Queen, upsetting the precarious balance. Without war to feed on, the feys of the Dark Court are fading. To save them and still avoid resorting to open violence, the Dark King must bind himself to a human girl and steal her emotions he then will channel to his court. But for his plan to work, the human must choose him, or at least his essence symbolized in a tattoo design.

Abandoned by her mother, and set up by her brother to be raped as a payment of sorts for his drug debts, Leslie is barely surviving in the human world. Her anger, frustration and despair attract the attention of the Dark King, and when she decides to get a tattoo as a first step in reclaiming her life, and chooses the Dark King symbol, her fate is sealed.

Sensing something is wrong with Leslie, her best friend Aislinn who is the new Summer Queen sends Niall to protect her. Not a smart choice as Niall has fallen in love with Leslie. Niall is a dark fey whose touch is addictive to humans, and although he fights his feelings for her, he eventually gives in.

Before their involvement can evolve further, Leslie gets her tattoo and the blood of the Dark King mixed with the ink binds them together in an indissoluble bond. Leslie's wishes that her pain disappears are fulfilled in a quite literal way, as Irial steals her emotions, but in the process he takes her will as well.

Irial's plan works at first as his feys grow stronger with the girl's negative feelings, but other feelings, unknown to him, also flows into him, feelings of love and longing, he can't control. The Dark King knows that humans bound to feys do not last forever and that Leslie's days are counted. Forced to choose between chaos and his love for his human girl, Irial hesitates.

Ink Exchange's bittersweet ending works in several levels, without being totally satisfying as several threads are left unresolved. For instance, at one point, Leslie crashes a drug dealer's wrist but never again is this mentioned. Half way through the book Irial learns that Ani, one of the half-fairies Leslie has befriended, has the unheard of ability to feed in human emotions and realizes she could have been the answer to his Court's predicament. An interesting alternative that is not discussed further.

Also we know Niall's touch is addictive to humans. This gives Niall and Leslie's relationship an edge, a fear of consequences to come that never materialize. And the love triangle between Leslie and the two feys is not so much resolved as dissolved.

But even with these flaws, Ink Exchange--like the drugs Leslie's brother crave, like Niall's touch --makes for an addictive read that leaves the reader wanting for more.

I really enjoyed the 2nd book in the Wicked Lovely series. At first I thought it was going to be one of those series that has a different set of characters in each book, so I was pleased to see Seth, Keenan and Aislinn in this book as well. This time we get to see more of the "Dark Court" of the faeries and we get to know one of Keenan's "friends" better and one of Aislinn's friends better. We also meet some new faeries and some half-fey. The idea of the Ink Exchange is rather horrifying to me as a lover of tatts, but I'm satisfied with how it all turned out in the end...even if I can't use the word happy. I'll definitely keep reading this series.

Torn up inside after her drug-dealer brother betrays her in the most horrible way, Leslie puts on a brave front with her friends, pretending her drunken dad isn't letting the bills pile up and hiding all her pain. Hoping to take back control over her body, she decides to get a tattoo, and picks out a special design at the tattoo parlor she often hangs out at. Unbeknownst to Leslie, that tattoo is the symbol of Irial, the king of the faerie Dark Court, designed to allow him to filter the unpleasant emotions that feed his court through her into him and his people.

As Leslie finds her vision changing and her feelings shifting in unpredictable ways, Niall, a faerie of the Summer Court who has always admired her, steps in, hoping to help her and keep Irial away. He has his own tangled feelings about Irial, whom he once counted as a friend. But as Leslie sinks further under Irial's thrall, enjoying the escape from the hurt and fear she'd been living with, only she can decide when to pull away--or whether she would rather stay with him, after all.

INK EXCHANGE is a darkly imaginative novel set in the same world as Marr's first novel, WICKED LOVELY. Readers will enjoy exploring the lives of some of that novel's minor characters and seeing more of the shadowy side of the faerie courts. They may find Leslie, Niall, and Irial less engaging than the spirited and perhaps more sympathetic narrators of WICKED LOVELY, but the trio still make for a fascinating "love" triangle as each deals with conflicting emotions and tries to decide what is right both for him or herself and for those who are counting on them.

The imagery is striking and evocative, and the politics of the different faerie courts is intriguing to explore. A great book for dark fantasy fans.

Reviewed by: Lynn Crow

Leslie has it pretty hard. Her mother left and since then her family is falling apart. Her alcoholic father leaves the bills for her, a student, to pay and her brother is losing himself in a drug induced cloud of self-pity. Not only does he experiment with drugs but he occasionally deals and makes deals with the dealers, one of which included Leslie who involuntarily had to prostitute herself for him. Now, recovering from her rape, Leslie is trying to overcome the violation of her body by reclaiming it with a tattoo, a symbol of strength that Leslie hopes will do the trick. What she doesn't know is that the local tattoo artist, Rabbit, is fey and a servant to the Dark Lord, Irial, and that the tattoo she has chosen is Irial's crest, which will bind her to him irrevocably... particularly so with the mixture of Ink and Irial's blood that Rabbit has decided to color the image with.

Enter the mix is Niall, the servant of Keenan and Aislinn, the King and Queen of the Summer Court. Niall, tall, strong, and scarred is also acquainted with Irial, being his former slave and lover for many years. After turning his back on the Dark Court the Summer court took him in and nursed his wounds... but old wounds take the longest to scar, and never quite heal completely. Now these two victims are drawn to one another through their like pasts but with so many obstacles getting in their way will the two be able to consummate their dual attraction to one another?

I am so thrilled with this addition to Marr's Faerie World. Utterly thrilled. At first I was annoyed that this was not a strict continuation of the Storyline surrounding Aislinn, Keenan, and Seth. But my annoyances and doubts were negated in a nanosecond when I got into the storyline surrounding Niall and Leslie. I attribute this largely to the fact that both Leslie and Niall are more compelling characters. Their shared pain, and the complications that they have both dealt with in their lifetimes, make them really interesting to read about. You want them together despite seemingly insurmountable odds... you want their relationship to work, even when Leslie is sucked into the Dark Court and has no lifeline of an escape... you want Niall to break through that barrier and sweep her away from the Dark Court. What Marr has created is a page turning, compulsively readable story that will make you lose sleep at night, and when it is all said and done isn't that what we all want in a good book? I can't wait for Marr's next novel. I am such a fan of hers now.

This is an interesting book about a complicated world of Fey. They are divided into a Summer and a Winter Court. We have characters from both appearing, and the Winter Court seems to be what we would call evil. They use humans to channel feelings through from people who are violent, drugged-out, drunk, having sex, etc, and those feelings basically nourish the fey of the dark court.

Leslie is a human who has a drunk as a father and a drug pusher as a brother. She gets caught up in the whole fey world, being given a tattoo that binds her to one dark fey in particular. She finds out about what he actually does and she has to decide if she wants to stay with him or if she has the strength to leave him.

INK EXCHANGE is my favorite of Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely series. The story of Leslie, Irial and Niall really spoke to me and I loved how Marr blended realism (abuse, rape, etc.) with the fantastic (faerie kingdoms and courts). She did so flawlessly. I also felt that Leslie was an easier narrator for me to like than Aislinn. There was still a love triangle but it didn't feel forced to me. Leslie knew her choices and made them, even if they were difficult. I wish that this series was a movie because I think it would do beautifully on the big screen. Dark, mesmorizing and addictive -- THE WICKED LOVELY SERIES is not one to be missed!!!!!

While possessing some original concepts and having a little more mystery and depth, Ink exchange is effetively the same as the first novel in this series Wicked Lovely.

We follow a new character Ash, who is pursuing a new tattoo, unbeknownst to her the tattoo artist is part fey, and the tattoo she seeks is going to have unpredictable consequences for her.

Like Wicked Lovely, Ink Exchange delves into faerie politics, leading to love issues but this time, a little more intriguing action than the first novel.

Ink Exchange was a good read, the character Ash was cool, but here backstory seemed too poignant to have so little effect on the storyline, and thus came across melodramatic. Obviously fans of the first book will like this one, and even if people didn't like Wicked Lovely give Ink Exchange a chance.

It's an interesting concept, unusual even for a fantasy novel: a certain type of Faery feeds on the emotions of others, particularly the darker emotions, anger, fear, lust, envy. In order to make as much of these emotions available for consumption as possible, these Faeries foment unrest amongst their kind; but of late, the long-standing war between the Winter Court and the Summer Court of the Fae has ended, and the resultant peace has left these poor dark Faeries starving. As it turns out, they need an intermediary in order to feed upon the emotions of humans; there must be a human focus for the emotions, which can then be funneled magically to all of the Faeries through their king. The means by which this human's emotions can be focused and channeled? A tattoo, using for ink the Faery king's blood and tears. The Faery's magic allows the tattooed human to sense the emotions of others, and the Faery king to absorb those emotions through her, and then dole them out to his subjects, like a mother bird with a craw full of worm. This is the Ink Exchange: Faery blood for human fear.

Unfortunately, that concept is the best thing about the book. The plot, if diagrammed, would look somewhat like a topographic map of the US: a great Adirondack peak of interest in the beginning, followed by an absolutely flat plain lasting for far too long to permit a traveler to maintain sanity, let alone interest, and ending with a soaring and majestic peak tailing off into a forgettable lump of an epilogue that should have broken off in an earthquake long ago. (I don't really hate California.) Actually, the book would have been far more interesting if it had begun where it ends: the last quarter of the book is an absorbing depiction of the temptation of emptiness, and examines the morality of sacrificing others to protect or please yourself. It would have been much more enjoyable to explore the aftermath of that sequence than the lead up. As it is, the characters are flat or stock, the descriptions of the Fae are confusing and incomplete, and the prose leans heavily toward the improbably purple ("The wraith's voice drifted over the air, as refreshing as a sip of the moon, as heavy as churchyard soil on his tongue."). The best I could say is that the novel has unrealized potential.

This book was definitely entertaining and i do not regret reading it. However, it was a little too over dramatic and confusing for my taste. This book moved speedily from event to event, all dark and morbid and in some places, very unclear. I understand that the author probably aimed for the occult with this book, and there's nothing wrong with that, its what made the book hard to put down. Unfortunately, its just one of those books that didn't stick. The book was, however, very well written, besides the places that were just a little unclear or described badly. The character's went fairly deep, and there was some mystery in the pasts of some of the characters. Not a waste of time. Nothing against the book or the author, its not a slow read and it isn't an awful book.

Seventeen-year-old Leslie has endured tough times since her mother left her behind with her father and brother, most of which she would like to forget. Although she has made mistakes of her own, they pale in comparison to her brother Ren's out-of-control drug abuse. When Leslie isn't in school or waitressing to pay for college (as well as the bills her often-absent alcoholic father fails to pay), she tries to avoid her brother as much as she can.

As an escape, Leslie hangs out at Pins and Needles with tattoo artist Rabbit and his younger sisters Ani and Tish. It is there that Leslie searches for a symbol of empowerment --- the first step in claiming her own life after years of trying to keep her family together --- and tries to put behind her the horrific moment when Ren sold her in exchange for drugs, despite the nightmares that continue to plague her.

Leslie also seeks to mend her friendship with Aislinn, who has gone through some life changes of her own, one of which is a strange friendship with the new guy at their high school, Keenan, who Aislinn's boyfriend Seth seems to tolerate. Although Leslie isn't sure about Keenan, she finds herself attracted to his mysterious guardian and "uncle" Niall. The attraction is mutual, but Niall has to remain unavailable, since Leslie is mortal, unaware of the faery realm or that Aislinn is the new Summer Queen.

Meanwhile, Irial, the Dark King, is at a crossroads in an increasingly perilous situation. When Keenan, the Summer King, overthrew his mother Beria --- the conniving Winter Queen --- Donia, the Winter Girl, took power, forming a fragile yet peaceful alliance between the Summer and Winter courts. This new union affected all of the other fey courts, particularly the Dark Court, which relied on Biera's power(s) for some of their own. Now, Irial must either nourish his chaotic court or risk mutiny and full-fledged war, exposing mortals to the fey world as well as the Dark Court's secrets, destroying his followers and himself in the process. In an effort to restore control, he has already set a plan in motion that will have an intense effect on the fey and mortals.

When Leslie sees a mysterious piece of artwork, she is determined to have it as her tattoo, regardless of Rabbit's strange reluctance. At first, Leslie feels invincible, ready to take on the world. As time passes, however, and she begins seeing --- and feeling disconnected to --- the bizarre sights and events happening around her, Leslie wonders if she is slowly losing her mind.

Already concerned about Leslie's well-being, Niall is alarmed when he hears of Irial's visit at the restaurant where Leslie works. The news brings up disturbing memories for Niall, and he realizes that he has to protect Leslie from the ruthless Dark King, despite the Summer Court's disapproval. As his feelings for Leslie grow, Niall must decide between doing the right thing and what he feels is right, regardless of the consequences.

Morality and power are major themes as readers are given an unflinching look at the (much) darker side of mortals and fey alike. A compelling companion to WICKED LOVELY, INK EXCHANGE will haunt and intrigue Melissa Marr's many fans from beginning to end.

--- Reviewed by Sarah Sawtelle

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 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. . . .

More of a companion novel than a direct sequel, this book takes three different characters that appeared in Wicked Lovely and gives you their story. The events take place after Wicked Lovely finishes up, and we see those main characters here as well. While you can read this on its own, it is best to read Wicked Lovely first because the ending to it is mentioned right at the beginning of Ink Exchange. Marr does a fantastic job pulling the reader into this novel as well; her prose is addicting and makes the reader want to keep reading more until the whole novel is finished.

-- Summary taken from the flap copy.

"Ink Exchange" is an amazing follow-up to the solid "Wicked Lovely". Full of intense characters, heavy personal and social issues, tattoo talk, and sassy grit, this tale of the fey- aimed at teens- blew this 30 year-old away.

(Side Note: I would caution parents not to purchase this for teens that are immature and cannot handle some darker subject matters, such as abuse and rape. These topics are not doted on in the text, but they are touched upon and are not appropriate for some teens.)

Ink Exchange returns us to the world Melissa Marr introduced us to in her debut novel, Wicked Lovely.* This story centers around three characters (all minor characters from the first novel): Leslie, Niall and Irial.

Irial, the King of the Dark Court, has a problem. The curse which bound the Summer King created emotions upon which his Dark Court faeries fed. With the curse broken and the Summer and Winter Courts moving toward truce, Irial and his dark fey are vulnerable for the first time in over 1,000 years. He's desperate for a way to keep his court fed and strong, without defaulting to open warfare. He's decided on ink exchanges. Through them, the dark court can feed on the darkness, pain and fear inside the hearts of mortals.

Leslie is a seventeen year old girl with a seemingly normal, middle class life; except it's not. Home, which should have been a place of safety has become the scene of neglect, violence and the worst kind of betrayal. Cut down to the very center of who she is, she's not fallen apart. Instead, she focuses on taking her life back and reclaiming her joy. To begin the process, she wants a tattoo: a tangible sign of her renewed ownership of herself. Of course, the tattoo Leslie chooses isn't ordinary; it's an ink exchange.

Niall doesn't want to be the person he was. Like Leslie, he was caught up in violence and betrayal. Also broken, but not nearly as sure about rebuilding himself, he's been carefully repairing the damage, one day at a time. He can't help but find himself drawn to Leslie - someone touched by the same sort of darkness. But the person Niall used to be wasn't destroyed, only buried. And if he gets too close to Leslie, he may end up having to protect her from himself.

Ink Exchange isn't just one story about three people whose paths collide. It's three stories woven together like knotwork. Who these people are and the past they are trying to move beyond shape their future. What makes them strong also hurts them most. But nothing is as triumphant as victory coming after a long, arduous battle. At the risk of cliche, sometimes it truly is darkest before dawn and hope really does come in the morning.

Read Ink Exchange. Without exception, it is one of the most hopeful books I've read in a very long time.

This isn't a book for anyone under twelve, as the themes may be too mature.

*(No, it's not necessary to have read Wicked Lovely to understand and enjoy Ink Exchange.)

well, the first book, wicked lovely, was a decent read, so i was expecting i guess more of the same in this book. instead the author attempted to take on darker subject matter and instead of fleshing this out to the full, she skirted around the issues and didn't really address them, kind of making the story/ characters fall flat. basically a pg book took on r rated issues but kept them pg, relying on suggestion to get a point across rather than just addressing the issues. because of this the plot had a kind of cardboard feel to it. i kind of felt like she kind of skimmed through the plot as well. events took place, but there was no conviction to anything and the author didn't really follow through and finish an event. i thought the ending was kind of rushed.

overall decent set-up but poor execution.

An absoultely wonderful book from Marr. I was a little sad that it wasn't a direct continuation of the Aislinn/Keenen/Seth story, but was pleasently surprised with the book as a whole. Ink Exchange is a little darker than Wicked Lovely, but for a reason. Marr has a wonderful story going here, and I am anxiously awaiting the release of Fragile Eternity. The characters are well deveolped and interesting, and she did well with the folklore. I'm so glad that we have not seen the last of Melissa Marr.

Overall, I liked the book; however, I felt it was rather confusing to read and it wasn't written as well as Wicked Lovely. Wicked Lovely assumed you didn't know about the faery world and you learned about the Summer and Winter Courts as Aislinn gathered information, but not much was known about the Dark court. As I was reading, it was written as if the reader should already have information about the Dark Court (which I didn't). It was like it started in the middle of a story and I missed out on the first/important part of it.

With that said, after muddling through the confusion, I did like the book. I felt more for Niall's character than for any other though. The pain of wanting to be with someone and not being able to and then ultimately being forced in a position where you didn't really want to be (though you knew you belonged) and being forced even further away from the person you loved. Sad, very sad.

If you go into this book knowing that they change main characters I think you will have a good chance of really liking it. So remember they are bringing in her friend and some new fairies. But I was really impressed with it. I immediately loved all the new characters and even the story line. It was nice having the main characters from Wicked Lovely popping in, but I was really fine without them!

Overall, I liked the book; however, I felt it was rather confusing to read and it wasn't written as well as Wicked Lovely. Wicked Lovely assumed you didn't know about the faery world and you learned about the Summer and Winter Courts as Aislinn gathered information, but not much was known about the Dark court. As I was reading, it was written as if the reader should already have information about the Dark Court (which I didn't). It was like it started in the middle of a story and I missed out on the first/important part of it.

With that said, after muddling through the confusion, I did like the book. I felt more for Niall's character than for any other though. The pain of wanting to be with someone and not being able to and then ultimately being forced in a position where you didn't really want to be (though you knew you belonged) and being forced even further away from the person you loved. Sad, very sad.

If you go into this book knowing that they change main characters I think you will have a good chance of really liking it. So remember they are bringing in her friend and some new fairies. But I was really impressed with it. I immediately loved all the new characters and even the story line. It was nice having the main characters from Wicked Lovely popping in, but I was really fine without them!

Ok so, the first book was confusing, but overall good, and this book was WAY WAY better. Since I know what is going on now, it was good! You know who is what what they can do, what they can't do, etc etc. But for some sort of reason, I favor Leslie than Ash. Leslie has history, trama, and she is full of life, while Ash is just honeslty in her own bubble and she kind of gets on my nerves. But I won't go into detail cause I am not here to spoil the book.

Overall, this one is good! Can't wait for the next!

Of course, it is about the dark court. Leslie gets her happy ending, but after a world of hurt. The happy ending is only in the epilogue. I liked the first book more, but this seems to be a good bridge to the next book.

I enjoyed Wicked Lovely, but Ink Exchange has won me. I adore the character development and the story building, as well as the intensity of the emotion. I couldn't put this book down. I even teared up at several points.

Irial owns my soul.

This book was a big WASTE OF TIME. Warning: SPOILERS. The "heroine" was drugged by her brother & raped by his drug dealers, which of course, makes you sympathize with her and hope that she can overcome her problems and take charge of her life. She does none of this. She is getting a tattoo which is causing her to see a fairy realm, which is cool, but she doesn't even know what's going on until the last 5 chpts of the book (I'm thinking, finally!) but all that happens is that she willingly becomes some sexy fairy guy's sex slave. O_o I am not kidding. Through the whole book something will happen when her tattoo is finished and that's what happens. In the last chapter, she decides to leave him (but he could have easily made her stay -_-) & goes to college. The end. She didn't deserve what happened to her, but clearly she is a stupid girl who lets men run her life. She certainly didn't do anything to prove otherwise.

Characters are very intriguing. Plot is creative. Fantasy setting has internal consistency. However the age of the female main characters would make better sense with the plot if older than high school. Otherwise the series is a genuine escape from everyday reality.

After reading Melissa Marr's first book "Wicked Lovely", I had the expectation to learn more about Aislinn, Keenan, Seth, and Donia. However, this sequel delivers an entirely new cast of characters and the story focuses more on the Dark King and his new mortal interest. There is very little on the new arrangement of courts. However, Melissa Marr's style of writing continues to capture the reader's attention and this book is worth reading. Looking forward to "Fragile Eternity"!

mesmerising gritty and disturbing. i couldn't put it down, but there is a feeling of despair threaded through the entire book. it keeps from edging into utter hopelessness with a stubborn refusal to give up. very good. will probably linger in your thoughts for a while.