Radiant Shadows Review

Title: Radiant Shadows
Author: Melissa Marr
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication Date: 2010
Genre: YA
Main Themes: Fantasy, Faeries, Family, Romance, & Magic
Pages: 340
Plot: (From the Dust jacket)
     "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 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."

    As I adored the beginning of the series, I really think this book was my altogether favorite.  I know I shouldn't be saying that because I haven't read Darkest Mercy yet and I might just change my mind as it is the final installment.  I found Radiant Shadows held the alluring enchantment of Wicked Lovely, the dark seduction of Ink Exchange, and the unrelenting chaos in Fragile Eternity.  This story had me had me utterly awestruck and craving more!
     Yet again, Melissa Marr has left me dazed and stunned with her tantalizing world of faeries and her mastered characters.  The Realm of Faery opens and expands to show how the balance needs to be restored and if not the whole world, mortal and Faery, will be thrown into chaos and war.  I still feel Marr's best writing quality is her connection to her characters.  She will make you feel like your jumping into their body and sharing their happiness and their sorrows.
     Radiant Shadows continues the tale in the High and Dark Court with Delvin and Ani giving a refreshing spin on the events that unfold.  In Fragile Eternity Devlin, the bloody hands of the high Queen, seems orderly and cruel but when you read Radiant Shadows you discover a beautifully dark journey where Devlin sorts through his struggles between logic and disorder to find himself and his own path for eternity.  Of course there is a special faery that Devlin has eyes for, Ani, the half-human and half-faery, that Devlin was ordered to kill a very long time ago.  With Ani being half of both worlds, she is very different then the other faeries and halflings, she has a hard time with where she fits in and where she belongs.  Even still Ani is a brilliant heroine as she is strong, feisty, rebellious, and loyal.  Ani also loves trouble; any mischief brought her way would put a wicked smile on her face.  On a side note I was very excited that Irial, Niall, Rabbit, and Seth all take part in the story.
     I gave this novel an A+, as it was riveting, captivating, and enthralling.  Being that every book is told with a different character it adds uniqueness to the story that is wholly original and fiercely ensnaring.   After finishing this book I'm dying to read the final installment, Darkest Mercy.

Rating: 20/20
Originality: 5
Characters: 5
Plot: 5
Writing Style: 5