Really Ravishing Review (Darkest Mercy)

Review of Darkest Mercy, by Melissa Marr.

Warning: This is a biased review. I adore Melissa and all her books. Also, there are spoilers from the previous 4 books. You've been warned. Please read Wicked Lovely, Ink Exchange, Fragile Eternity and Radiant Shadows before you read this review, unless of course you don't mind being spoiled. In which case... carry on.

Quickie: The ultimate ending. Dark, delicious, heart-wrenching and lovely.

Full: As most all of you know, I'm a huge, huge fan of Melissa's. I had the honor and privilege of reading an ARC of Darkest Mercy and I'm here to review it for you.

I actually read this book months ago, but it's taken me this long to get up the nerve to write about it. It was breath-taking. The title and cover are exquisite and the story is phenomenal. It releases February 22nd, so mark your calendars!!

Excerpt from the top of the ARC: In the thrilling conclusion to Wicked Lovely, love, despair, and betrayal ignite the Faery Courts and engulf Aislinn, Keenan, Seth, Donia, and Niall. In the final conflict, some will win... and some will lose everything.

Bananach has been busy. She's been sticking her talons into everyone's business, directing and manipulating their lives to coincide with her machinations. War is coming. There is no doubt. Keenan is missing and Aislinn has been thrust solo into her rule of the Summer Court. Irial was stabbed by Bananach and infused with poison. He is unresponsive. Niall is a mess, his temper unchecked and spiraling out of control. All of this... and a war is coming. Sides must be chosen, alliances must be formed. But how can they when there is so much unrest and mistrust?

Darkest Mercy was amazing. Truly amazing. Like many endings, it was fraught with sadness, but also with hope. It left me in tears but with a light heart. The romantic issues between Seth, Aislinn, Keenan, and Donia are resolved. Some folks may not love how it was resolved, but I thought it was perfect and I think it's for the best. Honestly, the fact that Melissa stays true to her character's personality is part of the reason I love these books so much. Sometimes they act stupidly, or in unflattering ways. But it's real, it's honest, it's believable and genuine. I love how Melissa challenges the "good person / bad person" storyline. In her books, the people are just people. There are some people who do more bad than good, and vice versa. But other than Bananach -I cannot think of a good deed to her name- everyone is multi-dimensional and partly good, partly not as good. I think it's fantastic. In real life, even the people who are exceptionally "good" still have ugly parts to them. It's just how it is, and I love how Melissa recognizes that.

I hope you read Melissa's books. She's a fantastic author and inspiring person.

5 out of 5 fangirly stars.