August 10, 2010

REVIEW! Radiant Shadows.




Radiant Shadows
Melissa Marr




FROM THE COVER:

Hunger for nourishment.
Hunger for touch.
Hunger to belong.


Half-human and half-faerie, 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 to 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?



My rating: 3 stars.



MY THOUGHTS:

I truly believed Radiant Shadows – the 4th book in the Wicked Lovely series – would shine like the first. And again I was left feeling disappointed. Wicked Lovely introduces the wonderful world of Faery to its readers, but with each sequel the world dissipates, and Radiant Shadows was no exception.

I had high hopes because the book revolves around Ani, who’s a Hound. In the previous installments, the Hounds get little recognition, and I was curious to learn more about them and how they work. And while Marr does provide some insight in the beginning, by the end of the book it gets left behind in the wake of drama and romance between Ani and Devlin.

Don’t get me wrong – Ani and Devlin are both very interesting characters and have backgrounds unlike any of the others. That is, until their relationship progresses. As they grow closer, the story loses its personality; although a story about Ani and Devlin, I couldn’t help but feel as though their relationship with each other was too reminiscent of the relationships in the prior books. It began to feel as though I’d already experienced reading this before, and because of that, I yearned to see the other characters make appearances. When they didn’t (save for a very select few), it only made me care less about Ani and Devlin.

It’s beginning to feel as though every character is pre-paired with another, which is in turn becoming both predictable and unbelievable. Same goes for the plot. Radiant Shadows started off quickly, then just as quickly tapered off and dragged until the very end. Instead of a lot of information about Faery being released in each installment, only snippets are getting through, thereby forcing readers to wait for the answers to their questions.

As a stand-alone novel, Radiant Shadows isn’t much of a disappointment, except for its slow pace and predictability. However, as part of a series it leaves much to be desired, especially since its predecessors offer much more hope.

7 comments:

  1. I stopped reading at your first paragraph because I haven't read all the novels yet and I plan to. I am so sad to hear it gets worse (in your opinion). I'm still going to give them a try, I just wish it was better news. Thanks for the update!

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  2. I would definitely still advise you to read them; I'm still addicted to the series, just a tad disappointed in it. With so many sequels being released, I hoped the story would show more progression.

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  3. It's a shame you didn't enjoy it that much when compared to the rest of the series. I've been thinking about starting the series, and buying myself the first book, but now I'm not too sure!

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  4. The first book is the best, by far. I'd still advise you to read it, and then if you like it, you can determine for yourself if you'd like to continue with the series - which isn't bad, just so-so now.

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  5. I was so disappointed with the third novel that I decided not to continue with the series. It had so much promise initially but when, in Radiant Shadows, Aislin devolves into the kind of heroine I sort of really don't like - well, disappointed doesn't begin to cover my feelings. =\

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  6. I know exactly what you mean. Aislinn's always been my least favorite character in the series.

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  7. Oh, too bad! I actually enjoyed this one a lot! I thought it was the second best book, after Wicked Lovely. But I do agree with your points. Her imagery just makes the books for me.

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