Darkest Mercy

"Definitely "

"Have you ever read a series you loved so much that by the last book you try to stretch the reading process for as long as you possibly can because you don't want it to end? Yeah, well...I definitely just had a cases of the never-ending-book because of that. I think I began reading this a month ago. I'd read ten or so pages and then find a reason to do something else. When I was asked why I was still carrying around the book I told them that it was a sacred book that could never leave the inside of my purse and whose pages would eventually flower into a tree if I was faithful to the god of books....needless to say they didn't appreciate my sarcasm. <br/><br/><br/>Darkest Mercy is the final book in the Wicked Lovely series. I remember when I read the first book. I had reread the first three pages, who knows how many times, over the course of a month. I was convinced that since the first couple of pages didn't catch my attention it was awful. After that initial introduction to the book, it sat on my book shelf for nearly a year before I picked it back up and forced myself to continue reading it. Two days later, I returned to the store to pick up Ink Exchange, the second installment. Ever since, I have loved the series. It's different and leaves you wishing you could walk right into the story to experience it first hand. <br/><br/><br/>There are a number of characters that are heavily focused on throughout the series, but the some characters already have their ending from the previous books. The main characters focused on are: Aislinn, Keenan, Seth, Irial, Niall, and Donia. Then there is the antaganist: Bananach. And who could forget out supporting characters: Sorcha, Gabriel, Chela, Tavish, Far Dorcha, and Evan. However, no matter how minor some of these characters are in this book, they are all important in some way. <br/><br/><br/>In Darkest Mercy, all the faery courts that haven't been closed off in faery are preparing for a battle against Bananach, the embodiment of war, that is destined to come; it's just a matter of when and will they be prepared. Keenan, the Summer King, is still missing and Aislinn, the Summer Queen, is trying to keep the court strong with the on coming changing of seasons with out her coregent or Seth, who returned to faery after a fight that lost many members of the Dark Court. With Irial, deathly injured, Niall is losing his sanity little by little, leaving a very weakened Dark Court with out anyone to balance him out since the High Court is now and forever sealed off with the new Shadow Court to balance it in Faery. <br/><br/><br/>The courts must work together against Bananach if they ever hope to fight her in the possible end of fey as they know it.<br/><br/><br/>This book just screws with all the characters. We have the previous Dark King dying, and conflict with Aislinn and Seth's relationship because of Keenan. To top it all off Bananach is rallying faeries to her new "Dark Court" from all the different courts and anyone not open to leaving their court for her's, she kills. Left and right there are people dying, people fighting for love, and courts on the verge of extinction. This book flips around everything you knew from the previous book, and it keeps you hanging trying to figure out what in the hell is going to happen to resolve the conflicts, if it even were to be resolved. The characters are so well developed and complex, just like reality. People aren't just good or evil, black or white; they are all complex a little of good with a dash of bad. When you think you know how one character will react they complete flip on you and your left going, "How did that happen?" I think that's what is important about these books. People are never how they seem. They change depending on the situations and decisions they make in life. Each decision each character makes has consequences, good and bad.<br/><br/><br/>I adored this book, really the entire series in general, but to see the outcome for everyone in the end, was great. I think the end couldn't have been any better. I highly recommend these books to anyone who loves fantasy. They are easy to read young adult books that are written incredibly well. I wouldn't rate them on the same level as Harry Potter or the Narnia series, both of which have become wonderful young adult fantasy books, but I think that if you loved those books you should at least give this series a chance."

"Oh wow....okay...so it took me a little while to get back into this world and to get used to the fact that all the characters from the previous books are all together in this one...not to mention a few new ones!! SO much happened in this book....so many unexpected twists and turns....this book really was an AWESOME way to wrap up the series! There was so much emotion in the writing that I found myself in tears at times and so mad I could't stand it at others....and even though I was trying to expect the unexpected...I was left with my jaw on the floor several times!! There were the inevitable losses but also the revelation of sacrificing everything for the ones you love! I loved the irony of the ending and how it brought us back full circle from where the story began!! *sigh* Yeah....this was a very strong ending to a wonderful series!"