Radiant Shadows by Melissa Marr (Wicked Lovely #4)
YA Paranormal
April 20, 2010
Hardcover, 352 Pages
Harper Collins
Reviewed by Kati

Ani is one of the Hounds of the Wild Hunt. What does that mean? She’s fae, and is a member of the Dark Court. She’s also different. Ani is able to do something that other members of the Dark Court cannot. She can feed off the emotions of not just humans, but other fae as well. As time has passed, Ani has become more powerful, more dangerous, and more sheltered by her father, and Irial, the former King of the Dark Court. Irial has realized that Ani is not just special, but critical to the survival of the Dark Court in a time of complete unrest in Faery.

Devlin is the Queen’s Bloody Hands. He is the enforcer for Sorcha, the Queen of the High Court, and her brother. He is also brother to Bananach, better known as Chaos. The sisters are in opposition to each other, and without each, the world would not survive. But since the events of the last book, Fragile Eternity, Sorcha is lost. She has become obsessed with watching her son, Seth, in the human world and is neglecting her responsibilities. Her worry for her son overshadows everything else, and she sends Devlin to the human world to protect and watch over Seth.

When Devlin arrives, he encounters Ani, and there is an immediate connection between them. What Ani doesn’t know is that Sorcha ordered Devlin to kill Ani when she was but a cub. And in his only act of compassion and defiance to his sister, he spared her life. Ani and Devlin are inextricably tied together. But now that they are together in the human world, he cannot fight his compulsion to be with her. For her part, Ani is fascinated by this dominating, taciturn faery who can withstand her feeding from him. But as Ani feeds from Devlin and their connection strengthens and flourishes, the world continues to fall into chaos. Bananach is gaining in power, and she has ordered Ani to fulfill two awful tasks or lose those closest to her. Ani realizes that her only chance is to run away from everything she has ever known. Devlin insists that he must go with her to protect her.

Man do I love this series! It’s dark, it’s emotional, it’s brilliantly conceived and it’s deeply romantic. Although I don’t think Marr necessarily writes it as a romance, the connections that she creates between her characters are overlaid with a strong romantic element. And Ani and Devlin’s tale is the most emotional yet. What fascinates me about this series is the darkness of it. The sense of impending doom that has been building throughout the series is becoming thicker and thicker as the series progresses. Marr’s deft touch with characterization and more, her ability to remain faithful to rules of the world that she has built makes this among the very best young adult fantasy series being published today. Ani and Devlin’s tale is romantic and thrilling and yet every piece of action in their story propels the mythology and overarching story forward. Melissa Marr is a brilliant author and this series is absolutely not to be missed. First time readers of Melissa Marr should note that while this book technically can stand alone, it is book four in the Wicked Lovely series. The richness of the series is better appreciated by beginning with Wicked Lovely, the first book in the series.


Rating: 5/5

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