Marr, Melissa: Ink Exchange
Ink Exchange
Writer: Melissa Marr
Genre: YA/Urban Fantasy
Pages: 325
Those of you who've read this journal for a while know how much I loved Melissa Marr's debut, Wicked Lovely. I loved it so much that as soon as the sequel was released, I prowled through the stores until I could land a copy. Then, for whatever reason (actually, I think it was a good one--I was doing research for my teaching module), I put it on my shelf and forgot about it.
I've read a LOT of press and reviews on this book. There's the rather infamous case of a "reviewer" claiming that Marr was ripping off Laurell K. Hamilton's Mary Gentry*** series, and the basis of said argument being the similarity between the covers. *smacks head* Then more appropriately, most people who read this didn't find it as strong as Wicked Lovely, so there was definitely some "baggage" for me coming into this book, as I knew it'd be good, but I didn't know what to expect. There's also the fact that since reading Wicked Lovely, I've gotten quite tired and bored of fairies, so really, it's no wonder I haven't read it until now.
So why now? The cover for Marr's third book, Fragile Eternity has been released, and boy is it pretty. And it served to remind me that I needed to get cracking, so get cracking I did.
The premise: Leslie is Aislinn's best friend, but she's got problems of her own. Her life's gone to hell in a handbasket since her mother left her alone with a gambling father and a drug-addict brother, and the latter liked to drug her up and pass her around to his friends for some cash. So Leslie's decided to make her body her own again: she's getting a tattoo. Unfortunately, her perfect tattoo has ties to the faery world that Aislinn's trying so hard to keep her out of. Even worse, the tattoo, once completed, links her to the Dark King of the Dark Court, Irial, and he has his own plans for her, which threaten to undo everything that Leslie's trying to build for herself.
Spoilers, yo.
Let's get the comparisons out of the way first: it's a good book. I finished it in, like, FIVE hours. Marr has a great writing voice and great conflict that keeps you turning the pages, even though the conflict in this case was pretty much a train wreck waiting to happen. Leslie, by choosing her tattoo, essentially looses her freedom of choice. Certainly, the people in the know like Rabbit and Ani and Tish could've given her more warnings than the mere vagueness, but really, there was nothing that could've been done to save Leslie from her fate. She was determined to get that tattoo, and even if she'd learned about the faeries in time and sworn allegiance to the Summer Court, I don't think that would've saved her. She had to find a way to save herself, but not before the downward spiral.
I'm once more very impressed with how Marr handles relationships. She never takes the traditional route. In this case, we have Niall who's truly in love with her, despite the fact he knows his very essence will kill her. Then we have Irial, who starts out wanting Leslie for his own purposes, but grows to love her in spite of what he's doing to her. In the end, Leslie ends up with neither, and that's just fantastic. She's able to find the courage to break the link between her and Irial, and Irial, out of love, lets her. Her experience with the fae make her want to break those ties entirely (except for maybe Ash, but even that's strained), so Niall's out of the picture too. How wonderfully bittersweet.
Also lovely was how Irial steps down from his crown and passes the kingship to Niall. Niall doesn't want it, but he's definitely the best candidate, and there's so much conflict and tension in the Dark Court that you know we're getting prepared for a later book (whether it's book three or something later, I don't know). The relationship between those two was great, because there's lots of room for interpretation, and any interpretation fits the situation. Unrelated to Niall and Irial, I liked how Marr handled the sex between Leslie and Irial. It's obvious those two got hot and heavy once the exchange was completed, but Marr handles this with finesse and subtlety that's just right for the book.
It was good to see Aislinn, Seth, and Kennan again, and to see how their story has continued since Wicked Lovely. Ash is a stronger character, and it seems she's managing a decent balance between the world of the fae and the real world. Kennan revealed some of his darker colors, making me glad once more that Ash chose Seth, but I do wish Donia had been around in this book, especially since she was referred to so often.
Now I'll grant that this book doesn't have the same level of action that Wicked Lovely has. There is no big climatic battle at the end, at least, not overtly. The battle is the inner conflict and turmoil of Leslie's soul, the recognition that she's become an emotional zombie who can't feel anything anymore, who needs to put herself in more and more dangerous situations just to get that spark of life. Her choice to end this is a powerful one, because it goes back to the book's overall theme of the power of choice and what it means to be a survivor. Normally, I get really, really antsy over implication of rape and sexual abuse (or outright action of it), and maybe I was just well-prepared, but in this book, it fits. It's important, because the story's about Leslie taking her body back as her own, which leads to the tattoo, which leads to her taking her LIFE back as her own, which leads her to break the tattoo's bond to Irial. It's a powerful message, and one not to be taken lightly. In the end, Leslie must rely on herself rather than allowing those she loves or lusts after to guide her along. Sure, Niall helps her break the tattoo's bonds, but she can't physically DO that herself, and besides, she had to make the choice to let him to begin with.
And randomly: I'm not tired of Marr's faeries. Which is a good thing, because every other faery book I've read has annoyed me on some level or another.
My Rating
Must Have: Every time I finish one of Marr's books, I think to myself that if I had a daughter, I would have no trouble letting her read these books. I love what Marr does with her heroines and giving them hard choices to make and giving them chances to stand on their own two feet, and I love that the romantic relationships aren't storybook or fairy tale and in that sense not traditional at all. Ink Exchange doesn't have the same level of action or conflict that Wicked Lovely has, but that doesn't make it a lesser book. The conflict is internal, and more to the point, it's a very important message, especially to young girls. That it's wrapped up in a pretty package with a solid story is a good thing too, and I look forward to continuing this series.
*** = I haven't read Hamilton, nor do I plan to outside of random short stories that happen to be in anthologies. So I can't compare, but people who have say the comparison's ridiculous.
Next up:
Spindrift by Allen Steele