Reviews for Ink Exchange (Wicked Lovely Series #2)

The average rating for Ink Exchange (Wicked Lovely Series #2) based on 2 reviews is 1.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2009-12-04 00:00:00 Ross Hrinko So, I gave Marr another try. I didn't like "Wicked Lovely" that much, but was told "Ink Exchange" was better. In some ways, it was. For one, Leslie as a protagonist is more interesting than Aislinn. There is definitely more depth to her and although I don't get that whole idea of a tattoo being able to free you of your troubles, to liberate you, make you stronger, Marr makes Leslie relatively easy to understand. Again, there are interesting ideas about faery lore that I would like to know more about. The ending is also very logical and satisfying to me. Considering that there are no true feelings between Leslie, Irial, and Niall, feelings based on real knowledge of each other, feelings not induced by magic of some sort, Leslie's decision is a correct one. But just like with Marr's first book, I find the writing style of this book extremely confusing. Once again, there is a lot of jumping from 3rd to 1st person narration, a lot of examining of one's feelings inserted in between the lines of conversations, a lot of hints, a lot of partial/incomplete descriptions. After finishing the book, I still don't know how any of the faeries look underneath their human disguises. I still don't know what are some fae introduced very early in the book are: the Hounds (I only know they are half-humans and assume they are some kind of guards), Ly Ergs, thistle-fey, etc. Still have no idea about the structure of the Dark Court, the exact position and role of Bananach. Have no idea what the High Court is. I am not sure if Marr expects me to already know all these things or I am supposed to deduce what I need to know from bits and pieces of mythology she gives throughout her book, sometimes in the very end of the story. I am convinced that if I need someone who have read all her books several times to explain to me what's what, the narration is just not that great. Overall, "Ink Exchange" is an OK book. It could have been better without endless often redundant self-reflection and with better delivered, cohesive mythology. Not sure if I will read any more of Marr's book. Her writing is just not my cup of tea I guess. Reading challenge: #14, 4 of 4

Review # 2 was written on 2009-08-14 00:00:00 John Doe I'm not really sure what to say about this book. It disturbs me that the protagonist, Leslie, who has survived a horrible sexual assault is, by the end of the book, repeatedly used both emotionally and sexually for weeks by the Dark Court king. Yet we're supposed to think this is a healing thing because her proximity to the Dark King feels so good that she forgets everything except being with him. But she wouldn't need him or feel anything toward him were it not for the tattoo using his blood that was put on her back and he knew that she'd need endless sex with him once it was done. I found this story truly distasteful, particularly since this book is YA. I'd expect this plot in a novel with adult characters, not teens. The fey have lived hundreds of years and they can't find adults to interact with? Creepy, and not in a good way. The most sympathetic character was Niall but his backstory is never truly told and his relationship with Leslie fizzles. I was also very bothered that the tattoo artist who put the fey king's blood into the tattoo on Leslie without her knowledge pays no price for doing this to her. No one is angry, Leslie comes to acceptance of what he did and that's it. He helped the Dark King trap her and use her but no one seems to care. Humans have died because Rabbit did this to them in the past but since Iriel comes to care for Leslie, we're supposed to think that makes it okay, I guess. One of the things that continues to bother me about Marr's storytelling is being thrown into the story without ever having the action explained or clear until the book is more than half over. Even when the book is finished I still don't know what a Ly Erg, glaistig or the Bananach are and I feel like I need to read these books with the encyclopedia of fey creatures sitting beside me. If you're going to create a whole world, kindly explain how it works and what the creatures are. For me, a disappointment.