Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr

Ink Exchange
Author: Melissa Marr
Pages: 325
Published by HarperTeen
My Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary: (From Goodreads)
 To 17-year-old Leslie, the tattoo is a thing of indescribable beauty, a captivating mark that she must make her own. But this subtle web of eyes and wings brings with it a transformation that no sweet young girl would ever imagine or welcome. Like its predecessor, this stand-alone sequel to Wicked Lovely plunges its youthful heroine into a faery world of almost constant peril. A tantalizing urban fantasy that won't let go.




My Review:
Ink Exchange was quite a dark and compelling read. I actually read this one more than a year ago, but then I recently realized that I never put up a review for it, and yet I have reviews up for the first and the fifth. (And I promise, review for books three and four will be up soon.)

Ink Exchange is the companion novel to Wicked Lovely, and it is set in the same faerie world, but it is not related much to Wicked Lovely. Aislinn, Seth, and Keenan all have very small roles in this book, but it revolves around the Dark Court, Leslie, Niall, and Irial.

The depth of all the characters in this novel surprised me, but in a good way. Leslie, Irial, and Niall are three of the most complex characters I have ever come across in books. I think they come across a little differentely than most people think they would, from Leslie and Niall's small roles in Wicked Lovely, and Irial at the start of Ink Exchange. But these are deep, deep characters that will stay with you.

This is definitely a dark faerie book. It was one of the things that made it fascinating, so be prepared for a book not just about twikling little faeries. You might have realized that with Wicked Lovely, but it's even more obvious in Ink Exchange.

I don't think I enjoyed this one as much as Wicked Lovely. I think it was mostly because I wanted to see Donia/Keenan moments in this novel, since they are my absolute favs. I ended up loving the characters in Ink Exchange, but I did find that this novel was okay to put down. It did also take me awhile to read it, which isn't normal.

Melissa Marr not only has an enchanting quality for story telling, but she does have flowing and lyrical writing. I love her writing, and these are probably my two favorite quotes in this book, if not ever:

"Sometimes love means letting go when you want to hold on tighter."

"What does it mean when nightmares dream of peace? When shadows wish for light?"
See, amazing, right? I hope you want to read Ink Exchange now, because it is amazing and a read that is quite beloved to me.