Review: Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr

Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr
Series: Wicked Lovely, book #2
Released: May 1st, 2008
Details: 352 pages, paperback
Disclosure: Bought on Amazon.com
Summary (goodreads):

Unbeknownst to mortals, a power struggle is unfolding in a world of shadows and danger. After centuries of stability, the balance among the Faery Courts has altered, and Irial, ruler of the Dark Court, is battling to hold his rebellious and newly vulnerable fey together. If he fails, bloodshed and brutality will follow.

Seventeen-year-old Leslie knows nothing of faeries or their intrigues. When she is attracted to an eerily beautiful tattoo of eyes and wings, all she knows is that she has to have it, convinced it is a tangible symbol of changes she desperately craves for her own life.

The tattoo does bring changes—not the kind Leslie has dreamed of, but sinister, compelling changes that are more than symbolic. Those changes will bind Leslie and Irial together, drawing Leslie deeper and deeper into the faery world, unable to resist its allures, and helpless to withstand its perils. . . .

I wasn't too excited to read this since I knew it had nothing to do with Ash or Seth... but I ended up really liking it. 

Ink Exchange brings us back to the faerie world but through the eyes of Irial and Naill. It focused more on the Dark Court and the hounds, as well as Ash's friend Leslie. I think this was suppose to be more about Irial, Leslie and the Dark Court, but I found that the voice of Naill was much stronger than Irial's.

I liked that we were introduced into the Dark Court (though they scared me, to be honest)! How they work, what they're after and how they go about things. It's always interesting to see the differences between all these Court's. I liked how we finally got to know what goes on in Naill's head and man is it some interesting stuff! You find out why he left the Dark Court to join the Summer Court and a lot of things about Naill are answered in this book. There are a few parts where Ash and Seth make an appearance, and it was strange seeing Seth not really be Seth. I liked knowing more about Leslie and her life. I don't really know how I feel about Irial, he made a great King, though his intentions were... well... dark, you clearly understood them and why he was making these decisions. 

It was a great addition to the series, but other than knowing Naill's side of the story, nothing else really stood out for me.