Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr

I rate this book 4.9 out of 5

The summer King is missing, the Dark Court is weakened and unbalanced, Bananach's threat of War looms on the horizon. The future of all the faeries is at stake, but can anything be resolved without killing Bananach, a move that would doom them all? Everything comes to a head in this final end-cap novel for Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely series, and it is a finale not to be missed.

Fantasy, especially the ever re-visited fairy tale, is often a hard genre to get a reader to take seriously. Mostly it has a very specific readership. However, I dare anyone not to be sucked in by Marr's Wicked Lovely series. Done out as an urban fantasy that tracks the intrigues and problems of the various fairy courts through a multitude of main characters it makes for a fresh and modernized take on an old topic. With each book the action and adventure outdoes itself, delivered with easy flowing narration and excellent characterization.

As the fifth and final installment, Marr's storytelling technique neither becomes repetitive nor ridiculous, a sad but frequent fate of series that have more than two or three books. Fairy stories are something that seem to be often overlooked or discounted as girly interests, but Melissa Marr gives this stereotype a run for it.

Though this is a review for the most recent book, I highly recommend the entire series. If you like fantasy and adventure this will be just what you are looking for.

*COMMENT ON FINALE ENDING* *SPOILERS AHEAD*

*proceed with caution*

My only critique was, as a final book I was left with two unanswered questions. Does Ash now owe Far Dorcha for the saving of Keenan? When she meets him earlier in the book she lets the Death Fey touch her face, thereby giving her the right to a request of him. However when she makes the request it is for Far Dorcha to help Keenan and Donia, whatever the cost. This insinuates that Ash could become in debt to the Death Fey, which is no small thing. However Far Dorcha merely walks away without saying if this is the case, and though it is all resolved, there is never any reflection on her having a debt or not.

The second unanswered bit of intrigue, what does Keenan owe the water fey for their help in the war? He promised them a favor and it seemed to be insinuated that the head of the water fey would like to drown him, good and properly unlike the first time.

Neither of these are very important details, but I still wondered about them. My questions do not however distract from what I consider a fantastic ending. I am still very happy with it and rather hope that the unanswered questions means an opening for another book. 

By Alissa Tsaparikos