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.

Listening Length

8 hours and 57 minutes
Author

Melissa Marr
Narrator

Nick Landrum
Audible release date

July 29, 2008
Language

English
Publisher

HarperAudio
ASIN

B001DEWHJY
Version

Unabridged
Program Type

Audiobook
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Product details

Listening Length	8 hours and 57 minutes
Author	Melissa Marr
Narrator	Nick Landrum
Whispersync for Voice	Ready
Audible.com Release Date	July 29, 2008
Publisher	HarperAudio
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B001DEWHJY
Best Sellers Rank	#94,850 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) #19 in Teen Fiction on Sexual Abuse #101 in Teen & Young Adult Fiction on Sexual Abuse (Books) #141 in Teen & Young Adult Fiction on Drugs & Alcohol Abuse

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3341

3.5 stars for a more compelling story than the first

Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2017

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This one has a little more teeth, frankly, I thought it was just a better story, with a better cast. I liked Leslie as well as Niall and especially Irial. I found him the most interesting. I liked the way he was with her and Niall, as well as Gabriel. You could tell he cared about these people as well as his court. He may not be a good person but he was true to himself in all things. I especially loved the ending, for each of the characters it felt right. Maybe hope for a continuation at some point for each of them. The only thing I didn't care for was Aislinn, I didn't understand why she wouldn't warn her friend or why she didn't take action after the fact. The friendship itself felt fake. I also thought Keenan's complete aboutface from being the nice guy was a bit jarring, unless the author plans on a more complex character with hidden depths. Although I have to say, I just didn't get that vibe from the first book. He seemed kind of one dimensional to me and I wasn't so impressed... even less impressed with him in this book.

3 people found this helpful

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Fromalonelystar

Faeries like you haven't seen before

Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2015

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Torn up inside after her drug-dealer brother betrays her in the most horrible way, Leslie puts on a brave front with her friends, pretending her drunken dad isn't letting the bills pile up and hiding all her pain. Hoping to take back control over her body, she decides to get a tattoo, and picks out a special design at the tattoo parlor she often hangs out at. Unbeknownst to Leslie, that tattoo is the symbol of Irial, the king of the faerie Dark Court, designed to allow him to filter the unpleasant emotions that feed his court through her into him and his people.

As Leslie finds her vision changing and her feelings shifting in unpredictable ways, Niall, a faerie of the Summer Court who has always admired her, steps in, hoping to help her and keep Irial away. He has his own tangled feelings about Irial, whom he once counted as a friend. But as Leslie sinks further under Irial's thrall, enjoying the escape from the hurt and fear she'd been living with, only she can decide when to pull away--or whether she would rather stay with him, after all.

INK EXCHANGE is a darkly imaginative novel set in the same world as Marr's first novel, WICKED LOVELY. Readers will enjoy exploring the lives of some of that novel's minor characters and seeing more of the shadowy side of the faerie courts. They may find Leslie, Niall, and Irial less engaging than the spirited and perhaps more sympathetic narrators of WICKED LOVELY, but the trio still make for a fascinating "love" triangle as each deals with conflicting emotions and tries to decide what is right both for him or herself and for those who are counting on them.

The imagery is striking and evocative, and the politics of the different faerie courts is intriguing to explore. A great book for dark fantasy fans

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Jane

2 ½ stars. It’s an interesting world, but the story was not as good as the first book.

Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2015

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This is the second book in the Wicked Lovely series. The main characters are not together at the end, so it’s not a “romance.” The ending was complete, not a cliffhanger. But I would have preferred characters being together.

This story is about the dark court. Dark court faeries terrorize and kill humans. None of that is shown. It’s not that I want a lot of gory detail, but that part was vaguely referred to. I was frustrated because I wanted to know what the faeries did to humans. There is also addiction and reference to rape.

I read some reviews for the sequels. Book 3 has low reviews. Books 4 and 5 sound better, but I've lost interest in the series after this one.

DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Story length: 325 pages. Swearing language: mild. Sexual content: none, other than a reference to a past rape with no details shown. Setting: unknown time probably current day in fictional town Huntsdale, Pennsylvania. Copyright: 2008. Genre: fantasy fiction, young adult.

5 people found this helpful

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A nice return to the world created in Wicked Lovely

Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2008

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first became acquainted with the writing style of Melissa Marr back in February when I read her first book, Wicked Lovely. Which tells the story of Aislinn and introduces the reader to a world of faerie which co-exists alongside ours. In Ink Exchange we return that that world with the story of Leslie, Aislinn's best friend. Leslie's story is different from Aislinn's though because she knows nothing of the faerie world. All she knows is that her friend has changed over the last few months. Not only that but she has changed as well as her home life gets progressively worse as she deals with her alcoholic father and drug addicted brother. Leslie often works longer hours not just to escape from being at home but to also earn the money that will pay the bills. Leslie has also been thinking for months about getting a tattoo. No design ever seems to appeal to her though nor does she think she can justify the cost.

Until one day a tattoo artist named Rabbit shows her some of his personal designs. One time only deals that means each tattoo once used will not be used on another person. Leslie flips through the pages and is immediately drawn to one. She can't get it out of her head and convinces Rabbit to sell it to her. Rabbit says that it will change her life and since that is what Leslie wants she doesn't think about the cost. This is also no ordinary tattoo, it was designed by one of the Fey and it will change its bearer and not always the way that they want.

I enjoyed returning to the universe that Marr created in Wicked Lovely and it was great to see the cameos of all the characters that were in that first book. However, this book didn't have the same draw for me as Wicked Lovely did. The build up for Leslie getting the tattoo was a little slow and often seem stilted. The relationships that were tossed in her path with the two Fey folk Irial and Niall seemed a little too contrived to be believable. Then when Leslie finally does get herself inked the changes seem to go so fast and then before you know it the book is over. I felt as though that there were parts of the story that were untold and these was no easy ending to it. Marr has obviously left the door open for a third book.

Despite the fact that the 1st half of the book doesn't really mesh well with the last half (the 1st was slow and plodding and the ending had that rushed feel) the writing style was the same as in Wicked Lovely.....although of a darker quality to suit the darker aspects touched upon in this novel. I am still intrigued with Marr and the universe that she has created and since she has left things open for a return then I will sit back and wait for the next installment. For I do wonder what mischief all my new Faerie friends will come up with next.

[...]

4 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

daisyduck1976

Much darker than Wicked Lovely

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 8, 2010

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This is the follow up book after Wicked Lovely and it's quite different. It has a much darker tone than the first book but it is just as compelling. It centres on Aislinn's friend Leslie and the Dark Court, so we don't see very much progression in the story of Aislinn, Seth and Keegan, although they do feature in Leslie's story regularly.

Leslie is troubled, afraid that her life and feelings are not her own. Without going into too much detail, Marr makes it quite clear than Leslie's homelife is frankly horrific and that she has suffered abuse. Small details emerge about this as the book goes on, but it is cleverly written. Leslie is determined for her abuse not to be the main marker in her life. She is trying to find her way, reclaim control over herself, not to be a victim. So she doesn't dwell on what happened for the reader to hear. She alludes to it more by explaining how it makes her feel, how she shuts those feelings out. I have been surprised by other reviewers complaints that this aspect of the story was not properly dealt with. Written any other way, it would have been dwelling too much on her past pain rather than her future and how she was going to move forward.

Leslie is resolved to get a tattoo, something to mark her body as her own, but she keeps looking at Rabbit's designs and she just can't see something that draws her in. Eventually she sees something in Rabbit's design book that he doesn't normally show to people. She knows immediately that she must have it. It calls to her. Obtaining the tattoo begins Leslie's connection to Irial, the king of the Dark Fey. She is strongly drawn to both him and Keegan's advisor in the Summer Court, Niall. What connects the three of them and where will it lead? What are Aislinn and Keegan trying to hide from her/protect her from?

The story of what happens to Leslie once the tattoo is completed is the most compelling part of the book. I found that I kept changing my mind as to where I wanted the story to go. Marr writes the characters from an unbiased point of view, so I never felt that I was supposed to favour one character over another or to want one outcome more than another. I just kept swaying between all the options. In actual fact, none of the things that I thought would draw the book to a close, actually happened. I was surprised and very pleased by the outcome. It was true to Leslie's original goal- to reclaim her life and to move on stronger and more in control.

I would recommend that you read it, if you enjoyed the first book. Be prepared for the change in tone and the reduced roles of previously main characters. You will be compensated by the characters of Leslie, Irial, Gabriel and Niall coming much more to the fore. They are much more complex than they appear at first. That's one of the things that makes the book so interesting.

Claire Mill

2.5 Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 1, 2009

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Ink Exchange is the sequel to Wicked Lovely, but following different characters. Leslie is one of Aislinn's (the girl from Wicked Lovely) closest friends, and the book follows her fight to regain control after a horrible and terrifying event. She decides that the way to do that is to get a tattoo. But unknown to her, the tattoo she chooses is that of the faerie king of the Dark Court, Irial.

With the tattoo comes unexpected changes for Leslie. Her sight changes, the emotions she feels and the way she reacts. The pain, hurt and fear that had been consuming her, disappears. But at what cost?

The more she changes, the more Niall, advisor to the Summer King and Queen Keenan and Aislinn, wants to help her. Having escaped the Dark Court himself many years ago, he's determined not to let them have Leslie. But in the end, can he himself escape their clutches again?

Wicked Lovely was a really good read, but unfortunately this does not live up to it. The idea behind the story, surviving - not allowing someone else to rule your life, is a good one, but it doesn't work here. The writing tended to ramble on and got confusing at times. You could see what the end was going to be long before you got there, and when you did, it was over quickly. It didn't help that half of the book was from Irial's perspective. As the 'bad guy' I had no sympathy for him or his motives. I didn't like his character and even found him dull at times.

On the good side, we saw some of Keenan's true nature and we got a better look at Niall, easily the most interesting, though least seen, character in the book. I intend to read the third book in the series, Fragile Eternity, because it focuses on different characters. But I don't feel this book really added anything to the series. Long winded, slow and dull at times it didn't do it's predecessor any justice. Hoping for more from the next one.

Ms. J. Clarke

Dark and delightful

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 23, 2011

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I wasn't sure how I'd get on with this after enjoying Wicked Lovely so much, mainly because it had new lead
characters and I'd really fallen for Ash and Seth in the first book. However, melisaa Marr creates
wonderful characters and Lesley is another of these. We do have appearences from Ash and Seth and others from
the first book. We get to know alot more about Niall and meet some other rulers of other fairie courts too.
This book I found alot darker and definately not one for younger audiences. It was very enjoyable and showed us
more of the world that Melissa Marr has created and left me eagerly awaiting more. I have now ordered the 3rd book
which it seems takes us back to Ash again....... I can't wait.

Morrigan

Terror and Temptation

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 25, 2016

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It's nice to see the story from another character's perspective and it not being a novel that switched POV every chapter. Lesley's story shows how even best friends can hide terrible secrets if they're too scared to ask for help. I wish nobody could relate to her story, but the character handles things very well and proves that she is a strong, independant woman.

layla

Great follow up to Wicked Lovely.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 25, 2013

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I felt the story line dealt with real issues in a delicate and thoughtful way and the way these were mixed with the fairy tale ideas was fantastic. I got a bit lost in parts of the book but felt the overall story was great. I would have loved for Niall to have had the love he wanted in the end though!

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