Radiant Shadows

Hunger for nourishment.
Hunger for touch.
Hunger to belong.
Half-human and half-faery, Ani is driven by her hungers.
Those same appetites also attract powerful enemies and uncertain allies, including Devlin. He was created as an assassin and is brother to the faeries’ coolly logical High Queen and to her chaotic twin, the embodiment of War. Devlin wants to keep Ani safe from his sisters, knowing that if he fails, he will be the instrument of Ani’s death.
Ani isn’t one to be guarded while others fight battles for her, though. She has the courage to protect herself and the ability to alter Devlin’s plans—and his life. The two are drawn together, each with reason to fear the other and to fear for one another. But as they grow closer, a larger threat imperils the whole of Faerie. Will saving the faery realm mean losing each other?

Nathan says 4 stars...
So...this is a bit embarrassing. I could apologize and tell you how I've been busy, but honestly there's no excuse. Regardless, I'm posting a review now.

I love Melissa Marr. She's amazing. Having said that this is my least favorite book by her thus far. It's still a four star book, so that's not really disparaging Radiant Shadows so much as praising the rest of her works. But this review isn't about those.

Radiant Shadows focuses on Ani, the half-mortal, half-faerie child of Gabriel, the leader of the Dark Court's enforcers, the Hounds. Ani is coming into her Dark Court heritage, but feels trapped by her father's protectiveness. Her blood is telling her to run, but her family won't let her. This is where Devlin enters the story. He offers her an escape, and a whirlwind of adventures begins.

The story is a bit of a romp. There are the ever-thorny problems of Faerie Court politics blended with the problems facing an emerging half-faerie teenager. Needless to say, drama abounds.

My problem with this book lies with Ani and Devlin. For some reason, I can't love them. I want to, really, but they don't have the same appeal as Marr's other characters. I've never dealt well with teenagers who lash out and are angsty, and Ani kind of walks a fine line.

Overall, it's a great book. Face-paced and engaging, with Marr's trademark sensuously dark edge, Radiant Shadows continues one of my favorite series in the Young Adult world.