Review: Fragile Eternity

by Melissa Marr
publisher: HarperTeen
date published: April 1, 2009
format: hardcover
pages: 389
source: library
Amazon / Goodreads / B&N
challenges: Goodreads 2011 Reading Challenge; 2011 YA Reading Challenge

From Goodreads:

"Aislinn never expected to rule in Faerie--but that was before Keenan stole her mortality to make her a monarch. Now she faces challenges and enticements beyond any she'd ever dreamed of.

Seth never expected he would want to settle down with anyone--but that was before Aislinn. She is everything he's ever dreamed of, and he wants to be with her forever. Forever takes on a new meaning, though, when your girlfriend is an immortal faery queen."

What I Thought

Where do I start? This installment of the Wicked Lovely series frustrated me horribly, at times. The cast of characters were all so stubborn, so calculating, and so dramatic that I wanted to reach through the pages and shake them. I suppose the fact that these characters could evoke such reactions could be seen as a testament to Marr's writing, but I was exhausted by them!

This particular book is primarily about the relationship between Aislinn, Seth, and Keenan. Jealousy runs rampant from both Seth and Keenan. Aislinn is, true to form, caught in the middle. Aislinn did not seem as confident as she had during the first two books. She seemed a lot less strong to me. As for Keenan, I found his inability to keep to his word to be annoying. Seth earned both my pity and my frustration, with the latter being earned after he makes a stupid oversight.

Added to the stresses of this tug-of-war is the increasingly creepy Bannach, the embodiment of war and destruction, who is out for blood (literally!). As if all of that wasn't enough, Donia and Niall become increasingly resentful and even violent toward the Summer Court's rulers. The result is a lot of squabbling, a lot of unreasonable behavior, and a lot of reckless actions. Keenan continues with his manipulative ways; Aislinn waivers between blind trust and poor decisions; and Seth ceases to be as calm as he was in the previous two books.

I think I was most disappointed by Donia this time. I loved her during the first book, but this time she was nothing more than a petulant, insecure jerk (for lack of a better term). She misplaced her anger and did something that I can't stand to see women do. I hope to see better things from her in the next book.

There was just a bit too much melodrama in Fragile Eternity to suit my tastes. I found it to be like a strange urban fantasy-faerie-soap opera. It is exhausting to be so frustrated with a set of characters so constantly. The portion of the book that takes place after Seth makes a momentous decision (you'll have to read it if you want to know what that decision is) was the only thing that redeemed this book for me. Thanks to that part of the plot and the introduction of the High Queen, Sorcha, I was able to give this book 3 hoots rather than 2.