The Marr Awards - GIVEAWAY

The Marr Awards are fan awards for everyone in the Wicked Lovely fandom. They are awarded TO fans BY fans and recognize amazing art, writing, and other contributions to the Wicked Lovely fandom.

So how do they work?

Wicked Lovely's fabulous fan artists are nominated by you (the fans!) for a Marr Award. There are 25 categories, ranging from Best Fan Art to Best Quote to Hottest Character. Nominations will be open for about a month. When the Nominations period is over, the lucky artists with the most nominations will move on to the Voting stage, where ALL Melissa Marr fans will be able to vote for who they think should win a Marr Award!

Cool! How can I nominate someone?

Nominating is really easy - go to the nominations page for the details. If you need to take a look at the categories available for nomination go here.

And we're happy to announce that our Art Director, Lorena, was nominated for a Marr Award under the category of Best Video for her Radiant Shadows Trailer. So in turn, we'll host a small giveaway to support her campaign and The Marr Awards! If you like her trailer please stop by the nominations page and nominate her for Best Video, she needs as many supporters as she can get!

So here's how this will work.

We will be giving away:

• (1) Copy of a Melissa Marr book. (Winner's Choice)
  

Want to win? Here are the ways you can enter.

• +1 Leave a comment or e-mail us with your e-mail and name
• +1 Tell us what Wicked Lovely Court you'd want to belong to.
  
• +1 Link to this giveaway on your blog (You get another entry for everyplace you link)
• +1 Link to this giveaway on your Facebook/Myspace
• +1 Twitter this giveaway
• +1 Become a fan of YAthenaeum on Facebook

Please provide evidence that you did the above (links will do).
Winner will be drawn on May 27th.

Review of Fragile Eternity
Review of Radiant Shadows

Good luck!

-The YAthenaeum Team

Radiant Shadows- REVIEW

Lorena's Review of Radiant Shadows by Melissa Marr

I sometimes feel awkward writing reviews so far away from a book's publication date, but I couldn't help myself, I need to tell you about this book. Wow, I haven't been this excited since Ink Exchange was released. For those of you unfamiliar with the Wicked Lovely series, odd numbered books are part of the canon series, while even numbered ones are stand-alone novels in the same universe. Radiant Shadows is the fourth book in Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely series.

Forget the troubles of the Summer Court and let yourself be lured to the shadows of the Dark Court. War is on the doorstep of the fairy courts, and their fates might rest in the hands of a Hound and an Assassin.


Synopsis:
"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?"


Review:
One of the biggest things I noticed about Radiant Shadows, if not the first, was that it was lighter than Ink Exchange. You wouldn't think anything surrounding the Dark Court could be taken in such a manner. But as I closed the cover of the book, I found myself feeling...well...happy. This isn't a feeling I normally associate with the Wicked Lovely stand-alones, but it just felt so right. There's such a feeling of triumph and completion to be had when this book is finished, it's just blissful. I couldn't think of a better novel to start the year off with.

I'll take this time to admit it, I'm a sucker for the antihero, and who could be a better candidate for such a character than a man who is the pure embodiment of logic and war. Devlin is such a well crafted character, that throughout the entire novel I wanted nothing more than to understand his point of view. A need to follow his court, his queen, while at the same time controlling his desires and his heart. Following him was an intense ride to say the least.

There is a point I'd like to make out before I go on a rant about how everyone should read Radiant Shadows. While it can be read as a stand-alone, I would strongly recommend reading the first three books (Wicked Lovely, Ink Exchange, and Fragile Eternity) before picking it up. There are many parts of the story that, while irrelevant to the plot, would just make a lot more sense with the knowledge of the previous novels.

Now to the wicked ones and the lovelies, to the fans of fantasy, to those hopeless romantics, and anyone who is willing. I say to you, read this book. Melissa's intricate fusion of strong characters and amazing storytelling will transport you to a place that's not too far from home, and still feel out of this world.

Radiant Shadows will be available wherever books are sold April 20th, 2010



You can read Lorena's review of Fragile Eternity over on this post.

Radiant Shadows Trailer

Hey guys, Lorena here. Just thought I'd share this trailer I made for Melissa Marr's upcoming novel, Radiant Shadows. She's holding a contest over on the Rath&Ruins forums that you still have time to enter!

Enjoy!

-Lorena

Fragile Eternity - REVIEW

Lorena's Review of Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr

When all odds seem to be against you, and there really seems to be nowhere else to turn. What would you be willing to give for eternity in our lover's arms? Your past, your future, your freedom?

Seth Morgan was never the romantic. He never saw himself spending the rest of his days lounging about with a lover in his arms- until he met Aislinn. Now she's all he thinks about, his new life, and with whom he wishes to spend it with. But what's one lifetime to the immortal queen of the summer faeries.

Taking place shortly after the events of Wicked Lovely and Ink Exchange, Fragile Eternity weaves the tales of Faery through the eyes of Seth. The Summer court, now renewed with a Summer Queen, is experiencing a surge of power that had been lost through nine centuries of searching. And with Summer quickly approaching, it seems to be getting harder and harder for Seth's relationship with Aislinn to hold out to her lusting for her Summer King, Keenan. But while she tries to ignore it, it becomes clearer everyday. Seth is mortal, time will pass her by in the blink of an eye, and he will die. It's all a matter of time.

But Seth wants more than a lifetime, he wants eternity.

It's been over a year since the release of Melissa Marr's Ink Exchance, and fans, at least where I am concered, have all been anxious for this novel, and it doesn't dissapoint. I'll admit, I've never been a big fan of Seth, and actually I've never understood why myself. But after reading Fragile Eterniry... it was like seeing him for the first time. In the likes of getting off to a rocky start with someone, and introducing yourself again. He's such a fragile character, so anxious to protect his lover, to help his friends. And I think that now, I get him, his character's open to me. Through Fragile Eternity we get a new light on the courts, and the turmoil they are in. War is at their doorstep, and it all seems to dangle on the thread of Seth's life.

How could one mortal be the catalyst for a possible faery war? You'll have to read it to find out.