Review by Alex- Fragile Eternity

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

Aislinn never expected to rule the very creatures who'd always terrified her-but that was before Keenan. He stole her mortality to make her a monarch, and now she faces challenges and enticements beyond any she'd ever imagined.

In Melissa Marr's third mesmerizing tale of Faerie, Seth and Aislinn struggle to stay true to themselves and each other in a milieu of shadowy rules and shifting allegiances, where old friends become new enemies and one wrong move could plunge the Earth into chaos.

Thoughts on Fragile Eternity: Very dark, dangerous, complicated. These are not the fairies that prance around, weaving flower petal crowns.

All of the relationships are so mixed up. Nothing is perfect, nothing works. Someone’s always hurt, because of the problems being a faerie/not being a faeries causes. For instance: Seth is mortal and weak. Aislinn is strong and a Summer Queen faerie. Donia is the Winter Queen. Keenan is the Summer King. Seth loves Aislinn. Aislinn loves Seth. Keenan loves Donia. Donia loves Keenan. Keenan and Aislinn feel drawn together- inevitable. It’s this one huge love square that made me want to pull my hair out. Must everything be so darn complicated? Yes, it makes for a good plotline, I suppose, but goshdarnit! I never want to be a faerie.

I liked Fragile Eternity but not as much as the first two. Actually, sometimes it got a little dull and repetitive. Here, I’ll break it down for you:

First quarter and second quarter- relationship problems.
Third quarter- relationship problems and Seth sets out to find a way to become a faerie to stay forever with Aislinn.
Fourth quarter- relationship problems and repercussions of Seth’s actions. Plus some weird mother-son moments.

Basically. Or at least that’s how I found it.

The writing’s good, the characters are fine if a bit meh. Seth becomes increasingly desperate and I came up with a new saying: “Desperation can only lead to disaster- especially if it involves wicked faeries.”

It didn’t help that I remembered nothing of the first two books. Wicked Lovely, the vague ideas and events, Ink Exchange, nothing at all. I had to piece together what little bits the book told to remember what happened. I suggest you reread the first two if you don’t remember them, or else you may end up like me, ruining a good story wondering and being confused.

If Wicked Lovely was Aislinn’s story, and Ink Exchange was Lesley’s, then I suppose this one should be Seth’s? It jumps around a lot though so it isn’t really just Seth’s. Also Aislinn's. It’d be nice if it was Seth's though. I'm wondering who the fourth book will focus on...

The ending was perfect for me. Like that last chapter, the epilogue- yes. It’s just the feeling of openness it leaves. How this one story is done, but another one will surely follow. It leaves no doubt for a sequel while also wrapping up this one nicely.

So in conclusion, this is a good faerie story. If you're in the mood for something like this, read it. But I warn you sometimes it gets a little frustrating to read, what with all the weird relationships.