Ink Exchange out now from HarperCollins; 352 pages
Content Warning: Violence, blood, sexual assault, addiction, emotional abuse, stalking
About the Author: “Melissa writes fiction for adults, teens, and children. Her books have been translated into 28 languages to date and been bestsellers in the US (NY Times, LA Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, etc) as well as various countries overseas. She is best known for the Wicked Lovely series for teens and Bunny Roo I Love You for children. She can be found in a kayak or trail with her wife” (Bio from author’s website).
Find Melissa Marr on the following platforms:
After surviving a deadbeat father and an abusive brother, Leslie decides to rebrand and regain control of her life by marking her body with her first tattoo. It takes her weeks to finally decide what she wants, but she eventually chooses an intricate, unique design, not knowing that the ink contains the blood of Irial, the king of the Dark Court of faeries. The tattoo forms a magical bond between the two, allowing Irial to feed on Leslie’s emotions in order to maintain power in his court. As the connection between them deepens, Leslie gains the ability to see the faery world and once again feels her control over her life slipping through her fingers. The solution to her problem is not clear, and Leslie will have to team up with an unexpected faerie to find the means to break the bond.
Ink Exchange is a haunting and emotional read that doesn’t tiptoe around strong themes of trauma, control, and identity. Leslie’s story begins in a place of pain, and the way that pain shapes her choices is handled with brutal honesty that shocked me at first, but ultimately strengthened the plot and characters. The fae world in the novel is both beautiful and unsettling, full of danger hidden behind glamours and charm. The bond between Leslie and Irial is a unique concept, and the idea of him gaining access to her being through blood is a chilling thought. Watching her fight to reclaim her agency, even when everything feels out of her control, is what makes this book so powerful. This book was released in 2008, but it was clearly ahead of its time. This is the first time I’ve read it, and I’m glad I held off until I was in my twenties. Ink Exchange is a fantastic novel with bold ideas; however, I think it is best suited for readers who can fully appreciate Marr’s ability to use trauma as a thematic tool. If you’re looking for a fae story that goes darker and deeper than most, this one certainly delivers. It’s unsettling in all the right ways, and it is sure to stick with you for a long time after closing its pages.
Callie Andrews, Pine Reads Review Writer, Social Media, and Web