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Overview
Rule #3: Don't stare at invisible faeries.
Aislinn has always seen faeries. Powerful and dangerous, they walk hidden in mortal world. Aislinn fears their cruelty—especially if they learn of her Sight—and wishes she were as blind to their presence as other teens.
Rule #2: Don't speak to invisible faeries.
Now faeries are stalking her. One of them, Keenan, who is equal parts terrifying and alluring, is trying to talk to her, asking questions Aislinn is afraid to answer.
Rule #1: Don't ever attract their attention.
But it's too late. Keenan is the Summer King who has sought his queen for nine centuries. Without her, summer itself will perish. He is determined that Aislinn will become the Summer Queen at any cost—regardless of her plans or desires.
Suddenly none of the rules that have kept Aislinn safe are working anymore, and everything is on the line: her freedom; her best friend, Seth; her life; everything.
Faerie intrigue, mortal love, and the clash of ancient rules and modern expectations swirl together in Melissa Marr's stunning 21st century faery tale.
Synopsis
Rule #3: Don't stare at invisible faeries.
Aislinn has always seen faeries. Powerful and dangerous, they walk hidden in mortal world. Aislinn fears their cruelty—especially if they learn of her Sight—and wishes she were as blind to their presence as other teens.
Rule #2: Don't speak to invisible faeries.
Now faeries are stalking her. One of them, Keenan, who is equal parts terrifying and alluring, is trying to talk to her, asking questions Aislinn is afraid to answer.
Rule #1: Don't ever attract their attention.
But it's too late. Keenan is the Summer King who has sought his queen for nine centuries. Without her, summer itself will perish. He is determined that Aislinn will become the Summer Queen at any cost—regardless of her plans or desires.
Suddenly none of the rules that have kept Aislinn safe are working anymore, and everything is on the line: her freedom; her best friend, Seth; her life; everything.
Faerie intrigue, mortal love, and the clash of ancient rules and modern expectations swirl together in Melissa Marr's stunning 21st century faery tale.
The Washington Post - Annette Curtis Klause
Melissa Marr adds elegantly to the sub-genre of Urban Faery with this enticing, well-researched fantasy for teens … The romantic scenes are delicious. The fantasy of being pursued by two young men is alluring in itself, but when one is a pierced and tattooed sexy outsider and the other is a blindingly beautiful King of Faery, how much better can it get? Halfway through the book, I knew which characters I wanted to end up together, and that made me read greedily on. Readers will beg for a sequel.
Editorials
From Barnes & Noble
All teenagers have problems, but few of them can match those of Aislinn, who has the power to see faeries. Quite understandably, she wishes that she could share her friends' obliviousness and tries hard to avoid these invisible intruders. But one faery in particular refuses to leave her alone. Keenan the Summer King is convinced beyond all reasoning that Aislinn is the queen he has been seeking for nine centuries. What's a 21st-century girl to do when she's stalked by a suitor nobody else can see? A debut fantasy romance for the ages; superlative summer read.Annette Curtis Klause
Melissa Marr adds elegantly to the sub-genre of Urban Faery with this enticing, well-researched fantasy for teens … The romantic scenes are delicious. The fantasy of being pursued by two young men is alluring in itself, but when one is a pierced and tattooed sexy outsider and the other is a blindingly beautiful King of Faery, how much better can it get? Halfway through the book, I knew which characters I wanted to end up together, and that made me read greedily on. Readers will beg for a sequel.— The Washington Post
VOYA
Seventeen-year-old Aislinn, a Catholic schoolgirl, sees faeries. This "gift" is a true torment because although they are beautiful beings, it turns out that faeries are frivolous, self-centered, and vicious. Aislinn has learned from her grandmother not to interact with these fey folk, but this warning is quickly disregarded when Keenan, the glorious faerie Summer King, singles her out to be the next Summer Queen. What follows is a game of seduction and betrayal as Keenan's mother, the odious Winter Queen, works overtime to keep her son from "the one" who could help him bring order from the existing chaos in the various faerie royal courts and stop the creeping cold weather, which goes on longer every year. Complicating the matter of Aislinn's assuming her role of Summer Queen is the fact that she is in love with the amazingly tolerant and protective human, Seth. This story, about two hundred pages too long, is thin of plot, shallow of character, illogical in setting, and contrived in conclusion. The modern references-faeries using cell phones and a potential lover displaying a clean STD report-are inconsistent with the attempted supernatural plot elements. Aislinn's struggle to define her own destiny might appeal to angst-ridden teenage girls; however, they will more likely identify with the tragic minor character Donia than the obtuse Aislinn.KLIATT
Aislinn, a mortal teenager, has the gift, or perhaps curse, of being able to see faeries. She has always been able to see them, has been distracted by their presence, but has always done her best to ignore them and not let on that she sees them. When Aislinn begins to notice an increase in faeries, she is disconcerted. Her worries multiply when she discovers she is being trailed by two faeries in particular, who believe her to be their rightful queen. Unfortunately for Aislinn, she has no say in the matter. Though Aislinn desperately wishes to remain mortal and have the faeries leave her alone, she grows to understand that is not an option. If she truly is the Summer Queen, she will rule beside Keenan, the Summer King, and work to overthrow Beira, the Winter Queen and Keenan's mother. If she fails the test for Queen, Aislinn will become a Winter Girl, doomed to cold and fear until another girl comes along to take her place. Marr's story weaves between the mortal realm and the faerie world. Aislinn is aggressive, demanding, forthright, and modern, in spite of all of her fears and uncertainties. Her calm, in tense situations with the court and in her daily struggles to ignore the faeries, is admirable. As the full extent of Aislinn's circumstances is revealed, readers will be hooked by her tale and surely pick up the next book, Ink Exchange. Reviewer: Amanda MacGregorSchool Library Journal
Gr 9 Up -Aislinn knows about faeries. She has seen them all her life and her grandmother has taught her the rules. Don't stare at faeries. Don't speak to faeries. Don't attract the attention of faeries. She has seen the malicious behavior of faeries and wants a normal high school life. The rules have kept her safe for years. Imagine her dismay when the faeries begin stalking her and whispering, "do you think she's the one?" When Keenan, a faerie king, pursues Aislinn, she confides in her best friend Seth who accepts the idea of the unseen with ease. Together they face the faeries and learn that Keenan is the Summer King and believes Aislinn to be his queen. What develops is an intriguing triangle as both Seth and Keenan begin to court Aislinn. Melissa Marr's debut novel (HarperTeen, 2007) shows strength in both character and setting. Aislinn is an admirable protagonist, insisting on following her own path. Teen girls will flip over strong, sexy Seth. Marr's faerie world Marr is a fascinating mixture of the ancient and the modern. The story translates beautifully to audio, and narrator Alyssa Bresnahan is pitch-perfect in her delivery. The sexual tension is subtle but makes the story more appropriate for older listeners. Recommend this intriguing fantasy romance to fans of Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" series.-Tricia Melgaard, Centennial Middle School, Broken Arrow, OK
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