Cold Iron Heart

Wicked Lovely #0.5

by Melissa Marr

How far would you go to escape fate?

In this prequel to the international bestselling Wicked Lovely series (over a million copies sold), the Faery Courts collide a century before the mortals in Wicked Lovely are born.

Thelma Foy, a jeweler with the Second Sight in iron-bedecked 1890s New Orleans, wasn’t expecting to be caught in a faery conflict. Tam can see through the glamours faeries wear to hide themselves from mortals, but if her secret were revealed, the fey would steal her eyes, her life, or her freedom. So, Tam doesn’t respond when they trail thorn-crusted fingertips through her hair at the French Market or when the Dark King sings along with her in the bayou.

But when the Dark King, Irial, rescues her, Tam must confront everything she thought she knew about faeries, men, and love.

Too soon, New Orleans is filling with faeries who are looking for her, and Irial is the only one who can keep her safe.

Unbeknownst to Tam, she is the prize in a centuries-old fight between Summer Court and Winter Court. To protect her, Irial must risk a war he can’t win--or surrender the first mortal woman he's loved.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult, Fae, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Audiobook

304 pages, Paperback

First published April 3, 2020

About the author

Melissa Marr writes fiction for adults, teens, and children. Her books have been translated into 28 languages and been bestsellers in the US (NY Times, LA Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal) as well as overseas. Wicked Lovely, her debut novel, was an instant New York Times bestseller and evolved into an internationally bestselling multi-book series with a myriad of accolades.

In 2024 she released a queer fantasy (Remedial Magic via Bramble), a picturebook about a wee one and his two moms (Family is Family via Penguin), and a DC Comics graphic novel about teen Harley & Ivy (The Strange Adventures of Harleen & Harley).

An Illumicrate edition of 6 Wicked Lovely books will release in 2025.

If she's not writing, you can find her in a kayak or on a trail with her wife.

Reviews

[Virginia Ronan ♥ Herondale ♥]

I NEED THIS R-RIGHT NOW!!!!

OMG!
I mean OH MY.... *hyperventilates*

A STORY ABOUT IRIAL!!!! A PREQUEL!!!??
ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!?? HELL!!! WHERE WAS THIS ALL THE TIME MY LIFE!!!???

*takes a paper bag and inhales slowly*

Okay, I'm better now, but DAMN I still need this like I need pancakes on a Sunday morning!
Irial my first love! My first Dark King! <3
And now excuse me while I faint.

[Madison Warner Fairbanks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cold Iron Heart by Melissa Marr
Wicked Lovely series #0.5. Fantasy prequel. Historical romance. Can be read as a prequel or after the series for back story of the Dark King.
Thelma Foy is trying to survive in 1890’s New Orleans. There isn’t much work for a female and she doesn’t want this sell herself. A single woman on her own is also a target for the unethical, so Tam must travel carefully. She makes jewelry to try to sell to make ends meet but isn’t treated well or is outright refused in the process.
Tam also has the Second Sign which allows her to see the fae for who they are rather than a glamour they may wear. She’s been warned never to let her know she can see their true form or they will steal her eyes, her life or her freedom. There is one dark fae she sees quite often. He often seems to be following her or in the right spot if she’s in trouble. On a whim on day, she leaves him a ring she’s made in the guise of a thank you to the gods. Charmed, the Dark King, Irial, makes it known that he protects Tam.


This prequel predates the series by 100 years and tells the romance of the Dark King. Tam, as a human female in the late 1800’s, has a difficult life. Irial is intrigued by Tam and soon falls in love. It’s a sweet story and a great addition to the series.
If you’ve read the series, you will want to read this backstory of the Dark King falling in love.
If you haven’t read the series, this is just a small taste of dark worlds and wars between the Winter and Summer courts.

[Amy Imogene Reads]

How did I not know this was coming?????? CAN'T WAIT!

[The Typed Writer · Rating 1 out of 5]

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Cold Iron Heart by Melissa Marr Book Review

I don’t think many people are aware or have read the Wicked Lovely series by Melissa Marr, but that’s alright. I originally started this book blog as I had so many thoughts and feelings about the books I was reading and yet no one to share them with.

So I might be talking to me, myself and I in this book review, but at the end of the day, it’s still a way for me to express how I feel about the literature I’m consuming even if no one else is reading this.

Wicked Lovely is one of my favorite series from when I was young. I still remember very clearly how my love story with these books started as it was odd and coincidental. I was at the grocery store with my mom and a promised “quick” trip quickly turned into an hour-long shopping spree as my mother was prone to do.

Back then I was in middle school, had no cell phone, and was bored out of my mind. So what is any pre-teen to do? I went over to the small, sad book selection in the grocery story and picked up the novel with the most interesting cover.

This book was Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr.

I read it the rest of the day and finished it that night, consuming page after page. I was completely transfixed. It was dark, gritty, violent, sexy-all things that my twelve-year old self found entirely fascinating.

It was a fantasy book about fairies, but these fairies were deadly, life-sized, cruel, violent, beautiful and loving.

I’ve been enamored with fairies and fairy lore ever since. All because of this book and the series that followed. It hooked me in ways that I still don’t fully comprehend, but I understood then that I hadn’t read anything like it before and I was drawn into Melissa Marr’s world and never quite left it, even all these years later. I’ve gone back and re-read Wicked Lovely multiple times and each time I still found it enjoyable and alluring.

Cold Iron Heart is a different beast.

A few days ago, my best friend (who is a journalist) sent me an email saying that local Arizona author, Melissa Marr, was releasing a new book and that she might have the opportunity to interview her.

I was ecstatic, of course, and not so subtly tried to persuade my friend to let me silently snoop in on the interview (I didn’t, by the way).

It was then that I realized I hadn’t checked in on Melissa Marr for some time-what had she been writing? Imagine my surprise that one of my favorite series of all time not only had a new book-a prequel no less, but also several new short stories.

I was flabbergasted. And beyond excited.

So I ordered the book immediately and read it the moment it arrived on my doorstep to eventually find myself with...mixed feelings with a negative tinge. Okay, more than a tinge, more like a cascading waterfall of negative feelings.

First off, the book is a prequel.

Now. Melissa Marr could have done so many cool things with this. There are so many interesting characters that I would have loved to see more in depth or delve into their histories.

Like Miach and Beira, for example. I’ve heard about the late Summer King since book 1, but never got to read about him as he was dead before the series began. However, his legendary love with Beira, the Winter Queen, would have been so incredibly bewitching to read about it, especially if it involved the birth of Keenan.

This would have been an awesome choice.

Irial and Niall would have been another incredible one, probably the best one. We’ve been told over and over again throughout the series that these two hot-heads with a past used to run the Dark Court together, wreaking havoc, taking lovers, seeking new heights, etc.

But do we get to see this transfixing time? Nope.

I would even have settled for a story about the Hunt, Sorcha and Bannanach, literally any character done in the right way.

But...no. Melissa Marr decides to write a prequel that is literally a carbon copy of the first book Wicked Lovely, but innumerably worse.

Everything in the prequel is exactly the same as the original novels. Miach is dead, Keenan is looking for his Summer Queen, the Winter Girl is pissed off for not being the chosen love of Keenan’s, Irial is temptation in the flesh, Niall and Irial are at odds, Bananach is causing discord, Sorcha is isolated and frigid, the list goes on and on.

Nothing of consequence, novelty, or importance happens in this book.

Frankly, it just felt like a terrible redo of the first novel, just set 100 years back.

I didn’t give a single flying crap about Thelma or Tam or whatever her name was. She was a worse version of Leslie, of Aislinn, of every other cool female character we eventually get to read about in the main series.

Thelma was contradictory in the worst of ways. She said one thing, like she would rely on no man and never have children and then turned around and did every single one of them like some sort of hypocrite galore.

She was so irritating and boring to read about that I tended to skim her parts because it was just paragraph after paragraph of bitching and moaning about the same goddamn things over and over again: stay away from fairies, oh god this fairy likes me, no sex, no children, no love and then bam! She just throws it all away.

Urgh.

The worst part too is that this isn’t a well written book. It’s repetitive, quite boring at times, and caters way too much to the reader.

Something I loved about the first Wicked Lovely is that Melissa Marr kinda just tosses you into her world and calls it a day. She doesn’t hold your hand or over explain. She just describes and lets you glean for yourself.

I loved this aspect of the original series. I liked learning about her world and the characters this way.

Cold Iron Heart spits on the idea of this concept. Marr repeats herself so much about the same things, who Irial is, what fairies are, why this is happening, that I grew increasingly irritated as the book went on.

Who on earth is she explaining this for? New readers? Why in the world would any new reader start with this book? The newest one that comes after six others???? It makes no goddamn sense.

So not only did I feel patronized and aggravated, but the love story between Thelma and Irial grated on me as there was no basis for their love.

It was ridiculous with no shred of authenticity and I hated it, especially knowing that he already loves Niall and Leslie only to come back and say, “wait a moment! I had another true love that I’ve never mentioned before. Yeah. Her name was Thelma. Or Tam. Or whatever, I don’t know. I knew her for three days, most of which was just sex, and then I lost her after she had my baby but I conveniently forgot about it because of nonsensical plot! Hahahah, good right?”

No. Not good. Horrible.

Overall, this book is a waste of time and trees.

I don’t know why Melissa Marr even wrote and published this. I can see her writing this for herself because why not, but as a fan and a reader this was beyond disappointing.

It’s like how all Harry Potter fans felt when J.K. Rowling wrote The Cursed Child and we got movies about Newt Scamander when we literally wanted anything else-Marauder series anyone??

It’s a particular kind of egregious offense when a favorite series or author of yours ends up ruining the canon you’re in love with. For that reason alone, I am stripping Cold Iron Heart from my heart and mind, like it never existed.

Just like I did with Cursed Child, or the fact that you-know-who dies in Death Note (if you know, you know). I just...don’t believe it. It ruined all the lovely things Marr had previously written and the stories that defined so much of my love for YA, for fantasy, and for my own writing as a whole.

I know for a lot of you this was a bumbling mess of a review with little to no clarity of the plot or who these characters are. Frankly, I’d be surprised if you are still reading if you didn’t know the book or the series in the first place, but that’s alright.

Like I said at the beginning, this is a way to get my intense feelings and thoughts down onto paper and now that I have I feel marginally better, although still pissed off that this book exists and that I currently own it.

Sigh.

Well if you stuck around for the ride, I appreciate it. If you skipped this particular book review, I understand that too.

Recommendation: Burn this book. However, if you want a gritty, tantalizing fantasy story, pick up the original Wicked Lovely and be whisked away into a world that has stuck with me since the first moment I read it on the fateful day at the grocery store.

Score: 3/10

[Damaras · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Melissa Marr quite frankly spearheaded the Faerie craze we are seeing today. She was one of the first authors in YA to write a series that involves Fey courts and folklore, and she was definitely ahead of her time. This prequel is exactly why the Wicked Lovely series is/was so successful, and it blows my MIND that she doesn’t get enough credit!

This a slow burn. A genuine love story between Irial, King of the Dark Court, and Thelma, a young mortal woman. Irial has long been a fan favorite and Marr doesn’t disappoint with this book. We not only get to witness this powerful, untamed, and incredibly proud and brash man, fall absolutely in love, but we also get to witness the seeds that are planted for Wicked Lovely. What I loved about this book was it made me itch to re-read Wicked Lovely and every novel in the series over again. The entire way through all I could think about were the things I hadn’t known, and how much different the events that unfolded in the main series were effected by what happened in this prequel.

This can be read either before or after reading WL. Either way you’re in for a truly enriching experience. Marr’s style of writing took me back to the grunge and darkness of the mid-2000’s era fairy stories that she began with. There have been so many huge fairy franchises in today’s world, and their success is all due to novels like WL. I truly hope people get to experience this incredible book, and I hope Marr brings back this series. Put this on your To-Read list because you don’t want to miss it!

[Bitchin' Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite the grammar errors that I came across throughout--this could have really benefited from at least one more pass through to catch those--I really loved this story. I loved being back in this world. I loved some of the beautiful lines about New Orleans and the kind people Thelma, Irial, and the other characters are like. Yes, this fictional world is wild with its magical creatures and mercurial fae who rule beyond what humankind can see, but Melissa Marr brings a beauty and humanness to them. She is also answering questions that I have long held in my heart about the Wicked Lovely series, and I am excited to see the gaps fill in.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I realize this was a novella and it was a prequel to The Wicked Lovely series but i wish it had been just a bit longer to flesh out more of the characters but I guess that's why it's a prequel and not a whole book. I'm not a fan of novellas and I never get what I want out of them.

Tam is a mortal that has the sight and that means she can see what other humans cannot see, like the Dark King and the fae and the kelpies and other creatures that aren't seen by the human eye. She has learned to ignore all these beings because she was taught that if they know she can see them they will rip out her eyes or kill her. Then she spies the dark king Iriel and she finds him handsome and he can't seem to stay away from her.

IT was a romance and I enjoyed it a lot but I'm looking forward to a whole book

[Mara YA Mood Reader]

.99 on Kindle US 3/3/2021!

[Just Poro · Rating 5 out of 5]

The prequel takes us back to the world of Wicked Lovely, focussing on Irial, the king of the Dark Court.

Thelma is trying to be an independent artist but that's hard in a man's world in historic New Orleans. It's even harder having the Sight and seeing the magical, beautiful but cruel fairy creatures everywhere. To the struggle of providing for herself comes this wondrous, tempting male fairy following her...

I was very excited for the prequel of the Wicked Lovely series, especially after reading the WL short story Love Hurts some weeks before (which is also included in this book). The book tells an entirely new story line focusing on Irial and the Dark Court in a New Orleans setting several decades back in time. I loved the story which brought back the wonderful characters and their emotional relations. If you liked the WL series you will love this as well. I only wished at some times the book would have taken more time to lay out its scenes (I was just done so quickly).

I loved getting back to the world of Wicked Lovely with another setting and my favourite character as the protagonist! And I'd be just as excited for more books and short stories for the series. Melissa Marr definitely gave some loose ends and plot twists that would make great starting points for new stories. I'll desperately be waiting for more!

[Brigid · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Dragons. I’ll add Dragons.”

The author of the Wicked Lovely series now has an audience full of adult readers and I am one of those readers. There’s not an author that can touch me like Melissa Marr. As much I’ll love and 5-star other favorites there’s just a certain place that holds for an author that held my hand when I was going through the toughest time in my life.

I grew up with a lot of trauma and I cannot ever remember not having panic attacks or not being afraid of being in my own home. The Wicked Lovely books brought such magic and happiness to me. I could see light within those shadows. She showed me a world that took me away from the terror of my own mind and into one where the dark and light does not have to end with pain. I go into her books and I am instantly happy. She goes beyond nostalgia for me. It’s more like I can enter a world into faerie where my trauma does not exist. I am ever grateful.



This book is not her Wicked Lovely series. It is for her adult fans that have since found new worlds. This is a remembrance book. Something of the old favorite characters. Of course the Dark Court takes the reins and we’re remembering their past. Marr takes us to Irial’s past, to his first love: Thelma. Thelma Foy. The name becomes familiar as the story unfolds.

Thelma is a jeweler, an artist, and a poor woman living in New Orleans in the year of 1890. Trying to sell one of her pieces at a jewelry store, Thelma pretends not to see the faerie in the shop. That very faerie: a rich, powerful faerie of the Dark court gifts her with a dream. He offers money to pursue her dreams as an artist through the means of the spiteful man that refused her very dreams because she is a woman. His shop is at the tip of her fingers.

A beautiful face or a devil behind those shadows? She is hesitant and knows to fear the fey. Thelma is sighted, a mortal that sees the Fey whether or not they have glamours. She pretends she cannot see him when not glamoured.


Irial is enamored by Thelma, as many faeries are of the sighted and artistic mortals. He is drawn to her as she is drawn to him. Irial likes to court Thelma and Thelma is hesitant at first but doesn’t mind his swaggery ways. That is honestly refreshing as well.


I’m sort of tired of heroines that tell themselves ‘oh no I shouldn’t. Romance is for stupid girls.’ Thelma is very okay with romance. It’s just the consequences that come with it that she’s not such a fan of.

I like that we have that emotional development and conversation on sexual autonomy and the reality of sexual relationships during this time period. I am living for the slowly unwrapped sexy alpha Victorian lady Marr has going here. That is the feminism I want. I don’t want the ‘i shouldn’t because it’s not smart’ when really that is just the internal misogynistic definition of ‘good girls don’t have sexy times because it’s indecent’. That is a trash can. That is not a feminist look. That is a dumpster fire. Yes this is a critique of other reviewers mislabeling this as Young Adult when it is an adult novel. It is an important aspect, and a feminist one, that Marr explore’s Tam sexual autonomy and Iri’s sexuality. Marr has the sexy feminism in her pen.


This is about Thelma’s slow descent into courtship with our Bisexual King of the Dark Court. This is their story, their courtship, and the threads of how far into time their story effects the future.

Irial’s characterization is one to be fascinated by. He’s all shadows and cruelty and at the same time gentlemanly; an admirer of the beautiful things in life. The plucking of a flower and twirling it between his fingers. Kissing Niall’s wrist when he tries to punch him. A true gentleman, our Iri.


He’s charismatic and loves to flirt. He teases and pokes fun. I love all of his character’s flaws and attributes.


The Dark King does not love easily. He loves fast. He loves like he’s consumed entirely, like an epic romance of legends and myths. He is exactly like those faerie kings in Irish folklore I used to read a kid. Taking away beautiful artists and taking them away from the expectations that they be proper wives and mothers and instead courting them away to a kingdom. Except not at all Disney and scary as fuck.

“He wanted the romance, the dizzy fall into madness that they’d been hurtling toward already”

That’s his idea of love, of romance, of courtship. He wants to be destroyed by his love for Thelma and for her to be destroyed by love for him. Like a…..dare I say it? Fairy tale. The scary kind.

Truly there are many excellent villains in these pages. One of my favorites from the Wicked Lovely series is Bananach.

“I want the dogs of war. I want the Darkness to rage. Bring me blood.”

She is truly a greatly written villain, always seeking out the chaos of war. I hate her for the pain she causes characters I love and yet I love her for her rage and beautiful characterization.



Marr has exceeded my expectations. Her wordsmithing has improved. Which I am truly baffled at.

“She outlined her lips with her bloodied finger and pulled a glamour over herself to make the blood look like lip rouge and her tattered dress seem like the finest silk.”

The descriptions of shadows and ice, faeries stealing and murdering humans, the terrible and the dangerous beauty of the urban and the old. Ice queens with red lips creating a throne of ice carved of screaming faces. I am in love with everything here.


The pacing is gentle and yet moves so smoothly. Everything is atmospheric, eerie, dangerous, seductive and tragic. The prose is a language and world into this strange urban and faerie world. The prose sounds like Thelma is actually from this time period. She does not sound like a 21st century woman but instead with the dialect of an Irish woman living in 1890 New Orleans. Additionally, Marr does not let it slide the historical reality of this time period: one of extreme white supremacy that is obviously still present to this very day.

One thing I think readers should be prepared for in reading this is that this is a prequel to the Wicked Lovely series. Keeping that in mind, I would advise that what happens in the novel is not always happy. This isn’t a Disney fairy tale or even a romance novel. This is a romantic story that is a beginning. It is just that. A beginning to the tragedy that leads to the Wicked Lovely series.. It is the weaving of something that will happen in the future.

The very sound of Thelma’s narrative creates gives a rawness that I have not seen in other books with historical settings.



Cold Iron Heart is a beautiful example of gorgeous prose holding that balance between lush and detailed yet stays far away from purple prose. It encapsulates the energy of Marr’s faerie world. The dark faeries that trick and torture men in brothels. The hounds of the Hunt that provide a carriage for their Dark King. The house that holds a dangerous faerie court. Ancient beings wearing top hats and heels. It’s that perfect details that separates Marr from the rest of authors that weave fantastical beings into the modern.


This does not feel like anything being published right now. I will gladly be destroyed by more of Melissa Marr’s books. I want to fall into the madness of her words and worlds.

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Source* Goodreads Winner
*Genre* Urban Fantasy
*Rating* 3.5

*Thoughts*

Cold Iron Heart, by author Melissa Marr, is the prequel to the Wicked Lovely series. The story, set 100 years before the events in Wicked Lovely, alternates between Thelma (Tam) Foy, Irial (Dark King), and Niall (Adviser to Summer King Kennan). Cold Iron Heart finds Irial, the king of the Dark Court, in 1890's New Orleans entranced by a mortal, Thelma Foy. Is it just a passing fascination, or could it change the course of her life and the world forever?

*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*

https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...

[Bookish Selkie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked a lot about this story, it contained many of the classic tropes of a fairie romance. Marr is one of the original writers who incorporated fae into YA and it was so nice to revisit her world. I still remember reading Wicked Lovely for the first time and being unable to put it down! However, the last time I read it was years ago. I thought I remembered enough about Wicked Lovely to work things out and that turned out to be partly true. Up until about the 80% mark, I felt that I was keeping track of everything. Then there is a time skip to the future, where I immediately realized that I had no memory of SO MUCH of the Wicked Lovely series. That’s really due to time since I personally last read it and not at all a reflection on the series or this prequel. Overall, you can definitely enjoy this prequel story- if you’ve never read Wicked Lovely, if you’re a long-time fan, OR if you think you remember more about the Wicked Lovely series than you actually do.

[raccoon reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a bit of a let down. It felt like a short story, an outline of an idea, a frame of a good idea.

Don’t get me wrong. Seeing Irial, Niall, et al was wonderful. But I never quite got attached to Tam. The insta love felt incomplete and weirdly hollow, and I felt terrible for Irial. I’d love for the prequel to have been longer and to have answered more questions- did he ever go back to see Tam in the high court? I cannot remember how it all played out in the books which apparently I’m going to have to re-read now 😂 I saw a lot of additional information in websites that must be answered in future books that I read a long time ago and have now forgotten… Like the name of Elena’s brother and the fact that Tam waited the rest of her life in fairy but Irial never visited. Wtf? Ugh.

I debated between 2 or 3 stars. Wicked Lovely was one of my most favorite series so I was disappointed I wasn’t in love with this one more 😞

[Darcy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the Wicked Lovely series when it came out, so when I learned of this new book in the series I was excited to read it. I'm not sure what I expected, it sure wasn't what I read. This is not a story for the faint of heart, because while it's a love story it really doesn't have a happy ending. I hated what Irial and Themla lost, even as I love Irial, Niall and Leslie together. I was glad that at the end Irial was finally allowed to remember things and would love to see what Irial, Niall and Leslie do about that new found knowledge. I have a feeling it would make for some fun reading.

[Honest Mabel · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF DNF

I was super excited because honestly I read 3
Of the wicked lovely books I didn’t know there was more tbh. So I delved back in wanting to restart it with the prequel.

But, honestly this is a very boring prequel. I usually consume books within 1-2 days. However, I had only 9% of this book complete before my 21 day borrow from the library was up for renewal. I borrowed it again but got down to the wire and I am only up to 16 percent before I realized that this isn’t much different from the first three. I am glad I borrowed it from the library so I didn’t waste my money. I am just starting with the regular books they were not boring like this one was..

[MacGal · Rating 2 out of 5]

Such Potential Gone Completely Awry

While the whole premise of this book is very interesting the execution is terrible. The characters are shallow, the writing is repetitive and derivative, plus no one bothered to run it past a proofreader. I couldn’t wait for this boring volume to end, and when it finally did I was shocked to learn the author was a literature professor.... Absolutely NOT recommended.

[Tuija · Rating 1 out of 5]

Audiobook
Narration: Kristin James, Tim Paige

Nothing happened. I like fast paced plot, good action, good romance, witty banter/sarcasm and for me this had none of those. I'm hoping after this prequel things pick up so I'm going to try the next book.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ugh this was so satisfying. It makes me want to do another reread of the series!!

[Nika · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't think this book was necessary. I didn't care for the insta-love at all, which was the whole focus of the book ofc

[Analeise · Rating 2 out of 5]

Can’t believe this was ya 😭😭

[George Ravenhall · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I heard there was going to be an addition to the Wicked Lovely series I was very excited! Even more so to find out it was very much centred around Irial.

Certain truths uncovered explained some of the events in the series, explained behaviours and made me feel a new way towards characters that I didn't expect.
I loved the banter between Gabriel and Irial, their friendship is something I've always been curious about and it was nice to see even more of this. Gabriel's snark to Irial's flippancy is refreshing to read.
Whilst reading there was always a lingering tension, I wasn't sure what was going to happen next and at moments I feared for what would happen, but despite the tension there was pure joy and a certain ease that gave.
My heart has been laid bare by this book, there were times where it hit a little close to home; Irial's protectiveness over the ones he loves being one of them .

I'd say this is a must read for those who are fans of the series and want to see more, to see where everything began and how it lead to the series we love.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been years since I have even thought about the Wicked Lovely series and I found this beautiful prequel which takes place before the events of the first book and it's about my favorite Dark Fairy, Irial! A thousand times yes! I loved getting to read about Irial again and I loved hating Keenan again. This has everything; love, heartbreak, betrayal, promises made, and promises broken. If you love the Wicked Lovely series, do yourself a favor and check this out!

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all I am so glad Melissa Marr took us back to the Wicked Lovely Universe. This is one of my favorite books of this year. I thoroughly loved the whole story, the plot, the characters, the place they were in. I smiled laughed and cried with this story. This story enthralled me from beginning to end.



Also enjoyed the short story at the end.

[Keka · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars 🥰
After so many years, returning to my beloved world of "Wicked Lovely" has been a pleasure. I'm so happy to read about Irial, and a little extra called "Pretty broken things" I loved it !!!

[Louisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, this was such a great story, loved what it added to the world, and I'm so excited to continue and reread the rest of the series!

[Liz S ( Liz & Liz get Literary) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.6 ⭐️

Well i bawled like a baby! I couldn’t help it. The Dark Court is all nightmares and shadows but when they love… they love hard. This was a great story and answered A LOT of questions I had!

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh the nostalgia I feel for this series. I had forgotten how much I loved Melissa's writing, this was a great addition to the Wicked Lovely series and if you loved the books from the original series than you will enjoy this one. The reveal in this book omg.

[Lorrie (Clockworkbookworm) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Rachel Sperber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, unsurprisingly, I inhaled this book. I stayed up way too late to finish it and I don’t have any regrets.

To have the opportunity to return to the world of Wicked Lovely, one of my favorite series of all time and one I frequently turn to for a comfort reread, and have more content and context was more than I ever dreamed possible.

In meeting the new character, Tam, a Sighted mortal who catches the attention of Irial as a bold, industrious woman in the late 1800s, so much about what happens before Wicked Lovely takes place is given further context. We get to spend more time with Rika, Niall, Irial, Beira, Gabriel, and more beloved characters, adding layers of relationships and information that was only hinted at, leading to a revelation that made me sit up in surprise and yell “I knew it!”

The court intrigue and politics remain, as well as the delightful characters we know from the main series. If you enjoyed the rest of the books, this is essential reading as more information is revealed about the curse and Irial’s life before Leslie and after Niall. I enjoyed it immensely and couldn’t put it down. I will say, the only thing that took me out of the story was the occasional typo (basalm instead of balm) and small inconsistencies throughout the book (i.e. Tam’s hair is red but once is stated as muddy brown). As a copy edit focused person, I hope those things are fixed in the final print version, as I read an advanced Ebook.

I do think the short story, Love Hurts, included in the book is a necessity beyond the epilogue. Otherwise the story would end on a melancholy note, which is atypical for the series. I would also note that this book has some adult content in comparison to what is only hinted at in the main series. I would certainly classify this installment as adult and not YA.

For anyone who hasn’t read the Wicked Lovely series, now is a great time to start. For smartly woven fairy politics, characters who feel like friends, powerful women, a great example of a queer relationship, as well as great plotting and world-building, this is the series for you. I cannot recommend it enough.

[Galina Krasskova · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lush writing. Irial is a lovely character. Thelma never grew on me. At. All. She was doggedly independent to tiresome degrees. One can have an independent character who is also interesting, nuanced, and colorful. this one fell short for me. Beautiful prose though.

The love scenes left me really really cold and it took me a few days to realize why. I found them rather distasteful. I think the author just doesn't write power dynamics well. Irial would, imo, have been better written as a dominant, strong male character and maybe that's what he was supposed to be, but there was too much feminism and not enough f*cking. He was never allowed to be on top metaphorically and it really ruined the whole book for me.