Nominated for a 2007 Cybil Award in Fantasy and Science Fiction.

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr.

Since she was a tiny child, Aislinn has been able to see what other humans can’t: the fairies who walk among us.  Her Gram taught her to be careful, never show them that she can see them, and to live in fear of being discovered.  But now Aislinn is being followed by two court fey, powerful fairies who don’t seem to be stopped by iron.   Aislinn has always been told never to let anyone know she sees fairies, but she eventually has to confide in her best friend Seth.  Will the two of them be able to figure out how to keep Aislinn safe?

The above is a very simplistic summary of a detailed and complex book.  But the joy of the novel is discovering its complexity through reading it.  I wanted to give nothing at all away in order to allow you to experience the fun of discovery with no spoilers.

The fairy world here is not one of glitter and pink, rather it is a world where beauty cannot be trusted and choices can mark the rest of your life.  The complex fairy society is fascinatingly real.  Additionally, the characters are well written and complex as well.  Aislinn is a real modern heroine, refusing to accept the way things have always been done and deciding to forge ahead herself. 

This is a book that mixes horror, romance and tension into a tight novel.  I read it with some fear that it was going to head too far in one direction, but instead it walks a tightrope between genres. 

Recommended for fans of Holly Black, I also think that lovers of vampire novels would enjoy this.  Let’s hope there are more books coming from Marr.