Inked

Ink Exchange is the second novel in Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely series.  Of course, Marr, being the complex and fascinating writer that she is, chooses not to keep her readers on the edge of their seats by disrupting the sequence of the series.  You shouldn't make the mistake of believing this novel to be the sequel to Wicked Lovely.  This novel, which examines the story of Aislinn's friend Leslie, is a companion to rather than the sequel for Wicked Lovely.  

Although the novel includes the familiar Aislinn, Keenan, Donia, and Seth, Ink Exchange focuses primarily on three previously minor characters, Leslie, Niall, and Irial.  When Irial realizes that his Dark Court is losing power, he initiates an "ink exchange" (physically manifested in the form a tattoo) between himself and Leslie.  This exchange allows him to gain access to a direct stream of negative emotions that he can use to feed his weakening court.  However, Marr complicates the story by allowing Leslie to fall in love with Niall, a former member of the Dark Court and a current member of the Summer King's Court.  And to further extend the intricacies of the novel, Irial decides that he is in love with Leslie.

Marr-like dramas ensue from then on.  Leslie falls under Irial's spell and it is up to Niall to release her from Irial's grip.  Yet, similar to the close of Wicked Lovely, this novel offers an atypical ending for a teen fantasy novel.