• Ink Exchange

  • By: Melissa Marr
  • Narrated by: Nick Landrum
  • Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins
  • 4.0 out of 5 stars (551 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Ink Exchange  By  cover art

Ink Exchange

By: Melissa Marr
Narrated by: Nick Landrum
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $25.19

Buy for $25.19

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

Unbeknownst to mortals, a power struggle is unfolding in a world of shadows and danger. After centuries of stability, the balance among the Faery Courts has altered, and Irial, ruler of the Dark Court, is battling to hold his rebellious and newly vulnerable fey together. If he fails, bloodshed and brutality will follow.

Seventeen-year-old Leslie knows nothing of faeries or their intrigues. When she is attracted to an eerily beautiful tattoo of eyes and wings, all she knows is that she has to have it, convinced it is a tangible symbol of changes she desperately craves for her own life.

The tattoo does bring changes - not the kind Leslie has dreamed of, but sinister, compelling changes that are more than symbolic. Those changes will bind Leslie and Irial together, drawing Leslie deeper and deeper into the faery world, unable to resist its allures, and helpless to withstand its perils.

©2008 Melissa Marr (P)2008 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

"Another highly addictive read....Compulsive enough to give the Twilight series a run for its money, and dizzyingly more sinister." ( Publishers Weekly)
"This dark fantasy about survival and transformation is as mesmerizing as its urban faery subjects." ( Booklist)
"Readers will be drawn in by Marr's darkly poetic imagery and language, her vivid portrayal of the art of tattooing, and her shadowy love triangle. This is indeed a delicious, smoky delight." ( Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books)

What listeners say about Ink Exchange

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    222
  • 4 Stars
    170
  • 3 Stars
    113
  • 2 Stars
    31
  • 1 Stars
    15
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    160
  • 4 Stars
    114
  • 3 Stars
    52
  • 2 Stars
    17
  • 1 Stars
    6
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    160
  • 4 Stars
    99
  • 3 Stars
    66
  • 2 Stars
    19
  • 1 Stars
    10

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

My Favorite Book for Years

I've read this book around 5 times completely, and adore it more than I'd likely admit. Figured I'd give an audio version a try, but have to say I'm not super into this particular performance. The tone felt of, and really gave the feeling of someone reading a story they weren't interested or invested in. Totally understandable, and something I find to be a problem with most audiobooks.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

average

There's not much to say is wrong with this book- the author is a compelling storyteller, the plot developed, the characters real and complex, the narrator is good- but nothing about it resonates. Perhaps it's just that I don't feel the fascination about tatoos or because I've never been drawn in by the drug scene, but whatever it is, the book is quite good and entirely forgettable. If you're into tortured souls and broken homes, have a whack at it- it might resonate with you, but if not, its just a way to pass the time. Still, I'd go on reading the author. She's excellent.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

dark and enthralling

good book. darker than the first, and centers around the dark court instead of the summer and winter courts. it was positively enthralling.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

TRIGGER Warning for Sexual Assault Surivers

Author tries to hard to make actual monster s sympathetic. Does not handle issues concerning magical date rape and issues concerning magically induced consent in an appropriate manner.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Enjoyable but Simplistic

Ink Exchange was well written and the narration was quite good. However, while the book constantly refers to the characters dark nature, there's very little real depth to back up those natures. There's more teen angst than an episode of Angel and you never really feel connected to the characters.

That being said, it was well written and was enjoyable to listen to, if fluffy.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Not my favorite of the series.

Before I even bother to say anything else about the actual book I think this needs to come first: the absolute worst part of these audiobooks is that the narrator can't effing pronounce the (arguably) *main* character of the series' name correctly. It's pronounced ASH-LIN you absolute knob. The G is effing silent. FFS, the way its spelled in these books doesn't even *have* a G, so how in tf are you even getting that confused? I sincerely hope the author doesn't legit think Aislinn is pronounced with a G at the end. It may be spelled Aisling sometimes but even that spelling it is a silent G. So. Anyway. That made my ears bleed every single time he mentioned her name - and the narrator of the previous one did it wrong as well. With all of the other names he got right i just don't understand how he messed this one up so egregiously.

On to this actual book:
This one was OK. I really liked the concept of the magic at play, but I didn't like how it was framed. I didn't like the very sudden change of main cast and perspective without a whole lot of reasoning why. I didn't like following Leslie around as she makes stupid decision after stupid decision. I didn't like the way she portrayed her being "emotionless" because I don't feel it was particularly compelling. The whole book just felt both too slow and rushed at the same time - Irial is a huge jerk and yet she keeps going on about how much she loves him which I hate. Not a fan of how they say her pact was "her choice" yet they didn't explain jack about what would happen so very obviously it wasn't. Yes, I know these are faeries, but the main cast of faeries behaves remarkably like mortals and mortal values are pushed onto them at every turn by the author, so I felt sort of like "pick a lane" either have evil faeries who don't give a #$_& or have faeries that are basically just pretty magic humans.
Also, I think the personality change for Niall was extremely sudden and confusing. I get that Keenan betrayed him and sure he's angry, but by the next book he's basically just a Discount Irial™ with no real personality traits of his own, nothing interesting going on in his head, and everything I liked about him from the first book and beginning of this one (being respectful etc) is 100% erased in favor of his new smoking habit and Edgy Anger©. Maybe she turned him into a fake Irial on purpose to make a point, but she's taking her damn time making the point of there is one.
Finally, I felt it was weird how little Aislinn was in the book, and I felt we should've learned more about the dark court instead of just listening to them drone on and on about how Leslie and Irial are feeling and never getting to the point..

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

the storyline was more of a flat line

It put me to sleep constantly. I rather just get my money back. it's good if your into 2 weird fairy people fighting over some human girl. but it's just not my cup of tea

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Best book in the series

I was recently introduced to the fairy-focused Wicked Lovely series and have now listened to the first four books. I can honestly say that Ink Exchange, which is the second book in the Wicked Lovely series, is the best book in this series. Ink Exchange delves into the inner working of the dark fairy court. Melissa Marr creates a rich background for both Niall and Irial while highlighting the dark court. In the process of creating a background for Niall and Irial, Marr creates the two strongest characters in this series. Niall and Irial are fantastic because they have lived life but are not broken by it (hopefully). Ink Exchange, and the Wicked Lovely series as a whole, does deal with more mature topics than the age group recommended for this book. I AM NOT suggesting that preteens and teens stay away from the books in this series. I AM suggesting that parents might enjoy reading these books with their kids and discussing the characters and the choices they make.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

I tried...

I really tried to enjoy this. Too many bad decisions... too frustrating!

I love the fantasy genre but the wasn't really a story to get behind for all the frustration.

I hate not finishing a book but I give...

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Not a fan of a males voice for this book

I love the Wicked Lovely book. I was a little disappointed that this book did not follow Aislinn, Seth, Keenan, and Donia as I just started to get invested in their lives, but it’s an interesting take on a series, giving different sides to the stories.

I am not a fan of a male voice speaking for a female character. I’d rather the same speaker through out the series personally.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!