logo
Wrong email address or username
Wrong email address or username
Incorrect verification code
back to top
Search tags: Wicked-Lovely:-Desert-Tales:-Sanctuary
Load new posts () and activity
Like Reblog Comment
review 2014-01-19 21:59
Wicked Lovely: Desert Tales: Sanctuary (vol. 1) story by Melissa Marr, art by Xian Nu Studio (Irene Diaz & Laura Moreno)
Sanctuary - Melissa Marr,Xian Nu Studio

I don't know why I bought this. I know it was a used copy, and I think it was really cheap. That's still not a good explanation, because OEL manga adaptations of books don't generally have a good track record with me. Plus, I haven't even read any of Melissa Marr's books.

I thought this was an adaptation of Marr's Wicked Lovely, but then I spotted the “Desert Tales: Sanctuary” portion of the title and wasn't so sure. It turns out that it's actually a spin-off that uses characters from the Wicked Lovely world. The manga volumes were later turned into a novel, Desert Tales – not the usual way these things are done.

I don't know that I would have liked this volume any better if I had read the Wicked Lovely books, but, just in case, I'll start by saying that my review should probably be taken with a grain of salt. I had no idea who Rika or Keenan or Donia were, although apparently readers of the Wicked Lovely series would know. Character relationships and timelines were sometimes hard for me to follow. How long ago was Rika the Winter Queen (or whatever)? How long has it been since she was mortal? Who's Donia?

The story, as I understood it, was this: At one time, Rika loved Keenan, a faerie king. He convinced her to go grab some kind of scepter, something went wrong, and she carried the Winter Queen's chill (ice in her veins?) for...a while. I wasn't clear on how long. When the volume begins, it's been some time since Rika became free of Keenan and the ice. Now she lives in the desert and moons over a young artist named Jayce, who can't see her because she's an invisible faerie. The desert faeries threaten Jayce, because they hate Rika and she's shown an interest in him, so she reveals herself to Jayce in an effort to protect him.

I could not figure these characters out. Rika hated Keenan and swore she didn't need his help or protection. However, her life in the desert didn't seem all that much better. The desert faeries hated her and threatened her and Jayce, one of the two people she actually seemed to like. Then there was Sionnach. On the one hand, Rika seemed to view him as a friend and guardian. On the other hand, when he was away from her, it sounded like he might be the one arranging for the desert faeries to torment her. Was he a prankster with a wicked sense of humor, or was he a secret villain? And, if he was a secret villain, did that mean that, after having been tricked by Keenan years ago, Rika let herself be tricked by yet another faerie? Did her time with Keenan teach her nothing besides how to moon over and cry about boys?

Jayce was boring. Pretty-boy cardboard, basically. It didn't matter how much weird stuff happened around Rika, he barely questioned any of it. He just kept blindly following after her and doing whatever she asked. When, near the end of the volume, she told him she wasn't human, his only response was to kiss her some more.

The artwork was uneven. Some panels looked decent, some didn't, and characters weren't always consistently drawn. It definitely wasn't the worse-looking OEL manga I've ever seen, but it didn't look good enough for me to consider keeping the volume just for the artwork.

All in all, I doubt I'm going to continue with this series. If I ever read Marr's Wicked Lovely books and enjoy them enough to continue on, I think I'd prefer to read the novel version of Desert Tales instead.

 

(Original review, with read-alikes, posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)

Like Reblog Comment
review 2012-03-28 00:00
Sanctuary - Melissa Marr,Xian Nu Studio Yup! You guessed it! I am still going strong with my manga binge. I don't plan to stop anytime soon. I'm just having so much fun with these. I cannot wait to keep going~ So I decided that after the last bomb I reviewed (seriously, that manga was utter crap) I had to go for something that had a little more promise. A little more. I've read the first three books of the Wicked Lovely series and... I have mix feelings of it. I liked the first book enough to read the second. The second was okay but I hated the main character with all my heart and found myself only liking the yaoi parts (Niall and Irial are just smex!!!). And the third book... was the worst in the bunch. Nothing happened in it. It basically a waste of time. So... it's a hit and miss with me. BUT! I did like the series as a whole enough to look into the manga series. When I saw that my library has all three volumes, I checked those babies out like a BAMF. Well, I read the first one and it's... eh, okay. I liked it and there were some parts I even went fangirly over but there are somethings, like in the novels, where I was just not into it. There were some good points to the story, but a lot of it was like... "WHA-!?" And some parts that just made me roll my eyes. Point is... I think I'm just so-so with this book.

Let me start off by saying... I have a love/hate relationship with Melissa Marr. I love her writing. I think it's absolutely brilliant and when she gets something down, you bet your ass it's going to be awesome. However, there are some moments where I feel that she just... doesn't get it. She thinks that love has to be right there and then and there's no need to learn about the other person. Another thing that bothers me about the stories that she writes is the fact that she makes all girls appear pathetic when it comes to men. The degrade themselves just so that they can be with the guy for just one more moment. It's annoying and it really comes off as if this is behavior that's okay for teenage girls to go through. It's not. Girls should be strong and not go to the guy first. Especially if he shows little interest in being with you in the first place. Marr also has a habit of writing instalove. Really? You meet for the first time and right away you're in love? That's what happened with these characters in this manga (more on that later). One thing that really confused me with this manga is the fact that it just right into the plot. There wasn't a lot of backstory so anyone going into this would be confused to high heaven. If you didn't read at least the first two novels of the Wicked Lovely series, you would be REALLY confused by this manga. Hell, I was confused for a good half of it and I read the first three novels. Basically, it's a manga meant just for the fans of the series. Not saying that's a bad thing but anyone who is curious and goes into it without much research would be lost quite a bit. Still, I do like Melissa Marr and respect her as a person... I just have my issues with her at times.

I must say that I do love the artwork. Xian Nu Studio did an excellent job in drawing this manga. It's very nice and easy on the eyes. Even the comical scenes are great to look at. One thing I will say about the art that wasn't really to my liking were some of the character designs. Especially with the males. Sure, when their shirts are off they look like males but when you can only see their face, you could swear they are women. The men are REALLY feminine looking. I don't have a problem with that. I read a lot of manga so I am used to men looking some what like girls. But in this manga they REALLY look like girls. There's no distinction unless one of the characters say so or their shirt is off. I also had a bit of a problem with the way Jayce's hair is drawn. It looks bizarre. It appears, to me, as if he has branches or weeds in his hair. I don't think it's an appealing look for him as a character. Other than that, I think the manga is beautifully drawn. I like how the setting is drawn and I like the way the faeries are drawn. They have a lot of details put into their design and I love them all the more because of that. So the artwork is okay in my book!

Some of the characters I had an issue with. The first being our female lead, Rika. I love that she can fight and all that. She doesn't really need anyone to defend her in that aspect. However, she's a little pathetic when it comes to men. She had a relationship with Keenan, the Summer King (of you read the book, you'll know who he is), and despite the fact that she said she doesn't have feelings for him, she still cries over him. Even though he did shitty things to her... she still CRIES over him! You can't be serious! You should never shed tears over a man who did you wrong. It's pathetic and weak. Speaking of being pathetic, Rika stalks her love interest, Jayce, for a long time before she had the guts to show herself to him and expect for him to like her right away... AND HE DOES!!! Instalove at its finest, people! DX She threw herself at him when she thought that he was going to distance himself from her. Rika, a little tip. If a guy questions having a relationship with you, DON'T FORCE HIM TO BE WITH YOU!!! DX One last thing that I didn't like about Rika was that she seems to be a girl that just wants a relationship and it doesn't matter with who. I say this because her friend, Sionnach (I call him Sion for short), was flirting with her and then she starts questioning some feelings towards that. (I know it sounds vague but I'm trying not to spoil it here.) Bah... I hate girls that just want to be with someone without trying to stand on their own. -_-" Moving on! Jayce... he was okay. Typical nice guy. He wasn't too amazing. He was just kinda... there. There to be pretty. Still, I didn't hate him so that's a plus! Then there's Maili, one of the antagonists in the manga. I have to say that I LOVE her character design. I don't know what about it makes me happy but it does! I think she is really beautiful. More beautiful than Rika. Her personality... well, she's evil. A bitch. I like that in my characters. XD Needless to say, I enjoyed her a lot. I didn't get to see much of her but that's okay. I'm sure she'll appear in the other volumes. Last character to talk about Sion! I love him to bits! I mean you get certain hints about him (which I will not say) but I think he's cute, fun, hilarious, sweet, a bit flirty, and everything else I like in a male. He has a female face, too, but that didn't really bother me since he just came off as a fun character. In fact, he's the only reason I am going to pick up volume two. Well, him and Maili.

To sum everything up, it's a good read. It's not the best but it certainly is far from being horrendous. I'm quite glad I gave this manga a try. It was entertaining even if it did have its faults. I cannot wait to read the second volume. Do I recommend this series? Yes but only to those who have read the novels. Non-fans would just not get it. Be warn. There are moments that might drive you up the wall if you have little patience for... well... stupid girls. But you might find yourself enjoying it. Give it a go. Wouldn't hurt you none if you've already read the books. ^_^
Like Reblog Comment
review 2011-09-01 00:00
Sanctuary - Melissa Marr,Xian Nu Studio Thank God for Melissa Marr, seriously. In an ocean full of been there-done that - or, as our friend Gwen would say, "Same Shit, Different Author" - Marr's stories have formed an oasis of sorts for us. They're beautiful, tragic, unique, and captivating - Wicked Lovely is one of the best contemporary series out there, not to mention one of our favorites. Which is why we were so very EXCITE to find out that Marr had done a Wicked Lovely manga.

Well, that and because manga is AWESOME.

The best part is that, where a lot of other YA authors have had their stores adapted into graphic novel format, Marr has gone the extra mile here and penned a whole new tale set in the Wicked Lovely universe for her manga. So not only do we get to see some of our favorite characters in action, but we don't have to read the same story over again to do so. We get some new mythology, new characters, and new developments, in addition to a gorgeous rendition of the world we've come to enjoy so much.

Desert Tales is the story of Rika, a former Winter Girl who has fled to the desert to escape the memories of her years carrying the winter chill. When the story opens, she's been in seclusion for somewhere around a century, from both the faery world and the mortal. She has no court, few friends, and has lately taken up "spending time with" a human named Jayce. Which is to say, when he comes out to the desert to sketch, she paints nearby in invisi-faery mode she he can't see her.

The first volume is mostly set-up, obviously. It establishes the characters and their relationships, but the plot is mostly concerned with the development of Jayce and Rika's. We see their meeting, their disastrous "first date", and the events that lead to Rika revealing her true nature. It closes on the two of them admitting their mutual attraction for one another, and I have to admit, I thought that might be it. That Desert Tales might be all about the romance between a faery and her mortal lover, which is okay I guess, but, well, I was hoping for more from Marr.

Oh, ye of little faith...

Read more at You're Killing.Us
Like Reblog Comment
review 2011-08-25 00:00
Sanctuary (Wicked Lovely Desert Tales Series #1)
Sanctuary - Melissa Marr,Xian Nu Studio Ho appena finito di leggere questo volumetto e devo ammettere di non esserne completamente soddisfatta. Il tratto è molto bello e i personaggi sono molto ben disegnati, su questo nulla da eccepire, ma è la storia a non avermi convinto.Rika è una ragazza d’inverno che ora si ritrova a vivere nel deserto, lontana da tutto, in pace. Un ragazzo che passa spesso da quelle parti ha colpito la sua attenzione ma lei è un essere fatato e invisibile, non ha alcuna speranza, e poi non vuole fargli del male. Ma una serie di eventi, la porterà proprio in contatto con lui. Chiamiamoli generalmente eventi, anche se in realtà c’è qualcuno che ci mette le zampette. Fa inoltre una comparsata pure Keenan, spocchioso come al solito.Il volumetto si legge in cinque minuti ma alla fine rimane ben poco: quello che ci viene narrato si può riassumere in pochissime parole, troppo pochi i fatti, e oltretutto talvolta un po’ confusionari. Ci sta che, essendo un volume iniziale, introduttivo, la Marr abbia voluto svelare poco, ma così è davvero troppo poco! Spero in un miglioramento nei prossimi volumi!
Like Reblog Comment
review 2010-10-27 00:00
Sanctuary (Wicked Lovely Desert Tales Series #1)
Sanctuary - Melissa Marr,Xian Nu Studio It's the great Melissa Marr reread that won't die! Don't worry folks, I only have two more books to read after this, I swear! (Well, three if you count the third manga to this series coming out in 2011). I just finished the first of the manga spin off series - Wicked Lovely Desert Tales: Sanctuary. Volume 1. There, I think I got the whole cursed title.Rika was once a consort of Keenan, the infamous Summer Court King. When she picked up the staff of Beira she became of the Winter Court, intaking Beira's breath and ice into herself. Since then Donia (and who knows how many others) have been chosen to bear Winter's ice, and Rika is free to roam as a fairie. The trouble is she cannot be around iron, or cities... or people, so she has relocated herself to the desert. With a band of meddlesome faeries, and Sionnach, a friend, she tries to make a new life.She has become fascinated with a young man named Jayce who frequents her cliffs. One day he falls... well, in truth, the faeries have pushed him. Before she considers the alternatives Rika saves him. This sets in motion a series of events that only begin to highlight how different she is from him.These are fun. Brief and fun. They're manga, prettily illustrated by the Xian Nu Studio. I read this in about a 1/2 hour... they don't take much brain power, or time... but they look beautiful. and it's nice to see the characters in the flesh... or, at the very least in ink. This addition to the world of Marr's faeries is very entertaining. 5 out of 5 stars.- review courtesy of www.bibliopunkk.net
More posts
Your Dashboard view:
Need help?