Tales of Folk & Fey: A Wicked Lovely Collection

Wicked Lovely

by Melissa Marr

Return to the world of Wicked Lovely with an all new Dark Court short story. Set after the end of the series, "Love Hurts" catches up with Irial, Niall, and Leslie-and offers clues about the upcoming Wicked Lovely prequel novel, Cold Iron Heart. Tales of Folk & Fey is a collection of Marr's tales of Celtic faeries and fey creatures. It includes "Old Habits" and "Stopping Time" (previously published Wicked Lovely Dark Court stories) and two previously published selchie short stories ("Awakened" and "Love Struck). As a bonus, the collection also includes "Carnival of Lies," a prequel story to the 2012 novel Carnival of Secrets and an excerpt of first book in the new faery duology, Seven Black Diamonds (2016).

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fae, Audiobook, Fairies, Short Stories, Anthologies

272 pages, Paperback

First published April 16, 2019

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

[Stacey O'Neale · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was nice to revisit some of my favorite characters. I miss this series. I hope Melissa decides to bring it back with some new full-length books. I'd be first in line at the bookstore.

[Darcy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this anthology, despite having read some of the stories previously. It's been so long since I've been in this world there was only a lingering feeling that some of the stories felt familiar. I'd love to get more in this world, seeing how everyone is doing a few years after the end of what we know now.

[Analeise · Rating 2 out of 5]

For kids?

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved being bought back to this world!

[Louisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great collection of stories, in the Wicked Lovely world, and two selkie stories that were really fantastic to read!

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm torn between being slightly peeved that I'd read some of these and just being so happy I got to revisit with this characters. After all, I love them so much I could probably re-read the same stories about them a million times. Also Seth's little appearance was the best treat of all.
Let's begin then.
I absolutely love the chemistry between Irial, Niall and Leslie and I can't wait to have another novel based on the Wicked Lovely world. It cannot come soon enough. (After all this series pretty much ruined most other books about Faerie for me for the longest time by just being so perfectly written).
I still knew the Carnival story to the details despite it being years since I'd read it, which bothered me slightly, but then the stories about the trio were so great. Irial as a father/grandfather is an hilarious thought and I'm still laughing two days later.
I have to say though, that I enjoyed the Selkie stories even more, which was unexpected. They were just so cleverly written that I felt like I was inside that world right alongside the characters. I wouldn't mind a full novel(s) about a Selkie either. Just saying.
Overall, it was just right to get me excited for what's to come, which was kind of the point of this collection.

[Carole-Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely collection from this author. I have read, and loved, before the two Wicked Lovely stories: Old Habits, and Stopping Time. As interval-type stories, these fit in with the magic of the full series, and are more than welcome.

The two selkie stories - Love Struck, and Awakened - I have never read before, so I was really enchanted with the premises and the results.

The Carnival of Lies revived my memory of my enjoyment of "Carnival of Souls" - thoroughly entertaining and cleverly written.

The new Wicked Lovely story Love Hurts, took me back to the ending of "Darkest Mercy", and wondering how Niall, Irial, and Leslie would cope with the results of everything that happened. This story filled that little gap, thankfully in a very believable way, but with a little (unexpected) twist at the end.
(NB: I wondered whether this story had been properly proofed because I found a number of grammar mistakes, and continuity errors, which almost dragged me out of the story. Hence the 4 stars rather than 5.)

[Sana Burton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I mostly read this for the new WL short story, which was sweet, and it was fun to catch up with those characters a few years after the series ends, but honestly I can't help but be annoyed at how many of these stories I'd already read somewhere else. I think the new content should have been available to purchase on its own, honestly. There were also quite a lot of formatting errors and typos, including a story that wasn't actually listed in the chapter index on my Kindle.

UPDATE: Apparently you actually can get the new short story on its own and I just wasn't paying attention, so I'm bumping this up to 4 stars even though I'm still not sure it necessarily makes sense as an anthology.

[D'Arcy White · Rating 4 out of 5]

The narrator of the audiobook is not my favourite. He does different voices for each character and some are quite grating.

But I love a story with a polyamorous triad & all the better if they’re fae.

The selkie tales were also a welcome surprise

[Lydia]

So, like, I'd heard 2/3s of the stories, which i didn't realize. But, the narrator gives that narc Seth the funniest nasally voice so I'm not mad?
I have NO idea why I went all in on this infuriating series.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this collection of short stories. No one matches Melissa Marr’s world creating abilities. I read each story and was completely immersed. I can’t wait for more.

[Elaine G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Hurts: A Wicked Lovely Story - 4 stars

[Aimee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like all the other books I loved it again.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful collection of short stories. Loved it.

[Sabrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had already read some of the short stories but a few were new. I enjoyed most of the stories but I most wanted to read the new Wicked Lovely story and that one had quite a few mistakes, I had trouble following the sentences sometimes. It might be that the version I got wasn't finalised. The editing was fine through the rest of the book. The Carnival of Secrets prequel was one of my favourites in this collection and made me want to re-read the book.