Rika used to be cursed. She used to hold the frozen ice of winter in her, because she decided to take a chance on the wrong person. Now, the curse has been lifted and she is content to hide away in her desert. That is, she is content until fate, or a meddlesome friend, pushes her to meet the human she's been eyeing for a year, while at the same time, other faeries are stirring up trouble around her. Rika can't hide anymore, not from them or her past.

DESERT TALES is a companion to the Wicked Lovely series, a series that I have always loved. As a fan of both them and Melissa Marr's writing, DESERT TALES does not disappoint. Rika is an ex-faery with a serious cold shoulder. She is independent and quiet and still hurting from her past. Her character immediately pulls you in. Her potential to be a tough, kick butt leader is evident, and you want to root for her from the first chapters. Alongside her character is the clever, sneaky fox faery Sionnach who keeps you on your toes as to whether or not he is good or bad. He quickly became my favorite character in the story with his witty dialogue and his tough love attitude.

With Rika, Sionnach, a few old characters from the Wicked Lovely books, and a few new characters, the relationships in DESERT TALES are fantastic. The dynamics of whose side each faery and human is on and what their true purpose is is engaging and suspenseful. The level of surprise this story throws out makes it a quick read and with all the elements of exciting characters and wonderfully questionable relationships, DESERT TALES is at heart just a completely awesome story. The ending suits the story arc perfectly, and it leaves you feeling at peace with the characters and where they are.

For any fans of the Wicked Lovely series or for any readers looking for a good faery/action/romance story, this definitely is worth reading (more than once).