Shadowfever

Rating: 5 out of 5 Sinsar Dubh's

MacKayla Lane was just a child when she and her sister, Alina, were given up for adoption and banished from Ireland forever.

Twenty years later, Alina is dead and Mac has returned to the country that expelled them to hunt her sister’s murderer. But after discovering that she descends from a bloodline both gifted and cursed, Mac is plunged into a secret history: an ancient conflict between humans and immortals who have lived concealed among us for thousands of years.

What follows is a shocking chain of events with devastating consequences, and now Mac struggles to cope with grief while continuing her mission to acquire and control the Sinsar Dubh—a book of dark, forbidden magic scribed by the mythical Unseelie King, containing the power to create and destroy worlds.

In an epic battle between humans and Fae, the hunter becomes the hunted when the Sinsar Dubh turns on Mac and begins mowing a deadly path through those she loves.
Who can she turn to? Who can she trust? Who is the woman haunting her dreams? More important, who is Mac herself and what is the destiny she glimpses in the black and crimson designs of an ancient tarot card?

From the luxury of the Lord Master’s penthouse to the sordid depths of an Unseelie nightclub, from the erotic bed of her lover to the terrifying bed of the Unseelie King, Mac’s journey will force her to face the truth of her exile, and to make a choice that will either save the world . . . or destroy it. (courtesy of Amazon.com)

This accidental find proved to be a treasure trove of adventure. At first I thought it was just fluff, but there are so many good little gems in this series. One of my favorite quotes comes when Jericho Barrons is describing the true nature of love. Here is a part of it:

"Love's a bloody river with level-five rapids. Only a catastrophic act of nature or a dam has any chance of stopping it--and then usually only succeeds in diverting it. Both measures are extreme and change the terrain so much you end up wondering why you bothered. No landmarks gauge your position when it's done. Only way to survive is to devise new ways to map out life."

Such wise words I never thought I would find in a fluff series.

This final installment in the Fever series has it all: action, sex, romance, mystery, fantasy, humor, and a dash of the supernatural.

Moning picks up right at the place the prior book ended. If you recall, I was so mad about the ending of the last book because of the cliffhanger. Well, Shadowfever finds us hanging on the cliff waiting to find out where Moning would take us next. Turns out she takes us through several dimensions and even to an icy and eternal hellish prison set aside for the dark Fae.

One of the best parts of this book is that all the questions I had are finally answered. Just when you think you know what the answer is going to be, Moning throws a wrench in the whole thing and poses even more questions. What results is a wild ride.

I've become a fast fan of Karen Marie Moning and I look forward to other adventures she will write. I have rated this book a 5 out of 5 Sinsar Dubhs.

Dreamfever

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 IFPs

When the walls between Man and Fae come crashing down, freeing the insatiable, immortal Unseelie from their icy prison, MacKayla Lane is caught in a deadly trap. Captured by the Fae Lord Master, she is left with no memory of who or what she is: the only sidhe-seer alive who can track the Sinsar Dubh, a book of arcane black magic that holds the key to controlling both worlds.

Clawing her way back from oblivion is only the first step Mac must take down a perilous path, from the battle-filled streets of Dublin to the treacherous politics of an ancient, secret sect, through the tangled lies of men who claim to be her allies into the illusory world of the Fae themselves, where nothing is as it seems—and Mac is forced to face a soul-shattering truth.

Who do you trust when you can’t even trust yourself?


I was so astounded by this installment. To me, it is the best one so far because things actually start happening and questions start getting answered. Bad thing is, however, that with all the new answers come new questions. And, can I just say, holy cliffhanger at the end, Batman! I threw the book across the bed when I finished the last sentence. Good thing Shadowfever comes out in just a couple weeks.

In this book, we find a MacKayla who is darker, stronger, and much more reliable a heroine than she has ever been. It is a welcome change, I think. While she spends a lot of time bemoaning the loss of her innocence, I find that I like her this way better. She is finally living up to her role as the great sidhe-seer who could save the world.

Also, we see more of the Book/Beast than we have ever seen before which is nice. Finally! Three books of practically nothing ever happening and now we finally make some leeway.

Even though this is the best book so far I still have issues with the writing. It's often too simplistic and immature for my tastes. But I let it slide because the story is exciting and it is a total fluff read. I guess that really shouldn't be grounds for letting it go. However, the writing in this book is the best it's been in the series. A conundrum. And probably a big reason why I like this book the most.

The cliffhanger: While I hated it, it was probably one of the best ones I've seen in a long time in a book. Kudos to you, Ms. Moning!

All right. I have gushed about this book enough. Here's to the next few weeks of waiting with bated breath for the final installment where we will finally get all our questions answered! I have given it 4.5 out of 5 IFPs (Read the books to find out what an IFP is).

FaeFever

Rating 4 out of 5 MacHalos

When MacKayla Lane receives a torn page from her dead sister's journal, she is stunned by Alina's desperate words. And now MacKayla knows that her sister's killer is close. But evil is closer. And suddenly the sidhe-seer is on the hunt: For answers. For revenge. And for an ancient book of dark magic so evil, it corrupts anyone who touches it.

Mac's quest for the Sinsar Dubh takes her into the mean, shape-shifting streets of Dublin, with a suspicious cop on her tail. Forced into a dangerous triangle of alliance with V'lane, an insatiable Fae prince of lethally erotic tastes, and Jericho Barrons, a man of primal desires and untold secrets, Mac is soon locked in a battle for her body, mind, and soul.

The third installment in Karen Marie Moning's Fever Series finds MacKayla pretty much in the same position she's been in since the beginning. Still seeking revenge for her sister's murder, still trying to find the Sinsar-Dubh, the Dark Book/Beast thing that is wreaking havoc on Dublin, and still trying to figure out V'Lane and Jericho Barrons. This book, however, progresses nicely. Mac delves more and more deeply into the Fae world. Her relationship with Rowena is shoddy at best because her actions are always twisted to look different to the old woman.

Mac is a really great heroine. She is strong and witty yet manages to be girlie and soft at the same time. She is a very believable character. I have come to like V'Lane more in this book. He seems to have some hidden agenda, but I am not sure what that is yet. I have always been on Team Barrons until this book. Now I am iffy. Especially with the ending.

Speaking of the ending. Talk about a cliffhanger. Mac is left to fend for herself and it becomes obvious that it was all rigged so that it would happen that way. And then she becomes a SPOILER with the four SPOILER who make her SPOILER and lose her SPOILER. And then the SPOILER has to come out at the very last second. Ughhhh! I wish I could just go to the next book right away but I have to read another book first, so I just get to be patient for awhile.

Honestly the writing in this isn't that great, and I have said that before. Moning manages, however, to give some depth and insight that becomes the salvation to what could be just a light, shallow read. She takes the mythology of Ireland and makes it her own which is quite remarkable. At first I was skeptical about the fairy folk actually being an alien race, but I find that it actually works.

Barrons and Mac still have a great relationship. I have read other reviews that say they like that the relationship has stayed tense. I do too...to a degree. It doesn't seem like there was much progression with their relationship in this book which was disappointing. The last book found them in a lustful wrestling fight at the end which was great. In this book, all signs point to Barrons being evil and untrustworthy. It would have been nice to have a balance like Moning has normally had with Barrons. He usually has a redeeming moment, but there were none in this book. As a member of Team Barrons, I would like to think that he has redeeming qualities. Here is hoping that the next book serves as Jericho's redemption.

My only other qualm with the book is how MacKayla clings to the Barbie doll side of her. Sometimes her pink fetishes are ridiculous. I realize I will never understand that because I am a guy, but seriously it is starting to feel out of place. A girl who has seen as much as Mac has may want to cling to some part of her childhood in order to be sane, but there needs to be some tampering of it. At least that is what I think.

Despite the two or three qualms I have with the book, I found that this one was one of the better installments, so I gave it a 4 out of 5 MacHalos.

Bloodfever

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Shades

Mackayla Lane's ordinary life underwent a complete makeover when she landed on Ireland's shores and was plunged into a dark, deadly realm unlike any she ever imagined. In her fight to stay alive, Mac must find the Sinsar Dubh—a million-year old book of the blackest magic imaginable that holds the key to power over both the worlds of Fae and Man. Pursued by Fae assassins, surrounded by mysterious figures she knows she cannot trust, Mac finds herself torn between two deadly and irresistible men: V'lane, the insatiable Fae, who can turn sensual arousal into an obsession for any woman; and the ever-inscrutable Jericho Barrons, a man as alluring as he is mysterious.

For centuries, the shadowy realm of the Fae has coexisted with that of humans. Now the walls between the two are coming down, and Mac is the only thing that stands between them...

I actually finished this a few days ago just have not had time to sit down and write a review. This was another fluff read, but I find myself fully involved in the story. There are enough new twists and introductions of interesting creatures that my interest stays pretty high.

Mac is still likable although she is losing her innocent, cute charm that she had in the first book. Granted, she cannot stay innocent and whatever forever or else she could never be a worthy opponent for the Lord Master. She still has a nice voice throughout the novel though. I find myself laughing or smiling at some of the quirky banter and the things she says. I still love that she says "petunia" instead of "ass."

As for the love interests in this story, V'lane and Jericho Barrons, I am rooting for Jericho. He is a much more interesting character than V'lane. There is some deep, dark secret that Barrons is hiding (although I think I have it figured out, we shall see if I am right...if I am wrong then kudos to Ms. Moning) that keeps getting hinted at. Also the chemistry is more prevalent between Barrons and Mac. They have a nice love-hate relationship where they merely seem to tolerate each other yet, at the same time, are attracted to each other. Of all the relationships in the book, theirs is the most interesting and exciting.

This book gets even darker than the first one. The ending where Mac is captured by SPOILER CENSOR and partakes of SPOILER CENSOR to become SPOILER CENSOR is somewhat disgusting yet manages to be intriguing. And I have to admit, the fight scene between Mac and Jericho that turns into something else is quite intense.

Moning walks a fine line between making this a very fun and light ride while also giving some depth that can be surprising.

I am getting tired of how everyone is using Mac for their own agenda. I suppose that is what Moning is going for. She needs to be able to trust someone, right? The introduction of the sidhe-seer clan is interesting and, so far, I like Dani the best but we're not even sure we can trust them.

You may have noticed this book got a half point knocked off from the rating I gave the first book. While this is entertaining I just feel like some of it is being dragged out unnecessarily. And Mac gets a little annoying. So that is why I gave it 3.5 out of 5 Shades instead of 4. So there ya go.

Darkfever

Rating 4 out of 5 OOPs

MacKayla Lane’s life is good. She has great friends, a decent job, and a car that breaks down only every other week or so. In other words, she’s your perfectly ordinary twenty-first-century woman. Or so she thinks…until something extraordinary happens.

When her sister is murdered, leaving a single clue to her death–a cryptic message on Mac’s cell phone–Mac journeys to Ireland in search of answers. The quest to find her sister’s killer draws her into a shadowy realm where nothing is as it seems, where good and evil wear the same treacherously seductive mask. She is soon faced with an even greater challenge: staying alive long enough to learn how to handle a power she had no idea she possessed–a gift that allows her to see beyond the world of man, into the dangerous realm of the Fae….

As Mac delves deeper into the mystery of her sister’s death, her every move is shadowed by the dark, mysterious Jericho, a man with no past and only mockery for a future. As she begins to close in on the truth, the ruthless Vlane–an alpha Fae who makes sex an addiction for human women–closes in on her. And as the boundary between worlds begins to crumble, Mac’s true mission becomes clear: find the elusive Sinsar Dubh before someone else claims the all-powerful Dark Book–because whoever gets to it first holds nothing less than complete control of the very fabric of both worlds in their hands….

This was a random find at B&N. I ended up in a section I rarely go in and there was a display for thrillers upon which was this book. It was a good find.

Ok.

Moning's series is a total fluff read, but sometimes that is not a bad thing if it is done right. In other words it has to be pure entertainment and I don't have moments where I roll my eyes in disgust. The characters don't have to be perfect because, hey, it's a fluff read, but they have to be consistent, entertaining, and interesting. The YA novels I have read that are, also, fluff reads (let's be honest) do not meet all of these criteria.

Darkfever delivers. The main character, MacKayla Lane, is awesome. She is a pretty girl obsessed with clothes, the color pink, manicures, and shopping who ends up in Ireland searching for her sister's murderer. While such a girl would not realistically be in such a situation it is an interesting enough premise that kept me going.

What made me interested in this book is that it takes place in Ireland and it is about the fae folk. Moning puts an excellent spin on the fairy mythology (although I snickered a little at the idea that the fairies are aliens from space which is an idea that is implied rather than spoken). Even the beautiful fairies are not to be trusted. MacKayla (Mac for short) can't seem to find a single person in Dublin that she can trust.

As far as the writing, yeah, it lacks. There are obvious plot holes that are easily passed over because the action never stops. I'm not sure. I'm torn simply because I know I'm reading garbage, but I like it. Sometimes it is nice to have a reprieve from heavy reading. Moning's book is a nice little jaunt that is enjoyable, entertaining, and is actually funny (I actually laughed out loud a few times). I give it 4 out of 5 Objects of Power or, as Mac calls them, OOPs.