Posts Tagged ‘Karen Marie Moning’
Review: Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning
Shadowfever (Fever series, Book 5)
Karen Marie Moning
Release: January 18, 2011
Purchase Book: Amazon | Book Depository | Barnes & Noble | Nook Version | Kindle Version
Rating: 4 Stars
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 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.
How does one even start to review what is easily the most anticipated book of the year among urban fantasy fans? I guess I will start by saying, if you want to read my reviews of the previous books go here. If you haven’t read the series, you might want to stop and start at book 1. I’m not going to be purposely spoilerly, but it is hard to be entirely vague.
I’ve been a bit overwhelmed with book choices lately. After reading almost nothing for the last few months because of school, all of a sudden I have a “to read” list that is crazy huge almost solely because of popular series books I have missed the release of. I pushed all of those aside and bought my kindle version of Shadowfever at midnight on release day. I read for about 2 hours for that night before I had to finally admit defeat and get some sleep.
Right out from the gate the book has you twittering “OMG! NOOOOOO”. There were several oh my god moments really. One thing Moning did incredibly well was keep us on our toes. There was not a single event in this story that I had guessed or seen suggested by anyone else. The twists and turns were thought provoking and frustrating all in one. In the end we get answers to some questions, but definitely not all. We get just enough about Barrons and his men to feel slightly satisfied, but still curious. We get in-depth history as well as out of nowhere curve balls regarding the Fae and Mac’s sidhe-seer heritage. We get the long awaited answer to Alina’s death and the future of Mac and Barrons.
Yet, I finished it was left feeling unsettled. Shadowfever is a lot of book, almost 600 pages, and honestly the first half it was a slow read. There was a great deal of emotional monologue and stubborn characters that dragged on the plot. Additionally, I’ve always adored Dani but I felt her character lacked growth in this installment and I can’t help but wonder whether or not the reveal we get was planned all along. I didn’t fully believe the events surrounding V’lane and I still don’t understand Christian’s progression. I almost think that the effort to create a story that lived up to expectation and defy all speculation may have led to an end result that lacked a certain amount of credibility. (I know that’s vauge, I’m sorry! lol).
My last complaint, too much of the finale was focused on the relationship between Barrons and Mac. Yes, their “happy ever after” chances are a huge draw to readers, but it is has never been the focus of the series. For me the series has always been about Mac and her search to find the truth about her sister, to find her place among this new world she has journeyed into. I needed a final scene between Mac and the killer.
I realize how one sided this review is. The truth is for all my complaints, it is an entertaining and good story. Mac 5.0 is broken down and then built up stronger and smarter than we have ever seen her. Barrons is everything we have come to expect from him and most people will be content with the series ending. Shadowfever may not have hit all the perfect buttons for me, but I enjoyed the creatively twisted story that kept me guessing and am sad to see the series come to an end.
Favorite Quote:
With Barrons, you aren’t sure if you’re going to get fucked or turned inside out and left a new, unrecognizable person, adrift with no moorings, on a sea with no bottom and no rules.
I was never immune to him. There were merely degrees of denial.
FTC Disclaimer: This book was purchased by me
2009 Reading Wrap Up
Peer pressure, I am a sucker for it! So, I am joining in with the 2009 wrap up posts going around!
My *5 Star* Books Read & Published in 2009
I couldn’t narrow it down to a top 10, so you are getting all the books that were published this year and I gave 5 stars to.
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Since I started the blog late in the year, below isa list of books I have read throughout 2009 according to Goodreads (174 total). If there is a review, it is linked! You can see a nifty collage of covers here and check out all the books below and the star ratings I gave them at Goodreads.
Non Series books
The Wednesday Sisters: A Novel (Hardcover) Clayton, Meg Waite
Firefly Lane (Hardcover) Hannah, Kristin
The Necklace: Thirteen Women and the Experiment That Transformed Their Lives (Hardcover) Jarvis, Cheryl Angels and Demons by Dan Brown
The Forgotten Garden (Paperback) Morton, Kate
Seduced by a Rogue (Mass Market Paperback) Scott, Amanda
Unbound (Mass Market Paperback) Anthology
Strange Brew (Paperback) Anthology
Series books – alphabetical order
Kiss of Midnight (Midnight Breed, #1) Adrian, Lara
Kiss of Crimson (Midnight Breed, #2) Adrian, Lara
Midnight Awakening (Midnight Breed, #3) Adrian, Lara
Midnight Rising (Midnight Breed, #4) Adrian, Lara
Ashes of Midnight (Midnight Breed, #6) Adrian, Lara
Veil of Midnight (Midnight Breed, #5) Adrian, Lara
Magic Strikes (Kate Daniels, #3) Andrews, Ilona
On the Edge (The Edge, #1) Andrews, Ilona
Haunted (Women of the Otherworld, #5) Armstrong, Kelley
No Humans Involved (Women of the Otherworld, #7) Armstrong, Kelley
Personal Demon (Women of the Otherworld, #8) Armstrong, Kelley
Living with the Dead (Women of the Otherworld, #9) Armstrong, Kelley
Men of the Otherworld (Women of the Otherworld) Armstrong, Kelley
Frostbitten (Women of the Otherworld, #10) Armstrong, Kelley
The Summoning (Darkest Powers, #1) Armstrong, Kelley
The Awakening (Darkest Powers, #2) Armstrong, Kelley
Exit Strategy (Nadia Stafford, #1) Armstrong, Kelley
Made to Be Broken (Nadia Stafford, #2) Armstrong, Kelley
Full Moon Rising (Riley Jenson Guardian, #1) Arthur, Keri
Kissing Sin (Riley Jenson Guardian, #2) Arthur, Keri
Tempting Evil (Riley Jenson Guardian, #3) Arthur, Keri
Dangerous Games (Riley Jenson Guardian, #4) Arthur, Keri
Embraced By Darkness (Riley Jenson Guardian, #5) Arthur, Keri
The Darkest Kiss (Riley Jenson Guardian, #6) Arthur, Keri
Deadly Desire (Riley Jenson Guardian, #7) Arthur, Keri
Bound to Shadows (Riley Jenson Guardian, #8) Arthur, Keri
Destiny Kills (Myth and Magic, #1) Arthur, Keri
Witch Fire (Elemental Witches, Book 1) Bast, Anya
Witch Blood (Elemental Witches, Book 2) Bast, Anya
Witch Heart (Elemental Witches, Book 3) Bast, Anya
Witch Fury (Elemental Witches, Book 4) Bast, Anya
The Chosen Sin (Paperback) Bast, Anya
The Devil Inside (Morgan Kingsley, #1) Black, Jenna
The Devil You Know (Morgan Kingsley, #2) Black, Jenna
The Devil’s Due (Morgan Kingsley, #3) Black, Jenna
Speak of the Devil (Morgan Kingsley, #4) Black, Jenna
Moon Called (Mercedes Thompson, #1) Briggs, Patricia
Blood Bound (Mercedes Thompson, #2) Briggs, Patricia
Iron Kissed (Mercedes Thompson, #3) Briggs, Patricia
Bone Crossed (Mercedes Thompson, #4) Briggs, Patricia
Cry Wolf (Alpha & Omega, #1) Briggs, Patricia
Hunting Ground (Alpha & Omega, #2) Briggs, Patricia
Storm Front (The Dresden Files, #1) Butcher, Jim
Fool Moon (The Dresden Files, #2) Butcher, Jim
Grave Peril (The Dresden Files, #3) Butcher, Jim
Summer Knight (The Dresden Files, #4) Butcher, Jim
Death Masks (The Dresden Files, #5) Butcher, Jim
Blood Rites (The Dresden Files, #6) Butcher, Jim
Dead Beat (The Dresden Files, #7) Butcher, Jim
Proven Guilty (The Dresden Files, #8) Butcher, Jim
White Night (The Dresden Files, #9) Butcher, Jim
Small Favor (The Dresden Files, #10) Butcher, Jim
Backup (The Dresden Files, #10.2) Butcher, Jim
Turn Coat (The Dresden Files, #11) Butcher, Jim
Glass Houses (The Morganville Vampires, #1) Caine, Rachel
The Dead Girls’ Dance (The Morganville Vampires, #2) Caine, Rachel
Midnight Alley (The Morganville Vampires, #3) Caine, Rachel
Feast of Fools (The Morganville Vampires, #4) Caine, Rachel
Lord of Misrule (The Morganville Vampires, #5) Caine, Rachel
Carpe Corpus (The Morganville Vampires, #6) Caine, Rachel
Fade Out (The Morganville Vampires, #7) Caine, Rachel
Ill Wind (Weather Warden, #1) Caine, Rachel
Heat Stroke (Weather Warden, #2) Caine, Rachel
Chill Factor (Weather Warden, #3) Caine, Rachel
Windfall (Weather Warden, #4) Caine, Rachel
Firestorm (Weather Warden, #5) Caine, Rachel
Thin Air (Weather Warden, #6) Caine, Rachel
Gale Force (Weather Warden, #7) Caine, Rachel
Cape Storm (Weather Warden, #8) Caine, Rachel
Undone (Outcast Season, #1) Caine, Rachel
Soulless (The Parasol Protectorate #1) Carriger, Gail
Touch the Dark (Cassandra Palmer, #1) Chance, Karen
Claimed By Shadow (Cassandra Palmer, #2) Chance, Karen
Embrace the Night (Cassandra Palmer, #3) Chance, Karen
Curse the Dawn (Cassandra Palmer, #4) Chance, Karen
Midnight’s Daughter (Dorina Basarab, #1) Chance, Karen
A Hunger Like No Other (Immortals After Dark, #2) Cole, Kresley
No Rest for the Wicked (Immortals After Dark, #3) Cole, Kresley
Wicked Deeds on a Winter’s Night (Immortals After Dark, #4) Cole, Kresley
Dark Needs At Night’s Edge (Immortals After Dark, #5) Cole, Kresley
Kiss of a Demon King (Immortals After Dark, #7) Cole, Kresley
Dark Desires After Dusk (Immortals After Dark, #6) Cole, Kresley
Nightwalker (Dark Days, #1) Drake, Jocelynn
Dayhunter (Dark Days, #2) Drake, Jocelynn
Dawnbreaker (Dark Days, #3) Drake, Jocelynn
At Grave’s End (Night Huntress, #3) Frost, Jeaniene
Destined for an Early Grave (Night Huntress, #4) Frost, Jeaniene
Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris
White Witch, Black Curse (Rachel Morgan/The Hollows, #7) Harrison, Kim
Fatal Shadows (Adrien English Mystery Series #1) Lanyon, Josh
Coyote’s Mate (Breeds, #18) Leigh, Lora
Bengal’s Heart (Breeds, #19) Leigh, Lora
Nauti Boy (Nauti, #1) Leigh, Lora
Nauti Dreams (Nauti, #3) Leigh, Lora
Nauti Nights (Nauti, #2) Leigh, Lora
Nauti Intentions (Nauti, #4) Leigh, Lora
Dangerous Games (Tempting SEALs, #2) Leigh, Lora
Hidden Agendas (Tempting SEALs, #4) Leigh, Lora
Killer Secrets (Tempting SEALs, #5) Leigh, Lora
Wild Card (Elite Ops, #1) Leigh, Lora
Wicked Pleasure (Bound Hearts, #9) Leigh, Lora
Forbidden Pleasure (Bound Hearts, #8) Leigh, Lora
Maverick (Elite Ops, #3) Leigh, Lora
Marly’s Choice (Men of August, #1) Leigh, Lora
Sarah’s Seduction (Men of August, #2) Leigh, Lora
Only Pleasure (Bound Hearts, #10) Leigh, Lora
Heather’s Gift (Men of August, #3) Leigh, Lora
Submission & Seduction (Bound Hearts, #2 and #3) Leigh, Lora
Wicked Sacrifice (Bound Hearts, #4 and #5) Leigh, Lora
Menage a Magick (Wizard Twins, #1) Leigh, Lora
Shameless Embraces (Bound Hearts, #6 and #7) Leigh, Lora
Ties That Bind (Includes: Bound Hearts, #1) Leigh, Lora
Surrender (Bound Hearts, #1) Leigh, Lora
Heat Seeker (Elite Ops, #4) Leigh, Lora
Wicked Intent (Bound Hearts, #4) Leigh, Lora
Submission (Bound Hearts, #2) Leigh, Lora
Night Hawk (Elite Ops, #2) Leigh, Lora
When Wizards Rule (Wizard Twins, #2) Leigh, Lora
Shameless (Bound Hearts, #7) Leigh, Lora
Seduction (Bound Hearts, #3) Leigh, Lora
Sacrifice (Bound Hearts, #5) Leigh, Lora
August Heat (Men of August, #4) Leigh, Lora
Embraced (Bound Hearts, #6) Leigh, Lora
Wolfe’s Hope (Breeds, #10) Leigh, Lora
The Breed Next Door (Breeds, #6) Leigh, Lora
Succubus Blues (Georgina Kincaid, #1) Mead, Richelle
Succubus On Top (Georgina Kincaid, #2) Mead, Richelle
Succubus Dreams (Georgina Kincaid, #3) Mead, Richelle
Succubus Heat (Georgina Kincaid, #4) Mead, Richelle
Storm Born (Dark Swan, #1) Mead, Richelle
Thorn Queen (Dark Swan, #2) Mead, Richelle
Blood Vice (ebook) Melton, Keith
Darkfever (Fever, #1) Moning, Karen Marie
Bloodfever (Fever, #2) Moning, Karen Marie
Faefever (Fever, #3) Moning, Karen Marie
Dreamfever (Fever, #4) Moning, Karen Marie
The Scent of Shadows: The First Sign of the Zodiac (Mass Market Paperback) Pettersson, Vicki
The Taste of Night: The Second Sign of the Zodiac (Mass Market Paperback) Pettersson, Vicki
The Touch of Twilight (Sign of the Zodiac, Book 3) Pettersson, Vicki
City of Souls (Sign of the Zodiac, Book 4) Pettersson, Vicki
A Rush of Wings (The Maker’s Song, #1) Phoenix, Adrian
In the Blood (The Maker’s Song, #2) Phoenix, Adrian
Crux (Southern Arcana, Book 1) Rogers, Moira
The Darkest Night (Lords of the Underworld, #1) Showalter, Gena
The Darkest Kiss (Lords of the Underworld, #2) Showalter, Gena
The Darkest Pleasure (Lords of the Underworld, #3) Showalter, Gena
The Darkest Whisper (Lords of the Underworld, #4) Showalter, Gena
Kitty and the Midnight Hour (Kitty Norville, Book 1) Vaughn, Carrie
Kitty Goes to Washington (Kitty Norville, Book 2) Vaughn, Carrie
Kitty Takes a Holiday (Kitty Norville, Book 3) Vaughn, Carrie
Kitty and the Silver Bullet (Kitty Norville, Book 4) Vaughn, Carrie
Kitty and the Dead Man’s Hand (Kitty Norville, Book 5) Vaughn, Carrie
Kitty Raises Hell (Kitty Norville, Book 6) Vaughn, Carrie
Stray (Shifters, #1) Vincent, Rachel
Rogue (Shifters, #2) Vincent, Rachel
Pride (Shifters, #3) Vincent, Rachel
Prey (Shifters, #4) Vincent, Rachel
Dark Lover (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #1) Ward, J.R.
Lover Eternal (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #2) Ward, J.R.
Lover Awakened (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #3) Ward, J.R.
Lover Revealed (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #4) Ward, J.R.
Lover Unbound (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #5) Ward, J.R.
Lover Enshrined (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #6) Ward, J.R.
Lover Avenged (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #7) Ward, J.R.
The Black Dagger Brotherhood: An Insider’s Guide (Trade Paperback) Ward, J.R.
Covet (Fallen Angels, #1) Ward, J.R.
Red-Headed Stepchild (Sabina Kane, #1) Wells, Jaye
Review: The Fever Series
The Fever Series
Karen Marie Moning
Buy Kindle Versions: here
Rating: 4 to 5 Stars
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Darkfever – 4 starsGoodreads entry here. |
Bloodfever – 4 starsGoodreads entry here |
Faefever – 5 starsGoodreads entry here |
Dreamfever – 5 starsGoodreads entry here |
You can find my review for book 1 of the series here. The plan was to review them all by themselves, but each book is so closely linked to each other, I think its impossible to do without spoiling things! Because of that I am going to be vague and hope you trust me that you absolutely must read this series if you haven’t!
Darkfever and Bloodfever were good. They weren’t OMG YOU HAVE TO READ THIS good for me, but I read them quickly and really enjoyed them. The same can not be said for book 3 and 4. Faefever and Dreamfever are OMG YOU HAVE TO READ THIS good. They are full of surprises, storyline, and action. A small warning, both do end with cliffhangers…. Dreamfever probably being one of the worst I have read…. EVER! It is going to be a long wait for book 5, Shadowfever.
There were things I absolutely loved about this series. There are also things that made me frown and things that disappointed me. Most importantly, this series grabs you by the shirt and drags you in, makes you care about the characters and what is going on in their world.
I love Mac, I especially love Mac version 4.0. Her character arc and the growth in her is captivating.
Barrons…. still an jerk. But book 4 warms me up to him and I can see all the soft goey nugget inside. I know I would happily volunteer to poke around with him and try to find more of it.
Barrons and Mac together…. they make me swear like a sailor. They are stubborn and pigheaded and I just want to hit both of them upside the head.
*sigh* How much longer until Shadowfever?
FTC Disclaimer: These books were purchased by me
Review: Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning
Title: DarkFever (Fever Series, Book 1)
Author: Karen Marie Moning
Release: October 31, 2006
Buy Kindle version: here
Goodreads Entry: here
Rating: 4 Stars
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….
I have been putting off reading this series. I have heard about its painful cliffhangers and I am generally not a fan of that sort of thing. My theory was… I can put it off until the last book comes out and just read them all at once. However, I am weak when it comes to peer pressure and I was pretty sure @smokinhotbooks was going to beat me up if I didn’t read it soon. So I gave in and dived in.
The synopsis above gives a pretty good teaser into what happens in this book so I won’t rehash it. I liked Darkfever enough to read it in 2 sessions… in one day. It was addictive, like those Ferrero Rocher chocolates.
I found Mac to be an interesting lead character, even if she does obsess about her nail polish and the color pink a bit much. She is stubborn, often to a fault. I like where the author is pushing her character by forcing her to change her appearance – I look forward to lots of growth of Mac as a person and woman.
Barrons just plain annoyed me in this book. He is obviously sexy, but I did not find him likable Instead I found him arrogant, selfish, and untrustworthy. I am curious as to what he is and where he goes from here considering all the crazy book bloggers who adore him as much as I adore Bones. Obviously he has to have some redeeming qualities and we just don’t get to see them yet.
All in all, I give Darkfever 4 stars. The writing was good and I enjoyed the first person narrative. My only gripe is I dislike the way foreshadowing done. Phrases like “I would come to know just how wrong I wass…blah blah blah” just irritate me. (BTW – not a direct quote). I get thats it is part of the cliffhangers, but argh. The book does end with things unresolved, but I was prepared for it and it seemed like a natural place for things to take a pause. Now, I must get started with book 2…. thankfully hubby is home today to feed me and the kids so I feel no shame in doing nothing but sitting on the couch in my pajamas with BloodFever.
FTC Disclaimer: This book was purchased by me.
A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1) by George R.R. Martin
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