Shadowfever: Que Sera, Sera

"Evil is a completely different creature, Mac. Evil is bad that believes it's good."

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 that 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 that contains the power to create and destroy worlds.

Making the Grade: A

For My Thoughts

Well the wait is finally over and the “Fever” has abated...for now.

Shadowfever with it’s epic twists and turns, OMG, WTF??? is going on, head scratching moments is one book that I think wrung every emotion possible from me while reading it.

I am happy and sad for the end of Shadow fever at the same time. Happy to have been able to experience the “fever” phenomenon and sad that my love affair with the sexy Jericho Barrons is over. Never has a character in a book so totally captivated and held my action as the enigmatic Barrons. I feel as if I’ve said good-bye to a lover and good friend I may never hear from again *sniff*.

From heart-wrenching despair to unbelievable hope in the impossible, betrayal, terror, laughter and ever lasting love each turn of the page brought fresh emotion. And just when you thing Moning can’t possibly have any more surprises up her sleeve, she kicks it up a notch and fries your brain one more time with the complexities of her story of Fae and mortals and immortals.

I think anyone who has read, been invested in and eagerly anticipating this fifth and final book will be happy with the outcome, having most of the loose ends tied up in a neat rainbow coloured bow. Did we get all he answers? No I don't think so, but I can put this book to rest and be satisfied with the ending. Besides Moning has stated there is still more Fae story to be told, so she has to keep some things under wraps.

If Shadowfever was a ride at the fair it would be the biggest, baddest, most thrilling roller-coaster ride one could ever take. And when it was over, you’d be back in line asking to do it all over again and again.

So farewell Barrons...until we meet again...even if it is only in my dreams!

Thanks for the ride!

I've Got The Fever In Me!

The Final Chapter - Let The Games Begin

Well the wait is almost over (and for any of you lucky enough to already be reading this book - I hate you more than words can say). Hopefully in a little over 24 hours I will have this book in my hot little hands  - ok so I may have to settle for reading it on my Itouch, but at this point I say beggars can't be choosers.

Last week for those of us not willing to wait, we got the first two chapters to read on Karen Marie Moning's website.  A lot of my fellow tweeps refused to venture over to her site and end their suffering to find out who the beast really is that Mac killed at the end of Dreamfever. My hat is off to you for showing such remarkable restraint. Me? I'm not into self denial, I clicked as fast as I could to find out the answer.  I figure when Tues Jan 18 rolls around at 12:01 and if I have to download the e-book, I will be that much further ahead in the story.

I will readily admit that I have NEVER been this invested in a book or series. I have even scheduled Tues off work so I can stay up all night (if this old body can handle it) to read this book. Knowing all my tweeps will be reading and tweeting I don't want any spoilers knowing they are getting the long awaited answers to this amazing story ahead of me. I want to be right there with them along for the ride. I just pray that I will not be disappointed with what KMM has in store for Mac and Barrons. Everyone wants their story to have a HEA. Moning has stated that she stayed true to her vision for this story and that the readers wants and needs were not necessarily taken into consideration when she wrote this series. They better get that HEA - that is all I am saying! I don't care about any dang dream she had.

I am sure that there will never be another book that so many have so anxiously been waiting for.  I certainly do not ever foresee my taking a day off work again just so I can read a book.  That should tell you right there how excited I am to finally be able to get the answers.

MAC AND BARRONS FOREVER!

I AM DYING - Wish I Had an IYD Number to Call for Answers

Making the Grade: A-

For My Thoughts


Well the ending as I was forwarded did not disappoint in it's sucky cliff-hangerness. In fact it sucked big red balls! I hated it. And yet it makes me salivate for Jan 18 2011 when the next and final book by Karen Marie Moning Shadowfever releases.

It was all a dream right? I'm talking about the ending. That's why the author named this book DREAMfever right (I have to thank Mandi from @smexybooks for filling me in on this theory)? It's a dream and Mac has a fever because what we are led to believe happens at the end of this book - simply cannot be true.

This was my favorite book of the series so far and part of the reason why is it’s chock full of Barrons goodness. All Barrons - all the time!

Let’s get chapter 4 out of the way. You all know when you think about Dreamfever your mind immediately goes to chapter 4. It’s been 4 books and finally we get some Barrons and Mac action between the sheets. I honestly did not think we were ever going to see these two hook up…well if what they did in chapter 4 can be considered hooking up. I think if Barrons were to explain his motivation for his actions in this chapter, he would deflect and make it seem he was just doing what needed to be done to bring Mac back for the edge..back from being Pri-ya. He was doing a job…it’s a “dirty” job and someone had to do it and ohhhh what a job Jericho Barrons did. We saw a side of Barrons that almost made him appear human..laughing, singing, dancing, and an inexhaustible ability to keep it up (yup that's what I'm talking about).

Mac survived her terrifying ordeal at the hand of the Unseelie Princes and her sex-filled days with Barrons being brought back from being Pri-ya, but she’s no longer an innocent, southern belle Barbie, rainbow girl whose favorite color is pink. She’s now Mac 4.0, stronger, sleeker, faster, hardened and matured by her past experiences. Now her favorite colors are black and red. I was sad to see Jericho and Mac revert back to Barrons and Mrs. Lane after the heat level of chapter 4, but there was lots of snippy, sexual innuendo and tensions filled encounters to keep me entertained.

There is a lot of action as Dreamfever builds towards it climatic cliff-hanger ending.

Mac and Dani develop their Big Sis, Little Sis relationship - I really like the young Sidhe-Seer and loved how Mac protected her and looked out for her at all cost. V’lane is almost non-existent in this book; The Lord Master is as evil as ever and even the missing, lie-detector Christian MacKelter mades an unexpected appearance.

And we finally get to find out what happens when Mac dials the infamous IYD (if your dying) on the pre-programmed cell phone given to her by Barrons.

I will admit that I was a chicken when it came to finishing Dreamfever. I knew the ending would be shocking and unsatisfying and leave me wanting more and full of questions. I stopped reading with about 8 pages left (I know you are all thinking how could you not finish the book), but seriously I knew the ending was bad, it was bedtime and I wanted to be able to sleep and not have nightmares. So I waited until the next day to finish it on my lunch. Those last eight pages were action packed and of course I had the reaction everyone who reads this book must have had. WTF is that ending about?

Is it Jan 18, 2011 yet? Bring on Shadowfever and let's all finally get some fecking answers!

Faefever: I'm Burning Up With Fever

Making the Grade: B+

For My Thoughts



Faefever is book 3 in the Fever series by Karen Marie Moning. I felt as this story progressed it was building toward an impending sense of doom. Some answers are given, many more questions are raised and the action really ramps up as Halloween - aka D-Day approaches and the walls come tumbling down. The night the lights went out at Barrons Books and Baubles I actually felt anxious while reading wondering what evil was waiting in the dark for Mac and all the people of Dublin. And the cliff-hanger ending? Well - can’t say I wasn’t warned.

For those of you that had to wait a year for Dreamfever to find out Mac‘s fate - you have me deepest sympathies.

My favorite part of this book - well at least the one that made me laugh out loud (and trust me these books don’t have a lot of laughs) was the device Mac created for herself and aptly named the MacHalo to protect herself from the Shades those things that sling around in the dark and eat you, but can’t abide the light. I will admit they scared me. One thing is for sure in this series the dark is very deadly.

The scene with Mac prancing around Barrons Books and Baubles to Bad Moon Rising (a premonition of things to come?) wearing her bike helmet decked out with flashlights glued and duct taped to it so it cast a protective glow around her was priceless especially when Barrons caught her in the act. He couldn’t contain his laughter and neither could I. Who knew the big guy had a sense of humor.

I still have no idea who or what Jericho Barrons is but he is undoubtedly one of the most powerful players in this game.

One thing we do learn in Faefever is that Barrons has some kind of special Druid power called Voice that when used can coerce people to do things against their will. Since Mac has been subjected to Voice from the Lord Master once before, she needs to learn ASAP how to defend herself against this ability.

Barrons = teacher, Mac = student...let the games begin.
Here‘s just a snippet of their first session:

“TAKE YOUR SHIRT OFF.”
The command hit me like a brick wall and destroyed my mind. I sucked in a violent, screeching breath and ripped my shirt from neckline to hem.
“Stop, Ms. Lane.”
Voice again but not the brick wall: rather a command that lifted the brick wall from me, freeing me. I sank to the floor, clutching the halves of my torn T-shirt together, and dropped my head n my lap resting my forehead against my knees. I breathed deeply for several seconds, then raised my head and looked at him. He could have coerced me like that at any time. Turned me into a mindless slave. Like the Lord Master, he could have forced me to do his bidding whenever he’d wanted. But he hadn’t.

“What are you?” It burst out before I could stop myself. I knew it was wasted breath. “Why don’t you just tell me and get it over with?” I said irritably. (YES Barrons - fill us all in please!)
“One day you’ll stop asking me. I think I’ll like knowing you then.

Barrons pulls no punches while educating Ms. Lane in the power of Voice.

All the major players Barrons, V’Lane, Rowena, The Lord Master even the Sinsar Dubh up their games in Faefever. What is to become of Mac - this book did not end on a good note for the Sidhe-Seer. Thank goodness I don’t have to wait to find out.

Off to start Dreamfever. I hear Chapter 4 is full of yummy Barrons goodness - bring it on.

Bloodfever: You Give Me Fever....FEVER

Making the Grade: B+

For My Thoughts


This is the 2nd book in the fever series. I like to call it Bloodfever: The Hunt for Red October OOP (objects of power). For those of you that don’t know, I caved to all the twitter pressure a couple of weeks ago and decided to move this series up to the top of my TRB pile.

For those of you wondering - yes I am developing a “slight” fever. It’s not quite full blown yet, but I have a feeling after I finish books 3 and 4 (Faefever and Dreamfever) that I too will be in full “fever” mode and will be joining the drooling masses eagerly awaiting the final book in the series Shadowfever which releases in January 2011.

On a side note I have made a surprising discovery - I’m not minding the 1st person narration (maybe you can teach an old dog a new trick?).

I received many warnings and saw many comments and tweets about all the WTF endings Karen Marie Moning employs in these books. The good thing for me about starting this series late in the game is I don’t have to worry about those cliff-hangers - well maybe just a little ( come on book 3 you better get here this week in the mail!).

For anyone who watches a continuing TV series, the cliff-hanger ending is a well known, well used ploy. Watch a favorite show faithfully every week and then come the end of the season get hit with a shocker ending that leaves the loyal fan gnashing their teeth and traumatized at having to wait months for new episodes to return in the fall. It’s a darn good marketing tool - always leave your fans foaming at the mouth wanting more. This series is no different and while Bloodfever did end on a bit of a cliff-hanger, I felt it was more of a whoa moment - didn’t see that one coming about the evil little Sinsar Dubh book.

Bloodfever continues the tenuous relationship forged by need between Mac and Barrons. He’s the muscle and she’s the brains - or the OOP detector. However you describe their relationship, it is clearly evident that they need each other.

Trying to get Barrons to come clean about anything is like trying to pull teeth. He operates on a need to know basis and frankly he doesn’t think Mac needs to know anything - she’s just supposed to trust everything he says and does. We do get some answers, but way more questions arise. I had an epiphany while reading Bloodfever. It’s the literary version of the the TV show Lost. Always teasing us with little tidbits of information before piling on a ton more questions.

I liked that Mac has grown and matured considerably in this book - but it’s not like she had a choice exactly. Mac proves in Bloodfever that she realizes the weight of expectation her powers have placed on her shoulders and she’s willing to step-up to the plate and do whatever it takes to stay alive including eating some pretty nasty stuff.

Like Mac I can’t tell the good guys from the bad. Everyone is using her and telling her things to further their own agenda. She doesn’t know who she can trust and neither do I. I am more convinced then ever that although Barrons is one big question mark - I do believe he is on the good guy side (please don’t let him betray her *bites nails*).

The scenes in the Burren (underground caves) with Mallucé were gross and engrossing at the same time. I could not turn the pages fast enough trying to find out how Mac was going to escape from her seemingly inescapable situation.

Ahh and the angry kiss between Barrons and Mac *sigh*, I wanted more but here’s just a taste of what we got:

 I bit his lip. He tripped me and pushed me down to the stone floor of the cavern. I punched him. He straddled me.
 I ripped his shirt down the front, left it hanging in tatters from his shoulders.
 “I liked that shirt,” he snarled. He rose over me, a dark demon, glistening in the torchlight, dripping sweat and blood, his torso covered with tattoos that disappeared beneath his waistband.
 He grabbed the hem of my shirt, tore it straight up to my neck, and inhaled sharply.
 I punched him. If he punched me back, I was past feeling it. His mouth was on mine again, the hot silk of his tongue, the sharp, deliberate abrasion of his teeth, the exchange of breath and the small, desperate sounds of need.

What’s up next for Mac? I don’t think I can even imagine, but I’m pretty sure I can count on a whopper of a cliff-hanger.

Twitter Influence: Who the heck is this Jericho Barrons character?

Who are you Jericho Barrons and why do you have a lot of my twitter peeps in a "fever"?

The Twitterverse (or at least my little slice of it) has gone crazy over the last 2 weeks and my twitter timeline has blown up with "talk" about the Karen Marie Moning's Fever series. Everyone's in a furor over the next release in this series Shadowfever (due out in Jan 2011 and holy crap it's 608 pages!), so alot are re-reading the series in preparation for the next book. Just an observation from my point, this series must be awesome because I have never re-read a book in my life.

So I had this book in my TBR pile along with the next book in the series Bloodfever. Why you ask? Well I like books and I probably ordered these two the last time twitter blew up when the last book released in this series. With a TBR pile as big as mine - well there just never is enough time to getting around to all the good books.

I think the straw that broke the camel's back was a tweet from @WickedLPixie on Friday night after she finished reading one of the books - Dreamfever "Okay wtf kind of ending was that?!!?!" and wanted to throw her e-reader at the ending. If this series has the power to influence and cause this kind of reaction in so many people - I had to give it a try.

So for starters, I am not a huge paranormal fan (although I have been reading more of that genre this year), I have never read anything by Karen Marie Moning (although I have read many new to me authors this year) and I avoid stories told in 1st person like the plague - yes this one is written in 1st person from the heroine's point of view. Just a few of the reasons this book probably sat in the TBR pile unread.

I started this book Friday night and although not overwhelmed by the story to start with, there was enough there to spike my interest and keep me reading. One of those things that keep me intrigued was KMM set up a story and a world with lots of questions and unresolved answers. I need answers even if a story is about mystical fae, Unseelie, Seelie, Shi-sadu and  lots of other things I can't say or spell.

Maybe I'm a little long in the tooth to really enjoy a heroine who is a 22 year old good-time "barbie" girl from the deep south.  It soon became clear once MacKayla "Mac" Lane landed in Dublin to investigate the mysterious and heinous death of her beloved sister Alina that there is more to this girl than meets the eye.  Who is Mackayla really?  It's one of the burning questions in Darkfever. She seems to have no idea who or what she is and the powers she possesses in the Emerald Isle. Mac and I did bond over pink. The color pink. It's her favorite color (as the author reminds us of over and over again), but pink is also my favorite color - so at least we had that in common.

And just who is Jericho Barrons? At first I wasn't sure about him and the jury's still out but he must be a good guy right? Who or what is he - I have no idea, but I'm pretty sure after finishing this book - he's not human.

One thing missing for me - there was absolutely no romance at all in this book (you can't count the panty dropping action V'lane seemed to invoke on unsuspecting females).  Barrons and Mac had a strictly business relationship.  They needed what the other had to offer.  Mac needed someone who could keep her safe while she continued her search for her sister's killer and answer her sister's dying wish by finding an all powerful book. Once Barrons realized Mac's potential and usefulness to his own cause their relationship evolved into - if you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours. I really hope that Mac didn't sell her soul to the devil when she put all her eggs into Barrons basket.  I really could have used some smexy action especially featuring Jericho Barrons. Hopefully there will be some in the upcoming books *fingers crossed*.

I am told this book is an example of Urban Fantasy (I have no idea what that really means). If I had to classify this book, it would be as a suspense/mystery/fantasy/paranormal.

In conclusion:

My rating C+

Was this the best book of a new series, by a new author I have ever read? No honestly that honor this year goes to the Moonlight series by Nancy Gideon - I gobbled up those books
Did I catch the Jericho Barrons fever? No, not yet - I need to see some more of the big guy
Am I starting to enjoy reading 1st person narrative? No I don't ever see that happening
Will I continue reading this series? Yes (I already have book 2 Bloodfever)

I didn't hate Darkfever and it didn't rock my world. I am intrigued enough about the characters, the story and the questions left unanswered to continue Mac and Barrons great adventure in the land of the leprechauns.