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Fever #2
Bloodfever
I used to think my sister and I were just two nice southern girls who’d get married in a few years and settle down to a quiet life. Then I discovered that Alina and I descend, not from good wholesome southern stock, but from an ancient Celtic bloodline of powerful sidhe-seers, people who can see the Fae. Not only can I see the terrifying otherworldly race, but I can sense the sacred Fae relics that hold the deadliest of their magic.
When my sister was found dead in a trash-filled alley in Dublin, I came over to get answers. Now all I want is revenge. And after everything I’ve learned about myself, I know I have the power to get it….
MacKayla Lane’s ordinary life underwent a complete makeover when she landed on Ireland’s shores and was plunged into a world of deadly sorcery and ancient secrets.
In her fight to stay alive, Mac must find the Sinsar Dubh–a million-year-old book of the blackest magic imaginable, which holds the key to power over both the worlds of the Fae and of 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.…
When my sister was found dead in a trash-filled alley in Dublin, I came over to get answers. Now all I want is revenge. And after everything I’ve learned about myself, I know I have the power to get it….
MacKayla Lane’s ordinary life underwent a complete makeover when she landed on Ireland’s shores and was plunged into a world of deadly sorcery and ancient secrets.
In her fight to stay alive, Mac must find the Sinsar Dubh–a million-year-old book of the blackest magic imaginable, which holds the key to power over both the worlds of the Fae and of 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.…
303 pages, Hardcover
First published October 16, 2007
About the author
Karen Marie Moning
55 books30.1k followers“The only other calling I ever felt was an irrepressible desire to be Captain of my own Starship. I was born in the wrong century and it wasn’t possible, so I chose to explore the universe by writing fiction instead. Books are doors to endless adventure.” -KMM
Karen Marie Moning is the #1 NYT bestselling author of the Fever Series and Highlander novels.
An alum of the Immaculate Conception Academy, at seventeen she attended Purdue University where she completed a BA in Society & Law, with minors in Philosophy, Creative Writing and Theatre, while working full time as a bartender and computer consultant. She intended to go to law school but after an internship with a firm of Criminal Attorneys, decided against it. For the next decade, she worked in insurance, where she wrote intercompany arbitrations and directed commercial litigation. At the age of thirty, she decided it was time to get serious and do what she’d always wanted to do: write fiction novels.
Beyond the Highland Mist was published in 1999 and nominated for two RITA awards. She then published six more novels in her award-winning HIGHLANDER series, and received the RITA Award in 2001 for The Highlander’s Touch.
In 2004, she began writing the #1 New York Times bestselling FEVER series. The books have been optioned twice for potential franchise development by Twentieth Century Fox and DreamWorks Studios, but the rights are currently held by Moning who has expressed a desire to one day see it as a television series. Her novels have been published in over thirty countries. She divides her time between Ohio and Florida and is working on two future projects for Random House Publishing.
“I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.” – Jorge Luis Borges
Karen Marie Moning is the #1 NYT bestselling author of the Fever Series and Highlander novels.
An alum of the Immaculate Conception Academy, at seventeen she attended Purdue University where she completed a BA in Society & Law, with minors in Philosophy, Creative Writing and Theatre, while working full time as a bartender and computer consultant. She intended to go to law school but after an internship with a firm of Criminal Attorneys, decided against it. For the next decade, she worked in insurance, where she wrote intercompany arbitrations and directed commercial litigation. At the age of thirty, she decided it was time to get serious and do what she’d always wanted to do: write fiction novels.
Beyond the Highland Mist was published in 1999 and nominated for two RITA awards. She then published six more novels in her award-winning HIGHLANDER series, and received the RITA Award in 2001 for The Highlander’s Touch.
In 2004, she began writing the #1 New York Times bestselling FEVER series. The books have been optioned twice for potential franchise development by Twentieth Century Fox and DreamWorks Studios, but the rights are currently held by Moning who has expressed a desire to one day see it as a television series. Her novels have been published in over thirty countries. She divides her time between Ohio and Florida and is working on two future projects for Random House Publishing.
“I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.” – Jorge Luis Borges
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 5,897 reviews
August 30, 2011
I don't like Mac. I don't like Barrons. I'm not even really enjoying the story. So why keep reading, you might ask. Masochism? Some vague sense of loyalty toward friends on here who constantly berate me with, "Keep reading, it gets better!!!" Or, is it really just my obsessive compulsive NEED to see how something ends? Probably a little of all three.
Once we get into the meat of the story, it's very plain to see that Mac hasn't changed, although she sure would like us to think so. She goes on and on about how she's isn't a dumb kid anymore and she knows more now than she did just weeks ago, but really she doesn't. She still makes dumb mistakes. She still talks about her clothes and appearance. She still keeps Barrons in the dark with things she should have told him in the first place to save them both from trouble. If anything, she acts MORE arrogant and entitled in this book than the last. She's a fancy sidhe-seer now, she doesn't need to worry about some pesky humans.
"My problems were so much bigger than this. It was an epic waste of my time."
She says this after being interrogated about the death of a human. She wanes back and forth over wanting to save all of humanity or only caring about herself and her family. If you save the world, then you ultimately save your family. She's still very selfish and immature in this book and it's hard to take her seriously.
My main problem with Glam-girl Mac and fierce sidhe-seer Mac is the inconsistencies that pop up. True, these trials she's gone through were thrusted upon her and she's dealt with them in a very short amount of time. But she constantly slides back to the Before Mac so much that you want to just slap some sense into her. Stop flirting with boys. Quit getting dressed up in nice clothes. Don't go blurting to a stranger/sidhe-seer in public that you can see the Fae too. If you want me to think you're serious about being a badass and that you've changed, (like you've told me NUMEROUS times throughout this book,) then actually SHOW me with your actions. Get serious, train, learn some basic self defense at least! If your problems are as big as you think, then prepare for them. Don't tell me you've changed when you haven't.
Barrons is still a dick. He abuses her and she makes excuses for him. I think I know who/what he is though. I won't say though, but I have told a certain someone who shares my prediction. We'll see if we're right.
V'Lane is ... interesting. I compared him to Mircea from the Cassie Palmer series, and even though I fear being flayed alive by The Flooze, he's the best comparison I can make. They're both insanely gorgeous, immortal, want a lowly human woman who has unique powers, and view humans as tools to further their goals. I find him to be the most interesting character in the whole series.
A couple of nitpicks that probably won't bother many people, but did bother me:
Spoilers for Darkfever:
The use of acronyms. I can't imagine Barons saying OOP. I understand the need for acronyms, they do have their place, but it bothers me when it's constantly used in a novel. Just spell your words out!
Asking question after question after question. Do we really need one or more paragraphs of just questions that Mac is thinking in her head? There has to be a better way to integrate this into the novel.
The constant spewing of metaphors. People don't think or talk like that, so stop it.
I thought this book was weaker than the last, and I felt angrier while reading it. Maybe I shouldn't have waited so long in between books and let people gently (and not so gently) prod me into reading this. Is it possible that all of the hype surrounding this series and the recent release of Shadowfever has soured my experience? It's very possible. I am trying to give this series a chance, but so far it hasn't won me over.
Here's my review of the first book, Darkfever.
Once we get into the meat of the story, it's very plain to see that Mac hasn't changed, although she sure would like us to think so. She goes on and on about how she's isn't a dumb kid anymore and she knows more now than she did just weeks ago, but really she doesn't. She still makes dumb mistakes. She still talks about her clothes and appearance. She still keeps Barrons in the dark with things she should have told him in the first place to save them both from trouble. If anything, she acts MORE arrogant and entitled in this book than the last. She's a fancy sidhe-seer now, she doesn't need to worry about some pesky humans.
"My problems were so much bigger than this. It was an epic waste of my time."
She says this after being interrogated about the death of a human. She wanes back and forth over wanting to save all of humanity or only caring about herself and her family. If you save the world, then you ultimately save your family. She's still very selfish and immature in this book and it's hard to take her seriously.
My main problem with Glam-girl Mac and fierce sidhe-seer Mac is the inconsistencies that pop up. True, these trials she's gone through were thrusted upon her and she's dealt with them in a very short amount of time. But she constantly slides back to the Before Mac so much that you want to just slap some sense into her. Stop flirting with boys. Quit getting dressed up in nice clothes. Don't go blurting to a stranger/sidhe-seer in public that you can see the Fae too. If you want me to think you're serious about being a badass and that you've changed, (like you've told me NUMEROUS times throughout this book,) then actually SHOW me with your actions. Get serious, train, learn some basic self defense at least! If your problems are as big as you think, then prepare for them. Don't tell me you've changed when you haven't.
Barrons is still a dick. He abuses her and she makes excuses for him. I think I know who/what he is though. I won't say though, but I have told a certain someone who shares my prediction. We'll see if we're right.
V'Lane is ... interesting. I compared him to Mircea from the Cassie Palmer series, and even though I fear being flayed alive by The Flooze, he's the best comparison I can make. They're both insanely gorgeous, immortal, want a lowly human woman who has unique powers, and view humans as tools to further their goals. I find him to be the most interesting character in the whole series.
A couple of nitpicks that probably won't bother many people, but did bother me:
Spoilers for Darkfever:
The use of acronyms. I can't imagine Barons saying OOP. I understand the need for acronyms, they do have their place, but it bothers me when it's constantly used in a novel. Just spell your words out!
Asking question after question after question. Do we really need one or more paragraphs of just questions that Mac is thinking in her head? There has to be a better way to integrate this into the novel.
The constant spewing of metaphors. People don't think or talk like that, so stop it.
I thought this book was weaker than the last, and I felt angrier while reading it. Maybe I shouldn't have waited so long in between books and let people gently (and not so gently) prod me into reading this. Is it possible that all of the hype surrounding this series and the recent release of Shadowfever has soured my experience? It's very possible. I am trying to give this series a chance, but so far it hasn't won me over.
Here's my review of the first book, Darkfever.
March 27, 2021
4 stars
Loving this series so far.
I’m rubbish at reviewing separate books in a long series because I can’t just review parts of the story. It’s just weird to me.
So to continue from my last review, for the first book:
•I love the pace of the story.
•If possible, I’m liking the heroine more and more, I think she is very well fleshed out.
•This has the kind of plot which is anything but predictable because I genuinely have no idea what’s gonna happen next. I find with fantasy reads, I can at least take a guess the direction things are gonna go towards but here nada.
•I am the kind of person who likes spoilers (not big spoilers necessarily - but I like knowing loosely what’s gonna happen) in this case however, I am absolutely happy knowing nothing and it’s refreshing trying to guess who is doing what and why and where it’s gonna lead.
•The biggest mystery (besides what is gonna happen with Mac and how her journey will turn out) is who is Barrons really. I like that he’s not good and he’s not bad but at the same time - I don’t really know which one of those is more true than the other. I’m enjoying piecing him together like a puzzle.
Can’t wait to continue this series and see what’s next.
Loving this series so far.
I’m rubbish at reviewing separate books in a long series because I can’t just review parts of the story. It’s just weird to me.
So to continue from my last review, for the first book:
•I love the pace of the story.
•If possible, I’m liking the heroine more and more, I think she is very well fleshed out.
•This has the kind of plot which is anything but predictable because I genuinely have no idea what’s gonna happen next. I find with fantasy reads, I can at least take a guess the direction things are gonna go towards but here nada.
•I am the kind of person who likes spoilers (not big spoilers necessarily - but I like knowing loosely what’s gonna happen) in this case however, I am absolutely happy knowing nothing and it’s refreshing trying to guess who is doing what and why and where it’s gonna lead.
•The biggest mystery (besides what is gonna happen with Mac and how her journey will turn out) is who is Barrons really. I like that he’s not good and he’s not bad but at the same time - I don’t really know which one of those is more true than the other. I’m enjoying piecing him together like a puzzle.
Can’t wait to continue this series and see what’s next.
May 6, 2021
The tattoo still rankles, but god I love the pair of them. Onto the next.
December 21, 2014
Mac Version 2.0
Mac has started to change, she originally was that southern Barbie girl who loved pink, cute accessories and fab nail polish.
That girl is still inside her battling with the new Mac she is becoming. Why is she changing? Because every time she turns around someone is either lying to her or some Fae petunia-hole is trying to kill her.
Then we have Jerrico Barrons. He tries my nerves a bit in this book...and then in the last 50 or so pages-I get hooked.
The tension between him and Mac finally really heats up.
Moning really writes the sexual tension part very well. It's really not a cheesey as my barbies portray. It's fecking hawt.
This book did start slowly because it contains a whole lot of filler for what is to come, and it's not the greatest series that ever lived...but it is one of the ones that are just pure fun.
And what becomes of our girl Mac? She starts to grow some big ole balls.
Mac has started to change, she originally was that southern Barbie girl who loved pink, cute accessories and fab nail polish.
That girl is still inside her battling with the new Mac she is becoming. Why is she changing? Because every time she turns around someone is either lying to her or some Fae petunia-hole is trying to kill her.
Then we have Jerrico Barrons. He tries my nerves a bit in this book...and then in the last 50 or so pages-I get hooked.
The tension between him and Mac finally really heats up.
Moning really writes the sexual tension part very well. It's really not a cheesey as my barbies portray. It's fecking hawt.
This book did start slowly because it contains a whole lot of filler for what is to come, and it's not the greatest series that ever lived...but it is one of the ones that are just pure fun.
And what becomes of our girl Mac? She starts to grow some big ole balls.
January 23, 2021
Is this really my 5th time reading this series? @.@
Regardless of what I think of the books past part 5, this first cycle is an expertly planned and written story arc. Love the world and mythology.
_______
Updated 12/10/14
Oh, poor me, drowning in mysteries. It's still fun to read, even knowing who is what and does what why. It actually shows how well planned this whole series had been.
First I want to thank Kat for recommending this series to me. So far it's been exceeding my expectations and I hope it will continue doing so.
In this installment MacKayla Lane continues her search for Sinsar Dubh, a powerful Unseelie artifact containing the deadliest Fae magic. She is recovering from the ordeal she experienced at the end of the previous book and at the same time has to face the aftermath of her actions - Inspector O'Daffy is getting very interested in finding out more about the Dark Zone and why Mac is not going back home; Malluce's death is still uncertain; Rocky O'Bannion's brother, Derek, surfaces to poke around in Mac's business; and finally, a mysterious specter keeps following MacKayla around giving her creeps...
In my opinion, Bloodfever is even better than Darkfever. The Fae world is getting wider, Moning gets us deeper into the lore which is very exciting. We get to know Mac much better and I like her quite a bit. I like her humor and her upbeat personality, I enjoy seeing her grow and change and learn about her abilities. Death-by-sex Fae Prince V'lane is even more mysterious and his intentions toward Mac are unclear. Same applies to Barrons, who is a total enigma. The Mac/Jericho chemistry is off the charts! I simply LOVE these two. Jericho is slowly but surely climbing up the list of my favorite fictional hunks, but he'd better stop roughing up Mac if he ever wants to get to the top of it, because I don't care for this kind of thing.
All in all, a great book. It doesn't have much of a resolution in terms of the main story arc (which is not a problem for me), but the minor story arc is as interesting, intense, dark and edgy. I am planning to get my hands on Faefever very soon.
Regardless of what I think of the books past part 5, this first cycle is an expertly planned and written story arc. Love the world and mythology.
_______
Updated 12/10/14
Oh, poor me, drowning in mysteries. It's still fun to read, even knowing who is what and does what why. It actually shows how well planned this whole series had been.
First I want to thank Kat for recommending this series to me. So far it's been exceeding my expectations and I hope it will continue doing so.
In this installment MacKayla Lane continues her search for Sinsar Dubh, a powerful Unseelie artifact containing the deadliest Fae magic. She is recovering from the ordeal she experienced at the end of the previous book and at the same time has to face the aftermath of her actions - Inspector O'Daffy is getting very interested in finding out more about the Dark Zone and why Mac is not going back home; Malluce's death is still uncertain; Rocky O'Bannion's brother, Derek, surfaces to poke around in Mac's business; and finally, a mysterious specter keeps following MacKayla around giving her creeps...
In my opinion, Bloodfever is even better than Darkfever. The Fae world is getting wider, Moning gets us deeper into the lore which is very exciting. We get to know Mac much better and I like her quite a bit. I like her humor and her upbeat personality, I enjoy seeing her grow and change and learn about her abilities. Death-by-sex Fae Prince V'lane is even more mysterious and his intentions toward Mac are unclear. Same applies to Barrons, who is a total enigma. The Mac/Jericho chemistry is off the charts! I simply LOVE these two. Jericho is slowly but surely climbing up the list of my favorite fictional hunks, but he'd better stop roughing up Mac if he ever wants to get to the top of it, because I don't care for this kind of thing.
All in all, a great book. It doesn't have much of a resolution in terms of the main story arc (which is not a problem for me), but the minor story arc is as interesting, intense, dark and edgy. I am planning to get my hands on Faefever very soon.
January 18, 2016
4.5!!
Done! I'm just ripping through this series, it's quite addicting! This one was just a little better than the fist book, they both ended too soon, but I like how satisfying it is to finish these short books. I'm having a lot of fun with this, just the right amount of action and plot but the romance is one slowwwwwww burn.
Done! I'm just ripping through this series, it's quite addicting! This one was just a little better than the fist book, they both ended too soon, but I like how satisfying it is to finish these short books. I'm having a lot of fun with this, just the right amount of action and plot but the romance is one slowwwwwww burn.
January 13, 2011
Possible minor spoilers if you haven't read the first book and if any of my random ramblings turn out to be true...
At the beginning of the book, we join Mac just after she finds out that she was adopted. Immediately, she begins to act like her parents just dropped off the face of the earth, and she starts referring to her sister as her only real family. Her attitude instantly turned ungrateful. Yes, she was just being a drama queen, but I know for a fact that you can love someone who isn't related to you just as much as someone who is. The fact that she is not technically related to them doesn't mean that they are no longer her family. That's really my only gripe about Mac in this book. I still think she kicks ass, just give your parents some credit! She actually had the guts to say "He was lucky I was even calling him Dad at all!" Really? At least she recanted it fairly quickly when he shows up all worried about her. After that, she seems mostly back to normal with them again.
I'm starting to feel bad for Mac, though. I mean she's been mystically undressed and nearly performing involuntary sex acts in public (who hasn't?), rape-kissed by a drunken Irish man (uh, ditto), hit on by two seemingly normal history nerds (I persist, who hasn't?) and she's also teased inexorably, and now kissed and dry-humped, by the hot man she spends 90% of her time with (who wouldn't want to be?) yet she STILL isn't getting any.
I'll warn you now that when i start to think about Jericho, my mind goes into a mixed state of paranoia and reckless abandon. It's no secret how I feel about Barron's name. But the way I feel in general about Jericho Zigor Barrons, or as I like to call him, J-Ziggy, is best summed up with this redonkulously articulate rant: love love loooooove adore gaaaaawd hellaluyah ahgagwhjrhfjfjkd mothreffenyes ahhhhhhhh!! !#%@?!/%#+!)$: *confetti popping out of head*
Barrons is standoff-ish, confident and snarky, yet endlessly intriguing. He is the kind of guy who can make you feel everything and nothing at the same damn time. Not to mention, he likes to chain up women while they are wearing skimpy bikinis. Cough*jabbathehutt*Cough. Except, I probably wouldn't mind being chained up by him. Barrons, I mean, not Jabba. Obviously.
Oh shiz! Why does Barrons have chains readily available in his basement???? For chaining up people as he feeds on them? For chaining up the Seelie? What-the-fa??? Fuuuuuudgin Fudge! He's Unseelie, isn't he?!?! It's a rhetorical question! Dang it! I don't want to know, wait, yeah I do. No. No, I don't.
Yeah, I'm going crazy and I tried to warn you. Uh. Now I'm freaked out. Anyway, sooooo, I was thinking about who could pull off playing him in a movie. It would have to be someone very good with the eyes. Jeric-- er, Barrons uses a lot of non-verbal communication, which I find very sexy. So it would have to be someone like Ian Somerhalder AKA 'Smolder'holder. He is really very good with the "looks" but I'm not sure he could pull off the really long hair that Barrons has. And he's awfully pale, so not necessarily him. Ideas, anyone? Ah who cares, I just wanted to think about him. *sigh*
I also have to give a big "hell yeah" to Mac for not caving to the demands of any of the several groups of people vying for her servitude. She refuses to take the easy way out and be ordered around blindly for each one's "higher" purpose. Not even with Barrons. Proudly and unbiasedly, she chooses her own higher purpose, and I have to applaud her for that. Like she herself says, she is no one's puppet, which cannot be said for many heroes or heroines in fantasy novels. Normally, someone discovers them, tells them about their abilities, teaches them to harness their powers, and then tells them exactly what to do with them. She does her best to not let that happen and chooses what she thinks is best, not what the others tell her is.
The author's knack for introducing small amounts of information at a time, interspersed amongst the action, leads to a captivating experience. Too much information is never given up. We the readers, like Mac, have to earn the privilege of learning more about this strange world. There are no info-dumps in this series. And I appreciate it.
In short, I loved it. And Eeeep! There's the next one sitting on my shelf!! This one ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, so I think I have to go now... Can't wait to get back to Barrons. *sigh*
My review for the first book, Darkfever. Spoiler FREE.
For the third book, Faefever. Spoiler FREE.
The fourth book, Dreamfever. Spoiler FREE.
The fifth and final book, Shadowfever. Spoiler alert!!!
At the beginning of the book, we join Mac just after she finds out that she was adopted. Immediately, she begins to act like her parents just dropped off the face of the earth, and she starts referring to her sister as her only real family. Her attitude instantly turned ungrateful. Yes, she was just being a drama queen, but I know for a fact that you can love someone who isn't related to you just as much as someone who is. The fact that she is not technically related to them doesn't mean that they are no longer her family. That's really my only gripe about Mac in this book. I still think she kicks ass, just give your parents some credit! She actually had the guts to say "He was lucky I was even calling him Dad at all!" Really? At least she recanted it fairly quickly when he shows up all worried about her. After that, she seems mostly back to normal with them again.
I'm starting to feel bad for Mac, though. I mean she's been mystically undressed and nearly performing involuntary sex acts in public (who hasn't?), rape-kissed by a drunken Irish man (uh, ditto), hit on by two seemingly normal history nerds (I persist, who hasn't?) and she's also teased inexorably, and now kissed and dry-humped, by the hot man she spends 90% of her time with (who wouldn't want to be?) yet she STILL isn't getting any.
I'll warn you now that when i start to think about Jericho, my mind goes into a mixed state of paranoia and reckless abandon. It's no secret how I feel about Barron's name. But the way I feel in general about Jericho Zigor Barrons, or as I like to call him, J-Ziggy, is best summed up with this redonkulously articulate rant: love love loooooove adore gaaaaawd hellaluyah ahgagwhjrhfjfjkd mothreffenyes ahhhhhhhh!! !#%@?!/%#+!)$: *confetti popping out of head*
Barrons is standoff-ish, confident and snarky, yet endlessly intriguing. He is the kind of guy who can make you feel everything and nothing at the same damn time. Not to mention, he likes to chain up women while they are wearing skimpy bikinis. Cough*jabbathehutt*Cough. Except, I probably wouldn't mind being chained up by him. Barrons, I mean, not Jabba. Obviously.
Oh shiz! Why does Barrons have chains readily available in his basement???? For chaining up people as he feeds on them? For chaining up the Seelie? What-the-fa??? Fuuuuuudgin Fudge! He's Unseelie, isn't he?!?! It's a rhetorical question! Dang it! I don't want to know, wait, yeah I do. No. No, I don't.
Yeah, I'm going crazy and I tried to warn you. Uh. Now I'm freaked out. Anyway, sooooo, I was thinking about who could pull off playing him in a movie. It would have to be someone very good with the eyes. Jeric-- er, Barrons uses a lot of non-verbal communication, which I find very sexy. So it would have to be someone like Ian Somerhalder AKA 'Smolder'holder. He is really very good with the "looks" but I'm not sure he could pull off the really long hair that Barrons has. And he's awfully pale, so not necessarily him. Ideas, anyone? Ah who cares, I just wanted to think about him. *sigh*
I also have to give a big "hell yeah" to Mac for not caving to the demands of any of the several groups of people vying for her servitude. She refuses to take the easy way out and be ordered around blindly for each one's "higher" purpose. Not even with Barrons. Proudly and unbiasedly, she chooses her own higher purpose, and I have to applaud her for that. Like she herself says, she is no one's puppet, which cannot be said for many heroes or heroines in fantasy novels. Normally, someone discovers them, tells them about their abilities, teaches them to harness their powers, and then tells them exactly what to do with them. She does her best to not let that happen and chooses what she thinks is best, not what the others tell her is.
The author's knack for introducing small amounts of information at a time, interspersed amongst the action, leads to a captivating experience. Too much information is never given up. We the readers, like Mac, have to earn the privilege of learning more about this strange world. There are no info-dumps in this series. And I appreciate it.
In short, I loved it. And Eeeep! There's the next one sitting on my shelf!! This one ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, so I think I have to go now... Can't wait to get back to Barrons. *sigh*
My review for the first book, Darkfever. Spoiler FREE.
For the third book, Faefever. Spoiler FREE.
The fourth book, Dreamfever. Spoiler FREE.
The fifth and final book, Shadowfever. Spoiler alert!!!
December 22, 2015
WARNING: Every quote in this review is a spoiler or a mindfuck.
UN-WARNING: If you haven’t read the entire series, you won’t understand a single one and nothing will be spoiled for you.
“Barrons has something the rest of us don’t have…there’s something that never crawled all the way out of the swamp. It didn’t want to. It likes it there.”
“Far beneath me, in the marrow of the ground, something bayed.”
“American?”
I nodded. “You?” He didn’t sound Irish.
“Little of this, little of that. Nothing special.” He smiled and winked. Dreamy eyes, long dark lashes.
“Alina was wearing this yellow skirt and sweater set, and you were dressed from head to toe in pink, Mac, with a little rainbow ribbon tied around a blond wisp of your hair.”
“If I was a minnow and they were sharks, he (Barrons) was one of those yet undiscovered fish that lurk in the deepest, darkest reaches of the ocean where sunlight and man never go.”
“Never believe anything’s dead until you’ve burned it, poked around in its ashes, and then waited a day or two to see if anything rises from them.”
“He’s dying, you know.” - Mac
“Good for him.” – Barrons
“I played volleyball with my sister. We drank Coronas in the sun.”
“…we’d paid a terrible price…it had been our greatest shame…we’d made ourselves forget.”
“I used to have a recurring nightmare when I was a child. A dream of four distinct, subtly varied tastes…I tasted one of the vile ones now…regret.”
UN-WARNING: If you haven’t read the entire series, you won’t understand a single one and nothing will be spoiled for you.
“Barrons has something the rest of us don’t have…there’s something that never crawled all the way out of the swamp. It didn’t want to. It likes it there.”
“Far beneath me, in the marrow of the ground, something bayed.”
“American?”
I nodded. “You?” He didn’t sound Irish.
“Little of this, little of that. Nothing special.” He smiled and winked. Dreamy eyes, long dark lashes.
“Alina was wearing this yellow skirt and sweater set, and you were dressed from head to toe in pink, Mac, with a little rainbow ribbon tied around a blond wisp of your hair.”
“If I was a minnow and they were sharks, he (Barrons) was one of those yet undiscovered fish that lurk in the deepest, darkest reaches of the ocean where sunlight and man never go.”
“Never believe anything’s dead until you’ve burned it, poked around in its ashes, and then waited a day or two to see if anything rises from them.”
“He’s dying, you know.” - Mac
“Good for him.” – Barrons
“I played volleyball with my sister. We drank Coronas in the sun.”
“…we’d paid a terrible price…it had been our greatest shame…we’d made ourselves forget.”
“I used to have a recurring nightmare when I was a child. A dream of four distinct, subtly varied tastes…I tasted one of the vile ones now…regret.”
March 26, 2010
The second installment of Bloodfever is intense, powerful, dramatic and clever.
We see a great deal of character growth from out favorite characters as well as a progression in the plot, albeit a small one.
The writing is, as always, stylish and immersive. The world is complicated, mysterious and intriguing.
Overall, this book is a fantastic second installment in what is an amazing, refreshing and enjoyable series.
PS. I'm either going to kill Barrons sooner or later, or do very, very, very naughty things to him.
We see a great deal of character growth from out favorite characters as well as a progression in the plot, albeit a small one.
The writing is, as always, stylish and immersive. The world is complicated, mysterious and intriguing.
Overall, this book is a fantastic second installment in what is an amazing, refreshing and enjoyable series.
PS. I'm either going to kill Barrons sooner or later, or do very, very, very naughty things to him.
February 2, 2022
First read: 4 stars
Second read: 4 stars
👹 Wow I forgot how much recapping there is. great for some people, terrible for me because I'm binging.
👹 The descriptions of "otherworldliness" in this series is outstanding. Actually, Moning's writing style overall is outstanding. I also especially liked the way Barrons is always described. He isn't perfect in all his pretty man glory, quite the opposite, he is so carnal looking in a purely masculine way that makes him anything but perfect. I don't know, Mac makes him sound so attractive to me.
👹 This book is prolly my least fav out of the first five. Mostly because Mac didn't learn from her past mistakes of preconceived notions and refusing to believe anything is possible. Although it goes along with her character development, doesn't mean it wasn't a little frustrating at times. I still love her though idc.
👹 Their first kiss was so fucking hot god almighty. I can't believe I forgot. This is for myself and myself only.
Second read: 4 stars
👹 Wow I forgot how much recapping there is. great for some people, terrible for me because I'm binging.
👹 The descriptions of "otherworldliness" in this series is outstanding. Actually, Moning's writing style overall is outstanding. I also especially liked the way Barrons is always described. He isn't perfect in all his pretty man glory, quite the opposite, he is so carnal looking in a purely masculine way that makes him anything but perfect. I don't know, Mac makes him sound so attractive to me.
👹 This book is prolly my least fav out of the first five. Mostly because Mac didn't learn from her past mistakes of preconceived notions and refusing to believe anything is possible. Although it goes along with her character development, doesn't mean it wasn't a little frustrating at times. I still love her though idc.
“I told you, Ms. Lane, never believe anything’s dead—”
“—I know, I know, until you’ve ‘burned it, poked around in its ashes, and then waited a day or two to see if anything rises from them,’
👹 Their first kiss was so fucking hot god almighty. I can't believe I forgot. This is for myself and myself only.
“I couldn’t tell the difference between the two of you anymore!” he roared.
I smashed my fist into his face. Lies roll off us. It’s the truths we work hardest to silence. “Then you weren’t looking hard enough! I’m the one with boobs!”
“I know you’re the one with boobs! They’re in my fucking face every fucking time I turn around!”
“Maybe you need to get a grip on your libido, Barrons!”
“Fuck you, Ms. Lane!”
“You just try. I’ll kick the shit out of you!”
“You think you could?”
“Bring it on.”
He grabbed a fistful of my T-shirt, and dragged me up against him until our noses touched. “I’ll bring it on, Ms. Lane. But remember you asked for it. So don’t even think about trying to tap out on the mat and quit the fight.”
“You hear anybody crying ‘Uncle’ here, Barrons? I don’t.”
“Fine.”
“Fine.”
February 9, 2016
Did I ever think I would get into reading urban fantasy?? Before Fever Series….absolutely NO….and now here I am ….unable to stop reading a genre I have not had much interest….apart from the Lord of the Rings books (which blew me away!!!).
I immediately started reading Bloodfever, the 2nd book of Karen Marie Moning’s Fever Series after turning the last page of the 1st book, Darkfever,which I reviewed, http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11...
I am back into the dark world of the Fae,….. MacKayla Lane has discovered and accepted and come to terms of the gift of being a sidhe seer, with special powers, one of these being the ability to sense the Sinsar Dubh, an ancient book of the blackest magic even seen, which holds the key to the balance of power between the Fae and humans. It’s the only thing that will save humanity from being destroyed by the Fae.
I am so totally crazy about Mac. I love her view of her world…she’s lost a bit of that “I’m so into pink”…not totally at this point. She realizes that she will do anything to survive..she will bend the any rules, make alliances with anyone who can help her find her sister’s killer, fulfill Alina’s last request before she died and the answer to what her role is in this power struggle between humans and fae?
You can still feel her vulnerability, her insecurities but as she discovers more about herself, the stronger and more determined she becomes. When she says “What had changed was me” at the end, I realized how far she has come and how much more she will have to go through before finding all the answers. I loved Mac’s optimism…even when things look dark and scary she still tries to see a bit of “sun, pink” ahead of her. She has such an amazing way of analyzing things that are happening in her life…and wow….it’s like going on a rollercoaster ride. Non-stop action!!!!!!!!!
She is still living at Barron’s Books & Baubles..I love this bookstore…I could live there forever, surrounded by books and nothing else…no wait…I would want Jericho Barrons with me there with me!!!!!!!
Jericho Z Barrons – I AM SO TOTALLY INTO HIM!!!!! He’s one of the most exciting heroes’ in a book, EVER…amazing, mysterious, secretive, gorgeous, sexy, stylish, rich, classy….I could go on and on…but u get the idea ……he’s beyond HOT…he’s the kind of man any woman would be dazzled, fascinated and…enthralled by!!!!!!!! This is not a romance series, has no or very few sex scenes but you can certainly feel the chemistry, the heat, the sizzle between him and Mac..of course both try to fight it and I can’t wait to see what happens between the two. Jericho is very protective over Mac but does he have an ulterior motive? What is he? A seelie, unseelie, druid, fae…how old is this guy…is he immortal ……she can feel something in him that is not totally human. Can she trust him? What does he want from her?
And then, there’s V’lane….I keep thinking…lane, lane…is there any connection or meaning to Mac’s family name Lane???? The Seelie Prince who also wants something from her…but is he really who he says he is???? What does he want from Mac? She knows he is not telling her everything but she decides to forge an alliance with him as well…which drives Jericho crazy of course!!!!! In the growing darkness, V’lane is the one who takes her to the Faery world …..where she spends time in the sun…..loved the scene on the beach in Cancun…really funny….and when Mac spends time with her sister…that was so poignant.
Mac discovers she is not the only sidhe seer and tries to link up with them but their Mistress, Rowena, who Mac first met in Darkfever, is not prepared to have her join the group unless she agrees to obey her..which of course Mac is so just not going to do!!!!!!!! What give up her spear??? Rowena is such a wicked character…I so hate her and hope she comes to a really gruesome ending!!!!!!!!
Her characters are so vivid, so real, so believable. Fast story pacing made me at times so breathless like I had was running a marathon!!!!!
Dani, the teenage sidhe seer with her sword and “speed”, Malluce…we discover what happens to this vampire…and what evil he does to Mac…shiver……the Lord Master, who Mac still believes killer her sister (imo…he didn’t) but he’s definitely dark….and evil…I mean bringing the evil and ugly unseelie into the human world…. Christian…loved how the author brings in a bit from her Highlander Series….
The more we learn about Mac’s world, the more questions come up. You think you know something…and then…wam…so totally different to what you thought!!!!!!!
This is such a compelling series…I just can’t get enough. Non-stop reading……Can’t wait to start book 3 next. Karen Marie Moning is an incredible writer and I can’t get enough of her stories.
I liked the Glossary at the back of the book…explains Mac’s World and also you get to know how to pronounce all those Celtic words!!!!!!!
I immediately started reading Bloodfever, the 2nd book of Karen Marie Moning’s Fever Series after turning the last page of the 1st book, Darkfever,which I reviewed, http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11...
I am back into the dark world of the Fae,….. MacKayla Lane has discovered and accepted and come to terms of the gift of being a sidhe seer, with special powers, one of these being the ability to sense the Sinsar Dubh, an ancient book of the blackest magic even seen, which holds the key to the balance of power between the Fae and humans. It’s the only thing that will save humanity from being destroyed by the Fae.
I am so totally crazy about Mac. I love her view of her world…she’s lost a bit of that “I’m so into pink”…not totally at this point. She realizes that she will do anything to survive..she will bend the any rules, make alliances with anyone who can help her find her sister’s killer, fulfill Alina’s last request before she died and the answer to what her role is in this power struggle between humans and fae?
You can still feel her vulnerability, her insecurities but as she discovers more about herself, the stronger and more determined she becomes. When she says “What had changed was me” at the end, I realized how far she has come and how much more she will have to go through before finding all the answers. I loved Mac’s optimism…even when things look dark and scary she still tries to see a bit of “sun, pink” ahead of her. She has such an amazing way of analyzing things that are happening in her life…and wow….it’s like going on a rollercoaster ride. Non-stop action!!!!!!!!!
She is still living at Barron’s Books & Baubles..I love this bookstore…I could live there forever, surrounded by books and nothing else…no wait…I would want Jericho Barrons with me there with me!!!!!!!
Jericho Z Barrons – I AM SO TOTALLY INTO HIM!!!!! He’s one of the most exciting heroes’ in a book, EVER…amazing, mysterious, secretive, gorgeous, sexy, stylish, rich, classy….I could go on and on…but u get the idea ……he’s beyond HOT…he’s the kind of man any woman would be dazzled, fascinated and…enthralled by!!!!!!!! This is not a romance series, has no or very few sex scenes but you can certainly feel the chemistry, the heat, the sizzle between him and Mac..of course both try to fight it and I can’t wait to see what happens between the two. Jericho is very protective over Mac but does he have an ulterior motive? What is he? A seelie, unseelie, druid, fae…how old is this guy…is he immortal ……she can feel something in him that is not totally human. Can she trust him? What does he want from her?
And then, there’s V’lane….I keep thinking…lane, lane…is there any connection or meaning to Mac’s family name Lane???? The Seelie Prince who also wants something from her…but is he really who he says he is???? What does he want from Mac? She knows he is not telling her everything but she decides to forge an alliance with him as well…which drives Jericho crazy of course!!!!! In the growing darkness, V’lane is the one who takes her to the Faery world …..where she spends time in the sun…..loved the scene on the beach in Cancun…really funny….and when Mac spends time with her sister…that was so poignant.
Mac discovers she is not the only sidhe seer and tries to link up with them but their Mistress, Rowena, who Mac first met in Darkfever, is not prepared to have her join the group unless she agrees to obey her..which of course Mac is so just not going to do!!!!!!!! What give up her spear??? Rowena is such a wicked character…I so hate her and hope she comes to a really gruesome ending!!!!!!!!
Her characters are so vivid, so real, so believable. Fast story pacing made me at times so breathless like I had was running a marathon!!!!!
Dani, the teenage sidhe seer with her sword and “speed”, Malluce…we discover what happens to this vampire…and what evil he does to Mac…shiver……the Lord Master, who Mac still believes killer her sister (imo…he didn’t) but he’s definitely dark….and evil…I mean bringing the evil and ugly unseelie into the human world…. Christian…loved how the author brings in a bit from her Highlander Series….
The more we learn about Mac’s world, the more questions come up. You think you know something…and then…wam…so totally different to what you thought!!!!!!!
This is such a compelling series…I just can’t get enough. Non-stop reading……Can’t wait to start book 3 next. Karen Marie Moning is an incredible writer and I can’t get enough of her stories.
I liked the Glossary at the back of the book…explains Mac’s World and also you get to know how to pronounce all those Celtic words!!!!!!!
November 10, 2013
4.5 stars.
This one starts off where Darkfever finished. Mac is still in Dublin, trying to find out who killed her sister and why she was killed.
She is still living in Barron's house. Her parents are not happy and they want her home pronto.
They are still on the lookout for the Sinsar Dubh.
Who can she trust? The strange creatures are still everywhere.
Yeah, fecking Bloody Brits!!!
Gotta love an over protective Dad!
Still nothing going on between Mac and Barrons so I am guessing it will be pretty explosive when it does happen. It does happen???? Doesn’t it??
C’mon guys, I am getting Blue Balls here with you two!!!
And we are off to the Burren, I grew up beside this area …..
I seriously was never into Hocus Pocus and Gobbeldygook but this book just pulls me in with its, faries, boogeymen, monsters….. loving it. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that it is partly set in the part of Ireland that I lived for nearly 25 years…. Maybe not.
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I’ll give you a hand there, Mac… all together now …
And off we go to discover …
This one starts off where Darkfever finished. Mac is still in Dublin, trying to find out who killed her sister and why she was killed.
She is still living in Barron's house. Her parents are not happy and they want her home pronto.
“One day you may kiss a man you can’t breathe without, and find breadth is of little consequence.”
They are still on the lookout for the Sinsar Dubh.
Who can she trust? The strange creatures are still everywhere.
“The first promise we had to make ….. was that under no circumstances would we ever let either of you set foot in Ireland.”
”You don’t sound Scottish.”
“You don’t sound Irish. Yet here you are, policing Ireland. But then the English have been trying to cram their laws down their neighbour’s throats for centuries, haven’t they inspector.”
Yeah, fecking Bloody Brits!!!
She’s my daughter, you prick and if you’re thinking about your prick when you’re looking at her, I’ll rip it off and hang you by it.”
Gotta love an over protective Dad!
If he’d been any other man and I’d been any other girl, I’d have called the narrowing of his heavy-lidded eyes lust. But he was Barrons and I was Mac, and a blossoming of lust was about as likely as orchids blooming in Antartica.
Still nothing going on between Mac and Barrons so I am guessing it will be pretty explosive when it does happen. It does happen???? Doesn’t it??
C’mon guys, I am getting Blue Balls here with you two!!!
And we are off to the Burren, I grew up beside this area …..
I seriously was never into Hocus Pocus and Gobbeldygook but this book just pulls me in with its, faries, boogeymen, monsters….. loving it. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that it is partly set in the part of Ireland that I lived for nearly 25 years…. Maybe not.
I almost broke into a rousing, emotional “Danny Boy” and I didn’t even know the words.
I’ll give you a hand there, Mac… all together now …
Oh Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling
From glen to glen, and down the mountain side
The summer's gone, and all the flowers are dying
'Tis you, 'tis you must go and I must bide.Oh Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling
From glen to glen, and down the mountain side
The summer's gone, and all the flowers are dying
'Tis you, 'tis you must go and I must bide.
YOUR JOY CAN FILL YOU ONLY AS DEEPLY AS YOUR SORROW HAS CARVED YOU
And off we go to discover …
August 26, 2015
no. just—fucking no, people.
you read the blurbs of the books in this series and you think you're getting a sexy PNR but what you're actually getting is like six distinct buckets of cray.
it's fun, it really is, until you make the mistake of thinking about what you just read.
you follow along, making assumptions about what to expect based on all the other sane and non-rapey paranormal sexromanze series you've read and then you realize that you should have tapped-out in book one when the heroine was still acting like a deranged barbie with the values of a 17yo american girl in the mall of america with her daddy's american express black card.
don't be fooled.
i climbed rapunzel's hair, and when i got to her room i saw things i wish i could unsee but cannot.
so much no in this book—and all the others.
so. much. no.
i said NO.
...except for JZB.
no, JZB's penis.
ok, fine, his penis and his penis life-support system.
the answer is always 'yes' for it/him/those/them.
bcuz i am a shallow slut and yucky internalized gender roles that are 300 years old don't bother me so much when the romantic lead has an enormous dick and the stamina of a prius.
BUT OTHERWISE NO
you read the blurbs of the books in this series and you think you're getting a sexy PNR but what you're actually getting is like six distinct buckets of cray.
it's fun, it really is, until you make the mistake of thinking about what you just read.
you follow along, making assumptions about what to expect based on all the other sane and non-rapey paranormal sexromanze series you've read and then you realize that you should have tapped-out in book one when the heroine was still acting like a deranged barbie with the values of a 17yo american girl in the mall of america with her daddy's american express black card.
don't be fooled.
i climbed rapunzel's hair, and when i got to her room i saw things i wish i could unsee but cannot.
so much no in this book—and all the others.
so. much. no.
i said NO.
...except for JZB.
no, JZB's penis.
ok, fine, his penis and his penis life-support system.
the answer is always 'yes' for it/him/those/them.
bcuz i am a shallow slut and yucky internalized gender roles that are 300 years old don't bother me so much when the romantic lead has an enormous dick and the stamina of a prius.
BUT OTHERWISE NO
December 29, 2017
Fever is my all-time favorite UF series, so of course this casual reread with the MacHalos has caused me all kinds of crippling, nagging worries and unending anxiety as usual.
All these questions keep running through my mind -
What if the series isn't as good as I remember?
What if it's better than I remember and I spend the rest of my life in bed, rereading for eternity?
What if a meteor crashes into KMM's house tomorrow and she never writes another word?
Most worrying of all, what if I meet an actual, real-life V'lane/Mac shipper?!
But so far, so good. We're already past book 2 and the unspeakable has yet to happen. Even though the breaks between installment BRs are of ungodly length and Mac is still on her way to becoming Mac 2.0, I'm hanging in there. Barely.
All these questions keep running through my mind -
What if the series isn't as good as I remember?
What if it's better than I remember and I spend the rest of my life in bed, rereading for eternity?
What if a meteor crashes into KMM's house tomorrow and she never writes another word?
Most worrying of all, what if I meet an actual, real-life V'lane/Mac shipper?!
But so far, so good. We're already past book 2 and the unspeakable has yet to happen. Even though the breaks between installment BRs are of ungodly length and Mac is still on her way to becoming Mac 2.0, I'm hanging in there. Barely.
December 8, 2018
I am speechless. Where do I begin?
It was sort of good, I was even heading toward 4 stars when I started the book, giving me interesting, emotionally connective banter (see my notes) that I was starting to feel glad I continued with Book 2. But right now, unless my reading buddy group dragged me or persuaded me with arguments too powerful to resist, I am NOT getting Book 3 or any other book in the series.
Where to begin with the disappointment? I will preface by saying that maybe my expectations about the book/ series is just wrong. And if so, I feel kind of bad about giving a low rating because of my own misaligned expectations. Nevertheless, I paid for the books and read them. So the low rating stands.
My review of Book 1 is still how I feel about Book 2. With the following adds:
* Events that happen in this series seem to be planned so that the reader can slowly discover the various powers of the various characters, and the ultimate mystery that keeps people going - who is Jericho Barrons? What does he want with the book? What do the other characters want with the book? (but the other characters are secondary.) The most compelling character in this series for me is not the heroine, I honestly couldn't care less for her. The only compelling character is JB. And if I'm in a better mood I might pick up Book 3 just to see where JB is headed. OR, I might just read other people's reviews and save myself the $ and time.
* Given above, events in this series don't seem to follow much plot or evolution. They're just devices to pepper in more mystery and pseudo discovery - Oh, Malluce isn't really who we thought. He's just weirder and scarier. And the twenty odd pages of torture was for... what purpose exactly?
* There's no real emotional connection between the characters. I said this already for Book 1 and I was hoping things would change in Book 2 and was almost optimistic they would, and then we're back to flatness. There's a pseudo sex scene that is extremely weird and displaced given the situation and did nothing to further the relationship between the two main characters. I am left deeply unsatisfied after reading it.
I don't get it. Is this a paranormal thriller? paranormal horror book? certainly not a paranormal romance, nor really all that fantasy like. But maybe I haven't read enough fantasy books to judge. It's just weird.
I'm stumped.
It was sort of good, I was even heading toward 4 stars when I started the book, giving me interesting, emotionally connective banter (see my notes) that I was starting to feel glad I continued with Book 2. But right now, unless my reading buddy group dragged me or persuaded me with arguments too powerful to resist, I am NOT getting Book 3 or any other book in the series.
Where to begin with the disappointment? I will preface by saying that maybe my expectations about the book/ series is just wrong. And if so, I feel kind of bad about giving a low rating because of my own misaligned expectations. Nevertheless, I paid for the books and read them. So the low rating stands.
My review of Book 1 is still how I feel about Book 2. With the following adds:
* Events that happen in this series seem to be planned so that the reader can slowly discover the various powers of the various characters, and the ultimate mystery that keeps people going - who is Jericho Barrons? What does he want with the book? What do the other characters want with the book? (but the other characters are secondary.) The most compelling character in this series for me is not the heroine, I honestly couldn't care less for her. The only compelling character is JB. And if I'm in a better mood I might pick up Book 3 just to see where JB is headed. OR, I might just read other people's reviews and save myself the $ and time.
* Given above, events in this series don't seem to follow much plot or evolution. They're just devices to pepper in more mystery and pseudo discovery - Oh, Malluce isn't really who we thought. He's just weirder and scarier. And the twenty odd pages of torture was for... what purpose exactly?
* There's no real emotional connection between the characters. I said this already for Book 1 and I was hoping things would change in Book 2 and was almost optimistic they would, and then we're back to flatness. There's a pseudo sex scene that is extremely weird and displaced given the situation and did nothing to further the relationship between the two main characters. I am left deeply unsatisfied after reading it.
I don't get it. Is this a paranormal thriller? paranormal horror book? certainly not a paranormal romance, nor really all that fantasy like. But maybe I haven't read enough fantasy books to judge. It's just weird.
I'm stumped.
November 25, 2017
Sencillamente me ha encantado.
January 3, 2015
Things are heating up for the Fever series!
No sophomore slump here!
I read this entire book cover-to-cover in a single day... I STILL have questions. I'm making predictions about characters and wondering about outcomes... The reader can never really be sure who is a "good guy" and who is a "bad guy" in this urban fantasy adventure on the dark streets of Dublin.
I'm beginning to think that no character is exclusively "good" or "bad" - I'm starting to believe that everyone's motives exist in a shade of grey.
MAC
It seems everyone wants Mac on their side, but she's learning her lesson about attracting attention... She's learning that she can't trust anybody, but she must attempt to gain information from any source possible. She's developing a set of wonderfully lethal skills and a hard shell.
BARRONS
Barrons remains secrative, dark, and absurdly sexy... But he's damn fascinating! I'm way more interested in unraveling the mystery of Jericho Barrons than I am about anything else in this series...
That's saying an awful lot, because this book ramped up everything:
More interesting secondary-characters
More weird monsters roaming the streets
More Action and suspense
More blood and gore
More sexytimes...
But get this:
NOBODY HAS HAD SEX IN THIS SERIES YET!
I can't call it Erotica...
I can't call it a romance...
This is simply one of a kind...
Unfortunately, I'll have to pause for a bit before reading the rest of the series. I received paperbacks of the first two books in this seres from my friend Terry as a Christmas gift, and now I must set out to buy the rest of the Fever Series!
My other reviews in the Fever series:
1 - Darkfever - Read my Review Here.
2 - Bloodfever - You're Reading It
3 - Faefever - Read my Review Here.
4 - Dreamfever - Read my Review Here.
5 - Shadowfever - Read my Review Here.
6 - Iced - Read my Review Here.
7 - Burned - Awaiting Publication
8 - Feverborn - Awaiting Publication
9 - Feversong - Awaiting Publication
10 - Untitled - Awaiting Publication
No sophomore slump here!
It's a strange new world out there and the rules have changed: It's every princess for herself.Ive discovered why I've been sucked into this series. I can't predict or classify the characters. In a world where literary characters are painfully formulaic, Karen Marie Moning is blazing her own wild road with this series and I'm just happy to be taken along for the ride.
I read this entire book cover-to-cover in a single day... I STILL have questions. I'm making predictions about characters and wondering about outcomes... The reader can never really be sure who is a "good guy" and who is a "bad guy" in this urban fantasy adventure on the dark streets of Dublin.
I'm beginning to think that no character is exclusively "good" or "bad" - I'm starting to believe that everyone's motives exist in a shade of grey.
MAC
I would wear pink because I knew my future was anything but rosy. I would accessorize myself to the hilt, and I would wear flirty shoes because my world needed more beauty to counter all the ugliness in it. I would wear pink because I hated gray, I didn’t deserve white, and I was sick of black.Mac is beginning to undergo a through mental and physical transformation. On the physical side, she's turned into black-ops Barbie by her handler.
It seems everyone wants Mac on their side, but she's learning her lesson about attracting attention... She's learning that she can't trust anybody, but she must attempt to gain information from any source possible. She's developing a set of wonderfully lethal skills and a hard shell.
BARRONS
Barrons has something the rest of us don't have. I don't know what it is, but I feel it all the time, especially when we're standing close. Beneath the expensive clothes, unplaceable accent, and cultured veneer, there's something that never crawled all the way out of the swamp. It didn't want to. It likes it there.I have my predictions about who and what I think Barrons is, but I won't post them here because I don't want any of you lovely readers to confirm or deny my suspicions. I'd like for the reveal of Barrons to play out naturally as the author intended.
Barrons remains secrative, dark, and absurdly sexy... But he's damn fascinating! I'm way more interested in unraveling the mystery of Jericho Barrons than I am about anything else in this series...
That's saying an awful lot, because this book ramped up everything:
More interesting secondary-characters
More weird monsters roaming the streets
More Action and suspense
More blood and gore
More sexytimes...
But get this:
NOBODY HAS HAD SEX IN THIS SERIES YET!
I can't call it Erotica...
I can't call it a romance...
This is simply one of a kind...
Unfortunately, I'll have to pause for a bit before reading the rest of the series. I received paperbacks of the first two books in this seres from my friend Terry as a Christmas gift, and now I must set out to buy the rest of the Fever Series!
My other reviews in the Fever series:
1 - Darkfever - Read my Review Here.
2 - Bloodfever - You're Reading It
3 - Faefever - Read my Review Here.
4 - Dreamfever - Read my Review Here.
5 - Shadowfever - Read my Review Here.
6 - Iced - Read my Review Here.
7 - Burned - Awaiting Publication
8 - Feverborn - Awaiting Publication
9 - Feversong - Awaiting Publication
10 - Untitled - Awaiting Publication
February 4, 2016
First reread with my girl Tanya, January 2015.
Original rating: 4
New rating: 3.5
You know how this is going to go right? My first review for this book was written just two months ago so don't you expect me to write another one so soon. Hey, I have a life outside of GR you know (well, more or less). All you'll be getting from me is another episode in the Fever Freak's Facts of Life (abridged version).
Fact #1: Rainbow Mac still has some serious growing up to do.
She's doing better but needs to realize moral fiber is seriously overrated.
Fact #2: JZB
Any questions? Didn't think so. Let's move on.
Fact #3: Silent conversations
Save your saliva. It might come in handy later on (did I hear someone mention book 4 – chapter 4?).
Fact #4: JB – IYCGM – IYD
Because who wouldn't want direct access to Jericho Freaking Barrons 24/7?
Fact #5: Feck. She's here.
Pretty much self-explanatory huh? I thought so.
Fact #6: KMM needs to go on a word diet.
Haven't learned your lesson yet have you? Woman you really need to cut some of the blah blah blah crap, it just cost your book's rating half a star.
I rest my case. Until next time.
***********
Original review (November 2014)
Freaky MacHalo buddy read starting November, 10 2014.
OH. WOW. Where do I start? This is SO much better than the first book. Actually I could easily downgrade Darkfever to a 2.5 rating after reading Bloodfever. But I'm not *that* bad so I'll just leave my rating as it is:)
So that's basically me while reading the book: "Bloody hell! Holy crap! You have to be kidding me! Well hello again you death-by-sex Fae, mind if I take my bra off? What the f**ck just happened?! Go girl, you show him! Arrrrggggh! Oh, swooning a bit right there! Well that was unexpected! Barrons, you aggravating, infuriating, exasperating, sneaky bastard! Oh no you don't! No more pink bullshit, yay! Hey Barrons, if you really want to tattoo someone I'm right here *waves frantically at Kindle screen*! Oooooh that was pretty disgusting, I love it! Ha ha ha ha ha! Oh wow. Freaking wow! Hallelujah! Yes yes yes!"
You get my drift. Yes, Bloodfever was a pretty awesome read. A fast-paced, intense, emotional, exciting as hell roller-coaster ride. What impressed me most here was Moning's writing. It was alright in Darkfever but she really has outdone herself here. Moning has a strange yet brilliant way of giving the reader glimpses of events that have just happened behind the scenes that leaves you thinking: "Wait, did I just skip a page or something?" The details seem to appear magically a few paragraphs or pages later, blending effortlessly into the story. It's hard to explain really but it's one fantastic writing trick. That a story told in such a way would be understandable at all is amazing. Well, to be honest, I was a bit clueless most of the time but that's only because Moning loves to tease her readers to death, planting more questions in their little heads than she's giving them answers for. Brilliant writing I tell you!
Talking about the plot is nearly impossible here. Too many things happening, too many twists and revelations, too much information. It's just one (choose all that apply) jaw-dropping/amazing/emotional/funny/crazy/infuriating/fascinating scene after another. Want to know my favourite ones? Of course you do! Here goes: Mac & V'Lane at BBB (their conversation is funny as hell and what can I say? I can't resist the guy.), , Mac's dad visiting, , silent conversations (love 'em!), the auction scene, , Mac's involuntary beach holiday and her return to a very pissed off Barrons (that'll teach him!), the tattoo scene (hello! Still volunteering here Barrons!), the freaking Burren scene from beginning to end… and its aftermath! Okay okay you win, I'll stop right there.
I have to say that one aspect of the plot disappointed me. It's hard to talk about it without revealing anything so I guess it's spoiler time. Oh wait, I just thought of something else that was a bit disappointing. Sorry, spoiler time again!
Now let's talk about Rainbow Girl for a second here. Mac, Mac, Mac. We weren't on the best of terms at first. How was I supposed to believe that a superficial, Barbie-looking, silly girl would turn into one of the most awesome butt kicking heroines out there? I can't say she is a total badass yet but we're slowly getting there. She's grown a lot since the first instalment and she's lost most of her air-headed attitude which is a huge relief. I still think that Moning overdid it with the Pinky Rainbows act in Bloodfever. I have no problem with a naïve, inexperienced heroine but there was no need to re-hash it all the way she did by adding layer upon layer of superficial silliness. Mac certainly seems to be getting her act together towards the end of the book and she finally holds her own against Barrons and the rest of the clique.
So. Mr Barrons. Here we are. After reading the first instalment I obviously thought you were an aggravating bastard. Because, you know, you are one. Anyway, my freaky BR friends had warned me that I would fall under your exasperating-yet-irresistible spell by the end of book 2. Although I have not yet fallen entirely victim to your "I'm hot, sexy and infuriating" act I have to admit I liked the swoon-worthy potential I had a glimpse of here It seems some readers want romance to blossom between Mac & Barrons. You know what? Romance is terribly overrated. Just give me the lust and I'll be the happiest of girls! As to what Barrons may or may not be: I don't really have a clue here except that silly little me had the very fine idea to read the Burned blurb the other day. Now I know one of Barrons' dirty little secrets. Clever. Very very clever of me…
All in all this was a pretty awesome read. What made it even more fantastic? My MacHalo gang of course! You guys rock.
Original rating: 4
New rating: 3.5
You know how this is going to go right? My first review for this book was written just two months ago so don't you expect me to write another one so soon. Hey, I have a life outside of GR you know (well, more or less). All you'll be getting from me is another episode in the Fever Freak's Facts of Life (abridged version).
Fact #1: Rainbow Mac still has some serious growing up to do.
She's doing better but needs to realize moral fiber is seriously overrated.
Fact #2: JZB
Any questions? Didn't think so. Let's move on.
Fact #3: Silent conversations
Save your saliva. It might come in handy later on (did I hear someone mention book 4 – chapter 4?).
Fact #4: JB – IYCGM – IYD
Because who wouldn't want direct access to Jericho Freaking Barrons 24/7?
Fact #5: Feck. She's here.
Pretty much self-explanatory huh? I thought so.
Fact #6: KMM needs to go on a word diet.
Haven't learned your lesson yet have you? Woman you really need to cut some of the blah blah blah crap, it just cost your book's rating half a star.
I rest my case. Until next time.
***********
Original review (November 2014)
Freaky MacHalo buddy read starting November, 10 2014.
OH. WOW. Where do I start? This is SO much better than the first book. Actually I could easily downgrade Darkfever to a 2.5 rating after reading Bloodfever. But I'm not *that* bad so I'll just leave my rating as it is:)
So that's basically me while reading the book: "Bloody hell! Holy crap! You have to be kidding me! Well hello again you death-by-sex Fae, mind if I take my bra off? What the f**ck just happened?! Go girl, you show him! Arrrrggggh! Oh, swooning a bit right there! Well that was unexpected! Barrons, you aggravating, infuriating, exasperating, sneaky bastard! Oh no you don't! No more pink bullshit, yay! Hey Barrons, if you really want to tattoo someone I'm right here *waves frantically at Kindle screen*! Oooooh that was pretty disgusting, I love it! Ha ha ha ha ha! Oh wow. Freaking wow! Hallelujah! Yes yes yes!"
You get my drift. Yes, Bloodfever was a pretty awesome read. A fast-paced, intense, emotional, exciting as hell roller-coaster ride. What impressed me most here was Moning's writing. It was alright in Darkfever but she really has outdone herself here. Moning has a strange yet brilliant way of giving the reader glimpses of events that have just happened behind the scenes that leaves you thinking: "Wait, did I just skip a page or something?" The details seem to appear magically a few paragraphs or pages later, blending effortlessly into the story. It's hard to explain really but it's one fantastic writing trick. That a story told in such a way would be understandable at all is amazing. Well, to be honest, I was a bit clueless most of the time but that's only because Moning loves to tease her readers to death, planting more questions in their little heads than she's giving them answers for. Brilliant writing I tell you!
Talking about the plot is nearly impossible here. Too many things happening, too many twists and revelations, too much information. It's just one (choose all that apply) jaw-dropping/amazing/emotional/funny/crazy/infuriating/fascinating scene after another. Want to know my favourite ones? Of course you do! Here goes: Mac & V'Lane at BBB (their conversation is funny as hell and what can I say? I can't resist the guy.), , Mac's dad visiting, , silent conversations (love 'em!), the auction scene, , Mac's involuntary beach holiday and her return to a very pissed off Barrons (that'll teach him!), the tattoo scene (hello! Still volunteering here Barrons!), the freaking Burren scene from beginning to end… and its aftermath! Okay okay you win, I'll stop right there.
I have to say that one aspect of the plot disappointed me. It's hard to talk about it without revealing anything so I guess it's spoiler time. Oh wait, I just thought of something else that was a bit disappointing. Sorry, spoiler time again!
Now let's talk about Rainbow Girl for a second here. Mac, Mac, Mac. We weren't on the best of terms at first. How was I supposed to believe that a superficial, Barbie-looking, silly girl would turn into one of the most awesome butt kicking heroines out there? I can't say she is a total badass yet but we're slowly getting there. She's grown a lot since the first instalment and she's lost most of her air-headed attitude which is a huge relief. I still think that Moning overdid it with the Pinky Rainbows act in Bloodfever. I have no problem with a naïve, inexperienced heroine but there was no need to re-hash it all the way she did by adding layer upon layer of superficial silliness. Mac certainly seems to be getting her act together towards the end of the book and she finally holds her own against Barrons and the rest of the clique.
So. Mr Barrons. Here we are. After reading the first instalment I obviously thought you were an aggravating bastard. Because, you know, you are one. Anyway, my freaky BR friends had warned me that I would fall under your exasperating-yet-irresistible spell by the end of book 2. Although I have not yet fallen entirely victim to your "I'm hot, sexy and infuriating" act I have to admit I liked the swoon-worthy potential I had a glimpse of here It seems some readers want romance to blossom between Mac & Barrons. You know what? Romance is terribly overrated. Just give me the lust and I'll be the happiest of girls! As to what Barrons may or may not be: I don't really have a clue here except that silly little me had the very fine idea to read the Burned blurb the other day. Now I know one of Barrons' dirty little secrets. Clever. Very very clever of me…
All in all this was a pretty awesome read. What made it even more fantastic? My MacHalo gang of course! You guys rock.
March 4, 2024
Second Re-read: November 2015.
It dragged a little in the middle but the CAVE SCENE IS PERFECTION.
First Re-read: November 2014 I'm still giving it 4 stars.
"One day you may kiss a man you cant breathe without, and find breath is of little consequence."
Buddy Read with a bunch of weirdos. Couldn't find better people to do it.
Mac is growing and learning. Never forget she has not only lost her sister but every certainty about pretty much everything since she came to Dublin and somehow she hasn't break yet. If anything, she's getting smarter, stronger. As the smart Tanya said "she's mourning over the loss of her safe, sheltered self".
"I missed her hair. I missed mine. I missed my her. I missed me."
But that doesn't mean she won't fight. Barrons himself said when he thought she was all useless fluff and nails, she showed some teeth.
And Barrons is, in my opinion, one of the best male characters ever written in the genre.. He's enigmatic, he's complex, he's nothing you've ever seen and at the same time he's simple. He's exactly what he shows you. And sometimes, he let himself go and say things like this:
"This wasn't what I wanted," Barrons was saying. "This isn't what I would have chosen. You must know that. It's important that you know that."
There's this moment when I think they've found themselves in common ground. They both have been broken and survived it. I think this is the moment when he sees her. And starts losing the war against himself.
"Did you break once?"
"Yes," he said finally.
"Did you kill the bastard?"
"With my bare hands. After I kill his wife." He waved his hand at the door of the cell. "You lead, Ms. Lane. I've got your back."
* CAVE SCENE. CAVE SCENE *
Cave Scene.
cave scene.
cave scene.
cave scene.
Finally, I love how Mac just does what it takes in order to survive. She said it herself. There's no black and white.
"There are only shades of gray. Black and white are nothing more than lofty ideals in our minds, the standards by which we try to judge things, and map out our place in the world in relevance to them."
So, she'll eat whatever she has to, she'll hang up with whoever she has to and she will accept whatever the night brings because she's changed too.
__________________________
First read: October 2013
4 *freaking solid* stars
It's our action that defines us. What we choose. What we resist. What we're willing to die for.
I think I could describe Bloodfever as intense, fearless, brilliant, addictive, unputdownable and even then you wouldn't know how awesome this book is.
The writing is addictive. Karen Marie Moning is a genius. The plot is there, I know it is, there must be... but here's the crazy thing: I have no fucking idea what the hell is going on and I don't feel betrayed at all, actually I'm so into this. I mean, she managed to capture my attention from chapter one and I just couldn't stop reading it. The best part? I'm satisfied. No complains about the lack of answers at all. The characters are incredibly complex and their development is amazing. Mac, once spoiled and annoying, is a total badass, funny, witty, flawed, resolved and so realistic I had to check twice if this was indeed UF material. Barrons is everythingI want you'd ever wanted in a man if you liked incredibly strong, frustratingly enigmatic, impossible and dominating men. God, I do have issues...
And this:
"Yes, I have loved, Ms. Lane, and although it‘s none of your business, I have lost. Many things. And no, I am not like any other player in this game and I will never be like V‘lane, and I get a hard-on a great deal more often than occasionally." He leaned fully against me and I gasped.
"Sometimes it‘s over a spoiled little girl, not a woman at all.”
Yes, the emotional and intense Jericho moment when you just know there's no hope for you. I'm fascinated by Fever.
“The wisest man is the silent one. Examine his actions. Judge him by them.”
Oh, I'm judging you, Barrons... and I have some crazy theories about what you are, you sexy bastard.
It dragged a little in the middle but the CAVE SCENE IS PERFECTION.
First Re-read: November 2014 I'm still giving it 4 stars.
"One day you may kiss a man you cant breathe without, and find breath is of little consequence."
Buddy Read with a bunch of weirdos. Couldn't find better people to do it.
Mac is growing and learning. Never forget she has not only lost her sister but every certainty about pretty much everything since she came to Dublin and somehow she hasn't break yet. If anything, she's getting smarter, stronger. As the smart Tanya said "she's mourning over the loss of her safe, sheltered self".
"I missed her hair. I missed mine. I missed my her. I missed me."
But that doesn't mean she won't fight. Barrons himself said when he thought she was all useless fluff and nails, she showed some teeth.
And Barrons is, in my opinion, one of the best male characters ever written in the genre.. He's enigmatic, he's complex, he's nothing you've ever seen and at the same time he's simple. He's exactly what he shows you. And sometimes, he let himself go and say things like this:
"This wasn't what I wanted," Barrons was saying. "This isn't what I would have chosen. You must know that. It's important that you know that."
There's this moment when I think they've found themselves in common ground. They both have been broken and survived it. I think this is the moment when he sees her. And starts losing the war against himself.
"Did you break once?"
"Yes," he said finally.
"Did you kill the bastard?"
"With my bare hands. After I kill his wife." He waved his hand at the door of the cell. "You lead, Ms. Lane. I've got your back."
* CAVE SCENE. CAVE SCENE *
Cave Scene.
cave scene.
cave scene.
Finally, I love how Mac just does what it takes in order to survive. She said it herself. There's no black and white.
"There are only shades of gray. Black and white are nothing more than lofty ideals in our minds, the standards by which we try to judge things, and map out our place in the world in relevance to them."
So, she'll eat whatever she has to, she'll hang up with whoever she has to and she will accept whatever the night brings because she's changed too.
__________________________
First read: October 2013
4 *freaking solid* stars
It's our action that defines us. What we choose. What we resist. What we're willing to die for.
I think I could describe Bloodfever as intense, fearless, brilliant, addictive, unputdownable and even then you wouldn't know how awesome this book is.
The writing is addictive. Karen Marie Moning is a genius. The plot is there, I know it is, there must be... but here's the crazy thing: I have no fucking idea what the hell is going on and I don't feel betrayed at all, actually I'm so into this. I mean, she managed to capture my attention from chapter one and I just couldn't stop reading it. The best part? I'm satisfied. No complains about the lack of answers at all. The characters are incredibly complex and their development is amazing. Mac, once spoiled and annoying, is a total badass, funny, witty, flawed, resolved and so realistic I had to check twice if this was indeed UF material. Barrons is everything
And this:
"Yes, I have loved, Ms. Lane, and although it‘s none of your business, I have lost. Many things. And no, I am not like any other player in this game and I will never be like V‘lane, and I get a hard-on a great deal more often than occasionally." He leaned fully against me and I gasped.
"Sometimes it‘s over a spoiled little girl, not a woman at all.”
Yes, the emotional and intense Jericho moment when you just know there's no hope for you. I'm fascinated by Fever.
“The wisest man is the silent one. Examine his actions. Judge him by them.”
Oh, I'm judging you, Barrons... and I have some crazy theories about what you are, you sexy bastard.
June 11, 2023
Ok that's it.
I have just finished book 2 and I am absolutely loving this series, I can already seen there are a few books to go and I'm all in and on to book 3 totally hooked.
Warning: This series is totally addictive.
Side affects:
1) You may loose sleep because you can't put the book down.
2)You may get sore eyes from reading too much.
3)You could blow your friends off in favour of reading.
4)You could get a book hang over at some point.
The good news is it will be totally worth it, and your symptoms will clear up when you finish the series.
This book was even better the second time around I love this series so so much.
Happy Reading 📚📗📙📚📘📕📖📙📚📒📓📚📗📔📕📘📙📖📗📔📕📘📓📚📖
I have just finished book 2 and I am absolutely loving this series, I can already seen there are a few books to go and I'm all in and on to book 3 totally hooked.
Warning: This series is totally addictive.
Side affects:
1) You may loose sleep because you can't put the book down.
2)You may get sore eyes from reading too much.
3)You could blow your friends off in favour of reading.
4)You could get a book hang over at some point.
The good news is it will be totally worth it, and your symptoms will clear up when you finish the series.
This book was even better the second time around I love this series so so much.
Happy Reading 📚📗📙📚📘📕📖📙📚📒📓📚📗📔📕📘📙📖📗📔📕📘📓📚📖
January 5, 2014
4 What-the-BLOODY-Hell Stars
"It’s our actions that define us. What we choose. What we resist. What we’re willing to die for.[...]There are only shades of gray. Black and white are nothing more than lofty ideals in our minds, the standards by which we try to judge things, and map out our place in the world in relevance to them."
An obsessed man(?) with dangerous secrets.
A seductive prince with his own agenda.
A ruthless Grand Mistress.
And in the middle of this deadly game of chess where the lives of the pawns are insignificant, a no-longer innocent girl who was forced to be a woman that survives but she no longer recognizes.
When Mac traveled to Ireland to solve the mystery of her sister's brutal murder, she wasn't expecting a book to be responsible of the end of the world.
Sinsar Dubh the long lost Fae book, written by the Unseelie King himself. A book wated by many and fatal as it is mysterious.
Thrust in a world of growing darkness and shadows, Mac is forced to build uneasy alliances and trust 2 men that they may be using her for their own purposes but somehow they keep saving her life.
“If you think to stand between V’lane and me, and play both ends against the middle, you’ll get ripped to pieces. If I were you, Ms. Lane, I’d choose a side, and fast.”
V'lane is the Fae, but Jericho Barrons holds all the secrets and is more dangerous to the the senses of the woman inside of the two.
With no idea of the grand scheme of things, forced to see the events unfolding while Mac is narrating her story by memories tainted of blood and pain, this book held me transfixed. Dark, emotional and passionate, I couldn't put it down until the nail-biting end end even then I immediately started the next...
WHY on earth haven't I started this series sooner???
I claim sheer stupidity.... Don't make the same mistake!!
"It’s our actions that define us. What we choose. What we resist. What we’re willing to die for.[...]There are only shades of gray. Black and white are nothing more than lofty ideals in our minds, the standards by which we try to judge things, and map out our place in the world in relevance to them."
An obsessed man(?) with dangerous secrets.
A seductive prince with his own agenda.
A ruthless Grand Mistress.
And in the middle of this deadly game of chess where the lives of the pawns are insignificant, a no-longer innocent girl who was forced to be a woman that survives but she no longer recognizes.
When Mac traveled to Ireland to solve the mystery of her sister's brutal murder, she wasn't expecting a book to be responsible of the end of the world.
Sinsar Dubh the long lost Fae book, written by the Unseelie King himself. A book wated by many and fatal as it is mysterious.
Thrust in a world of growing darkness and shadows, Mac is forced to build uneasy alliances and trust 2 men that they may be using her for their own purposes but somehow they keep saving her life.
“If you think to stand between V’lane and me, and play both ends against the middle, you’ll get ripped to pieces. If I were you, Ms. Lane, I’d choose a side, and fast.”
V'lane is the Fae, but Jericho Barrons holds all the secrets and is more dangerous to the the senses of the woman inside of the two.
With no idea of the grand scheme of things, forced to see the events unfolding while Mac is narrating her story by memories tainted of blood and pain, this book held me transfixed. Dark, emotional and passionate, I couldn't put it down until the nail-biting end end even then I immediately started the next...
WHY on earth haven't I started this series sooner???
I claim sheer stupidity.... Don't make the same mistake!!
December 4, 2018
4.5 fever-frenzy Stars
Yo shithead,
Yeah, you of the withering stares and evasive non-answers. You, Mr. Jericho “Jackass” Barrons, I’m fucking watching YOU! You, with the depthless eyes and secretive ways! Every step you take is being monitored, calculated, judged. I am on to you.
I know you’ve saved my girl, Mac, from some horrid situations (don’t think I haven’t noticed it’s always at the last minute and always on your own terms, though) but I don’t trust you half as far as I can throw you, asshole. And to elaborate, that’s half of none at all. You feel me?
Don’t for a moment think I don’t notice your hungry predatory eyes, fuckface. Don’t underestimate the lengths I would go to for Mac. They are vast and questionable, morally. For now we are at a standstill, because you and I want the same thing (for very different reasons, I because I love her and you because you have use of her – And while I might agree that being needed for use is better than being needed as a woman, you are a jackass for saying that) but if you step a toe out of line and further endanger her unnecessarily I may cut a bitch, you feel me?
You need to start answering some of the hard questions, jackass. Start talking about WHY Mac should trust you because she’s getting herself into dangerous situations by trying to be as evasive as you. So pull those fucking cards at least a couple inches from that impressive chest and give her SOMETHING! Fuck. And stop with the patronizing “Ms. Lane” bullshit, Mac isn’t a fucking child and you need to quit treating her like one. Do you think that by remaining cold and unmoving you can escape responsibility for the havoc your actions have caused? By acting removed and uninvolved you will somehow escape culpability?
She is dealing unbelievably well with impossible situations, so far, and you act as though she’s a mere infant. Is it so hard for you to have an ounce of fucking compassion? What the fuck is wrong with you? Just know this, you piece of mysterious scum, everywhere you go I will follow, I will dog every step you take, move mountains that get in my way to protect her. Do not test me, jackass.
WATCH YOUR BACK!
The Vampire Ninja
PS:
Yo shithead,
Yeah, you of the withering stares and evasive non-answers. You, Mr. Jericho “Jackass” Barrons, I’m fucking watching YOU! You, with the depthless eyes and secretive ways! Every step you take is being monitored, calculated, judged. I am on to you.
I know you’ve saved my girl, Mac, from some horrid situations (don’t think I haven’t noticed it’s always at the last minute and always on your own terms, though) but I don’t trust you half as far as I can throw you, asshole. And to elaborate, that’s half of none at all. You feel me?
Don’t for a moment think I don’t notice your hungry predatory eyes, fuckface. Don’t underestimate the lengths I would go to for Mac. They are vast and questionable, morally. For now we are at a standstill, because you and I want the same thing (for very different reasons, I because I love her and you because you have use of her – And while I might agree that being needed for use is better than being needed as a woman, you are a jackass for saying that) but if you step a toe out of line and further endanger her unnecessarily I may cut a bitch, you feel me?
You need to start answering some of the hard questions, jackass. Start talking about WHY Mac should trust you because she’s getting herself into dangerous situations by trying to be as evasive as you. So pull those fucking cards at least a couple inches from that impressive chest and give her SOMETHING! Fuck. And stop with the patronizing “Ms. Lane” bullshit, Mac isn’t a fucking child and you need to quit treating her like one. Do you think that by remaining cold and unmoving you can escape responsibility for the havoc your actions have caused? By acting removed and uninvolved you will somehow escape culpability?
She is dealing unbelievably well with impossible situations, so far, and you act as though she’s a mere infant. Is it so hard for you to have an ounce of fucking compassion? What the fuck is wrong with you? Just know this, you piece of mysterious scum, everywhere you go I will follow, I will dog every step you take, move mountains that get in my way to protect her. Do not test me, jackass.
WATCH YOUR BACK!
The Vampire Ninja
PS:
December 29, 2016
Rereading with my buddies, edgy and sleepless. Bring on the Barrons!!
New thoughts after reread:
I was actually thinking that Mac was growing a bit in this story, and I was really proud of her for standing up to the Mob-guy... until she utters this ridiculousness:
"Go ahead, O'Bannion, come and get it. I'm fed up with jack-petunias like you."
Original review from 2014:
So, in Georgia they call the hot lava game "don't touch the alligator"? That's just weird! Everyone knows that when you are kids, you pretend the floor is covered in HOT LAVA, and that is why you jump from beds to dressers to couches to tables, etc... There was even an epic episode of Community where Abed and Troy start a giant hot lava game at the school for Troy's last day. It was dean-tastic!
But, it figures that Mac would have a stupid name for the game. She can't even swear like a normal person. Idiot!
The action in this book does get better than the last and the dark characters are really interesting. I like the complexity of the story, and how it keeps growing as time goes on. Nothing ends too quickly or neatly, which is nice. And, Mac has gotten a tiny bit smarter, more so in the beginning of the book, but she has a long way to go to get to your average person's start point.
It seems pretty obvious, though, that Mac is still making way too many stupid assumptions. And, her stubbornness combined with her stupidly false bravado is going to keep getting her almost killed and waiting for Jericho to save her every book.
New thoughts after reread:
I was actually thinking that Mac was growing a bit in this story, and I was really proud of her for standing up to the Mob-guy... until she utters this ridiculousness:
"Go ahead, O'Bannion, come and get it. I'm fed up with jack-petunias like you."
Original review from 2014:
So, in Georgia they call the hot lava game "don't touch the alligator"? That's just weird! Everyone knows that when you are kids, you pretend the floor is covered in HOT LAVA, and that is why you jump from beds to dressers to couches to tables, etc... There was even an epic episode of Community where Abed and Troy start a giant hot lava game at the school for Troy's last day. It was dean-tastic!
But, it figures that Mac would have a stupid name for the game. She can't even swear like a normal person. Idiot!
The action in this book does get better than the last and the dark characters are really interesting. I like the complexity of the story, and how it keeps growing as time goes on. Nothing ends too quickly or neatly, which is nice. And, Mac has gotten a tiny bit smarter, more so in the beginning of the book, but she has a long way to go to get to your average person's start point.
It seems pretty obvious, though, that Mac is still making way too many stupid assumptions. And, her stubbornness combined with her stupidly false bravado is going to keep getting her almost killed and waiting for Jericho to save her every book.
December 28, 2016
Mac makes me think of an ostrich who buries her moronic little head to the sand right after painting a target line in pink on her ass. She still is delusional, too stupid to live, yappy about clothing. But she changed a little bit. That's all I'm giving to her.
Barrons is ... sigh... MINE!!!
Story line got really interesting and there were twists I wouldn't expect from Mac. The author had little spasms of little did she know moments here and there but they were barely there, compared to the first book.
Buddy read with my awesome ladies Jill and Sleepless.
Barrons is ... sigh... MINE!!!
Story line got really interesting and there were twists I wouldn't expect from Mac. The author had little spasms of little did she know moments here and there but they were barely there, compared to the first book.
Buddy read with my awesome ladies Jill and Sleepless.
December 4, 2013
4.5 *I LOVE THIS SERIES, AND BARRONS, AND MAYBE V'LANE A LITTLE TOO* STARS.
More action, more suspense, more fear, more doubt, more evil, more darkness; all of these elements sure don't make Mac's life any easier. But while the world is turning more evil, she is gaining more knowledge and strength and one thing she makes sure to never lose is: hope.
"Hope is a critical thing. Without it, we are nothing. Hope shapes the will. The will shapes the world. I might have been suffering a dearth of hope but I had a few things left: will, desperation in spades, and a chance."
"Being touched by Jericho Barrons with kindness makes you feel like you must be the most special person in the world. It's like walking up to the biggest, most savage lion in the jungle, lying down, placing your head in its mouth and, rather than taking your life, it licks you and purrs."
"Question: When you're one of the few people who can do something to fix a problem, just how responsible does that make you for it?
Answer: It's how you choose to answer that question that defines you."
This second part of the series managed to captivate me once again from beginning to end, and it made me an even bigger fan of KMM and the brilliantly created world and characters in this series. It also left me with even MORE questions that I need answers to, so I'm moving on to the next part, Faefever, ASAP!!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
![Profile Image for Anna [Bran. San. Stan].](https://cdn.statically.io/img/i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1593184464i/98245866._UX200_CR0,0,200,200_.jpg)
April 7, 2021
4.5 stars. This is still as addictive as the first time.
What I loved:
🖤 Barrons (duh) and his enigmatic background/powers
🖤 “glam-girl Mac” turning more and more into “Savage Mac” (all the sunshiny rainbow stuff was a bit annoying, though it serves to make her character change even starker)
🖤 Mac starting to trust Barrons – with her life, if not with all her secrets
🖤 the increase in sexual tension between Barrons and Mac
🖤 Christian MacKeltar (I stan the whole family of MacKeltars, partly because of the Highlander series)
🖤 the introduction of the Scottish Druids, Dani, the 14-year-old sidhe-seer, and Barrons’ “buddy” Ryoden
🖤 the first use of Voice (= compulsion) as a Druid power
What I didn’t love:
✖️ that stupid bitch, Rowena, apparent leader of side-seers in Dublin (the one who only deigns to help Mac when it serves her)
✖️ the fact that even though Mac makes a point of not trusting anyone completely, Mac is blindsided a lot and that lack of trust comes to bite her in the petunia
✖️ Barrons not walking Mac home when in severe danger (wtf?)
✖️ the way Barrons and Mac finally act on their attraction (too much violence for my liking)
➡️ Even though a lot happens (poor Mac has to suffer quite a lot), the overarching storyline does not move along greatly; more players are introduced but little is actually resolved:
But I guess all that is part of why this series is so addictive. On to book 3, again!
What I loved:
🖤 Barrons (duh) and his enigmatic background/powers
🖤 “glam-girl Mac” turning more and more into “Savage Mac” (all the sunshiny rainbow stuff was a bit annoying, though it serves to make her character change even starker)
🖤 Mac starting to trust Barrons – with her life, if not with all her secrets
🖤 the increase in sexual tension between Barrons and Mac
🖤 Christian MacKeltar (I stan the whole family of MacKeltars, partly because of the Highlander series)
🖤 the introduction of the Scottish Druids, Dani, the 14-year-old sidhe-seer, and Barrons’ “buddy” Ryoden
🖤 the first use of Voice (= compulsion) as a Druid power
What I didn’t love:
✖️ that stupid bitch, Rowena, apparent leader of side-seers in Dublin (the one who only deigns to help Mac when it serves her)
✖️ the fact that even though Mac makes a point of not trusting anyone completely, Mac is blindsided a lot and that lack of trust comes to bite her in the petunia
✖️ Barrons not walking Mac home when in severe danger (wtf?)
✖️ the way Barrons and Mac finally act on their attraction (too much violence for my liking)
➡️ Even though a lot happens (poor Mac has to suffer quite a lot), the overarching storyline does not move along greatly; more players are introduced but little is actually resolved:
❓What intentions and goals do Barrons / V’lane, the "death-by-sex" fae / the Lord Master / Rowena / the Druids have?
❓What exactly does the Sinsar Dubh, that super evil book of black magic everyone covets, do?
❓And again the mystery remains: What/who is Barrons? (And what is the Lord Master, by the by?)
But I guess all that is part of why this series is so addictive. On to book 3, again!
December 7, 2011
guilt·y [gil-tee]
adjective
1.characterized by, connected with, or involving guilt: guilty intent.
pleasure [plezh-er]
noun
1.enjoyment or satisfaction derived from what is to one's liking; gratification; delight.
Bloodfever [bluhd fee-ver]
noun
1. see above.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Mac,
Quick question:
But now we’re talking.
You are definitely getting less annoying and I think…. I think we’re going to be best of friends soon.
You see we have loads in common.
We’re both 22. We both make play lists of ridiculous songs for our iPod but refuse to make apologies for them.
We both manage to get ourselves into ridiculous situations in foreign cities.
Alright yeah, you win on said ridiculous situations but a homeless man once growled in my face when I visited San Francisco…. which is pretty weird.
Not Fae weird…. But still, weird.
Anyway.
You’re awesome.
Lots of love,
Jo.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Dearest Barrons,
I like it when you get jealous.
It’s HOT.
Yours sincerely,
Jo.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear V’mlane,
I have a month to spare.
I’ll see if I can get a cheap flight to Faery.
Although the only time I attempted to play volleyball resulted in a nosebleed.
Maybe we could play boules? OR that Velcro tennis kind of thing that probably has a name but I don’t know what it is.
Also, we need to get you kitted out in some kind of fae speedos because robes aren’t really beach attire, are they? Although I guess you have been living in Dublin and the sea is probably a bit nippy all year round.
I’ll get back to you on that.
Best wishes,
Jo.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Barrons vs V’mlane (Round #2)
Barrons
But your torso is covered in tattoos.
Also, you still look like this.
So again… ijowqlKAJSDHEUIW29OP;L.,,mmazxsdwjk1aa!
V’mlane.
Also, you still look like this.
The winner this round is kinda: V’mlane.
Score.
Barrons: 1
V’mlane: 0.5
adjective
1.characterized by, connected with, or involving guilt: guilty intent.
pleasure [plezh-er]
noun
1.enjoyment or satisfaction derived from what is to one's liking; gratification; delight.
Bloodfever [bluhd fee-ver]
noun
1. see above.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Mac,
Quick question:
But now we’re talking.
You are definitely getting less annoying and I think…. I think we’re going to be best of friends soon.
You see we have loads in common.
We’re both 22. We both make play lists of ridiculous songs for our iPod but refuse to make apologies for them.
We both manage to get ourselves into ridiculous situations in foreign cities.
Alright yeah, you win on said ridiculous situations but a homeless man once growled in my face when I visited San Francisco…. which is pretty weird.
Not Fae weird…. But still, weird.
Anyway.
You’re awesome.
Lots of love,
Jo.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Dearest Barrons,
I like it when you get jealous.
It’s HOT.
Yours sincerely,
Jo.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear V’
I have a month to spare.
I’ll see if I can get a cheap flight to Faery.
Although the only time I attempted to play volleyball resulted in a nosebleed.
Maybe we could play boules? OR that Velcro tennis kind of thing that probably has a name but I don’t know what it is.
Also, we need to get you kitted out in some kind of fae speedos because robes aren’t really beach attire, are they? Although I guess you have been living in Dublin and the sea is probably a bit nippy all year round.
I’ll get back to you on that.
Best wishes,
Jo.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Barrons vs V’
Barrons
But your torso is covered in tattoos.
Also, you still look like this.
So again… ijowqlKAJSDHEUIW29OP;L.,,mmazxsdwjk1aa!
V’
Also, you still look like this.
The winner this round is kinda: V’
Score.
Barrons: 1
V’
December 12, 2016
The most interesting character of the series is definitely Jericho Barrons. There is this mystery of
-what is he exactly (Fae? Human? Something else entirely?),
-what role does he play in the game (Is he bad?, Is he the enemy?, Will he help?) and
-what he wants from Mac (To use her? To help her? To play with her before he eats her?)
So, what we learned about Barrons in this book :
HE IS EXTREMELY VOLATILE:
“And yes, I trashed the bookstore when I couldn't find you. You'll have to choose a new bedroom, too.”
HE IS CRUDE WITH HIS EXPLANATIONS
“I'm sorry your pretty little world got all screwed up, but everybody's does, and you go on. It's how you go on that defines you.”
“I doubt he'll be a prince, Ms. Lane. Men rarely are.”
HE IS EXCEPTIONALLY POSSESSIVE AND PROTECTIVE:
"And I am going to tattoo you, Ms. Lane, however and wherever I please.”
“If I have to chain you to a fucking wall to protect you from your own stupidity, I will!"
HE REALLY DESIRES MAC:
“I know you're the one with boobs! They're in my fucking face every fucking time I turn around!”
HE IS JEALOUS:
"Nice tan, Ms. Lane. So, where the fuck have you been for the past month?”
HE ANTAGONIZES V'LANE:
“I am not like any other player in this game and I will never be like V'lane.”
HE TRIES TO TEACH, WHEN MAC LETS HIM:
“I told you, Ms. Lane, never believe anything is dead-"
“One day you may kiss a man you can't breathe without, and find breath is of little consequence.”
HIS SPECIES IS UNKNOWN:
“What are you Barrons?”
“The one who will never let you die, and that's more, Ms Lane, than anyone in your life has been able to say to you. More than anyone else can do.”
The above characteristics will be noticed in the following books, too –TO THE EXTREME!
-what is he exactly (Fae? Human? Something else entirely?),
-what role does he play in the game (Is he bad?, Is he the enemy?, Will he help?) and
-what he wants from Mac (To use her? To help her? To play with her before he eats her?)
So, what we learned about Barrons in this book :
HE IS EXTREMELY VOLATILE:
“And yes, I trashed the bookstore when I couldn't find you. You'll have to choose a new bedroom, too.”
HE IS CRUDE WITH HIS EXPLANATIONS
“I'm sorry your pretty little world got all screwed up, but everybody's does, and you go on. It's how you go on that defines you.”
“I doubt he'll be a prince, Ms. Lane. Men rarely are.”
HE IS EXCEPTIONALLY POSSESSIVE AND PROTECTIVE:
"And I am going to tattoo you, Ms. Lane, however and wherever I please.”
“If I have to chain you to a fucking wall to protect you from your own stupidity, I will!"
HE REALLY DESIRES MAC:
“I know you're the one with boobs! They're in my fucking face every fucking time I turn around!”
HE IS JEALOUS:
"Nice tan, Ms. Lane. So, where the fuck have you been for the past month?”
HE ANTAGONIZES V'LANE:
“I am not like any other player in this game and I will never be like V'lane.”
HE TRIES TO TEACH, WHEN MAC LETS HIM:
“I told you, Ms. Lane, never believe anything is dead-"
“One day you may kiss a man you can't breathe without, and find breath is of little consequence.”
HIS SPECIES IS UNKNOWN:
“What are you Barrons?”
“The one who will never let you die, and that's more, Ms Lane, than anyone in your life has been able to say to you. More than anyone else can do.”
The above characteristics will be noticed in the following books, too –TO THE EXTREME!
July 7, 2015
[4.5 Stars]
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