Review: Bloodfever by Karen Marie Moning

Bloodfever by Karen Marie Moning

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
How I got it: I own the entire series now, :) Author love...

I used to be your average, everyday girl but all that changed one night in Dublin when I saw my first Fae, and got dragged into a world of deadly immortals and ancient secrets. . . .

In her fight to stay alive, MacKayla must find the Sinsar Dubh—a million-year-old book of the blackest magic imaginable, which holds the key to power over the worlds of both the Fae and Man. Pursued by assassins, surrounded by mysterious figures she knows she can’t trust, Mac finds herself torn between two deadly and powerful men: V’lane, the immortal Fae Prince, and Jericho Barrons, a man as irresistible as he is dangerous.

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.

So happens the second in the Fever series by one of my new favorite authors, Karen Marie Moning. This book was a great addition and twist to the first, and I think a personal improvement for the author. The plot is such; Mac is a young girl from the states who is trying to solve her sister's murder in Dublin, Ireland, and afterwards enact revenge on whoever was responsible. The paranormal catch is Fae, both dark and light, who are responsible for not only the death of her sister but also some unspeakable evil that has plagued the human world for all time. (Spicey, I know). The cast of players also includes V'lane, a Seelie Prince who is determined to sleep with her, and Barrons, an arrogant bastard and my clear favorite. It is unclear who is on the same side as Mac or if they even have sides at all.

First to the writing... I believe this is Moning's first attempt at a series that is not heavily romance, which I applaud her for. She has a wonderful writing voice, and I think her only setback is her tendency to laden the plot and characters with characteristics found in a romance. For example, her main character Mac is a little prissy and too pink for the book's taste, if you ask me, and Moning can't just break her down into being a heroine rather than a Southern Belle who gets her panties in a twist if her nail polish isn't right. Otherwise I really love her writing, the book is written in first person and the language really runs nicely with the plot.

I love the world-building. I'm not sure exactly what is original and what is not, at times. This is my first fae series so I can't distinguish between Moning's creativity and what she has borrowed from already established lore. Regardless it's all very rich and I've really enjoyed how structured it is and how well it compliments her characters. Her characters are a lot of fun as well. Mac gets on my nerves still, but she's a lot more tolerable in this book than she was in the first. Maybe I'm not a very forgiving reader?

I think this book would do well with readers who are interested in the subject or have already been swimming around in some YA paranormal series and want to dip their toes into something more adult. This is a "no fluff attached" series, so tread carefully. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series and more of her writing. This is a definite read for people who love the paranormal genre and want to discover a new series.



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