Feverborn by Karen Marie Moning

This series has been one of my favourites, however, I had a hard time getting through this book. I thought it dragged on at times, despite having really good scenes. In my opinion, the first five books of this series were the best ones, and lately, the books seem to be coasting.

I was overjoyed when I realized Mac would be the main narrator again, however, I've come to believe that maybe it's time to let other characters, like Jada, shine. Mac and Barrons are without a doubt a great pair but I feel like their story has come and gone. They're great together, don't get me wrong, but I just feel like there's nothing new happening there. I believe it's time for Jada and Ryodan to finally have their own story and hopefully it will come soon.

Speaking of Jada, I'm still a little bit confused about how Dani became Jada. I'm not completely satisfied with Moning's explanation on the transformation, but in a way, I think it was necessary for Dani to become Jada in order to be taken seriously. She spent years in the Silvers, which turned out to be weeks for everyone else. I understand her need to reinvent herself in order to be taken seriously and viewed as an adult, and not just some untrained teen. Now that she's older, hopefully she'll be able to work on whatever she and Ryodan have. Whatever they do have does seems a little bit creepy but I'm curious on how everything will work out.

I'm also curious about this new character, Shazam. I still don't know what to make of him, whether he's real or not. I kept wondering if he was a figment of Jada's imagination, a way for her to cope with everything that's been going on. I think Shazam is a way for her to keep holding on to her childhood, whether he's real or not.

As for the main conflict in this book, it seems there isn't much driving the characters. Sure, the black holes and the Sinsar Dubh are ever present, and I love the fact that Mac, Barrons, Jada, Ryodan and even Christian are teaming up to fight these problems, but I feel Feverborn was missing action. There were some epic scenes towards the end, but the beginning and the middle of the book was filled with filler and repetition.

Personally, I think it's time for Karen Marie Moning to move beyond Mac and Barrons. At this point, her series is coasting and it could definitely benefit from new blood. I would welcome more about Jada and Ryodan, and honestly, I think Christian deserves his own story too. Because of my early addiction to this series, I haven't given up on it yet, however, something dramatic and new needs to happen in order to keep my interest. Here's to hoping the next book will be much better!

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Posted by Tynga at 04:15

 Delacorte, Dystopian, fae, Fever, Karen Marie Moning, Library, Paranormal, Random House, Review  2 People left their mark

Burned by Karen Marie Moning

I'm having a love/hate relationship with this book. There are so many things that I loved about this book, yet it still left me unsatisfied with the direction the series is taking. I never thought I would say this, but after waiting for what feels like forever, Burned has left me disappointed.

First, I love that Mac is back! I really missed her in the previous book, which was all about Dani. Don't get me wrong, Dani can be a fun a quirky character, but personally I think she doesn't compare to Mac and isn't enough to be the main character of a book like she was in Iced. And she's kind of annoying. Originally, what made me fall in love with the series was Mac, and now it seems like the author has added so many point of views, it's hard to understand how it all pieces together. I'm just happy Mac is the (main) narrator again and it feels childish to complain about a few pages and a few chapters dedicated to other characters. However, I'm surprised by how much I like Lor. I did not expect to enjoy this woman loving, sex addicted character as much as I did. I love that were learning more about the mysterious group of Nine and that it's not just about Barrons and Ryodan anymore. I think Lor adds a new depth to the group, however, I'm not sure if I like this new Ryodan.  I guess you can say we see his softer side but it doesn't really work for me because I can only imagine him as a stern and rigid character.

The first half of the novel was kind of slow. As things slowly build up, I expected more out of this novel because of its length, but much of it is just filler. There was no clear antagonist in this novel so that might be another reason why it felt like the book was purposeless at times. It feels like Mac coasted through most of the novel which had me wondering when the real Mac would show up. I was surprised by our introduction to Jada and I'm still a little bit confused about her as a character and what it all means for the rest of the series. I don't want to discuss her too much because that would expose too many spoilers, but honestly I'm still not sure about her as character.

In the past, the heat between Mac and Barrons was enough to get me through anything, but in this novel, it feels like it kind of sizzle out. Their "inactivity" is boring, to say the least, and I expected more from the couple, especially in a novel titled Burned and with such a hot cover. The chapter before the prologue was pretty hot but just a flashback so it felt kind pointless and definitely a tease.

I'm having such a hard time writing this review, I think it's because I've never felt so disappointed by a novel before. Although it wasn't all that bad, my expectations were definitely set too high. I'm hopeful Karen Marie Moning will get back on track with her next book and that Burned is just an unfortunate event. Fans of the series still have to read this novel despite everything. Newcomers to the series will be disappointed and confused despite the glossary at the end of the book (which I thought was a great idea).

As readers, we could have done without Burned and hopefully it was just a way to set up the next great installment in the series.

http://youtu.be/moRdA43d4Nc

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Posted by Tynga at 01:59

 Delacorte, fae, Fever, Immortals, Karen Marie Moning, Library, Magic, Random House, Urban Fantasy  1 Person left their mark

Iced by Karen Marie Moning

I was actually a little bit anxious to read this book. Published over a year ago, I wanted to buy the paperback anyways to match my other books, so even if the hardcover was available at my local library, I kept putting it off. To be honest, as a huge fan of the Fever series, I didn't want to read this first book of the spin-off series and be disappointed. In the other books, the main character of this spin-off series, Dani, wasn't really my favorite person and I didn't know how I felt about leaving Mac behind as the main character for the first time. Despite my apprehension, I ended it up really enjoying ICED, and to my surprise, I even started to like Dani, even with all her faults.

I think my major issue with Dani is the fact that she's a fourteen year old, playing the role of main character in an adult series. Her teenage ramblings and immature stunts can get a little annoying but I think I've started to look past that because she's actually a really funny character. Her spunk and her courage make her a true hero, in the real sense of the word, because with her super-strength, super-hearing, super-vision and super-speed, it makes her look almost invincible. Like any super-hero, she has her faults and vulnerabilities, and one of them is the fact that she's always putting others before herself, and she's always trying to save the world, one person at a time. Going back to the fact that she's fourteen years old, I don't think this book is appropriate for young adults with all the sexual references and the naked men. Sure, some young adults might end up reading it, but I'm just saying.

One issue I had with the book is its pace. The story felt slow at times and the build up seemed very gradual. To be honest, I think some scenes could have been cut out or at least edited without the teenage ramblings that were quite repetitive at times. Despite this, the anticipation was definitely there, and even if it was slow, the story still kept me interested. Sometimes I really appreciate a slow build up because it keeps me in the story that much longer, and in this case, I really didn't mind.

The writing was your typical Karen Marie Moning, with all the humour and sarcasm from her previous books. Dani is like Mac (from the original series) in so many ways, and I think that is a reflection from Moning's writing. I was surprised on how much I enjoyed reading about Ryodan, the mystery man (or whatever he is...) that owns the only bar worth visiting in post-apocalyptic Dublin. Ever since the wall between the human world and the fae world collapsed, everyone has been flocking his club called Chester's; humans for the thrill of interacting with the fae, and the fae to prey off humans.

Dani and Ryodan make an unlikely team and together they investigate the mysterious "ice" attacks that have been killing both fae and humans. And since these icey attacks could be one of the few things that can kill Ryodan, he wants as much help as possible to get to the bottom of it. Even if it means he has to endure Dani's antics. You can really feel the tension between these characters and I think Moning is a pro at describing feelings and developing these scenes, without really naming what's going on between the characters. Obviously a romantic relationship between a fourteen year old and an ancient being (who knows how old Ryodan really is...) would be a little weird but you can definitely tell there's something there. It's actually kind of funny to see how jealous Ryodan can get about Dani being friends with the teenage boy-genius, Dancer, and how he refuses that the half Unseelie Prince/half highlander, Christian be anywhere near Dani. This makes for a complicated love triangle/love-square but oh so interesting.

With everything I've said, it might sound like I didn't enjoy this book, but on the contrary, I think ICED is a great addition to the Fever world. This is just me being critical about something I really liked. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to newcomers, but it's a definite must for all fans of the Fever series. Usually, I'm a huge fan of spin-off series because it's a way to explore a literary world you love, through a different point of view and with new characters. In this case, the story is completely different from the original series, while still keeping true to the original world. Moning fans, add this one to your list!

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Posted by Tynga at 01:55

 Adult, Apocalypse, Dani O'Malley, Dell, Faeries, Fever, Karen Marie Moning, Paranormal, Purchased, Random House, Review  3 People left their mark