Book Review: Dreamfever (Fever Series Book 4) by Karen Marie Moning

Title: Dreamfever
Author: Karen Marie Moning
Series: Fever #4
Pages: 386
My Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤

MacKayla Lane lies naked on the cold stone floor of a church, at the mercy of the erotic Fae master she once swore to kill. Far from home, unable to control her sexual hungers, MacKayla is now fully under the Lord Master’s spell.…In New York Times bestselling author Karen Marie Moning’s stunning new novel, the walls between human and Fae worlds have come crashing down. And as Mac fights for survival on Dublin’s battle-scarred streets, she will embark on the darkest—and most erotically charged—adventure of her life.

He has stolen her past, but MacKayla will never allow her sister’s murderer to take her future. Yet even the uniquely gifted sidhe-seer is no match for the Lord Master, who has unleashed an insatiable sexual craving that consumes Mac’s every thought—and thrusts her into the seductive realm of two very dangerous men, both of whom she desires but dares not trust.

As the enigmatic Jericho Barrons and the sensual Fae prince V’lane vie for her body and soul, as cryptic entries from her sister’s diary mysteriously appear and the power of the Dark Book weaves its annihilating path through the city, Mac’s greatest enemy delivers a final challenge.…

It’s an invitation Mac cannot refuse, one that sends her racing home to Georgia, where an even darker threat awaits. With her parents missing and the lives of her loved ones under siege, Mac is about to come face-to-face with a soul-shattering truth—about herself and her sister, about Jericho Barrons…and about the world she thought she knew.

After the events that occurred in Faefever, Dublin is no longer the same city that it once was. Scratch that, it's not just Dublin that has been exposed, it is the whole human world. Things are happening that are out of Mac's control, and she still has way more questions than answers. She does have a new ally though, a spunky 13 year old girl that loves kicking some Unseelie butt!

Not only does this book give us more of Dani, but it also gives us more of Barrons, maybe even a little more than you bargained for. It just took me a little off guard, I mean I read this part and was just like "Oh my!!" You'll know what I'm talking about when you get to that part.

There was just so much action in Dreamfever. There was that whole part I mentioned earlier plus a ton of Unseelie butt kicking Mac! Once again though, Ms. Moning left us with another cliffhanger. Unfortunately I don't have the next installment at my disposal....yet. Don't worry I'll get my hands on it in a day or two (hopefully).

On a side note, if you don't read the "Glossary from Mac's Journal" that's included at the end of the book, you are missing out. Some of the descriptions are pretty funny!!

Book Review: Faefever (Fever Series Book 3) by Karen Marie Moning

Title: Faefever
Author: Karen Marie Moning
Series: Fever #3
Pages: 416
My Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤

He calls me his Queen of the Night. I’d die for him. I’d kill for him, too. When MacKayla Lane receives a torn page from her dead sister’s journal, she is stunned by Alina’s desperate words. And now MacKayla knows that her sister’s killer is close. But evil is closer. And suddenly the sidhe-seer is on the hunt: For answers. For revenge. And for an ancient book of dark magic so evil, it corrupts anyone who touches it.

Mac’s quest for the Sinsar Dubh takes her into the mean, shape-shifting streets of Dublin, with a suspicious cop on her tail. Forced into a dangerous triangle of alliance with V’lane, an insatiable Fae prince of lethally erotic tastes, and Jericho Barrons, a man of primal desires and untold secrets, Mac is soon locked in a battle for her body, mind, and soul.

As All Hallows’ Eve approaches and the city descends into chaos, as a shocking truth about the Dark Book is uncovered, not even Mac can prevent a deadly race of immortals from shattering the walls between worlds—with devastating consequences.…

I just finished Faefever, and I'm not even remotely close to happy right now!! All that is keeping me from chunking the book across the room is that I have the fourth one in my possession and don't have to wait for it. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, then I'll go ahead and just put it out there...CLIFFHANGER!!!

Faefever started out innocent enough. Actually, it was kind of slow at the beginning. But once the action started coming into play it did not stop! I could not put Faefever down, I mean the more I read, the more likely it was possible that I would find out more about the mysterious Jericho Barrons. I still don't know what to think of him. Sometimes I like him, but at other times I just want Mac to get out of there and just go into hiding (if that was even possible).

These books in the fever series are just full of suspense. There are also twists that I don't even see coming! I don't think I have mentioned it yet in my other two reviews, but I am so thankful that an author finally put a pronunciation guide in the book!! It always drives me crazy when an author puts crazy names in books that I have no idea how to even sound out. But thank you for the pronunciation guide Ms. Moning, it almost makes up for that cliffhanger......not. Oh well, I'll just have to start the next book. I'm just glad that it's already out and I don't have to wait months for it (that would have been excruciatingly painful)!!

Book Review: Bloodfever (Fever Series Book 2) by Karen Marie Moning

Title: Bloodfever
Author: Karen Marie Moning
Series: Fever #2
Pages: 303
My Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤

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.…

Ms. Moning most certainly has a way with words. The descriptions and imagery she creates is absolutely amazing! There are details that you need to remember, because they come into play later. The fever series is much more than just a paranormal read. It actually has an amazing plot line and almost reads like a mystery (which I love by the way!).

There is not just one mystery in here either. This book is instead filled with several mysteries. You can't help but keep turning the pages waiting...and hoping, for any of the mysteries to unfold. Of all the mysterious things in this book, one that intrigues me the most is Mac's constant savior, Jericho Barrons.

Barrons is just one huge mystery and I can't wait for it to finally unravel! I mean the tension between him and "Ms. Lane" just keeps building and building! As I said in my review of Darkfever, I do have my hands on the next few books in the series, so upon finishing this review I'm going to go ahead and start in on the next installment. There, review finished☺ (now to get back to reading...)!!

Book Review: Darkfever (Fever Series Book 1) by Karen Marie Moning

Title: Darkfever
Author: Karen Marie Moning
Series: Fever #1
Pages: 347
My Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤

Hunting her sister's murderer in the gritty streets of Dublin, MacKayla Lane discovers a power she didn't know she possessed: the ability to track an ancient evil lost by the immortal race that created it - a dangerous relic coveted my mortal and immortal alike. In this deadly game of life-and-death stakes, is there anyone MacKayla can trust?

I really enjoyed Darkfever! Mac is on a quest to find her sister's killer and even travels overseas...alone, to the scene of the crime. She does not find at all what she expected. Instead, she discovers a world that she never knew existed. In Darkfever we get just a taste of what this new world really is. I am looking forward to Moning expanding it as the series progresses. So far though, the picture that Moning has painted does not look like that world is very inviting, especially to Mac.

After getting about halfway through the book, I went ahead and checked out the next three from the library (a little excessive, I know). I just knew that this was going to be a series that I liked. It is a bit edgier than my typical reads, and I found Mac to be a pretty relatable character. I mean, we both love pink nail polish!! Okay, there is more to it than that. She is at a point in her life where everything is changing and must choose between letting go of the past, or running away from her future. Everyone goes through this at least one point in their life.

The copy of Darkfever that I got my hands on included a note from the author. In this note, Moning wrote about how this was not her typical subject she wrote about. She explained that "Sometimes you don't get a choice. A story shows up on your doorstep and stalks you until you tell it." I am so glad that Moning stepped outside her comfort zone and gave us the story that demanded to be told.

"Dealing with the Fae is like dealing with any addiction - you give in, they'll own you; you resist, they never will."

 

Book Review: Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell

Title: Winter's Bone
Author: Daniel Woodrell
Pages: 193
My Rating: ❤❤❤❤

Ree Dolly's father has skipped bail on charges that he ran a crystal meth lab, and the Dollys will lose their house if he doesn't show up for his next court date. With two young brothers depending on her, 16-year-old Ree knows she has to bring her father back, dead or alive. Living in the harsh poverty of the Ozarks, Ree learns quickly that asking questions of the rough Dolly clan can be a fatal mistake. But, as an unsettling revelation lurks, Ree discovers unforeseen depths in herself and in a family network that protects its own at any cost.

Winter's Bone takes place in the Missouri Ozarks, near the Arkansas line. The story follows a sixteen year old girl named Ree Dolly. Her father is out of prison on bond and if he does not make his court date, Ree and her family will lose both their house, and their land. So, on top of having to take care of her two younger brothers and her pill-popping mom, she must now go out and find her father. The entire story follows Ree along her journey in trying to hunt her father down. She must navigate her way through the Ozark Wilderness and interrogate some extremely shady characters.

To truly appreciate the story, you must have an understanding of Ozark culture. Woodrell grew up in this area, and knows what he is talking about. The residents of the Ozarks believe that blood is thicker than water. They will do anything for their "kin," lie for them, fight for them, and even kill for them. They are also extremely distrustful of both outsiders and law enforcement. They instead settle things their own way. Also, the environment can be tough to live in, not everybody can do it.

Ree Dolly is an extremely strong character. She provides for her family, and does more than just cook for them. She teaches her siblings how to survive also. She knows that there is no way you can survive out in the Ozarks unless you have a certain skill set. Most people would be afraid to just wonder out in the wilderness and ask questions to people that do not want to answer. She leans really quick that finding her father may be tougher than she had originally thought.

This story stays in your head, and thoughts about the story will fill your mind and keep you awake at night. I would never have thought that this book would get to me so much, but it did. I even had to go purchase the film, just so I could see the book come to life. I have to warn you, there are some differences between the film and book (as always). If you have already seen the film and not read the book, you are seriously missing out. The film actually leaves out tiny details that are essential to fully understanding what exactly is going on. Due to the fact that I read the book before I saw the film, I was able to read in-between the lines and pick up on things that others would have never even thought about.

It is really weird to actually say it, but I am glad that I was forced to read and do a report on Winter's Bone. If it was not for this assignment, I would have never picked up this book. I realize now, that I would have been really missing out, and it makes me wonder "What other books have I overlooked?"