Review: Faefever by Karen Marie Moning

Faefever by Karen Marie Moning
Fever #3
Urban Fantasy
July 28, 2009
Mass Market Paperback, 416 pages
Random House Publishing.
Favorite quote: "...then somebody like you walks in and it ratchets up to the Nine Inch Nails song my uncle plays all the time for his wife."

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.

This series just keeps getting better and better. Picking up right where Bloodfever left off, Faefever will leave you gasping for breath by the end.

In Faefever, Mac continues in her quest to recover the mythical Sinsar-Dubh with the help of the mysterious Jericho Barrons. However, she is still unsure who she can trust. After a close encounter with the fabled book, Mac learns that the Sinsar-Dubh has morphed into something far more fearsome than just an Unseelie Hallow. Also, Dublin itself appears to be on the brink of chaos as the Dark Zones continue to grow and more Unseelie slip through the cracks. As Halloween or Samhain fast approaches, Mac learns that the prison walls holding the rest of the Unseelie at bay will fall if the MacKeltar's ritual is not performed correctly. However, without the Sinsar-Dubh, Mac has no idea how to keep the barriers separating our world and the Unseelie prison in place.

If you hate cliff-hangers, do not read this book. The ending packs quite a punch. However, the rest of the book will keep you flipping the pages at a steady pace. In Faefever, Moning reveals more about the origins of the Sinsar-Dubh and the Unseelie. She also gives a few more clues about the true identity of Barrons. Yet, for every lose end Moning ties up, she adds a new twist to the story that will have you scratching your head. I thought for sure I had Barrons nailed! Guess not...

Mac also continues her transformation in the book. She is beginning to embrace the Savage Mac side of her. However, she still desperately clings to the elements that defined her life before her sister's murder. Although I'm glad the girly-girl attitude is gone, I understand Mac's need to hold on to some scraps of her old life, even if that means wearing a pastel colored sweater or buying a pink bike helmet. Mac is quickly becoming one of my favorite heroines.

The secondary characters in the book also become more integral to the overall story in Faefever. Everyone seems to have a large stake in finding the Sinsar-Dubh. Also, each character is complex in that they are all shades of grey. Not everything is black and white in this book. The good guys aren't necessarily good and some of the bad guys aren't all the bad. It certainly makes you more empathetic to Mac's trust issues.

So far, Faefever is my favorite book in the series. However, I'm about to go pluck Dreamfever off my bookshelf so its regin as my fave may not last long. If you haven't started this series yet, what are you wating for? I've kicked myself enough times already for not devouring these books sooner.

Loved it! It was one steamin' hot cup of joe.

Other Opinions:

~Goodreads

~All Things Urban Fantasy - 4/5

~The Good, The Bad and the Unread - B+

Other books in the series:

Darkfever

Bloodfever

Dreamfever

Shadowfever (January 18, 2011)

Author's website