Darkfever
By Karen Marie Moning
~Book Review~
THIS HIGHLY ADDICTING START to the five-book Fever Series introduces a darkly atmospheric Dublin full of twists, turns, and vicious fey who feed on the unwary at night. All of this is made highly amusing when picturing heroine “Mac” toddling along the dusky streets, as she is a self-professed lover of all things pink and often likened to a Barbie doll. The sheltered twenty-two-year old lives a blissful life in the South, sipping on sweet tea and working on her tan. However, when she receives an odd message from her sister staying abroad in Ireland, followed by the news of her horrific murder, Mac takes it upon herself to track down her sister’s killer.
Mac’s
reluctant guide in Dublin is the mysterious Jericho Barrons, a sexy and aloof
bookshop owner who agrees to help Mac for reasons of his own. The tension
absolutely crackles between these two, particularly as Mac has a habit of doing
the opposite of everything Barrons orders. However, when it becomes apparent
that Mac can sense Fey artifacts, there’s no way Barrons is letting Mac go
anywhere. Both Mac’s sister’s fate and the key to ruling the mortal and Fey
worlds seems to be tied to the fabled Sinsar Dubh, a book of immense power in
Celtic lore, and the unlikely pair set off to find it.
I really
enjoyed the mystery of *what* Barrons is and the power that radiates off of him
in every scene—he may be a jackass, but he’s a very compelling one. Equally as fascinating
is the death-by-sex Fae Prince V’lane. Yes. I just said “death-by-sex.” Moning’s
imagination absolutely shines when writing about Mac’s encounters with the Dark
Fey. There are some truly grotesque ones, and picturing them lurking in the
foggy streets of Dublin after the pubs close is wonderfully spine-tingling. Both
Barrons and V’lane are ruthless, ambitious, and multi-layered—which makes the
innocent Mac’s relationships with them a tad uncomfortable.
It was
difficult to respect Mac. It should be easy enough; the girl’s flown across the
Atlantic to track down her sister’s murderer, and that takes guts. However, the
pink love affair was blown over the top, making it hard to take her seriously
when she took a stand against Barrons. Oftentimes she challenged him out of
sheer obstinacy (hiding important clues and information), and not because it was
the smart decision, which made her feel pouty and immature. Kudos to Moning for
creating a heroine who has a backbone, but a whining, self-absorbed Barbie doll
is damn near impossible to like. Let’s toast a pint of Guinness to hoping Mac
matures in future installments.
Recommended for fans of: Ilona Andrews, Patricia Briggs, and
Anne Bishop
August Book Review: The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa