Review: Iced

Reviewed by Jen

It cannot be denied. Karen Marie Moning can build a world like no other Urban Fantasy author I have ever read.  She completely reels me in. Captivates me. Enthralls me. Makes me go without sleep to find out what happens next.  She did it with her original five Fever books and she has done it again here, with her first Dani O'Malley spinoff.

To be fair, it's not exactly a spinoff at all. It's not narrated by Mac, but otherwise, this book is 100% Fever.  The tone is the same. The feel. It's gritty and dark and sexual.  It brings back all the core characters and picks up their lives exactly where they left off at the end of Shadowfever.  It was awesome.

Before I started, I was really worried about Dani as a main character.  She grew on me, though.  I was surprised to find that I liked her.  But I was even more surprised at all the men in this book who liked her... really liked her. The one thing that kept clogging the book up for me was that these grown men all want to make her their woman.  She four-fecking-teen.  One of the guys --Dancer-- I could wrap my brain around. He's 17.  They were friends first. But Christian?  A pseudo-Unseelie prince who is 11 years older than her and wants her for his bride?  Ryoden?  An ancient mind-reading, bad ass puppeteer of the masses?  Um... nooo.  I will grant you, Dani is tough, smart, special and has a heart of gold, but I just don't get it.  She is growing, but she is overwhelmingly immature in many ways.  Maybe the Gray Woman gave her more of a boost than we know in that last book. (The more I think about that explanation, the more I dig it.)

There are multiple POVs, which I actually really liked.  We got to see inside of characters that were all on the periphery of Mac's world.  I didn't like everything they did.  Jo, for instance, was... disappointing.  Kat was surprising.  And Christian was --well, Christian was a freak. I hope he can be redeemed.  Not as a love interest, but just as a man. As for Ryoden, I know most people are going to see him as the love interest.  After all, he's the Barrons of this book, right? But it's not what I want.  A man who is thousands of years old, who began stalking Dani when she was nine just does not feel good to me.  It most assuredly does not feel sexy.  I am hoping for a Dancer HEA, because I really think there is more to him than meets the eye.   And it doesn't squick me out.  Ryo is this intensely sexual being and Dani will only be 17 when her three books end.  It just doesn't work for me.

I have faith, though. As scared as I was about the direction this book would take, I loved 97% of it.  And I am betting KMM makes me understand the other 3% before she is through.  She hasn't let me down yet.

P.S. If you're wondering whether this book ends on a Fever-esque cliffhanger, the answer is no.  There is a minor one, but nothing like we saw at the end of Dreamfever or Shadowfever.  I say --don't wait, read it now.

Rating: A-

Click to purchase: Amazon

Iced

by Karen Marie Moning

Release Date: October 30, 2012

Publisher: Delacorte Press

5 For Friday - October 26

Happy Friday, everybody. I hope you guys are having a fantastic week.  With the changes at work, I've found myself cramming almost all of my reading time into the weekends.  I recently wrapped up How Beauty Met the Beast, and I am already anxious to pick up book two.  Waiting is not my forte. And speaking of waiting...

5. I feel like I am going to die if I don't get my Qhuay love soon. JR Ward has released the back cover copy for Lover at Last.

Qhuinn, son of no one, is used to being on his own. Disavowed from his bloodline, shunned by the aristocracy, he has finally found an identity as one of the most brutal fighters in the war against the Lessening Society. But his life is not complete. Even as the prospect of having a family of his own seems to be within reach, he is empty on the inside, his heart given to another....

Blay, after years of unrequited love, has moved on from his feelings for Qhuinn. And it’s about time: The male has found his perfect match in a Chosen female, and they are going to have a young- just as Qhuinn has always wanted for himself. It’s hard to see the new couple together, but building your life around a pipe dream is just a heartbreak waiting to happen. As he’s learned firsthand.

Fate seems to have taken these vampire soldiers in different directions... but as the battle over the race’s throne intensifies, and new players on the scene in Caldwell create mortal danger for the Brotherhood, Qhuinn finally learns the true definition of courage, and two hearts who are meant to be together... finally become one.

I am imploding.  Can someone fast forward time to March?

4. Apparently, Gena Showalter revealed the cover for her second Angels of the Dark book last week and I missed it!! (Bad Jen.)

Beauty Awakened is Koldo's book. It's out February 26th.

3. The wait is almost over for Karen Marie Moning's Iced.  The book trailer is out and KMM is dropping little teasers from the book all over her Facebook page.

Iced releases Tuesday.

2.  Kresley Cole is sharing an extended sneak peek of her upcoming IAD spinoff book, Shadow's Claim.

She's got the first five chapters up on her Facebook page. It's under the Members Only tab. Shadow's Claim is only a month away...

1.  A new interview with Vampire Diaries star Nina Dobrev says at least one or two more main characters are set to die this season on the show.

There aren't really that many main characters left alive.  There's Bonnie, Matt, and Jeremy. Am I missing anyone else?  Everyone else is already dead or part vampire.  I would guess Matt is going be the one to go, but people have been saying that for years and he's still around.  Got any predictions?

That's it for now!

XOXO,
Jen

5 for Friday - October 12

Happy Friday everybody! I hope you guys are enjoying the Favorites feature.  It's so hard to find the right amount of pimping to do. Too much and everyone gets sick of it. Not enough and the word doesn't spread.  A big thank you to everyone who has helped promote the posts and everyone who has shared comments and feedback.  I love you bunches.

Next week is going to be a killer for me as I work a week of overnight shifts. I may not be around at my regular times, but I promise I will be checking in whenever I can.  Say a prayer that I don't fall asleep in the control room or behind the wheel.  I think I'll just stick a caffeine drip directly into my vein and see what that does.

5.  Everybody is talking about the cover reveal for Guardian Demon from Meljean Brook.

In this thrilling conclusion to the Guardian series, New York Times bestselling author Meljean Brook delivers another stunning page-turner, in which the fate of humanity depends upon a tortured warrior winning the trust—and heart—of the woman he wounded…

After a terrifying encounter in Hell destroys her trust in Michael, the Guardian’s powerful leader, former detective Andromeda Taylor is ready to call it quits as one of the angelic warriors and resume her human life again. But when demonic forces threaten her closest friends and she uncovers a terrifying plot devised by Lucifer, Taylor is thrown straight into Michael’s path again…

To defeat Lucifer, Michael needs every Guardian by his side—and he needs Taylor more than any other. The detective is the key to keeping his own demonic side at bay, and Michael will do anything to protect her and keep her close. And when Taylor manifests a deadly power, her Gift might tip the scales in the endless war between Heaven and Hell…or it might destroy them both with a single touch.

The response I have seen on this has been overwhelmingly positive.  My girl Brie at Romance Around the Corner tells me that one day I will read this series and understand why this is so very squee worthy. I trust her judgement and I swear this series is going on the TBR. Guardian Demon is out in May.

4. There is a huge giveaway going on at Supernatural Underground. A 24 pack of books is up for grabs in honor of Halloween.

Authors include Pamela Palmer, Jaime Rush, Jocelynn Drake, Jeanine Frost and more.  Click here to check it out.

3. Karen Marie Moning has posted the prologue for Iced.

I have not read it.  I WILL NOT read it.  I learned the hard way about reading her teasers when I read the first chapter of Shadowfever before it came out. HUGE mistake.  Iced releases October 30th.

2. Kelly Meding has posted a little snipped from Tempest, book three in her MetaWars series. If you're not familiar with the series, let me tell you why I am excited about this book.  The overall premise is based on a group of young people with superhuman powers who lost their gifts in childhood, only to have them reappear several years later. Now they are stepping up to help humanity while facing mounting threats. Each installment focuses on a different "meta."

Books 1 & 2 had female leads, both who found love.  Book 3, Tempest, features Ethan ("Tempest") who is not only a man, but a gay man. Kelly says he, too, will have a romance in his book.  How refreshing to have a gay, male lead in a mainstream romance/ UF book!  Kudos, Kelly Meding!  Tempest is out in April, but if you want to give the series a try, start with Trance.

1. Before we all cracked down on copyrighted pictures on our blogs, I had a lovely post sharing My Free Pass List of men.  Mr. Red Hot Books and I each have a list of celebrities and assorted beautiful people where we get a "free pass" should the opportunity ever present itself. (If you don't know what this means, click here.)

Anyway, we have agreed to add one new name to the list for every year we have been married.  Which means I can have 15 men on my list.  And somehow, my anniversary came and went without me adding #15.  I present for your consideration, Adam Levine.

 

The other men on the list include: Charlie Hunnam, Joe Manganiello, Jason Momoa, Jared Padalecki, Misha Collins (and nine other super-hot hotties.) Who is on YOUR free pass list? Share your favorites below.

Have a great weekend!

XOXO,
Jen

5 for Friday - September 21

A sick husband and a sick kid this week.  Plus the other kid had a birthday. Throw in a cheerleading/ football game event, various sports practices, cupcake making, and school projects --and I am desperately in need of some "me-time." I have no idea when it will happen, but I can dream.  Let's talk about fun stuff.

5. I have been stalking Sherrilyn Kenyon forever since I found she was planning this Styxx book.  Now she's got more deets about him on her website. She says, in part:

...(I)n many ways, it's another story of Acheron. You will see events that weren't in his book and I know Styxx will win you over. In all honesty, he was done wrong and it will break your heart.  Misjudged, condemned, betrayed and abandoned... There is a whole side of him that no one knows.

I am so anxious!! Only 11 months to go.

4. Shiloh Walker, aka JC Daniels, has revealed the cover for book two in her Colbana Files series.  Take a look at Night Blade:

Kit Colbana is always biting off more than she can chew. She has a knack for finding trouble. This time, though, trouble finds her. Someone from her past drops a case into her lap that she just can’t refuse…literally.

People on the Council are dying left and right and she’s been requested to investigate the deaths. The number one suspect? Her lover, Damon. If she doesn’t clear his name, he gets a death sentence. Even if she succeeds? They still might try to execute him. Oh, and she’s not allowed to tell him about the case, either.

The stakes are high this time around, higher than they’ve ever been. Kit may be forced to pay the ultimate price to save her lover’s life…a price that could destroy her and everything she loves.

I really enjoyed Blade Song so I have high hopes for this one.

3. JR Ward is sharing tidbits on the next Fallen Angel book, Rapture. Every day, she is releasing a new little video on her Facebook page, which is evil and refuses to allow me to embed her clips. However, you can click on the pretend video player below and it will take you to the clip where she is talking about the heroine.

Rapture is out Tuesday.  Please, JR, you must fix this Eddie thing.

2. I really loved the ARC of Seven Nights in a Rogue's Bed by Anna Campbell. It's a Beauty & the Beast type of historical romance (also out Tuesday.)

Forever is giving away seven copies. You can win it before you can buy it. Check out the giveaway here.

1. And finally, Karen Marie Moning is answering some of the big questions about the next book in her Fever series, ICED.  If I wasn't nervous before, I definitely am now. (I was totally nervous before, but now it's worse.)

Here are some of the high points:

• The next three books will be Fever #6-8
• The titles are ICED, BURNED & FLAYED
• They will be Dani POV
• She will be 14 at the beginning of her 3 book arc and 17 when it's over
• Dani will have sex with one of the guys who is in ICED
• Books #9-10 will be Mac POV
• These are not teen fiction
• ICED will not end in a cliffhanger

Without crossing the line into too much information, I know all too well that teens Dani's age have sex.  But if it's with a being who is hundreds (or thousands) of years old, I'm out.

I loved the Fever books. Loved.  But I am scared. Somebody needs to read this for me and give me the all clear.

I've got big news coming next week!  I can't wait to share.  Until then... stay to the light!

XOXO,
Jen

 

5 for Friday - June 15

As you read this, I am kicking back and (hopefully) enjoying my vacation.  It's been a great week for reading. I finally treated myself to that Once Burned arc and it totally lived up to my expectations! The best from Jeaniene Frost I have read in a long time.  I also read Tempest's Fury and am still reeling from the killer ending. Hopefully, I'll get a chance to read this weekend, but what I think makes a good vacation isn't always what the rest of the family has in mind.  All I know is that if someone says "bathing suit" to me, they are getting a kick in the shin.

5. Karen Marie Moning has released the blurb for her new Fever-world book Iced.  Check it out:

The year is 1 AWC—After the Wall Crash. The Fae are free and hunting us. It’s a war zone out there, and no two days are alike. I’m Dani O’Malley, the chaos-filled streets of Dublin are my home, and there’s no place I’d rather be.

Dani “Mega” O’Malley plays by her own set of rules—and in a world overrun by Dark Fae, her biggest rule is: Do what it takes to survive.

Possessing rare talents and the all-powerful Sword of Light, Dani is more than equipped for the task. In fact, she’s one of the rare humans who can defend themselves against the Unseelie. But now, amid the pandemonium, her greatest gifts have turned into serious liabilities.

Dani’s ex–best friend, MacKayla Lane, wants her dead, the terrifying Unseelie princes have put a price on her head, and Inspector Jayne, the head of the police force, is after her sword and will stop at nothing to get it. What’s more, people are being mysteriously frozen to death all over the city, encased on the spot in sub-zero, icy tableaux.

When Dublin’s most seductive nightclub gets blanketed in hoarfrost, Dani finds herself at the mercy of Ryodan, the club’s ruthless, immortal owner. He needs her quick wit and exceptional skill to figure out what’s freezing Fae and humans dead in their tracks—and Ryodan will do anything to ensure her compliance.

Dodging bullets, fangs, and fists, Dani must strike treacherous bargains and make desperate alliances to save her beloved Dublin—before everything and everyone in it gets iced."

I'm not sure how I feel about this.  Dani is obviously still quite young. There is no talk about romance --and I'm glad.  I can't quite imagine Mac really trying to kill her. I'm not a big Dani fan, but I keep reminding myself that I didn't like Mac in the beginning either, so I will definitely give it a chance. (I am a little scared, though.)

4. Maya Banks has revealed the cover for her upcoming Highlander Most Wanted.

It's gorgeous, right? This is for the second book in her series Montgomery/Armstrong series, out in February.  Book one, Never Seduce a Scot, releases September 25th.

3. New Magic Mike trailer. Perhaps the best thing that has happened to me this week.  I know I shared it with many of you on Twitter, but it's worth it to watch it again, yes?



It's got bare asses and big dicks in silhouette. My life is complete. (The banner says July 11th, but it's out June 29th.)

2. I don't usually spend much time talking about YA or Twilight kind of stuff, but have you seen the Entertainment Weekly cover on the new Breaking Dawn movie?

It is positively creepy how much that little girl looks like she could be their child.  Wow.

1. I told myself I wouldn't watch True Blood this season, but then I asked myself, What if Joe Manganiello gets naked?  Then, of course, I watched it.  And he kept all of his goddamn clothes on.  I saw Sheriff Andy's bare white ass. I saw Sam's extremely mooby moobs.  But Alcide didn't even take off his shirt. What. The. Hell.  I am totally not watching next week.   

But what if Joe Manganiello gets naked?  Who am I kidding?

A big thanks to everyone who participated in the Shameless Summer Hop this past week.  You guys are the best!

Until next time!
XOXO
Jen

More Fever Books

I am both elated and a little concerned.  Karen Marie Moning announced this morning her plans for the future of her Fever series.  She says, in part:

I'm currently working on a trilogy that features Dani, Christian MacKeltar, Ryodan, and the mysterious 'Dancer,' set primarily in Fever-Dublin... I’ve agreed to write two more books after that. Once the new trilogy is complete, I’m returning to the core story begun in the FEVER series, and will resume writing about Mac, Barrons, V’lane, Cruce, the Unseelie king, the concubine, the Song of Making.

First of all, I am thrilled to hear than Barrons and Mac have more story to tell.

And not just because I want to read about them having more sex.  Though, admittedly, who would turn that down?  No... it's that I want to see where they go from here.  The very fact that she mentions V'lane means he can't remain frozen forever, right?  I'm over the moon on this.

The anxious part comes with the Dani stories.  I have never been a big fan of Dani.  The way she talks grates on me.  She is impulsive and immature.  And that's understandable when you acknowledge the fact that she is a child.  But her youth makes her a poor candidate to be the female lead in story featuring a 20-something Highlander-turned-Unseelie-Prince and a thousands of year-old, well, whatever the hell Ryoden is. I would pin my hopes on the possibility of a big time jump, but Moning says:

The trilogy is not YA.  If I had to categorize it, I would say it straddles the line between YA and adult uneasily. I don’t pull any punches. It may be controversial in some ways.  But whose teen years weren’t?

I think I am uncomfortable already. Which makes me kind of pissed off because I want to feel nothing but squee about this.  Part of me knows I have to just trust that Moning knows what she is doing.  After all, she rocked my socks off with the existing installments of this series. 

I think I am going to practice some deep breathing exercises and resume my Google search of David Gandy photos.  You can't go wrong with Gandy.

Darkfever Movie: I Die!!

I didn't read Twilight before the movie came out. I've never been a fan of Harry Potter.  Honestly, until I got word that they were making The Hunger Games into a movie, I've never really been all that excited about a book adaptation before.  Then I heard that DreamWorks has bought the rights to all five books in Karen Marie Moning's Fever series.

To say I love this series would be an understatement akin to saying I love McDonald's french fries or I love Charlie Hunnam without a shirt on.  It is one the very best series I have ever read.  I laid in bed at night after reading Dreamfever, trying to figure out who the beast was.  I took a vacation day to stay home and read on the day Shadowfever was released.  I cried like a baby for the first 20 pages of that book and made my co-worker read the series just so I could talk to someone about it.

And don't even get me started on Barrons.  Yes, (Katiebabs if you are reading this) he is a douche.  He is an arrogant, unrelenting asshole.  Who would likely be the best lay of a lifetime.  Fans have devoted hours to Google searches, trying to find pictures that could do him justice.  And now, some poor actor is going to have to try to live up to that inhuman sex appeal.  (David Gandy can't act, can he?)  Can it be done?  Is there anyone would could satisfy fans?  

I'm still trying to cast Acheron in my head. And now Barrons?  V'Lane? Christian?  I must have done something really good in a previous life.  A Dark Hunter tv show. A Darkfever movie. And a male-stripper movie with almost every hot guy in Hollywood getting naked.  Thank you, entertainment gods.  I love you.

I'm Geeking Out: A Big PNR Day

I feel like a kid on Christmas morning! This has just been a fantastic day for my inner PNR geek. As my day began, I picked up and finished Storm's Heart by Thea Harrison. It was phenomenal!! (I'll post the review on Monday.)

Then, one of my favorite authors, Karen Marie Moning posted her much anticipated sex scene from Barrons' point of view. If you didn't already know, Shadowfever is my absolute favorite book of all time! This scene is a gift from Moning to her fans. And I kind of expected it to take place post-Shadowfever. But it didn't. It's actually set just after Barrons and Mac meet in Darkfever. If you're scratching your head about that, just indulge your curiosity and go read it!!

I have mixed feelings about the scene. Moning left it open ended as to whether the events really took place. And I'm going to choose to believe they did not. It also kind of weirds me out that Barrons actually talks to Moning, but.... Holy hell, it was hot. Karen Marie Moning has a gift. Barrons is such a sexy, visceral character. And the sex is just... wow.

Moving on to my third thrill of the day. Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series is being made into a tv show!! Oh. My. God. I die.

I'm not sure if there are enough hot men in Hollywood to adequately cast this series. And who could possibly measure up as Acheron? In related news, Kenyon's Chronicles of Nick series is being made into a motion picture. Again, my number one concern is Ash casting.

I beg two things of the entertainment Gods:

1. Please put this series on HBO.

2. Don't let Alan Ball anywhere near it.

I must go sit in the corner and rock myself a little while.

Review: Spell of the Highlander

Reviewed by Jen
 

We’re not done with the McKeltar Highlanders just yet. Karen Marie Moning introduces us to a new member of the sexy clan, Cian. He was born in the 9th century and was probably the most gifted and powerful of the Druid line. But he met a Dark Sorcerer named Lucian who tricked him into friendship and trapped him inside a Fae mirror for over 1000 years. Now the mirror has been stolen and sold to a college professor. Lucian sends his goons to retrieve it –but not before the professor’s assistant, the lovely Jessi, crosses paths with it. When her life is on the line, Cian tells her how to free him from the mirror to save his life.

Of course, enchanted mirrors and the Fae are a tough pill to swallow, but Jessi becomes a believer quickly as Lucian sends more threats to her life. And despite his dark edge and penchant for taking charge, she can’t help but being drawn to Cian. The two go on the run; Cian determined to protect Jessi. They only have to elude Lucian for three weeks, until Halloween. If Lucian doesn’t reclaim the mirror by then, the curse is broken. Unfortunately, Cian can only stay outside of the mirror for a few hours at a time before it reclaims him until the next day.

The couple decides to go to Scotland, to hide on MacKeltar land. And there, they run into Dageus and Drustan. Cian reluctantly seeks their help as Lucian closes in on him. In the meantime, the relationship between him and Jessi reaches a fever pitch. But he is holding a secret that will likely ruin any chance they have at a future.

The end of the book sets up the events that take place in Moning’s Fever series… which takes place five years after the conclusion of this story. We hear from the Fae Queen, an overview of what is to come in the dark days ahead.

I liked this book, though not quite so much as Kiss of the Highlander. It feels like every hero has to be more powerful than the last…. Enough already. The love scenes were very hot. And I was pleasantly surprised at the tenderness we see from our tortured Cian. One other little peeve: enough with the virgins already, sheesh! A heroine doesn’t HAVE to be a virgin in every book. Let’s change it up just a little every now and then m’kay?

Review: The Immortal Highlander

Reviewed by Jen
 

This a great book for many reasons. It’s a fun romance on its surface, but it’s also a treasure trove of Easter Eggs for fans of both the Highlander and Fever series.

Adam Black is our male lead.  As a member of the Seelie (Light) Fae Court, he’s got a tie in to just about every one of the previous Highlander books.  But in the last installment, The Dark Highlander, he pushed the Fae Queen too far, when he advocated for the life of Highlander Dageus MacKeltar.  As punishment for his insolence, she makes him human. Not only that, she makes him invisible to the humans around him and takes away his ability to see other Fae.  He is completely alone.. until he runs into Gabby. She is a sidhe-seer, someone who can see beyond Fae glamour. She can see and hear Adam… in all  his sexy glory.  She fights her attraction to him. But who could resist such a seduction?

As Adam works to regain his immortality, the two travel to Scotland and team up the MacKeltar clan.  At the same time, Darroc, another member of the Fae court, is plotting to kill Adam. He doesn’t want Adam to interfere with his plan to break the covenant between man and Fae.  So Darroc calls forth “Hunters,” from the dark Unseelie realm to find our couple and dispatch them.

If you are a fan of the Highlander series, you can’t miss this one. Adam finally gets to feel what it’s like to be one of the humans he is so enamoured with.  We get to see or hear about past heroes like Drustan, Dageus & Circenn… even Grimm’s family gets a shout out. And for fans of the Fever series… this book is essentially a primer for all that we see in those books.  We learn about the sidhe-seers and their relationship to the Fae, the Hunters, Darroc, and the series of events that lead almost directly to Darkfever.

I liked this book for the love story at face value –but LOVED it for its place in Karen Marie Moning’s rich and complex world.  5 stars.

Review: The Dark Highlander

Reviewed by Jen
 

The MacKeltars are back.  The sexy 16th century Highlander twins are now living in present day.  Drustan, our hero from Kiss of the Highlander, is happily married to Gwen in Scotland, awaiting the birth of their twins.  But Dageus is having a rough time. 

Just three years after the gypsies put his brother in an enchanted sleep, a fire in the castle killed him. Dageus couldn’t live with that, so he used his Druid powers to go back in time and save Drustan.  Using time-travel for personal gain broke the vows of the family’s covenant with the Fae and as a result, Dageus is cursed.  Inside of him, he carries the souls of 13 evil and powerful Druids who want to take over his body. His father is so upset with what has happened, Dageus leaves his home and travels ahead to the time his brother would awaken.

The only thing that keeps the demon spirits at bay inside Dageus is… you guessed it… sex.  So he has alot of it.  But he never gives his heart. Until he meets Chloe. When the young lover of antiquities finds out he’s been stealing ancient texts, he takes her prisoner in his home.  But she isn’t a prisoner for long. They quickly fall for each other, despite their differences.  Dageus is working to find a cure for his curse –which leads them to Scotland and eventually back in time.  All the while, their passion is growing and so is their love.

I didn’t love this one quite as much as Kiss of the Highlander. To be honest, I think I was a little put off by Dageus rejecting women like Katherine in the beginning: 30-something year-old women with world experience… good enough for a tumble, but the 20-something year old virgin is the kind for marrying.  Not that I have a problem with Chloe as our heroine.  It just rubbed me wrong.  Maybe because I am a 30-something year old woman with world experience.

I also like my Highlander books set in the past better than the ones in present day.  But the love scenes were solid and Dageus was verra sexy. It was also great to spend time with all of our familiar characters from the last book.  4 1/2 stars.

Review: Kiss of the Highlander

Reviewed by Jen
 

After finishing up Karen Marie Moning’s Fever series, I decided to give a re-read to MacKeltar Highlander books –and I had almost forgotten how much I love them.  And Drustan’s story has got to be one of my favorites.

Back in the 16th century Scotland, an old woman gets a vision that links her son’s death to the laird of the MacKeltar clan. So she pays off some gypsies to enchant him in a deep sleep.  In the present day, American Gwen Cassidy stumbles upon his body during her Scottish vacation and inadvertently wakens him from his long sleep. When he realizes that he is centuries ahead of his time, he convinces the virginal Gwen to help him get back to the site of his family’s castle.  During their journey, sparks fly. And when Drustan realizes his family line has died off, he decides that he will use his Druid powers to take him and Gwen back in time to avert the attack on him.  Unfortunately, he sends them too far back, to a time before he was enchanted. He can’t share space with the former version of himself, so the Drustan that Gwen knows, disappears, leaving her to convince a Drustan she has never met, that are supposed to be together.

Moning is a fantastic urban fantasy writer, but before that, she was a master at romance.  The love scenes between Drustan and Gwen are sooo hot.  Goodness gracious… hot enough that I wouldn’t be surprised if they inspired mass bookings of “vacations” in Scotland, on the off-chance another MacKeltar is somewhere in the Highlands, waiting to be found. Och!

And for a little bit of lagniappe, know that the MacKeltar story continues with Dageus’ book The Dark Highlander. And the MacKeltar clan is back, making cameos throughout the Fever series, with their biggest impact in Shadowfever.

Yum. 5 stars.

Review: The Highlander's Touch

Reviewed by Jen
 

The mischievous Fae, Adam Black, is wreaking havoc in Scotland again.  He has made Circenn Brodie immortal against his will… and tasked the Highlander with protecting the holy items of the Fae.  While under his care, a flask holding an immortality elixir goes missing. So Circenn curses the flask to be returned to him when it’s found.  It takes hundreds of years… but when the item shows up in the museum where Lisa is working, she becomes the first person to touch it.  And she and the flask go back to the 1300′s.

Circenn never dreamed that his curse would involve time travel or a woman. In fact, Adam had forced him to vow to kill the man who returned with the flask. But when faced with Lisa, he just can’t do it.  The normally stalwart and honest warrior, resorts to lie upon lie to hide who Lisa is and hide the fact that he has broken his oath.  Meanwhile, Lisa is desperate to return home, to care for her dying mother.  But a string of unlikely events leave the couple engaged and they begin to fall for each other. They both fight it, though… Lisa because of her guilt over leaving her mom and Circenn, because he fears the heartbreak of Lisa’s eventual death as he lives on in immortality.

Each one of the Highlander books in this series is better than the one before.  Both Circenn and Lisa have every reason be hesitant but their obstacles make it even sweeter when they finally come together.  (And as with all of Moning’s books, the love scenes are very, very hot.) It’s also a fun and unexpected reveal when we find out WHY Adam has taken such an interest in Circenn’s life.  4 stars.

Review: To Tame a Highland Warrior

Reviewed by Jen
 

Grimm Roderick isn’t your average Highlander. He is a warrior of legend — a Berserker.  He first called the beast within him when he was just 14 years old. He had seen his mother killed and his village raided.  He embraced the Berserkergang and slaughtered the enemy. But then he ran away from home, convinced everyone saw him as a monster and that his father was responsible for his mother’s death. After wandering in the forest for two years, he was adopted by another family and quickly became enamoured of their young daughter Jillian.  He believed, though, that she’d be better off without him and left when he realized they had feelings for each other.

Now, seven years later, Jillian’s dad has summoned him back to their land.  Grimm and two other men will vie for Jillian’s hand in marriage. Of course, Jillian has eyes only for Grimm… as she has since she was a child.  Grimm is determined to see her wed to a better man than himself, but she is determined to have him for her own. 

It was a good story.  Grimm is a solid tortured hero.  He believes he is damaged goods and he has Jillian so high on a pedestal, he can never measure up.  Jillian, meanwhile, is so true to Grimm in her heart that she refuses to even consider a life with anyone else.  It takes a little while for the two of them to seal the deal, but it’s a not a boring wait.  There is great angst and romance. Almost 4 stars.

Review: Beyond the Highland Mist

Reviewed by Jen
 

I am a big fan of Karen Marie Moning. I love her Highlander books and her Fever series.  But Beyond the Highland Mist was written before she hit that sweet spot in her writing that made me a fan for life.  It’s not that it’s a bad book –it’s not. It’s just a little better than a standard OK-romance novel. 

Hawk Douglas is the sexiest and hottest lover to ever grace the Highlands.  And when the Fairy Queen wishes to make her consorts jealous, she sings his praises.  It works. They decide to punish him by pairing him with a woman who will deny him.  The Court Fool, Adam Black, plucks Adrienne out of the present day and drops her into the lap of Hawk's fiance's father.  Janet, the woman Hawk is supposed to marry –though he has never met, is actually dead. So her father forces Adrienne to impersonate his daughter and marry Hawk.

Adrienne has been badly betrayed by her former fiance and she has sworn off “beautiful men.” When you couple that with Hawk’s reputation as a womanizer, she vows never to give in to his advances. Of course that makes him want her all the more.  To complicate matters further, Adam Black has insinuated himself into the picture, posing as an uber-sexy blacksmith, also vying for Adrienne’s attentions.

What I think I liked least about this book is that when seduction seemed to fail, Hawk turns to other methods to force Adrienne’s affections.  The story compares it to “seeling” a falcon and, yes, by that point, Adrienne was secretly in love with him.  But it still did not sit well with me.

Of course, Adrienne has her flaws too. She is downright cruel to Hawk, even when we get to a point where he clearly is in love with her. We all have our hang-ups and fears but there were times I found myself yelling at her to just get over it already.

Otherwise, the story was alright. It doesn’t measure up to Kiss of the Highlander, but it is in this book we meet the illustrious Adam, who plays a role in almost every Highlander story and even makes a cameo in the last Fever book. He’s a very different “man” than he becomes over time, but it’s interesting to see his evolution through the books. 3 1/2 stars.

Review: Shadowfever

Reviewed by Jen
 

Before I started this book, there was a big part of me that believed there was no way I could be satisfied when I was done. There were simply too many questions to be answered, too many loose ends to ever tie up in a way that both made sense and appeased my need for a happily ever after. I was wrong.

There is so much packed into these pages that when I think back to the question, “Who is the beast?” it seems like a lifetime ago. It’s no wonder you don’t get much information from the summary regarding what this book is about (it mostly recaps the series as a whole.) I find that even trying to talk about it in generalities reveals fantastic developments in the plot. So if you haven’t read Shadowfever yet, I urge you to avoid the spoilers below, with my reassurance that it’s a fantastic book that left me wholly satisfied and warm inside.

The first chapter of this book shredded me. (*spoilers*) When Mac thought she had killed Barrons, I cried for her. I ached. Then I watched her put herself together; to take the hard lessons Barrons taught her and live, so that his death was not in vain. This is not the Mac of Darkfever. She is powerful, but hollow. She finally gets her showdown with the Lord Master, but his death is decidedly anticlimactic. I felt cheated. But I guess that was the point.

Mac seemed to learn so much about herself and her feelings with Barrons’ death. It was disappointing to see so much of it go out of the window when they were finally reunited. She was ready to end the world for him, yet suddenly, overhearing a phone call makes her regress utterly? It was one of the few parts of the book that left me frustrated. It was hard to see the roles reverse between Barrons and Mac… to see him so vulnerable… And when she finally looked inside his mind and learned what he was feeling while she was Pri-ya… Sigh.

Without spoiling the details, I can tell you some of the questions that are finally answered: What is Mac? Who killed Alina and why? Who is the Unseelie King? Who is the King’s consort? Who is the Dreamy-Eyed Guy? Who is Cruce? Who was the dying boy in Barrons’ memory? What is under the garage? And perhaps the best question of all… who is the real villain in the story? The answer to that last one blew me away.

Karen Marie Moning has created a tale of twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end. NO ONE should read this book without reading the other books in the series first. And after reading this fifth installment, I’m sure many fans will go back to the previous books and read the stories from a new perspective, knowing truths we never dreamed of when it all began. There are enough threads that I can easily see more books in this Fever world, but I promise there is no cliffhanger here. Just a fantastic ending to a creative and enthralling story.

I’d give it more than 5 stars if I could.

Review: Dreamfever

Reviewed by Jen
 

Back in Bloodfever, Karen Marie Moning wrote, “Your joy can only fill you as deeply as your sorrow has carved you.” And as this latest chapter in the Fever series shows, the author is not shy about just how deeply our heroine can know loss.  If you haven’t read Faefever, read the spoilers ahead at your own risk.

At the end of the last book, Mac was (*spoiler*)raped by three Unseelie Princes. She has become the Priya (Fae sex addict) we have heard about throughout the series.  Her conscious mind is gone. All that is left is the desire for sex.Seeing Mac at her lowest is very difficult. But the first section of this book teaches us a lot about the people who come to her rescue.  We learn that Dani, fellow sidhe-seer is a real and true friend. And we learn that Mac’s mentor, Jericho Barrons, has real, vested feelings toward her.  (*spoiler*)

The consummation of their relationship lacked everything I’d hoped for. But I think that was the point.  Mac says in this book that she wishes she could so much as kiss a man because it was her choice to do so.  Her rape has ripped away her ability to choose. And not only does she lose out –so do we. We miss the big moment where their relationship changes, because Mac isn’t even really there.  It’s tough stuff.

As the story continues and Mac recovers, we see how she has truly transformed from the flighty girl we met in Darkfever. We see more and more, through his gruff words, how much of an impact she has made on Barrons.  And despite the fact that (*spoiler*) they've crossed a physical threshold, they are still struggling as much as ever to come together in a real way.

There is a lot of story development surrounding what’s happening with the Fae’s infiltration into our world; what’s happening with the Light Fae Prince V’Lane; and Mac’s lineage.  But I’d be loath to end this review without a mention of the HUGE cliffhanger at the end of the book.  As big of a cliffhanger as our last book had, I think this one was even bigger.  I finished this book 6 months before Shadowfever came out and it was pure torture waiting to find out what really happened.  Who is the beast? Is he really dead? Is it Christian? Is it Barrons? Is Ryodan a good guy or a bad guy?  A person could tie themselves in knots waiting for answers.  So don’t read this book without Shadowfever standing by.  I can’t wait to see if the conclusion of this series can hold on to the high standards set by its predecessors.  5 stars.

Review: Faefever

Reviewed by Jen
 

The Fever series plunges to new levels of darkness in its third installment, Faefever.  It’s not until second (and third) readings of these books that I came to appreciate the masterful way Karen Marie Moning sets up each one with a present-day Mac looking back on events that have already occurred.  This book begins with the line, “I’d die for him.” And as innocuous as it may seem before the events unfold, by the time you get to the end, the meaning is both wrenching and shocking.

In this book we really see the emergence of the other sidhe-seers as players in the game between humans and the Fae.  Like Mac, they can see the Fae, but unlike her, they cannot sense their holy objects. They need Mac to help them find the powerful dark book that it seems everyone is looking for.  Their leader distrusts Mac and influences most of the other women to feel the same. But Mac finds a friend in the young Dani. The teen becomes an important force in this story and the next –and a surrogate sister for the one Mac lost.

V’Lane, the Light Fae Prince, is back. And we see now, more than ever, that the animosity between him and Mac’s mentor, Barrons, runs deep.  V’Lane is fascinating, but the real sex appeal continues to lie with the mysterious Barrons.  After he and Mac (*spoiler*) nearly did the deed in the last book, you can cut the tension between them with a knife.  He barely bothers to mask his attraction for her, his jealousy of V’Lane.  It’s all coming to a head and I found myself holding my breath, turning the pages, to see what would happen between them next.

This book is a crossroads for the series –and a major event takes place that changes everything from here on out.   And what happens at the end, makes Mac’s time with Malluce in Bloodfever feel like a blip on the radar in comparison.  It’s a shocking cliffhanger –the biggest yet– and I urge you to have Dreamfever waiting nearby when you’re done. 5 stars.

P.S. Loved, loved, loved the mentions of more MacKeltars from the Highlander books. And the reveal of the Lord Master’s identity was an exciting twist (*spoiler*) for anyone who has read The Immortal Highlander. –If you haven’t read it.. you can check it out for his backstory. It’s not necessary for the Fever books, but it adds another rich  layer for Moning fans.

Review: Bloodfever

Reviewed by Jen
 

The Fever series continues with this second installment of Karen Marie Moning’s masterful urban fantasy.  And it picks up in the aftermath of where Darkfever left off.  MacKayla Lane is still searching for her sister Alina’s killer.  But now she believes she knows who it is: the man who dubs himself “The Lord Master;” the man who is helping to usher the Dark Fae into our world; the man who was Alina’s lover. After her last conflict with him, she barely escaped with her life.  Now he seems to be lying low.

That doesn’t mean Mac doesn’t have a full plate.  She is still searching for the Dark book of the Fae, as was her sister’s dying wish. And her partner in the search, the enigmatic and sexy Jericho Barrons is pushing her limits as a sidhe-seer (someone who can see the Fae beyond their glamour and sense their objects of power.)  Something is brewing between Mac and Barrons. And his former lover Fiona sees it, creating new unforseen dangers for Mac.

And walking the line between danger and pleasure, is the Fae prince V’laine.  He is almost as much of a mystery as Barrons; and with even more sex appeal. He wants the book too and isn’t above using his obvious talents to get them. V’laine and Barrons clearly have a history and neither wants Mac to trust the other. But how can she trust either of them when no one will be truly honest with her?

This is a dark book.  We see cruelty, evil, betrayal and torture.  We see Mac begin to evolve (or de-evolve) into something stronger, more primal.  The heat between her and Barrons is scorching. But make no mistake, this is no romance. It’s hot and sexual and it had me re-reading one particular scene in a cave about 10 times before moving on.

Each one of the Fever books builds on the one before it. Each one is stronger; the world building more intricate.  Granted, that means we have a lot of characters to keep up with.  Some are holdovers from Darkfever.  And one (Christian MacKelter) is a surprising cross-over character from Kiss of the Highlander.  (You don’t have to read Moning’s Highlander books to enjoy the Fever series. The ties in this book and the others are very slight and are really more like Easter Eggs for those of us who did read them.)

Every book ends with a cliffhanger and this one is no different.  So I hope you have Faefever ready. You’ll want it when you are done with this one.  4 1/2 stars.

Review: Darkfever

Reviewed by Jen
 

I’ve heard more than one person say they can tell whether they will like a book if it hooks them from the beginning. I can tell you that if I subscribed to that notion, I would have missed out on one of the best series I’ve ever read. Darkfever didn’t hook me from the start. In fact, I thought about putting it down a couple of times at the beginning. The story is about a 22 year-old blonde Georgia peach, who lives with her mom and dad. She likes pink and happy music. She grates on me. But having read the entire book and the three after it, I see that we had to meet Mac when she is this way. We had to see who she was before we can truly appreciate the metamorphosis she undergoes.

Mac’s sister, Alina, was an exchange student in Ireland, when she was brutally killed. The police give up on her case quickly, prompting Mac to fly across the ocean. She only intends to push the cops to keep investigating. But she is drawn into the intrigue that was responsible for her sister’s death. Mac’s only clue about what happened to Alina is a voicemail she left hours before she died. She tells Mac that she has to find the Sinsar Dubh… and that sets Mac on a quest to find out what that is and how to find it.

On the streets of Ireland, Mac begins to see things she can’t believe are real… hideous monsters in the guise of human beings.  And one night she finds herself in an abandoned neighborhood, surrounded by a sense of dread. She barely makes it out, to a well-lit bookstore, called Barrons Books & Baubles. The man inside, Jericho Barrons, is a sexy, enigmatic man who is larger than life and somewhat foreboding. When she asks him about the Sinsar Dubh, which turns out to be a powerful book, it sets off a series of interactions that lead them into a partnership.  Barrons explains to Mac that she is a Sidhe-Seer… someone who can see the Fae and sense their sacred objects, the book being one of them.  Barrons has been looking for the book too, for reasons he doesn’t explain. They team up to find it.

Barrons is very hard to read. Mac’s descriptions of him show they are clearly attracted to each other. But there is something about him that is not entirely human.  He’s somehow more.  He’s also very tight-lipped about who/what he is and what his ultimate plans are.   There is way too much going on to plot it all out, but I can say Mac learns things about herself that change her entire view of her life; she learns what her sister was doing in Ireland and who she was doing it with; she learns that all Fae do not wear the face of a monster.

This is not a romance, despite Karen Marie Moning’s great work with her Highlander books. There is no sex to be found. But you could definitely make a case that there is something brewing between Barrons and Mac. Their interactions are complex and confusing (to Mac and to the readers.)  And they become even more so as the books progress.

It took me awhile to get into this book. But as the series continues… you fall deeper and deeper into this dark world.  The most important thing I can tell you is this: if you plan to read this series, do not begin without having all 5 books in front of you.  Start with Darkfever and read them one after another. Each book ends with a cliffhanger, and you’ll kick yourself if you don’t have the next book ready and waiting.  The wait between Dreamfever and Shadowfever nearly killed me.