Review: Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning

Darkfever
The Fever Series
Author: Karen Marie Moning
Kindle Edition
Print Length: 382 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Press

Summary: As Mac delves deeper into the mystery of her sister’s death, her every move is shadowed by the dark, mysterious Jericho, a man with no past and only mockery for a future. As she begins to close in on the truth, the ruthless Vlane–an alpha Fae who makes sex an addiction for human women–closes in on her. And as the boundary between worlds begins to crumble, Mac’s true mission becomes clear: find the elusive Sinsar Dubh before someone else claims the all-powerful Dark Book–because whoever gets to it first holds nothing less than complete control of the very fabric of both worlds in their hands. . . .

I have been getting recommendations from friends and fellow book bloggers to read Darkfever for almost a year, and I finally decided to pick it up on my Kindle. I started reading it one night on a whim, and I could not put it down. I kid you not. I was surprised at how laid back, and personable the author comes across writing in the first person POV. I loved the main character, MacKayla, because she was so normal. She travels to Ireland to find out more about her sister's death. She's stressed and frightened, yet determined. She doesn't gain martial arts skills overnight. She is bright, and perky and she lives in Denial Land, a place I am well acquainted with. It's a place normal people go to when they can't believe things have become so chaotic and out of control.

Darkfever was a surprise for me in many ways. Though there are scenes of sexual "magic", there isn't actual sex. The cover gave me the impression of an erotic romance. I'm not complaining because Jericho, the other main character, is dark, brooding and challenging to Mac at every turn. Attraction is there, but trust isn't. It makes for a fun read as they bantered. The build up can be just as good as the couple finally giving in to each other.

The fae Mac runs into at every turn are deadly, mysterious and can't be trusted. Some are gruesome, some are beautiful, but all are dangerous. It will be fascinating to discover more of their factions in the next book.

Darkfever takes place in modern day Ireland, which is fascinating to me. I love all things Celtic, and have always dreamed of visiting Ireland. Though Mac is visiting under stressful circumstances she also appreciates the beauty of Ireland that her sister must have seen before she died.

I thought Ms. Moning's writing was similar to Kim Harrison's where she uses humor and snark, even in dark situations. There are four books in the series, and a fifth coming out in December of 2010.

The Fever Series
1. Darkfever (2006)
2. Bloodfever (2007)
3. Faefever (2008)
4. Dreamfever (2009)
5. Shadowfever (2010)

~Moonsanity