Book 19 - Fever Book 1: Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning

Performed by Joyce Bean
Delacorte Press/Brilliance Audio
Dark Fantasy
Unabridged Audio Book
Rating: 4.5

MacKayla Lane is bereft when her sister Alina is brutally killed while studying abroad in Dublin. When the Dublin Police declare the murder an unsolved mystery and close the case, Mac flies to Ireland, determined to find the answers herself. Mac’s only clue is a disturbing phone message left hours before Alina’s death, mentioning a dark book called the Sinsar Dubh.

Upon arrival in Dublin, Mac is immediately pitched head first into a dark world inhabiting monstrous creatures more frightening then her worst nightmares. As if that isn’t enough, Mac discovers she has the rare gift of Sidhe-seeing, the ability to see the Unseelie through their projected glamours to their true forms. She also has to fend off the attentions of Death-by-Sex Fae, V’lane who has Mac in his sights. Mac’s only ally is Jericho Barrons, who is after the Sinsar Dubh for his own purposes and is not above using Mac to get what he wants. Unsure who to trust, suspecting everyone and everything, Mac is in for a dangerous game. For if the Dark Fae get the book first, it would mean the destruction of all humans.

While this is a book by a master romance novelist Karen Marie Moning, this book is by no means even remotely a romance. Darkfever is much darker in tone, has a continuing storyline throughout the entire series, and while there is some physical attraction and sexual fantasizing occurring, there is no romance found here. I knew this going into the series so I wasn’t upset, but if fans are looking for the usual romance and happy ever after from Moning, they may be quite disappointed.

I loved the whole premise of Darkfever and am I glad I waited to read/listen until I could do Books 1 and 2 (Bloodfever) back to back. Though now I have to wait for book 3 (Faefever)! I love Karen Marie Moning as a romance author and now I love her as a dark fantasy author as well. The descriptions of Dublin, the Unseelie, and the circumstances of the war between human and fae were brilliantly done. I even found myself cringing a time or two over the appearances of some of the nastier of nasty dark fae.

The idea of Sidhe-seers was a fascinating one and added depth to the story, since we know the horrors of what Mac is seeing that no one else is even aware of. I did often find myself wondering as we went along, how people seeing these monsters could possibly pretend everything was normal in order to protect themselves from discovery. I sure would have had a very hard time ignoring the disgust I felt at seeing these creatures. I also loved the fact Mac is a null. Her touch has the ability to freeze the fae in place briefly, usually just long enough to escape. I’ve seen the idea of nulls in other fantasy books and though the most basic principle of the gift is familiar, Moning took it one step farther here.

Mac is a character I couldn’t decide if I liked or hated in the beginning. She’s such a fluffy, stereotypical blonde initially that I wanted to smack her for being so clueless. I was with Barrons in my original impression of Mac. She quickly grew up however once she got to Dublin and realized what exactly she was fighting for. Though she still had some of those flightier moments, she had changed so much by the end of the story (fighting for your life will dot hat to you) that she is like an entirely different person. Jericho Barrons is an enigma and I can’t wait to learn more about him? I also found myself quite curious about the old woman who saves Mac very early on in the book and appears a few more times. What are her stakes in Mac’s mission?

I am glad I listened to Darkfever though since I’d have never been able to figure out the proper pronunciation of some of the words used here. I can only hope there was a glossary in the print books that tells how to say the words. If I had read this in print, I’d have been beyond frustrated trying to figure out some of the words and it would have stolen much of the enjoyment of the story from me. Joyce Bean handles all those unfamiliar words with skill. I love her voice and her ability to bring the books to life so I was quite pleased to see she was the narrator of Darkfever.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, January 2008. All rights reserved.

The D2K Paranormal Junkies