Darkfever
Author: Karen Marie Moning
Series: Fever #1
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy
Release Date: October 31, 2006
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Summary:
Or so she thinks…until something extraordinary happens.
When her sister is murdered, leaving a single clue to her death – a cryptic message on Mac’s cell phone – Mac journeys to Ireland in search of answers. The quest to find her sister’s killer draws her into a shadowy realm where nothing is as it seems, where good and evil wear the same treacherously seductive mask. She is soon faced with an even greater challenge: staying alive long enough to learn how to handle a power she had no idea she possessed – a gift that allows her to see beyond the world of man, into the dangerous realm of the Fae….
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 V’lane – 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….
First Sentence: My philosophy is pretty simple – any day nobody’s trying to kill me is a good day in my book.
My Review:
I’ve heard tons of good things about Karen Marie Moning’s books, specifically about her Fever series. I’ve heard that it’s addicting, fun, and the best urban fantasy series people have ever read. After hearing of all those things, what other choice did I have but to try out Darkfever, the first book in the Fever series, for myself?
Darkfever started off fairly slow as we get to learn about Mac. Mac is girly, cares about her looks, and doesn’t believe the unbelievable. I’ve heard that Mac annoyed most people when they first read Darkfever because she cared more about her looks than any other things, but Mac didn’t really annoy me because I get her. People don’t change easily. It’s not easy to be girly-girl one day, obsessing over matching outfits and your long blond hair, only to find out that you have to give all that up the next day in order to survive. However, I am expecting Mac to slowly change in order to survive though.
Before, I thought I knew everything. I thought I knew who I was, where I fit, and exactly what my future would bring.
Before, I thought I knew I had a future.
After, I began to discover that I’d never really known anything at all. (7)
Barrons, on the other hand, is complicated. I’ll be blunt: I do not trust, nor do I like Barrons. He is abusive to Mac when she firsts meets him and any guy who uses force to get what he wants is plain awful in my book. Not to mention, Barrons doesn’t tell Mac most things and follows her around (even though he saved her life following her around once without her nothing it, it still makes him untrustworthy). Barrons reminds me of Reyes Farrow from Darynda Jones’ Charley Davidson series since they both are abusive, manipulative, and secretive in a way, but can’t help but care for the ones they love. Hopefully Barrons will be a better person in the next book.
In that instant, I understood that the open door had been nothing more than a mocking concession, a placebo he’d fed me that I’d swallowed whole. Anytime he’d wanted, he could have snapped my neck and I wouldn’t have gotten off a single scream. (52)
The world-building in Darkfever is absolutely brilliant. Everything is explained and there are no plot holes in the world-building so far, although I have a feeling we’re not done learning about the world of the Fae yet.
I’ve read several books about fairies already, and surprisingly, Karen Marie Moning has her own unique take on them that I’ve never read about in other books before: her version of the Fae consists of each and every Fae belonging in a part of a castle system. Each castle system consists of a different group of Fae, with their own unique powers (sucking beauty, using sex to kill, etc.) and looks (some Fae are downright beautiful while others can make you vomit for days). Like Julie Kagawa’s Iron Fey series, the Fae uses glamour and cannot be trusted.
“What happens to the women when he’s done with them?”
“I suspect most kill themselves. Beautiful women rarely possess sufficient depth of character to survive with their pretty feathers. Strip them down and they crumble.” (91)
One issue I personally had with Darkfever is that there was a lot of obvious foreshadowing in the book, simply because Mac is telling us readers about the events she went through after they happened. I don’t mind when authors use a lot of foreshadowing in their books, but what I do mind is how Karen Marie Moning makes it so obvious, saying something along the lines of oh, if I only knew what was going to happen next, I wouldn’t done blah blah blah. It just annoyed me because it took the fun and suspense out of the book because I now know something awful is going to happen.
After reading Darkfever, I can safely say that I’ll definitely continue reading the Fever series for two main reasons: 1)I heard the series gets better with each book and 2) I want to know who or what Barrons is. Hopefully Bloodfever will not disappoint.
I agree with you Kelly – too much overshadowing takes all of the fun out of reading the book. It’s ok to have a little bit of “had I known”s, but I can’t stand the “if she only knew that soon XYZ was going to happen…”. Um, Hello! Ruin the book much?! It’s almost as bad as a friend reading a book before you and going “Ooo just wait until you get to chapter 26! You will think differently about that bad guy.” Grr, I hate that!
Overall, I really liked your review of this book and it seems like something worth putting on the TBR pile for some rainy day. But probably not something I have to run out and read right this minute. Thanks for sharing!
Exactly Meagan! It just ruined the whole thing for me, the narrator/main character warns me, and I’m just like ugh! Nothing can take me by surprise now! ):
Yeah, reading Darkfever can definitely wait. I’m just hoping the next book would be a lot better like people promised! I can trust them right? ;D
Kelly recently posted…Mini-Book Review: Crossing the Line – Katie McGarry
Alright it’s official I am reading this book next month! I’ve been putting it off for too long and your review just made me itch with anticipation even though the first book was all that amazing. I adore a book with good world building, in fact I’m a plain sucker for it. Awesome review, and thanks for the kick in the tush!
Thanks Octavia! (:
And I’m going to read the sequel really soon (I hope). I heard everything gets more amazing from there!
Kelly recently posted…Waiting On Wednesday [27]
I think that your review is the first that I have read for this series that wasn’t a gushing, OMG it’s FAB review. SO, thank you. I really am interested in reading this series. IT sounds really good. But I like reading an average review for the book. It helps to lower my expectations so that when I do read the book I am not completely deflated. So, thank you. I will check this series out, and go into knowing that it isn’t perfect, but still worth a read!
LOL, no problem, I totally get you.
Every time I see nothing but good reviews for a book, I automatically become suspicious because hey, there is no such thing as a perfect book.
And Darkfever is definitely worth the read! I’m currently reading the sequel now and it’s a lot more engaging than Darkfever was. (:
Kelly recently posted…Top Ten Favorite Book Covers Of Books I’ve Read
I have heard lots about this book! And do have this in my TBR but unfortunately haven’t gotten around to reading it. I think I will just move it up on my TBR now because it sounds real interesting !
Gayatri recently posted…Waiting on Wednesday (3)
The Fever series is definitely interesting Gayatri! It’s so unique. :D
Kelly recently posted…Summer Giveaway Hop 2013
Great review. I was the same when I started listening to the Fever series in audiobook format it was a bit slow for me as well and I’m in Ireland so I kept correcting the narrator on some words so I couldn’t take it as seriously :D I gave up listening and read the rest they got better as they went on I love Barrons I agree he is a lot like Reyes :)
I find reading the book than listening to the audiobook a lot better. The audiobook narrator always somehow messes things up in my opinion. :l
I’m glad you gave the series another chance!
And yay! Another person who can see why Barrons and Reyes are so similar to one another. :D<3
Kelly recently posted…The Last Hurrah Giveaway Hop
Fever is a great series, one of my favorites. I liked the book about Danny O’Malley, Iced, very much, I strongly recommend it to you! :)
I’ll have to finish the rest of the Fever series first before I start Iced. It’s nice to know that you liked Iced though! (:
Kelly recently posted…Clear Your Shelf Giveaway Hop
I havent read any of the Fever books,yet.. I picked up a few that are in the series at a bookstore that was discounted.. I have been wanting to read them and i too have heard a lot of great things about them!!! I have read a few books about Faeries–Fae– and they all seem to interest me. I havent read The Iron Fey series either- but i do have them- they are in my to be read pile to get to…eventually… Great Review!!!
I personally feel that the Fever series is a lot better than the Iron Fey series. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Julie Kagawa and her books, but the Iron Fey were her first books and they weren’t written really well.
I hope you’ll love them both once you get to them Sarah!
Thanks! :D
Kelly recently posted…Stacking the Shelves [52]
Darkfever sounds like an amazing read. Can’t believe I haven’t heard about it before. I like that it’s YA/Fantasy because sometimes I feel like I get too much into contemporary or paranormal genres (but I won’t stop reading them :p).
You’ll absolutely LOVE Darkfever Hillary. It’s probably my favorite Fae book ever. ;D
Kelly recently posted…Stacking the Shelves [52]
I’ve heard great things about the Darkfever series too. I’m sorry that you thought the series was only okay. I hope when I read it, I really enjoy it. A good friend of mine has read it and loves the series.
ashleysgotbookcitement recently posted…Review of Struck by Jennifer Bosworth
Yeah, I thought Darkfever was okay, but each book just got better and better. I should really reading finish the rest of the series.
I hope you’ll love this series too Ashley! (:
Kelly recently posted…Stacking the Shelves [52]
I’ve heard that this book is amazing so I’ve been pretty excited to read it. It doesn’t seem that you were super in love with it though. Since when did fairies become the cool paranormal thing? It seems like every book lately is about them!
I thought Darkfever was okay, but I felt that Bloodfever, the sequel to Darkfever, was a HUGE improvement. I have a feeling that Karen Marie Moning is one of those authors that get better and better with each book.
Hmm, I can only think of three books/series that is based on fairies though, so it’s really not that many fairies book out there in my opinion.
Kelly recently posted…Stacking the Shelves [52]
Haven’t read this series. Good to know everything’s explained
This is. Oh boy. I almost want to read it now because it’s been years. I remember not liking Mac. At all. Maybe my feelings have changed.
I love Karen Moning have you read her highlander series?
Great review :)
I jumped into Darkfever with Empire State building high expectations and ended up giving it only 2 stars. Like you said, it took forever for the plot to pick up and Barrons was an insufferable jerk whose behaviour is totally unacceptable. I’m currently reading Dreamfever (book 4) and the story gets better but we still have practically no answers when it comes to Barrons. He still never says anything to Mac and she’s still expected to do whatever he asks. But apart from that, you should definitely read Faefever. It’s my favourite book of the series so far :)