Darkfever

I don't know if I was reading a different book than everyone else, or what.

Positives: It was a fairly quick read. Which was probably the only thing that kept me from Lemming it.

Negatives:
The main character - was not someone I could get behind. This may just be me, as I can be a tom-boy sometimes, but her fussing over clothes and nails was totally lost on me. She was also a strange combination of whiney and get-along-go-along (by that I mean she was willing to just blase go along without any answers).
The side characters - were totally unlikable. I wanted to like Jericho, but there was never a thaw in his rude behavior. As for the other characters, the author barely brush pasted them and the attention they get showed them in a very negative/annoying light.
The world building - was not there. Having Jericho be so aloof with his answers means that I know more about Mac's fashion sense than the world.
The writing - felt very repetitive and time-skip narration was a total distraction.
Oh well, turns out I am in the minority disliking this book, but to each his/her own.

This is a really refreshing series. I'm absolutely obsessed with Mac and Barrons! Plus their banter is great. I'm really looking forward to continuing this series and seeing their slow burning romance continue to unravel. I also really want to learn more about the Fae and Alina, and even Barrons and Mac and what their powers are.

ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.

I am embarrassed to admit that for years I have judged Karen Marie Moning???s Fever series by its covers (and even by the covers of Moning???s other books), dismissing it every time I saw it. Then Kelly (fellow reviewer at FanLit), whose opinion I esteem, recommended the Fever series and, simultaneously, Brilliance Audio sent me the last volume to review. So I decided to get the first book, Darkfever on audio, and give it a try.

MacKayla (Mac) Lane is a delightfully shallow Southern girl who we meet as she???s tanning herself by the pool in her pink bikini. She works as a bartender, takes some college classes, loves her parents, eats a lot, and adores her Juicy Couture purse. The biggest stressor in Mac???s life is her fear that Revlon might discontinue her favorite pink nail polish.

But reality hits when Mac finds out that her big sister, who???s also her best friend, has been murdered in an alley in Dublin. Devastated by her loss, frustrated by the lack of closure offered by the Dublin police, and spurred on by a cryptic clue on her voicemail, Mac sets off for Dublin to get some answers. She leaves behind her grieving and panicked parents.

When Mac arrives in Dublin, her pink princess life suddenly turns into a dark underground world of deadly shades, life-sucking faeries, dangerous black-market relics, and powerful magic. When she meets Jericho Barrons, a wealthy and mysterious bookstore owner, he warns her to leave, but Mac is determined to get answers and the more she learns, the scarier it gets.

I was immediately drawn to Mac, understanding the culture she comes from and being completely convinced of her authenticity. Mac is charming and funny, is concerned about maintaining decorum, and expects to receive Southern Hospitality wherever she goes. Her personality, manners, and wardrobe worked well for her debutante life in Georgia, but when she hits the wealthy and sophisticated section of Dublin, she seems like a Barbie doll. As Barrons puts it, she???s ???a walking, talking catastrophe in pink.??? But she???s so real ??? grieving over her sister, concerned about her frightened parents, realizing that she???s shallow, and knowing she doesn???t have what it takes to save the world.

Also impressive is the complete lack, so far, of a romance. I know it???s coming, but it???s not at all obvious that it???s being set up. At this point the focus is firmly on the plot and the world-building. While I welcome a romance, I find that fantasy novels that are set up around the romance (often what we get from books found next to Moning???s on the paranormal shelf) are usually weak in the areas of plot and world-building, and this is why I had dismissed the Fever series for so long. But I was wrong about this one. Darkfever is a fast-paced, compulsively readable novel with a relatable heroine, a wonderful setting, and a plot that???s full of tension of the non-romantic type. Now that this solid foundation has been laid, adding romantic tension on top will be a bonus to the plot instead of a burden.

This audiobook was read by Joyce Bean whose voice and acting skills easily range from Sweet Georgia Peach to Cultured Irish Alpha Male. Really impressive. I???m looking forward to the next audiobook, Bloodfever.