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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Since the synopsis on the back of the book pretty much sums it up, I'm not going to bother with a summary. That being said, here's my review:
I picked up this book a few years ago because I heard great things about the series. It has been collecting dust on a shelf until I recently found it while moving out of my apartment. Determined not to drag it to another year of college where it will undoubtedly collect more dust, I sat my butt down and opened it up, expecting a quick and fun read. However, I wouldn't say this was the case. Although I finished it in a matter of days, it was more out of boredom than actual interest in the book. I kept reading it, there was no way all the reviews could be wrong!
I found the main character, Mac, to be superficial and annoying. She didn't want people to treat her like a Barbie doll when she acted and looked like one. I was expecting a strong, confident, courageous heroin but instead Mac seemed to cause more trouble than she fixed and often counted on Jericho Barrons to save her. In my opinion, she is more of a nuisance than a true heroine.
The storyline was blah. It was a great, original idea on Ms. Moning but she failed to develop it in a way that enticed me to keep going. Much of the book takes place at the bookstore that Barrons owns and the reader is left trying to piece things together on their own because the blonde bimbo of a main character can't seem to do anything. It is frustrating as a reader to constantly be left hanging and out of the loop as far as the plot goes. Things just sort of seemed to pop up with Barrons offering an explanation and - tada! - then some little plot twist of key bit of information Mac couldn't figure out must now be believed by the reader. This slowed down the book so much that I often left it to do other things. I felt by the end of the book, nothing had been accomplished. It wasn't until the last third of the book that I felt it was actually going somewhere and it was in the last twenty pages or so that I started to really enjoy it (which is why it earned three stars instead of two). Then, just like the action-packed section began, the book ends abruptly with so many unanswered questions.
I was not real impressed with the book. Some scenes where Mac strips naked in public seem highly improbable (yes, I know this is a fantasy novel but even improbably for THAT) and unnecessary. As I said above, the last twenty pages or so I enjoyed and because of them I will continue to read the series with crossed fingers that it gets better.
I picked up this book a few years ago because I heard great things about the series. It has been collecting dust on a shelf until I recently found it while moving out of my apartment. Determined not to drag it to another year of college where it will undoubtedly collect more dust, I sat my butt down and opened it up, expecting a quick and fun read. However, I wouldn't say this was the case. Although I finished it in a matter of days, it was more out of boredom than actual interest in the book. I kept reading it, there was no way all the reviews could be wrong!
I found the main character, Mac, to be superficial and annoying. She didn't want people to treat her like a Barbie doll when she acted and looked like one. I was expecting a strong, confident, courageous heroin but instead Mac seemed to cause more trouble than she fixed and often counted on Jericho Barrons to save her. In my opinion, she is more of a nuisance than a true heroine.
The storyline was blah. It was a great, original idea on Ms. Moning but she failed to develop it in a way that enticed me to keep going. Much of the book takes place at the bookstore that Barrons owns and the reader is left trying to piece things together on their own because the blonde bimbo of a main character can't seem to do anything. It is frustrating as a reader to constantly be left hanging and out of the loop as far as the plot goes. Things just sort of seemed to pop up with Barrons offering an explanation and - tada! - then some little plot twist of key bit of information Mac couldn't figure out must now be believed by the reader. This slowed down the book so much that I often left it to do other things. I felt by the end of the book, nothing had been accomplished. It wasn't until the last third of the book that I felt it was actually going somewhere and it was in the last twenty pages or so that I started to really enjoy it (which is why it earned three stars instead of two). Then, just like the action-packed section began, the book ends abruptly with so many unanswered questions.
I was not real impressed with the book. Some scenes where Mac strips naked in public seem highly improbable (yes, I know this is a fantasy novel but even improbably for THAT) and unnecessary. As I said above, the last twenty pages or so I enjoyed and because of them I will continue to read the series with crossed fingers that it gets better.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Extremely detailed, almost to the point where I just started glossing over chunks. It's an intriguing story line though
All the things said in the low-star reviews here I second, and then vigorously third. I hated Mac. Hated listening to her shallow vanity dribbling over everything. Hated the excessive "telling" and lack of "showing." Despised the "I would come to learn..." She was boring and self-absorbed. Then harps on and on about murderers being killed because they were trying to kill her? Who gives a shit? Sanctimonious and self-involved at the same time. That is an achievement in character development.
Also...all that Southern Belle crap? No thank you. I would like to drown you in a mint-julep. Cosmetics and short skirts and refusing to use "swear words," instead saying "petunia" for "ass?" Ugh.
Also...all that Southern Belle crap? No thank you. I would like to drown you in a mint-julep. Cosmetics and short skirts and refusing to use "swear words," instead saying "petunia" for "ass?" Ugh.
2023 PopSugar challenge-A book your friend recommended (thanks Alana for the book recommendation!)
So the first in Karen Marie Moning's Fever series gets a 4.5 star from me. The only reason it didn't get a full 5 stars is the narrator - one Ms. MacKayla Lane. (More on that in a bit)
I thoroughly loved this book. I fully expected to enjoy it, but I didn't expect to buy it at 3pm and finish the entire thing by 1:30am that night. Craziness, but the story was that thrilling and I just couldn't sleep before i knew everything there was to offer in this first novel of five in the series.
I've studied the Sidhe, and I must say that Moning has excellent creativity. To take what was once an Irish folkloric legend, a race that was no less feared in the 19th century as it is in this book, and unravel it's parts to create such an imaginative and spellbinding world for readers is a true talent. The fast pace was great, because for anyone whose ever read a series where it's literally ONE story in FIVE or more parts, the first book can be tedious as the reader tries to orient themselves in the new world the author is sharing. This book wasn't tedious or boring. Everything was well played and even at the beginning when you're yearning for Mac to discover the truth, everything leading up to that fateful moment is important, and you want to know the background just as much.
Although this book is comprised mainly of the two main characters - Mac Lane and Jericho Barrons, they brought the story to life.
Oh Barrons! for anyone whose read farther, or even read this one book in the series, you know what I mean when I say that. He's definitely not the friendliest guy around, but he's got a certain something.
So - Mac - MacKayla Lane. I wanted to like her, and for the most part I do. I can listen to her whine and complain, try to deny everything she knows is true for her now and still I can sympathize, BUT after page 200 when she's still trying to deny what she really is and make excuses I wanted to just shake her and say "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH ALREADY". As Barrons will soon describe her, she is somewhat spoiled, bratty, pigheaded, stubborn and all that good stuff. She's not ditzy (thank God - that would be the limit) but she does have some TSTL moments that really bugged me. I wanted her to be just a bit tougher, less concerned with her looks, although she wasn't too bad in this regard. There was just something about her that I couldn't fully love. I know that the usual heroine in these types of books is strong, capable, gorgeous and a wee bit darker, so I guess Mac is a nice change from that, but I must say I tend to like that heroine. The perky blond seemed a little out of place. But maybe that was the point.
Her reluctance to trust in anyone - especially Barrons was annoying especially because in a situation like the one she finds herself in you've ultimately got to trust someone, and considering how little she actually knows about the world she's now apart of, I figured she would have been smart enough to share her information after he'd warned her repeatedly of the risks involved in what they're doing. It also irked me that at one point she even went so far as to blame Barrons for her present situation. To which I thought - HUH? (a phrase she likes to use frequently enough) You are what you are, you can't blame that on someone you just met. Whether he showed you the light or not, Barrons did try to turn her away, he tried to help her and get her to go back home but she refused, she was desperate to know the truth, so in my book, if she wants someone to blame it should be herself. She wanted to see the light, she can't complain now that it's too bright and it's all Barrons's fault. Grow up Mac.
She is young, so I'm hoping that as the story continues to unfold, her behaviour will change and I'll be able to stand her more. I just figure that if I was her, I'd want to believe that there was at least one person on my side who I knew would help me through it all. Yes, Barrons is secretive and hasn't revealed much of anything about himself, but he's guaranteed more than once that he won't let her die - in my book - that's enough.
Overall, an excellent read that's got me hooked on what comes next!
I thoroughly loved this book. I fully expected to enjoy it, but I didn't expect to buy it at 3pm and finish the entire thing by 1:30am that night. Craziness, but the story was that thrilling and I just couldn't sleep before i knew everything there was to offer in this first novel of five in the series.
I've studied the Sidhe, and I must say that Moning has excellent creativity. To take what was once an Irish folkloric legend, a race that was no less feared in the 19th century as it is in this book, and unravel it's parts to create such an imaginative and spellbinding world for readers is a true talent. The fast pace was great, because for anyone whose ever read a series where it's literally ONE story in FIVE or more parts, the first book can be tedious as the reader tries to orient themselves in the new world the author is sharing. This book wasn't tedious or boring. Everything was well played and even at the beginning when you're yearning for Mac to discover the truth, everything leading up to that fateful moment is important, and you want to know the background just as much.
Although this book is comprised mainly of the two main characters - Mac Lane and Jericho Barrons, they brought the story to life.
Oh Barrons! for anyone whose read farther, or even read this one book in the series, you know what I mean when I say that. He's definitely not the friendliest guy around, but he's got a certain something.
So - Mac - MacKayla Lane. I wanted to like her, and for the most part I do. I can listen to her whine and complain, try to deny everything she knows is true for her now and still I can sympathize, BUT after page 200 when she's still trying to deny what she really is and make excuses I wanted to just shake her and say "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH ALREADY". As Barrons will soon describe her, she is somewhat spoiled, bratty, pigheaded, stubborn and all that good stuff. She's not ditzy (thank God - that would be the limit) but she does have some TSTL moments that really bugged me. I wanted her to be just a bit tougher, less concerned with her looks, although she wasn't too bad in this regard. There was just something about her that I couldn't fully love. I know that the usual heroine in these types of books is strong, capable, gorgeous and a wee bit darker, so I guess Mac is a nice change from that, but I must say I tend to like that heroine. The perky blond seemed a little out of place. But maybe that was the point.
Her reluctance to trust in anyone - especially Barrons was annoying especially because in a situation like the one she finds herself in you've ultimately got to trust someone, and considering how little she actually knows about the world she's now apart of, I figured she would have been smart enough to share her information after he'd warned her repeatedly of the risks involved in what they're doing. It also irked me that at one point she even went so far as to blame Barrons for her present situation. To which I thought - HUH? (a phrase she likes to use frequently enough) You are what you are, you can't blame that on someone you just met. Whether he showed you the light or not, Barrons did try to turn her away, he tried to help her and get her to go back home but she refused, she was desperate to know the truth, so in my book, if she wants someone to blame it should be herself. She wanted to see the light, she can't complain now that it's too bright and it's all Barrons's fault. Grow up Mac.
She is young, so I'm hoping that as the story continues to unfold, her behaviour will change and I'll be able to stand her more. I just figure that if I was her, I'd want to believe that there was at least one person on my side who I knew would help me through it all. Yes, Barrons is secretive and hasn't revealed much of anything about himself, but he's guaranteed more than once that he won't let her die - in my book - that's enough.
Overall, an excellent read that's got me hooked on what comes next!
Once upon a time, a 20-something blond American went to Dublin. She discovered (among other things) that drinking in Europe is crazy expensive, and so the best plan was to buy a pocket flask of gin and an airplane bottle of tonic and have at it.
She was lucky enough to have her parents in town that morning, who gave her 200 Euro and told her, rather blithely, to "have fun." So this American girl took her 200 Euro and her three friends off to a bar along the river Liffy and demanded of the bartender, "I want four Irish Carbombs!"
Cue silence. And stares. And more silence. And more stares.
Until the American girl explains to the Irish-folk that she wasn't requesting an IRA special, but rather a shot of whiskey and Bailey's, dropped into a half-pint of Guinness. And the moral of the story is that Irish people are quick to forgive a social gaffe if you teach them a new way to imbibe alcohol.
On to the actual review...
Mac Lane (whom I refuse to call by her full name, which I hate in general (no offense)) goes to Ireland to investigate the murder of her older sister, Alina.
(To abuse parenthetical documentation more than I already have, let me just say that I hate the names in this book. MacKayla is a made-up spelling with made-up capitalizations. Jericho is 1. a city, and 2. brings to my mind a female prostitute. Alina just bugged me because I was going around in circles in my head, like "Elena? A-line-a? Al-ina? How the heck do you pronounce this???")
Mac is a refreshingly real and relatable character, in general, but especially in the genre of Sidhe novels. The description on its page is hugely misleading, because this isn't a romantic fantasy. There's not a whole lot of sex and that's because it wouldn't make sense if there was a random sex scene in this novel. [a:Karen Marie Moning|48206|Karen Marie Moning|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1235014339p2/48206.jpg] seems to understand that people take a while to become drawn to each other, and I love her for that.
Not for Moning is the "I screw anything with genitals" of Kiss of Shadows, or the "I'll kiss anybody once" of Sookie Stackhouse. Mac actually seems to have a sense of self-control and is really sassy towards the guys in the novel. As she and Jericho become closer, it's clear that it's because she's funny and calls him out on his crap -- not because of her pneumatic curves.
Moning also starts up a lot of mysterious plot lines that development naturally, and leaves a lot unanswered for the rest of the novels in the series. I immediately bought the second one, because these characters are a riot and I want to get to know them better. Maybe because I see a lot of myself in Mac (not a normal thing, and maybe not even flattering). She's kind of an airhead, sometimes witty, and frankly honest about the boundaries of her tolerance for bull.
To the point, here's my favorite quote from the book:
The only thing I remember about Kafka's Metamorphosis is the awful apple that got impacted in the bug's back, and Borges' stupid story about the avatar and the tortoise didn't teach me a thing, except how much better I like Little Bunny Foo Foo; it rhymes and you can jump rope to it.
I mean, come on, so true.
She was lucky enough to have her parents in town that morning, who gave her 200 Euro and told her, rather blithely, to "have fun." So this American girl took her 200 Euro and her three friends off to a bar along the river Liffy and demanded of the bartender, "I want four Irish Carbombs!"
Cue silence. And stares. And more silence. And more stares.
Until the American girl explains to the Irish-folk that she wasn't requesting an IRA special, but rather a shot of whiskey and Bailey's, dropped into a half-pint of Guinness. And the moral of the story is that Irish people are quick to forgive a social gaffe if you teach them a new way to imbibe alcohol.
On to the actual review...
Mac Lane (whom I refuse to call by her full name, which I hate in general (no offense)) goes to Ireland to investigate the murder of her older sister, Alina.
(To abuse parenthetical documentation more than I already have, let me just say that I hate the names in this book. MacKayla is a made-up spelling with made-up capitalizations. Jericho is 1. a city, and 2. brings to my mind a female prostitute. Alina just bugged me because I was going around in circles in my head, like "Elena? A-line-a? Al-ina? How the heck do you pronounce this???")
Mac is a refreshingly real and relatable character, in general, but especially in the genre of Sidhe novels. The description on its page is hugely misleading, because this isn't a romantic fantasy. There's not a whole lot of sex and that's because it wouldn't make sense if there was a random sex scene in this novel. [a:Karen Marie Moning|48206|Karen Marie Moning|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1235014339p2/48206.jpg] seems to understand that people take a while to become drawn to each other, and I love her for that.
Not for Moning is the "I screw anything with genitals" of Kiss of Shadows, or the "I'll kiss anybody once" of Sookie Stackhouse. Mac actually seems to have a sense of self-control and is really sassy towards the guys in the novel. As she and Jericho become closer, it's clear that it's because she's funny and calls him out on his crap -- not because of her pneumatic curves.
Moning also starts up a lot of mysterious plot lines that development naturally, and leaves a lot unanswered for the rest of the novels in the series. I immediately bought the second one, because these characters are a riot and I want to get to know them better. Maybe because I see a lot of myself in Mac (not a normal thing, and maybe not even flattering). She's kind of an airhead, sometimes witty, and frankly honest about the boundaries of her tolerance for bull.
To the point, here's my favorite quote from the book:
The only thing I remember about Kafka's Metamorphosis is the awful apple that got impacted in the bug's back, and Borges' stupid story about the avatar and the tortoise didn't teach me a thing, except how much better I like Little Bunny Foo Foo; it rhymes and you can jump rope to it.
I mean, come on, so true.
3,25 ⭐️ ta książka posiada potencjał, chętnie przeczytam kolejne części.