Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning

"When MacKayla's sister is murdered, she leaves a single clue to her death--a cryptic message on Mac's cellphone. Journeying to Ireland in search of answers, Mac is soon faced with an even greater challenge: staying alive long enough to master a power she had no idea she posessed--a gift that allows her to see beyond the world of Man, into the dangerou 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, while at the same time, the ruthless V'lane--an immortal Fae who makes sex an addiction for human woman--closes in on her. 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 both worlds in their hands."
(from the publisher)

my thoughts:

Quick review here, as I'm the last one (as usual) to join Moning's Fever party! However, the one thing that makes it extremely beneficial to come so late to a series is there is no wait in between installments -- with the recent release of Shadowfever, I have the complete set in hand and can read them one after another.

Moning's dark and sensual fae world filled with monsters, vampires, and creatures of the night is a big departure for me, and I'm really stepping outside of my comfort zone with this urban fantasy series. In Darkfever, we are introduced to MacKayla (Mac) Lane, a sassy Georgia peach who receives devastating news about her sister Alina in Dublin.....it's terrible to receive news of her death, but it is even more horrible when Mac later hears a panic-stricken voice message from Alina that she left right before she died. She tells Mac that she doesn't know if she can get out of the country, and that someone has been lying to her...she is frightened and they must try to find something before it's too late. Determined to find out details about her sister's death, Mac travels to Ireland on a quest for the truth.

Here's where it gets tricky...you see, Mac has powers she was not aware that she possessed until she arrives in Dublin. The city is inhabited by strange and dark creatures of the evil Fae world that coexist with the human world, and Mac actually sees these creatures as they really are instead of in the human form. She is a sidhe-seer that can see past the false glamour and illusion used by the Fae to deceive humans. She also has the ability to sense when magical objects of power are near. It's all a bit too much at times with silly descriptions of monsters and such, and there's even a sexy fae thrown in, V'lane, that I wouldn't dare tell you what happens when you run into him! You'll just have to take my word for it; he "to die for!" :)

I think the most intriguing part of the storyline is the character of Jericho Barrons, and I kept reading to find out if he was going to be Mac's friend or foe. He is intriguing and mysterious, besides being fabulously good-looking, and pairs up with Mac on her dangerous quest to find her sister's killer and the truth surrounding her cryptic phone message. But is he really helping her, using her, or leading her right into a trap? Their search for the killer involves also seeking the location of a powerful ancient book (a sinsar dubh) of the deadliest of all magic, which if it falls into the wrong hands, it will have devastating implications for all mankind. Hmmmmm.

I'm giving the first installment 2.5/5 stars, knowing the story will develop a more complex plot and the relationship between Barrons and Mac will probably become very interesting. I'm dying to find out what secrets (if any?) Barrons is hiding.


Title: Darkfever
Author: Karen Marie Moning
2006
Bantam Books
347 pages
genre: Urban fantasy/paranormal romance