Title: ShadowfeverAuthor: Karen Marie Moning
Genre: Paranormal romance, urban fantasy
Pages: Hardback 594
Published: 2011
Opening Lines: "You wish to know me?"
"Evil is a completely different creature, Mac. Evil is bad that believes it's good."
"MacKayla Lane was just a child when she and her sister, Alina, were given up for adoption and banished from Ireland forever.
"Twenty years later, Alina is dead and Mac has returned to the country that expelled them to hunt her sister's murder. But after discovering that she descends from a bloodline both gifted and cursed, Mac is plunged into a secret history: an ancient conflict between humans and immortals who have lived concealed among us for thousands of years.
"What follows is a shocking chain of events with devastating consequences, and now Mac struggles to cope with grief while continuing her mission to acquire and control the Sinsar Dubh -- a book of dark, forbidden magic scribed by the mythical Unseelie King, containing the power to create and destroy worlds.
"In an epic battle between humans and Fae, the hunter becomes the hunted when the Sinsar Dubh turns on Mac and begins a deadly path through those she loves.
"Who can she turn to? Who can she trust? Who is the woman haunting her dreams? More important, who is Mac and what is the destiny she glimpses in the black and crimson designs of an ancient tarot card?"~Jacket copy
Thoughts: After stopping myself from throwing the fourth book across the room and screaming in frustration, I informed my hubby that I was taking the car and shelling out $26 for the next book. Once I hit the end of the book, I was not disappointed. However, there were a few hitches for me in the process of getting there.
In the beginning of the book, I hated Mac. Considering what had happened, I completely understood, but I still felt that she was devolving into her old immature self. Granted, it was a changed and darker Mac, but, to me, she was essentially the same. She constantly convinced herself of the "rightness" of her actions by cocooning herself in Barrons' advice; however, it was obvious to me that she never truly listened or understood what he was trying to tell her. Yes, how we survive is important, but ultimately sacrificing who you are, denying part of yourself, killing part of yourself, isn't worth it. And, honestly, while he was honoured by her devotion, I don't think Barrons would have wanted to see her do that to herself.
However, after Darroc is no longer in the picture, I start to like Mac a lot better. When she finally starts facing who she truly is, she finally starts growing up again. I can see, in some ways, how Moning could make the argument that Mac needed to go through a hell to become refined and tempered.
A lot of the reviews I have read are mad that Moning didn't really tell the audience who/what Barrons is. To me, I don't feel as though I missed something. I don't feel that she chickened out and couldn't deliver. In fact, I feel that it was an important part of the story. In some ways, it would ruin the mystique of Barrons character to know everything. The problems I had were with Christian and not knowing what truly happened to him. Okay, you can make a damn good educated guess, but I want to know why.
The twist in the cave in the final moments with the Sinsar Dubh, V'Lane, the Dreamy-Eyed Boy, etc., was masterful! From the time he showed up calling Mac "Beautiful Girl," I knew DEB had a part to play. However, even though I guessed, I didn't fully see it coming until the audience was hit with the whammy.
In the end, she left some things open. The big one is that Dani and Mac never confront the issue between them. However, I didn't feel cheated by this. Something about the ending and Mac's understanding of what really happened left me knowing that things would be alright in the end. At the end, things were not perfect, but it definitely was a fairy tale (no pun intended ^_~).
Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Currently: A Rush of Wings by Adrian Phoenix
Current Pages: 16868
Current Progress:
46/50 books
Great review! See, I didn't hate Mac in the beginning, but that might just be because I know how it is feeling hollow. I don't know. I know that I definitely didn't hate her like I did in the first book! Of course, when she is hollow, she perhaps isn't the smartest...
ReplyDeleteAnd I LOVED the ending. It was all twists and turns... Wow. I actually saw most of it coming but I never stopped to think about it. There were more pop-up thoughts I ignored thinking "naah... that can't be it!" Lol! Of course, I was still shocked by a whole lot! I adored this series and Shadowfever will always be my favourite. Awesome!
Oh, and speaking of being frustrated after book 4... I had to wait a month for this one! LOL. It was horrible! I am so glad that I wasn't one of those waiting over a year however. ;) Ugh!
ReplyDelete@Rebecca: Thanks, sweetie! Just the way Mac acted, the decisions she made, etc. in the beginning really, really turned me off. It was only the promised that a certain someone wasn't dead that kept me going. Ha-Ha, I had to call my dad (who LOVES the series), and beg to know if a certain someone was truly dead before I could finish *sheepish grin*
ReplyDeleteThe ending was just beautiful! Jericho BBQing on the roof of BB&B was absolutely hilarious!! I kept picturing him in a "kiss the cook" apron with a scowl on his face. That man is such a cutie!!
Oh my goodness!! If I had to wait much longer than I did, I might have killed someone! I cannot even imagine waiting for OVER A YEAR! KMM is such a meanie ;P
Hey, if you loved this book, listen to Because the Night by 10,000 Maniacs while thinking about several days under BB&B. Hot!
Yeah, I guess I can see that! Especially when under the horrible thought that this someone might be dead. Although her decisions were almost worse when you knew he wasn't! Gosh, THEN I became real frustrated. Lol! And bad Sinn for calling your dad! But I would probably have begged anyone knowing... Lol.
ReplyDeleteHahah I know! I sure hadn't expected that scene. That sure took me by surprise. ;)
And yeah, a month was definitely horrible enough! I'm not sure I could have survived a longer wait. LOL. I read all books like back to back before that...
Ooh, I'll have to do that!