Title: Shadowfever (Mackayla Lane #5) Author: Karen Marie Moning Pages: 594 Publication Date: Jan. 18th, 2011 For: 16+; sexual references & violence |
Back Cover
“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.
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 murderer. 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 mowing 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 herself and what is the destiny she glimpses in the black and crimson designs of an ancient tarot card?
First Lines
"You wish to know me? Posit yourself as the pinpoint center of one of your kaleidescopes, and grasp time as the colorful fragments erupting from you in a multitude of dimensions that constantly expand outward in an ever-widening, ever-shifting, infinite array."
In a Sentence (Or two, in this case)
Been waiting for answers? Here they are.
My Thoughts
I'll start by saying that while I don't think that Shadowfever is my favorite of the Mackayla Lane series, it was definitely the one that I read the fastest. This is probably due to the fact that SO. MUCH. HAPPENS. in this book! Seriously. After finishing it, I almost feel like I kind of need a road map to figure out everything. Not to say that this was a bad thing, because I think the sheer amount of important events that occur in Shadowfever is what kept me turning pages.
I also want to bring up something that I've touched upon in my other reviews of the earlier books in the Mackayla Lane series: Karen Marie Moning's writing style. To make it simple...she's pretty darn good. She's able to weave in suspense, intrigue, emotion, and even a bit of existential commentary all within the pages of one book. In Shadowfever itself, what really impressed me was her ability to capture what true, inconsolable grief really feels like. I won't tell you what exactly happens because I like to keep my reviews as spoiler free as possible, but I will say that this excellent portrayal of grief occurs within the first couple of pages.
I think what I liked most about Shadowfever is that it gave a lot of answers to questions that I've had since the beginning of the series. My least favorite part of the book **SPOILER ALERT** was probably how quickly Barrons and Mac seemed to move past their antagonistic relationship and fall in love. It wasn't horrible and it didn't ruin the book felt that after keeping us on pins and needles for four books, solving it so quickly was a bit of a letdown. **END SPOILERS**
Another thing that I've really enjoyed throughout the Mackayla Lane series is the character development of the main character, Mac. The girl we were introduced to in the first few pages of Darkfever and the woman we're left with in the final chapters of Shadowfever barely resemble each other, yet the changes that Mac undergoes throughout the series seem plausible and realistic, given her circumstances.
To those of you who are already fans of the series, I'm sure I won't have to convince you to read Shadowfever. To those of you who haven't read the books yet, I'd recommend them if you like your urban fantasy with a gritty, darker edge to it. As for me, I'll be keeping an eye out for what Karen Marie Moning comes up with in the future!
Not sure about this review? Compare our tastes in books. (Goodreads)
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Rating
Great review!
ReplyDeleteI'm totally with you that Shadowfever isn't my favorite book in the series.
I was completely confused in many parts and as soon as i got my mind straight on sth,sth else would turn upside down!
But Moning is indeed one of the best writers out there!
Lovely review Natalie, I really enjoyed this one as well! I completely agree on Moning's ability to write inconsolable grief, the first quarter of the book was very difficult for me to read and I was a nervous, emotional mess. I just adore this series, it's so complicated and dark and addicting, I'm sad to see it end:(
ReplyDeleteGreat review.. there's a fine line between love and hate and when there's that much passion in a relationship things can change quickly!! So glad you enjoyed the series.. thanks so much for being on the tour!
ReplyDeleteWow. I need to check out the rest of this series. Great review.
ReplyDeleteI think every reader has a series that they love to hate, and The Fever series is that for me. I know I wouldn't feel as passionately as I do if it weren't for Moning's writing style.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with you completely on the Barrons/Mac thing. At the end, Barrons didn't even have the same feel to him, and it all started with the five day bender.
The part that completely pissed me off: "Get naked and get back into bed" Huh? My Barrons wouldn't say that.
I'll be looking forward to more from Moning. Fever is my Pretty Hate Machine, and now that all five books are out, I feel better about recommending the series.
Once again I feel like I have missed out by not reading this series. It sounds so exciting, I really need to correct this soon. Great review!
ReplyDelete*sigh* I read the first 4 books and wasnt' that into them, but I'm feeling that with all the buzz and press, I need to give them another shot! Thanks for entering the Ultimate Reviewer's Challenge. :-)
ReplyDeleteI hadn't heard about this series. Thanks for sharing about it. It sounds great.
ReplyDeleteGreat review! I agree with a lot of what you said... it wasnt my fave in the series either, but it was a great book nonetheless =D
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