Karen Marie Moning

Darkfever (Fever Series, Book 1)

Vicky  Nuñez 

Rating: 3.5 

I am not used to reading Urban Fantasy, but I was definitely intrigued by this story. 
I am not 100% sold on the series, but I definitely want to know more.

Annalissa Powner 

This book has been sitting on my shelf for what feels like forever, I just never felt like reading it. What in the world was I thinking?!
How did I go so long without even hearing about this book?
First off, Mac may not be my first choice for a leading lady BUT she is pretty funny and grows on you. Then we have Jericho Barrons... a tall mysterious sexy man in a crisp suit and owns a giant bookstore? Heeeelll to the yes!
The story is interesting, fast moving and clever. You are pulled in a few different directions while still keeping focus on the main plot. 
I couldn’t put it down!

did not enjoy, was painstakingly hard to read 

anna haskins 

Tylar M

** spoiler alert **
           The world building was so amazing and probably the only reason I'm giving this book 4 stars (I might change this later). Mac has to be one of the most annoying characters I've ever read about. She's such a fucking twit and talks way too much about her damn nail polish. I don't give a fuck about that. I really don't. Or what she's wearing. The outfits just never sound cute to me and I feel like it really stalls the story. I just complete blank out. I also can't stand Jericho. He's an abusive prick and I hate that he's the love interest. He bruises her ribs, pulls her hair, and is always insulting her. He's disgusting. Despite all of this, I couldn't put down this book lol. I want to learn so much more about the Fae and Mac's background so I'm definitely sticking with this series for now.

Lover of Romance 

For a reading challenge on Goodreads, I was to read Darkfever. Now for a few years I have hesitated in reading this series, despite all the high reviews, because I had read her highlander series and I knew that this Fae series is quite opposite from it, and I was right. I obtained Darkfever through Audible, and this is the first time I had such a difficult time staying with a story, now I know that it isn't just the format. I was expected a romance based novel, and Darkfever isn't really like that in any form. After reading her highlander series, I was expecting a similar tone, but Darkfever totally blew me away in the difference it is from anything else I have read from her. I didn't get fully into it until the last third of the story. I kept with it for one, that it was for a reading challenge and I try as much as possible to stick with a story, and that there is a reason this series is so popular. I would categorize this as just paranormal fiction, there isn't much romance until the very end. After reading Darkfever, I understand where the author is going with it, and I understand better now why she has written it in the way she has, but it was so different from what I even imagined. I don't know if I am the only one that struggled in any form with this one, but I did and even though I enjoyed it quite a bit by the very end, it took a little over five hours of listening before I starting feeling engaged with the story. I am rating this higher than I normally would because the writing is stellar just its form is far different than I expected and I think that's why I struggled so much with it. 

Darkfever is a story that introduces a world of dark and dangerous creatures that surround millions of people they just can't see the danger to them. I definitely wouldn't want this world to ever be real. I did love the suspense aspect to the story. There is quite a bit of a high intensity level for the story and I did like that. However I was expecting a high romance level, and it is very low. I am hoping that in the next books in the series, the romance level will be raised more. Despite by negative opinion on this story, there were some aspects I really liked. I loved seeing two totally opposite men involved in Mac's life. The characters are very realistic and vividly written, so you can't help but be drawn toward them. It did take a while to adjust to the narrator, but after a little while, I started to enjoy her inflections in the narrative. 

Overall a tale that brings the reader into a world packed full of intense danger and fantasy, a story to get the blood thumping and one that will leave you aching in anticipation for the next installment.

I really loved the writing style of this book I also liked how hooked the book was able to keep me the whole way the and can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

Chulandon leanday Bradley 

'My philosophy is pretty simple: any day nobody's trying to kill me is a good day in my book. I haven't had many good days lately.' MacKayla Lane's life is good. She has great friends, a decent job, and a car that only breaks down every other week or so. In other words, she's your perfectly ordinary twenty-first-century woman. Or so she thinks ... until something extraordinary happens. When her sister is murdered, leaving a single clue to her death - a cryptic message on Mac's cell phone - Mac journeys to Ireland in search of answers. The quest to find her sister's killer draws her into a shadowy realm where nothing is as it seems, where good and evil wear the same treacherously seductive mask. She is soon faced with an even greater challenge: staying alive long enough to learn how to handle a power she had no idea she possessed - a gift that allows her to see beyond the world of man, into the dangerous realm of the Fae ...

Darkfever

Annabella

Excellent writing and mythology. A not so excellet heroine. Captivating nonetheless. (Suckish review, I know.)

Kirsten Simkiss

Mm-mm. Nope. Not doing any more. I made it a third of the way through the book and I stopped at the final page of chapter 9. I don't know if it was the grotesque fae stroking it's massive schlong while ogling her in an alley or the fact that the author chose that moment to display all of her internal misogyny in a paragraph about how the main character really was just a dainty, feminine creature after all, but there is nothing in me that makes me want to read more of this vapid and yet overdescriptive writing style. There are better books. If you're reading this, this is my recommendation that you move on.

Missy Zuber 

Okay book. Not as good as her Highlander series.



Ebook file.

JoLee

Rating: 3 Stars - Liked It

I knew going into Darkfever there would be no romance. I actually bought this book seems like ages ago in paperback when Borders Book Store was still open. At the time I was really into romance and this series was in the romance section. Well I did not know this was not a PNR till I tried reading it and was not able to get into it. Now many years later was looking for something different to read and this came to mind. Bummer as I already swapped by PB. A hold was on it for the Library thank goodness I got it on sale for 99 cents. 

The format of the book is different than I have ever read. It is so hard to explain. Mac had a way at times getting ahead of her self. It is like she is talking about stuff that happened in the future and next in the present. But the kicker is she would stop and let readers know she got ahead of herself. So some good stuff I wanted to know what the heck she was talking about because it would be interesting. Never did find out and hoping in future books I do.

As for MacKayla "Mac" the heroine. I was not too impressed with her character. She kind of got on my nerves at times. Just silly and immature. I know she is in her early twenties and her mom was not a fan of cussing. So Mac and her sister came up with regular words to use instead of cuss words. I do not know if it was to bring some humor to the story but it just bugged me. 

Jericho Barrons I am not sure about. I am curious to know more.

As for the plot I really was curious who killed her sister. I still feel like there is more to that part of the story. Nothing wowed me. But I was unable to put the book down and wanted to know more about Barrons so of course had to get book 2.

Elizabeth Neill

This book so long to get through and it isn’t even that big. It is dry and boring and oh my god she pauses every other sentence to reflect... “later I would know....” SHUT UP. 
it didn’t pick up until 90%!!! And even then it was such an anticlimactic climax I’m flabbergasted. 
Also the “death by sex fae” is down right creepy. I wanted to cringe and vomit the whole scene. everytime.

Sarah Escorsa

Presenting... The Annual MacHalo Fever Reread! The madness begins on October 26, 2015!

♦ Third read: 3 stars
♦ Second read: 4 stars
♦ First read: 3 stars

► Yep, that's right, I'm lowering my rating to 3 stars. Because I wasn't feeling it this time around. Because there's too much blah blah blah crap and not enough Barrons. Because Mac is a pink-clad, pretentious twit. And because I'm in a hell of a bad mood. It's not fair? I don't care.

► Rating breakdown:
✔ Jericho Fucking Barrons: 100 stars (view spoiler)[
  

  

  
  

 (hide spoiler)]
✘ MacKayla You-Annoy-The-Hell-Out-Of-Me Lane: -97 stars
►►3 glorious stars it is.

Until next time,





First reread with my girl Tanya starting Jan 7, 2015.

Original rating: 3
New rating: 4

Do you people seriously expect me to write another review for this book? Let's not get greedy here okay, I wrote the original review just two months ago. All you'll be getting from me is another episode in the Fever Freak's Facts of Life (abridged version).

Fact #1: Rainbow Mac isn't nearly as annoying as I remembered her to be.

Weird isn't it? I think I might be getting soft in my old age. Either that or my beginning-of-year leniency just kicked in again. Don't worry, it won't last.



Fact #2: JZB

Any questions? Didn't think so. Let's move on.



Fact #3: No Dani! No Dani!

There is a God and He loves me.



Fact #4: KMM needs to go on a word diet.

Woman you need to cut some of the blah blah blah crap.



Fact #5: that nail polish scene is still as ridiculous as ever.

Out of character much? No kidding!



I rest my case. Until next time.



Original review (November 2014)

Buddy read with my MacHalo girls starting November, 3 2014.

So. Darkfever. I was pretty much hooked after reading the prologue as I fell in love with Mac's narrative voice right away (not with Mac herself, but more on that later). Kudos to Moning here because very little authors manage to draw me into a story from the very first pages (what can I say, I'm easily bored and have little patience). The problem is, the pace slowed down a lot after the prologue. The slow pace is a recurring problem with first instalments in series since the author needs to start building up the world and to set things in motion. I was surprised here because the prologue threw me into the story but it then felt like I was torn away from it somehow. Moning gives us a glimpse of what is to come and then takes it all away. I know the first part of the book is necessary but to be honest I would have been happy to jump straight through to Mac's arrival in Ireland. 

Although it does takes Moning time to set things up, her world-building is pretty fantastic. I'm pretty new to UF so this is actually the first time I read a story that revolves around the Fae. They're evil and malevolent too, yay! How cool is that? And I have to say that the whole death-by-sex Fae idea is absolutely brilliant. My twisted little mind just loves the idea of dark, mean, vicious, hideous fairies that only have the destruction of mankind in mind! How fun! Tinkerbell be gone!

Now for the characters. Mac. Oh Mac. As I said before, I absolutely *loved* Mac's narrative voice in the prologue. She came across as a real badass. The problem is, her character is nothing like that. Not in this instalment anyway. Granted, she gets a little better towards the end but she still has a long way to go. Instead of kicking ass Mac is all about being a Barbie airhead who is obsessed with pink and silly outfits. I understand what Moning tried to do here but I think she just went too far and laid it on much too thick. No wonder Barrons thinks she's a superficial idiot, she acts like one. My freaky reading buddies keep telling me she gets better so I'll just have to trust them on that (or not. You never know with this crazy bunch).
 
I think the real disappointment here was Barrons. Jericho Freaking Barrons. I've heard *so much* about you. You're supposed to be hot and sexy. Only you're not. You're just one of the most annoyingly aggravating MC ever and I feel like strangling you most of the time. God knows you have every reason to be exasperated by Mac but still. Do you have to be such an ass all the time? Again, my MacHalo girls tell me you get better in time but it seems I have to wait until the end of book 3 to see it happen… Book 3? Seriously?! I want hotness! I want sexy! Now! 

Hey, you know what? No need to wait for book 3 for that because we have V'Lane right here with us^^ He only appears in two scenes in Darkfever but wow, what scenes! I know it's all supposed to be pretty horrific but I thought it was very cool and pretty hilarious (some say I have a weird sense of humour. I wonder why). So right now I'm on Team V'Lane. I'm pretty sure it will all go downhill from here and I'll end up being on Team Barrons but I'm pretty happy with my Seelie Prince at the moment, thank you very much:)

One more thing before I wrap this up: there is one scene in the book that is completely ridiculous and makes absolutely no sense. Barrons painting Mac's nails? You have to be kidding me. I don't think I have ever read anything that felt so out of character and so completely surreal. I just couldn't believe what I was reading. I'm pretty sure lots of readers find that scene irresistible and super cute but I just think it's plain silly.

All in all and despite its flaws, Darkfever is a pretty awesome introduction to the world of Fever. It didn't blow my mind as much as I thought it would but it's still a pretty fantastic read. Besides, it's only the first instalment in the series so there is lots of room for development. Bloodfever here I come!

Nabiha

This was fantastic! I haven't read a fantasy in so long I had forgotten how much I truly enjoyed them. This book was so well written and the world building was outstanding. Mac (the main character) might be a bit to get used to but this book is totally worth it. Also, Barrons is everything!!

Elif Gültekin

4,5
Kitabın konusu yüzeysel olarak MacKayla Lane'in ablasının gizemli bir şekilde öldürülmesi sonucu yaşadığı yere gitmesi. Ve burada gerçekleri keşfetmesi. Kitabı çoğu kişi okuduğu için çok fazla konu üstünde durmayacağım. Fakat bu kitabı açıklayacak en iyi kelime "Sıradışı" olurdu. Yazılan ve okuduğum tüm dünyalardan farklı bir dünya yaratılmış ve çok farklı terimler, türler var. İlk sayfalarda okunuşunu unuttuğum kelimeleri hep ön taraftan bakıp devam ediyordum fakat daha sonra insan alışıyor. Fae denilen perileri konu alıyor genellikle ama baş karakterler peri değil. Periler kendi türü içinde ikiye ayrılıyor. Biri bizim hep hayal ettiğimiz tatlı, çok güzel periler. Diğer taraf ise tam bir hayal kırıklığı. Kitabın konusunu duyduğumda aklıma Barbie filmleri gelmişti. Zaten baş karakter Barbie tadında bir kız. Ama periler fiyasko çıktı. Kitap genel olarak ilgi çekici ve güzeldi. 4,5 olmasının sebebi kitabın genel olarak Mac'in düşüncelerinden oluşmasıydı. Bazı yerlerde sıkıldım bu yüzden. Ve Barrons'un sürekli "Bayan Lane" demesi çok hoş değil miydi ? Barrons hakkında ne söylenebilir bilmiyorum ama tam bir "Kötü Adam" rolünde. Buna rağmen sevilmeyecek biri değil. Hatta kitabı kapattıktan sonra kendinizi "Barrons ! Barrons" diye bağırırken bulabilirsiniz. Kitabın en sevdiğim kısımları V'lane ile olan yerlerdi. Çok komik değil miydi ama :D Diğer kitap için daha çok heyecan bekliyorum bu kitap biraz durgundu.

Monae Reads

I’m kind of shocked that I gave this 5 stars. This released in 2006, and I read it in 2021. That’s really saying something, especially for me. 
First off. We Stan Jericho Barrons. No slander will be accepted, thank you. Secondly, I LOVEEE the fact that Mac was not your typical “fade into the background, go unnoticed, quiet, bland tshirt and Jeans” kind of main character. She was super girly, feminine, and high maintenance. I enjoyed watching her character have to learn to be inconspicuous and gritty, she had to learn to let go of much of her vanity and still held on to quite a bit even in the end. This story is really an experience because technically we got no answers to any of our questions, and we have even more questions; and war is coming and allies are few to none (Mac has 1 ally she doesn’t even trust all the way) and yet, I feel satisfied as if we made progress…how is that?

shellybn

This is my second time through this series, and I am enjoying it as much as the first time.

Maria

Девушка из Джорджии по имени МакКейла отправляется в Дублин, где только что убили её сестру. МакКейла уверена, что дублинская полиция не проработала все улики, и решает взять дело в свои руки. Но прибыв в Ирландию, выясняет, что город забит феями и чудовищами (ок, феями-чудовищами), и она может их видеть. И, кажется, сестру убили именно они.

Darkfever вышла в 2006 году, и она отличный пример того, как сильно изменились тренды в янг-адалте, это особенно видно по рецензиям. У книги больше четырех баллов на Goodreads, и восторженные рецензии от людей, которые сейчас, по-моему, разнесли бы её в пух и прах. За что разнесли? Давайте смотреть.

Героиня – недалекая и безрассудная. Постоянно описывает свои части тела, грудь у нее пышная, а попа аппетитная. Без конца перечисляет, во что она одета – в основном во что-то «короткое» или «прозрачное». Раз десять за книгу описывает свой розовый маникюр. Жутко страдает, когда светлные волосы приходится перекрасить в темный цвет.

Герои – абьюзеры и мизогины. Один сразу же заявляет, что женщин слушать не привык, а при второй встрече сжимает её ребра до кровоподтеков. Второй пытается её изнасиловать – если точнее, насылает на неё фейский гламур, чтобы она разделась и предложила себя сама. Есть смешной момент, когда героиня пытается осмыслить происходящее, но никак не может вспомнить слово «абьюз», и перечисляет: «Арбуз? Артефакт? Адам? Аритмия? Нет, вроде что-то там было про принуждение...».

Отмечу, что Darkfever – это new adult, героине там 22 года. И чем больше я читаю этот поджанр, тем больше мне кажется, что его придумали исключительно для сублимации сексуального напряжения. Такое ощущение, что авторкам просто очень хочется писать подробные сцены секса, использовать слова fuck и cock, но рамки янг-адалта им такое не позволяет, поэтому они старят героинь лет на пять и на всей скорости мчат к разнузданным оргиям. Сюжет, мир и персонажи при этом отодвигаются на второй план, они просто фон на этом параде.

В серии Fever, меж тем, уже 10 книг, а в следующем году должна выйти одиннадцатая. Ума не приложу, куда там можно развернуть историю так надолго, впрочем, что это я, какая история...

petit-chocobo

http://petit-chocobo.eklablog.com/les...

Les Chroniques de MacKayla Lane forment ma toute première expérience dans le genre Urban Fantasy, un genre qui m’a été introduit dans ce magnifique petit blog (américain parcontre, donc juste en anglais) imlovingbooks. Ca faisait donc pas mal de temps que je voulais changer un peu d’horizon et je suis tombée un peu par hasard sur son blog et tout particulièrement sur son article qui explique les différences, parfois subtiles, qui existent entre les genre BitLit (ou Paranormal Romance en Anglais) et Urban Fantasy (un genre qui ne connaît pas encore d’équivalence en français et qui reste encore aujourd’hui classé avec la Bit Lit). Et en lisant ça je me suis rendue compte qu’il se pourrait bien que j’apprécie beaucoup plus l’Urban Fantasy que la BitLit, dont je ne suis pas une très grande fan…

Et dans sa liste de livres Urban Fantasy il y avait les Chroniques de MacKayla Lane, et je dois vous avouer qu’au départ j’étais très sceptique…. L’auteur Karen Marie Moning est aussi connue pour écrire des romans plutôt… chaud on va dire XD Et je ne suis pas une fan du genre érotique, même si ça ne prend pas tout le livre, la moindre scène de fesse un peu explicite me refroidie tout de suite. Mais je me suis lancée quand même, en me disant que de toutes façons au pire je pourrai juste arrêter ma lecture et passer à autre chose.

Bon je ne vais pas passer par quatre chemins, au final j’ai adoré DarkFever, je l’ai lu en l’espace de 2 jours, en fait 2 nuits pour être exacte :p 2 nuits à finir par m’endormir sous les coups de 3h du matin… (Heureusement c’était les vacances !).

Je me suis tout de suite très attachée au personne de Mac (l’héroïne de l’histoire) malgré qu’elle ait une personnalité relativement à l’opposé de la mienne (une blonde à la plastique parfaite qui enchaine les relations et sirote des cocktails devant sa piscine… pas trop mon style :p). Mais au final on apprend que cette jeune fille n’est pas ce qu’elle semble être, et la juger par sa seule apparence est une grave erreur (erreur commise par plusieurs autres personnages de la série). Je l’ai trouvé drôle, bien que des fois culotée, déterminée et en fin de compte très réelle. Une fille qui a toujours eu tout ce qu’elle désirait et se retrouve soudainement prise dans des affaires de meurtres peu communs, il y a de quoi retourner tout son univers ! D’apparence d’abord superficielle, on est témoin, grâce notamment à l’écriture à la 1ère personne, de l’évolution de Mac qui fait apparaître un personnage bien plus complexe. 

Mackayla est tranquillement entrain de bronzer devant sa piscine lorsqu’elle apprend la mort de sœur aînée, retrouvée dans une vieille ruelle de Dublin en Irlande. La perte de sœur avec qui elle avait une relation très proche va complètement la bouleverser et après avoir appris que l’enquête menée en Irlande allait être abandonnée (faute de preuve) elle décide de tout quitter et de partir mener la sienne munie de ses maigres économies, toute seule.

Alors là on arrive à un autre point que j’ai adoré, l’Irlande ! Après ma lecture de Hantée (qui se passe à Londres) l’Irlande tombait à pique. Les pubs, les ruelles, l’ambiance, encore un livre qui me donne envie de voyager, c’est pas bon pour mon portefeuille ça. :p

Lors de son périple en Irlande, alors qu’elle se retrouve rejetée par les forces de police qui refusent de rouvrir l’enquête, elle finie par tomber sur un mystérieux belle homme, Jericho Barrons. 

Et là je vous présente ce qui m’a fait complètement craquer pour cette série, Barrons ! Plus mystérieux que ça tu meurs ! Alors au départ je ne l’appréciait pas trop, il avait plutôt l’ait d’un sacré macho avec une tendance à utiliser les femmes (y compris Mac) à sa guise. Mais au fur et à mesure que les pages défilent, on commence à remarquer des failles dans son armure, et il se pourrait que notre cher Barrons cache un passé douloureux, et j’ose l’espérer, ses sentiments envers Mac pourraient évoluer dans le bon sens [ MODE FANGIRL ON ] he

Un autre point que j’ai particulièrement apprécié, la romance n’arrive qu’en second plan. Clairement tout ne tourne pas autour d’une quelconque romance et pour une fois ça fait du bien ! De l’action en veux tu en voilà, du danger, du suspens, du mystère, et Barrons ! Que demander de plus ?

Oh oui, l’univers ! Alors là au vu du résumé qui ne donne finalement pas beaucoup de détails sur ce que Mac va affronter en Irlande, je me pose la question : dois-je en parler ici ? J’ai un peu la phobie du spoil alors je me dis qu’il vaudrait peut être mieux que je m’arrête là.

Mais attendez vous à être bluffé par la richesse de l’univers que l’auteur nous a réservé.

Par contre, petit bémol qui n’en est pas vraiment un, même si j’ai adoré ce roman je ne pense pas qu’il soit bon à le placer dans les mains de jeunes filles de 14 ans. Les themes abordés sont très durs et sombres et il y a tout de même pas mal de référence au sexe, avec une scène assez sacrément osée dans ce livre. A réservé à un publique mature, je dirais. yes

 

Ma note: 5/5
Un coup de cœur biensur ! J’ai d’ailleurs déjà dévoré le 2ème tome, en très peu de temps lui aussi. Je conseille cette série à tous les amateur de fantasy et biensure à tous les fans du genre BitLit/Urban Fantasy.

ashley hopkins

So a co-workers wife recommend me this and sent me the book so I'm gonna give it a go.

Catarina Silva

Alli King

I need someone to explain to be how I can hate a protagonist (because I most definitely can’t stand Mac), but still be close to physically unable to stop reading. It doesn’t make sense, but here we are. I read the entire series (at least the first 5 books) in under 10 days while also working 10 hour days as a teacher during COVID (learning how to teach all of the things online)... 

I’m taking a star just because Mac is insufferable and it’s obviously a Boomer author trying to act like a Millennial- and not really understanding who we are. 
Otherwise, I’m all in.

Olivera Mitić

2.5/5 🌟

Kad sam uzela u ruke ovu knjigu, bilo je to isključivo sa namerom da čitam neki brzinski treš da mi malo podigne raspoloženje, tako da ni u startu nisam imala neka ogromna očekivanja. Nije ovo suštinski ništa loše, ali se baš vidi da je proizvod svog vremena (urbana fantastika dvehiljaditih) i da je ovaj prvi deo konkretno tako koncipiran da tek uvede u svet, a ne da bude sopstvena zaokružena celina. 

Zbog toga mi se nakako čini da  Darkfever  ni nema sad jasno iscrtan zaplet, već da tako malo ševrda od jedne do druge stvari. Prvo smo došli ovde, pa smo išli ovamo, onda smo naišli na neke ljude, pa malo krenuli s njima i tako dalje i tako dalje. I pored silnih suprotnih mišljenja, lično ne bih rekla da me je ovo prilepilo za stranice i da nisam mogla da je spustim, ali spremna sam da pročitam i drugi deo čisto zato što možda baš tamo ima tih elemenata koje sam tražila u ovoj prvoj knjizi.

Shawna Gavas

Firstly, I REALLY tried to like this book. A couple of my friends gave it 5 stars, but honestly I can't figure out why. I found the main character Mac silly and shallow and had trouble making a connection with her. The character I wanted to know more about, Barrons, was lacking in description. There were too many holes in the plot for my liking...too many questions. For example: How did Barron know where to go to look for OOPS? and why was it so unbelievably easy for Mac to just "take" them? You would think that an object of such importance would be more difficult to obtain than plucking it off a table or simply pulling it off the wall. Still I must admit the second half of the book was more entertaining than the first and I might just give the second book in the series a try to see if the story continues to improve.

Darkfever (Fever Series, Book 1)

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