Karen Marie Moning - Burned

When the wall that protected humans from the seductive, insatiable Fae was destroyed on Halloween, long-imprisoned immortals ravaged the planet. Now Dublin is a war zone with factions battling for control. As the city heats up and the ice left by the Hoar Frost King melts, tempers flare, passions run red-hot, and dangerous lines get crossed. Seelie and Unseelie vie for power against nine ancient immortals who have governed Dublin for millennia; a rival band of sidhe-seers invades the city, determined to claim it for their own; Mac’s former protégé and best friend, Dani “Mega” O’Malley, is now her fierce enemy; and even more urgent, Highland druid Christian MacKeltar has been captured by the Crimson Hag and is being driven deeper into Unseelie madness with each passing day. The only one Mac can depend on is the powerful, dangerous immortal Jericho Barrons, but even their fiery bond is tested by betrayal.
 It’s a world where staying alive is a constant struggle, the line between good and evil is blurred, and every alliance comes at a price. In an epic battle against dark forces, Mac must decide who she can trust, and what her survival is ultimately worth.

Comment: I got this book pre ordered and it arrived my house mid December but it has been in the pile since then and I confess I wasn't very eager to start it. This past month I just went for it but now that I've finished it, I feel as ambivalent about it as I was before reading.

This is installment 7 of the Fever series by Karen Marie Moning. In this book Dani is still dealing with the effects of the actions from the previous book and Mac is still feeling guilty about her role in Dani's life now.

Because there's a power struggle in Dublin, all parts battle to gain the upper hand or, at least, to maintain some order in the daily life of the city. But everyone has a secret agenda and weeks after Dani disappears through a mirror into a strange land in faery or somewhere, Mac is still not close to find her. Everyone thinks the other has Dani.

At the same time, the good guys want to rescue Christian, who's done a great sacrifice in previous books. With the seers having a new leader too, can things work out or will there be more problems no one thought about?

My comment will have some spoilers!

Overall, I liked the book, it had some interesting moments and scenes and some situations were addictive to read. Plus, some new things happen that surely surprise even fans because it wasn't stuff one would expect and that was a positive point.

But there some things that aren't bad but get on my nerves. I know many readers think the same, others disagree and it's great a series can have such opposite opinions but personally the things that I can't help noticing make me feel slightly meh about the whole thing.

I didn't love the original first five Fever installments but I was dedicated to them, especially the last one where Mac and Barrons finally seemed to admit what all readers wanted. I was happy by how things ended up in that book.

When the continuation of the series was announced from Dani's perspective I was quite eager to keep reading, even more so because all readers could anticipate the possibility of romance between Dani and Ryodan. Therefore it was a letdown when we realized Dani was still a teenager and obviously no romance would be happening. But of course she would grow and in this book my expectation was that but there we open the book and instead of having Dani's voice we are back to Mac. I don't mind that but wasn't this supposed to be Dani's POV? Wasn't the center of Mac's story already told? I confess part of me was annoyed, another not caring enough.

Many readers say anything is perfect already because the author writes well, this is emotional and dark and no perfect HEAs everywhere. I can understand that but all readers have a different perspective in this, is that wrong to wish for a different path? I feel ambivalent about the plot, to be honest, I feel I haven't really invested in this, some of the character's actions and attitudes put me off but I was hope for glimpses of things I want and that is enough motivation. But I can easily not read. I'm saying all this because although I understand what the author is doing, I suppose I'm on the side that wishes for the series to end or to focus on someone else more than Mac. Nothing against Mac but her personal story was told. Sure, everyone can improve but...

As for this plot, well, as always it's slightly confusing for me. So many hidden agendas, secrets, motivations, personal details and opinions mixed into rescue missions ans character changes... Dani returns in a way no one would expect and I don't know how I feel abut it. Surely, a slow advance in years from book to book would be more believable than what happened? Now that Dani is a grown up, the possibilities are endless for plot and character development but...I guess I feel guilty, this is what I looked for but not this way. It feels like the author can't please everyone at the same time.

I liked having new clues about some characters namely Barrons, Ryodan and some of the Nine. These characters are amazing and I'm sure a book for each in the future would be great but the idea of going through so many secrets that annoy us is too much. 

The writing is great as ever, in that all readers must agree but can writing alone lead a story through so many complicated plot moves and lack of conclusions? I mean, surely there is a goal in this, but from book to book despite the things we find, the aura os mysteries increase too and that can be annoying after so many books.

All things considered, this was not a perfect book. Readers can see it either way but it would be much simpler if the author could have solved some things better before and now give a new start to Dani's adventures - even if in the same world/reality - whether she's a teenager or as a grown-up most people want her to be. I feel conflicted but one thing is certain: I can certainly wait until more books come out and I have an idea of what to expect before spending money.

Grade: 5/10

Karen Marie Moning - Iced

Dani “Mega” O’Malley plays by her own set of rules—and in a world overrun by Dark Fae, her biggest rule is: Do what it takes to survive. Possessing rare talents and the all-powerful Sword of Light, Dani is more than equipped for the task. In fact, she’s one of the rare humans who can defend themselves against the Unseelie. But now, amid the pandemonium, her greatest gifts have turned into serious liabilities.
Dani’s ex–best friend, MacKayla Lane, wants her dead, the terrifying Unseelie princes have put a price on her head, and Inspector Jayne, the head of the police force, is after her sword and will stop at nothing to get it. What’s more, people are being mysteriously frozen to death all over the city, encased on the spot in sub-zero, icy tableaux. 
When Dublin’s most seductive nightclub gets blanketed in hoarfrost, Dani finds herself at the mercy of Ryodan, the club’s ruthless, immortal owner. He needs her quick wit and exceptional skill to figure out what’s freezing Fae and humans dead in their tracks—and Ryodan will do anything to ensure her compliance.
Dodging bullets, fangs, and fists, Dani must strike treacherous bargains and make desperate alliances to save her beloved Dublin—before everything and everyone in it gets iced.

Comment: I got this book because I ended up liking the Fever series a lot and after knowing this would be a sort of spin off of that series and that it would keep up the happenings from the Fever world, I decided I had to read it. I got the book back in March but only this month I went into it.

This story follows the action right after the end of Shadowfever, the last installment in the Fever series. Now, the protagonist is teenager Dani O'Malley. Dani is a naive but brave young girl who only wants to restore Dublin to its time before the walls between our world and the fae have gone down. She has her powers and the help of unique characters, but she is a girl without the control of a supposed grown up, so she is reckless too. Will Dani be able to help the city and its human inhabitants before the fae rule it all?

I have to be honest. When I knew this would be about Dani I had hoped it would be an adult Dani. I purposely stayed away from reviews and any reference to this book because I wanted to see how Dani would be as a grown up and how her relationship with everyone else would be like. The only thing I really remember about this book was something the author said before the book was finished! She said no way would Dani have a romance as a teenager. I think the point was to calm the readers who thought she would insert sexual tension while Dani was still a child which would be disgusting. Ms Moning settled people's minds and said no, she would only have a romance when she was an adult. I didn't read anything else, ever, so I expected tis series about Dani to be with an older version of her but obviously the author has other ideas and Dani is still a child. I don't have any particular love towards teenage books but this one, despite a teenager voice as a narrator, isn't for young people.

Still, after finishing the book and despite understanding why the author decided to build up her story like that and why she presented the possibilities to come, meaning, we can easily see why some things happen, namely how the romance will develop in the future and why is it being told the way it is.
Of course one has to focus on the romance side of things because in terms of action everything is pretty basic, there's a mystery, an unknown evil part using ice as a weapon and the heroes of this novel will have to save the day, in particular Dani and her special abilities. But nothing is black and white here, there are lots of actions in shades of grey and not always we understand exactly what might happen when related to personal situations because, like I said, in terms of plot I think this book is simple. But what might happen to every character, what each little apparent unimportant action means to each person's future...there's a lot to wonder about.

The characters...
Obviously Dani is the key character here and we learn a lot about her personality, her childish way of seeing the world despite having done things too heavy for her consciousness. I guess it can be tricky to accept her not so good actions but if we consider her age and her innocence in seeing the world and why some people act the way they do, we can set apart that side of hers from the one that grew up too fast. My opinion is she is still innocent in everything, she is a clueless teenager. Even the killing and the violence in her life wasn't rooted on her being, on her decision making. She is a kid in every word, she acts and thinks like a child and I can't put that aside, even to not judge her reactions to things that an adult would see through. In fact, I kind of agreed with many of her reactions. Why do grown ups have to make such stupid things sometimes? I know she wasn't right, but I agree with her reasons..tricky situation and very much the author's intention, after all we all were teenagers even if many readers wanted to catalog Dani's actions and childish attitudes as a grown up. It's not the same thing and this was the main reason why I gave the book a better mark.

The other characters...we see their role by Dani's POV in the most part, so we have to read between the lines and this surely bothers many readers. But although I could understand the other characters' actions, it still annoyed me how different Christian is, and how Ryodan acts like such an arrogant at times and how Jo and Kat took unwise decisions. Sometime you just want to make them act smart.

In the end, this book was positive to me, because I kind of read it seeing what would mean to the future of the series. Was it done right? I can't tell but apparently many readers thought it was wrong in its execution. I really could separate all the "icky" potential but it's still difficult if we think of this as a possibility for romance, which this isn't. I think this is one of those cases that the whole picture would feel better than just these snapshots one at a time...
For me, it worked, but it's not that I feel eager to repeat nor do I feel crazy waiting for the next one...
Grade: 7/10

Karen Marie Moning - Spell of the Highlander

It's taken him eleven centuries to find the right woman.
He's not about to lose her now.
Jessi St. James has got to get a life. Too many hours studying ancient artifacts has given the archaeology student a bad case of sex on the brain. So she figures she must be dreaming when she spies a gorgeous half-naked man staring out at her from inside the glass of an ancient mirror. But when a split-second decision saves her from a terrifying attempt on her life, Jessi suddenly finds herself confronting six and a half feet of smoldering, insatiable alpha male.
Heir to the arcane magic of his Druid ancestors, Cian MacKeltar was trapped inside the Dark Glass eleven centuries ago. And when the Dark Glass is stolen, an ancient enemy will stop at nothing to reclaim it. For Jessi, the sex god in the mirror is not only tantalizingly real, he's offering his protection--from exactly what, Jessi doesn't know. And all he wants in exchange is the exquisite pleasure of sharing her bed....

Comment: This is the last book in the highlander series by this author. At the end of the book she left a note saying there would be more stories to be told, but I guess the fever series took hold and she won't return to straight romance.
This is Cian MacKeltar's story. He is trapped in a mirror since the 9th century and only now he is close to be set free. To help him there's Jessi St James, an acheologist without any free time and..loooking to get rid of her virginity. Seriously?? All the heroines ending up with a MacKelter are virgins at first, but that's not the problem, the thing is, they all must stop being virgins soon! Please, this really ruined things a bit for me, it's repetitive and stupid.
While looking for a way to help solving Cian's problem, the couple is fighting the attraction (yeah, right) between them and also running from Lucas, the bad guy who trapped Cian in the mirror. He is a dark wizard and wants more power.
I think, apart from the virginity issue, this was a balanced story. We have romance and action and also we see other characters from previous books. The author shows she did her research and inserts several points on traditions and legends.
In this book there aren't many references to the fae, or at least not in a clear way. In the end the queen shows up and I assume by the way it was, that more stories would come and that would be important to them. As it is, without more books about the highlanders, we are left with a curious feeling on what would mean her presence there. Of course we could speculate because of what happens in the fever series, but someone who doesn't read those books, perhaps it's a bit of a disappointment.
All in all, I enjoyed the books, I liked most things and the connection it has to the fever series, it's done very lightly, in order not to be noted in case someone doesn't read the other series but like I said, it can leave an empty feeling for some readers. It was good to read, yes, but in my opinion, her attempt in urban fantasy worked better. Nevertheless, I finish this series with a happy feeling.

Karen Marie Moning - The Immortal Highlander

BEWARE: lethally seductive alpha male of immense strength and dark eroticism, do not look at him. Do not touch him. Do not be tempted. Do not be seduced.
With his long, black hair and dark, mesmerizing eyes, Adam Black is Trouble with a capital T Immortal, arrogant, and intensely sensual, he is free to roam across time and continents in pursuit of his insatiable desires. That is, until a curse strips him of his immortality and makes him invisible, a cruel fate for so irresistible a man. Now Adam's only hope for survival is in the hands of the one woman who can actually see him.
Enter law student Gabrielle O'Callaghan. For Gabrielle, cursed with the ability to see both worlds, Mortal and Faery, it is the beginning of a long, dangerous seduction. But as Adam's quest to regain his immortality plunges them into a world of timeless magic, the price of surrender could be their very lives. Unless they can thwart the conspiracy that threatens both Mortal and Faery realms . . . and give them a shot at a destiny few mortals ever know: glorious, wondrous, endless love . . .

Comment: This is the 6th book in the highlander series and I must say that I liked the fae part more than the romance.
The love story in the book felt more of the same old, and very similar to the other books. Truly, I have nothing against the fact the female protagonists are virgins, but for them all to just want to get rid of it, and fall helplessly at the men's feet...some change would be fun and even dynamic, in my opinion.
I think the best part was to see what happens in the fae world, what is started here and later on developped in the other series. I can't help thinking, what if i had read this before the other, like so many readers have? Would my idea of fae in the fever series change? Because now I can't ignore some facts and some things make more sense to me, but I'm glad i read the fever series first. Would this be redundant if I had read this one before? Because the truth is, what we know here seems to be unimportant in the great scheme of things, but in the other one is vital. This is quite the dichotomy.
Adam is a great character, I liked to see more about him, to see some of his fears and most of all, the decison he took in the end. Quite brave of him, but once again, I keep wondering, what if he were to have more power in what happens in the fever series? My mind starts to get fuzzy at this point lol
Apart from so many detailed sex scenes, there's nothing else I'd change in this novel...sometimes what is understood is more valuable than what we see.

Karen Marie Moning - The Dark Highlander

I am Dageus MacKeltar, a man with one good conscience and thirteen bad ones, driven to sate my darkest desires...

From his penthouse lair high above Manhattan, Dageus looks out over a glittering city that calls to the darkness within him. A sixteenth-century Scot trapped between worlds, he is fighting a losing battle with the thirteen Druids who possess his soul, dooming him to an eternity of sexual pursuit. When Chloe Zanders, student of antiquities, is drawn into his world, she finds the insatiable alpha male an irresistible lure.Before long, she is caught up in an ancient prophecy that will sweep her back into time to medieval Scotland. Plunged into a world of timeless magic and dark seduction, she will soon face the challenge of a lifetime: fighting thirteen evil spirits for the heart of one irresistible man....

Comment: I liked this book way more than the one before. I think the overall storyline was much better. I also think the scenes seemed more well done in this book, at least most of them didn't seem to have been "worked over", it makes the book look more fluid, like things run smoothly in this book. I think in part it's the storyline, and also the characters.
Dageus and Chloe are a couple that rings true, I think the chemestry between them was easier to believe than the one between Drustan and Gwen in the previous book.
One thing that really makes me think it's the small tidbits about fae, I mean I've read the other series the author has written and in there the focus is more on the story than romance, there's also writing differences, but the fae are portrayed in a certain way and some of the fae show up. I can't help but compare it and see how different it is. How is this, considering the two series cross in the other one and some things so important there (namely the fae court) seem almost inconsequential in this one?
I'll have to keep reading to see where this goes in this series.
Once again, I loved how some characters made an appearance again. I love seeing characters from older books, it doesn't seem the main characters live in a bubble with no else around, how strange is that? In this case, I liekd seeing some of them and enjoyed the story much more.
I'm happy with the way the HEA worked and will look forward to read Adam's story.

Karen marie Moning - Kiss of the Highlander

Enchanted by a powerful spell, Highland laird Drustan MacKeltar slumbered for nearly five centuries hidden deep in a cave until an unlikely savior awakened him. The enticing lass who dressed and spoke like no woman he'd ever known was from his distant future, where crumbled ruins were all that remained of his vanished world. Drustan knew he had to return to his own century if he was to save his people from a terrible fate. And he needed the bewitching woman by his side....

Gwen Cassidy had come to Scotland to shake up her humdrum life and, just maybe, meet a man. How could she have known that a tumble down a Highland ravine would send her plunging into an underground cavern--to land atop the most devastatingly seductive man she'd ever seen? Or that once he'd kissed her, he wouldn't let her go? Bound to Drustan by a passion stronger than time, Gwen is swept back to sixteenth-century Scotland, where a treacherous enemy plots against them ... and where a warrior with the power to change history will defy time itself for the woman he loves....

Comment: The 4th book in the author's highlander series. I've heard so many comments about this book and on how funny it was that I expecting something close to a comedy but I didn't find it that laughable. Anyway, the story follows Gwen in her quest to loose her virginity. Right away I got a bit mad, come on, like all virgins are in a lust eagerness out there...hum, but ok, this character was looking for it. Then she meets Drustan and things start to look interesting and I was devouring the book wanting to know more about his past and how he would end up in the future (which he did) and then things change and they go back to the past. I liked it a lot, I love to see characters from the present to go back and adjust to new rules, new settings...it's something I particularly like.
I won't tell spoilers but obviously things work out in the end and I'm looking for to lnow more about that family of his and especially more about the legends and the fae interections.
2 things I didn't like: The book ends up in the present/future, whatever. I prefer when they end up in the past or with the ability to travel, like it happened in the 3rd book.
Then Gwen's take on virginity, well, it's something that bothers me a lot, virgins in books have two options: they are por innocent girls ready for scoudrels to seduce or they want to get rid of the "burden".
I get that people can do and think that but what about all the others that are confortable being virgins and are in no rush to have sex? Yep, they have to suffer from some trauma... (rolling eyes).... well, I'd love to read a novel where the virgin girl just doesn't see the need to have sex with the guy in the first 5 pages...
Apart from these two (personal) critics, I liked the book and managed to put them away in my brain and enjoyed the book and can't wait to read the next one.

2 In 1: Going Twice

He was a mighty Scottish warrior who lived in a world bound by ancient laws and timeless magic. But no immortal powers could prepare the laird of Castle Brodie for the lovely accursed lass who stood before him. A terrible trick of fate had sent her 700 years back in time and into his private chamber to tempt him with her beauty--and seduce him with a desire he could never fulfill. For this woman he burned to possess was also the woman he had foresworn to destroy.
When Lisa felt the earth move under her feet, the fiercely independent 21st-century woman never dreamed she was falling...into another century. But the powerful, naked warrior who stood glaring down at her was only too real...and too dangerously arousing. Irresistibly handsome he might be, but Lisa had no intention of remaining in this savage land torn by treachery and war. How could she know that her seductive captor had other plans for her...plans that would save her from a tragic fate? Or that this man who had long ago forsaken love would defy time itself to claim her for his own....

Comment: Years ago I read the book before this one and I liked it. However, I started buying the following ones as translations, and only now I have them all, so this month starts the reading of the rest of this series.
This book was very romantic and a classic time-travel with lots of love and doubts and making peace and slow recongnition of true feelings. A seductive and addicting read. Who enjoys these types of books this one is a winner. In all the impossibilities I found the things happening having some kind of order and that made the book a good one to me. Nothing was too stupid to happen, even if it's all make-believe.
Like I said the romance was good and I liked seeing the beginnings of the legends and basis to the author's UF series as well.

Years ago, a young girl was beaten and raped while onlookers did nothing. Now those witnesses are becoming victims themselves...
Baltimore city Homicide Detective JD Fitzpatrick has seen a lot of horrific violence, both as a cop and during his deployment in Afghanistan, but nothing like the trail of tortured bodies turning up throughout the city. He's up against a brutal killer with a very personal vendetta, and JD is beginning to suspect that his medical examiner may be shielding some crucial evidence linked to the case.
Forensic pathologist Dr. Lucy Trask is intrigued by JD's compassion, but she isn't about to mix work with pleasure. Not while there's a ruthless killer on the loose. And definitely not while she's keeping a dark secret that could connect her to these vicious killings -- and put her next on the killer's hit list...

Comment: Another good suspense book by this author. I'm a fan of her work and I have all her books. I'll certainly keep reading. In this one I think we see the second most easy to understand villain (after the one in You Can't Hide) because the reasons why he does what he does are quite valid, he just chose a very bad way to see them honored. Like the song, I felt it "was a murder but not a crime". The romance was bold, interesting, different. Usually it's all very proper with this author but Lucy's and JD's love affair was quite refreshing. To bad we didn't find out JD's real name, or should I say, what his initials stand for. But the rest was almost perfect. This isn't my favourite of hers but it is very good.

Karen Marie Moning - Shadowfever

In Dreamfever, Karen Marie Moning has left listeners with the most heart-stopping cliff-hanger to date. Shadowfever will answer all the questions fans have been dying to know in the final chapter of MacKayla Lane's shockingly suspenseful and deeply satisfying adventure.

Comment: This book had a long time coming. I bet all the fans, the crazy ones I mean (in a healthy, nice way of course) were more than eager to read it.
I never was that crazy over the series. The first book was alright but didn't grab me that hard. But I was curious, especially after the cliffhanger in the end of Dreamfever.
I've read some reviews out there and the readers didn't like some things in the book. I won't compare anything, but to me, personally, the story had a logical path and ending.
Didn't the author say that she is planning on writing more about that world? Or the same theme at least? I fully expect that she answers what is missing... then. Perhaps I can think like this because I wasn't "in love" with the series.

Anyway, the story. Mac is desperate in the beginning, those pages were a bit hard to read because if we were to believe such worlds exist beyond our knowledge and we were the ones with that happening to us...how would we react?
There are many revelations in this book...who killed Alina, who is the really "bad" guy, the mystery of Barrons, why is Mac in all this...among other things. Some people also said that these things weren't really answered, just got complicated. Well, I felt some closure myself, granted there are things that if stated in a more firm way, more terminal, the reader would rest easier with that knowledge, but I think what we see is enough to explain things and still it remains some mystery, something to keep the story from just a novel, this way it keeps nagging even after the words "the end".

Besides, this has a HEA. I don't know how more "hardcore" fans took it, but I liked it. I really did. It wasn't overdone, and therefore destroying the character's behaviour in all the books, but it wasn't too fast that the reader couldn't enjoy it at last. It was cute, it brings hope and it made me happy.

All in all it was a good end to me. Perhaps it could have been better, in these things usually wveryone can think of better ways, more personal ways to see the end of a book, but to me it was good.
I don't like to grade the books I read because each one has a certain value to me and grading makes them labelled in a way, so...but from 0 to 20, I'd say this novel is a 16 to me. All things considered.