Bloodfever by Karen Marie Moning (Fever #2)

Genres: Adult, Urban Fantasy
Publication Date: October 16th 2007
POV: Female - First-person, Past tense
Smut-O-Meter: 2 out of 10
My Rating: 2 out of 5

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I used to think my sister and I were just two nice southern girls who’d get married in a few years and settle down to a quiet life. Then I discovered that Alina and I descend, not from good wholesome southern stock, but from an ancient Celtic bloodline of powerful sidhe-seers, people who can see the Fae. Not only can I see the terrifying otherworldly race, but I can sense the sacred Fae relics that hold the deadliest of their magic.

When my sister was found dead in a trash-filled alley in Dublin, I came over to get answers. Now all I want is revenge. And after everything I’ve learned about myself, I know I have the power to get it….

MacKayla Lane’s ordinary life underwent a complete makeover when she landed on Ireland’s shores and was plunged into a world of deadly sorcery and ancient secrets.

In her fight to stay alive, Mac must find the Sinsar Dubh–a million-year-old book of the blackest magic imaginable, which holds the key to power over both the worlds of the Fae and of Man. Pursued by Fae assassins, surrounded by mysterious figures she knows she cannot trust, Mac finds herself torn between two deadly and irresistible men: V’lane, the insatiable Fae who can turn sensual arousal into an obsession for any woman, and the ever-inscrutable Jericho Barrons, a man as alluring as he is mysterious.

For centuries the shadowy realm of the Fae has coexisted with that of humans. Now the walls between the two are coming down, and Mac is the only thing that stands between them.

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I was already annoyed after book 1 that not enough had happened. Mac had made no progress on any of the things she was trying to accomplish. And now, after the second book, she still has not accomplished anything. She hasn't discovered her sister's killer. She hasn't found the Sinsar Dubh. She hasn't discovered who she can trust. And now I am F%#@ING furious!

I still love Mac and think she has only become more interesting as she becomes practically a different person. If only the story was different. If only the things that she is forced to go through were more relevant and that things would move faster, this would be great. The world and protag are good, and the writing has gotten better. Although Mac's stupid "rightie-leftie" ridiculousness was really starting to grate on me.

I just don't care about the story or Barrons at all. I don't find anything about Barrons attractive, and the unbelievably slow pace at which we get to know him is beyond unacceptable. As far as I am concerned he is a jackass. I just couldn't give a damn at this point and I will not read who knows how many more books just to find out what happens.

I said in my review for book 1 that there was zero romance. Z.E.R.O. There wasn't really in this one either. Mac never thinks of Barrons in a romantic way and never even shows any sign of being attracted to him, except once when she said he looked hot when he laughed. It was the first time she had ever seen him laugh so it had surprised her. There is also one part later in the book when Mac is sort of freaking out and high on violence and Barrons kisses her and she kissed him back. I think the violence had turned him on. This still does not cause Mac to have any sort of romantic thoughts about him. Afterwards its like it never happened. It doesn't change their relationship at all. So if you are looking for romance I really suggest you look somewhere else. I looked into what happens later in the series and none of it sounds very promising. This series seems to be way more story-driven than romance or character driven. Too bad I don't think the story is good enough to carry the series. But a lot of people clearly do, so I think fans of Urban Fantasy are the best bet for enjoying this.

This is the second majorly popular adult PNR series I have read and not gotten past book 2. The other was Night Huntress. I am not really sure which was worse since the things I hated about them were different. I am not sure how they would balance out in the end. I hated the hero in both fairly evenly, but I also hated the heroine in Night Huntress. More than the hero. But I did enjoy the story somewhat. A lot more than the story of Fever. I think they balance out pretty closely. I feel like I am playing Russian roulette when I read a popular series. Do I want to risk it again? I do. I know I will do it again. I still need to read Dark Lover and Night Pleasures. I am a glutton for punishment.

“One day you will kiss a man you can't breathe without, and find that breath is of little consequence.”

Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning (Fever #1)

Genres: Adult, Urban Fantasy
Publication Date: October 26th 2006
POV: Female - First-person, Past tense
Smut-O-Meter: 3 out of 10
My Rating: 3 out of 5

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MacKayla Lane’s life is good. She has great friends, a decent job, and a car that breaks down only 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….

As Mac delves deeper into the mystery of her sister’s death, her every move is shadowed by the dark, mysterious Jericho, a man with no past and only mockery for a future. As she begins to close in on the truth, the ruthless Vlane–an alpha Fae who makes sex an addiction for human women–closes in on her. And 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 the very fabric of both worlds in their hands...

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This wasn't really what I had been expecting. Its way more Urban Fantasy than Paranormal Romance. The story was interesting and the world easy to get into and understand. But I can tell that it is merely the introduction. The story didn't get too deep and didn't progress too far. Really, I am disappointed by the fact that this had no conclusion whatsoever. I am always a little upset by books that don't have the five-stage story structure. This book didn't solve anything. They didn't find the Sinsar Dubh. They didn't find Alina's killer. We didn't even learn a single thing about Barron. I don't think a main character should remain a mystery past the first book. It makes it hard to really care when you don't know who it is you're supposed to care about.

I really enjoyed MacKayla's character. She was amusing and lively, fun, honest, loyal, brave, and a girl. A girlie-girl, and I liked that. I am a girlie-girl. I like to look nice and I like to wear pink. My friends even half-heartedly make fun of me for always making them look bad. I always dress up even when we aren't going anywhere. I love how MacKayla proved that just because you like to look nice does not mean that you are a damsel or a wuss. Barrons was ok. He was definitely domineering, but that in itself is not hot. I know I hardly know him at this point so I cannot judge until I have read the next book. But at this point he is pretty dull, and if I have to wait longer than two books to get to know a character I will most definitely hold it against the series. I have already ordered book 2 and then after I finish that one I will reassess whether or not I will continue the series.

The cover on this book is extremely misleading. There are two seemingly naked people on the cover but there was zero romance in this book. Z. E. R. O. I gave this a 3/10 on the Smut-O-Meter only because one of the fey tried to rape MacKayla, not because of anything that happened between her and Barrons. This book has an average rating of 4.19 out of 76 000 readers, and I know that they can't all be wrong, but at this point I am doubtful. I rated this 3/5 because it had an interesting Urban Fantasy type story, but I was disappointed in everything that I was led to expect it to be. If I had heard nothing about this series before reading this I don't think I would have bothered continuing it. Sure, book 1 was interesting, but I don't like things that are drawn out too much, and with no conclusion to this one I may not have bothered. It makes me wonder how this became popular when it was new and no one knew that it would be worth waiting for.

"Why, Ms. Lane, do you look like a perky rainbow?”

The Iron Traitor by Julie Kagawa (The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten #2)

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Adventure, Romance
Publication Date: October 29th 2013
POV: Male - First-person, Past tense
My Rating: 5 out of 5

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In the real world, when you vanish into thin air for a week, people tend to notice.

After his unexpected journey into the lands of the fey, Ethan Chase just wants to get back to normal. Well, as normal as you can be when you see faeries every day of your life. Suddenly the former loner with the bad reputation has someone to try for; his girlfriend, Kenzie. Never mind that he's forbidden to see her again.

But when your name is Ethan Chase and your sister is one of the most powerful faeries in the Nevernever, normal simply isn't to be. For Ethan's nephew, Keirran, is missing, and may be on the verge of doing something unthinkable in the name of saving his own love. Something that will fracture the human and faery worlds forever, and give rise to the dangerous fey known as the Forgotten. As Ethan's and Keirran's fates entwine and Keirran slips further into darkness, Ethan's next choice may decide the fate of them all.

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This book thoroughly exceeded my expectations. I loved The Lost Prince, but I think it was still missing something that the original four Iron Fey books had. I didn't even give Julie Kagawa's Blood of Eden books 5-stars. I enjoy them but they don't even come close to how much I love The Iron Fey. But The Iron Traitor has everything that I ever loved about The Iron Fey.

The sense of adventure and of being on a mission was very strong in this book. Every step they took had a purpose. The story didn't wander around at all. Even if Ethan didn't always agree with their mission's purpose, and even if they failed in the end, it still took them somewhere important.

I really enjoyed getting to know all the characters better in this book, even Ethan. He was the MC so we got to know him pretty well in book 1, but I am more impressed with him now; with how loyal he is to Keirran despite everything (I don't know about after the ending, but we'll see), with how he treats Kenzie. The amount of romance was increased quite a bit from book 1. Ethan may be an asshole to most people, but he is really a wonderful person inside who will always be there for you. Kenzie is pretty badass, and yeah, she reminds me of Meghan. Annwyl is a sweetheart and I can't blame Keirran for falling in love with her. I hope to see more of her in the future. 

Then there is Keirran. *sigh* Keirran, Keirran. What can I say about you? Keirran is just what you would imagine the son of Meghan and Ash to be like. He is polite, kind, loyal, brave, fierce, unstoppable, loves passionately, and he is totally hot. Whatever is happening to him, I can't hold it against him. I feel so sorry for him, and afraid for him. I don't know what is happening to him, but it can't be the amulet that is stealing his soul, since he was acting strangely since book 1 when he did not save Ethan from the Forgotten. Although, perhaps the amulet is making it worse. It could have something to do with his parentage. The curse of crossbreeding Fae. It reminds me of Perry's family's curse in Under the Never Sky. I love Keirran and Ethan both for different reasons, and I can't really say which I prefer, but I really hope everything turns out ok for both of them in the end.

I love the fact that Ethan has developed his own group of friends and companions with their own strengths and resources, and he doesn't have to rely on his sister. But I also love the fact that Meghan and her friends are still around and willing to help if they are needed. Meghan wasn't in it too much, but I loved seeing Ash, especially in his role as a father. When he told Keirran that he understood how he felt, how he needed to do anything to save Annwyl, I nearly cried. Grimalkin was...well, Grimalkin. But Puck was in this the most out of the old characters and he was great. I couldn't help but smile the whole time he was around. And he risked his neck for Meghan's brother and son on more than one occasion. I can't help but wonder if he still loves her, or if he is just doing it for a friend. 

"I never make things worse," Puck replied. "I make things more interesting.”

The result of all of this is an incredible addition to The Iron Fey saga that did not disappoint me in the slightest and I cannot wait for book 3. I dont know if it will be the last in the series, but if it is, well, my heart is racing just at the anticipation of all that is going to happen in the book. I'm sure it will blow my mind!

The Sharpest Blade by Sandy Williams (Shadow Reader #3)

Genres: Adult, Urban Fantasy, Romance
Publication Date: December 31st 2013
POV: Female - First-person, Present tense
Smut-O-Meter: 5 out of 10
My Rating: 4 out of 5

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Torn between two worlds.
Torn between two lives.

McKenzie Lewis’s ability to read the shadows has put her—and …those she loves—in harm’s way again and again. The violence must end, but will the cost of peace be more devastating than anyone ever imagined?

After ten years of turmoil, the life McKenzie has always longed for may finally be within her grasp. No one is swinging a sword at her head or asking her to track the fae, and she finally has a regular—albeit boring—job. But when a ruthless enemy strikes against her friends, McKenzie abandons her attempt at normalcy and rushes back to the Realm.

With the fae she loves and the fae she’s tied to pulling her in different directions, McKenzie must uncover the truth behind the war and accept the painful sacrifices that must be made to end it. Armed with dangerous secrets and with powerful allies at her side, her actions will either rip the Realm apart—or save it.

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This was the final installment of this amazing series, and it was a great way to go. This series has always been non-stop action and thrills, with dozens of characters and constant changing of settings. So much is going, like an Urban Fantasy. But with the amount of romance in it, it also feels like a PNR.

I love McKenzie as a heroine. She held her own against the fae. She couldn't beat them in a fight, but she could keep her wits about her, and she was never afraid to do what she had to for the fae she sided with. But her number one trait, is the fact that she made a decision in regards to the love-triangle at the end of book 1, and she never went back. She never regretted it. She never even bent a little bit. Even though she may have loved them both once, she will never betray the one that she chose to love now. More YA heroines need to be like her.

I informed readers in my first two reviews that although this is an adult series, there is no objectionable material for younger readers besides a few F-bombs. But this book is the first in the series to have a sex scene, although it remains fairly clean, being described in the vaguest of terms. But it does not fade to black.

I love this fae world and the idea of shadow readers and the fae powers. It was a combination of the familiar fae world and the new. Basically, I feel the exact same about this book as I did the first two in the series. Either of my other reviews could be applied to this one. I highly recommend this book to fans of fae, strong heroines, and action-packed romance.

“...between two rapid beats of my heart, someone else's breaks.”

Lust by Charlotte Featherstone (The Sins and The Virtues #1)

Genres: Adult, Historical Fiction, Paranormal, Romance
Publication Date: January 18th 2011
POV: Alternating - Third-person, Past tense
Smut-O-Meter: 7 out of 10
My Rating: 4 out of 5

 

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Of old, humans and Faeries have dwelt side by side in parallel realms. Only the canniest mortals recognize the alluring creatures that often walk--and lie--among them.

The Fae of the Seelie Court cherish an ancient quarrel with their Dark counterparts: a curse born of anger and deceit. The Unseelie Court will perish unless one of its princes can win a woman's love--honestly, without coercion...and love her wholly in return.

To halt the demise of his people, Prince Thane, the embodiment of Lust, infiltrates the Georgian court to seduce his mortal inverse. Noblewoman Chastity Lennox is purity incarnate--a prize worth winning. But Thane's quest is more challenging than he dreamed.

No one has ever been able to resist his erotic charms. Chastity's resolve is maddening...and intriguing. It makes him want her all the more. But how to seduce one who seems above temptation? Discover her greatest weakness and become the essence of her deepest, most forbidden desires...

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I really enjoyed the concept behind this, but some parts were a bit sloppy so I would give it 3.5/5. Chastity seemed to be constantly confused about who Thane was. Half the time it seemed that she knew he was a fey and that he was the stranger in the maze, but other times she didn't. And when he fully revealed his identity to her she seemed shocked while I would have sworn she already knew. It was pretty confusing.

"...fate drove me to you.”

 
I also didn't really enjoy how vulgar it was at times. I don't mind erotica, but this was not always portrayed as elegantly as it could have been. I agree with another reviewer, that the cover image of Thane is not hot enough, and they posted a picture of what they imagined him to look like. But I didn't really agree with their image any more than the cover. So here is mine.

But I totally love the concept of the seven cardinal sins being embodied by seven Unseelie fey princes who need to find the mortal woman who embodies their opposing virtue in order to break their curse. Its fascinating and incredibly original. I loved the other princes that we met and I cannot wait to read their stories, especially Kian and Niall. I really hope Charlotte Featherstone gets around to writing them. Since she is taking a break from writing I don't know when, if ever, the rest of the series will be released.

He felt and heard that voice tremble inside her, replaced the rational voice she allowed to go unchecked. 'He could break me, hurt me, dominate me'. 

"Not break. Not hurt." he murmured as he raised a hand to her cheek and smoothed his fingers down its softness, "But dominate you? Yes. Master you? yes. Make you yield to what you want, make you surrender to who you truly are? Yes.”

Coexist by Julia Crane (Keegan's Chronicles #1)

Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Publication Date: June 10th 2011
POV: Alternating - Third-person, Past tense
My Rating: 3 out of 5

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Sixteen-year-old Keegan is struggling to keep her huge secret from her friends--she's an elf, descended from a long line of elves that live in secrecy alongside humans.

In elfin society, mates are predetermined but not allowed to meet until they are eighteen. Against tradition, Keegan's brother Thaddeus told her Rourk's name because his visions warned him she'd need Rourk's protection, especially since Keegan will play a key role in the coming war between the dark and light elves.

Rourk finds himself drawn to Keegan's side every time she thinks his name. He wants to talk to her but remains in the shadows, silently guarding her every time she mentally beckons him. A twist of fate thrusts the two of them together when Rourk is forced to step up his protection and make his presence known.

An ancient prophecy deeply entwines Keegan's family and the future of their society. Somehow they must find a way to thwart fate and win the battle...without losing Keegan. With war brewing, and dark forces aligning, will Keegan and Rourk ever have the life together that they both desire?

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This book was a bit disappointing. The romance was way too easy. It was 100% insta-love. Keegan is an elf, and elves have soulmates that they meet when they turn 18. But Keegan is only 16 and she is having trouble waiting. Also, her brother is a seer, and he told her her soulmate's name is Rourk. Because of their bond, whenever Keegan thinks Rourk's name, he knows. Elf soulmates have a semi-telepathic link. And Keegan's father is the military leader of the elves and gave Rourk permission to guard Keegan even though they are not yet 18. He watches her all the time and keeps her safe. I think he loves her even though they have not met yet in the beginning of the book. The first chapter is from Rourk's POV and he is watching her in the woods as she does her photography. The way he so tenderly describes her makes me think that he already loves her, not only because of their insta-love connection.

Keegan has never met Rourk yet and doesn't even know what he looks like. But when she is attacked at a concert he makes himself known to save her and the second Keegan sees him she knows he is the one. Insta-love. Rourk was not given permission to make contact, so they don't speak. Later, when they officially meet for the firs time, they kiss immediately, before even speaking, and from that moment on their love is a fact and nothing needs to be proven. They are never alone so they just talk about boring stuff in the presence of her parents and have no tender "getting to know each other" moments. Keegan asks him his favourite colour and other boring questions like that, but that is not what matters in a relationship. The romance was so simple and easy that it was dull. The process of falling in love is the best part and they totally skipped it.

But in the end, Keegan has an accident and all her memories of Rourk, as well as her soulmate connection to him, are erased. When she sees him she feels nothing like she did when she saw him the first time. He no longer knows when she thinks his name, and is no longer able to know where she is at all times, as he could before. So this gives the second book a lot of opportunity to make up for what it lacked in the first. In the end, Rourk is determined to win Keegan the old fashioned way. Their love will now be tried and tested and hopefully be proven true.

Although there is a little hiccup. Keegan was always a little boy crazy. She knew she would meet her soulmate when she was 18 but she saw nothing wrong with dating other guys in the meantime. And she was only 16 so she thought she would have awhile. There was a guy that she liked, Donald, but he refused to go out with her because he liked her too much and didn't want to set himself up to get hurt, because he knew she would forget all about him as soon as she met her soulmate. Now that she has forgotten all about Rourk, she is thinking about Donald again. And Donald knows that her connection to Rourk has been broken so he will most likely take advantage of the situation by pursuing Keegan, and messing things up for Rourk.

Aside from the romance, another thing I thought was lacking was the world building, which was almost non-existent. Although the main conflict of this book was resolved in the end, and I have no idea if the next book, Conflicted, will have a new conflict or if it will just be about the newly formed love-triangle, I will still be reading it. I really like Rourk and I want to see him woo his girl.

“Rourk didn't even know her name, but he knew he’d never seen anyone so magnificent in his life. Her wavy hair glistened in the sunlight. She had a delicate, round face with large, blue-green eyes and full lips. With her cheeks flushed from the cold fall air, she reminded him of a porcelain doll. He knew that her looks deceived; her bold, daring eyes gave her away. She constantly observed her surroundings. Rourk smiled to himself; soon they would be together.”

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa (The Iron Fey #4)

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Adventure, Romance 
My Rating: 4 out of 5

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My name - my True Name - is Ashallayn’ darkmyr Tallyn. I am the last remaining son of Mab, Queen of the Unseelie Court. And I am dead to her. My fall began, as many stories do, with a girl…

To cold faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.

Then Meghan Chase - a half human, half fey slip of a girl - smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.

With the unwelcome company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end - a quest to find a way to honor his vow to stand by Meghan's side.

To survive in the Iron Realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. And along the way Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

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The adventure and humour in this are as great as ever, with so many favourite characters back, and some new ones. But I think this suffered a bit for not having Meghan. She was in only two scenes, both of which were great of course, but it wasnt the same without her. More importantly, Ash wasnt the same without her. I really missed the super sweet things he always said to her that made my heart race. My heart did no racing while reading this one. There was no space for romance with a missing Meghan. The ending was perfect though, so that's what really matters. Pretty much everything I would have wanted in an ending is what we got, minus Ash's ambiguous condition.

This is still my favourite series ever, but this would probably be my least favourite of the four. But I hope to reread them soon since I dont remember The Iron King as well as the others. I wasnt really disappointed though since the book is totally awesome. I just put more emphasis on romance than most people.

And I really didnt enjoy the tests, especially chapter 19 and 20. I knew they werent real but they were still so sad and I dont know why Julie felt like she had to put us through that. She could have made it much more brief and much more like a test. I am very glad that is not how things turned out, but it still left a little bit of doubt in me that I dont want to have.

I was surprised to read in the interview included at the end of the book, that Julie Kagawa prefers tragic endings, but her publisher insisted that Ash and Meghan be together in the end. OMG thank goodness! If not for her publisher I may have died! But now I am a little worried about Julie's two other series. I hope her publisher is super stubborn.

“I have come from the End of the World. From the River of Dreams, through the gauntlet and the Briar and the Deep Wyld, in order to stand before you today. I have but one request—to take my place at your side. To resume my duty as your knight, and to protect you and your kingdom for as long as I draw breath.”