Bloodfever by Karen Marie Moning

'"I used to be your average, everyday girl, but all that changed one night in Dublin when I saw my first Fae and got dragged into a world of deadly immortals and ancient secrets...."

In her fight to stay alive, MacKayla must find the Sinsar Dubh - a million-year-old book of the blackest magic imaginable, which holds the key to power over the worlds of both the Fae and Man.  Pursued by assassins, surrounded by mysterious figures she knows she can't trust, Mac finds herself torn between two deadly and powerful men: V'lane, the immortal Fae Prince, and Jericho Barrons, a man as irresistible as he is dangerous.

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.'

I (for the most part) really liked book one of the Fever series, Darkfever [review]. But it was more for it's addictive feel and potential for greatness in the rest of the series that held me firmly in its grasp. Bloodfever sees the start of that potential realised. Mac is changing, growing from that kind of spoiled, shallow Southern girl in to someone who can keep herself alive in a world where Fae are constantly trying to kill her. Or, at least try and keep herself alive. She's still got a long way to go.

I found Mac much easier to like in Bloodfever than I did Darkfever. Her continual growth impresses me as much as it makes me like her more. She can be selfish at times, but she doesn't pretend to be otherwise. She knows it and admits it. She screws up, she doesn't trust people when maybe she should, she assumes a lot of things when sometimes she shouldn't. But she doesn't pretend to be someone she's not. I find her oddly refreshing and thoroughly entertaining. I completely adore the growing chemistry between Mac and Barrons. The way they play off each other is exquisite at times, in a very brash, in your face kind of way. I kept finding myself wishing for more of them together on the page because most of the very best moments of the book are the two of them together, whether they're agreeing about something, fighting with each other, fighting other things, doesn't matter. The two of them together are just fantastic reading!

Bloodfever is a great continuation of the story started in Darkfever. There is further exploration of the world Mac's found herself in, more and more questions popping up that I desperately want answered. And yet, the lack of true information is something I'm loving. I can't for the life of me figure out where this series is really heading (aside from a war between the Fae and humans). Specifics are constantly twisting and turning offering many different possibilities. Nothing is what it seems. And Barrons! Dammit, I want to know who and what he is as badly as Mac does! I thoroughly enjoy the way he always calls her 'Ms. Lane' so formal and distant and...I don't know, but I love his character and my curiosity about him is growing with each page he features on. The Fae creatures continue to make me shiver in fear and V'lane...well, V'lane scares me more than the rest because he comes across as a 'good' guy and I can't begin to believe that that's true.


Really great read! So addictive and engaging. It's better than Darkfever and still promises that there is a lot more to come from this series. The ending was very dark and intense and left me begging for more! If you've not started this series, do because it's already a new favourite for me and with two books still to go, I'm already anxious for the final book, Shadowfever, which releases January 18th 2011.


Rating: 9/10