Review: Bloodfever by Karen Marie Moning

Title: Bloodfever
Author: Karen Marie Moning

Series: Fever #2

Pages: 337

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Source: Library

Goodreads Description:
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.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....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.

One thing I enjoyed about this book is that a ton of character development takes place. I loved that Mac seems a little less of a ditsy blond girly-girl. She seems much more grown up and edgy, which really makes me enjoy her character a lot more than in the first book. Her grief for Alina is still a little cold, but I can feel her pain a little more which makes Mac that much more appealing. She isn't the pretty pink princess that she used to be, but she is still true to herself.  It does bug me that she is so dis-trusting of everyone, but I can understand the reasons behind it. I want to put all of my trust in Barrons...or even V'lane, but I just can't do it. There are so many twists and turns and betrayals with both of the men that I just don't know who to put my faith in...just like Mac. Despite having 2 men in her life...well maybe more...there is no angsty love triangle, a fact for which I am eternally grateful. I really enjoyed the expansion of Mac and Barron's relationship, though he was pretty much as irritating and just plain frustrating as ever.He is SO pushy...I can't stand how infuriating he is by demanding obedience (ish) from Mac without giving her a solid reason to trust him. Seriously, it's like the more I learn about him, the less I know. Is he fae? Unseelie perhaps? Is he a relative of the shades that he can walk by unharmed while no one else can? I just don't know. I almost NEVER am totally in the dark when it comes to a main character so I find this rather intriguing and it definitely makes me want to read more of the series just to get the inside scoop on Barrons. 

Dani was another interesting character addition. She's "fecking" awesome! I wasn't really sure how to feel about her at first but she is growing on me more and more. You can really see her youth and vulnerability, but at the same time she has a hardness to her that really sticks in the mind. I like that two of the most powerful characters in the series are women, and not only women, but a girl of 14 and a girl of 22. Yeah younger generation! It's also cool to have Dani there, because this is an adult novel, and rarely does an adult novel feature main characters who are young. 

Although the character development was fantastic, there was a lot to be desired plot wise. I almost felt like nothing happened at all during Bloodfever, except at the very end there was an explosion of action. The majority of the beginning and middle part was spent learing about who Mac is and what her powers are. I loved that the world is more tangible and believable because of all the additions, but I was kind of floundering because of the lack of cool fight scenes. (so sue me, I'm an adrenaline junkie who likes reading about blood and guts...) And yet, I still really enjoyed the book. It didn't need the extra action just to get you through it. You wanted to keep reading to find out more about the history of this world and the characters that Moning created. It is definitely not a stand alone novel. You must have read the first one to get into this one, and the ending leaves you with more questions than answers.

Another great thing about this series is the vivid and fantastic imagery that Moning uses to bring the fae to life. The description when Mac eats the Unseelie? Holy.Effing.Gross. Seriously, the thought of putting anything in my mouth that is still alive and wriggling disgusts me, so add in festering pustules that pop and spew nastyness everywhere and I am pretty much gagging in my big comfy arm-chair. I was seriously so grossed out that I had to stop eating the chocolate chip cookies I had been snacking on...and believe me...they were good cookies.

I give Bloodfever 4 Keys. I am a lot more invested in this world after the second book, but I seem to be having a love/hate feeling towards it. I hate cliffhangers and it seems like that is Ms. Moning's favorite way to end a book. I also can't decide if Barron's cockyness and dominance is hot or just downright irritating. I can tell you that if he tried to pull some stuff on me that he pulled on Mac, I would have beat his face in with one of his own books.

Favorite Quotes:

V'lane- "I want us to be...what is your word... Friends." 
Mac-"Psychotic rapists don't have friends." 
V'lane-"I was unaware that you were a psychotic rapist or I would not have offered." 


"I was about to look away when he reached across the seat, touched my jaw with his long, strong, beautiful fingers, and caressed my face. Being touched by Jericho Barrons with kindness makes you feel like you must be the most special person in the world. It's like walking up to the biggest, most savage lion in the jungle, lying down, placing your head in its mouth and, rather than taking your life, it licks and purrs you."


"Was he a good kisser, Ms. Lane?" Barrons asked, watching me carefully. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand at the memory.
"It was like being owned."
"Some women like that"
"Not me"
"Perhaps it depends on the man doing the owning."
"I doubt it. I couldn't breathe with him kissing me."
"One day you may kiss a man you can't breathe without, and find breath is of little consequence."
"Right, and one day my prince might come."
"I doubt he'll be a prince, Ms. Lane. Men rarely  are.