Shadowfever by
Karen Marie Moning
My rating:
5 of 5 stars
SUMMARY:
“Evil is a completely different creature, Mac. Evil is bad that believes it’s good.”
MacKayla Lane was just a child when she and her sister, Alina, were given up for adoption and banished from Ireland forever.
Twenty years later, Alina is dead and Mac has returned to the country that expelled them to hunt her sister’s murderer. But after discovering that she descends from a bloodline both gifted and cursed, Mac is plunged into a secret history: an ancient conflict between humans and immortals who have lived concealed among us for thousands of years.
What follows is a shocking chain of events with devastating consequences, and now Mac struggles to cope with grief while continuing her mission to acquire and control the Sinsar Dubh—a book of dark, forbidden magic scribed by the mythical Unseelie King, containing the power to create and destroy worlds.
In an epic battle between humans and Fae, the hunter becomes the hunted when the Sinsar Dubh turns on Mac and begins mowing a deadly path through those she loves.
Who can she turn to? Who can she trust? Who is the woman haunting her dreams? More important, who is Mac herself and what is the destiny she glimpses in the black and crimson designs of an ancient tarot card?
From the luxury of the Lord Master’s penthouse to the sordid depths of an Unseelie nightclub, from the erotic bed of her lover to the terrifying bed of the Unseelie King, Mac’s journey will force her to face the truth of her exile, and to make a choice that will either save the world . . . or destroy it.
WHAT I THOUGHT:
This book is EPIC. TOO MUCH GOING ON. SO MANY TWISTS and TURNS. COMPLICATED. Just when you thought things will end already, well they didn't, and it keeps on BRANCHING and SPREADING, REVEALING and UNVEILING SECRETS long been hidden. Gosh, I love every little REVELATION. In fact, this book could have been named "Revelation" too.
Shadowfever was called Shadowfever because everyone's lurking in their own SHADOW. Everyone has SECRETS, and these secrets end up with lots of TRUST issues.
The book began where Dreamfever ended. I couldn't breathe properly with the idea that Jericho Barrons is DEAD. To put it simply-I mourned with Mac. However, the situation made Mac be aware of her TRUE FEELINGS. Mac admitting that she can't live a world without Barrons drove me nuts! I admire her for getting her courage to stand up and find justice and revenge. Mac 5.0 really rose above every situation thrown at her. so proud of her! :) Reading on, I was suddenly lost and confused when I realized it was no longer Mac narrating but BARRONS! HA! I always knew he was going to live again, but I sure didn't expect that SOON.
I really was SURPRISED and STUNNED with the revelations. All my suspicions and guesses seem FUTILE. SERIOUSLY. First, I thought the only villain here was Darroc-from beginning to end. ENG! WRONG! That was a major whiplash for me. Darroc dying early in the story confounded me! I was hit with questions like "so, what now? how will the story continue??". I must applaud KAREN MARIE MONING for having so many INGENIOUS ideas. The story continues with their main problem-the Sinsar Dubh and many others ( YOU WOULDN'T EXPECT)
Again, Barrons saved Mac. I WAS SUPER HAPPY when FINALLY! Barrons' identity was SLOWLY disclosing! I didn't expect the "monster" inside him (as he was always described) was LITERAL. Anyway, the TENSION between Barrons and Mac was really INTENSE. I laughed out loud and there were lots of hilarious moments when Barrons got jealous it was very obvious but he was still sooo denying it! The way his throat rumbles or something,haha. Their silent CONVERSATIONS still appalls me! Imagine not being able to read minds, but BOTH of them sure read a lot between their conversations. Soon enough, they fall into their usual routine. BB&B's. CHESTER's. The Abbey. WHITE MANSION. For me, this is the BOOK where Mac and Barrons start to swallow their prides and they took a leap of faith of showing their true feelings. IT took a lot from BOTH of them. The circumstances and settings just aided, but pretty much they handled it well. I LOVE EVERY SCENE WHERE they argued and ending up revealing one or two things (feelings). MAC questioning her real Identity- seeking it, learning and testing and accepting her limits and amazingness. Mac learning the REAL BARRON. which led one thing to another, and next thing you know they were having endless sex again. gosh, those two just can't get enough of each other. made me CRAZY! (skipped other parts,haha). What made me happier was EVEN before their "honeymoon phase all over again", PEOPLE around them NOTICEd that they WANT each other. Barron's men do (there's a MAJOR ISSUE here), Mac's parents (jace and Rainey Lane are both amazing btw), the Abbey girls, the Scots , etc. I SOOO LOVE MAC AND BARRONS....
The last 150 pages of the book contained the important events. Turned out there were MORE villains. I always thought the highest climax can only be achieved with lots of actions. I was wrong because in this book,the ENDING was so STRETCHED and NOT IN A BAD WAY- the longest ENDING i've ever read in fact...So many ILLUSIONS and LIES uncovered. Just when you thought the problem's been resolved, another speaks, another situation. it OVERWHELMED ME. made me GAGA. the COMPLICATIONS NEVER ENDED. Until I thought there are 10 more pages left, SERIOUSLY, THIS SHOULD BE THE END ALREADY. HAHA. the ENDING SENT ME TUMBLING DOWN THE ROAD, SKIP PAST, JUGGLE WITH FIRE, FLY HIGH IN THE SKY, THROWING MYSELF IN THE AIR LIKE A GYMNAST! I was so HIGH and ELATEd! All problems solved. CASE closed.
P.S. > I appreciate Moning's acknowledging "reality" effect in the story. All things can't just return to the way it was. it was a PERFECTLY FLAWED ending!
"Or NOT"(the ending, I mean) :)
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