Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning

I have discovered a lovely new paranormal/urban fantasy book series to devour! The Fever series by Karen Marie Moning has a lot in common with some of my other favorite leading ladies, Mercy Thompson & Faythe Sanders, because she herself is not technically human & she fights things (completely against her will) that definitely aren't human. Yet she is totally rocking! And while, just like the Shifters series, it is technically considered a "romance" book, so far there is more action & adventure than sheet-romping. Without further adieu, I give you Darkfever.

MacKayla Lane has a very easy going life. Pool lounging & occasional classes by day & bar tending at night have afforded her that luxury. While living at home still, she does have greater aspirations for her life. They may not be as high as those of her currently-studying-in-Ireland sister Alina, but Mac can hold her own. Her sun kissed world is shattered though when the Irish police call to inform Mac & her currently-on-an-extended-vacation parents that Alina has been murdered.

At first Mac, like any caring soul, is blinded by grief, though that doesn't last long. When she finally receives a perplexing & mysterious voicemail from her sister the day she died. This settles Mac's mind to travel to Ireland & help the police hunt down Alina's killer. Fortunately while living at home she has been able to save up quite a little nest egg & will make it on her own. Despite the police labeling this a "no leads" case (meaning they have no evidence, witness, or even a suspect), Mac is determined to see justice brought forth on Alina's behalf. At first Mac spends a lot of time orienting herself, analyzing just how far her money will get her & what she needs to do to accomplish her goal; but weird things keep happening to her. She seems to suffer from double-visions as well as having a knack for getting in trouble with little old Irish ladies. They keep telling her not to give herself away & to have some survival instincts.

It's not until she meets Jericho Barrons that she realizes just what she is supposed to be surviving. Barrons reluctantly ushers her into a world of fae, magic, & danger. A long-standing member of this society, Barrons really just wants to use Mac to further his own pursuits & thwart those who in competition with him. When Mac finally relinquishes her death grip on everything she has held to be true. There really are things that go bump in the night... and she has to fight with them to get the justice that Alina deserves.

This was a captivating read! I was sold from the very beginning, not just for the characters, but for the writing as well. Karen Moning has a way with words that really allows the reader to develop their own sense of place & purpose. She does not spell every little thing out for you, but she'll give you just enough to allow you to formulate your own understanding. That being said, Mac & Barrons are such demanding characters! Their interactions are much along the same lines of some other great "partnerships" I could list (Booth & Bones, Mulder & Scully, etc) & really display their personalities in an amusing light.

The story itself was equal parts fascinating & frightening. There was enough gaiety to help counterbalance the fae doom & gloom. Rest assured that these are NOT your average fae. They are meaner than many that I have encountered in books recently & that probably has to do with the fact that the cute, helpful fae are few & far between. The "worst" part is that there is a sexual element to these fae that I haven't really seen addressed even in the adult realm. Think about what happens when you ask a fae for a favor & the consequences that brings & you're along the same lines. Maybe I just haven't read enough. Also, the descriptions of these creatures sent shivers down my spine & really made me feel the same things as the main character. If that's not a resounding endorsement for quality writing, then I don't know what to tell you.

If this is your thing, then add the Fever series to your TBR pile. Happy reading!

Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning

Waiting on Wednesday: Glimmerglass

Waiting on Wednesday recognizes that we as bookies pine for books. This post is about what I am impatiently waiting for right now. It was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This week's selection is Glimmerglass by Jenna Black and it's set to hit stores May 25th.

Dana Hathaway doesn’t know it yet, but she’s in big trouble. When her alcoholic mom shows up at her voice recital drunk, Dana decides she’s had it with being her mother’s keeper, so she packs her bags and heads to stay with her mysterious father in Avalon: the only place on Earth where the regular, everyday world and the magical world of Faerie intersect. But from the moment Dana sets foot in Avalon, everything goes wrong, for it turns out she isn't just an ordinary teenage girl—she's a Faeriewalker, a rare individual who can travel between both worlds, and who can bring magic into the human world and technology into Faerie.

Soon, she finds herself tangled up in a cutthroat game of Fae politics. Someone's trying to kill her, and everyone wants something from her, even her newfound friends and family. Suddenly, life with her alcoholic mom doesn't sound half bad, and Dana would do anything to escape Avalon and get back home. Too bad both her friends and her enemies alike are determined not to let her go . . .

From Goodreads

Faerie books can be very predictable and I'm kind of excited to see how this one will turn out. It kind of sounds like 13 Treasures (which I rather liked) and I hope it can live up to that comparison. Dana has the potential to be a very strong character, maybe a little power-drunk at times, and I'm looking forward to seeing which path she chooses. So, what are you waiting on?

Waiting on Wednesday: Glimmerglass

13 Treasures by Michelle Harrison

Tanya has seen the fairies her whole life and they've never been very kind to her. They have teased her and tormented her because she is the only person, that she knows of, who can see them and they don't take kindly to being exposed. After months of questionable incidents that have caused injuries to Tanya, and that she has had to explain away, her mother has had enough. Tanya is sent to her grandmother's estate to work out her "issues" while her mother takes a break in their home in London.

Not in the least thrilled about being banished to the boring countryside with her stand-offish grandmother, Tanya is determined to make the best of her situation for as long as she can. The estate has fallen into disrepair as time has gone on. Very little of the house is used anymore as there are only four human inhabitants that live there. Florence (Tanya's grandmother), Warwick (the current groundskeeper), Warwick's father Amos (the now insane, former groundskeeper) and Warwick's son Fabian all share the space, unknowingly with several fairie creatures who love to cause mischief. As Tanya is the only one who can see these creatures, she does her best not to anger them and stay out of their way. Unfortunately it's not enough.

As Fabian and Tanya begin to explore the more closed off portions of the estate, they make some interesting finds: secret passageways (and not just the servant kind), blocked off rooms, and forgotten promises. The house isn't the only thing hiding secrets though. When the two become lost in the woods while chasing Tanya's dog Oberon, they stumble upon a young girl with her own secrets. And her secrets are the dangerous sort that people never recover from.

This was a classical fairy tale, complete with English backdrop, in which a girl can see fairies, but other cannot and she must work within her bounds to make it through whatever crisis crops up. The descriptions of the creatures were so detailed, without being boring, that I could actually imagine them climbing off the page! Most of the characters were well-defined as well. The reader catches glimpses of each character throughout the story that start to put them in context and round them out, again without being over-detailed and dragging on.

The plot was intriguing enough to move the story along, but not so in-depth and convoluted that it was hard to follow. I'll admit that many "mysteries" were quite obvious to the reader and I really had to suspend my belief that anyone could be that dim-witted, but for the most part it was fascinating to watch the kids put the pieces together. There was only one character who made sense in the end, but when she's first introduced seems very mismatched with the surroundings. I let the explanation for her existence go and just enjoyed the story.

This was a fun, fast read with just enough mystery and intrigue to keep the reader engaged throughout the whole story. If you prefer more traditional fairies to the urban fey of current popularity, then this book is just right for you. I think everyone should at least give it a shot!

13 Treasures by Michelle Harrison

Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore

Nimira is a trouser girl. Not many people think much of these talented singer/dancers anymore. Once they were the highlight of the night life and quite well respected, at least in Nimira's home country. Those days are sadly long gone and Nimira has been forced to perform in a seedy night show routine at a dirty bar. Until the night that Mr. Parry shows up and informs her that he is in need of a singer to duet with his piano-playing automaton.

At first Nimira is reluctant to leave the familiarity of her current troupe, but she determines that there is very little really keeping her there. So she packs up her meager belongings, mostly heirloom items that her mother made, and heads out to meet the mysterious Mr. Parry. After a long and bumpy road they arrive at his estate; and what an estate it is! There are multiple floors, more rooms than she can count, and a library to rival anything she's ever seen.

Unfortunately that's not all it comes with. There is talk of other girls who ran away claiming that the automaton was alive and a nefarious house maid who doesn't like Nimira from the moment she set foot in the house. Nimira decides to put all that aside and just do as she is being well-paid to do. Only when she beings practicing with the automaton does she begin to believe that the stories are true.

His name is Erris and he suffers through a terrible existence. A soul trapped in mechanical armor, all he wants is some company. After establishing a communication system with Nimira, Erris starts to tell his story and ask for help. Only, since nothing can ever goes as planned in these stories, they are continually interrupted by the sketchy Head of the Sorcerer's Council. He has taken a keen interest in Erris and is determined to get to the bottom of the situation and rid of Nimira.

This book was quite an adventure. You could tell that it was set in a fantasy world as it speaks of fairies and "far off lands" but it wasn't a major plot point. It was almost as if I was reading a story taking place in a foreign country more than one in a separate system or universe. This was a very easy and pleasant read. Nimira was a bit flighty for my tastes; one minute she was being a good girl and following orders, the next she was defying everything and everyone and being her own person. I felt she could have been a touch more independent, but I think her hesitance was intentional. Mr. Parry, her benefactor, was a likable enough guy, but his actions were very opposite of her personality. Erris was well-played. His personality and reactions were right on the mark for what was to be expected for his character.

The overarching storyline was fairly interesting. The fact that a "nobody" kind of girl could free a soul trapped in a metal body and then take on a powerful sorcerer made this a fantastic read. I felt so drawn to Nimira and her plight. I felt like I really was there, rooting for her. The plot was a little heavy handed and seemed to jump around a bit, but when you consider that this is a debut novel, I can overlook somethings. Most of all I liked how the ending left off. It was an ending befitting a single book or the beginning of a series. It was a great way to leave it. Overall I really enjoyed this book. It wasn't the best book ever, but it was decent. Let me know what you think if you've read it.

Oh and one last thing. This is the new cover:
All I can say is that I LOVE IT! It is so much more appropriate than the first one. I'm going to have to buy it just for the cover! Ok, I'm done now, I promise. :D

Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore

Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater

The Thornking-Ash Conservatory is unlike many other specialty high schools in the fact that is focused on fostering musically-gifted teens. Oh, did I forget to mention the slightly demonic fey who tend to gather nearby and want to prey on the students. I think they left that out of the brochure.

Ballad continues the story a few months after the ending of Lament. If you have not read Lament, I would suggest that you start there as this review will contain spoilers for that book. And then once you've read it, you can read my review here. Then come on back and read the tempting review I'm spilling now for Ballad.

So, after battling an evil faerie queen, James Morgan and Deidre "Dee" Monaghan are starting to move on with their lives when they chose to go to Thornking-Ash. Other than the fact that they don't talk much and aren't nearly as close to one another as they once were, things seem to be taking on a rather normal rhythm.

Then in walks Nuala. A waif of a girl, she begins her obvious enticement of James, only to find that he resists her completely. Nuala is not one to deal with rejection easily, so she pursues him more vigorously. Her plan backfires when he gets her to tell him what it is she is really after. A life-stealing, half-faerie, muse is following him around and he is at a loss of how to get rid of her. As his relationship with her morphs and grows into a closer bond, James starts to realize just how far Dee has drifted from him. Not to mention, there is something nefarious about this school. There are too many faerie for having so much iron around and they are stronger than they should be. Something is brewing and it's going to take everyone to fight the forthcoming battle.

Astounding! That is how I would sum up all that happens in Ballad. Dee and James continue to be interesting individuals as we learn more about them. Lament was mostly the story of Dee as a cloverhand. Ballad is mostly about James's incredible talent at his chosen instrument, the bagpipes. I felt like James really grew as a character and that we as readers obtained a more in-depth understanding of the complexity of emotions that he feels for Dee, while she was far removed from the main storyline.

Nuala added the same kind of intrigue and mysteriousness that Luke added to the last novel. She wasn't upfront with what she was, she was fighting her fate, and she couldn't help but be drawn to a human. While at times I found her mischievous nature amusing, sometimes it could get old and I just wanted her to get on with whatever she needed. James could be whiny at times, but I felt like his character really stood up and started to act like he was worth something.

Overall I really enjoyed this companion novel (because I don't really think it's a sequel and half the major players last time aren't really involved) with its new settings, new characters, and general shenanigans. The ending was quite a surprise to me, but I'm glad it ended up where it did. I wouldn't be surprised if she continued this world, but I think if she decided not to, that this was a fitting stopping point.

Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater

Lament by Maggie Stiefvater

Cloverhands must help to control the fey. Too bad Deirdre Monaghan didn't know she was one of them. The gifted harpist meets a dashing young man named Luke at a local music competition and is wooed by his amazing flute talents. Deirdre knows that there is something different about Luke, but she just puts it off until he confesses the truth to her. Luke is a faerie assassin entrapped by the Faerie Queen due to the fact that she possesses his soul in a cage. Lamentably, Deirdre has been targeted as Luke's next victim.

Sixteen year old Deirdre finds herself out of her element as she is truly a realist. She bases her existence around tangible, provable facts. Since Luke entered her life, her certainty of the world has been in question. Naturally she turns to her fellow music geek, and quite hot, best friend James. While he accepts the seriousness of the situation, he is a solid ground to the real world. His pragmatism comes in handy when another faerie assassin named Aodhan takes an interest in Deirdre and tries to complete the job that Luke seems incapable of.

The ultimate showdown between the Faerie Queen herself and Deirdre if Luke is ever to relieved of his duties. This task is not as easy to complete as it sounds when complication arise surrounding Deirdre and she must make choices that could have dire consequences for many, if not all.

While I am very picky about the faerie books I read, this one struck home with me. Maggie Stiefvater's writing is just so captivating to me. I have tried quite a few other faerie series and find that they are either too cruel for my tastes or too innocent. There has to be a balance between mischievous and out right evil. This author have found that harmonic balance and it creates an enjoyable story. I also enjoyed the callbacks to tales told to children as a warning. Many adults forget that as children we were warned, through story and song, about the nature of the faeries. This book brought those stories and song back to life for me in a thoroughly delectable fashion. I can't wait to read Ballad, the next installment!

Lament by Maggie Stiefvater