New York Times bestselling author Karen Marie Moning returns with the epic conclusion to her pulse-pounding Fever series, where a world thrown into chaos grows more treacherous at every turn. As Mac, Barrons, Ryodan, and Jada struggle to restore control, enemies become allies, right and wrong cease to exist, and the lines between life and death, lust and love, disappear completely. Black holes loom menacingly over Dublin, threatening to destroy the Earth. Yet the greatest danger is the one MacKayla Lane has unleashed from within: the Sinsar Dubh—a sentient book of unthinkable evil—has possessed her body and will stop at nothing in its insatiable quest for power. The fate of Man and Fae rests on destroying the book and recovering the long-lost Song of Making, the sole magic that can repair the fragile fabric of the Earth. But to achieve these aims, sidhe-seers, the Nine, Seelie, and Unseelie must form unlikely alliances and make heart-wrenching choices. For Barrons and Jada, this means finding the Seelie Queen who alone can wield the mysterious song, negotiating with a lethal Unseelie prince hell-bent on ruling the Fae courts, and figuring out how to destroy the Sinsar Dubh while keeping Mac alive. This time, there’s no gain without sacrifice, no pursuit without risk, no victory without irrevocable loss. In the battle for Mac’s soul, every decision exacts a tremendous price.
Audible Audio, Unabridged, 17 pages
Published January 17th 2017 by Delacorte Press
Source: Library
Three and a half stars: A supposed conclusion but so many loose ends, but I still love the characters.
Mac, Barrons, Ryodan and Jada are fighting to save the world. Things are dire since Mac is now possessed by the Sinsar Dubh, and there are black holes all over the earth, preparing to swallow it whole. If Mac is lost, then the fate of Man and Fae may be doomed. Will this rag tag band of powerful misfits find a way to defeat the evil book once and for all, or is the world doomed?
What I Liked:
- First, this is a hard book to review. I know many have given up on the series because it has become a chaotic and muddled mess, which I wholeheartedly agree with. Yet, I keep reading because I have grown to love these characters fiercely. So even though this is not a terrific finale, I liked it reuniting with old friends. If it weren't for the outstanding cast of characters, this series would have died long ago. If you are fan, read this but be prepared for frustration.
- Let's talk about Mac and Jericho Barrons for a minute. I was excited to have them return at first in Burned, but my enthusiasm for them quickly waned as I watched their relationship deteriorate and struggle with what I felt was unnecessary drama. Thankfully, in the second half of the book, these two get their shit together. I liked seeing Mac finally figure it out, and I enjoyed how it ended for them. I still think their story should have stayed finished with Shadowfever.
- I was not thrilled with the whole dilemma introduced when Dani went through the Silvers and donned the Jada persona. This book peels back Dani's layers as we get more of her backstory. I liked seeing what made her tick, and I was glad that I finally understood the whole Jada personality. I was happy when Dani got her groove back. I know many aren't fans of Dani, but I have enjoyed watching her character grow and evolve. I still feel like this series would have been so much better if KMM had kept the story arc simple and stuck with Dani instead of bringing Mac and Barrons back for unnecessary drama.
- I appreciated that this book wasn't filled with endless sex scenes. It felt like the last book was inundated with pornographic sex scenes. Surprisingly, there was only one sex scene that played out in this one, and I loved it. The scene was so well written and it was perfect for the couple.
- The other problem with this spin off series was that KMM bit off far more than she could chew. The story arc has been fraught with too many narrators and too many story lines. Unfortunately, she spread the story out too far, and she couldn't rein it all in with this book. That being said, the main conflicts are taken care of such as the problem of the Sinsar Dubh and the fate of the world. I was satisfied with the most part with the conclusion, but bothered by the fact that so much was left undone. After finishing, it was apparent that this wasn't the end of the series as I had thought. Book ten is in the works, but it appears that it isn't going to take up where this one finished off. Not sure what to think.
- As I said, I love the characters in this series, and that has been what kept me reading. I was pleased that Mac redeemed herself, and I liked watching Barrons and Mac reconnect. I thought I was a firm Barrons girl, but these days, I am all about Ryodan. I so loved getting to dig a little deeper beneath his tough guy persona, and I liked that he actually played the good guy role in this one. I need more Ryodan!
- Finally, after all the drama with the narrators, I was a bit frustrated that there was again another set of narrators for this final installment. I almost read this vs. listening, but I ended up being glad that I chose the audiobook version. This time around, Jim Frangione and Amanda Leigh Cobb did the narration. I was thrilled with their work, and I thought they both did an exceptional job. I also love the way these books are narrated because all the male voices and female voices are done throughout by the appropriate narrators regardless of whose voice is narrating the chapter. Definitely don't hesitate on the audiobook.
And The Not So Much:
- This section could get rather lengthy if I dissect all the problems with the last four books. Needless to say, the series would have been better if KMM had stuck with her original vision of having Dani as the narrator, and not dragging Mac and Barrons back into the story. As I mentioned, there were far too many voices, and too many story arcs that were unnecessary and many were left unfinished. What was the point of some many voices, especially since so many of the characters were abandoned in this last book?
- Speaking of undone story lines, I was so irritated to find that Lor, Christian, Dega and Kat were mostly forgotten in this book. Lor barely makes an appearance, Kat and Dega are nothing more than a mention. Their story lines were completely abandoned in this book. I also have to say, I was so disappointed in what happened with Jo, I was really enjoying her story line with Lor at the end of the last book. What was the deal with that snippet regarding Inspector Jayne? I also was not satisfied with Christian's fate. What was the point of the dragging Alina back?
- I was also disappointed in the way the romance played out for Dani. It was left open ended. It seems fated as to whom she will end up with, and I wanted to see it unfold. Yes, there is another book coming supposedly from her point of view, but I just don't know if I can do this series anymore.
- The first part of the book is extremely boring. It is all about Mac and the Sinsar Dubh. That story has been beaten to death. I don't know why KMM insisted on dragging it out again for another beating. Seriously, that story line is so over and done with. I hated all of it. It totally ruined the first half of the book, so much so that I almost set it aside. Thankfully, the second half got better.
- I think I will stop here, there is so much more that I can complain about. This was a series that had potential to be great, but instead it became an unfocused, chaotic mess. The only thing it had going for it was strong characters. Now there is going to be tenth book from Dani's point of view. I just don't know if I can go on. If KMM can return to the brilliance that was the first five books, then yes, but if she continues with this muddled mess, I have to bow out. If you are a fan of the series, this is worth checking out, but keep in mind, you will be disappointed with the lack of focus and the abandoned story lines. Still, it is worth reading to get closure.
Feversong is a book that is hard for me to review. It is mixed bag. I liked that I got some sort of conclusion, and I enjoyed spending time with some of my favorite characters. That being said, the final three books in this series suffered from a severe lack of focus. There were far too many narrators and story lines, which caused the story to become a confusing mess. Yes, there were parts that I loved in this book, and others that I hated. Still even though it was chaotic and frustrating, I am glad I finished. As to whether or not I will go, that remains to be seen. Sigh....
I borrowed a copy of this book from the library. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
