Burned: A Fever Novel

"I could turn you inside out. Play you like you play the rest of the world. You're not a singularity anymore. I've become your equal in every way." To put it simply, Burned is an adventure from the beginning to the end. Moning delivers an on-the-edge-of-your-seat story with her signature finesse. Enthralling, powerful, and downright sexy, Burned is everything you've been aching for and more. Even though I'm a Fever series newbie and haven't waited years in between books, I still missed the Fever world and these dear characters. Most of all, I missed Rainbow Girl Mac, so it was so nice to be back in her the comfortable headspace of MacKayla Lane. Of course, more Barrons was a nice bonus. Burned picks up right where Iced left off, a showdown between Dani and Mac. In Iced, Dani was sure that Mac was going to kill her after she revealed a devastating secret. On guard at all times, evading Mac was Dani's main goal. Now face-to-face with the one person who showed her an iota of love, Dani doesn't want to hurt her but she also doesn't want to die. There was no telling who was going to attack whom first. What happens is game-changing. I may have jumped up and down. Don't worry, I'm not going to divulge what happens. I'm trying to keep this spoiler-free, folks! But what I will say is that Moning took this fight to a place I did not see coming. Mac, the Nine, and the Druids have their hands full with some pressing emergencies. The gang is missing some key players, and they fight to get them back. For one, Christian MacKeltar is at the mercy of one the most deliciously macabre villains--the Crimson Hag. The woman is perpetually knitting an intricate skirt for herself comprised of the guts of her victims. It doesn't get more gruesome than that! Meanwhile, Barrons and Ryodan form an alliance with some of the most unlikely beings to try to get Dublin back in working order, but of course, that's not their only objective. Along the way, they run into a few small obstacles, namely a new player in the game. An ice cold fighter whose goal is to kill and conquer at any cost. One who will give everyone a run for their money. While this book has multiple points-of-view, one in particular I won't divulge, the reader is primarily in Mac's head. Mac's comedic timing, brilliance and vulnerability are some of the traits that make her such a great character. In Burned, you find out why Mac has been missing in action, what she and Barrons have been doing (wink!), and learn more about the evil that lurks inside of her. Her internal dark passenger is a constant thorn in her side in addition to the physical Unseelie creatures that follow her at every turn. I was dying to see Mac and Barrons as a couple and you get plenty of that. I wouldn't say that it was particularly steamy, but their carnal, sizzling attraction is still very much there. The two of them are magnetic and unparalleled. Mac and Barrons are not your typical couple. They aren't the couple to hold hands and whisper sweet nothings in each other's ears. I loved that really not much has changed with them. They still fight and bicker like an old married couple and Mac still drives Barrons crazy. "Sleeping with him, acknowledging our feelings for each other, has changed everything. And nothing. In bed, we're one couple. Out of bed, we're another." Iced and Burned introduced the reader to other men in Ryodan and Barrons circle. We got to know Lor and Ryodan in Iced. In this installment, you get a sneak peek at Kasteo, and become MUCH more acquainted with Lor. I LOVED Lor. He was a huge dose of comedic relief! Burned made me like Ryodan even more, maybe even love him. There were a few moments in Iced that made me really dislike him, but he more than redeemed himself. I really began to understand his character more and his motivations. He's surprisingly human. I loved the continued tension-filled relationship he has with Dani. I cannot wait to see where that ends up. Dare I say that my favorite scene in Burned involved Ryodan? Yes, I think I shall say that. So much happened in Burned, which was completely and totally awesome. Moning continues to knit and meld these intricately brilliant storylines, just as the Crimson Hag knits the guts of her victims. In Burned, she gives us answers, but she also creates new pathways for the story to go. There are so many secondary plotlines and I'm very excited to see where they go. "Pick up the [freaking] knife...I said kill me." I absolutely loved the way this story developed, building to a crescendo that propelled me to keep turning the pages. I could NOT put the book down. There were a couple of moments that I felt dragged a bit, but once I hit this novel's sweet spot, there was no going back. I devoured this book with a feverous ferocity. I haven't done that in a long time. There were jaw-dropping moments that left my heart racing, my brain jumbled, and a huge smile on my face. With this series, I'm always trying to theorize and try to predict how Moning is going to plot her way out a problem. There was on particular plot point that I was immensely happy about. You'll know it when you get there. With that little nugget of knowledge, I am immensely excited about what's in store for these characters. The wait for Feverborn will feel like forever, but the waiting is all worth it when it comes to Karen Marie Moning. Burned is a must read and the perfect continuation to the series! * I received an advanced copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

There are few authors who can write with as much eloquence and skill as Karen Marie Moning... she honestly blows my mind every time I read one of her books. While the author's original intention was to complete 5 books in this series, KMM continued on, and I am so glad that she did. It has been awhile since I read the original 5 Fever series books, and a few months since I read Iced (book 6), but I fell back into this story like I'd fall into the super comfy yet elegant beds at the Ritz. Jericho Barrons and MacKayla Lane are my fave couple, and I was so happy to revisit them. As a note, this book is part of a very intricate series; if you have not read the first 6 books in the series, you will be hella lost, so I HIGHLY recommend reading those before diving into this one. Ms. Moning engages in very complex world-building that can absolutely overwhelm a reader if there is no prior knowledge of the events that took place before getting to this point. That said, if you haven't read the previous books, this review will contain spoilers. When we last left the fae-invaded Dublin, it was being frozen in random places, and the Crimson Hag was circling trying to spear victims and shred them for her never-ending, gut blanket knitting project (yeah, it's as nasty as it sounds). Christian MacKeltar, who is turning into one of the dark fae princes after Mac fed hum unSeelie to keep him alive, sacrificed himself to the Hag and left Dani beside herself with guilt that she couldn't have saved him and everyone else too. Dani is also still suffering from guilt after it was revealed that she was responsible for leading Alina (Mac's sister) to her death which is what brought Mac to Dublin in the first place. And while Mac knows Dani was being controlled by magic at the time of Alina's death, she has not been able to talk to Dani since then bc Dani always takes off with her super speed and refuses to listen as she is convinced that Mac wants to kill her. While everything gut blankie and deep freezer was happening on the outside, Mac and Barrons were in Fae; they only returned in time to hear about the fall out. Burned begins with a flashback to when Mac first arrived in Dublin, but this time, the meeting that occurred between her and Barrons that first night is told from Barrons' POV, and something took place that he "muted" in her mind is starting to surface in bit and pieces at the least convenient moments. At the same time, Mac has another encounter with Dani and tries to get her to talk, but Dani takes off and dives into what she thought was a safe "mirror" but didn't know that Mac and Barrons had rearranged them, so now Dani has disappeared without a trace, though Barrons and The Nine continue to search for her, especially Ryodan when he discovers what has happened. Meanwhile, the MacKeltar twins (Drustan and Dageus, the Hs in books 4 & 5 of KMM's Highlander series which takes place before the Fever series) have descended upon Dublin in search of their nephew Christian who is being killed every day (sometimes multiple times per day) to feed the Hag's psychotic knitting compulsion. And when two new players arrive on the scene with specific agendas, the power dynamics begin to shift, unholy alliances are made and broken, and someone Mac thought she knew everything about reveals a deeply hidden and very unexpected layer. What I liked: --- The first 5 books was told from Mac's POV (with a chapter here and there from Dani's); book 6 was mostly Dani, but this book was a little of almost everyone, which was nice to get the perspectives of the other characters and learn more about them that way (mostly Mac's POV otherwise) --- Such intricate story-telling, complex world-building, and amazing imagery - KMM can pull a reader in like no other --- Return of some characters from the Highlanders series (love me some MacKelter twins!) ***SPOILER***Dageus' death scene brought me to tears, though - I thought the inner demons thing might be able to save him, but I was wrong, and the cliffhanging truth is even more intriguing.... to be continued in Feversong!***END SPOILER*** --- Unexpected twists and turns galore! What I didn't like as much: --- I liked almost everything; one thing I would have wished for is steamy goodness between Mac and Barrons!! I need it!! :) (especially since Iced was mostly about Dani and lacked that component almost completely) --- There were a few things about the timeline with Dani and Jada that didn't quite seem to follow, but it may be because I need to re-read more closely ***SPOILER***Dani went into the mirrors about 3 weeks before Jada appeared, but Jada had a whole army she had assembled from various places.... how could that have happened if she was in the mirrors for 5+ years? Did I miss something in there?***END SPOILER*** Overall, another all-encompassing Fever installment that I couldn't put down! I'll be diving into Feverborn (book 8) pronto! Plot --- 4.75/5 Main Characters --- 5/5 Supporting Cast --- 4.5/5 Steam Level* --- 3/5 Violence --- sometimes graphic (specifically scenes with the Crimson Hag) Language --- yep POV --- 1st from multiple POVs (mostly Mac's) *Note that steam level is not a rating so much as a how hot was it: 0/5 - clean; 1/5 - mild; 2/5 - sensual but nothing descriptive; 3/5 - now we're getting somewhere; 4/5 - yes please! ; 5/5 - they did EVERYTHING in this one, y'all

Ich weiss nicht ob es daran liegt, dass man mittlerweile in der Welt der Fever Series angekommen ist und alle Charaktere aus dem FF kennt, aber BURNED ist für mich der absolut beste Teil dieser Reihe! nachdem das letzte Buch aus Danis Perspektive erzählt wurde sind wir diesmal wieder in Macs Kopf und "Mac is back and badder then ever!". KMM schafft es jedes Mal mich so zu fesseln, dass ich das Buch nicht aus der Hand legen kann. Ich will nicht spoilern, daher sage ich nur es ist grandios, man lernt auch endlich etwas mehr über Barrons, Ryodan und die "Nine". Und es gibt einen absolut fiesen Cliffhanger! :) Viel Spass beim lesen!

As always Karen Marie Moning never fails to deliver an awesome and enthralling story! Can't wait to read the next book!

This series is like no other, and just when I think the last book can't be beaten Karen surprises and astounds me with a story that blows my mind. I did not and could not expect the events that happen in this book. The story and characters continue to develop in ways I could never have imagined, and that is what is so brilliant about this author. Just when you think you know what's coming, boom! Something else comes along that sweeps the rug from under your feet. It is completely and utterly brilliant! I'm not giving anything away because if you haven't read this series, believe me you don't know what you're missing, and for someone to tell you even one little tit bit would spoil the WOW factor. What I will say is that you will meet characters that have so much depth and layers to them that you never truly know or understand them, and you wish with all your heart that you did, but you also know that it's the mystery of them that keeps you hooked. You will find a plot that has so much going on in it that it should be too busy to keep track of, yet because of the skill and artistry of the writing, it isn't. Every detail is important and you crave every bit of information because you just know that it's going to lead to something big. There are big developments in this story and answers to questions I didn't even know I had, but not enough to satisfy me, which I think is intentional. The cliff hangar at the end had me gasping and I am going to be anxiously and impatiently awaiting the next installment. What I would say is that to get the full enjoyment from this story, if you haven't already done so read the Highlander series by this author, which includes some of the characters in this book. You don't necessarily need to but it will give you a better understanding of how important these characters are. This book deserves more than a 5 star rating, and if you are looking for a series that is smart and sexy, smouldering and hot, dangerous and exciting, thrilling and nail biting, unique and extraordinary and something out of this world then this is the one for you. Oh yes I'm definitely still a Barrons Bitch and proud of it, I just hope I don't have to wait too long for the next book. BRILLIANT

Great read!

Karen Marie Moning is back with this awesome story. Maybe the first 5 books were better, but you need to know what's coming up next no matter what!