Review: Burned (Fever, #7) by Karen Marie Moning

Burned (Fever, #7) by Karen Marie Moning
Publication date: Jan. 20, 2015
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Category: Adult - Urban Fantasy
Source: Purchased
Summary: MacKayla Lane would do anything to save the home she loves. A gifted sidhe-seer, she’s already defeated the deadly Sinsar Dubh yet its hold on her has never been stronger. When the wall that protected humans from insatiable Fae was destroyed, Dublin became a war zone with factions battling for control. Seelie and Unseelie vie for power against nine ancient immortals who have governed Dublin for millennia; a rival band of sidhe-seers invades the city; Mac’s former protégé and best friend, Dani O’Malley, is now her enemy; and even more urgent, Highland druid Christian MacKeltar has been captured by the Crimson Hag. The only one Mac can depend on is Jericho Barrons but even their fiery bond is tested by betrayal. It’s a world where staying alive is a constant struggle and the line between good and evil gets blurred. Mac must decide who she can trust & what her survival is worth. (Adapted goodreads.com)

My Thoughts

Man, it is good to be back in the Fever world. Especially now that MacKayla ("Mac") Lane is one of the main heroines once again. As a quick refresher, the first five books of this series featured Mac and her journey of uncovering her true identity as a sidhe-seer while avenging the murder of her sister Alina. The sixth book, Iced (my review), switched things up by telling Dani O'Malley's, Mac's (former) best friend and protégé, story and the author's original plan was to continue the rest of the series that way. But much to my relief, she changed her mind and decided to make Mac the leading lady once again (as she should, because Mac is awesome). Burned picks up Dublin as we last saw it: inhabited by the Seelie and Unseelie Fae who are vying for power, sidhe-seers doing what they can to protect it, Barrons and his men caught in the thick of it and Mac living with the Sinsar Dubh's hold on her. Her world is further shaken when confronted with Dani, learns her friend Christian MacKeltar has been captured by a deadly Fae and struggles with who she can trust.

Mac faces a lot of internal struggle in Burned and it showed in her narration. It wasn't exactly the Mac I remembered from Shadowfever but in fairness, she is confronted with a whole new set of problems and truths here. She's always held a tenuous position among the sidhe-seers and Barron's men (particularly Ryodan) and I still can't figure out exactly how they feel about her. It's even worse now that a group of Unseelie-like creatures constantly surround her (just standing there which is as creepy as it sounds) sensing the Sinsar Dubh. But I do think everyone needs to cut her some slack. It was just frustrating to see her in this helpless position. I'm used to her charging forward in the face of battle, with little to no plan, and I hope that side of her comes back full force in the upcoming books.

Surprisingly the author decides to tell chapters from multiple point-of-views and we get glimpses into Ryodan, Kat, Dani, Lor and some other characters as well. What I've quickly realized since reading the original five books, Iced and then Burned is that I care most about Mac and Barrons (although, I'm loving me some Lor too). The series shines best when the focus is on them whether they're fighting the enemies side by side or even fighting each other, in and out of bed. Which by the way, was severely lacking and if you ask me, much needed. I think we already know they're the endgame so any questions of trust between them seem moot this far into the series. Again, I think they need to get their sh*t together and seriously start kicking ass. TOGETHER. (And also kiss a helluva lot more. Just saying.)

It probably sounds like I'm doing a lot of venting but I did enjoy this book and I'm happy Mac is back. As vital a role Dani and Ryodan may play, they just don't grab my attention or my feelings the way Mac and Barrons do. I love their characters and I love the world this author has created. I want to see how they'll save Dublin and each other. Burned felt like a stepping stone of bigger things to come and I really believe that they will.

Do I recommend?

This is one of my go-to recommendations for urban fantasy / paranormal lovers. As you can tell, I'm a huge fan of the series, especially its beginnings, and I'm excited to see where it all goes.