Burned Review: This Book Broke My Heart!

I am not sure if I should write this review. Fever series is one of my most favourite fantasy series and criticising it feels like stabbing a friend. It sucks! Fever series introduced me to urban fantasy and got me addicted to the fantasy genre. Fever series is like home. I love it. At least the first five books I did. I was fairly warned by a ton of readers who felt that the series is dragged unnecessarily post book five i.e. Shadow Fever but I still dived into this book hoping for my favourite writer, Karen Marie Moning to work her magic on me and spin another compelling tale. Forget compelling, the book does not even make sense. I should have learnt my lesson from the preceding book ‘Iced’ but I evidently did not. So, you see, it is not completely Moning’s fault. It is to an extent my fault too for not learning from my mistake. Anyway, my disappointment in book 6 and 7 does not change my love for my favourite Fever series (by which I mean just the first five books). Yes, I will not go beyond ‘Burned’ because I think there is nothing more I would want to see in the story. Why? Read on, I’m getting to it in just a bit.

 

Burned by Karen Marie Moning

Publisher: Delacorte Press

MacKayla Lane would do anything to save the home she loves. A gifted sidhe-seer, she’s already fought and defeated the deadly Sinsar Dubh—an ancient book of terrible evil—yet its hold on her has never been stronger.

When the wall that protected humans from the seductive, insatiable Fae was destroyed on Halloween, long-imprisoned immortals ravaged the planet. Now Dublin is a war zone with factions battling for control. As the city heats up and the ice left by the Hoar Frost King melts, tempers flare, passions run red-hot, and dangerous lines get crossed.

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, determined to claim it for their own; Mac’s former protégé and best friend, Dani “Mega” O’Malley, is now her fierce enemy; and even more urgent, Highland druid Christian MacKeltar has been captured by the Crimson Hag and is being driven deeper into Unseelie madness with each passing day. The only one Mac can depend on is the powerful, dangerous immortal Jericho Barrons, but even their fiery bond is tested by betrayal.

It’s a world where staying alive is a constant struggle, the line between good and evil gets blurred, and every alliance comes at a price. In an epic battle against dark forces, Mac must decide who she can trust, and what her survival is ultimately worth.

(Blurb as on Goodreads.com)

 

I LIKE Burned Because,

…it is well-written which is a given for any Moning book. Moning is a master at her craft and I simply adore her for that. The only problem with this book is the plot or the lack thereof.  

 

I Do NOT Like Burned Because,

…it felt like the book served absolutely no purpose. There was no development of any sort in terms of characters or story. The book was supposed to start with locating Christian who has been kidnapped by Crimson Hag which was the climax of Iced. However, the first ¾ of the book is just a collection of aimless content because nowhere do we actually see the characters trying to rescue him. It is only in the last 1/4 portion of the book where the story steers in his direction and the characters actually take concrete steps to save him. 

…the book starts with a weird sexual encounter between Mac and Barrons. Some call it abuse. I don’t know how to categorise it because from what I read it seemed consensual yet not so consensual. I love Mac and Barrons and this absurd encounter left a bad taste in my mouth for several reasons.

…Mac and Barrons are not what they were in the first five books. Mac seems like a grumpy teenager while Barrons is reduced to just a vague image of the dominant character that he was. Ugh! I hated both of them in this book.  

 

Final View: With this book, I officially give up on this series. I will always RECOMMEND the first five books in this series. But do not head beyond that. If you are a Moning fan then please do not go for Burned. It will disappoint you.

 

You can check out Amazon.in for a discount on this book.

 

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