Review - Shadowfever (Fever, Book 5) by Karen Marie Moning (5/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult 
Genre: Urban Fantasy 
Size: 608 pages 
Publisher: Delacorte Press 
Release Date: January 18, 2011 
ISBN-13: 978-0385341677 
Stand Alone or Series: 5th (and final) book in Fever series 
Source: Bought e-book 
Rating: 5/5 stars

This is the fifth, and final book, in the Fever series by Karen Marie Moning.  Is this really the end you say?  Well according to the afterward in this book Moning is working on a new series set in the Fever universe...so it is only kind of the end.  This was a very good book, the plot takes so many twists and turns it will leave you reeling and the story is nicely wrapped up in the end.  

This review does contain spoilers for those who have not read previous books in the series, because you can't even talk about the first page of this book without having spoilers from the previous books.

The book opens exactly where the fourth book, Dreamfever, left off.  Mac is standing over Barron's lifeless body, mourning.  Seeing Barron's body lying there lifeless breaks something in Mac and she decides to do whatever it takes to get the Sinsar Dubh.  If Mac can get the Sinsar Dubh she believes that she will be able to rewrite the whole world and existence as she knows it.  Mac in her desperation joins forces with the very person who is her sworn enemy, the Lord Master himself.

I am not sure how to write a review of this book without having any spoilers, but I will do my best.  There are a number of huge revelations and crazy plot twists throughout this book.  Just when you think you have it all figured out Moning throws you a curveball and you are left sitting there with your mouth open thinking, "Did that really just happen?!"  Most of this book leans more to the urban fantasy genre, although there are some pretty steamy scenes in here too.

This was one dense book.  There are so many players at this point that they story is almost epic in breadth.  The book is told from both Mac and Dani's point of view.  The Sidhe Seers, Druidic factions, Barron's mysterious group and the Fae all play large roles.  We learn what Mac is, we learn a ton about Fae's long existence, and we learn a ton about Barron's past.  Many startling truths are revealed.

The pace is pretty non-stop, this is a very hard book to put down.  The action scenes were spectacular, but even more time is spent with Mac trying to work her way through the clues to solve the mystery behind the Sinsar Dubh and the Fae.  If I have one complaint about this book is that we get to spend too much time in Mac's head listening to her ask questions to herself.  Some of that could have been eliminated and the story would have moved forward a bit better and been tighter.

Overall a great end to this series.  If you've been reading this series you absolutely have to read this book.  You will get answers to all your questions, you will be surprised and amazed. Moning does mention doing spin-off series in this world and I am eager to see what she comes up with next.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:

- Horror and Urban Fantasy Challenge
- 100+ Reading Challenge
- E-book Reading Challenge