Shadowfever

Shadowfever
by Karen Marie Moning
Fever series, book five

“Evil is a completely different creature, Mac. Evil is bad that believes it’s good.”

MacKayla Lane was just a child when she and her sister, Alina, were given up for adoption and banished from Ireland forever.

Twenty years later, Alina is dead and Mac has returned to the country that expelled them to hunt her sister’s murderer. But after discovering that she descends from a bloodline both gifted and cursed, Mac is plunged into a secret history: an ancient conflict between humans and immortals who have lived concealed among us for thousands of years.

What follows is a shocking chain of events with devastating consequences, and now Mac struggles to cope with grief while continuing her mission to acquire and control the Sinsar Dubh—a book of dark, forbidden magic scribed by the mythical Unseelie King, containing the power to create and destroy worlds.

In an epic battle between humans and Fae, the hunter becomes the hunted when the Sinsar Dubh turns on Mac and begins mowing a deadly path through those she loves. Who can she turn to? Who can she trust? Who is the woman haunting her dreams? More important, who is Mac herself and what is the destiny she glimpses in the black and crimson designs of an ancient tarot card?

From the luxury of the Lord Master’s penthouse to the sordid depths of an Unseelie nightclub, from the erotic bed of her lover to the terrifying bed of the Unseelie King, Mac’s journey will force her to face the truth of her exile, and to make a choice that will either save the world . . . or destroy it. (description taken from Amazon.com)

Whew. Let me first say that this was a LOT of book. I think that Moning could possibly have split this book in two with just a little tweaking...though I probably would not have wanted to wait for the final chapters!

Second. Let me say that if you haven't read Moning's previous Highlander series, this book will make you want to go and check them out. The Keltar clan gets quite a bit involved in this final book and all that hot testosterone running around is definitely causing me to check my book schedule to see when I can fit some re-reads in!

Okay. On to the meaty stuff (no pun intended...ugh...unseelie flesh. *shudders*) Anyway, I'm going to try not to get all spoiler-y on you and be kind of generically pleased...
I was very happy when Mac finally faces her fears - all of them, mortal, self doubts, and yes! romantic - and a new world opens up for her. I was devastated when the partial truth came out that someone very close to Mac had been indirectly responsible for Alina's death. I was smiling at odd moments when touches of humanity were remembered...a birthday party, a special sign...My heart broke a little for everyone who had lost someone near and dear to them.

This was a book full of emotions. Good, bad, confusing, gutwrenching...
Every time I thought I had a grip on things, that I knew, finally knew what was going on, Moning threw me for another loop.

Overall I was pleased...and sad to see this series end. I'm hoping that the way this book ended, though, we'll be seeing another related series start up shortly...

2011 Shifter Challenge title