Cure For The Itch

Readers, the Wenches have been completely consumed by BURNED since release day! We've been suffering from an itch only the amazing Karen Marie Moning can scratch! This is the book we have been WAITING for since Iced. Iced was great. Loved it. But this. This was something else. On a whole other plane. It started off great, but once it hit it's halfway mark IT.BLEW.MY.MIND. Into smithereens. And after that it was just one epic ride--all you could do was hold on for dear life.

From Karen's FB page.

Click through to read my non-spoilery review. 

There will be spoilers from Darkfever to ICED, of course. NO SPOILERS FROM BURNED! 




Burned started off in familiar territory. We've all read that intensely sexual Barrons POV scene.

 "I close my hands on her head. I might not let her go. Slick with sweat, I defile her with reverence. Or revere her with defilement. Every. Inch. Of. Her. Motherfuckingfinebody. She likes it. No holds barred with this woman. I wouldn’t have believed it of her. And she does scream…"

So good, I needed a COLD shower. 

Which, one might wonder, has what to do with Burned? Well, you gotta read to find out. 

Burned has multiple points-of-view, which has the tendency of annoying me, so I was wary. But I have to say, it flowed BEAUTIFULLY. Seamlessly. The story just flowed smoothly, from Darkfever to Burned; it was VERY much the same universe we've all come to love. But it had a little extra too. It was like taking your relationship to the next level in a way. We get to know the Feververse a little more intimately. The way things work becomes a little clearer while making the situation a bit more complicated.

I did love the way Shadowfever ended for Mac and Barrons, but the magic of their characters was that there are endless depths there to be explored. Did anyone else tear up just a little when Mac's POV started again? Okay, maybe more than just a little. I love Mac. Even with the Sinsar Dubh taking up residence in her head. It was like being back home. Don't get me wrong, I love Dani. But Mac's my girl. She's had me on Team Mac from page 1 book 1. And I've always wondered, since Shadowfever, what she'd do about the powerful book in her head.

Mac is perfect. 

"Ah, my long lost shallow life."

I ADORE being back in Mac's head again.. even if it is getting crowded in there. I love that Mac still very much has a journey to complete. She STILL doesn't truly get how very awesome she is. She still sells herself short compared to others. But that might actually be one of her best qualities, her oh-so-human ones. There is no doubt that Mac has come a long way since we first met her, but it amazes me that she seems to have retained some of her "pink" essence. I love it. Mac's "pinkness" and Dani's brightness are the things that put me firmly in their corners from the get go. And their love for each other, which is apparent to the reader even if not to them, is something beautiful that I'm glad I got to read from Mac's POV. Dani's POV would have been.... lacking in this case. 

They both do. 

And Barrons. Are there any words left that I haven't used to describe him? (Seriously, both here and here.) They all seem to fall short. My spine tingled, every cell in my body was aware of him on page like it is for no other. He's always been the best of the best to me, I thought that was it. I'd reached the limit of my Barrons addiction. And the amazing Karen Marie Moning proved me wrong. So very wrong. I had no idea how much worse it could get. Thank you. 

No one like Barrons. 

Each and every character has new depths, new sides, new deep dark corners you will not see coming. People you didn't think you cared for will worm their way into your hearts. Characters you already loved will take your breath away. And you will want to weep for the private battles of some characters, ones they may have won or lost. Say hello to an absolutely insane emotional roller coaster.

Fasten your seat belts.
It's going to be a hell of a ride.

If you have read my pre-Burned post on Ryodan and Christian? Can I just say, it will be updated. I have SO much to add about Ryodan. The impossible happened. I fell for Ryodan. HARD. Fast. It took me COMPLETELY by surprise. I figured I'd like him more by now. But oh lord, not like this. There were things in this he said that had me swallowing a lump in my throat to stop from crying. ONLY Moning herself could have done this to me. ONLY HER. I've learned to never say never when it comes to her work. 

"Holy strawberries, *name removed*, we're in a jam."

Oh, Ry. 

We get to read more Lor POV scenes, and IT.IS.GLORIOUS. I adore that sexy beast. 

"I like Lor, he's aggressive, domineering, and part caveman, but he doesn't have a cruel bone in his body, and he flat out adores women and children. I sometimes think if the other eight weren't around, Lor would be a very different man."

Just hearing how he talks about Dani makes me want to hug him. And there is a development in his story...I have to say, I kinda can't wait to see more of! Did not see it coming, thought it would suck. But man, it worked! And be warned, you will be fanning yourself while reading a lot of Lor related scenes. For.real. 

Pretty much what I was thinking
after reading those scenes ;)

I found Kat an interesting POV character in Iced and was pleased to read more of her POV in Burned. She's a promising character, with a unique journey, and her storyline in this was riveting! Quiet, and something you can almost overlook, but fascinating! Other than Kat, the Unseelie King, Lor, Christian, and a "new" character also have POV chapters. Mac's was my favorite, especially if you've ever just wanted to be a fly on the wall at Chesters, which, lets be realistic, we ALL have. Mac's POV was also the one you need to read to get the full gist of what's actually happening and a well rounded look at the story. You'd literally be stuck in one location if most of the others were the main ones you were reading the story through.. or you'd be getting bullet points of dry fact and not much of a story. 

 I still love Christian, my poor Scottish druid. And I'm hoping there's a LOT more of him in the next book! Burned also gets visited by everyone's favorite MacKeltars (who are looking for Christian after the events in Iced. FINALLY! I'd been wondering about that.) 

I loved the fact that all the characters in Fever world have actual ups and downs. No matter how strong and unbreakable they may seem. That sometimes there are reasons you don't act no matter how much it aches. Reasons you don't say stuff no matter how much it hurts. 

Some readers (I hear) have complained about Mac's apparent passivity, and hormones, in Burned. Which begs the question, um, were you not paying attention? It's pretty CLEARLY explained why she's apprehensive about provoking things by being as kick ass as usual. It's her most human and wonderful quality. Innocent lives before ALL else. As for her hormones, people, I'm not even in my early 20s anymore and I TOTALLY get it. Just reading the stuff she was seeing and thinking got me hot and bothered! Plus, BARRONS. I'm sorry. He's an addiction. I'd want a dose of that as often as possible! 

Seriously.
Barrons = Lady Boner alert. 

This book was everything I had hoped for and more. I'll admit I was apprehensive about a lot of things. Dani, Ryo, Christian, where the world was going. Lots of stuff, I get paranoid about my favorite books. But without spoiling anything, let me say, this book gave me everything I didn't even know I wanted. Small glimpses into mysteries we never thought we'd find out more about. Small cracks in steel armors. Weaknesses and strengths and madness we didn't see coming.It connects to the whole story, it furthers each character's journey. And shows us more sides to characters we already loved. It makes everything more complicated. Muddies the allegiances you thought you might have had and makes you want to throw your heart at more than one character. It's sexy, it's wonderful, it's insane, it's amazing. It's an epic mind fuck. And like any good fuck, you'll be begging for "More, please!"

What more can I say? You'll share in Dani's awe when she watches Mac and Barrons together. You'll smile reading about Mac missing her "shallow life", because it felt real. True to her. You will love reading about Ryodan and Mac bickering like siblings. You will adore reading Mac and Barrons's silent (and not so silent) conversations that will remind you exactly why you love them together. You will enjoy the hell out of anything concerning Lor. (And the other one of the Nine you get acquainted with.) And you'll get an intriguing look at Dancer through Mac's eyes.

I was expecting more Cruce, and a lot more Christian, in Burned, but no worries--there's a lot keeping you occupied in this! This is Mac's story. It's Dani's story. It's also so much more than that. But as always, my heart breaks for Christian. He just can't catch a break. I loved him in the depths of his Unseelie madness, and I love him still. And I cannot wait to see how he deals with the developments of Burned. Which may or may not be in the next book.

“I see the ghosts in Dani’s eyes. You’d have to be blind not to. I want to chase them as nothing can chase mine. I want to keep her from ever changing into something so terrible as I’ve become. I want to shelter her from the hard truth that life takes from you, whittles away at your hope and scrapes the flesh from bone and leaves you so changed you can’t even recognize yourself in the mirror anymore. I want her to always be Dani as she is now but the thing I was becoming got so fucked up about it. I hope the last action I chose to make as a free man cancels some of it out.”

Some books leave you feeling like they'll never leave you. Like they'll be a part of you for as long as you live. Some books leave you feeling haunted, in the best possible way. Like they're always present somewhere in the back of your mind. Like you'll never understand all their mysteries. Never really know when/if the story ends. This is one of those books. This has always been one of those stories. It will forever be etched on your soul. And will take up permanent residence in your head. I think I know what Mac feels like, having a book making itself at home in your mind.

I want to thank Ms. Moning for once again taking me on the ride of a lifetime. It was everything I hoped it would be and so much more. I need more. The Fever series is like the most potent drug. I'll never get enough. I need hits constantly. I need the highs and lows it puts me through. I want to thank her for being SO very generous with teasers and bits and pieces of Burned. I want to thank her for going through with her story despite all the unwanted input she got BEFORE people even read the book. And most of all, I want to thank her for this world I love more every time I read it. She is a goddess. (PS- I also love the goddess's new hair! I wish I had been at that signing!) 

Brava, Ms.Moning.
It's an honor reading what you write.

In typical Moning fashion, the book is chock full of little wisdoms, deep truths that make you stop and think. There are lots of new questions for the reader to ponder, lots of new twists and turns to character arcs, new ways you fall in love with old characters, and moments that make you sit up and shout "WHAT THE FUCK JUST HAPPENED?!" I seriously needed to pick up my jaw from where it had hit the floor at least a few times. 

From Karen's FB page.

An epic, beautiful, multilayered read. I wish I could forget it to read it all again like it was the first time. Maybe Barrons can voice me into forgetting it? (Or voice me into other.. naughtier things?)

How ever will I wait for the next book? A quote to make you want to pick this up, (and one of my fave conversations!) guess who?

"My nose has never twitched, saucily or otherwise."

This Wench (and most of us!) rates it :

If we had a higher rating,
I would have used it. 

Look for a very spoilery BURNED review/discussion here!!