Burned by Karen Marie Moning
Narrator: Natalie Ross, Phil Gigante
Series: Fever #7
Published by Brilliance Audio
Published on: January 20, 2015
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Length: 13 hrs & 9 mins
Format: Audiobook
Source: Purchased
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It’s easy to walk away from lies. Power is another thing.
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 is 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.
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This novel was obviously for all of the ICED haters out there, so if you fall into that category, you’ll probably love BURNED. As for the rest of us, this installment was a tremendous letdown. Karen Marie Moning tried to right the wrongs of book 6 by reshaping several of the characters into more ‘acceptable’ versions of themselves, distracting readers from this story’s numerous plot holes with an outrageous amount of POVs, and taking the easy (predictable) road twist-wise instead of the one less traveled. It wasn’t awful, I still enjoyed the writing, narration, and being back in this world, but the FEVER edge is gone.
I kind of wish that I’d bypassed this audiobook altogether because it completely obliterated the Mac & Barrons of old. Some HEAs should NOT be revisited! Apparently sex has fried Miss Lane’s brain, and she’s now a halfwit unworthy of the nine’s respect more concerned with talking to herself than saving Dublin. Jericho ghosts through this novel, finally avenges his lover, but not really because he doesn’t unleash his beast for her. Their chemistry as a couple is dead, and instead in its wake we’re left with heaps of empty steam. And, the source of this installment’s title was just another log on the fire of LAME.
I don’t have nearly enough fingers to count how many POVs we cycled through. Something definitely needed to be done about Dani’s age in order for this series to continue on its current trajectory, however KMM’s solution was entirely too child-proof. As was her time-saving use of the Sinsar Dubh, and the supposed cliff hanger was a two-bit sneeze in comparison to those from previous books. Ryo underwent a major personality overhaul which so didn’t suit him, and I really wish that the author had built upon the new Unseelie arc. I liked learning more about the nine, Lor’s scenes were fantastic, and Jada showed promise, but they were just duct tape, not a permanent fix.
The narrators were the heart and soul of this audiobook. If I were to rate this listen based wholly on their performances, it would be a resounding five. Phil Gigante’s voice gave me shivers when JZB’s words fell flat, and I loved the subtle variations of his Scottish accents when he was reading the MacKeltars. Natalie Ross did a comparably awesome job of the female characters with her Irish fluctuations, and somehow managed to bring excitement to a story that would have otherwise been boring without her leading the charge. I also appreciated that both narrators gave an echo / cave-like quality to the internal dialogues, it made them easy to spot.
BURNED is an island that would have been better left unexplored in the FEVER realm.
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Owner, designer and main blogger behind Rabid Reads. Avid book reader, snowboard bunny, video gamer and Supernatural fan. I love all things paranormal, werewolves especially. Oh, and I’m Canadian, eh!
Uff. I was never the huge fan of the Fever series like so many others, but your review of this one kind of makes me glad I didn’t continue. =/ Bummer that this one was disappointing, but yay for great narrators! 🙂
Amanda recently posted…Introducing Beth
In that case, you’re lucky that you’ve probably given up on these already, so you didn’t have to suffer the pain of Burned.
Oh wow. How disappointing. I haven’t read Iced yet, and it’s looking like I can afford to wait a bit longer. JZB and Mac were one of my first shipped couple. Boo. So sad she couldn’t let things well enough alone. :/
Joy // Joyousreads recently posted…[484]: A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra
Iced wasn’t for everyone, and neither was this. I’m REALLY hoping that Fever will get back on track with the next installment, but after this I have my doubts.
I wound up giving it four stars, mostly for Lor and the Invisible Mac bits… the rest I ranted about. (I’m sure people are wondering how I didn’t DNF it, much less love it, with my ranty blog post but I’m too invested in the world, having just done a full re-read not two months ago.) I hate that the author seemed to cave to reader demands and changed so many things.
Mary recently posted…Review: Burned by Karen Marie Moning
See, I didn’t care for the invisible Mac chapters, I thought they were a cope-out, part of the ‘easy road’ I mentioned. Lor was wonderful, however not even he could save this book. Such a shame!
I totally agree! You rated it slightly higher than me (right now my rating is 2.5). I was so frustrated with this book. The writing was solid (as the punctuation was right, the words flowed kind of way) but the plot holes were huge. Also the amount of rewriting the world drove me insane. I thought I would be less angry a few days later–clearly I am not LOL
Felicia the Geeky Blogger recently posted…Snagged @ The Library Review: If I Stay by Gayle Forman
KMM was the LAST author who I thought would ever deliver a filler novel. Unlike you, the narration is part of my overall rating which is why it got 3 stars.
Okay, I didn’t read your review because I haven’t started BURNED yet. I’m so worried I’m going to be disappointed Carmel! Everyone’s reviews, even if the ratings are decent, seem to contain a number of complaints about the direction things went, and I was already disappointed that this wasn’t Dani and Ryodan’s book as it was supposed to be, so I’ve been delaying picking it up. I can’t be disappointed if I don’t read, right? Right:)
I think a lot of the ratings are misleading because peeps didn’t have it in them to tell it like it is or just felt some sort of loyalty to this series. Fingers crossed that you make out better than me!
Whoa! People are really unhappy with this one.
This is why I’ve let so many series go) Sookie – BDB… to name a few. I just can’t handle watching my favorites go downy he tubes anymore.
I don’t read this but the Barron’s/Mac stuff sounds particularly annoying as it seemed it was wrapped up.
Karen @For What It’s Worth
I hear ya, it’s painful, but this was the first installment that really sucked for me, so I’m not ready to give up on it quite yet.
I am so sad to hear that. I was really looking forward to Burned, but I loved Iced and am a bit sad that we don’t get more of Dani. Just like you I think Mac and Barrons had their HEA and it was a good ending for them, their story had been told. Not sure If I want to read this one now :(. Adn that’s sad she changed the characters to more acceptable versions. Glad to hear that at least the narrators did a good job!
Lola recently posted…Lola’s Kitchen: Risotto Recipe
I was on the fence about this novel when I first found out that it wasn’t going to be from Mac’s POV, but I tried to keep an open mind because I’ve loved Mac & Barrons in the past. No dice. 🙁
I just finished this one, and yes some things here should have been left unexplored, but still I cannot resist this book. It made me laugh and read like a madman till down. But yes I miss Dani so much and she is what I hope to see more soon. Great review, Carmel 🙂
Tanja recently posted…Breaking the Rules by Katie McGarry
I finished it in two days, not because I couldn’t put it down, but rather I just wanted it to be over. I kept hoping that KMM would wow me with the ending, however it was simply the final nail on the coffin. Urgh!
Dang! And Burned was tempting me to break my no-more-books-this-year resolution because I adore the Fever series. I don’t want my memories of Barrons and Mac ruined!
CJ Burright recently posted…Martini Club 4
Euuuh, it’s only January, and you’re already swearing off books for 2015? Are you MAD!? That point aside, hopefully my review will help you resist temptation a little longer.
I have yet to pick up this spin off series and I seriously have my doubts on if or when I ever will. For some reason it just isn’t appealing to me right now.
Sorry this wasn’t just a bit better at least for all the Fever fans out there.
kindlemom1 recently posted…Review: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
A lot of peeps struggled with the change in POV, and especially Dani’s character’s age. I thought her voice was fun, but now it’s just boring.
I don’t like more than ONE POV so I know this is a miss for me
This one was a bit much for me too. It seemed like everyone, and their dog got a chapter.
It so fun seeing this different review compared to all the other ones I have seen that are so in love with Burned. Everyone I know loves the fact that it has Mac and Barons in it. I just recently grabbed up Shadowfever and Iced in audio cause I was told the audio is the best..I still have to catch up, so I am curious as to how I will like things. 🙂
Stormi recently posted…Review of Captive
Every time I see a new review go up, I read it to compare notes. LOL! It seems like the conscientious is split down the middle on this one. Too bad I’m in the bleh camp.
I hope the when we finish the next one we can all rejoice in the experience. I’m sorry this was such let down, but I’m thrilled you love the narration.
I can’t tell by your review this didn’t work at all for you. As it hasn’t for a lot peeps. I’m glad it worked for me, I listened twice…LOL
I wonder if in few months when I re-listen (before the next one) I’ll see the book with different eyes.
October can’t now be here soon enough!
Lupdilup recently posted…A Love Untamed Audiobook by Pamela Palmer (Review)
After I checked-out your review I was like WTH, did we listen to the same book?? LOL! I’m psyched that you enjoyed it, Loupe, I just wish that I was in the same boat. This story made me fuming MAD!
I hadn’t heard of this one before but I’ve read several reviews for this one on several reviews and most of them seem to say the same things you do. It seems that this one isn’t a complete favourite for some and this one left some unimpressed.
Hopefully the next book in this series picks things up again.
Lily recently posted…Whatever Life Throws At You: Review
I’m kinda shocked that you haven’t heard about this series until now, but that being said, yeah it was a disappointment for the majority of Fever fans I think.
I am finishing the audiobook today, I love the narrations, but I am not pleased with Mac and Barrons, Mac is bugging me this time around. I wanted more of Dani and Ryodan and Christain, and I hate all the POVS. Sigh…. still I am liking it.
Heid recently posted…Friday Forecast January 25th-31st
Like I said, I didn’t hate it, but it wasn’t at all what I expected. Mac’s POV was the biggest letdown of them all IMO. The evolution of her character throughout this series has been phenomenal, and now she’s been reduced to this…
Oh boy. This sounds… terrible. I really liked Iced, and I don’t think I’ll enjoy this. I wish Moning would have had the guts to stick with her original plan – a trilogy featuring Dani
Celine recently posted…Review: The Elite by Kiera Cass
That makes two of us! You might want to hold off, and read the next two installments back-to-back, that is, if reviews of book 8 are good.
Great review 🙂
Too bad about some of the choices in this book though
blodeuedd recently posted…Historical Romance Friday x2 reviews
Thanks, I feel like I just kicked a kitten. It hurts!
I still need to catch up with this series. I am severely far behind! This is also the second not so great review of this book. Sounds like you agree with the other reviewer and now I’m not sure if I want to rush getting to this book. Hopefully the next book will fix what she tried to fix here (hm… maybe not such a good idea… ) or at least make the series rock again. Might have to do it on audio when I get to it though to lessen the impact. 🙂
Melissa (Books and Things) recently posted…Giveaway: Unbreakable by W.C. Bauers
I’m hoping that whatever KMM originally wrote will show-up in the next installment, or at the very least it’ll be a REAL novel instead of this filler crap. If it wasn’t for the narration, this probably would have been a DNF for me.
I’m so SO sad about this one, but we already talked about it Carmel… Too many POVs, but frankly the most disappointing thing is the lack of chemistry now between Barrons and Mac, I so loved those two throught the books! =/
Now I’m absolutely in no hurry to read this book and after my excitement for it, and the two years waiting… that’s a shame!
Pili recently posted…One Year Celebration: Happy 1st birthday to A Mad Wicked Folly!!
Yeah, you got to suffer my Twitter wrath right after I finished the book. Poor you! Hehe! Being kicked in the gut by the next novel in your fav series is bad enough, but having to wait 2+ years for it to happen is downright BRUTAL!
Ohh, it’s such a shame this book was such a letdown. I’m about to read book 4 of the Fever series, and so far I love this series. It’s such a shame when a good author is “tarnishing” their legacy by revisiting one of the world they created without being able to do as well as they use to. When I finish the original Fever series, I’m not sure I’ll read Iced. The review I read about it were really mixed. But my problem is that Dani is 14 in this book, and from what people said Ryodan and Christian are something close to love interest O_O.
Sarah H recently posted…Sage Noire and The Struggle That Came With It
I didn’t have a problem with Dani’s age because KMM did such a good job with the world-building that it was believable. The story takes place is a post apocalyptic universe after all, and it’s not any worse that what happens in some dystopians.
Oh, bummer this one was a bit of a let down for you. I still need to catch up on the series to get to this one then I can have an opinion too.
Sophia Rose recently posted…What To Bring To A Texas BBQ by Carolyn Brown #Giveaway
Take your time! It’s so not worth the rush, especially if you are still enjoying the series.
You & I more or less share the same observations although I think I enjoyed BURNED more than you did… or maybe I got too objective out of loyalty to the series :/… on another note, I’m a bit saddened that this and BDB are slowly swirling down. I wish they either end it or do something to make it better.
Braine Talk Supe recently posted…Liked It: Atlanta Burns by Chuck Wendig
I think that BDB has already reached the point of no return while as this series can still bounce back. Either way, I was not impressed.
Whew boy. People are ALL over the place on this one. It keeps popping up in my feed and half gggrrrr and half totally over the moon. I just don’t know. I enjoyed the series but not sure I’m going to continue on to these :/
anna (herding cats & burning soup) recently posted…Word from the Herd– Are YOUR comments important to a blogger?
Every time another blogger finishes the book I run to GoodReads to see their rating, so that I can either vent with them, or shake my head, and wonder what’s wrong with them. LMAO!
My stomach literally hurts reading this. I can’t believe Moning could do that to the characters we loved. I still need to read ICED, which it sounds like you loved. At least I got that.
Jennifer Bielman recently posted…Bookish Blatherings #16: Quickie Blog Posts
Burned was super painful for me to read; I kept hoping that the story was going somewhere, but no, it was just a whole lot of nothing. I might re-listen to Iced to make myself feel better.
Hmmm I’ve heard a few things about the sequel that made it disappointing, a shame that the author didn’t really expand on what she built. The character sounds like she got really dumb too which is lame! Great review.
Jeann recently posted…Chatterbox: Spread Love, Not War
Mac annoyed me early on in this series with her ‘rainbow girl’ personality, but at this point I’d give anything to have her back instead of this newest version.
I’m quite anxious about this one. I can see more mixed reviews than really good reviews, that’s a little sad. I haven’t read Iced in fact but I should do that one day… I don’t know what I’ll do with this one though… I have a boig problem with multiple POVs so I think it would have annoyed me. And I agree with you HEA shouldn’t been revisited. Thanks for the review!
I’d rather be left wondering about what a couple is up to after this HEA, than… this. The POVs were quite overwhelming, I should have counted how many there were. It was cray-cray.
I haven’t read any of her books and I’m not a real fan of audio books.
Mary Kirkland recently posted…Review: Hunter By Night by Elisabeth Staab
You’re missing out on the earlier novels, but are fortunate enough to be sparred the pain of Burned.
Oh no! I think you just broke my heart 🙁 I preordered this and its my next audio read – I was so excited when I saw your review and then I saw the three paws. So disappointing. I still have to read it – thank goodness I have the audio, that should help – and I’m crossing my fingers I’ll like it better.
Berls recently posted…Winter 2014-2015 #COYER Update |Twitter Party Today!
I sincerely hope that you end up loving it because not everyone felt the way I did about this one. I guess there’s only one way to find out!
I agree wholeheartedly with your review. I actually gave it a lower rate and tomorrow I’m posting my “un-review”. I’m very “honest” on it, according to my sister who already read it.
Maybe I would have liked it more if I had listened it instead of reading it.
BookaholicCat recently posted…The Best Audiobooks of 2014 Blog Hop & Giveaways!
I saw your comment on Loupe’s review, and immediately thought oh ooh she’s in for a surprise. I’m going to make the rounds shortly, so I’ll be sure to check it out. I’m so not done bitching about Burned yet.
Another series I should get into. The first book has a lot of high reviews so I’m excited to start it. I’m sorry this was a letdown though 🙁
Paula M. recently posted…Bookish Thoughts #002: âGoodreads Ratings? Pfft.â
I didn’t love the first installment because there’s A LOT of world-building, but that’s normal for a book 1 in any UF series. Enjoy!
You know – I have ICED but after the reviews went live for that one, I didn’t read it. Now I am seeing not to flattering reviews for Burned and I just think I am going to leave this series alone. I love how it ended, anyway. 🙂
tonyalee recently posted…The After Hours Weekly – 4
I don’t blame you. Sometimes it’s better to leave well enough alone. Unfortunately, my curiosity won’t allow it. Hehe!
I’m going to be reading this one really soon myself, so I skimmed the review and just checked out your rating and the icons. What a shame you didn’t like it as much as you expected! I’m still looking forward to starting this one, but I will probably curb my enthusiasm a bit in light of your review. I might have been hyping this one up for myself in any case, given how long I’ve been waiting. It’s probably best if I go in with more realistic expectations.
Mogsy recently posted…Audiobook Review: Firefight by Brandon Sanderson
That was my main problem I think, my expectations were sky high, and I started listening to it on day one instead of checking out other peeps reviews. I’ll be interested to see how you make out.
Uh oh. Sorry this was so disappointng for you. I wish you better luck finding your next great read.
sherry fundin recently posted…Sherry’s Shelves #32 ~ Reading Fun
Thanks! I immediately dived into another audio after this one cuz I needed to erase it from my head.
I just finished Burned last night, and could not put it down. I couldn’t resist being back with all the gang, but I’m sad about how things preceded with Dani. I actually enjoyed the many POV in the story, but the essence of some changed … Still not sure how I feel as a whole. But, I see many of the points you’ve mentioned. *sigh* Such a long wait not to get the story I had anticipated.
Kim recently posted…Adult Book Review: Hunted by a Jaguar by Felicity Heaton
It was a tough pill to swallow for sure, although it sounds like you enjoyed this more for the most part which I won’t hold against you. It was great to be back in the Fever universe, I just wish that this book would have been… more.
🙁 I liked ICED and I liked BURNED. I’ve heard a lot of people with your PoV on the story though and I’m sorry it was such a let down. What do you think are the plot holes? I do agree that there were a lot of PoVs though.
Ah, I have heard that about Mac and how she seemed to be made fun of a lot more in this book, and I think I’d agree on that end. I didn’t like some of the comments directed at Mac (particularly the one by Dancer – wtf?), but I’d disagree on the Nine not showing Mac respect just because I really liked the evolution of Mac and Ryodan’s relationship. Maybe it was just being in Mac’s head and it’s more one-sided, not sure. But at least he defended her from Jada, which I’m not sure he would’ve done before. As for the Jericho/Mac chemistry… I’m not sure what you mean by he doesn’t release the beast for her? Do you think it would’ve been better if they’d had sex in this book? I thought the emotional elements were handled well – I liked the idea of there being more layers to the story than what I’d originally read, like the idea of Barrons having taken away that memory. (Were there other times when such things have happened to previous characters?)
“however KMM’s solution was entirely too child-proof” — I would agree with it being more sanitary than it could’ve been. Despite the many PoVs, I would’ve loved to see the moment when Dani flipped. I know that might’ve ruined the big reveal but also heart-breaking :O :O.
“Ryo underwent a major personality overhaul which so didn’t suit him” — I’ve heard this too. I was a fan of Ryodan before, but I also felt like I didn’t understand a lot of his actions and I thought Burned gave a better understanding, so it was less of his personality changing and more of us getting the motivation behind his mysteriousness.
I keep hearing that the audiobook is awesome! I’m sorry you didn’t like this book 🙁 – will you continue with the series or was it that much of a let down? I might go get this audiobook now…
Christina recently posted…Mini Review Round-up: The Vanishing Season – Jodi Anderson; The Vault of Dreamers – Caragh O’Brien; Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel – Sara Farizan; The Cure for Dreaming – Cat Winters
I don’t really want to list the plot holes because they are kinda spoilery, but if you really want to know feel free to shoot me an e-mail. Here’s a quote from the book that illustrated what I was talking about with regards to the nine’s thoughts on Mac:
“Her brain vanished when her body did,” Ryodan says to Barrons. “Apparently,” Barrons says.
Barrons takes care of the Princes who raped her, but it’s part of a deal he made with someone else, not to avenge Mac. And, I found that Ryo went from bastard to avenging angel in this installment which was a complete 180, not character evolution, but that’s just my opinion.
I’ll definitely continue this series, although I might hold off listening to it until I’ve read a few reviews so that my expectations are more realistic.
I admit I started reading itbut then ARCs took precedence and I put it on a backburner. I do hope I’ll enjoy it more than you, Carmel *wink* Excellent review!
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