Downtime for digital magazines on Sept. 13

Bloodfever

by Karen Marie Moning

SCIENCE FICTION Moning, Karen Marie
Fantasy

In Dublin the walls are coming down between Man and Faery. That means that the Buffy-like services of MacKayla Lane-the 22-year-old Georgia-born sidhe-seer (or one who can see the Fae) and slayer are required. Mac is determined to kick the nasties back to faeryland and to avenge her sister Alina's murder by the Fae's dark Lord Master. She's also seeking the sinister Sinsar Dubh, a book of black magic. Jericho Barrons, Mac's enigmatic protector, is a purveyor of books and antiquities (and of course, is a major hunk). As Mac takes direction from Jericho, she must resist the sexy dangers of V'lane, a death-by-sex Fae, and learn about her true family of Irish sidhe-seers.

I read the Karen Marie Moning's entire Fever series this summer despite having an ache in my heart about the foreshadowing that started happening by book 4. What thrilled me about this series was its fantastic twist on common fantasy themes. What would Buffy the Vampire Slayer look like if she were a fae hunter? What would that look like in a Lovecraftian Arkham Horror world with a supportive ensemble cast? I loved the bulk of the series despite the frequent and overt rape-like threats. -Melody