Review: Iced by Karen Marie Moning

Iced
(Fever #6)
Karen Marie Moning
Release: October 20, 2012
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The year is 1 AWC—After the Wall Crash. The Fae are free and hunting us. It’s a war zone out there, and no two days are alike. I’m Dani O’Malley, the chaos-filled streets of Dublin are my home, and there’s no place I’d rather be.

Dani “Mega” O’Malley plays by her own set of rules—and in a world overrun by Dark Fae, her biggest rule is: Do what it takes to survive. Possessing rare talents and the all-powerful Sword of Light, Dani is more than equipped for the task. In fact, she’s one of the rare humans who can defend themselves against the Unseelie. But now, amid the pandemonium, her greatest gifts have turned into serious liabilities.

Dani’s ex–best friend, MacKayla Lane, wants her dead, the terrifying Unseelie princes have put a price on her head, and Inspector Jayne, the head of the police force, is after her sword and will stop at nothing to get it. What’s more, people are being mysteriously frozen to death all over the city, encased on the spot in sub-zero, icy tableaux.

When Dublin’s most seductive nightclub gets blanketed in hoarfrost, Dani finds herself at the mercy of Ryodan, the club’s ruthless, immortal owner. He needs her quick wit and exceptional skill to figure out what’s freezing Fae and humans dead in their tracks—and Ryodan will do anything to ensure her compliance.
Dodging bullets, fangs, and fists, Dani must strike treacherous bargains and make desperate alliances to save her beloved Dublin—before everything and everyone in it gets iced.

Review:

“You’ll never be just anything. A tsunami can never be ‘just’ a wave.”
[...]
“I like that about you. Waves are banal. Tsunamis reshape the Earth. Under the right circumstances, even entire civilizations.”
I blink.
“You’re going to be one hell of a woman one day, Dani.”

I'm not really sure what I can say about ICED that hasn't already been said. But since I read it and loved it I feel like I should say something!

A lot of people were slightly concerned that Dani as the narrator would be obnoxious. Well, it wasn't. Moning has said that she toned Dani down just a little because she would be with the reader for 90% of the book so she didn't really need to pack as much of a punch as she did when she appeared here and there in the first five Fever books. I think Moning did an excellent job of balancing Dani a little better and I found her more endearing than annoying here.

Dani's personality is pretty distinctive in the YA genre, although I am extremely hesitant to call this YA. Just because the main character is fourteen, please don't mistake this as appropriate for young teens. This is more of an urban fantasy than a young adult book, that's for sure.

Anywho, back to Dani! She's impulsive and energetic and has a unique outlook on life.

“There are only two things to worry about in life: either you’re free or you’re not. If you’re free, there’s nothing to worry about. If you’re not, you kick the shit out of everything around you until you are.”

Ryodan has decided that Dani is going to work for him, come hell or high water, and goes to extreme lengths throughout the book to keep her in line. I kind of think some of his extremes were too much, considering that Dani is only fourteen. I'm very conflicted about Ryodan's treatment of her - in one scene he pushes her into a poll to purposely hurt her while in another scene he tenderly takes care of her. I'm torn. Barrons was rough with Mac early on in their relationship, but he was't quite as physical with her as Ryodan is with Dani plus Mac was an adult. And there is a whole side plot involving Ryodan and Jo, who is one of the girls from the abbey, that I had issues with throughout the book.

The thing is, I know Moning can make me hate a character when she wants me to and then turn around and love that same character when she wants me to. I have faith that if I'm supposed to love Ryodan and want him to be with Dani when she's older that she can make me want it. So as much as I loved Ryodan as a character - gruff, grumpy, Alpha to the extreme - I'm going to hold off on my decision about whether future Dani should be with him. I will say that Moning gave us a few really great interactions between Ryodan and Dani and also between Ryodan and Christian that showed Ryodan's secret sense of humor and I loved these little glimpses. One especially great scene follows:

“Sloppy, Mega,” I mutter. I still can’t see. I wipe my bloody nose on my sleeve and reach out to feel what I hit.

“That’s my dick,” Ryodan says.

I snatch my hand away. “Gah!” I choke out. I can feel my face again—because, like, it’s going up in flames. What kind of universe makes me reach out at exactly that fecking level to feel what I think is a wall and puts my hand on a penis?

Then I remember this is Ryodan and scowl. “You did that on purpose!” I accuse. “You saw my hand go out and you stepped right into it!”

“I’d do that why, kid?”

Two other guys have zeroed in on Dani (I mean, really, why are so many guys interested in her all of the sudden - even to the point of waiting years for her to become old enough for them?). Dancer, Dani's  super smart human best friend, and Christian, the lie-detecting Highlander who is in the process of transforming into an Unseelie Prince against his will. All three men couldn't be more different and they all clearly don't like each other.

I really like Dancer and feel he is a good match for Dani, especially since he's the only one close enough to her age to be with her romantically anyway. Dancer and Dani watch out for each other and come up with Fae-killing devices together, but he gives her space and lets her be on her own when she needs it. Christian has become obsessed with Dani, partially because of his change, and watches over her to make sure she's safe. He's creepy many times throughout the book and I felt sad for the cute Scottish college boy we lost when he began transforming.

The plot of ICED is well-written and fits right in with the Fae-involved mysteries needing to be solved throughout books one thru five. Dani works with all three 'men' to figure out why groups of people around Dublin are turning up frozen. The plot was attention-keeping, but its the characters and the world that grab you and suck you into the pages. Once you start a Fever book, you think about the world Moning has created even when you're not reading. ICED is no exception, and Fever lovers should enjoy this installment greatly!

“You think you’re going to chain me to a wall then stand here and tell me why it’s okay that I am the way I am? That because of all the crap folks put me through when I was young it’s all right that I turned out like this?

Dude, I don’t have a problem with how I turned out. I like me.”

Recommended for fans of: Words.

    1/2

  4.5 / 5 stars