Dreamfever: Fever Series Book 4

By Karen Marie Moning

In New York Times bestselling author Karen Marie Moning’s stunning novel, the walls between human and Fae worlds have come crashing down. And as Mac fights for survival on Dublin’s battle-scarred streets, she will embark on the darkest adventure of her life.

MacKayla Lane lies naked on the cold stone floor of a church, at the mercy of the Fae master she once swore to kill. Far from home, unable to control her sexual hungers, MacKayla is now fully under the Lord Master’s spell.

He has stolen her past, but MacKayla will never allow her sister’s murderer to take her future. Yet even the uniquely gifted sidhe-seer is no match for the Lord Master, who has unleashed an insatiable sexual craving that consumes Mac’s every thought—and thrusts her into the seductive realm of two very dangerous men, both of whom she desires but dares not trust. 

As the enigmatic Jericho Barrons and the sensual Fae prince V’lane vie for her body and soul, as cryptic entries from her sister’s diary mysteriously appear and the power of the Dark Book weaves its annihilating path through the city, Mac’s greatest enemy delivers a final challenge.

It’s an invitation Mac cannot refuse, one that sends her racing home to Georgia, where an even darker threat awaits. With her parents missing and the lives of her loved ones under siege, Mac is about to come face-to-face with a soul-shattering truth—about herself and her sister, about Jericho Barrons . . . and about the world she thought she knew. 

BONUS: This edition includes and excerpt from Karen Marie Moning's Shadowfever.

Look for all of Karen Marie Moning’s sensational Fever novels:
DARKFEVER | BLOODFEVER | FAEFEVER | DREAMFEVER | SHADOWFEVER | ICED | BURNED | FEVERBORN | FEVERSONG

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Aug 18, 2009
• ISBN: 9780440338789

Karen Marie Moning

Karen Marie Moning is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Fever series, featuring MacKayla Lane, and the award-winning Highlander series. She has a bachelor’s degree in society and law from Purdue University.

Reviews for Dreamfever

[crazybatcow · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If you've made it this far in the series, you certainly won't stop now. It is one of the best paranormal dark fantasy romance books I've read in a LONG time.It's not really a problem because it just means there's more to come, but none of the books are complete in themselves so this one also ends in a HUGE cliffhanger, probably the most cliff-hangerly one of the 4 so far. I'm just very glad the whole series was completed before I picked up any of them, it would have sucked to not be able to finish the series (story) all at once.Not going to bother recapping anything - if you liked the 1st three, you'll like this one because the books just get better.

[rosetyper9 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Well I read the first three in quick succession but this one I've stalled out. It might be because I'm tired but mostly I think it's because I have come to hate Barrons. Like really hate him. We get it, he's not human, he's a bad-ass, and all that. The mystery of it all ... sure...but that's just it...he continues to be a mystery and the author never really gives us anything, or Mac for that matter. On top of that I hate how he throws her rape in her face all the time and continues to berate her for her association with V'Lane. I just hate him...I hope he gets a spear in the gut. I'll never know as I am done with this series. Mystery is an important aspect of drawing reader's into a character but you can't keep a character a mystery forever while highlighting his less redeemable qualities.

[rozziereads · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Really good, HUGE cliffhanger that had me walking around my house cussing up a storm.

[thepageparamour · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

4.5 stars

Those first few chapters...wow Barrons. Ahhh...and that ending!

[myab-3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was a bit slower than the other - only due to not as much scary action but still a great addition to the series... and the cliffhangers!! They get me every time! Can't wait to start the next book!

[beautyandtheblog · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Love, love, love this book!! Priya Mac and glimpses into Barrons memories were awesome! I am finally starting to see him in a slightly different way and although there is still a lot of tension between the two of them(and V'Lane, of course...how weird of a triangle is this turning into?) I fully believe that things will be getting incredibly interesting between them soon enough. And the ending....OMG!!!! Can't wait to find out what happens next :)

[nessa33-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Love, love, love this book!! Priya Mac and glimpses into Barrons memories were awesome! I am finally starting to see him in a slightly different way and although there is still a lot of tension between the two of them(and V'Lane, of course...how weird of a triangle is this turning into?) I fully believe that things will be getting incredibly interesting between them soon enough. And the ending....OMG!!!! Can't wait to find out what happens next :)

[mjmbecky · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

While I was on vacation, I finished Dreamfever. For anyone who has read this series, you know that book four ends with a HUGE cliffhanger! Here I was in London, frantically trying to get wireless in my hotel so that I could see if I could download the next book from Amazon. By the time I get on, what do I find but that it's over $20! Yes, I was crushed. See, I was enough of a cheapskate that I just couldn't download it when I knew the book was sitting at home on my table. I had enough foresight to pick it up from the library before I left, but not enough to actually bring it with me! What I didn't anticipate was the giant, gasp-worthy moment that ended Dreamfever that had me in a panic for the next book! Ironically, the price went down after I got home.In the fourth installment Mikayla is left picking up the pieces from a showdown with some serious bad guys who are aiming to find the powerful Sinsar Dubh to gain its power. Just when we think that Mikayla couldn't possibly recover from the trauma and pain she has gone through, Barrons steps in to help her. The problem is that we don't quite know who he really is, why he's helping her, or what he is to begin with. Because of that, Mikayla remains cold and aloof from the other characters in the book, and rightfully so. At this point, all Mikayla wants is resolution and her family kept safe from the evil that is pouring forth on the world.Without saying anything more that could ruin this installment, I have to say that you really should have the next book handy when you finish. Each of the books in the series has had a twist that forces you to keep reading, but this one really is painful not to know! Mikayla has grown darker, shrewder, and tougher through her experiences. On one hand the softer person we were introduced to feels sadly lost, but this new Mikayla seems like just the person to get the job done that she knows she has to do. By this point, I can't put this series down. I thought there might have been some hype built up around these books, but have to say that I get it now! They're neither romance nor suspense, but have both elements in them. There's magic and seemingly paranormal creatures involved, all in a fantasy-like backdrop that takes place in Ireland. They are both funny and tragic, scary and sweet. It's in these dichotomies that Moning created such a consuming read. Thankfully I have my hands on the last book so I can find out what happened after the major cliffhanger that ended this book! All right, I'm off to keep reading.

[rainrunner · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Cliffhanger totally pissed me off.

[mecaza-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

whew that one was exhausting! Talk about roller coaster action.. BUT it did seem to get a bit weird in parts too.. I think I am glad that the next one is promised to be the last in the series.. this chasing of weirdos is getting very tiring.. that is when SHE isn;t being chased herself..

[gmtapublishing · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Karen Moning is a phenomenal writer. She takes the world of fairy and shows its dark side with TEETH! I love her style and the way she makes you realize that these creatures are definitely NOT Tinkerbell. Do not read these books expecting fairy dust and wings, you will be sadly disappointed. These books pack PUNCH and Mikayla is a whole new heroine that keeps your heart pumping! Not to mention that her relationship with Jericho Barrons is so steamy you just can't stop reading!

[theyodamom · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Cliffhanger, cliffhanger, cliffhanger ! What a ride this book is, everything is happening all the time. Ther doesn't seem a moment to rest. Barrons is trying to save Mac, wonderfully. Will she trust in him ? Mac has to find a way to stop the end of her world, she needs everyone to work together. But can they all do that ? Can she help unite them ? The unseelie are all around the world no place is safe, not even her home town.
Even better on Audio for the second "read"

[myurbanfantasies · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Review originally posted on My Urban FantasiesThe walls are down. The Unseelie are free. Unfortunately Dreamfever begins where Faefever left off, with Mac in the clutches of the Unseelie Princes and the Lord Master. Mac is now Pri-ya, a human addicted to Fae sex, and only Jericho Barrons can bring her back. As for Jericho, he can heal me any day and it better take a hell of a lot longer than two months. Although the entire book is beyond amazing, my favorite parts are when Jericho is helping Mac. I like the fun Barrons, the one who buys Christmas trees and dances to Tubthumping. These parts also hold the saddest line in the entire book. "You're leaving me, Rainbow Girl."Mac has developed into such an amazing character. In the beginning of the series Mac is so superficial, basically a walking and talking Barbie. But, the rainbow Barbie is now gone. Say hello to the kick ass, black leather wearing, automatic weapon toting MacKayla Lane O'Connor. Yes, it has been confirmed, Mas really is an O'Connor. Although Mac finds out about her birth mother she never loses sight of whom her real parents are, the lovely couple who took her in and raised her. The same people who are waiting for Mac to return home to Georgia. Dreamfever is, so far, my favorite book in the series. However, I do have a warning, there are two chapters in the beginning told from Dani's point of view. While necessary, because Mac was... occupied, I did not like the change. I've become accustomed to Mac's "voice" and Dani's just seemed so young in comparison. I actually flipped through the chapters to make sure it switched back to Mac's point of view. Also, fans of the sexy Scotsman, Christian, will be very happy to know that he makes an appearance in Dreamfever. As for the ending, I have no words. If you thought Faefever had a cliffhanger ending, you are sadly mistaken. This is a cliffhanger. If the person is who I think it is, they damn well better figure out a way to fix it. That's all I am going to say. That statement was probably very confusing to those who have not yet read Dreamfever. It will make sense after you read it. I'm very happy that I started this series after it had finished. The wait for Shadowfever would have killed me!

[nike13-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved this book, can't wait to finish the series. I liked the new narrators better than the original for the first three books, glad they made the change.

[sadiesforsythe · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

3.5

I'm not going to bother with a review of a 4th book in a series. What's left to say, but I like it more or less than the previous ones? But I will make a comment.

I was wary about reading this book, as it seemed to be predicated on the main character being raped and turning into a simpering sex slave. Which is dangerously close to reducing a woman's value to nothing but sex, while allowing male characters to remain in control of themselves and her (and being worshipped for it). This is a trope that runs fairly close to the surface in a lot of romantic/erotic novels, if cleverly disguised, and it turns me into a seething ball of indignation.

However, here, the 'rapes' (which were of the, 'I control your mind and make you want it' as opposed to brute force type) were not graphic or detailed, the sexual savant only lasted a couple chapters and Mac was more inclined to demand sex than beg for it, allowing the whole scenario to not feel as sordid and disempowering as it could have. My point is that it wasn't that bad.

Edit, as an additional, related thought: Why, why do soooo many of the strong female heroines on UF/PNR eventually have to have their power and control stripped away by rape at some point in a series? It's almost beginning to feel like an expectation of the genre and that kind of disgusts me in general. I promise, it's not the only way woman can build strength of character and internal resilience. It's not the only way to prove we really are strong survivors and it's not the only plot device available to authors to provide a challenge to overcome. I really would like to see some variety in the genre and less insistence that rape is so common that all female characters have to encounter it eventually in order for readers to relate to her. It's a fallacy, a falsehood, a myth. It's disappointing.

[kimberwolf-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Dreamfever is, I think, best in the series, so far.

[cc123-3 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Each of the Fever books seems to be darker than the last. While still enjoying the story, I had trouble reading this book for any length of time. Too much doom and gloom not enough story for me but I'll be right there when the next book comes out the end of this year - Shadowfever. Ms. Moning's cliff hanger endings are killing me!

[msralways · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another cliffhanger like this and I don't think my heart can't take much else. I don't know if it was better than the second...oh what am I blabbing about?! Of course it was! just that totally amazing beginning and that totally mind blowing ending made it all better. And I'm talking about a book that ended with Mac being a Pri-ya. AMAZING. Already starting with Shadowfever.

[camibrite · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This series is so entertaining and such a quick read. I feel as though I just gorged myself on a huge bag of Halloween candy and now realize I won't get anymore until next year. OH NO!!!

[steph1203-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I am SO glad I have Shadowfever!

[cynditefft · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I'm not surprised this one is called Dreamfever, since after reading the first part, I dreamt about it all night. A song played in my mind as I dreamt of Jericho Barrons and those silk sheets.

"Lights will guide you home, and ignite your bones. I will try to fix you." - Coldplay

My bones, my skin, and everything in between were ignited by Jericho Barrons and his red and black tattoos as he "fixed" Mac over and over and over.

"Say my name."

"Tell me what you want."

*dies*

"You're leaving me, Rainbow Girl."

*swoon*

This series has me by the throat, up against the wall, mastered by Voice that demands I keep reading until I pass out.

But holy mother of all cliffhangers! If I didn't have the next one in my hot little hands already, I'd have hunted down Moning and had *her* up against the wall by the throat.

*breathes*

Off to finish this incredible series...

[renrav · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love this series. This book kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time and unfortunately I can't really say too much because I have already finished the last one and can't say anything that wouldn't give away what happens there.

[lisat131 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

It's just me. I'm sure I'm not giving this series a fair assessment. I know how much others love it, it's just too draggy for me. Too much of a tease. It could easily have been maybe 2 books. There is so much re-hashing it just made me cringe. The premise, the mystery and Barrons' character are great but the telling just didn't work for me. I should know better (I'm not a first-person fan). I will go on with Shadowfever because I want to know. I'll try to be fair with it.

[mlsimmons-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I did not really like this book. I think I am just getting bored with this series. I listened to this book and was a little distracted, that could have been part of the problem. I did seem to have a hard time following it.

[lovestampmom · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not too many people can write like J K Rowling, or Stephen King. There's such a thing of too much of a book or series or theme...The first three books of the Fever series were engrossing and fast-paced, but the fourth one is a little less gripping. I anticipated something to happen...but no. I could not put down the first three, yet I could not pick up the fourth to continue....I'm so happy that the fourth one is over and the fifth will bring me closer to great finale.

[lcrabtree-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ugh, before i didnt mind with the cliffhanger endings but this one's killing me...I need to find out what happened!?!?!

[iamchrysanthemum · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Definitely my favorite of the series despite some unnecessary parts (read: Dani's). It's just so dark and twisty--I have NO idea what is going to happen! Moning's writing bumped up several notches in this installment. It is no longer as frivolous and annoying (maybe because Mac has changed?). Her strongest work comes in the beginning where she describes Mac's return from being Pri-ya with Barrons. Mac's confusion, overwhelming sexual desires, and Barrons' niceness? are apparent.

I have so many questions that better be answered in Shadowfever (don't pull a Lost on me Moning!), so I'll list them here so I can attempt to keep track of them.
1. who is the fourth person during Mac's rape?
2. what happened to V'lane in the Forbidden Library wards?
3. who was beneath the vulture IYD creature?
4. what is the prophecy?
5. who really killed Alina?
6. what is Barrons? How can he kill Fae? Why is the Sinsah Dubh his "last chance"?
7. why is the Sinsah Dubh attracted to Mac?
8. how is Mac special, according to V'lane who said she did not begin to understand her abilities?
8.6 why did Mac acquire newly powerful abilities after overcoming her Pri-ya-ness?
9. what's up with dreamy-eyed Trinity ALD guy? (Cmon, Moning! he has been consistently..around...since book 1! there's gotta be something there)
10. do i like Barrons? is he working in Mac's self-interest? (I think I do, but he can be so unlikeable! but his work on turning Mac back from Pri-ya...god, I loved those chapters)
11. what's going on in all of Barrons' sad memories? whenever I read them, I feel like I'm reading a book version of Bane (aka evil Marion Cotillard)'s backstory in The Dark Knight Rises
12. what's up with Cruce? So we finally found out he cursed the Unseelie King's mirrors because he didn't want the king to see his concubine because he loved her too, right? I feel like he and the concubine are crucial to the denouement of this story somehow.
13. who is dream lady?
14. SO MANY MORE, mostly about Barrons Barrons Barrons, but I think I'll just go read Shadowfever instead because I can't hang off this cliff much longer! (I have such poor stamina, it's only been 15 minutes since finishing Dreamfever)

[librarycin · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

3.5 starsThis is the 4th book in the Fever series, with a straight continuation from the 3rd book. ****SPOILERS for previous book**** Mac is in big trouble, but between Dani and Barrons, they are able to help. In this installment of the series, Mac tries to get the rest of the sidhe-seers to work together to fight, despite their leader, Rowena, trying to shield them from what's happening since the walls have broken down, releasing the Unseelie into the world.****END SPOILERS****It was good. Once again, it ended on a cliffhanger, as every book in the series has done, so I expected it. Really, the first book in the series was the initial set-up and the rest of the books have mostly been preparation for what I expect to be an action-packed finale. Of course, various bumps happen along the way during this prep-time to keep it interesting. Mac is also able to learn more about everything that's been going on, what she is, what's happening, etc.

[pauline.ramsey · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book certainly was hard to put down! Mac's evolvement through her trials and tribulations is something to really taken notice to.

Here we have our heroine, Mac Lane, Rainbow pastel clad we first met turned savage by the events her life has taken her through. In Faefever, we see Halloween night becoming the end-all result of the walls of Faery collapsing and spilling over into the human world. Not only do we see the onslaught of Unseelie come crashing through the gates like a jockey on his horse at the Kentucky Derby, but we also see the destruction of the world's populace in the matter of minutes. It's wasn't so much the thought of Fae or other type creatures destroying the world that's horrific and terrifying to think about; no, what's disturbing is in a matter of minutes, our entire world could, and very well, be destroyed by our own devices. Obviously, in this book it's by mythical creatures but it outlines a grim and macabre future that may very well come to pass by other means. After all, when you lose 2 billion people in the course of a few months, how else is it possible with the expectation that we, ourselves, will destroy the world and bring it to its knees.

Anyway, one of my favorite parts of the book is where Mac tries to save her parents from the Lord Master. Not so much that he is negogiating her help by the use of her parents, but more for the fact that when she is forced to open the sack of stones and is violently thrown through dimensions that no human ever had the business of seeing. The description of the Hall of All Days was amazing, and I imagined what it would be like to be in such a place. Where all mirrors and doors lead to worlds we can't even comprehend or fathom.

Shifting from world to world using the stones to get back home, and hopefully staying far away from the Unseelie prison, we see Mac encounter things we wouldn't even begin to imagine. Fire worlds, ones of water, scorching deserts are just a few of what she encounters until she finally finds a world with oxygen, water and beasts that are beyond her comprehension. When I read about the beast she encounters, and she describes how it has the sack of stones on its horn and her sweater around its ankle, I couldn't help but think that this very creature was Barrons. I was almost certain of it when it began marking its territory around her come nightfall so that she would be protected, not to mention she recognized the baying it displayed as the same noise she heard from beneath Barrons' garage. The fact that she would turn on this creature when Ryodan came to rescue her is a forgivable point. After all, it WAS a beast and SHE is human. Isn't it human nature that we kill the things we are afraid of?

So, needless to really say, I loved this book, this series was most certainly an entertaining experience and I hope to read more from this author.

[bonniemarjorie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Okay so... at first I had a really hard time with the beginning of this one. As much as I would've loved Dani being narrator for a while, it simply wasn't what I was used to and it didn't pull me as the other books had.

Also, as exciting as Mac and Barrons was in the beginning, it had this thin layer of sadness over it as well. What happens to Mac at the end of the last book was so awful and it was really quite sad... even if her and Barrons finally being together was GREAT.

What I really missed in this book was the consistent Barrons and Mac interactions! Their conversations were always so entertaining and exciting but they were certainly lacking in this book.

And that ending. What the heck... if I didn't have the 5th book on hand to immediately jump into I would seriously be considering a 3 star rating. lol Fortunately, it's right here... ready for me to start reading. And this is where the review ends. Adieu. :)