Karen Marie Moning's 'Dreamfever' came through the door yesterday; I'd never heard of the author or the series so I thought I'd have a quick look at the blurb and see what it was all about. Here's the very first sentence...
MacKayla Lane lies naked on the cold stone floor of a church, at the mercy of the erotic Fae master she once swore to kill...
Seriously, that was the first sentence. The blurb was obviously written with a particular audience in mind but... who are these people? I'm not knocking anyone's choice of reading but I have only ever met one person who openly admits to reading this stuff (she loves Laurell K. Hamilton). Where are all the others?
Are the adventures of a lady with 'an insatiable sexual craving' (that was in the blurb too) something that would appeal to you as a spot of light reading? I'm genuinely interested to know...
15 comments:
side note...
Am I the only person who read the author's name with an extra letter Mo'a'ning.
My take on this subgenre is my misreading of the name would be more in line with the content of many of these books. Sex sex sex.
To answer your question Graeme, no this is not my light reading choice too much sex not enough otherness for my reading tastes. If I wanted to read this type of story I would round the corner at my local book shop to find the romance section (I shudder in true horror at this thought) and have at the bodice rippers to my heart's content.
That is definitely not my reading taste. If I wanted that, I'd be a romance freak...I shudder at the mere thought.
You forgot the best part of blurb is the fact that sex is in it like 5 times. It is obviously a sex book
I've read the first two books of the series. In the first book there is no sex, just a pretty good kiss. In the second there is almost - but I think it stops. I haven't read the third yet, and I'm not sure about the last one. The story line is pretty good. The main character is in Ireland and ends of learning to fight dark fae from a man(Barrons) that she's not sure if he's good or bad. I can't judge the third and fourth, but I like the first two, enough to buy the third book. I hope she hasn't gone the way of you-no-who. Although I don't think she can ever get quite that......repetitive, or have that special kind of....can't describe it.
I believe the term you're looking for, Mardel, is "unabashed lasciviousness." And apparently it seems to bank for you-know-who.
HeeHee, thanks - that is a good phrase. I used to enjoy her books but now, it's just too much angst, alpha posturing (I just picture all these confused men being challenged by you-know-who, wondering what's up. Nowadays some of the confrontations seem extremely pointless), way too much of the same type of sex, and way too much talking/negotiating said so-called sex, and too much of the characters explaining everything ad-nauseaum to each other. Oh yeah, can't forget the endless 80's ho-wear everyone seem to dress in.
Sorry, sometimes I rant.
My original point is that I think the blurb on the dreamfever book is aimed at a certain audience, and probably is greatly exagerated regarding this book. I've noticed some of the books I read that really don't have much sex in it are marketed like they're erotica. Even a YA book (Strange Angels) had a blurb about a love triangle situation that just wasn't there. It might turn up later in the series, but in that first book the girl just MEETs the damphir and notices his attraction.
If I had read a blurb like those on the first fae book by Karen Moning, I wouldn't have picked it up, but I really enjoyed the first and second book. Read those first, if you decide to read Dreamfever.
I love this urban fantasy series (this is not a romance series, even though there is going to be HEA at the end, I think)! You definitely have to read the first three parts to understand what's going on in this one. The third book ended in a HUGE cliffhanger and that's why that first sentence you mentioned is soooo teasing to us because it hints to the events of the last book...
Maija P (and Mardel too!)- Thanks for pointing out the three book thing to me, that makes a lot more sense now although I'm not sure that I have the time to read three books before going on to this one...
Mardel - It's also interesting to see the whole 'erotica slant' on the advertising as well. Don't they think that the story can carry itself?
Anon - Are you four all the same person? :o) It's not really a reading choice for me either but I am always up for giving new stuff a go...
Different Anonymous here than before ;)
http://www.randomhouse.com/bantamdell/kmmpodcast/ has the free audiobook available and I enjoyed listening to that one.
Hi different anonymous!
Thanks for the link, I'll have to check that out :o)
Erm, no, that's not exactly what I'd find appealing. I keep hearing good things about this series but perhaps I should take a closer look at what it's about before picking up the first book. :)
Anon #1 here,
Graeme, I'm also willing to read new authors and read several urban fantasy novels three to five years ago. My problem with many of todays urban fantasy books is as you say the 'erotic slant' of the marketing. It has become just too awkard and embarrassing as a thirtyish man to be seen on public transit with some of these covers in my hands.
Mardel, thanks for letting readers know that the content of Karen Marie Moning's 'Dreamfever' is not all about the s word and this is a larger multibook series. Your comments on the books content provide a much better blurb on the story to my mind. Makes the books sound much more readable to me.
I guess the 'erotic slant' of much of todays marketing is one of my peeves. Publishers of these type of covers and blurbs have to realize that they are losing out on potential market. I see the cover, read the blurb and put the book down without trying the story. The 'erotic slant' puts me off. I know it's the old judging by the cover bit but there is so much out there I want to read that I just don't take chances on reading books with iffy covers anymore.
Graeme, I enjoy your site, reviews and contests. I found the blog a 12 to 18 months ago and have read it avidly since then. And no I don't always post as Anon ;).
Happy reading everybody.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
I laughed like a maniac when i read this post!
What a blurb!
Damn man! There are people even more insane than me out there.
I'd like to meet someone who actually read this stuff, just to check if we're from the same species.
Fae Creature Fu** me!! please!!!
Hahahahahahahah!!!!!
Indeed, what a weird opening sentence.
This isn't my type of reading but I'm not bashing it. Anything different, creative, and well written has its place.
I would like to add though that I love the cover art, its very well done and makes me want to read the story based off that (until I read the opening sentence hah).
Anom.#1- as a 49 year old reader,(woman) I also feel a little awkard about some of the book covers. I do like some of the UF covers, but not all. My kids love to tease me when I'm reading a book with an "iffy" cover, and they don't believe when I say it's mostly action. They say "sure, wink, wink, ACTION!"
I'll bet I've missed a few good stories, though because I shy away from books in the romance section. (talk about racy covers!) I took a chance on a paranormal romance once, and it turned out to be pretty good, with minimal wink-winkery. But the next one I tried was full of it, along with way too much gushery- for me anyway.
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