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Fever #10

High Voltage

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Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Fantasy (2018)
There is no action without consequence…

Dani O’Malley was nine years old when the delusional, sadistic Rowena transformed her into a ruthless killer. Years later, she’s tough, hardened, yet achingly vulnerable and fiercely compassionate, living alone by her own exacting code. Despite the scars on her body, driven by deeper ones carved into her soul, no one is more committed to protecting Dublin. By day, she ensures the safety of those she rescues, by night she hunts evil, dispensing justice swiftly and without mercy, determined to give those she cares for the peace she has never known.

There is no power without price…

When the Faerie Queen used the dangerously powerful Song of Making to heal the world from the damage done by the Hoar Frost King, catastrophic magic seeped deep into the earth, giving rise to horrifying, unforeseen consequences–and now deadly enemies plot in the darkness, preparing to enslave the human race and unleash an ancient reign of hell on Earth.

There is no future without sacrifice…

With the lethal, immortal Ryodan at her side, armed with the epic Sword of Light, Dani once again battles to save the world but her past comes back to haunt her with a vengeance, demanding an unspeakable price for the power she needs to save the human race and no one—not even Ryodan who’d move the very stars for her—can save her this time…

496 pages, Hardcover

First published March 6, 2018

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About the author

Karen Marie Moning

55 books30.1k followers
“The only other calling I ever felt was an irrepressible desire to be Captain of my own Starship. I was born in the wrong century and it wasn’t possible, so I chose to explore the universe by writing fiction instead. Books are doors to endless adventure.” -KMM

Karen Marie Moning is the #1 NYT bestselling author of the Fever Series and Highlander novels.

An alum of the Immaculate Conception Academy, at seventeen she attended Purdue University where she completed a BA in Society & Law, with minors in Philosophy, Creative Writing and Theatre, while working full time as a bartender and computer consultant. She intended to go to law school but after an internship with a firm of Criminal Attorneys, decided against it. For the next decade, she worked in insurance, where she wrote intercompany arbitrations and directed commercial litigation. At the age of thirty, she decided it was time to get serious and do what she’d always wanted to do: write fiction novels.

Beyond the Highland Mist was published in 1999 and nominated for two RITA awards. She then published six more novels in her award-winning HIGHLANDER series, and received the RITA Award in 2001 for The Highlander’s Touch.

In 2004, she began writing the #1 New York Times bestselling FEVER series. The books have been optioned twice for potential franchise development by Twentieth Century Fox and DreamWorks Studios, but the rights are currently held by Moning who has expressed a desire to one day see it as a television series. Her novels have been published in over thirty countries. She divides her time between Ohio and Florida and is working on two future projects for Random House Publishing.

“I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.” – Jorge Luis Borges

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,687 reviews
Profile Image for Fresiako.
66 reviews60 followers
April 13, 2018
Ok so it's official
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Before I start my review I gotta write a disclaimer so y'all know where I am coming from that I am like an OG hardcore Dani fangirl from way back! I ain't just some loser hater who is shitting on this book needlessly. Dani is literally my fave heroine of all time! I will always love Dani, that brilliant girl imprinted on my heart way back in iced.

I have got hardcore emotional investment in Dani's story yo so this review is about to be like 10 pages! Ryodan and Dani were literally my OTP, my fave couple of all time! I loved these two characters with all my heart and soul! Like soooo much, and I went in expecting, as well as wanting to love High Voltage SOOOOOO BAD. Disappointed doesn't even begin to cover what I am feeling right now! I honestly feel LOST.

This is real-time footage of me after reading this book:

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It hurts my soul to have to give this book a mediocre rating but it is what it is, I'd be lying if I said it was an amazing book. This book is more like 2 stars but cause of my impartial hardcore dani investment I gave it 3 stars cause i literally can't stand giving her book a negative rating lol.
Ok now that that's out of the way here comes the actual review:

Reading this book was like watching a car crash happen before my eyes.
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I thought the power of my positive thoughts would eventually make the book good but alas that did not happen. The book literally read like weird fanfiction. KMM's usually elegant and graceful writing style and fantastic characterization were completely missing from this book.

For one the book felt filled to the brim with tacky pop culture references and songs, like quick someone take away kmm's Spotify she's gone wild lmao. I personally don't mind her chapter title song playlist thing since it usually, in my opinion, enhances her books but this book I felt like she went way to over the top with how much pop culture homegurl was tryna fit into the pages.

There was also a lot of telling but no showing in this book. It was filled to the brim with lengthy monologues about how amazing, sexy and brilliant every single character was with no real proof. At one point during the book, I started wondering whether Kmm had actually even written this book or whether she got kidnapped by an alien or some shit. How can the same person who wrote Iced have written this book?

Everything and I MEAN EVERYTHING in this book felt off! Like someone had literally stolen the souls of the characters and was forcing them to perform a spiritless play with their bodies as puppets or something.

Dani:

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Soooo Dani's pov started out ok, i enjoyed reading about her being the protector of Dublin her ventures protecting children and her collecting 'birds,' all reinforced how much I love how good a person Dani is. She truly deserves the title of superhero more than anyone else in this series.

But I swear halfway thru kmm forgot which pov she was supposed to be writing in or something cause instead of Dani her POV started sounding like Mac! I literally feel like entire quotes from mac's pov were copy and pasted into Dani's pov. It was soooo weird did kmm forget how to write Dani or something so she just scapegoated back to what she knows how to write?

Dani who used to show her personality and character most through her badass actions suddenly became this weird rambly version of MacBook who spent most of her time doing her laundry and talking about furniture?

One of my biggest criticisms other than her pov sounding nearly identical to MacBook's pov at times is that Dani was supposed to have an EPIC storyline but the plot of this book was so nonexistent we literally got a 1-page villain lmao. There was no real tension! I wanted my girl to have more than this rudimentary cardboard cutout storyline to herself.

My fav Dani scenes might have been the bit about her mother. Those chapters seemed to me the only chapters that were totally in character. I will admit this part made me cry. The scene regarding Dancer and his

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King Ryodan: the lord & liege:

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Sadly the most neutered character in this entire book was my baby Ryodan.

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I feel like I was witnessing some kind of weird character assassination. I know that characters change and go thru character arcs so obviously Ryodan is not going to be the same man he was in iced. But like he literally doesn't even slightly resemble his past self.

He is like a sad angsty teenage lover boi shadow of his former self lol. He literally jams out to miley cyrus's wrecking ball on the low and beyond that he spends the book in a constant state of lover boi angst.

Where is the cool, cunning and calculating man that used to show his complex personality through his badass actions? #notmyryo #saveryodan2018

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Ryodani:

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Look I knew going in that kmm said this book would be along the lines of a romance and I am someone who personally likes romance so I was still excited but it wasn't even a good romance! I am the ultimate ryodani shipper but I gotta say the romance was really meh. It was doing nothing for me.
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Like where was the spark? the god damn magic? the electric current that used to permeate between ryodani in the other books? The dynamic, sassy, funny and intense bond these two shared felt missing. That scene in Feverborn where Ryodan licks Dani's back singlehandedly delivered more sexual tension than all the sex scenes combined in this book. When I first read through that scene in Feverborn I got fangirl chills down my pervy spine, none of the ryodani scenes in High Voltage even came close to the same romantic payoff!

I think the reason why the romance fell flat for me was cause none of the characters even seemed real so none of the romance, as a result, felt real to me. I can't believe that the same woman who wrote Mac and Barrons amazing slow burn in the first 5 books wrote the disjointed romantic arc of this book.

How did they jump from maybe we both lowkey want to fuck to I LOVE U 4EVA MY SWEET PRINCE so quick lmao? I was so shook! Where was the relationship development? One minute they just wanted to fuck next minute they r in love? da fuq?

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I honestly feel like dani's relationship with dancer was less juvenile than what happened in HV between her and ryodan. Every time ryodan called dani babe a part of my soul died it was so cringy omg. Also what the fuck was up with his weird new nickname for her? Him calling Dani 'Stardust' was supposed to be seen as romantic but just felt straight up cheesy and randomly tacked on to me. Like I dunno if Ryodan's had many long-term partners or what but omg he was more like a weird teenage lover boi than the actual weird teenage loverboi of the series (i love u dancer no offense lmao)

The ending:
The ending was the only part I really liked of the book. Seeing Dani have her happy ending did warm my heart if nothing else. :')


Overall:
I literally started thinking I was the problem not the book like maybe its just my problem that my expectations were too litty and not the books for being kinda shitty. My girl really deserved better than this! Like i'm glad Dani ended up with a happy ending but like my happiness for my baby getting a good HEA was really ruined by the lackluster execution of the entire book.

I'm hoping that next book kmm can take some of this criticism on board. Maybe the next book she'll stroke back the flames in my ryodani loins, who knows? Anyway hopefully, upon re-reading this book a second time I'll like it better! And before any of kmm's fangirls come for me just know that i'm one of you. I just gotta be honest about my feelings yo!
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Profile Image for Annie .
2,484 reviews944 followers
March 8, 2018


As one of my most anticipated books this year, I had some really high expectations for HIGH VOLTAGE. This is the tenth book in the Fever series and it marks the beginning of a new journey for Dani. She walks alone in this book after Ryodan, Mac and Barrons have left. Without any of her friends, she feels lost and alone.

I’ll admit, I wasn’t a huge fan of Dani when she was first introduced into the series but already she has made so much progress with her character. If you’ve never read a KMM book before, you’re seriously missing out. Her heroines alone are worth the read. Strong and independent, they are perfect role models for any women. Despite being set in a dystopian world filled with magic and fae, the obstacles that these characters go through are very much humanlike and relatable. Dani’s biggest obstacle here is grief and I found that KMM did such a good job of conveying the emotions and dealing with it.

Ryodan and Dani’s relationship is just beginning and every time a fight occurs between them, I have to smile. For some reason, it comforts me and makes me happy because it means that things are all right in the world despite things falling apart around them.

I cried while reading this novel. KMM’s words always manage to do that to me. The emotions that her characters feel come across as very real and I’d be surprised if you weren’t affected by them. I’m glad Dani is back and we get to see the whole through her eyes again. Because as bleak as it can be, she remains to be the light that brings in hope.

I absolutely cannot wait to see where KMM takes this series next. KMM has made me her bitch and you won’t ever see my complaining about it.
March 11, 2018
Hiii helloo apparently people are going crazy over this book. I say it here; even tho I didn't like this book, doesn't mean you will not either. I'm honestly glad for my friends who loved this but people who didn't are being attacked about it xD holy fucking shit so I repeat; this is only my personal opinion and I'm not some sort of Troll ( I'm actually a goblin ) and I'm not trying to influence anybody, I wish you all happy reading!! Everybody ignore me, who gives a flying fuck about my opinion XDD
it's pointless to argue anyway, we all like different books for different reasons.


This did not work for me at all.
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS

Profile Image for Melanie.
1,245 reviews101k followers
January 5, 2019
1.) Darkfever ★★★★
*.) The Alpha Alternative: JZB Sex Scene
2.) Bloodfever ★★★
3.) Faefever ★★★
4.) Dreamfever ★★★
5.) Shadowfever ★★★★★
*.) Fever Moon: The Fear Dorcha ★★★★★
6.) Iced ★★★★
7.) Burned
8.) Feverborn
9.) Feversong ★★★★

“The gods and Fae are going to war again…”

High Voltage was the last book I completed in 2018! And, Lord, did it really end the year off on a low note! I had so much faith after Feversong! But it just seems like KMM cannot write a book that stars Dani without it feeling… skeezy.

I was so uncomfortable over so many parts of the Jacob and Renesmee storyline that was going on in this installment. Like, I actually thought I was happy shipping Dani and Ryoden together after everything in Feversong, but I finished this book and felt like I needed to take a shower.

Darkfever is such a special book to me, and it always will be, because it was the first “sexy-time” Fae book I ever read, and high school Melanie became addicted to these characters and world so damn quickly! But, it’s been ten years and I need to learn to let go, because this was a damn train wreck and it wasn’t even a train wreck that was enjoyable to see happen. I actually felt like I had to be on the train, because I am literally in pain, friends.

Basically, in this tenth installment (of a series that should have only been five books long), Mac is still missing after the events of Feversong. Dani is patrolling the streets of Dublin, protecting the city she loves, while also still battling the trauma that she experienced as a child. She also has her trusty new sidekick, Shazam, while she is trying to figure out why parts of her body are turning black after she stabbed a Hunter so long ago.

But pretty much nothing happens in this book. It is so ungodly *wink* boring, that I had to bribe myself to pick it up all through the month of December. Inner angsty monologue, after inner antsy monologue. Dani and Ryoden’s actions were childish and ignorant throughout the entirety of this story. It actually made me anti-ship them, which I guess is a feat in itself.

And once we get to the end of the book and get actual answers about what is happening to Dani? Like, I want whatever KMM is sipping because this story is truly out of this world, and not in a good way. I just can’t. I truly can’t, friends. This Fae series, with my favorite romance of all-time, has turned into something so damn convoluted that I am at a loss of words just trying to review it.

Overall, I’m going to take a hard pass on whatever the fuck comes next, because I love myself. I’m just going to live in my little imaginary Barrons Books & Baubles with Mac and Barrons and pretend I never read High Voltage!

“Some people have churches. I have BB&B.”

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Content and trigger warnings for child abuse, captivity, loss of a loved one, grief depictions, talk of suicide, fatphobic comments, attempted rape, sexual assault, a nasty comment about bipolarism, and some weird age gap romance themes that I don’t want to think about.
Profile Image for Beth.
3,135 reviews288 followers
March 8, 2018
As a stand-alone read, I loved it. I loved Moning's imagination, the way she twists us up into the characters emotionally and for the characters as they are now... But...as a continuation of Dani and Ryodan, we come to already know...I'm conflicted. The vacillation from the base characters was difficult to justify but in the end I managed. I got caught up in the telling and enjoyed the heck out of it anyways!
Profile Image for SHOOKITHA TEA.
136 reviews24 followers
March 8, 2018

So.. this is it. Dani's long awaited HEA. I'll preface my review by saying I am a huge fan of Dani, she's one of my all time favorite characters. I've been desperately waiting for Dani to take the main stage again since Burned. I was so disappointed about the direction change but I had faith K Mo would see it through. I have a lot of respect for her as an author and I have no desire to bash her. I wanted to absolutely love this book.

That being said this book was bad. Shockingly bad. It read more like fanfiction than a work by THE Karen Marie Moning. The characterization is it's biggest downfall, with beloved characters becoming cartoonish over the top versions of themselves. The character that takes the absolute biggest hit as a result of this is Ryodan.

Ryodan transforms from the cold calculating man who cares about his world deep down to some sort of perverted horndog eternally chasing after Dani with multiple declarations of his love. It's offensive. It was your cookie cutter angsty eternally tortured romance hero. That may work for some people but I'm not buying it!

I could go into a bunch of examples of this but honestly I'm too sad and disappointed to even go back and look for them. Kat turns holier than thou, wise in an over the top way, Christian turns into a harmless angel with not a single ounce of bad in him, Lor an absolute dummy etc etc. Reading this book felt so utterly strange- like it wasn't real.

I love Dani. I will always love her character. But as the story goes on her voice was lost in this one, often times sounding more like Mac than herself.

The second biggest issue with this book is the plot. There is none lol. Dani sits around lonely and sad doing her laundry for half of the book and the other half.. she's dealing with changes. Not exactly riveting content lol. There is a villain in the book but it absolutely takes a backseat to a bunch of fuckery lmao. This book is 100% a romance and not even a good one. Like there's just no other way to say it..

It hurts my heart a bit to even give this book 2 stars- I've become very attached to these characters I obviously don't want to dislike it. But it was so disappointing, the writing was just bad. There were a lot of cool ideas here and there but the execution was so terrible it killed any potential that might've been there.

I'm in denial that K Mo even wrote this book, it doesn't feel like one of hers at all but instead something you could have found on ff.net. It would almost be funny if it wasn't so horribly sad


ETA: I've noticed this hasn't really been commented on in anyone's review but I feel readers should know going into it. This book has TONS of rape/threats of rape/ sexual abuse. This author has a history of writing rape in a problematic way but this book really ups the ante. Rape in this series is handled so flippantly and irresponsibly with oodles of victim blaming/shaming and it hits a new low here.


If you're going to address rape I feel like it's an author's responsibility to commit to showing the gravity and effects of such trauma otherwise it's just offensive and exploitative.

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There's an official release date! March 6, 2018!!
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Finally, Dani's going to get some time to shine!
Profile Image for Sara Kate.
541 reviews167 followers
March 8, 2018
Ahhhhhhmazing!!!! I loved it! So incredibly good. The audio was fantastic like always. I have really grown to love Danni these past few books. She was really grown and come into her own person. I really loved where she took this story with Dani. Ryodan.... oh how I love Ryodan. Him and Barrons are right up there together. I love the alpha male beasts she has created in this Fever World. Definitely one of my favorite series ever. This was definitely not a disappointment!
Profile Image for meltem.
122 reviews144 followers
March 7, 2018
07.03.2018

I actually loved this book. And Ryodan... I mean can he be real and come to my doorstep please lol

I agree everyone about Mac and Barrons having 8 books about them. It is not fair at all, since the last 3 of them made me hate B&M. Also, I would love to see more of this sexual tension between Ryo and Dani tbh. I'm a sucker for UST and since we all know how KMM is master at writing UST, it is a little dissapointing that we did only get that just a tiny bit.
And one thing I really love about Ryo, he owned his relationship and feelings in a way Barrons never did. He always wanted best for Dani, he never insulted her, while Barrons always talkes about how stupid Mac is (which she is btw, she is getting my nerves too)

And the best part of the book is, there was no Mac lol. I really can't stand her bimbo attitude anymore, so I'm really glad that her whiny ass wasn't around.

Shazam's secret got me surprised, I never expected something like that and found it a little forced actually. But it didn't bothered me much.

Overall, I loved the book but I was expecting more for Dani actually. Her new becoming didn't get me excited at all but at least she have a choice to leave it all behind any time she wants *shrughs*

And I remember KMM's contract. She signed for the book #11 too. So we will definitely get another book, lets just hope Mac stays wherever she is now till the end of that book *fingers crossed*
I wish KMM didn't finish Dani's arch with HiVo, and finish it with Fever #11 instead. I need at least a hundred more Dani books.

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06.03.2018
Damn it Karen! Here, take it. Take all the stars!

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04.02.2017
And we have a name!!

from Moning Maniacs:
Dani book... title High Voltage
ETA Ooh I forgot to say that she also told us that this book does not pick up where Fever song left off. It will be at a different time.

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Profile Image for Nicole.
50 reviews7 followers
February 10, 2021
Splendid. Breathtaking. My heart is so full. This very well may be my favorite of Moning’s stories. Dani’s story is epic, though I expected nothing less.
Profile Image for Nicole.
817 reviews2,379 followers
January 8, 2021
I love the fever series. At least the first 6 books. Yes, 6 not 5. Dani made the 6th book awesome.


While I didn’t hate Dani in the first 5 books, I was always disgusted by the amount of “too old for a 14 yo” things. However, she, as a character, was always adorable and a total badass. Iced was good because of her. I loved reading from this girl’s POV. She was so fun and wild. However, this book was more of a romance and less of the usual addicting action-packed book, what fever series is known for the most (and started to lose after Iced).

If you like philosophical things in romance books, this book is for you. If you expect an action-packed book, a page turner, and a badass Ryodan, this book isn’t for you. I highly recommend the audio, though. It was well narrated. However, we had Dani and Kat’s POV read by the same narrator using the same tone. It was confusing sometimes because the character’s name wasn’t told.


This book has 3 main problems:

1- TOO MUCH ROMANCE

2- MONOLOGUES

3- BOREDOM


#2: Burned was bad, Feverborn a disaster, feversong a bit more redeeming. The 3 focused on Mac. When I learned that High Voltage will be from Dani’s POV, I was delighted! No more Mac’s ridiculously boring monologues. Turns out I was wrong. Dani’s POVs were a mix of Mac and herself. She never had so many inner dialogues before now. They were tiring and tedious.


#3: I was bored to tears while reading this book. For God’s sake, it took me over a month to finish! I who devoured the first 5 books in less than a week. That should tell you something about the immense cliff this series fell off of. I don’t think I would’ve finished this book without listening to the audiobook. At x2 speed, the book didn’t take much effort anymore. I even skipped a few seconds (only once)!!!!!! When she was analyzing her relationship with Ryo, I skipped because I couldn’t take it anymore. It was torture listening to her overthink everything.


#1: I left one till the end because it’s full of spoilers that will be marked. If you do not want to know anything about this book before reading why would you be reading this review. And if you don’t mind a bit spoilery news, like this is mostly Dani and Ryodan’s book (a fact that any of you could’ve guessed), you’re fine. I’ll try to hide spoilers as best as I can.


I have always shipped Dani with Dancer. I was never a fan of Ryodan. In fact, that’s one of the reasons why I lowered my rating for Iced. However, he grew on me in Feversong. I started seeing him with Dani even with what was going on with Dancer. So yeah, I started liking the man oh sorry sex beaaaast.

Minor Spoilers: Anywho, I expected this book to be Dani and Ryodan’s reunion. What I didn’t expect was the amount of silly dreamy overuse of romance between the two. Where are the total badass characters? When did they become so sweet and vulnerable pouring their hearts’ content to the other? Not only did they bore me, they also made me roll my eyes plenty of times. I understand that Ryodan was caged as a kid just like you, Dani. I promise I get it. I’ve heard it enough times to remember this fact for a long long while. The characters lost their essence and what made them special and so fit for each other. Ryodan became the tormented lover and Dani, well... the person who doesn’t let herself get what she wants like always until it changed toward the mid of the book (after LOTS of monologues). I don’t know how to describe her, she was the same just more open, philosophical, and spiritual. So as a couple, it became full of the romance I always run away from. Mac and Barrons’ relationship never suffered from the abundance of romance (I don’t mind it if it was done well and with some action).


The characters weren’t the same anymore. Especially Ryoden. It was silly how much he changed. Moreover, the book took too long to finish. The main plot point now that I think of it, was left till the end with so little else going on before. I’m glad we saw more of Christian, I’ll always like that guy. But hey this is the fever series, who knows what would happen to him in book 11.


If you’re curious to know the whereabouts of the end:

It was bitter sweet for me. Some people deserved what they got but it still felt too unsatisfying. Easy end. And the other twist before the end… don’t get me started.

Briefly, some might like this book and there’s nothing wrong with that. I just wasn’t looking for a romantic book and characters. Some things became too convenient that I doubted I was reading the same series. Dani wasn’t as her usual self. I’m still going to read the last book (and hopefully it’ll be the last), I’m still curious to know where all of this is heading but I’m not expecting anything good.
Profile Image for Jilly.
1,838 reviews6,474 followers
March 18, 2018
When you only have a villain who shows up for maybe three pages out of the book, he/she should be epic. Like so horrifyingly creepy and scary that more page-time would make us all lose our shit from fear. Let's see if this guy measures up:

...demonic one-eyed god....wears a mask.... has a bug as his evil minion...one leg bigger than the other..."



"And how do we kill him?"

"The legends say by taking his eye."


Soooo, you're basically saying that we could take this guy out by buying him a BB gun for Christmas and letting nature takes it's course?



In other words, the villain of this book was a fail. I guess it's possible that my expectations were high considering this is the series that brought us more complicated and terrifying characters than the U.S. Senate, but still. Even a children's book villain has more page-time than this guy did. I think the Big Bad Wolf was scarier. Oh, or the Creeper from Scooby Doo. Remember that guy?


I like how he's wearing a suit. In the good old days, people dressed up for work.

Alright, so no check mark in that box, but at least we get the long-awaited romance between Dani and Ryodan, right? Um... yeah, about that... if you like romance where you get to read hundreds of pages of a girl angsting over a guy, and a guy who was previously a badass, but now has the personality of that dog from "Up" - neutered and faithful, then you are totally in the right place.




So, that was disappointing.
But, at least we get to check in on Barrons and Mac. Their happy ending. You know - all powerful, totally together, in love for all of eternity?
Yeah, no.
We find out they've hardly even seen each other since the last book. Barrons has been brooding since then. Of course, he's a sexy brooder, so that's kind of okay. But, still..

Expectations:


Reality:


We DID get a small peek at Christian too, but I wanted more.
Which, I guess was the problem with this book in a nutshell - I wanted more story and less inner monologue.
There are so many great characters in this world, and so many terrifying creatures, and yet most of this book was just Dani thinking the same types of things over and over again.
There were times when it read like a self-help book. Hey, Dani says that if I exercise enough, I can cure my clinical depression. Yay! Take that psychiatry! Dani also talks to us about compartmentalizing, overcoming hardship, what love is, self-image issues, and suicide.


Who doesn't like a good self-help book?
Oh. That would be me.

But what Dani thinks about most of the time is how great she is. You know how the villain guy has one giant leg? Well, I think Dani probably has one giant arm from patting herself on the back so often. And, you know, it was fine for 13 year old Dani. She was a force to be reckoned with, a little super-hero kid. But when a woman in her 20's is constantly telling you how great her ass is, you kind of get to a point where you want to kick it.



It's like 13-yr old Dani grew up in years, so that she could fuck Ryodan, but didn't grow up in maturity at all. Considering all she had been through, I was hoping for more emotional maturity in her.

But that didn't happen. Just like so many other things in this book.

This doesn't mean that the book is not worth reading. It's still the Fever world, and there is always hope that the next one will focus on Christian or something. But, it just didn't live up to the rest of the series. I'm also one of the few people who likes Mac, so take whatever I say about the book with that in mind. I just hope the next one is less talk-more action.
Profile Image for Rachel.
106 reviews2 followers
March 8, 2018
This book was a dream, just perfect in my opinion. I am a huge Dani superfan, have been since Iced and I couldn't be happier with how her story is going. I enjoyed reading High Voltage so so much, it will quickly become the book I read the most over and over. So many amazing quotes, and moments in High Voltage. Dani's strength is something I have always admired and I can't wait to see what comes next!
Rise!
Profile Image for Mira.
2 reviews
March 8, 2018
The newest book in the Fever series definitely delivered!

This is one of my all time favorite series, and I continue to be captivated by each new dip in to this world.

This book centers around Dani (our now grown up heroine) and Ryodan (the enigmatic public leader of The Nine), but it gives views in to many of the beloved characters lives as well.

Dani has had an incredibly rough life, but she remains pure of heart and a light in the darkness. Our fearless Dani, has to overcome her biggest obstacle yet. Herself. But as always, Ryodan is in the shadows ready to help.

Old gods, the Fae, and humans are all in a fight for their lives and the world. How can one human make a difference? With lots of high voltage!
Profile Image for Julie.
470 reviews
December 29, 2023
No Words

I have no words for how much I loved this book. I cannot quantify how good this was. The evolution of Dani O'Malley is truly something to behold. There is so much going on in this book, so many threads connecting, so much emotion. And Ryodan, I never thought I could love him like I love Barrons. My perception of him changed so much, getting a glimpse in his head and seeing - no feeling - his emotions for Dani, was like nothing else. There is still so much story to tell, I'm not sure I can wait a whole year for more of the Fever series. Karen Marie Moning, you are a genius and I am not worthy!
Profile Image for April.
749 reviews
March 7, 2018
I am bofflescated speechless! LOL Nearly 10 years ago I read the first book in this series for the first time. I loved KMM's Highlander series and discovered this one was set in the same world. It was immediately my favorite book and all these years later this series is still the best I've ever read. I'm very grateful for KMM's creativity and ability to put to paper her fantastic vision for this series!
Profile Image for Vee.
1,281 reviews104 followers
Read
December 4, 2020
High Voltage was a different book to what I was expecting. In comparison to the first nine books, which were chock full of mystery, intrigue and blow-you-over plot reveals; High Voltage was much more of a character study, with some HUGE moments serving the character development, but it played out a bit more understated than the previous books.
Personally, I think it pairs well with Feversong, because whilst FS was the culmination of various plot threads that had been established in the earlier books, it was also very much about Mac accepting the many facets of her own character.
HV expands on this idea by moving the heftier story elements to the background and delving into the forces that drive Dani. She is logical and guarded, she has been conditioned to compartmentalise her own thoughts and feelings, she has suffered abuses and loss beyond imagination, she has an exacting eye and a lust for life. She’s always been a character that I’ve viewed in contradictions. One moment she is zipping around Dublin without a care in the world, her emotions pouring out of her and the next moment she is shut off from everyone around her. After HV, I think I finally understand her and why it had to be this tenth book in the series where things clicked into place for me.
Some may think that there is a little bit of deus ex machina at play, towards the end of the book, but Dani has been through her fair share of suffering and sacrifice in order for the ending to be the exact type of ending that the book should have had.
This was a story about growing up, family, love and belonging. It was a story about grasping on to the things that you want in life, but also seeking and owning the things that you have to work hard for - the things you have to earn the right to deserve, where the pay-off is so much sweeter. And finally, it was a story about finding your match, mate, the other part of your soul and having to work on understanding and loving yourself to perfect clarity so that those two pieces could finally fit together without the fissures that were there before.
This was not the book I was expecting, but I’m so damn happy that it was the book I got.
Profile Image for Tatiana.
1,464 reviews11.4k followers
April 4, 2021
Eh, I just can’t ship someone as boring as Ryodan plus you can’t erase all the crap that went on in previous books. His dynamic with Dani never worked, even though I like her. The UF angle is fine. Don’t know why I can’t quit these books.🤷‍♀️

__________________

3.5 stars

Dani/Ryodan shippers - rejoice. Those who haven't been impressed by Fever books since Shadowfever - skip this one without reservation, you won't find a brilliant turnaround here.

I am neither D/R shipper nor a hater of the post-Shadowfever books. I keep reading them as soon as they come out. I like some things, I am bored by others, I occasionally absolutely hate some plot choices, and I will always think Iced was misguided in MANY unfixable ways that set Deni's story completely off its course. Because of the events in Iced, I have always felt blah about Dani/Ryo scenario. No amount of correction on KMM's part in later books salvaged this story for me, it only made it messier. Sorry, but the whole thing is still kind of icky, Ryodan is just a boring shadow of Barrons, and Dancer's part in this tortured love triangle was not handled well. But even though I mostly felt so-so about the love story in this installment, I have to admit, there was a piece of this mishandled romance that made me tear up. It was romantic and sweet.

The plot... Well, essentially, this is a hookup book lightly connected with the previous Faery story arc by the dire consequences of using Song of Making. The rest of the story is a surprising Dani transformation (nobody can be just a mortal any more in the books) and another monster of the week baddie I didn't care about. (Hoar Frost, Crimson Hag, that garbage thing. All these creatures are really just annoying and never are a serious threat.) Easy problems mostly easily resolved.

There isn't much else. Objectively speaking, it's not a very good book, and yet KMM always manages to put just enough enticing (and yes, touchingly well written) elements to keep me hooked enough to want more.

P.S. Will we ever find out at least the names of other people who are a part of the Nine??? Is this too much to ask?
Profile Image for Kat.
939 reviews
Want to read
June 17, 2017
I'll be old and grey when this book finally comes out...



And I can't freaking wait!

ETA: I'm sorry to add that, 5 years after expressing my initial excitement for this book, my love for the Fever series has slowly petered out, starting with Iced and continuing with its disappointing successors. I'll always treasure the first 5 books, but this book I will likely not read.
March 8, 2018
I devoured this book from beginning to end in a matter of hours. I think I'll need to re-read to catch the nuances and foreshadowing and allow myself to savor it rather than acting like I'm running a race to the finish line.

Every now and again, a writer leaves a piece of his or her heart on the pages. Dani and her character growth were both superhero and relatable all at once. She has heart, humor, a killer's edge and a vulnerability at the same time. Layers, folks.

This book was all about emotional justice. What is it to belong? Does love mean sacrifice?

Thank you to KMM for giving Dani her richly deserved evolution. I loved going along on this stunning ride.
Profile Image for Artezsa Martin.
4 reviews1 follower
March 6, 2018
let me just say I ( for once) have nothing but awe for this book, I love that I couldn't predict what was going to happen and even when I did there always something extra. I've been waiting to have more Roydan n Dani it felt like after reading this book (in a day) my thirst is quenched at last. This book didn't disappoint me and if your a mac n barrons fan (mac n Barrons forever) you'll get little of them in this book but I'm more hyped than ever to find out what been happening to her, the worlds they come across and how the characters continue to develop.
Profile Image for Michelle Wehner.
28 reviews
March 6, 2018
Perfect!

I loved Dani and Ryodan together and I hope to see them more in the future. Read it, it will change your Fever-Life :-)
Profile Image for Inanda.
61 reviews4 followers
March 6, 2018
Dani Dani Dani........ this is one of my most favorite female characters. This is in ok conclusion to her story but not totally fulfilling......... The story must go on and I do think that the arch-line will benefit from more world building ? But nonetheless I enjoy the book just like I enjoyed the previous books except Feversong. Feversong was way too ... you know just too sweet for a lack of a better word.
Profile Image for Megan Bishop.
9 reviews1 follower
March 6, 2018
Excellent and heart wrenching as always!!!!

Omg! I mean wow. So many twist and turns I didn't see coming!!!!! It explained so many questions i had about Dani/ryo combo. KMM takes everything up to a whole new level that you will never see coming. Yet so many new unanswered questions. My only complaint is that it takes soooo long for the new books to come out and you never really know if she will write more on the fever world. Although this book doesn't quiet end on a cliff hanger like some of her others do, it leaves so many things open for development. Hope she continues to write about our beloved fever world .
Profile Image for Zuzana899.
501 reviews16 followers
March 7, 2018
Tadaaaa... I LOVE IT. Yeah, I loved it. I loooveeee it. /sings/ Finally my beloved Dani from Iced is back!!!

I loved their HEA. I adore the Nine, all of them and I would like to read more about them.

I am sorry, I know this review lacks any sense but... I am so emotional now :D I was truly worried that I won’t like this book, that I will be disappointed. But I am not. I loved the steamy romance, I loved seeing Barrons again - and it was also a very hilarious scene, <3.

Well. It was all I hoped it will be. And even more. /content sigh/. Thank you, dear author. Thank you.
Profile Image for Heather Hill.
61 reviews8 followers
March 7, 2018
This story will make you feel ALL. THE. THINGS!!!

I devoured this book on the release day. Something I have NEVER done before. I’d even venture to say this is my FAVORITE book in the series.

It’s so unlike any of the other Fever books in the best possible way. This is a story about life and death, healing, rising up from the shit storms that knock you down, then LIVING and LOVING through all of it. It’s also about how utterly infinite the universe is, and how preciously beautiful the cosmic threads are that tug us toward our destinies. Plus even more that I can’t begin put in to words.

I laughed. I cried. But most importantly, I learned. This is a beautifully written story with a full technicolor kaleidoscope of emotion. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up.
15 reviews
March 7, 2018
Another one

Mannnnnnnn can I tell you I freaking loved this book. Karen marie moning writing gets into your head so well the scene of papa roach explaining how he gets back at humans had me immediately grossed out I ran to the pharmacy to buy a new toothbrush and case set even though I already had a perfectly sanitary one! As much as I love mac and Barrons I am completely in love with Dani and even more so with Ryodan. I wanted more Ryodan [Greedy i know] but I appreciated the deleted scenes soooo much.This book is worth every dollar and I completely understand why it takes a year to release each book. Love love love love!
Profile Image for Candace Tidwell.
326 reviews39 followers
March 7, 2018
Ok I have started to write this review six times and I always get two sentences in before I start deleting everything.
So let me try for the 7th time! This book was brilliant! Not more so than the others but equally the same. Karen never disappoints!

Dani, the mega! A better storyline could not have been written, in my opinion, for Dani. I do not want to reveal any spoilers so I'm going to keep this short.
The book is fantastic and ends with a possibility for more to come. If you have not read the series...READ it!
Profile Image for BernLuvsBooks .
949 reviews5,053 followers
December 30, 2018
"Cages were funny things. Although I'd escaped with my body long ago, only recently had my heart finally broken free."

10 books in and I'm still holding strong to this series because after all these years - how can I not? The last 2 books were a bit of a disappointment for me but this one, although not my favorite, was definitely much better & more in line to what drew me to the series in the first place.

I have always been a fan of Dani so I enjoyed that this book was all her. I know some aren't fans of Dani and Ryodan but I am! I think KMM did an amazing job of waiting for the "right time" for them to get together. I enjoyed watching Dani grow in this one and allow herself to be vulnerable. Anyone following this series from the beginning knows how difficult that would be for her.

The action was definitely at a minimum in this one because it was definitely more character driven but it worked for me. The idea of the red threads - things that are predetermined and tie us to each other - LOVED it!
Profile Image for Joni .
11 reviews5 followers
March 7, 2018
This book has gutted me in all the best and worst ways. I’m ruined.
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