Review: Iced, Karen Marie Moning

Title: Iced
Series: Dani O'Malley, Book One
Author: Karen Marie Moning
Genre: Fantasy/Urban Fantasy/Adult
Buy-Link
Rating: Five Stars
Review:

I’ve read and heard several reviews about Iced, but as I had it in my hands less than four days after its release (signed by the author, YES!). Most of them were assumptions made, because Dani, the lead of Iced, is only fourteen years old.

I wondered. Trust me, I wondered. I also know KMM breaks literary and social laws/barriers left and right. Because of this, she had me hooked halfway through Darkfever. I will readily admit, I read the Fever series three consecutive times in a row. Being an author in predominate romance, the mainstream, overdone romantic arc gets a little old.

True to form, Karen Marie Moning broke molds, smashed through misconceptions, still possessing grace to curve around and through the delicate issues. Dani O’Malley is barely out of her pre-teens in an adult world. This isn’t YA, and shouldn’t be treated as such. From the carefully laid background and foreground of the surrounding characters, I see the brilliance behind the words, and cannot wait for Burned, coming out later next year.

Dani grew up hard and alone, even amoung a crowd. She’s young, temperamental and on the brink of self-discovery that will reform her into maturity. Some hints of her past are peppered through Iced, but it’s looking at her demeanor and behavior that’s key. Growing up fast sucks. Growing up “after the wall fell” is ten times as harder. I loved her character, how she deals with issues of the fae overriding her world. In her position, with her personality and age, I’d expect her to act exactly as she does.

Ryodan is everything Jericho Barrons is and we loved, with a subtle factor added in. Practiced social charm and poise, a polished quality that allows him to walk through society with any path he chooses. Quietly, or loudly, with niceties or rage, he wields those around him by any means that fits his mood.  

The rundown on the secondary characters. Jo. I hated her in the Fever series, and I hate her more now. Dependent, rose-colored glassed women always have that effect on me. The plot twist that encircled Jo and Ryodan’s escalated relationship had me sardonically laughing and railing at the same time. The only aspect I can see coming from that, Ryodan is using Jo yet again to manipulate Dani. Simple as that. Christian. Just ick. I understand the whole “becoming an Unseelie Prince” has to be a shock to him, but still. He has become psychotic, schizophrenic, ever-changing sociopath. But strangely, his heart, a tiny part of it anyway, just might be in the right place, in a very twisted sort of way. Kat—awesome insight into her introvert, unwillingness to lead, but does whatever it takes to succeed personality. Dancer. The perfect balance for a best friend. Intelligent, resourceful, and levelheaded, he is the grounding point for such a large character as Dani O’Malley. Lor—I’d said it during Fever, and I will say it now, more Lor! Something about his throw-back-to-cavemen-mentality, mixed with dark humor is highly entertaining. As for Mac and Jericho, they didn’t have much screen time, certainly not enough to see any progression in their characters or relationship. We shall see in Burned, the second Dani O’Malley book.