Review: Fever Moon: The Fear Dorcha by Karen Marie Moning

Fever Moon: The Fear Dorcha by Karen Marie Moning

Author:Karen Marie Moning

Writer: David Lawrence

Artist: Al Rio and Cliff Richards

Publication Date: July 10, 2012

Publisher: Del Rey

Pages: 144

Genre: Graphic Novel, Adult, Urban Fantasy

Source: Bought It

Book Description from Goodreads:

In Fever Moon, we meet the most ancient and deadly Unseelie ever created, the Fear Dorcha. For eons, he’s traveled worlds with the Unseelie King, leaving behind him a path of mutilation and destruction. Now he’s hunting Dublin, and no one Mac loves is safe.

Dublin is a war zone. The walls between humans and Fae are down. A third of the world’s population is dead and chaos reigns. Imprisoned over a half a million years ago, the Unseelie are free and each one Mac meets is worse than the last. Human weapons don’t stand a chance against them.

With a blood moon hanging low over the city, something dark and sinister begins to hunt the streets of Temple Bar, choosing its victims by targeting those closest to Mac. Armed only with the Spear of Destiny and Jericho Barrons, she must face her most terrifying enemy yet.

Review:

This graphic novel combines two of my absolute favorite things: art and Karen Marie Moning into one gloriously beautiful book. But the cover of this book, doesn't even begin to do justice to the exquisitely rendered art inside.

The story begins with a rehash of all of the important events up to about midway of the last book in the Fever series: Shadowfever narrated by none other than Mac so that if you don’t remember what happened (how could you not remember?!), it gives you a great refresher before diving into the main plot. So it’s a good idea to have read the Fever series before picking this up or else you’ll ruin some of the huge “aha!” moments for yourself.

This chapter in the Fever series is made in the classic super hero comic formula. The villain does horrendous things to innocent people, it attracts the attention of the hero, the hero goes on this murder mystery quest for information, add in some ass-kicking and viola! The hero triumphs! Which means that the Fear Dorcha story is pretty simplistic. It has been adapted by David Lawrence for this type of format, so while it maintains Moning’s essence in the story and characters, the clipped sentences and thought bubbles here and there will frustrate a lot of people. I was a huge comic book and then manga fanatic in my teen years, so none of this really phases me.

You know that old adage “a picture is worth a thousand words”? This is absolutely true for this book! What it may have lacked in written word it definitely made up in the expressiveness of the art. I could just gape at his incredible artwork for hours. A lot of people will dislike the art, and that really can't be helped. Everyone's imagination runs differently and they come up with a vision that will never be fully realized the way they want, but for me Rio definitely comes close.

Rio manages to capture Mac’s carefree innocence in her life before, and contrasts it with this deadly sexy kickass Mac after. He even depicts one of the most disturbing and pivotal Mac changing moments in such a raw and powerful way.

I was surprised at how much I loved his rendition of Barrons. Rio delivered the seductiveness of Barrons with the gruffness that we all know and love. We even get to see first hand some very special alter ego creatures that will definitely give fans of the series something to be excited about!

The story features most of the main cast of characters: Jericho Barrons, Mac, Dani, Ryodan and we even get some more backstory into the Unseelie King and his Concubine! Rio also managed to incorporate little but distinct details from the Fever universe such as Mac’s Juicy clothes, the cars and even the MacHalo, which definitely brought a huge smile to my face.

Where Rio’s work really shines is in Mac’s kick ass super hero action stills where she’s slicing and disembowling with nothing barring her. He captures her in such epic moments you just have to stop and take it all in inch by inch because there’s so much going on.

Unfortunately Rio passed away midway through this undertaking and his talent will be sorely missed. However, Cliff Richards did an impeccable job finishing up, it was difficult to see where Rio ended and Cliff started.

If you’re a huge fan of Moning, you’ll definitely want to buy this one for collector’s purposes. The art in itself is definitely worth it, I hope that Al Rio’s family is beyond proud of how incredible his last piece of work is.

Rating: 5/5 Steaming HOT Cups of Tea! 

I know a lot of people will be grouchy because of the shortness and lack of written word in the story, but the graphic novel lover in me cannot get over how amazing the art and story come together perfectly!

I'm also holding my 6 Months Blogging celebration giveaway Here, where you could win your choice of a book from The Book Depository up to $15CAD (which you could definitely get Fever Moon with!)