The Divide

[Mellifluous]

Having recently re-discovered this series, I have noticed that there seems to be a distinctive split in the engagement of the readership between Books 1-5 and Books 6-9 of the Fever Universe. I am loath to get bogged down in the semantics of the issue; I realise that there are 'Dani' books and there are 'Mac' books, but the interesting thing to me, reading the reviews and hearing the responses of the readership, is the change in the interests and expectations of readers that seems to occur between those who prefer the first 5 books and those readers who have been able to engage with the second narrative arc. Frequently I have read reviews that have advised only the first 5 books are 'worth reading'. Having returned to this series after a considerable hiatus (I first read the series back in 2011), I, like many of the fans of the first arc, found a strong level of engagement with the first 5 books on my first reading of the series, and, as such, at the time, was not motivated to continue with Iced back in 2011. However, having recently returned to reading the series almost 7 years later, I have found a new respect and appreciation for the second narrative arc and, perhaps perversely-given my earlier preference for the first five books of the series, I now actually prefer the last 4 books for their emotional complexity and willingness to explore themes of ambiguity, failure and rebirth. As one reviewer of the series has commented: many of those who enjoy the more recent narrative arc are not reading the series for its PNR elements. For what started essentially as quite a 'safe' UF series (up to about Book 5), on my return read, I have been gratified to find a far more complex, multilayered story that explores notions of power, self-actualisation and personal agency; in short, hardly the standard fare for your 'traditional' or 'average' UF or PNR series. Karen has written, on a number of occasions, that it is her belief that the series defies pigeon holing as an UF or PNR series. Having read the second narrative arc, I can't help but agree.

So, what has your experience of this series been as a reader? Do you prefer the first arc? If so, what elements of the first arc do you value/enjoy the most? Likewise, if you enjoyed the second arc more, what do you appreciate about the way the series has evolved since 'Iced'? Look forward to hearing your opinions.

[Jennifer]

I too have similar views as you posted. I read the first 5 books, then had to wait for Iced. When I read it I was so disappointed. It was like I wasn't mentally prepared to leave Mac and Barrons and it made me resent Dani. So I stopped with Iced. Fast forward to when Burned then Feverborn was released, I did a reread to get reacquainted with the books and I found the second time around I thoroughly enjoyed Iced. I gained a whole new appreciation for the book and realized that the story itself is a vital key to the series as a whole. I'm currently in a reread now and can't wait to dive into high voltage!

[Mellifluous]

I think the reason why I liked the second arc better in my second read was because I was reading for different reasons. When I read the series the first time, I was reading it as an UF with PNR elements. Once Dani was introduced, the romance temporarily disappeared and I ditched because (at the time) I wanted to read UF with romance. I find I am looking for something a bit different to PNR now, however, so I am enjoying the second arc more. I still like the first 5 books though. Of course, there is still romance in the second arc but my interest is more in the characters rather than the love story per se. I enjoyed HV but guess I was maybe looking for some more action-which, given Karen's comments pre-release about the book ,was obviously not going to happen. Looking forward to hearing more about the War (and hopefully Cruce and the Nine) in the next book.